Polar Bear Suburban

[DirtyLarry]

Ah, geeze guys. Don’t forget about the Corvair van sitting next to the shop that I yanked the engine out of last year and just can’t muster up the enthusiasm to get back to work on it. Won’t be long and I’ll forget how that odd ball vehicle goes back together.

Originally Posted by Zoomad75

Side note to Larry: A little bird told me your helper to bleed the clutch on the bear got fired. Let me know if you need any help with it!

Yeah, she was doing a crappy job pumping the pedal while talking on her cell phone. I tell her to pump, pump, pump, pump, hold…..and she does the opposite. Had to send her back in the house! If you have time to swing by on your way by Saturday I could use some help bleeding this thing. The clutch works, it could just be better. Kind of spungy.

[63chevyll]

nice Burb larry,
thats a screaming deal on that thing. and witha 465 seems rare.

you over on CK5 also?

Im building my burban too for the CO awesome maontains and deep camping

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by 63chevyll

nice Burb larry,
thats a screaming deal on that thing. and witha 465 seems rare.

you over on CK5 also?

Im building my burban too for the CO awesome maontains and deep camping

Thanks 63chevyII!

Nah, I’ve never been much of a fan of CK5 or even Pirate 4x4. I don’t like the idea you have to pay to play on CK5. Here, you contribute funds if you want which makes it more worthwhile. I don’t mind donating to this site. This is a nice well moderated forum that doesn’t tolerate immature BS like CK5 or Pirate 4x4. I just hang out here and Expedition Portal for those reasons.

The west is definitely a nice big place for Suburban’s to roam. This one actually came from your town. Found it on COS Craigslist. Do you have a thread going on yours?

[renegade6]

When I bled my hydraulic clutch, I used a syringe to push the fluid from the bleeder to the reservoir. Was able to do it by myself.

Just remember to leave the cap on the reservoir...

[63chevyll]

[QUOTE=DirtyLarry;5106808]Thanks 63chevyII!

Nah, I’ve never been much of a fan of CK5 or even Pirate 4x4. I don’t like the idea you have to pay to play on CK5. Here, you contribute funds if you want which makes it more worthwhile. I don’t mind donating to this site. This is a nice well moderated forum that doesn’t tolerate immature BS like CK5 or Pirate 4x4. I just hang out here and Expedition Portal for those reasons.

The west is definitely a nice big place for Suburban’s to roam. This one actually came from your town. Found it on COS Craigslist. Do you have a thread going on yours?[/QUOTE
Yah I have a build thread going for my burb over there, but slow going currently.

I cant post pictures here and I had a few picture albums over here but got delteted because of some technicality. Oh well.

And I agree pirate is a silly, but CK5 has alot of cool colorado guys on it.

A while ago I read your build about your 8.1. Very nice, I love the 8.1 and hope it will be my next engine in my burban.
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[Maxxd07]

Wow for that price I think I would have bought it even though I have absolutely NO need for a burban. Looking forward to see what it becomes now that you have it. Possible square body Avalanche? With 8.1 & NV4500 of course.

[Zoomad75]

Ah, geeze guys. Don’t forget about the Corvair van sitting next to the shop that I yanked the engine out of last year and just can’t muster up the enthusiasm to get back to work on it. Won’t be long and I’ll forget how that odd ball vehicle goes back together.

You can have a pass on that one. It's more of a long term project anyway. Besides, you'd have to build a shed to put the air compressor in once you get started on the Corvair.

I can say without a doubt Larry's not taking a sawzall to the burb to make an avalanche out of it. An 8.1/nv4500 is highly likely but this truck is way to nice to chop it up.

[63chevyll]

Yeah I prob seen it on CL. Was looking everyday for a while, but since i found mine i quit looking
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[thirdstreettito]

Updates?

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by thirdstreettito

Updates?

Ya, some minor stuff. Got some big updates coming within the next month or so.

Hmm, let see. What have I done to it since the last update. Oh, yeah…..added some of those neat Cabela’s seat covers a while back as well as bolted on some bicycle drink holders to the front of the console. Stole this idea from Zoomad75. Got this same set up in my K10 as well.




Also had some exhaust work done a while back. The stupid cat was banging on the frame and the idiots that built the last tail pipes had them routed under the rear leaf springs so every time the suspension was articulated it would break the tail pipe hangers. I had the exhaust shop hack off the cat, install a “Test” pipe and bend up some to new tail pipes. They needed to be reworked to make room for the ORD shackle flip anyway. Turned out pretty nice and sounds better without the cat too.

Plenty of room now for the ORD shackle flip


Same exhaust exit configuration as the ’78 K10.



As I mentioned, there are bigger updates coming shortly. As some of you may have read I decided to scrap my dad’s ’78 K20 wrecker, which a few buddies and I did last weekend. The front D44 and rear 14 bolt full-floater picked from the wrecker are going into the Suburban in a few weeks along with the full ORD treatment (rear shackle flip, front HD shackles, 4” front Alcan springs, sway bar disconnect, blah, blah, blah). This week I’ve been busy going through the rear axle to get it ready for the swap. The rear axle from the wrecker had 13” rear brakes. My K10 only has 11” rear brakes so I am swapping the rear drums and backing plates from the K10 over to the Suburban’s new axle as the much heavier K10 could use the 13” brakes much more than the Suburban will ever need them. The front D44 also needs some major TLC. Plan on replacing the ball joints, all steering joints and axle shaft U-joints before the swap as well.

