Matt's 56 3600 4X4 Build

[mvitale27]

Hey guys,

Some of you may have seen my post in the general forum introducing myself as a new TF owner. Its a 1956 3600 model. Came with no motor/trans.

Plans are 383 Stroker/5 speed with 4X4 conversion. I will be using front/rear ends from a 70's K20.

Also will add power steering, power brakes, A/C, 1 piece windows and possible power door locks and/or windows.

Here is a picture of when I got her last week. Since then I have removed the front clip and cleaned out the interior. I will post more pics in a few days (waiting for my new iphone since I finally broke my 11 year old phone)

[c20pickup]

sweet! was just dreaming of a 4x4 swap myself!

[mvitale27]

Thanks. The thing that will separate my truck for other 4X4's I have seen is the ride height and wheels/tires.

I am not building a crawler or climber. The 4X4 is mainly just for snowy winters in New England. Most guys have raised the rear of their truck about 4 inches to level the ride height. I will be lowering the front of my truck a few inches to level it out. I will also only be using about a 29 inch tire vs the ones I have seen with 35s or bigger.

This way it will still have the functionality of a 4X4 without having that lifted look which I personally am not a huge fan of or that lowered hot rod look which I do like, but serves no purpose in a 4X4.

[mvitale27]

I am getting a little ahead of myself here but I have been pondering motor/tranny/tc mounts and crossmembers.

Originally I was going to use the old style front motor mounts and either a tranny crossmember or a tc mount. Now I realize that leaves no "heavy mount" since I wouldnt be using one on top of the bell housing.

Has anyone fabricated their own side motor mounts to use on the stock front crossmember? If so, what did you use for a tranny mount or tc mount?

I was thinking of fabbing my own side motor mounts, then welding in a tranny crossmember and also fabbing a tc mount similar to OrrieG's.

Any thoughts are welcomed and appreciated.

[mvitale27]

Update: I removed the front clip and finished stripping the firewall. Also the interior is mostly gutted except for the steering column and a few dash knobs. Removed the gas tank from the cab and the heater box and controls as well. Here are a couple pics. More to come...

[c20pickup]

sounds like you've got the same opinion on the "not to big, not to small" type of 4x4. kudos to you!

[mvitale27]

Originally Posted by c20pickup

sounds like you've got the same opinion on the "not to big, not to small" type of 4x4. kudos to you!

Thanks! To each his own but I am looking for functionality. Of course I want to burn some rubber and be able to drive in the snow but I wont be on the drag strip or the trails.

[mvitale27]

No updates, just thought I would share a quick pic of the first snowfall in New England! Just a dusting, but enough motivation to get more work done so I can get this in the garage!

[mvitale27]

Here are a few pics of the truck I took a couple weeks ago. 1 is showing the firewall. 2 and 3 show the crappy riveted floor pan repair that will be ripped out. And 4 is showing where I have been storing some parts that have been removed... in the bed for now.

[Fleet '66]

Welcome to the forum. Looks like you've found a good candidate for your 4x4 build and have a plan in mind. There's lots of talent and knowledge on this forum that's always willing to help out so don't be afraid to ask for assistance. Good luck. Keep the pics coming.

[OrrieG]

Originally Posted by mvitale27

Thanks. The thing that will separate my truck for other 4X4's I have seen is the ride height and wheels/tires.

I am not building a crawler or climber. The 4X4 is mainly just for snowy winters in New England. Most guys have raised the rear of their truck about 4 inches to level the ride height. I will be lowering the front of my truck a few inches to level it out. I will also only be using about a 29 inch tire vs the ones I have seen with 35s or bigger.

This way it will still have the functionality of a 4X4 without having that lifted look which I personally am not a huge fan of or that lowered hot rod look which I do like, but serves no purpose in a 4X4.

Just for reference my 74 K10 front axle in mounted on the bottom of the original 59 spring pack. It took a 4" lift block under the back stock springs to get the frame level. Removing springs will affect the ride and handling, and with 4wd may allow the front axle to move more than you like. Shocks and brakes ended up being the same as required for the original 74 K10 lifted 4".

[mvitale27]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

Just for reference my 74 K10 front axle in mounted on the bottom of the original 59 spring pack. It took a 4" lift block under the back stock springs to get the frame level. Removing springs will affect the ride and handling, and with 4wd may allow the front axle to move more than you like. Shocks and brakes ended up being the same as required for the original 74 K10 lifted 4".

Thanks for the info Orrie. Leveling out the ride height could prove to be a challenge as I dont want to be too high or too low. And removing springs will definitely mess with the ride and handling. I am trying to think of a unique solution.

