Project Mr. Green Jeans (now 5.3 LS turbo build!)

[Low Elco]

Hey, hey, progress! Seat looks good!

[bnoon]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Hey, hey, progress! Seat looks good!

Yeah, being truckless and add in that I want to go to the last two days of Power Tour... really lights a fire under a project!!!

[bnoon]

Heads assembled with screw in studs, and guide plates, and put onto the short block for final mock up. Threw the intake, valve covers, and carb on to complete the mock up for tonight. Rockers come tomorrow, then a few rotates and I'll know if anything needs changed. Coming together!!!

[bnoon]

Progress made last night, but no new pictures as I was just going too fast for still shots! Brake lines from master cylinder replaced, brake line distribution block replaced, 4 core radiator and mounts installed (all from Julius), new water pump installed, pullies mocked up, drove a half hour away and picked up some ProForm 1.6 roller rockers and mocked those up, confirmed some of my Ebay auctions (username BJCoolN)... It was a busy night! If Green Jeans doesn't fire up this weekend, it will be awfully close!!!

[bnoon]

Went to a salvage yard to take some pictures of the power steering brackets since the AC side of it was a bit different than the last SBC I put together and I noticed the truck had a pretty new fuel pump on it, and then noticed the lower radiator hose was pretty new, as well as the thermostat and housing. Found a few cars and trucks with different weight and spring kits for the HEI too. Got it all for 21 bucks!

Made a little progress on the engine. I need a Holley single feed banjo style inlet to complete. Passenger side header installed, rockers installed and adjusted. Would have been able to fire it up this weekend had it not been for the fuel inlet. I couldn't find one locally, so I started doing the interior work rather than finishing the under hood stuff.

This is after power washing the carpet and mats, and swapped over the crusty old steering wheel for the one I found this winter in the Wrench and Go yard. All back together and smelling fresher than ever!

[Low Elco]

Oooh, freshy freshy! You might look for member HGS notes on PT. He's also running the last of it. Aqua '71 LB with turbine mags.

When are you ditching the octopus on the inner fender? Might get some dough for that stuff on CL or the Bay.

[bnoon]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Oooh, freshy freshy! You might look for member HGS notes on PT. He's also running the last of it. Aqua '71 LB with turbine mags.

When are you ditching the octopus on the inner fender? Might get some dough for that stuff on CL or the Bay.

There are a couple of other guys going too. Couple of 67-72 style and a few 73-87 style. Should be a good time. I'll talk to any Chevy/GMC owners just to see which sites they're from.

The LP stuff will come off once all of the other projects are done. LP tank is pretty much empty, but there is just a little bit of pressure now that the sun has warmed it up a little since winter. I'll hookup the grill to burn off any vapor pressure just to be sure before I remove it all. LP prices have settled now that winter is over. Perfect time to sell the whole kit... but the tank would be a nice air tank...

[bnoon]

Decided to sell the used 600 carb and get a new one. Just no time to rebuild the Holley, even though it is in very nice shape. Summit has their carbs on sale, plus I had 20 Summit bucks and another online coupon... ended up spending just over $200 on it brand new. 600 vacuum secondary built on the old Holley 4160 platform with a few improvements. Came with a free tuning DVD and setup manual. I also picked up a fabricated velocity stack style drop base with aerodynamic lid and a 6" x 14" Summit Racing filter. Do you have filter envy?

Installed the carb, linkage, checked for clearance on the drop base, made a few adjustments, then checked that it clears the hood... and it does. Even with the 1" spacer under the carb! YAY!

I installed the water pump pulley, fan, and shroud. I plan on going electric fan here soon, but I've been hemorrhaging money lately and need to slow it down a bit until I get the garage cleared out. I hate not being able to fit our cars in there. BUY JULIUS' PARTS!!!

I also installed the advance/spring kit onto the HEI from the 454 in Julius (HEI is the same, but the advance curve is different for BBC). Cleaned a lubed everything under the rotor and found that the vacuum advance diaphragm is bad. I'll pull one from Wrench and Go this Saturday. I would have done more, but we had bad rain storms last night that ended my truck fun early.

