89 1500 parts ????

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by Lo78

...Also the engine i want to put in my 78 and was wondering if the 89 came with a stock 350. It has tbi so what do i need to do to go with a carb. Thanks Steve

I just dug out the stock 89 TBI 350 cam and it does have the fuel pump eccentric lobe on it. Down side is the block is not drilled for the pushrod or the mount bolt holes.

A carb conversion to the TBI engine would require an electric fuel pump.

[Lo78]

that is how it looks on my block. hey 68tt, you said i should take out the pedals and i took out the brake pedal should i take the gas pedal as well.? I was wondering about my rear in the 78 its a 12 bolt I dont know the gear ratio, but will it hold up to the conversion? Will my drive shaft bolt right up to the tranny end or what is going to happen with that? Thanks Steve

[Lo78]

i got some picts to post

[Lo78]

some more

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by Lo78

that is how it looks on my block. hey 68tt, you said i should take out the pedals and i took out the brake pedal should i take the gas pedal as well.? I was wondering about my rear in the 78 its a 12 bolt I dont know the gear ratio, but will it hold up to the conversion? Will my drive shaft bolt right up to the tranny end or what is going to happen with that? Thanks Steve

The rear end will bolt in as long as they are both leaf spring trucks. It is a little wider but the stock square body rear end track width is narrower than the front so the extra width actually brings the tires out so they line up with the front a little better. The gearing is probably better and the transmission already has the proper speedo gears to match it so your speedometer should read closer to right.

You at least need the brake switch off the 89 pedal assembly and should take the throttle cable. I don't think the pedal mount bracket will fit but the pedals themselves might. You will have to test fit them to see.

Your driveshaft will probably be way to long to fit so it will have to be shortened. The transmission yoke is most likely the same spline count and should fit. The 89 driveshaft might be a closer fit and will have the right rear U-joint to match up with the rear end if you swap it out. I don't know how the wheel bases compare to know for sure if the 89 part will be long enough.

[Lo78]

ok What do i do now?

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by Lo78

ok What do i do now?

Is your old engine out of the truck yet?

[68 TT]

The first thing to start with before you get the old engine out and the engine compartment cleaned up is to figure out where you want to mount the ECM and where you can pass the wires through the firewall without hitting anything on the inside or outside.

I don't know if you can make a square body ECM mount fit above the glove box on the 78 like in a newer square body but it would be worth a try. I suggest hitting the wrecking yard and seeing if you can pick up an ECM mount and see where the factory ran the wires through the firewall.

You should also measure the hole diameter that the 89 firewall grommet fit through so you can duplicate this in the 78 so the grommet fits properly.

Once all that is figured out you can pull the stock engine & trans out.

After the clean up of the engine compartment mount the ECM and run the ECM wiring through the firewall. After that is done you can drop the TBI engine in and not worry too much about inaccessibility causing you headaches down the road.

[Lo78]

If i decide to go with a carb set up will and what would i need to do to make this tranny work? Or should i just get a th400 to put behind the engine thanks steve

[Lo78]

from what i have been reading i would have to change my intake, get a carb and i read something about a distributer do i have to replace that? thanks steve

[rfmaster]

Originally Posted by Lo78

from what i have been reading i would have to change my intake, get a carb and i read something about a distributer do i have to replace that? thanks steve

Steve

Do not go back to a carb - it is not worth it. Since you have a complete engine-trany combo I would just drop it in as is and keep EFI. Yes, it is a bit more work at first, but when the gas will hit $4.50 per gallon you'll think otherwise.

//RF

[68 TT]

^x2 I agree whole heartedly.

You would need an intake for center bolt heads, carburetor, distributor and an external electric fuel pump.

To get the 700R4 to work all you need is a throttle cable bracket with the TV cable slot below the throttle cable opening and a TV cable linkage geometry corrector bracket that will fit the model of carburetor you choose. About $100 worth of parts so it is cheaper than picking up an older automatic trans.

The TBI blocks usually are not drilled for an on the block fuel pump so you could have it machined for one but I don't think the cost is worth the minimal $ savings on a mechanical pump vs. an electric one.

It may look imposing right now but it isn't as hard as it looks. Just start with getting the wiring & ECM into the cab of the truck and dropping the engine in.

Almost everything has a unique wiring connector so it is nearly impossible to connect something wrong. Just label everything and take lots of pictures as you go so you can see how things were assembled and connected in case you forget how something went together.

[Lo78]

68tt everything is still hooked up. i didnt disconnect any wires on the engine.The thing that is getting me is what to do in the cab? Im just not getting how its going to hook up in the cab? I took everything off the donor truck that you told me to take. i have the steering column so that switch on the column can be used, i guess thats something for the tranny . i have the brake pedal so that switch is there. i have the adl. i just dont know what to do with all that . I keep reading about relays and circuts i have to put in and that is just going over my head. I would really like to have the tbi set up. I think that would be awesome to have. The only thing i have going for me on this build is the help you guys are giving me. so thanks. this weekend im going to finish my body work, pull old engine and tranny , clean engine comparment .next week im going to do my suspension 5/ 7 drop from western then get my wheels and tires mounted. then send her in for paint. So i have a little while before im going to tackle the engine at least a few weeks . That will give me time for more reading on the swap. Steve

