67-71 as tow vehicles?

[elks]

I have a 72 2wd 3/4 ton long bed. I also have the following: A camp trailer (small, 19 ft 77 roadrunner), an 85 Jeep-cJ7, and my 72 blazer. Both the jeep and blazer are built to rock crawl and do not do long highway miles well. So my plan is to build my 72 to haul my toys.

My plan is to use the original 350 block and build it, possibly a 383 stroker. But I am curious, what other things should I plan on to make the vehicle a suitable tow rig? Here is the original list on the glove box.



I know I will probable have to upgrade the tranny. Does anyone here have a goose neck set up in one of these trucks?

Thanks a bunch, I just think it would be really cool to haul my 4x4 blazer with my grandpas old hunting, and camping truck. Also the camper I have is his as well. Grandma sold it, and I tracked down the owner and bought it back.

[eagleuh1]

Tranny cooler is good upgrade, possibly electric fans for those long slow uphill climbs.

[mrein3]

I have a 1/2 ton that I use to haul my bass boat around with.

When I got the truck it was a 3-speed manual, column shift with a leaky, smokey 350 engine.

I did the transmission first. I swapped it for a th350 - which according to your SPID you already have. I had the transmission rebuilt and had the guy put in a shift kit. Then as eagleuh1 says I installed an aftermarket transmission cooler.

Before I installed the cooler I did a test. I had a 100 mile one-way trip to make with my boat. One weekend I did it before I put the cooler on. I had installed a transmission temperature gauge and kept my eye on it. In stop-and-go traffic in a town I had to go through I got the temp up to 240 degrees. It cooled back down when I got moving again but that is too hot.

Same trip, same red light one week later, similar outside temps, it only got up to 215 or so.

If you drive the truck in the winter plumb it so the hot transmission fluid goes from the transmission to the extra cooler then to the radiator tank then back to the transmission. You don't want the fluid too cold.

If you only run it in the summer go hot trans to radiator to external cooler then back to trans.

For engine purposes if you don't need a rebuild that 350 will be fine. If you are rebuilding anyways you may as well build a 383. I built my 383 for under $1300. You can use your 350 rods. They make 383 pistons that have the wrist pin higher to work with a stock 400 crank and your 350 rods. If you had to bore the block to make the holes round again you needed new pistons anyways. They all cost pretty much the same - stock 350 or "383" pistons. The only extra you'll need is to have somebody machine out the block to clearance that longer throw those rods will have with a 400 crank.

That extra stroke pulling your camper into elk country will be nice.

[71tahoe]

Maybe trailer brakes and a controller too.

[junkyardjohn]

Originally Posted by mrein3

I have a 1/2 ton that I use to haul my bass boat around with.

When I got the truck it was a 3-speed manual, column shift with a leaky, smokey 350 engine.

I did the transmission first. I swapped it for a th350 - which according to your SPID you already have. I had the transmission rebuilt and had the guy put in a shift kit. Then as eagleuh1 says I installed an aftermarket transmission cooler.

Before I installed the cooler I did a test. I had a 100 mile one-way trip to make with my boat. One weekend I did it before I put the cooler on. I had installed a transmission temperature gauge and kept my eye on it. In stop-and-go traffic in a town I had to go through I got the temp up to 240 degrees. It cooled back down when I got moving again but that is too hot.

Same trip, same red light one week later, similar outside temps, it only got up to 215 or so.

If you drive the truck in the winter plumb it so the hot transmission fluid goes from the transmission to the extra cooler then to the radiator tank then back to the transmission. You don't want the fluid too cold.

If you only run it in the summer go hot trans to radiator to external cooler then back to trans.

For engine purposes if you don't need a rebuild that 350 will be fine. If you are rebuilding anyways you may as well build a 383. I built my 383 for under $1300. You can use your 350 rods. They make 383 pistons that have the wrist pin higher to work with a stock 400 crank and your 350 rods. If you had to bore the block to make the holes round again you needed new pistons anyways. They all cost pretty much the same - stock 350 or "383" pistons. The only extra you'll need is to have somebody machine out the block to clearance that longer throw those rods will have with a 400 crank.

That extra stroke pulling your camper into elk country will be nice.

EXCELLANT ADVICE.. I PUT A TRANS. TEMP GUAGE IN EVERY TRUCK I OWN. HEAT IS THE #1 CAUSE OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE. JOHN

[GASoline71]

Just think about when these trucks were built and how heavy camping trailers and boats were. They had no problem pulling them back then. Adding tranny and oil coolers will be a big benefit.

You won't pull the steep passes and uphill grades at 75 mph like you can with the modern gas and diesel rigs. But your truck will be fully capable of pulling with even a mildly built 350.

Gary

[capev86]

with a few tweaks that 72 3/4 ton will be a great tow rig.

you already have beefier springs and track bar and 71+ have disc front brakes. i would recommend a 1-1/4 front sway bar off a 73-87 1 ton or camper special if you don't already have a sway bar.

the 383 stroker kit is a good idea. a 350 is good but the stroker gives you more bang for fuel dollar. other mods should be done to help with low to mid range power also. a full roller RV cam is a great idea. it will be also be durable and very streetable and be a bit more spunky than stock.

a q-jet or tbi are the best fuel delivery methods for low end throttle response but a tuned port mpi is not necessarily a bad idea. fuel injection can adapt to changes in altitude.

a full trailer harness w/ brake controller and a hitch more than rated to take anything you will ever throw at it are an absolute must.

on my 72 burb 3/4 ton (307 2bbl w/ 3onthetree):
CPP sway bars
poly bushings - track bar and trailing arms
4 core radiator
7 blade cooling fan from 72 burb w/ HD cooling
15,000 lb hitch
factory brake controller and harness from '84 burb
q-jet swap
4.10 swap for better highway
tripod mirrors (sport mirrors are soooo gone)
mobil 1 engine oil, royal purple manual trans and rear gear oils
factory tach and vac gages

and future changes:
406sbc swap
magnaflow x-pipe dual exhaust

[PanelDeland]

Since you're in Co. I would agree with the FI.In fact a late model engine/tranny swap may net you some other benefits such as OD,FI,and computer control for timing and fuel.(especially if you will be doing much mountain driving)
The 350 or 383(better) will work well for towing,but altitude changes will affect the tow rig more with a carb.
I also think you may want to stay with a Bumper pull set-up so you can show off the period correct camper with the rest of your toys.

[Ackattack]

I'd also recommend a load distributing hitch set up, and also think about a sway control setup on top of that

The brake controller goes without saying.

May also want to think about upgrading pads on the front as well as other brake upgrades (stainless steel lines).