72 2wd Blazer: Project "Break Me"

[smbrouss70]

Looks Good! Man, you got me wanting the Corvette suspension bad!

[Micmac]

Looking gr8!

[jkade]

Originally Posted by smbrouss70

Looks Good! Man, you got me wanting the Corvette suspension bad!

Yes I think it will work good and I am still way under the cost of a off the shelf kit and have added a bunch of clearence.

[gringoloco]

Finally, some pics! Lookin' good. Now that you have the trailing arms, what difference do you see besides the panhard brackets?

[jkade]

Originally Posted by gringoloco

Finally, some pics! Lookin' good. Now that you have the trailing arms, what difference do you see besides the panhard brackets?

Not too much difference that I see besides the panhard bar brackets, I will cut them off. A good difference is they are only 2" wide which may help with a little clearence down the line. They have grease fittings in the bushings also. The pecker head was supposed to sent me the tubing ones and those are what I got. I filed a claim on my credit card and they gave me my money back for time being.

[Frizzle Fry]

Looking good!

[bagged74]

seems like it would be more cost effective to just get some 2x3 tubing and build some. Progress looks good

[jkade]

Originally Posted by bagged74

seems like it would be more cost effective to just get some 2x3 tubing and build some. Progress looks good

I may still do that but if I would have got the ones I paid for I couldn't have built them for $120 considering the time and looking for bushings. Thanks on the work

[jkade]

Ok, so here is the early classic crossmember, nascar arms, and the homemade blocks. I am waiting on u bolts now.

[jkade]

Got the u bolts from stengelbros.com, thanks edman87 for the hook up on that site and they ship fast. I am at a little stand still right now, need to get the motor and trans in, build motor mounts, build trans crossmember, build the 2.5" stainless exhaust, etc. Pulled the heads off the ls1 in my 67 and put in some new lifters over the weekend thinking it might quiten down the valvetrain but it didn't. I guess I will have to live with the sewing machine sound it makes. Maybe I will get something done this weekend so we can have some pics to look at.

[gringoloco]

Stand still? Sounds like there's plenty of work to be done!

How much lift are you running on the cam in your truck? What springs? These motors are a little noisy with the fast-ramp high lift stuff like Comp XE-R lobes, etc...

[jkade]

Originally Posted by gringoloco

Stand still? Sounds like there's plenty of work to be done!

How much lift are you running on the cam in your truck? What springs? These motors are a little noisy with the fast-ramp high lift stuff like Comp XE-R lobes, etc...

Yes plenty of work, I guess I worded that wrong

I am running a patriot 226/226 585/585 with the dual gold springs and my brother is running the same in his 6.0 and it makes some noise also. I know they are bad about valvetrain noise but I thought it could be the lifters I will just put the ones I took out in my 6.0 and will probably go with a different cam in it. I just hate that I pissed $200 down the drain but I feel better knowing the lifters are good

[gringoloco]

Maybe pushrod length? Aftermarket cams generally have a smaller base circle, so you may have a little slop if you're using stock length pushrods. Just a thought...

[jkade]

Originally Posted by gringoloco

Maybe pushrod length? Aftermarket cams generally have a smaller base circle, so you may have a little slop if you're using stock length pushrods. Just a thought...

I had a set of 7.425's in there when I built the motor and it didn't help when I put the stockers back in. I am just going to live with it since it runs so well. I did a little burn out for khoult the other day so he can vouch for the thing smoking tires, I had to get out of it or tear down the neighbors mail box

[BigTex]

Usually the valvetrain noise is associated with both the aggressive lobes on the cam and the much increased spring pressure from a strong spring like those patriot golds. How many miles are on the lifters? Patriot springs aren't exactly gentle on the valvetrain. Sometimes its hit or miss on pushrod length. Without a way to adjust using the stock rockers, you either need to measure proper length, or test out more than one set. If it sounds really bad to the point that you would swap the cam, then it is likely that you have an issue. It could be incorrect pushrod length (or bent), broken spring, or a collapsed lifter.

Are you running stock heads? Have they been milled any?

[Rokcrln]

Looking good! Question for ya what is the notch on the top of the frame rail right behind the upper arm? Also with what a great job your dad di on the front crossmember why not build your own rear crossmember? Are they just cheap enough not to try and reinvent the wheel? Last one for now, with your rear notch how low will the rockers sit with your tire size? I am still trying to invision how much I will have to chop out of mine for as low as I want to go.

