Polar Bear Suburban

[DirtyLarry]

Geez, looking through this thread it looks as though I haven't updated it in a very long time. Here is a link to the 2016 Desert Trip trip report that the Polar Bear and K10 took in June 2016. Link HERE to the trip report.

And a few recent out and about pics. We took the ole Polar Bear on a family camping weekend to a lake about 3 hours away a couple weeks after returning from the Desert. Fun times.

[NastyBuzzard]

What do you have going on with the mirrors? They look interesting.

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by NastyBuzzard

What do you have going on with the mirrors? They look interesting.

Just cheap clip on mirror extensions. They suck and don't fit worth the hoot

[83GMCK2500]

Originally Posted by DirtyLarry

Just cheap clip on mirror extensions. They suck and don't fit worth the hoot

Are you familiar with the tow mirrors that exist in the style of the stainless mirrors? They have a lock ring with set screw at the mirror head that you loosen, extend mirror, and tighten up?

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by 83GMCK2500

Are you familiar with the tow mirrors that exist in the style of the stainless mirrors? They have a lock ring with set screw at the mirror head that you loosen, extend mirror, and tighten up?

Hmmm, not sure. I may have saw them while searching for something when I ended up with these. Link? Pic?

[MalibuSSwagon]

I too have questions Larry. haha. A friend and I are interested in installing the stepntow bumpers on our Suburbans. You mentioned earlier in the thread you had to fab up brackets, any details on those?

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by MalibuSSwagon

I too have questions Larry. haha. A friend and I are interested in installing the stepntow bumpers on our Suburbans. You mentioned earlier in the thread you had to fab up brackets, any details on those?

They’re the simplest brackets in the world to make. Just a couple chunks of flat stock is all you need to make the brackets. First, mock up the bumper and build a template out of cardboard then carry the template to the flat stock. Easy peezy

I don’t know if I would trust step bumper or these brackets for towing, as mine has a receiver hitch below the bumper for towing. Also reworked the original brackets that support outside corners of the bumper to work with the step bumper as well. The brackets are not pretty but they are just temporary until I can have a nice bumper build for it like what is on the K10.

[MalibuSSwagon]

Well I mean that'll work, not towing with the bumper just going for the look, and need new bumpers anyhow. My friend was running a front bumper on the rear haha

[83GMCK2500]

Originally Posted by DirtyLarry

Hmmm, not sure. I may have saw them while searching for something when I ended up with these. Link? Pic?

On a GMT-400 with some comparison to 2006+ mirrors.

[silverbear]

Where can we find those mirrors. I WANT SOME!

[83GMCK2500]

More pics of a NOS set...part number shown. Good luck. Those are a friend of mine's pics, he was shopping for the GMT-400 set (pictured above) and ended up with square body ones. Sold them long ago. For reference the GMT-400 set is P/N 95155.

The heads on them were stainless as well, like original.

THESE: http://bumpersuperstore.com/i-114088...ng-mirror.html are the only ones I see yet for sale by the part number. I'm half tempted to believe they're using a stock photo of the slip on garbage ones. Their title/description says slide-out door mount, not slip-on poop.

[DirtyLarry]

That is interesting! Bummer too as I just bought new mirrors for the Burb not long ago. Snagged one backing out of the garage and busted it to smithereens. Looks like another 7 years of bad luck coming my way

[83GMCK2500]

I had the passenger side mirror pane fall out of the housing of my '83 as I was driving down the highway. Caught a glint out of the corner of my eye then sparkly things in the rearview, started looking around wondering what in the world just happened.

Larry, if you get a minute I would appreciate your 8.1 input: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=721338

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by 83GMCK2500

I had the passenger side mirror pane fall out of the housing of my '83 as I was driving down the highway. Caught a glint out of the corner of my eye then sparkly things in the rearview, started looking around wondering what in the world just happened.

Larry, if you get a minute I would appreciate your 8.1 input: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=721338

That is funny. I lost a couple tools similar to that

The original mirror that came on the bear were pretty delaminated so I had G-van mirrors on it, which are identical except the tube had a slightly different bend. The G-van mirror is the one that got broke so I ordered a pair of aftermarket ones from Fleebay with low expectations. Oh, man! What junk they were just to my suspicion. The bases were so flimsy the mirrors giggled everywhere when shutting the doors. I ended up just taking the new mirror portion off and installing them on the original Suburban tubes and bases. Quality parts are hard to find these days. Friggen Taiwan and China are going to kill us all sooner or later.

