57 GMC, frame swap, 4wd, 454 big block, 4 speed

[mongocanfly]

A buddy of mine just had the exact issue with poly mounts....

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by Old57

Yes, it is a nice change to have the good weather lately.

I posted earlier about having a drive line vibration at 60-70 mph... I rechecked my pinion angle, and ended up changing it 2 degrees. That helped some, but I still had pretty heavy vibrations on the highway. I checked my drive line again, but it was set just right so I was trying to figure out why I still had the vibration. I decided to get a new rear shaft made with a double cardon joint and a custom flange on the transfer case from High Angle Driveline. When I called and talked to them, and explained what I wanted to get, he asked why I needed to do all of that for my application. After I told him about the vibes, he asked a lot of questions about how the truck was set up, and said it was all correct and shouldn't be having this issue. Then he asked if I had new motor and transmission mounts, and I told him everything was brand new. He asked what mounts I have, and I told him they were Prothane polyurethane mounts... he said that right there was my vibration problem. I changed out the motor mounts for new USA made factory rubber mounts, and now it doesn't have the vibrations. So if anyone is chasing weird vibrations while using polyurethane mounts, try changing them to rubber mounts.

thats outstanding, you sure seem to get the right guys on the phone! shop owner turning down a pretty expensive sale (double cardon? prob ~$800 at least) sure seems improbable!

[Old57]

I knew the poly mounts would be stiffer and I would feel the engine running a little more, but I had no idea that it would cause that big of a vibration going down the highway. I guess at that speed and rpm, it was where there was some harmonic vibes with everything I have working together, and they transferred it into the frame and I could really feel it. I know now not to use poly mounts.

Yes, the new shaft with the double joint and large tube was going to cost over 900 bucks. I was sure glad he told me to change the mounts first, and see what that does.

[Old57]

I haven't checked in on the forum for a while. Over the weekend, I removed the dual 73 K20 poly transfer case mounts and the cross member. I got a new rubber single mount, made an adapter out of 1/2" aluminum plate on the mill to adapt the mount to the tail housing of the NV4500 transmission, then cut up the cross member and made it fit the new mount and location. Now it is a lot smoother with the good rubber motor and transmission mounts instead of the hard poly mounts. I also changed out the shortened seat frame of the 88-98 bench seat for a stock one to raise the seat up 2". It makes it a lot more comfortable for my leg position on the pedals. I drove it a while today. I took the wife to breakfast, stopped by Walmart to get a couple things, then picked up some mulch for her flower garden. With the seat change and the rubber mounts getting rid of the vibrations, it's pretty pleasant to drive now. I'm almost ready to change the oil for the first part of the engine break in. Also, it got pretty warm and humid today, and the cooling system didn't have any trouble keeping the big block right on the thermostat. I don't have AC, and the vent windows really work great for air flow in the cab.

[mongocanfly]

Looking good!...

[71'tahoe]

Wow! What an amazing ans inspiring build! It took me 2 days of on and off reading to go through this whole thread! Thanks for all the information. I will be looking into the Kugel Komponents pedal set up as well as the New Port Engineering wiper kit for my 58' truck.
I have been wanting to start another project with a 56' cab I have and build a 4x4 but use a utility bed so I can have a service truck for my my farm/transportation business'.

A couple questions for you. Where did you purchase the Aviation primer? Is it more durable than automotive primer? I've been painting for several years and have never thought of aviation primers.

[Old57]

Thanks! The Kugel pedal assembly worked out great and I'm glad I used it. It has great brakes with the 8" dual power booster, and the pedal swing ratios feel just right. The place that I had do the media blasting on everything is who sprayed the aircraft primer. They have contracts with local aircraft companies, so they use it regularly. It is very strong and durable, chemicals won't mess it up, etc. One thing to keep in mind though, is that it has a respiratory hazard when sanding/body working it. Make sure to use a filter mask when doing anything with it. I had them spray it on my bare metal to protect it until I can get it body worked and painted.

Originally Posted by 71'tahoe

Wow! What an amazing ans inspiring build! It took me 2 days of on and off reading to go through this whole thread! Thanks for all the information. I will be looking into the Kugel Komponents pedal set up as well as the New Port Engineering wiper kit for my 58' truck.
I have been wanting to start another project with a 56' cab I have and build a 4x4 but use a utility bed so I can have a service truck for my my farm/transportation business'.

A couple questions for you. Where did you purchase the Aviation primer? Is it more durable than automotive primer? I've been painting for several years and have never thought of aviation primers.

[Old57]

Been quite a while since I posted an update. The truck has been doing good, and I've been driving it when I have a chance. I took it to get some steel the other day, and to fill up the 32 gallon suburban tank. It's too bad the big block doesn't run on thumbs up and hell yeahs, because it gets a lot of those haha.

