Shop Truck refurb, code name Chaser

[RandyP]

It was actually a real challenge to find a good used frame for this one. Since it is a regular cab short bed, it limited us. Add in the age of the truck, and the fact scrap recently got fairly high, most yards had already crushed most of them. It took us 4 tries to get a good one, first 3 had damage all the way up in to the center box.
We love frame swaps, but more times than not they do total out from it. Usually people are eager to get rid of their 5 year old truck with 150k miles on it though.

[mcbassin]

Awesome build! glad I found it! I really like all the pics of your clean and huge shop! It would make it a lot easier working on the projects. Keep the pics coming!

[Matt Man]

nice build randy what model crate did you order? is it the 290hp one?

[RandyP]

Yes, 290hp #12499529. I think they are made to in 79 and down.

[JohnC]

I love your new signature man.

[RandyP]

Red Green quotes. Love that guy.

[JohnC]

Originally Posted by RandyP

Red Green quotes. Love that guy.

A guy just came in the store the other day talking about his show. I'll have to check it out.

[RandyP]

Awesome show. Good clean family entertainment to be honest. People of all ages and walks of life can laugh at his show, even young kids. Is on PBS on the weekends and occasionally throughout the week.

YouTube- Red Green Show - All Wheel Drive

[RandyP]

I am glad floor dry is so cheap, sure does make a mess doing this engine work! Got the transmission separated so we could count the teeth on the flywheel and be certain to order the right part. Had to order a 168 tooth flywheel for a 79 model 350. Got the intake modified as well. Still hunting a couple of special intake bolts and the correct reducer for the temp sensor. Other than that, time is all I need so my tech can get it stabbed. Once he gets it in and hooked all up I can start building the front end and get sheet metal back on it.
Sorta regretting not vending the truck out for the swap and just paying someone to do it. But, literally with the money I'm 'saving', I can pay for a large chunk of my new car hauler trailer. Sorta hoping I can have the square up and going by the time the trailer is ready to pick up in a couple of weeks.

Oh, and I bought my first ever Holley part. Got a new TBI setup, made O'Reillys price match Amazon price. Bwauahahahaha. The wife is gonna kill me when she sees that charge ticket. I could not resist the thing though, the numbers I was reading made me buy it.

[JohnC]

Sweet!

[spudz]

Awesome.

[RandyP]

Now if we can just find two intake bolts locally. The holes we had to modify are going to require a different bolt head, something with a very small head, and a shorter bolt overall. We found what we think will work perfectly, but they are at Summit. Would rather find some local to save a few days. The motor and transmission are about to be joined back together and get dropped in though.

My body tech has some time now, the frame swap repair was going to eat up some days, but the used frame we got was wrong (sent us a 4x4 frame, doh). Bad for my business, but good for my truck I guess.

[joe231]

I'm super curious to see how that throttle body performs

[RandyP]

You and me both! They boast "up to" 25% more HP and TQ. We'll see I suppose. Between the intake, TBI and headers... I should be bumping the 350hp mark. I think. Which will be more than enough.

[mcbassin]

Originally Posted by RandyP

You and me both! They boast "up to" 25% more HP and TQ. We'll see I suppose. Between the intake, TBI and headers... I should be bumping the 350hp mark. I think. Which will be more than enough.

Wow! that's a bunch of ponies! I'm curious to see what you find out too.

[justpball]

looks like it coming together!

[RandyP]

Got a couple of action shots. They got it in and bolted up. Have a new transmission mount that was just delivered and ready to toss in. Won't be long and they'll start plugging stuff up. Still got the issue with the intake bolts though. If nothing else I'll take the ones off of Joes truck this weekend when he's here.

[JohnC]

Originally Posted by RandyP

..... If nothing else I'll take the ones off of Joes truck this weekend when he's here.

Good luck he has eyes in the back of his head man!

[joe231]

[RandyP]

Got the engine stabbed, headers mocked up to fit, A/C bracket modified, creating another stabilizer bar for the passenger side (like the drivers side has) to help support the alternator instead of drilling a hole in the high dollar intake.

Only hurdle left really is those darn center intake bolts. As slow as it'll be tomorrow, my body man might find himself in my truck driving around town digging through bolt bins for something that will work.

My painters 88 K5 had the blower motor stop on him yesterday. We took it apart while diagnosing the problem, seemed to work out of the truck with 12v put to it but would stop when we put it back in. Finally figured out the connection on the motor was failing. Thankfully we just robbed the old blower motor and wire out of my parts suburban and got him back to where he can have cold air. I'd like to say again how much I'd love to have his K5. My dad owned it new and he ended up with it in the early 90's after another person had it for a short period. Only thing that's ever really been done to it is a paint job. I never really cared for the extra red pearl he put in the clear, but it sets it apart from others. I think the first photo in this thread of his truck I called him a friend, since then I have hired him as my painter. Known him for about 20 years or so.

[spudz]

I have done this intake swap a few times, after you open the center holes up in the intake a shorter bolt will work, but it will not tighten flat against the intake because it goes in at a different angle then the intake is made for. you can either make a spacer out of aluminum that looks like a wedge or use these... they work great and come with the bolts.. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/WND-90748/?rtype=10 you will basicly use them oposite of there purpose.

[RandyP]

First picture shows the bracket (left of photo) he made to support the alternator. Second shows the hole that is supposed to be used to support the bracket, no idea why Edelbrock decided to not drill and tap it. Photo 3 shows the center intake bolt holes now. The intake has been slotted to accept a bolt at an angle. I thought about a wedge type washer, but it really looks like there is not enough room to use a washer and still get a bolt in there and get it started straight.

Tomorrow is a new day, we'll ponder your solution spudz. We could create those fairly easy from some stock if it does indeed work easy enough.

[spudz]

it would increase the bolts clamping ability with the shims, but in all honestly it will work fine without them. think of it this way, 96 and newer vortex 350s dont even have center intake bolts.. just the 8 outside bolts. the gasket material is different between the two and all that but still , thats a big gap with no fastners.

[blakeduren]

That is odd, my old edelbrock performer had that ALT spot drilled and tapped.

[RandyP]

Was it this intake for the TBI, or a carb intake? I figured they did not drill and tap it since if the engine is running a serpentine setup you don't use that hole. And, there are a lot more of these 350 TBI's factory running the serpentine setup I'm sure. Basically the 87/88's have the old belt system, and 89/90/91/92/93/94/95 have the serpentine.