4 Hour 4" Lift

[special-K]

I'd have to think a while to be able to say how many lifts I have installed. Went to finally do my '72 and it started off great. Everything unbolted with ease and even the steering arm wasn't a bear. Like I said, been there done that. Well, I guess I am too confident because I overlooked the need to do a valve job as part of it. Ok, not usually true, just this time. I actually had the springs installed, but when it came time for the longer hoses it got to be more than 4 hours. I decided, to make things easier, I'd pull the headers to make disconnecting and reconnecting the hoses to the lines easier to access. Held off on the shocks, too. Well, to take the headers off you need to pull the spark plugs. No biggy. I do the passenger side and get it all done no BFD. I go to the driver side and break one spark plug porcelaine. get the hose done and now it's time to get that plug out. I had been soaking it to have it ready to go. Ugh, that sumbugger is tight! I pt heat on it and try...no luck, won't budge.Ok, I have the cure, a BFBB (that's Breaker Bar). How did it go? the dang hex busted off and now I have just the threads and tip in the head with no way to grab on. GREAT! I tried a square ez-out...with heat, NO DICE. I mean I had a long 7/16" open end with a pipe on that with heating. So off with the heads! I knew I had some issues with this engine (another story) but it ran strong and was letting me wait...till now. I said if I pulled the head I would be rebuilding it. I suspected coolant was getting in, kept changing oil frequently while not driving all that much. Ran strong, but a valve was sticky on start up till it got warm. I felt I was ruining the 350 and had plans to build a 383 when money allowed. Bet the head off and no surprise, coolant residue in that cyl around the exhaust valve. The other surprise was an engine just as clean as back in '91 when I rebuilt it! The heads are in for a valve job...and spark plug thread removal from one cyl.

Not sure I want to do any more lift kits for a while

[Stocker]

The dreaded snowball effect

I can't come even close to that, but you do a lot more wrenching than I do. I was changing diff oils recently and could not get the plug out of the front D44. Tried everything I could think of, then got another cover and pulled off the old one with the stuck plug. Ended up cutting off the mangled remains of the 5/8" square drive, drilled increasingly larger holes through the plug, tried an EZ-out (no good), finally beat on it with a cold chisel until I got the broken pieces out. Still a whole lot simpler than what you're dealing with! And I now have a spare D44 cover, with a brand new plug....

[72 Super]

Man I feel for you Tim. I used to just say this is going take such and such amount of time. Now I just start and don't even set a time frame.

Ray

[CG]

Um, do you have it down to the frame yet? Haha!

[special-K]

There is no truck any more. I found some dynamite . I never set a time limit. It takes till I'm done. A lot of snowballs have effected my life. If I moved way down south I'd bring the snow with me. I was going by what lift kit instructions usually say. Most of the time I run into everything fightng me to come off...galled spring eye bolts/bushings, shock bolts, etc.

I get hung up on things sometimes and ask for advise from friends. I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "The only other thing I can think of is blank blank blank, but you never see that happen". That's my cue to look into just that and guess what? It happened to me!

Even taking my heads in just as the shop is opening last Monday morning, which is 10 miles in the wrong direction from work...on my way to working 10 hours. All set to go I ask him what he thinks on time, hoping I'd have them back by this weekend. He said a couple weeks, he was busy, and a little time off. i guess I chose to drop them off just as he was about to go on vacation. I'm helping a guy build a house, when I usually work for myself, so I had to get down the road. Couldn't be running them anywhere else, like I would have if doing my own work

[special-K]

Great news! That one head is cracked so I don't have to put the heads back on...YAY! Oh wait, how can I drive the truck? Doggone it, this sucks!!

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by special-K

Great news! That one head is cracked so I don't have to put the heads back on...YAY! Oh wait, how can I drive the truck? Doggone it, this sucks!!

Not every day you can really appreciate finding a cracked head... congratulations!

[CG]

Suckage!

[ryanroo]

The rotten snowball effect. Hopefully it comes together better.

[First c10]

Snowball effect is always "in" effect. I have had the same luck on Hulk Jr.... Hang in there and keep the check book or bank card handy!

[special-K]

And there lies the problem within. All this and my daily/winter driver needs engine work. Money...check book? Wuzzat?? I have a 350 I pulled from a '71 of mine in '04. The heads had been redone when timing chain was replaced. Couldn't have more than 10k on that job. It smelled like it was burning some oil, prolly worn rings, but no smoke. Contemplating swapping heads or whole engine. Heads explains itself, but thinking engine so I can have the original block to slowly (that money thing) build it into a 383, then buy aluminum, Vortec, or old performance heads. I could try some magic potion to see if that makes better or just run as a smelly old truck that could start smoking. Only buying time with it. Just want to drive it. I've been keeping that engine intact for being complete and original, except head work and double roller set-up.

