48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by 65sub

I'm glad yo hear Mrs A.D. is feeling better and it's also good to see you back in the shop. Fitting the accessories looks like an interesting challenge. If everything just bolted together everybody would be doing it.

Thank you 65sub! I will admit sometimes I would like to build something that you can unbolt, clean up and bolt back together....then I start having so much fun with the welder, grinder and figuring things out that I come back to my senses.

[Iceburgh]

AD...planning on putting a ls with carb in the 56 post I picked up. Looks like more room. Any problems when you put one in your 56?

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by Iceburgh

AD...planning on putting a ls with carb in the 56 post I picked up. Looks like more room. Any problems when you put one in your 56?

The only real challenge was the oil pan because we did the swap before Holley brought out theirs. The centerlink really interferes there.

CPP small block stands and mount to the LS plate, Camaro exhaust manifolds, GMPP CTS-V accessory drive, KWIK for high mount Sanden (before Holley brackets) and it was pretty well bolt together. Lot more room under the hood than an AD truck. Before you go carb, maybe check out FITech. From what I've been seeing around here, it is a high quality and very affordable throttle body style injection system. Here is a build with one starting at post 392... http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...605736&page=16

Be cool if you did a build thread under alternate tinkerings.

Accessory drives...I am following your lead on engine setback and looked at the front runner system you used. Yep pricey. Are you happy with the system? Do you remember how much room you have from front of block to radiator mounting flange? Are you still happy with the R and D radiator?

[Iceburgh]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

The only real challenge was the oil pan because we did the swap before Holley brought out theirs. The centerlink really interferes there.

CPP small block stands and mount to the LS plate, Camaro exhaust manifolds, GMPP CTS-V accessory drive, KWIK for high mount Sanden (before Holley brackets) and it was pretty well bolt together. Lot more room under the hood than an AD truck. Before you go carb, maybe check out FITech. From what I've been seeing around here, it is a high quality and very affordable throttle body style injection system. Here is a build with one starting at post 392... http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...605736&page=16

Be cool if you did a build thread under alternate tinkerings.

Accessory drives...I am following your lead on engine setback and looked at the front runner system you used. Yep pricey. Are you happy with the system? Do you remember how much room you have from front of block to radiator mounting flange? Are you still happy with the R and D radiator?

I like the R&D and prices are not bad.
If you look at what I have it works and it is compact. The alternator need a bracket made for it to give it more support. Easy fix. This came out after and about the same price and looks a little better I think.http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/ca/full.aspx?Page=79
Any way lots of trial and error or $$$ or both

[99 to Life]

Side note, not to deter from the pullies, but that FItech looks awesome. I'll def be keeping them in mind.

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

Side note, not to deter from the pullies, but that FItech looks awesome. I'll def be keeping them in mind.

99, it is an impressive looking system and way cheaper than Holley, Edelbrock, etc. There is another build on here where the owner purchased one for install though I haven't seen an update. Rodsgreen C10 is giving it a pretty good work out.

Ok, after standing around with a measuring stick and staring at it for awhile yesterday I did go ahead and move the engine back 1 1/2 inches. You know the drill...remove engine and transmission, cut tabs off of frame, grind smooth, reinstall to position and mark new tab for drilling, tack tab in, remove engine and trans so you can weld the tab, reinstall....folks that don't do this don't know how much work it takes. Heavy work keeps me alert too just in case the hydraulic cylinder on the engine hoist lets go.

Anyway, I now have and inch from the snout on the truck water pump to the back of the fan on the R and D radiator...assuming the dimensions they gave me are accurate. And I have 9 inches from the block face to the back of the fan which should leave room for a front drive system in the event I decide to go that way.

Based on advice from Iceburgh over on Youngrodders Burb build, I am leaving the recess cut outs open until I decide for certain what I am doing for an intake. His fuel rail on the new intake intersected the firewall. Bummer, especially since he has really nice paint.

[Advanced Design]

Comparison, before set back.

[Iceburgh]

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

Side note, not to deter from the pullies, but that FItech looks awesome. I'll def be keeping them in mind.

Agreed $1000 is a great price all others are in the $2200 range. Might go this route in the '56.

[99 to Life]

nice progress and pics. I think if I have this problem, I'm going to cut out the firewall recess, widen it and reinstall, so it looks factory just much wider.

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

nice progress and pics. I think if I have this problem, I'm going to cut out the firewall recess, widen it and reinstall, so it looks factory just much wider.

That would look better and I was considering, even had it laid out in tape. Trim the recess around the outside of the tape then add 8 inches to the center. It would be reinstalled about to where the outer tape marks are. I was kicking that idea around with a couple of friends and they pointed out it may take up space needed for the Vintage Air system.

So, rather than figure out if that would work spacewise under the dash or not, I just went this route.

[99 to Life]

haha great minds think alike, but you guys had me beat as I wasn't thinking that far ahead! I suppose you could get VA dimensions and make it up out of cardboard, put it in and figure out if it would interfere.

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

haha great minds think alike, but you guys had me beat as I wasn't thinking that far ahead! I suppose you could get VA dimensions and make it up out of cardboard, put it in and figure out if it would interfere.

Well, I saw that modification on one of the builds here so don't know that I have a great mind. VA use to have empty cases you could buy for mock up. I didn't want to wait and charged ahead.

