What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter

[pjmoreland]

Originally Posted by 67C10Step

Getting deep into my engine swap. Out with the old 283. Original engine and revived it after a 15 year slumber about six years ago when I got the truck. Have put about 4000 miles on the old 283 but she's tired. Doesn't smoke but lots of blowby and gets rid of 1 to 1.5 quarts of oil every tank of gas.

What are you putting in its place?

[67C10Step]

Originally Posted by pjmoreland

What are you putting in its place?

After a lot of going around the world on planning, I went this direction.

Wife says it will look like a diamond in a goat's a$$. While I am not crazy about all the chrome I'm going to run it.

[pjmoreland]

Originally Posted by 67C10Step

After a lot of going around the world on planning, I went this direction.

Wife says it will look like a diamond in a goat's a$$. While I am not crazy about all the chrome I'm going to run it.

Whoa! That's exciting. What are the specs?

[67C10Step]

Originally Posted by pjmoreland

Whoa! That's exciting. What are the specs?

Basic cruiser engine, vortec 350 with roller cam. Dyno sheet that came with it showed peak at 368 hp and 400 ft-lb of torque. Figure it will just about double the HP's of the old 283 while not being radical.

[pjmoreland]

Originally Posted by 67C10Step

Basic cruiser engine, vortec 350 with roller cam. Dyno sheet that came with it showed peak at 368 hp and 400 ft-lb of torque. Figure it will just about double the HP's of the old 283 while not being radical.

Nice. I think that will really transform the driving experience.

[binford]

Originally Posted by 67C10Step

Getting deep into my engine swap. Out with the old 283. Original engine and revived it after a 15 year slumber about six years ago when I got the truck. Have put about 4000 miles on the old 283 but she's tired. Doesn't smoke but lots of blowby and gets rid of 1 to 1.5 quarts of oil every tank of gas.

LOL, mine was taking a quart every fillup so I did an LS swap 6.0 Same gas mileage, twice the power, plus overdrive.

[Rust_never_sleeps]

Originally Posted by binford

LOL, mine was taking a quart every fillup so I did an LS swap 6.0 Same gas mileage, twice the power, plus overdrive.

More Miles per Quart is better

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by 67C10Step

After a lot of going around the world on planning, I went this direction.

Wife says it will look like a diamond in a goat's a$$. While I am not crazy about all the chrome I'm going to run it.

You will be very pleased with the BluePrint engine . I’ve installed them in two of my trucks . Basic 350 and the 383 stroker both run excellent.

[Already Gone]

Originally Posted by 67C10Step

Basic cruiser engine, vortec 350 with roller cam. Dyno sheet that came with it showed peak at 368 hp and 400 ft-lb of torque. Figure it will just about double the HP's of the old 283 while not being radical.

That engine should work real fine for you. Solid reliable engine for a cruiser and can smoke the tires if desired.

[Rust_never_sleeps]

TIL that when you crank your stone-age engine over numerous times to clock your distributor and then reconnect the coil, there’s a fair amount of accumulated fuel in those cylinders and it all ignites in a very small segment of time

[Sheepdip]

Not what I wanted to be doing...........Woke up to a flat tire this morning, gotta drop er off to be fixed.

[Rust_never_sleeps]

Started, ran without smoking. I got her warm tickling the pedal, and she idled well enough I could find the timing mark, and put it where it belongs.
Now I need to clean the plugs I fouled, get some fresh gas and gently road test while I wait for the new choke coil to arrive....and the smell of soot to dissipate from my garage

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by 67C10Step

After a lot of going around the world on planning, I went this direction.

Wife says it will look like a diamond in a goat's a$$. While I am not crazy about all the chrome I'm going to run it.

I forgot to add I changed out the water pump on both . Even though my 72 is set up for the long pump the paperwork from blueprint said not to use a fan or fan clutch mounted to the water pump . If you’re using an electric fan then the pump should work .

[Rust_never_sleeps]

Spent 30m trying to bend the new choke rod into a shape that's 3/8" longer than it wants to be before it occurred to me that I had added a carb spacer
It's really hard to bend things longer, almost as hard as cutting things longer

[67C10Step]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

I forgot to add I changed out the water pump on both . Even though my 72 is set up for the long pump the paperwork from blueprint said not to use a fan or fan clutch mounted to the water pump . If you’re using an electric fan then the pump should work .

Hmmm, I need to double check my paperwork. I don't recall seeing that warning but I have time to sort it all out.

Also, thanks to all who commented. I am old and slow so this is going to take me a bit to get it all sorted. Cleaning up a few things and need to run a 12V keyed power for the choke, but that means I will separate all the wiring under the hood and wrap it all back together so it looks clean and stock. Don't like wires running all over the place.

[Rust_never_sleeps]

I made a choke rod
I am now a Master Fabricator

[zicc1835]

Originally Posted by Rust_never_sleeps

I made a choke rod
I am now a Master Fabricator

what no pictures

[Steeveedee]

I've used a section of metal coat hanger to make choke rods. They worked pretty well.

['68OrangeSunshine]

I finally put on my OCT 2026 registration sticker on my AZ license plate. Usually no big deal if your plates are out in the open, but due to my plate getting crunched when a Farm Jack slipped and ran over the open plate, I had to pound it flat with a ball pein hammer driving a wood hammer handle. and then put it in an enclosed frame with plastic face shield because the bolt holes were ripped out.
To complicate matters, I have the top bolts [that actually secure the assembly] made from bolts with internal LEDs to light up the plate. The holes for these two bolts were made a little too close to the top corner of the Safe-T-Bumper, so it's hard to get fingers in there to turn the nuts. And of course they're metric. [10 mm.]
But I got it done in little over an hour, so I'm good for another year.
One day I'll connect the LED bolts to the License Plate illuminator circuit.

[3757chevy]

May of 2023 I was given a bunch of parts. Not knowing when I might if ever use them. Early October of 2024 I bought back the leftovers of my old '67 stepside I sold a friend that used the body for a Tahoe chassis swap. Late November I found a cab and had a friend help me pick it up. In June of 2025 we got the cab on the chassis and in May I found a Fleetside bed. It is slowly getting put together. The last couple of days I have been putting new window regulators and other pieces in the bare doors I stripped down in March of 2025. I'll try to get them on the cab soon. It's my Johnny Cash truck , getting put together with lots of leftover and new parts as I get around to it.

[Rust_never_sleeps]

Originally Posted by zicc1835

what no pictures

I didn't want to discourage the less gifted

[Rust_never_sleeps]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

I've used a section of metal coat hanger to make choke rods. They worked pretty well.

I only thought of that after I bought a stick of 1/8" rod, cuz I'm fancy

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by 67C10Step

Hmmm, I need to double check my paperwork. I don't recall seeing that warning but I have time to sort it all out.

Also, thanks to all who commented. I am old and slow so this is going to take me a bit to get it all sorted. Cleaning up a few things and need to run a 12V keyed power for the choke, but that means I will separate all the wiring under the hood and wrap it all back together so it looks clean and stock. Don't like wires running all over the place.

Should be a tag on the water pump itself . I have to correct myself no spacers or clutch fans I guess a direct drive fan mounted directly to the pump is ok
https://blueprintengines.com/product...satin-bpp67265

[72c20customcamper]

Looked at your picture this looks like the tag I spoke of

[Steeveedee]

Is that a BPE water pump? If I did have to replace my engine, I'd want to use the stock cast iron pump. I'm averse to going to electric fans. What I have now works fine.