The Suburban also had a date to visit a body shop any day now to deal with the bondo crack in the lower right quarter panel as well as to remove the surface rust from the rockers then get a coating of bed liner. Like my K10, the Suburban will have bed liner from the moldings on down. I haven’t decided on the bed liner color yet but it will probably be black. Got kind of lucky on this portion as I am trading the 4.3L V6 from the truck I did the big block swap in for my FIL a few months ago for the body work. I just hope this dude doesn’t skate on me before much longer as he already has put me off 2 more weeks. He wants this 4.3L for his boat…it he doesn’t hurry summer will be over where he may not be so anxious to get his boat going.

If everything else goes as planned I am hoping to start on the NV4500 swap in December. Should be an easy swaperoo in this rig as I am planning to use the 32 spline NP241 that is already in it.

As I’ve been driving the Sub back and forth from the airport I’ve discovered it has a drinking habit. It seems to like to drink a quart of oil every 500- 600 miles! Odd as it doesn’t smoke and the plugs do not show signs of oil fouling. It doesn't even drop a single speck of oil on the ground. I still need to try a PCV valve but figure it will probably be getting an 8.1L swap next summer regardless. Until then I guess I am just going to move the Suburban over to running on used oil instead of new stuff. The TBI 5.7L can barely pull a greasy string out of a Coke bottle anyway. The new 4:10 axles should help squeeze more usable power out of it though. The 3:42 gears in it now suck!

[elvis.donnelly]

Nice build going on Larry. Exhaust pipes are looking. Waiting for your new updates. Keep it up.

[thirdstreettito]

Looking good larry! Nice exhaust work. Our 83 had the same exhaust problem. I'd love to make my 88 a 4 speed. If only you were closer.

[OldCreek]

Funny, I have no need for another truck or project but every time I open this thread I then go to Craigslist to see whats on there...

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by OldCreek

Funny, I have no need for another truck or project but every time I open this thread I then go to Craigslist to see whats on there...

You never know...once in a while even a blind Squirrel finds a nut! Dumb luck is how I stumbled upon this Suburban. Didn't know I needed one until I saw it.

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice upgrades, and your new upgrades will make this a killer rig! I know the TBI in my 90 burb is really starting to piss me off. If I had the time it would lose 2 cylinders.

[HEISEL]

My wife won't let me have one.
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[Redcap]

Originally Posted by HEISEL

My wife won't let me have one.
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I feel sorry for you.

[Zane M]

Just awesome.

[chevak20]

Did you use Rust-Oleum spray paint on the frame in the engine bay area?
How did you degrease it?

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by chevak20

Did you use Rust-Oleum spray paint on the frame in the engine bay area?
How did you degrease it?

Chevak20,

I used Simple Green to degrease it (it wasn’t very greasy to begin with) then used Van Sickle spray paint. Van Sickle is an oil based farm and implement paint and more durable than paints like Rust-Oleum. It tough as nails and doesn’t fade or get eaten off by fluids like brake fluid, etc. Not sure if you get either of these products in Sweden.

[chevak20]

Thank you for the links Dirty Larry, and yes we don't get these products in Sweden. Even looked on Amazon UK and nooooo! Though, I do have Hammarite oil-based paint available.

I also can get Rust-Oleum nowadays but have never tried it.

[Oilbrnr]

Actually, I'm not sure how easy it is to find that brand here in AZ...

[DirtyLarry]

Well, I’ve been busy the last few weekends getting the body on the Suburban squared away before the cold weather sets in. I actually had a deal going to trade a left over 4.3L from another project to a body guy who was going to do this work. As usual when doing trade work with body guys, this guy keeps stalling and stringing me along for months so I gave up and just did the work myself. I am by no means a body man but I did have some auto body training in High School…..here she goes…

This was the ugliest spot on the truck that was really bothering me. The lower portion of the right rear quarter panel had a good size body filler crack as well as some surface rust growing.




Yep, found the cause of the body filler crack. Looks like some lazy SOB did not weld the dent puller holes last time it has work done on it. Body filler absorbs moisture where holes should be filled before adding body filer or things like this happen….cracks and rust.


I welded the holes shut, ironed out the dents a bit more then added fresh body filler


In primer


Then the rear door area had some surface rust growing as well


If you ever do any surface rust repair work one of these spot sand blasters are a must have tool. I went through 250 lbs of sand throughout this project.


After sand blasting, sealing and glazing putty


In primer


Various spots

[DirtyLarry]

This was actually the worst of the rust on the entire truck. The typical spot on left rear quarter panel just behind the wheel.


Cut out the cancer


Then started welding in ½” strips. Welding in small strips makes it easier to follow the body lines.


After the strips were welded in I spot blasted the area before adding body filler


Couldn’t get a good picture of the back side where I cut that portion of rust out but here is the patch I formed and welded in.


Tah, da!




Funny as there wasn’t any major rust spots on the back side of the rockers at all. The couple little spots blasted off easily and will be undercoated.

The other night getting ready for primer


Last night as I was block sanding




This morning after paint and removing the paper


Fresh paint! I goofed and didn’t paint the top edge by the molding. For some reason I thought the molding went over that little section. Oh, well


Left rear quarter panel with fresh paint and a bug in it too.


Driver’s door. There was a good size rust bubble here too but I didn’t get any before shots of it.


Now for the bad news. I got a huge run in the right rear quarter panel to deal with. I’ll let it dry a few days then sand it down and respray.




Nice to see it sans the rust spots!


Next up, axle swap and lift……

[69GWC]

Looks good to me, looks like highschool shop paid off..
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