started with a bbc swap

[daved]

Hey ya'll
my name is Dave and i live in Austin area and found this site when I started to replace the engine in my 68 stepside a couple of weeks ago. I been a mechanic and hot rodder since high school but never have done or had airbags. I had the truck about 12 yrs or so and tossed a rod out the side about 3 yrs ago...and with all the other projects I always seem to have going put it on hold till a couple of weeks ago when I came across a 454...and then the list has snowballed since then......(the wife said "i thought you were changing the motor????....lol)


this is the 350 that was in it. my son calls it the jagerbomb shift (or non shifting...lol)


anyways....I have posted a few times seeking info on mounts,air bags etc and thought i would post the build. As I go along I hope ya'll chime in and if I have questions I wont have 3 or 4 threads going. (I started some...but got the info so thanks again to those who posted up!) so the build will hopefully be done by the first part of april (if it does not keep snowballin on me) and is as follows:

power plant:
454 with a 700 trans(trans already in it)
12 bolt w/373's with an eaton posi (posi on order)

suspension:
ece front disc conversion w/2.5 drop spindles(non power for now) delivered
Scotts hot rod airbag kit (found things I may not need and things I will need...I will get to that later)
so this is keeping me busy for now but i need to look ahead to have the next step ordered....

things i need to get:
adjustable sway bar
wheels (thinking 16x8 w/ 4"bs)
mini notch (if i dont use scotts weld in step notch)
shocks and relocate mounts
That should get it rolling again...need to do the front and see how it sits b4 i do the back.
For the engine:
carb
headers if the stock manifolds dont work
4 core radiator and shround/brackets
aluminum pulley/bracket kit
ps pump(adding p/s so i need to get a steering gear too) really just listing stuff to remind myself....lol so here is where I am at now:




beat the ball joints loose with a bfh and got the front end torn down but worked until dark so i will add pics on next post....

[RCbowtie69]

Hey from N.C. keep up the work & pictures coming,keep on truckin''

[daved]

not alot of progress....waiting on the right lca cups... the ones sent to me were too big (measured 5.62) apparently (i was told) they make 2 different size cups for these trucks (anybody else run into this issue?) I wont be recieving the 4.75 cups till next week..
so here is a short version of how i got to this point....I was doing a test fit last week while waiting on some parts and saw that the cup kinda rocked in the hole, so I called and told them and he said they would "seat" in....did not seem right to me...but I have never done air bags b4... When I went to assemble the front this week I did not like the fit or "non fit" and did not think they would "seat" in.... so I call them back and it took a two days to find out they were wrong (and I had to call them both days to finally get the answer) ........anyways....sorry about the rant......heres the lastest pics...

the cup fitment did not seem right to me.....


where they "bottomed" out


so it is painted and ready to put together....waiting on parts....
I used brush-on rustoleum flat black....it was a pain but turned out nice

[daved]

I wasted a week and a half waiting on smaller cups...the things were tiny and made out of 1/8 tube....maybe for a import or small car?

...
anyways after I posted this topic http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=450626 and talked to Nick at AVS this is what I did


so I trimmed the original cups I got down as most people do (ended up being
1 3/4")




after grinding the cuts smooth I did a test fit and after one cycle up and down the cup tilted (moved) toward the inside of the lca and allowed the bag to touch the control are on the inside at full collapse...so I did what Nick at AVS said to do and put some good tack welds in the stamped depressions (there are 3) like this




I just set the cup in where if fit best (the least amount of wobble) I dont know if the angle is right as it kinda looks more parallel to the lca and maybe it should be more parallel to the crossmember above it...to attach the bottom of the bag i went thru the hole in the lca and used the center bolt (slam bags)..this is what I ended up with....will see if it works..but a couple of weeks away from trying it out..I will post some pics at full collapse..ended up within a 1/4" of rubbing the control arm

[daved]

finally finished the front..... so when its aired out the drivers bag seems to clear ok



but the passenger looks like it might rub ....barely....maybe after air is in them and they cycle a few times it will sit different when aired out (i hope)and have more room


while installing the ECE disc conversion thought I would run the lines on the outside of the frame to clear the bbc exhaust


not real happy with the final results (looks)......could have came out cleaner.....(is does not look like it but there is about 3 inches of clearance from the column).maybe I will redo once the front clip is back on


frame is about 2.5 inches off the ground but these are 26 inch tires...will be an inch or two higher when i get the new shoes for her...

[Beat68CST]

Nice stuff!


Nothin like a BBC (:

[daved]

yeah I cant wait to start putting the engine in.....soon as the rear is done....probably by next weekend.....waiting on c notch and pan hard....

[daved]

so I spent the last 3 weekends doing more yard work than I wanted too...lol.. I was waiting on parts for the rear. Going to be installing a c-notch from Mc Gaughys, QAR (suicidedoors) adjustable track arm, QAR shock relocation kit and a 49/52 chevy sedan fuel tank from tanks inc. (in the rear in place of the spare.) Can't wait to finally get the bags in so I can start on the engine! I will take pics and post soon.

[RCbowtie69]

Your making progress,keep on truckin''

[daved]

yeah so the c-notch I have been waiting 3 1/2 weeks did not come (did not order it directly from mc gaughys....prolly should have)...not happy to say the least....went ahead and got the stuff to do the power steering upgrade....will post pics this weekend...