[bnoon]

The to do list is being whittled down. Remaining items: Move transmission cross member to rearward holes, install the correct drive shaft, add all fluids (oil, trans, brake, coolant), double check everything and then it should fire up!!! Hopefully everything goes smooth and I can start driving it around to get a few miles on before going to the last couple of days of Power Tour in Bettendorf and Wisconsin Dells on Thursday and Friday next week. Heck, I may even have time to install the AC if everything goes well tonight!!!

[y5mgisi]

Good work!

[bnoon]

IT'S ALIVE!!! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...29867709556934 This is the first hot start video. I had to adjust timing a bit and fiddle with the choke idle and regular idle settings, then adjust idle mixture. Main jets sound just a touch rich to me (old school tuning by ear for now).

[Hankster]

Thing sounds pretty sweet! Good work!

[bnoon]

Took it on a few drives last light. I got the tail light bulbs replaced and working as well as a few other missing bulbs... The yellow driving lights look so cool... and man, does this thing move!!! I have probably close to 7 or 800 pounds of recycle metal in the bed (storage for scrap since the truck wasn't moving) and I'm still taking it easy and it still laid about 40 foot strips on the pavement. I couldn't tell I was spinning since the exhaust is so damn loud LOL! Running to the recycler this week before I can remove the LP tank and I have to work on the rear brakes (bleeders won't crack open).

[Jake Wade]

Which camshaft are you running?

[bnoon]

Originally Posted by Jake Wade

Which camshaft are you running?

Summit 1107 with 1.6 rockers. .519 intake/.541 exhaust with those rockers on 292/302 advertised duration. Lumpier than week old mashed potatoes!

[Low Elco]

Congrats! Always good to get 'er runnin!

[bnoon]

Beating on the drums last night... Backed off the adjuster on driver's side fully and STILL could not get the drums to pop off. So I cut the two pins that hold the springs from the back side and STILL could not pull the dang thing off... swung the hammer so hard that my hands are bruised it feels like. Stupid brakes.

Passenger side bleeder broke off, but wheel cylinders are cheap. The bad part is that the line looks just as frozen in rust as the bleeder was and so do the rest of the line connections. Wire brushed everything, heated with MAP gas, shot many many times with PB Blaster over the last several days in preparation. Stupid brakes.

Driver's side bleeder broke free. I'll buy the wheel cylinder for this one though too just in case, but only replace it if it needs it. Stupid brakes.

Side note: Driver's side drum had the hole in it for the adjuster. Finally a reason to not have the hole in the backing plates!!! My last set of drums had neither!!! Stupid brakes.

[bnoon]

Finally got the brakes done last night. I used a knife to scrape the edge of where the drum meets the center hub of the axle, then a few more taps and it popped right off. Same for the other side. If it hadn't been for the snapped off bleeder, I wouldn't have even had to touch the rear brakes. They had been replaced at some point and showed less than half wear. Saving those shoes and drums just in case.

Drove it to work today too!!! It's about 18 miles and almost all interstate. Made one stop along the way just to check it all out, but looks OK. Hoping the 3-4 hours to Bettendorf go well tomorrow.

I'll get the rallies and shorter tires put on tonight (mounting/balancing happening at Walmart today). Then all I'll have time for is getting tools ready to travel for "just in case". A couple of containers of oil/trans fluid/power steering fluid, fill up my 5 gallon gas can... that's the good part about a truck hot rod, you're your own support hauler!!!

[Hankster]

Good thing you got the brakes done! Can't wait to see it with the rallys!

[Low Elco]

Good luck on your trip!

[bnoon]

Thanks guys. It was a thrash with the brakes last night because I wanted at least a shakedown run to work and back today (about 40 miles round trip once I go to lunch and back too). Works OK so far, need bled again for sure though because brake light is out, but still feel spongy. I still have just a slight tick on the driver's side rocker too, so going to find/adjust that.

[Low Elco]

Hope you're on the road and all is well!

[bnoon]

Made it and cruised around last night with no issues. So happy!!! On to WI Dells!

[bnoon]

Oh, and did my first burnout in it for some kids on the hill of 18th. I didn't do it on the bridge by the casino because I was chicken to do my first one in front of everyone... I shouldn't have been chicken, it was a damn good burnout!!!

[bnoon]

Broke a piston this morning right outside of Bettendorf. Luckily a friend has a trailer and it is already loaded to go back home. But he let me borrow his Saleen Mustang too so I wouldn't feel left out from the Power Tour.