Keep them pics comming, I hope with everyone doing their blazer latley mine will start working on it self

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[jkade]

Originally Posted by BigTex

Usually the valvetrain noise is associated with both the aggressive lobes on the cam and the much increased spring pressure from a strong spring like those patriot golds. How many miles are on the lifters? Patriot springs aren't exactly gentle on the valvetrain. Sometimes its hit or miss on pushrod length. Without a way to adjust using the stock rockers, you either need to measure proper length, or test out more than one set. If it sounds really bad to the point that you would swap the cam, then it is likely that you have an issue. It could be incorrect pushrod length (or bent), broken spring, or a collapsed lifter.

Are you running stock heads? Have they been milled any?

Has new lifters and that helped a lot, I have also heard that headers make the noise worse and the fact the truck has poor sound deading doesn't help either. Yes stock heads and no mill.

[jkade]

Originally Posted by Rokcrln

Looking good! Question for ya what is the notch on the top of the frame rail right behind the upper arm? Also with what a great job your dad di on the front crossmember why not build your own rear crossmember? Are they just cheap enough not to try and reinvent the wheel? Last one for now, with your rear notch how low will the rockers sit with your tire size? I am still trying to invision how much I will have to chop out of mine for as low as I want to go.

Keep them pics comming, I hope with everyone doing their blazer latley mine will start working on it self

Kevin
LFD Inc.

The notch you are talking about is for clearence on the end of the a-arm, if we would have used 2x4 that would not have been a issue. Yes my old man did good work but give me credit for welding it all up Yeah I couldn't see spending the time on fabbing on when it was $180 for the crossmember but if it would have been higher I would have made my own. If I measured right with a 315/35/20 I should be about a 1-2" from laying out on the rear and the front should lay "hopefully". Maybe if it warms up I will get back to work on it since I haven't touched it a month.
Thanks, Kade

[Rokcrln]

Sorry, props to for the welding it looks good as well Now put on a jacket and get you butt out their and get more work done so we can sit in our warm homes and watch

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[jkade]

Originally Posted by Rokcrln

Sorry, props to for the welding it looks good as well Now put on a jacket and get you butt out their and get more work done so we can sit in our warm homes and watch

Kevin
LFD Inc.

Maybe get back started next week but I am in no hurry since this is gonna be a several year build I enjoy sitting in the warm house and watching too but nothing of mine gets done that way

[Rokcrln]

Originally Posted by jkade

Maybe get back started next week but I am in no hurry since this is gonna be a several year build I enjoy sitting in the warm house and watching too but nothing of mine gets done that way

Several years? Mine are always just a few month builds that take me several years if they ever get finished Whats the temps been their latley, here its staying around 30-45* I will be painting the next few days so that meens fire up all the shop heaters and let things defrost for a few hours.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[jkade]

Originally Posted by Rokcrln

Several years? Mine are always just a few month builds that take me several years if they ever get finished Whats the temps been their latley, here its staying around 30-45* I will be painting the next few days so that meens fire up all the shop heaters and let things defrost for a few hours.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

We have been having about the same temps as you. It cost so much to heat the shop right now with deisel being so high. Maybe in a few weeks we will have some 65 plus degree weather and I will get back to work.

[Rokcrln]

Originally Posted by jkade

We have been having about the same temps as you. It cost so much to heat the shop right now with deisel being so high. Maybe in a few weeks we will have some 65 plus degree weather and I will get back to work.

I use a 20gal propain bottle with a twin heater unit mounted on top of the bottle. Then just move it around were you are working. Not the best but it sure takes the chill off.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[BigTex]

Originally Posted by jkade

Has new lifters and that helped a lot, I have also heard that headers make the noise worse and the fact the truck has poor sound deading doesn't help either. Yes stock heads and no mill.

Headers! No doubt that is causing quite a bit of ticking noises. Headers can deliver a real nice power gain and help maximize the potential, but do have their downsides. Cast iron manifolds really do help keep the noise down. You really have to buy headers with the thickest tube possible as the cheaper thin stuff is noisy.

[BigTex]

Originally Posted by jkade

It cost so much to heat the shop right now with deisel being so high. Maybe in a few weeks we will have some 65 plus degree weather and I will get back to work.

I recently bought a Mr. Heater brand propane shop heater to warm my 30x40 shop. Its a 75000 - 125000 BTU unit. I tried a 50,000 BTU kerosene unit first, but I had to run it a lot longer than I wanted and the smell was stronger than I remembered. The propane recommends a 40# bottle, but I've been using it with a 20# bottle and its fine. This morning, on low, it warmed the shop from 42* to 60* in about 30 minutes.

Northern Tools has a sale going on right now with 25% off all heaters.