Iceburgh, thanks for the link. This looks a little beefier than what is on their website and I like it is now available in black. While pricey, it is less than the VA package at @ $2,900.

My engine is back far enough now I think this will fit.

[BlueJeep]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Well, I saw that modification on one of the builds here so don't know that I have a great mind. VA use to have empty cases you could buy for mock up. I didn't want to wait and charged ahead.

It will still fit. I just went out and looked at mine. I have lots of room between the VA and the dash, and I mounted mine so that it hugs the firewall pretty tight. You could easily bump it back another inch and have all the room you'd need to for your inset extension.

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by BlueJeep

It will still fit. I just went out and looked at mine. I have lots of room between the VA and the dash, and I mounted mine so that it hugs the firewall pretty tight. You could easily bump it back another inch and have all the room you'd need to for your inset extension.

Thanks Bluejeep. Lotta problem solving in one of these builds.

[Advanced Design]

There is one important element I didn't remember about accessory drive fitment when going through this.

Where is the back of the fan in the vertical plane in relation to the water pump pulley snout?

Looking at Tessone's build, I notice the back of the fan is above the snout. So, before moving the engine back into the firewall, I should have bought the radiator package and tried it to see. Of course I could pretend I really cleverly planned this so a front runner would fit.

99, maybe this will save you some work on yours.

[99 to Life]

good pics, yeah def am getting radiator and headers for when I moch up engine. Ordering them soon.

[ptc]

What if you only went about half way up with the widening and fan it into the curve at the top? That could leave you enough room for both the VA and leave it looking oem.

Nice progress, I am at this point also and having everything you will be using in the final build sure helps alot!

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by ptc

What if you only went about half way up with the widening and fan it into the curve at the top? That could leave you enough room for both the VA and leave it looking oem.

Nice progress, I am at this point also and having everything you will be using in the final build sure helps alot!

Very good idea PTC. Thank you! I was looking at my cut outs today and not liking how they look so I may go that way. I was looking over the VA info and I need to ask them if the sure fit unit will cool this Burb. Or if it needs the larger unit...which may or may not fit.

They also have mock up units still and one of those would be handy.

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

good pics, yeah def am getting radiator and headers for when I moch up engine. Ordering them soon.

Me too 99. I am about to the point where I need to be ordering some expensive parts to make sure they fit. I think the exhaust manifolds Sid bought is the way I am going.

[SparkyRnD]

been slowing going through the build thread per your PM, this is going to be one cool project!

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by SparkyRnD

been slowing going through the build thread per your PM, this is going to be one cool project!

Very cool Sparky! Welcome aboard and my apologies it is so long....more of a life journey and less of a "build."

I will likely order one of your radiators in a while to make sure everything fits.

If you have time, check out 99 to life's Geronimo build and Youngrodders family truckster build here in the 47 to 59 section. They are going with LS engines too.

Awesome day in the shop with Cindy helping a bit. Praise the Lord!

Removed door hinges and have you ever had one of the pins work out and up, preventing the hinge from coming out? What should have taken a few minutes took a lot longer. Able to work it around enough to get the pin with a sawzall.

Beats a good day at work all to heck.

[Advanced Design]

Next on the "to do" list was to install air tanks, control valve and battery box. To make that possible to do I lifted the body off the frame again.

And since I moved the engine and transmission back 1 1/2", I needed to re-drill the holes through the frame for the cross member mounting block.

I've been thinking that may not be as strong as I would like with the block simply sitting on the bottom frame lip. Will likely come up with a way to provide additional support to the frame side or top as well.

Relocating holes accurately is my nemesis, so I used a right angle drill and short drill bit to drill the new holes down through the existing holes in the block.

[Advanced Design]

Next up was installing the air tanks Lower 50's turned me on to. Before removing the body I made sure they cleared the floor and marked on the frame where they need to go.

A lot of time was spent making certain the mounting brackets were square to each other to provide proper tank support. The lower hole in the bracket was actually about half off the frame and I will admit staring at it for awhile before realizing I could drill a new hole. Had builders block for awhile.

And a through bolt attachment wouldn't work due to the transmission mounting block wanting to occupy the same space. So I used what I learned from Jim (Oldman3) and welded in flanged 1/4" nuts. I kept the threads protected with screwing in a bolt...and made sure to not weld the bolt and nut together.

My uni-bits were not where I keep them (spent 30 minutes looking), spent 30 minutes drilling one hole...and then drove to town to buy a uni-bit. They work great for this application.

Anyway, I was able to mount the tanks after flap disking the welds down.

[youngrodder]

Doug-

The mounting of the hydrogen bombs (I mean air tanks) looks good. I will have to remember this placement when I get to that point.

Nice progress. Yes those uni-bits do work nice.

Marc

[99 to Life]

nice work, OMG I can't tell you how annoying drilling holes are. Just did some today and yah just getting one all the way through took forever, then the unibits make quick work of it. I buy the hobo freight ones when they come on sale, I must say they work great esp for the price. I'v been meaning to buy a hammer drill but like most things I need I haven't gotten yet. I want to also try plasmaing a hole then drilling that out, gotta wait for new cups to come for my plasma, so haven't even tried that trick yet.