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by Lo78

68tt everything is still hooked up. i didnt disconnect any wires on the engine.The thing that is getting me is what to do in the cab? Im just not getting how its going to hook up in the cab? I took everything off the donor truck that you told me to take. i have the steering column so that switch on the column can be used, i guess thats something for the tranny . i have the brake pedal so that switch is there. i have the adl. i just dont know what to do with all that . I keep reading about relays and circuts i have to put in and that is just going over my head. I would really like to have the tbi set up. I think that would be awesome to have. The only thing i have going for me on this build is the help you guys are giving me. so thanks. this weekend im going to finish my body work, pull old engine and tranny , clean engine comparment .next week im going to do my suspension 5/ 7 drop from western then get my wheels and tires mounted. then send her in for paint. So i have a little while before im going to tackle the engine at least a few weeks . That will give me time for more reading on the swap. Steve

I'd be inclined to do the engine swap before you paint it. No sense possibly damaging the new paint doing some heavy mechanical work when the paint is fresh. It's just too easy to damage. Plus if you have to pull the hood or a fender you don't risk chipping an edge.

The body shop would be much happier with a running truck that they don't have to push around too.

[Lo78]

i was goig to have body shop paint inside engine area. Wouldnt be better for them not to have motor in ?

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by Lo78

i was goig to have body shop paint inside engine area. Wouldnt be better for them not to have motor in ?

If they are doing the firewall it is better to have the engine out but it will make doing the rest of the truck a little slower unless it never leaves the work bay until it is ready for paint.

Are you going to give them a bare cab?

I hated working on vehicles that were not drivable. You always are juggling jobs in a body shop to keep everybody happy so vehicles move in & out of the work area daily.

I would see if they can do the firewall and let you put the drive train back into it then bring them a running truck back to do the rest of the paint job with.

Do you want to pay body shop rates just for them to push your truck in & out of the shop a half dozen times or more?

[Lo78]

I am going to have all the interior removed. The seat is out ,and the carpet. I will be getting the rest out.

[68 TT]

I would wait on installing your new wheels onto the truck until it is back from paint.

Less to have to worry about and less for the body shop to have to protect while they have it and are working on it. It wouldn't be the first time parts got stolen off of a vehicle in storage at a body shop. Every one I ever came across states they are not responsible for theft while the vehicle is in their possession.

You really should do all the major mechanical work like the drop and engine / trans swap before it gets to the body shop even if you have to pull the engine back out after you do the swap so they can paint all the areas you want done.

I hate having to worry about leaning on a fender or dropping a tool and causing damage to a fresh paint job.

If you could get them to do the cab first and let you have the rolling chassis with cab installed back to drop the engine in while they are painting the bed, doors, fenders & hood you could save a lot of headaches. Get the engine reinstalled and the frame all detailed & painted then bring it back to them for final assembly.

This way they could hang the panels back on the chassis perfectly and you wouldn't have to worry about damaging a thing on the outside of the truck when putting the engine in. Win-win situation.

[Lo78]

hey 68tt is this the cluster i need http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...PageName=STRK:

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by Lo78

hey 68tt is this the cluster i need http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...PageName=STRK:

That one should work the best with the 89 C1500 parts you have.

[Tex_50613]

Originally Posted by 68 TT

I just dug out the stock 89 TBI 350 cam and it does have the fuel pump eccentric lobe on it. Down side is the block is not drilled for the pushrod or the mount bolt holes.

A carb conversion to the TBI engine would require an electric fuel pump.

wow if the block had not been drilled it's not the original or it had been filled, I have pulled multipul SBC out of 89 to 93 chevys anr converted them to carb, also the cam is a aftermarket, probably a rv cam the ctock ones did not havr a lobe on them for the fule pump

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by Tex_50613

wow if the block had not been drilled it's not the original or it had been filled, I have pulled multipul SBC out of 89 to 93 chevys anr converted them to carb, also the cam is a aftermarket, probably a rv cam the ctock ones did not havr a lobe on them for the fule pump

Original unmodified untouched standard bore block. No signs of welding or epoxy. All the roller cam lifter valley stands and the cam retainer plate holes were not drilled either. I have seen this quite often on the truck engines that had flat tappet cams in them. Maybe 30% I have seen are drilled for the roller cam stuff.

The cam could be aftermarket as this engine had rebuilt heads on it when I got it so it is possible they upgraded the cam too. There are no stamping or part number marks on it at all though to know for sure. It came out of an 89 Suburban.

[Tex_50613]

that should be a 94 or newer block then if it has rollers and was not machined for them which would explain the lack of the hole, 89-92 still used flat tappit lifters in them

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by Tex_50613

that should be a 94 or newer block then if it has rollers and was not machined for them which would explain the lack of the hole, 89-92 still used flat tappit lifters in them

89 block with factory flat tappet cam. I drilled it for the roller cam lifter valley retaining bolts and the cam retainer plate bolts so I could install the Vortec truck roller cam setup I am going to run in it.

[Lo78]

I took the inline out today. also welded in all the stake pockets on the bed. I was thinking about the ac unit out of the 89 , will that work in my truck? Thanks steve