I just talked to a friend with a '71 350 pulled from a rust free C/10 he put on a 4wd frame. It ran and didn't smoke and has about 100k on it. Pretty much same as what I have. I'd have the same two options as with mine, with $200 added. I kinda like having that original motor of mine around and intact. But it has heads I know won't need a trip to the machine shop. Faster and cheaper by a good bit. I don't want this to go on too long, but I need a little time to mull it around. It was supposed to be a 4 hour tour...a 4 hour tour (Oh Ginger. Time for cocktails and you know what...heh heh heh)

Thinking maybe going to social services at the county seat to see if I qualify for engine stamps

[special-K]

At an antique truck show a couple weeks ago, there was a small swap meet. I saw some orange SBC heads and wondered if there was my donor, or just use both if good. I looked Friday evening when we got there but didn't ask. The next morning I asked and they are from a '70 Nova, 1.94s. They were pulled to install aluminum heads (in a Vega now) with no issues and not a lot of miles on head job with all new springs. These are ready to bolt on. The best part was the no-brainer price.... $50!! Now to find the time in this busy time I'm in.

[CG]

Sweet buy!

[special-K]

No brainer! I was unsure of buying used to plunk on, but at $50 and after getting the history I think I done purdy good. I'm going to see how far I get this weekend. First I have to put a wheel cylinder on my '95 'Burb. That thing needs my attention and is having a hard time waiting for the '72 to get back on the road. Hopefully soon!! I just had to put a water pump on the engine I will be pulling from the 'Burb. No biggie, but lord just let me park that thing and get to making it ready for next winter...soon?

[special-K]

The heads are finally on and so are the headers. One push rod was bent, so that halted the progress up top. Got another one from a friend but no time left. Hopefully this evening will show more headway

[CG]

tic toc tic toc ...

[special-K]

I guess I should celebrate. It came alive again yesterday afternoon! It runs nice and now I can appreciate the new suspension, steering, brakes, bearings, better tires, and new look

[CG]

Hey man Congrats! That has to be a great feeling.

[special-K]

The great feeling is "Yay it's back on the road, now what's next??"

- Outer rockers/cab corner
- Replace dash or new circuit
- Remove 5th wheel mount
- Music
- Upper tailgate trim
- Lock Rite in front
- Aluminum differential covers
- Window seals
- ...

[special-K]

A few quick pictures. It sits low in the rear, as you can see. I used add-a-leafs and 2" blocks. Not exactly sure what's going on since before it sat ass-end high due to two things. The front stock springs were a good bit lower than stock. There was barely more than an inch to the stops. And on the rear, other than the stock cast spacer of about 1/2" there were 1" solid steel blocks. So, I only added 2 1/2" to what was there. The front has 4" springs that I figured would level it and add the same 2 1/2" or so. But it did more than that.

[Stocker]

Looks good, Tim..... I may be biased though. The stance is similar to mine, the rear being just slightly lower than the front, but yours sits a bit taller. I got used to the look a long time ago and actually prefer it. Just a hint of pre-runner.

[special-K]

These pictures make it look fine for some reason. I like them level or even an inch high or so in front. I am minus the thickness of that factory spacer, but that's 1/2". I took a video but can't get it to upload so far, kinda long. You can tell in that. I have another picture with different tires on it:

[CG]

Now that is a working truck. Looks great!

[special-K]

Thanks. After all this work being centered around using the aluminum slots and BFG A/Ts I had to do a little change in the "new look". These are the wheels and tires off of my '95 Suburban. I had driven it a little checking things out and working bugs out. Saturday morning I was headed to visit an out of town friend who was visiting another friend about 10 miles away Saturday morning. Maybe 1/2 way there I feel some vibration that gets me to thinking how I hadn't balanced these and they seemed fine. I had a couple dismounted. Now I'm thinking they may need it afterall, since I hadn't run too fast yet and now vibrating. Next thing I know POW!!! WOP WOP WOP and something long and black goes flying back. I pull over, tires are all up. Look under the hood and belts all on, no big chunk out of shroud. Then look at the driver front and most of the tread was gone. I hadn't noticed any checks in these tires before installing or since running a hundred miles or so. This was an reservation I had with these tires and damned if my apprehension wasn't well founded. The pictures with the slots I took when I got it back using the one 255/85 on front left. I figured I'd get a few picture before the look went to the back pages

[JIMs70GMC]

That sucks Tim. I am going to get my son's 2006 Sierra from the dealer shortly. Same thing happened, tires looked fine and bam over $2000 of damage when the tread let loose and bent the front bumper and damn near tore the fender off. I will get a pic of that.