Yet another GMC build

[Kim57]

Seats look great.
Kim

[duramax55]

Hi okgmc4 nice looking truck was wondering where you got your grill from also the hood one Thanks Denis

[OKGMC4]

Originally Posted by duramax55

Hi okgmc4 nice looking truck was wondering where you got your grill from also the hood one Thanks Denis

The grill was bought on ebay several years back so not sure if they are still available. It was intended to fit a 55 or 56 chevy truck grill shell. My front end is a little bit of a hybrid. Nobody makes the hood grill so I made templates and my father in law machined the pieces and had a friend TIG it all together for me.

[joedoh]

staggering!

[OKGMC4]

Spent 5 hours on the truck today. Pulled the 5.3, swapped oil pans, prelubed the 6.0 and filled it with oil. Had to make one trip for a tool I needed but otherwise hard to tell much got done. I love these shows where they build an entire car in 30 minutes! The best part of a truck is that you can store all the parts you removed in the back. Try this with a Camaro.

[OKGMC4]

Getting close.

[BIGglaSS]

Haha, why does it take every tool from the tool box for a simple job? Why don't engineers build an engine that only takes 2 tools to install? Otherwise, looking good!

[joedoh]

fast work!

[OKGMC4]

Originally Posted by BIGglaSS

Haha, why does it take every tool from the tool box for a simple job? Why don't engineers build an engine that only takes 2 tools to install? Otherwise, looking good!

In a way it's our fault too. Half the truck is old enough to be standard but all the new parts I've installed are metric. Even so, most new GM stuff is 10, 13, and 15mm but they sprinkle in a 12mm here and a 14mm there. Just enough you have to crawl back out and dig through your tools again!

[OKGMC4]

Bought a little console meant for a Jeep. It’s a Rampage 32001 and seems to fit ok and gives me some storage and a cupholder.

[OKGMC4]

And the engine is in and runs good so far. Tuner said to drive 500 miles before doing the dyno tune to get the rings seated. It’s a 6.0 bored .020, flat top pistons, and a Texas Speed 224R cam on 112 centerline. Got a little lope in it now.

[oldman3]

Congrats, looks great...Jim

[OKGMC4]

Took the truck to the dyno for a tune. Didn’t get finished. Idle, trans shifting, part throttle pretty much done but full throttle not so much. Not enough fuel pump and goes lean above 5k. Will install a 255 lph pump and get it back up there. I can tell you this ...the 6.0 is WAY more powerful than the 5.3 was. Not even close!

[OKGMC4]

Enjoying the new engine. Definitely faster than with the 5.3, blew the 4L60E up after about 4 weeks. Had it rebuilt and upgraded. Have had to take it back twice but still under warranty so we’ll see how that works out. I’d hate to bad mouth the tranny shop but now I don’t trust it like I used to. Super tired of polishing bare aluminum so I think I’ll try some Rocket Racing Booster wheels. First one fit great so I ordered 3 more.

[joedoh]

wheels look super great, a lot more appropriate than the C4 wheels for sure!

[OKGMC4]

Got em on.

[oldman3]

Looks great...Jim

[joedoh]

beauty! even if the tires are the same size, the new wheels look bigger!

[yossarian19]

The 4L60E doesn't have a great reputation for longevity behind horsepower. I'm not clear if it ever came behind the LS7 from the factory but GM sells the 4L70E paired with the LS7 - may or may not be higher spec internals than the shop put in.

I wouldn't necessarily think bad of the shop, just gotta recognize, a cammed 6.0 with flat tops really is at the upper limit of what a 4L60E series transmission is going to survive.

[OKGMC4]

Thanks guys. I think the chrome version might have looked even better but the Hypershot gray wheels will be pretty much zero work to maintain. Nothing looks worse than a chrome wheel when it starts pitting and peeling.

On my 4L60E it's supposed to have the hardened sun shell, better clutches, shift kit, etc. My confidence was undermined when after the initial install I had no reverse. They fixed it no problem. Then it started shifting super hard. Like, shot gun going off, feels like running the frame up on a curb hard. They said a check ball was in the wrong place and something in the valve body needed adjustment. Then the truck had erratic shifting and started bucking like a stick shift if you slow down but don't push in the clutch. Was starting to get really frustrated. I read that a faulty throttle position sensor can do that so I put on another one but I'll tell ya...when the old one came off there was actually milky condensation and oil behind it! Seems to be running and shifting better now. Have my fingers crossed!

[OKGMC4]

Made another sacrifice to the god of speed yesterday. Will find out today if I need more than just a new u joint.

[oldman3]

Whoa...Jim

[NorCalGal]

Ouch!

[OKGMC4]

New slip yoke, 2 new Spicer life series 1310 U joints, and a rebalance - $154 and back on the road. Could have been worse.

[oldman3]

Great news...Jim