One issue that I had been dealing with, is that there was a miss when running. It had a little bit of a rough idle, and I can feel a little roughness when I rev it up to steady rpm. Everything was new, and I adjusted the carb and ignition several times, but it still had a little miss. The HEI distributor was one of the new no-name brands from Summit, and the plug wires were new from Autozone. I got a factory GM HEI distributor from a friend of mine, put in a Pertronix HEI upgrade kit (coil, module, cap, rotor, advance weights, and vacuum advance pod), and a set of Taylor plug wires. After that, it runs really smooth! I can reach in the cab and turn the key, and it immediately fires up and idles perfect.

[joedoh]

gorgeous!

Originally Posted by Old57

It's too bad the big block doesn't run on thumbs up and hell yeahs, because it gets a lot of those haha.

[rgunlock]

It's a great feeling to knock out one of those nagging, non-obvious problems. Gives you a whole new faith in your truck. Nice job!

[mongocanfly]

Smiles and thumbs up are satisfying results for your hard work....

[Purcell69]

Originally Posted by Old57

Been quite a while since I posted an update. The truck has been doing good, and I've been driving it when I have a chance. I took it to get some steel the other day, and to fill up the 32 gallon suburban tank. It's too bad the big block doesn't run on thumbs up and hell yeahs, because it gets a lot of those haha.

One issue that I had been dealing with, is that there was a miss when running. It had a little bit of a rough idle, and I can feel a little roughness when I rev it up to steady rpm. Everything was new, and I adjusted the carb and ignition several times, but it still had a little miss. The HEI distributor was one of the new no-name brands from Summit, and the plug wires were new from Autozone. I got a factory GM HEI distributor from a friend of mine, put in a Pertronix HEI upgrade kit (coil, module, cap, rotor, advance weights, and vacuum advance pod), and a set of Taylor plug wires. After that, it runs really smooth! I can reach in the cab and turn the key, and it immediately fires up and idles perfect.

That's great that you got it fixed. Little things like that annoy the hell out of me. It's been 30 years since I had an annoying miss that I couldn't solve with a tune up. My old Power Wagon had one that I couldn't figure out for the life of me. It sat parked for six months while I was deployed to Japan and during that time, I kept troubleshooting the symptoms in my mind. When I got home, I was certain I had a burnt exhaust valve. Sure enough, when I pulled the heads, there was a pie cut in one valve.

A set of rebuilt heads later and I was back on the road. Glad yours was a proper tune up with quality parts.

-Joe

[Old57]

Thanks guys! I'm hoping to get a little more driving accomplished now that we're getting a little cooler weather. 100 degree days with humidity doesn't feel too good without AC!

[mongocanfly]

hows the extreme bedliner holding up? are you satisfied with it?

[Old57]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

hows the extreme bedliner holding up? are you satisfied with it?

It's holding up great, and still looks just like it did when I sprayed it on. I'd definitely use it again. I've hauled stuff in the bed too, and it still looks new.

[mongocanfly]

good to know....ive got some raptor I'm gonna do my wheel wells with...may use extreme in the bed

[Old57]

Man, time has went by fast. I haven't posted in forever, and haven't even been on the laptop. Just had a chance to check in and catch up on some posts. About all I've done different to the truck is install a set of Comp roller rockers. Here's a few pics from a Sunday drive.

[Second Series]

That's a good looking truck, and inspiration for my build. Thanks for sharing.

[Old57]

Originally Posted by Second Series

That's a good looking truck, and inspiration for my build. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, I appreciate it!

[rgunlock]

Glad to see you are getting use out of the truck. It's looking good!

[Old57]

Originally Posted by rgunlock

Glad to see you are getting use out of the truck. It's looking good!

Thanks! I'm hoping to replace the rear fenders and get it scuffed/painted in all 1 color of a satin green over the winter. The nice body work and paint job will have to wait a while.

I got a Nathan Airchime K3 though... in case a squirrel or something runs out in front of me I'm mounting it under the bed with a tank and compressor. The picture of it shows my size 15 boot for a size reference.

[mongocanfly]

Haha...them things oughta blow the hair off a squirrel..!!

[Old57]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Haha...them things oughta blow the hair off a squirrel..!!

Haha, it should get the job done!

[Old57]

I made a mount for the "squirrel" horns and installed them under the bed. I'll get a 5 gallon tank and compressor from one of the air ride supply places sometime and hook it up. I took the truck out cruising on some back roads for a while over the weekend. Something about driving an old truck on dirt roads just feels right.

[youngrodder]

Such an awesome looking truck....Love everything about it.

Marc