I’ll take a look at that thread. Sorry, I don’t get here much unless someone whistles at me by pushing a subscribed thread to the top

This is what G-van mirrors look like on a square.

[deejaaa1]

great build. i really liked what you did with the rust and paint. nice truck too! reminds me of my 81 i used to have.

[86454k30]

I have a 3 GM used sets of mirrors if you want a set of OEM ones. They aren't "show" truck quality but good driver quality.

[Matt Man]

Hey DirtyLarry I nominated your suburban in February totm contest.

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by Matt Man

Hey DirtyLarry I nominated your suburban in February totm contest.

Sweet! Thank you!

[cal30_sniper]

Larry, I had a question about what you used for the fuel lines in this truck with the 8.1L. If I remember correctly, I read somewhere else that you used the factory TBI lines up to the fuel filter, and then ran something else to connect up to the 8.1L fuel rail. Do you have a parts list or description of how you tied in the 8.1L fuel rail with the TBI lines in your suburban?

I'm getting the parts together to swap in an '04 C5500 8.1L into my '86 454 C20 Suburban. I'm planning to snag the fuel tank pickup and lines from a TBI squarebody suburban, and need to figure out a clean way to hook them up to the pressure and return ports on the 8.1L. I'd love to know how you did yours.

[mongocanfly]

Man I like that big mud tire stock wheel hubcap setup..that's sweet

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by cal30_sniper

Larry, I had a question about what you used for the fuel lines in this truck with the 8.1L. If I remember correctly, I read somewhere else that you used the factory TBI lines up to the fuel filter, and then ran something else to connect up to the 8.1L fuel rail. Do you have a parts list or description of how you tied in the 8.1L fuel rail with the TBI lines in your suburban?

I'm getting the parts together to swap in an '04 C5500 8.1L into my '86 454 C20 Suburban. I'm planning to snag the fuel tank pickup and lines from a TBI squarebody suburban, and need to figure out a clean way to hook them up to the pressure and return ports on the 8.1L. I'd love to know how you did yours.

Well, I am using the stock TBI lines from the tank to the TBI fuel filter location. From the filter to the fuel rail I am using Workhorse Custom Chassis 8.1L RV chassis fuel lines with concoction of a Dorman fuel line repair kit to connect the WCC lines to the fuel filter. There are lots of ways to set up fuel lines for these type engine swaps and most are pretty good.

Fuel lines...
Return: W0000540
Supply: W0000539

Those lines can be purchased from any Workhorse dealer as they are a Workhorse exclusive, not a common GM part

[cal30_sniper]

Thanks for the info, Larry. I thought there might be a plug and play solution, but I'm sure I can come up with something. I might try to find those workhorse parts, or come up with something else. I'll have to do some more looking into it.

[Zoomad75]

http://workhorse.navistar.com/Default.aspx?tabid=197

The state lookup feature is broken, but if you put in your zip code it should bring up a dealer near you or at least in your state.

Keep in mind since the product got axed in 2010 dealers have been dropping off as the warranty work is done. The only thing left is a small amount of repair work and parts ordering.

I work at a dealer that still has access to Workhorse parts so if nobody local to you is still doing it we can order, you'll just have to deal with the shipping charges.

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by Zoomad75

http://workhorse.navistar.com/Default.aspx?tabid=197

The state lookup feature is broken, but if you put in your zip code it should bring up a dealer near you or at least in your state.

Keep in mind since the product got axed in 2010 dealers have been dropping off as the warranty work is done. The only thing left is a small amount of repair work and parts ordering.

I work at a dealer that still has access to Workhorse parts so if nobody local to you is still doing it we can order, you'll just have to deal with the shipping charges.

Actually, 2012…. I was there watching the doors close . You’re close though as the 8.1L stopped production in 10 where we built the last 8.1L chassis up through summer 11. The new Workhorse Group is nothing more than a Press Release generating investor money eating machine with pipe dreams of drones and electric pickups... they haven't built a thing and probably never will. The sole of the 8.1L lives on in the form of a 8.8L in the Navistar IC Bus though

[modernbeat]

Originally Posted by DirtyLarry

...I tell ya, I am done with NV4500’s after this mess gets resolved. The next NV4500 that dies in the K10 or this burb is getting replaced with something else even if it is an automatic. Tremec makes an equivalent transmission to a NV4500 (similar dimensions, same input and output spline size and counts) that is used in Mexican and South American market GM trucks but we never got them in the US. Tempted to see what it would take to get one of those…..or just go 4L80E next go around. I’m in a real bad mood about NV4500’s lately

That would be the TR4050. The AWD version is available from Rockland Standard Gear.