71 GMC engine swap-arino

[Kalums]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

I've always bought stuff like manifolds from local speed shops. Online stores are all about moving product, but if you're standing at the counter looking a person in the eye, things are different. For instance, I bought sport wood steering wheel from LMC It went to caca and cracked right out of warranty. If one can take the part back to the seller and hold up the offending product, especially with potential customers in the room, things get handled much more to one's satisfaction...without, I'll say, going all Karen about it.

I actually took your advice after continued back and forth with Amazon, went down to my local speed shop and low and behold "under new management"... They now will match prices right then and there with Summit now. Didn't end up getting an intake manifold but I did get a few other things like a new reverse rotation metal fan and mounting hardware. Btw when I put the new intake on should I RTV the bottom of the intake bolts? I've seen arguments both for and against( more like "no need") in the forum. I do know I need to put RTV around the coolant passages front/ rear and across the front and rear of the intake where it meets the block. Gasgacinch for the rest of the intake gasket?

Edit: found an Edelbrock 2104 locally, the guy was getting rid of for $40 and it doesn't look abused so... I'm gonna clean it and send it. Also I nabbed a Fel-pro 1205 gasket.

[Kalums]

Anyone have any tips/tricks/suggestions on mounting and electric fuel pump? I know I need to be as close to and under the fuel tank... But do I need a relay? A switch? I was planning on putting in a pressure regulator and hard lines?

I've got a carter that puts out 4-7psi.

[Steeveedee]

I don't know about sealing the intake manifold bolts. I never did, but haven't worked on newer than '85 engines, as by then I was working as an engineer, and only rebuilt old iron when I needed to.

[Kalums]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

I don't know about sealing the intake manifold bolts. I never did, but haven't worked on newer than '85 engines, as by then I was working as an engineer, and only rebuilt old iron when I needed to.

I totally got impatient and installed the intake at 4am this morning... Because I was awake. It is on there now with a dab of Permatex thread sealer on each bolt. We will see how that works/plays out. Picture of the latest "mock-up" not sure I like the stock exhaust may go back to the Ram head manifolds and I want to figure out if the old PS pump will mount on the serpentine bracket. Then I won't have to figure out new hose(s).

[54blackhornet]

As a kid I was taught to put a piece of wood underneath your battery while charging it. I don’t know if it’s an old wives tale or not but I always have done it.

[Kalums]

Originally Posted by 54blackhornet

As a kid I was taught to put a piece of wood underneath your battery while charging it. I don’t know if it’s an old wives tale or not but I always have done it.

I dunno if it is a wife's tale or not but that was literally sitting there for about 10 mins and I put it up on the shelf behind/left ... So I completely understand *laughs*

[Kalums]

Stock (old) temp sending unit is bad and new ACDelco temp sensor is too big for the driver's side head "hole" between 1&3 on this block... Fits old block but not new. I don't know where to go at this point besides stick the new sending unit in the intake manifold? New unit matches old stock unit

[slikside]

Originally Posted by 54blackhornet

As a kid I was taught to put a piece of wood underneath your battery while charging it. I don’t know if it’s an old wives tale or not but I always have done it.

Similar here…only that having the battery on the concrete depletes its charge. So I’ve always placed them on a piece of wood.

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by Kalums

Stock (old) temp sending unit is bad and new ACDelco temp sensor is too big for the driver's side head "hole" between 1&3 on this block... Fits old block but not new. I don't know where to go at this point besides stick the new sending unit in the intake manifold? New unit matches old stock unit

Putting the stock sensor in the intake manifold will work just fine. And it's less money than buying one that has been machined to fit the head.

[MARKDTN]

Originally Posted by Kalums

*** not sure I like the stock exhaust may go back to the Ram head manifolds***

That looks like '73 up manifolds. Rams horns are stock on 67-72 small-block. And the truck rams-horns are different than a car the way the outlet is. You will probably want to use your originals.

[Kalums]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

Putting the stock sensor in the intake manifold will work just fine. And it's less money than buying one that has been machined to fit the head.

That was my logic as well. All the sensors I'm finding that fit the head on that engine are 2 and 3 wire units.

[Kalums]

Originally Posted by MARKDTN

That looks like '73 up manifolds. Rams horns are stock on 67-72 small-block. And the truck rams-horns are different than a car the way the outlet is. You will probably want to use your originals.

Those manifolds that are in that picture are the stock units for a 1993. The ones that were on the engine I am pulling are garbage... 1 is ok but the ports are slightly off to one side about an 1/8 of an inch (all of them equally, bad casting) and the other is an original GM but it is cracked between 3 and 5 to the bottom of the manifold. So I went and found a matching set. Not sure if they are/were "truck" or "Vette" ram horns, but they are exactly like the ones that came off the old engine (minus the imperfections) and hopefully will allow me to use the existing exhaust until I can afford a decent set-up. And I couldn't argue with the "come get them out of my shed" price. *laughs*

If you are wondering they are the straight drop(outlet, 2.5"), not the ones canted 135 degrees. Again not sure which is which but that is what was there to begin with.
On a side note I will be learning this next week how to port match with the exhaust. a friend of mine is coming over on his day off to help me port match the exhaust manifolds. I get that this isn't a big horse power engine... But he volunteered and I wanted to learn.

[Kalums]

Btw I hate to admit that this is going slower than I thought/expected... But I am extremely nervous about breaking in this new engine... I literally have one shot at this and have no idea what to do if I screw it up... I'm definitely feeling inexperienced at the moment.