71 GMC engine swap-arino

[Kalums]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

I've always bought stuff like manifolds from local speed shops. Online stores are all about moving product, but if you're standing at the counter looking a person in the eye, things are different. For instance, I bought sport wood steering wheel from LMC It went to caca and cracked right out of warranty. If one can take the part back to the seller and hold up the offending product, especially with potential customers in the room, things get handled much more to one's satisfaction...without, I'll say, going all Karen about it.

I actually took your advice after continued back and forth with Amazon, went down to my local speed shop and low and behold "under new management"... They now will match prices right then and there with Summit now. Didn't end up getting an intake manifold but I did get a few other things like a new reverse rotation metal fan and mounting hardware. Btw when I put the new intake on should I RTV the bottom of the intake bolts? I've seen arguments both for and against( more like "no need") in the forum. I do know I need to put RTV around the coolant passages front/ rear and across the front and rear of the intake where it meets the block. Gasgacinch for the rest of the intake gasket?

Edit: found an Edelbrock 2104 locally, the guy was getting rid of for $40 and it doesn't look abused so... I'm gonna clean it and send it. Also I nabbed a Fel-pro 1205 gasket.

[Kalums]

Anyone have any tips/tricks/suggestions on mounting and electric fuel pump? I know I need to be as close to and under the fuel tank... But do I need a relay? A switch? I was planning on putting in a pressure regulator and hard lines?

I've got a carter that puts out 4-7psi.

[Steeveedee]

I don't know about sealing the intake manifold bolts. I never did, but haven't worked on newer than '85 engines, as by then I was working as an engineer, and only rebuilt old iron when I needed to.

[Kalums]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

I don't know about sealing the intake manifold bolts. I never did, but haven't worked on newer than '85 engines, as by then I was working as an engineer, and only rebuilt old iron when I needed to.

I totally got impatient and installed the intake at 4am this morning... Because I was awake. It is on there now with a dab of Permatex thread sealer on each bolt. We will see how that works/plays out. Picture of the latest "mock-up" not sure I like the stock exhaust may go back to the Ram head manifolds and I want to figure out if the old PS pump will mount on the serpentine bracket. Then I won't have to figure out new hose(s).

[54blackhornet]

As a kid I was taught to put a piece of wood underneath your battery while charging it. I don’t know if it’s an old wives tale or not but I always have done it.

[Kalums]

Originally Posted by 54blackhornet

As a kid I was taught to put a piece of wood underneath your battery while charging it. I don’t know if it’s an old wives tale or not but I always have done it.

I dunno if it is a wife's tale or not but that was literally sitting there for about 10 mins and I put it up on the shelf behind/left ... So I completely understand *laughs*

[Kalums]

Stock (old) temp sending unit is bad and new ACDelco temp sensor is too big for the driver's side head "hole" between 1&3 on this block... Fits old block but not new. I don't know where to go at this point besides stick the new sending unit in the intake manifold? New unit matches old stock unit

[slikside]

Originally Posted by 54blackhornet

As a kid I was taught to put a piece of wood underneath your battery while charging it. I don’t know if it’s an old wives tale or not but I always have done it.

Similar here…only that having the battery on the concrete depletes its charge. So I’ve always placed them on a piece of wood.

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by Kalums

Stock (old) temp sending unit is bad and new ACDelco temp sensor is too big for the driver's side head "hole" between 1&3 on this block... Fits old block but not new. I don't know where to go at this point besides stick the new sending unit in the intake manifold? New unit matches old stock unit

Putting the stock sensor in the intake manifold will work just fine. And it's less money than buying one that has been machined to fit the head.

[MARKDTN]

Originally Posted by Kalums

*** not sure I like the stock exhaust may go back to the Ram head manifolds***

That looks like '73 up manifolds. Rams horns are stock on 67-72 small-block. And the truck rams-horns are different than a car the way the outlet is. You will probably want to use your originals.

[Kalums]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

Putting the stock sensor in the intake manifold will work just fine. And it's less money than buying one that has been machined to fit the head.

That was my logic as well. All the sensors I'm finding that fit the head on that engine are 2 and 3 wire units.

[Kalums]

Originally Posted by MARKDTN

That looks like '73 up manifolds. Rams horns are stock on 67-72 small-block. And the truck rams-horns are different than a car the way the outlet is. You will probably want to use your originals.

Those manifolds that are in that picture are the stock units for a 1993. The ones that were on the engine I am pulling are garbage... 1 is ok but the ports are slightly off to one side about an 1/8 of an inch (all of them equally, bad casting) and the other is an original GM but it is cracked between 3 and 5 to the bottom of the manifold. So I went and found a matching set. Not sure if they are/were "truck" or "Vette" ram horns, but they are exactly like the ones that came off the old engine (minus the imperfections) and hopefully will allow me to use the existing exhaust until I can afford a decent set-up. And I couldn't argue with the "come get them out of my shed" price. *laughs*

If you are wondering they are the straight drop(outlet, 2.5"), not the ones canted 135 degrees. Again not sure which is which but that is what was there to begin with.
On a side note I will be learning this next week how to port match with the exhaust. a friend of mine is coming over on his day off to help me port match the exhaust manifolds. I get that this isn't a big horse power engine... But he volunteered and I wanted to learn.

[Kalums]

Btw I hate to admit that this is going slower than I thought/expected... But I am extremely nervous about breaking in this new engine... I literally have one shot at this and have no idea what to do if I screw it up... I'm definitely feeling inexperienced at the moment.