[c20pickup]

Originally Posted by mvitale27

Thanks for the info Orrie. Leveling out the ride height could prove to be a challenge as I dont want to be too high or too low. And removing springs will definitely mess with the ride and handling. I am trying to think of a unique solution.

ever put any thought into air bags?? just a suggestion, around here some of the loacal guys who tow big campers and loads of hay put air bags in the rear to level it out. maybe you could do a milder air bag so you have the ride height your looking for and also level it out

[Madd Doc]

My build is going along a similar path, definitely subscribing

[mvitale27]

Originally Posted by c20pickup

ever put any thought into air bags?? just a suggestion, around here some of the loacal guys who tow big campers and loads of hay put air bags in the rear to level it out. maybe you could do a milder air bag so you have the ride height your looking for and also level it out

I thought about bags and my conclusion was that it wouldnt be possible (at least without a lot of custom fab work) to have bags in the front since I will be using a solid axle. And I am not too sure about having 2 different types of suspension, bags or coils in the rear and leafs in the front. On newer 4x4s usually its reversed, front would have struts and rear would have leafs.

I would love to have IFS and IRS but at least for now I am sticking with leaf springs.

On a side note, the plural of leaf is leaves, but does that apply to leaf springs as well? I like leafs better

[mvitale27]

Alright guys, I haven't done much to my truck lately with the holidays, weather and throw in a few days of being sick. But I did make a purchase last night. Picked up a 700r4/np208 combo out of an 86 Blazer to go behind my 383. I am currently finishing my last section of New England Tech and they saved the best for last, transmissions and related (diffs, transfer cases, axles, etc.). I will be fully rebuilding the 700r4 most likely with a kit from Monster Transmissions as part of my Automatic Transmissions Lab.

You may have noticed I previously said I wanted a 5 speed, well I figure to be doing some towing and whatnot with my truck so I went with an automatic overdrive. Both the 700r4 and the np208 were in full working order when I bought them so hopefully no surprises when I start the teardown.

I will post pictures of the unit later

[Mater/10]

This is Awesome Im Watchin this one Keep it up bud !

[c20pickup]

Sweet! You wont regret the auto-od, the 208 will also be a good option, 205's are stronger but a 208 will be just fine for your build. Keep up the wrok man. Glad i subbed this build. Will be sweet

[mvitale27]

Here are some pics of the 700r4 and np208. I took the transfer case off the tranny today since I will be bringing the tranny into school to start the rebuild this week.

[mvitale27]

Started the 700r4 rebuild in class last week. Looks good so far but I have only removed the valve body, electrical, etc. I will know more this week as I dive further in and see if any mechanical components have been compromised. I will put up pics once disassembly is complete.

[mvitale27]

Tranny is totally torn down. Ordered my parts today. Got a master overhaul kit, reverse input drum, front pump bushing, extension housing to t-case seal,corvette intermediate servo, and elevated springs for both throttle pressure and main line pressure. Still will need a torque converter, new TV cable, dipstick, and crossmember/mount. I will worry about those when I am getting ready to install. Here are some pics from the tear-down/inspection.

[mvitale27]

Transmission rebuild is almost complete!

I returned a few parts and bought some more in the meantime. I returned the main line pressure kit and throttle valve elevated pressure spring. I bought a shift kit instead which should take care of those pressures and many other things most importantly reducing/removing shift overlap (also increases durability). I also bought "the beast." Its an upgraded reaction shell which is a known weak point on these models.

Ended up needing a new output shaft case bushing as well. Should be all back together by next week, then I will paint it and post some more pics incase anyone decides to look at my slow, painful thread!

[mvitale27]

The foreman from the machine shop picked up my 350 block on Sunday. He is going to clean it up, and magnaflux for cracks. If all looks well, he is going to bore the cylinders .030", replace the cam bearings and freeze plugs, and clearance the crankcase for the stroker crank. He said it should be done next week. I was looking at a few different stroker kits and when I mentioned them to him he recommended this one - http://www.northernautoparts.com/part/lo-ek1803c

What do you guys think? I am looking to be around 400 HP and 400 lb/ft of torque so I don't think going forged is necessary and neither did the machinist.

[mvitale27]

Trans is 90% complete. I will put putting the shift kit in and getting the valve body back together tonight then I should be able to bring it home for paint! I hope to get that done this weekend along with resealing and painting my t-case.

[mvitale27]

Classic Industries was running a sale so I just ordered new front fenders and floor pan patch panels. I will take pictures of the new parts and old parts once they come in.

On the other note, I will be finishing up my trans on Saturday. I hope to paint both the trans and t-case on Sunday. I will put up some pictures this weekend.

Then next week, my block comes home from the machine shop!