[MARKDTN]

Originally Posted by Kalums

Those manifolds that are in that picture are the stock units for a 1993. The ones that were on the engine I am pulling are garbage... 1 is ok but the ports are slightly off to one side about an 1/8 of an inch (all of them equally, bad casting) and the other is an original GM but it is cracked between 3 and 5 to the bottom of the manifold. So I went and found a matching set. Not sure if they are/were "truck" or "Vette" ram horns, but they are exactly like the ones that came off the old engine (minus the imperfections) and hopefully will allow me to use the existing exhaust until I can afford a decent set-up. And I couldn't argue with the "come get them out of my shed" price. *laughs*

If you are wondering they are the straight drop(outlet, 2.5"), not the ones canted 135 degrees. Again not sure which is which but that is what was there to begin with.
On a side note I will be learning this next week how to port match with the exhaust. a friend of mine is coming over on his day off to help me port match the exhaust manifolds. I get that this isn't a big horse power engine... But he volunteered and I wanted to learn.

I'm not as good at this part, but there is a reason that the trucks are not straight drop like other rams horns. I think there is interference with something. New custom exhaust pipes can probably get past it. But if you are trying to use your original exhaust pipes then they will not match up. The straight dump rams horns are pretty common. Used on passenger, Chevelle, Corvette, etc until 1967 at least. Corvettes until 1980 but some have bigger outlets like on early HiPo Corvette and Chevelle. Anyway, if I were you I would get a proper set of 67-72 truck manifolds and save a lot of trouble. You can get them new on Amazon for $154 and still have them before the weekend.

I would not spend any time port matching exhaust manifolds for a stock engine, but it won't hurt anything.

[Kalums]

Originally Posted by MARKDTN

I'm not as good at this part, but there is a reason that the trucks are not straight drop like other rams horns. I think there is interference with something. New custom exhaust pipes can probably get past it. But if you are trying to use your original exhaust pipes then they will not match up. The straight dump rams horns are pretty common. Used on passenger, Chevelle, Corvette, etc until 1967 at least. Corvettes until 1980 but some have bigger outlets like on early HiPo Corvette and Chevelle. Anyway, if I were you I would get a proper set of 67-72 truck manifolds and save a lot of trouble. You can get them new on Amazon for $154 and still have them before the weekend.

I would not spend any time port matching exhaust manifolds for a stock engine, but it won't hurt anything.

I do not doubt that the canted ramhorn exhaust is correct for a truck. Mine just had the straight drop when I got it so I'm putting those back on, so... Maybe I can use the exhaust that is already there until I can get nice new and shiny *shrugs* we are going to find out today/tomorrow. Going to grab new transmission to block bolts this morning and try to squish this new engine in. Wish me luck.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Mr Kalums -- is your truck manual or automatic?
My '71 GMC Jimmy had rams horns when I bought it in 1995, but the PO's engine sucked valves on Cylinders 6 and 7 when I tried to tune it up to pass Pima County emissions. When I was re-engining with a 350 crate motor, I noticed the PO had installed mismatched stock exhausts. One had been capped where reblended exhaust fumes were infused back into the combustion chamber for the early smog A.I.R. system, the other was pre-emissions. The A.I.R. system was gone. I am quite sure they were dissimilar in CFMs. One may have been canted and the other straight down.
It was simpler for me to get Heddman headers.

[Kalums]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

Mr Kalums -- is your truck manual or automatic?
My '71 GMC Jimmy had rams horns when I bought it in 1995, but the PO's engine sucked valves on Cylinders 6 and 7 when I tried to tune it up to pass Pima County emissions. When I was re-engining with a 350 crate motor, I noticed the PO had installed mismatched stock exhausts. One had been capped where reblended exhaust fumes were infused back into the combustion chamber for the early smog A.I.R. system, the other was pre-emissions. The A.I.R. system was gone. I am quite sure they were dissimilar in CFMs. One may have been canted and the other straight down.
It was simpler for me to get Heddman headers.

Well I found out that the ram horns straight drop or canted outlet(s) won't fit... The top of the manifold hits the valve cover and creates a gap on the center 2 ports on both sides AND the stock oil dipstick is in the way as well... And I'm not too sure of the 1993 stock exhaust manifolds either the way they are swept back, I measured and it looks to hit the transmission linkage on the driver's side. I won't be 100% sure till I drop it in probably Friday... I definitely need to pick up the pace though... It hit 91 degrees here today.... Ugh...

[Steeveedee]

Did the '93 engine have exhaust manifold gaskets? Even if they didn't, installing a set may provide enough clearance for the manifolds.

['68OrangeSunshine]

SBC Headers run about $200 - $400. You can pay more for Stainless, Ceramic coating, etc.

[Kalums]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

Did the '93 engine have exhaust manifold gaskets? Even if they didn't, installing a set may provide enough clearance for the manifolds.

I tried 3 different types of gasket including the little flat ones that came with the stock manifolds, some aluminium ones from "Mr Gasket" and the remflex( man I like those they had nice fit an finish) I didn't torque them to spec just kinda snugged em up... And still no dice... But either way the stock dipstick on the passenger side was the killer... Can't get the ram horns around it any way I try to finegle them... So the stock 93 set it is... For now. It is currently midnight and we just finished wedging that thing in there. We put the engine mount bolts in and the bottom 4 transmission bolts in, then called it a night.

[Kalums]

Ok...now I've got a conundrum $$ is tight at the moment aaaaannnnddd now the transmission is leaking likely a sieve... Got up this morning to finish throwing the bolts in and there is a pink puddle about the size of a serving platter underneath between the transmission and T-case. It looks like it is coming from the T-case where the speedo screws in and/or the trans pan seal. I'm pretty sure it couldn't use a new pan seal( I did put a jack under it to support it during the swap) but.... Should I just drop the whole thing? And possibly do a "carry in" to a local trans shop? Or drive it till it dies? It is a TH350 and NP205. I've never futzed with transmissions or transfer cases before other than to swap fluids/filters.

If I do drop the transmission, do I need to support the back of the engine some how?