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

[bnoon]

Thanks. I hope it all pays off and works like it's supposed to. I think I've decided to drop the 5.3 project for now though and put the 350 back in, at least for winter. Make sure the transmission holds, then evolve with the 5.3 on my own terms instead of thrash to get it on the road and have shortfalls.

[bnoon]

I got curious and popped the heads off of the 350 and I'm so glad I did. I had one partially stuck valve. It resulted from a shorted plug wire that I had for about a week. I fixed the shorted plug wire, but after that it always just had a slight miss and now I know why... the exhaust valve had gummed up with the non-burned mixture from when the plug wire was shorting and that was enough to lose some compression and cause the miss. Cleaned up with some carb spray, lapped the valve back in to be sure, then retested good! Reassembled and this time I went with a "dirty look" paint job and stock valve covers to throw people off and not expect much from looking at it. Heheheheh

[Dieselwrencher]

The sleeper paint job is a cool addition! Nice work!

[IowaHooch]

Nice truck! I too am from Iowa

[Dads79GMC]

Still watching Sir!

[bnoon]

Thanks guys. All I'm missing is my pushrods that I ordered Wednesday. I stole them from my engine to finish my buddies 383 project since my transmission was down. I may still stab it back into the truck this weekend, even though setting the rockers will be a bit more difficult that way. I can't wait to see if I rebuilt the transmission correctly. The good part, even if something doesn't work, is that I'm more comfortable with transmission internals now and at least know how they work. No more "black box magic" feeling!!!

[bnoon]

Fixed a few electrical gremlins this weekend. Wired a new relay for the yellow fog lights, cleared out some crud from the heater core, rerouted the heater core feed to the intake manifold ahead of the thermostat (gets warm inside the cab MUCH quicker!!! ), and started setting up my 1.5 DIN 1999 CD player that I got from gmachinz.

For the CD player install, I decided to cut both bezels and make 1 good one. The texture difference will be taken care of by using the spray on fleck-stone rattle can, then painted matte black over that. I used hot glue to temporarily hold the pieces together, test fitted, then melted plastic from the back side once everything was in place. Hot glue is then removed from the front side and the crack sealed up with minimal plastic melting that will be covered by the texture spray. I used to use this same technique for custom installs back in the 80's- early 90's when I was doing IASCA shows and working at a car audio shop. Should turn out nice. It's about the only good thing that ugly fleck stone is good for! Anyway, onto the pictures...

[bnoon]

More radio install...

[bnoon]

Final test fit before texture and respray...

[Dieselwrencher]

Looking good, and nice work on the bezel. I'm curious to see the finished product. I've been looking for something to get the texture close again after a plastic part mod.

[bnoon]

Yeah the texture really is about layers. Smooth it all out a bit, fill any divots, then reapply texture. There's a texture spray from Rustoleum that's good for light textures, but for the harder stuff you need chunkier media, then knock it down a bit with sanding. I'll be doing a bit of both. Plastic modding was my specialty when doing car stereo installs. Fun times.

[bnoon]

First round of texture going on (yesterday). I will have at least one more coat of the fleck-stone texture and then the fine flat black texture over that. I couldn't decide if the flat black will be OK or if I well go to a matte vs. flat. We'll see.

I also got some side window visors from the salvage yard for 5 bucks this weekend.

[bnoon]

Second round of texture a few days ago, then the black went on yesterday. Texture is a little uneven, so I'll have to knock some of it down and even it out with another shot or two. This kind of stuff was easier when I was doing it every day. Not as good as I would have done for a customer back in the day, but oh well. I also got the radio wired up mostly too. Sounds good with some Pyle 3.5" (2) in the dash and Dual brand 6.5" one in each door. Loud enough to drown out the exhaust, just not much bass yet. Thinking some cheap Lanzar subs (sound amazing, even compared to subs costing many times as much).

[68Timber]

I've been following along, like what you're doing with the truck. Cool trick with the "fleckle" paint. I've seen plastic welding mentioned here and there and I think HF sells a kit. Is there much to it?

[bnoon]

Not much to it, just a "touch" to it just like anything else requiring art type skills. I used to be better at it than I am now, just something that needs constant practice to keep top skill levels... but, it's very simple to get started. I don't use a kit at all. I use an old flat blade screwdriver and map gas.

I use hot glue to quick set the pieces together, then melt the back side plastic together, then pull the hot glue off of the front side and do any finish work needed on the front side. Since I cut off a piece off of both the old and new dash bezels, I had plenty of shrapnel plastic bits laying around to melt into the two pieces as I formed them back together.

[bnoon]

After it dried today to a matte finish. Better than before. Not perfect, but I could spend days getting it to look a little bit better and frankly, this is no show truck. It's done.

[Dads79GMC]

I like it!

[bnoon]

Thanks Mike.

[bnoon]

TH400 was built fine, but had a slight whine. Short version is, if it whines, do NOT drive it! Pump was cavitating from a loose picup tube... Tore down the th400 today and the pump and pickup cavitation cooked the new clutches pretty good. Think I'll sell it as a core and move on. Probably be a 4l60e.

http://secure.ultracart.com/catalog/PSI/HAR-1012.html found a harness for the 5.3 and will get one coming if the built 350 and transmission sell.

[slotard]

I was going to say, when you put the 5.3 in I'd seriously consider a modern tranny. If you're going turbo you might go for a 4L80E instead, depending on how much you'll be abusing it.

You're making me want to put a radio in my truck, what's in there doesn't work. I wish there was a small (factory sized) one that would do MP3s or at least had an Aux in port...

[bnoon]

Originally Posted by slotard

I was going to say, when you put the 5.3 in I'd seriously consider a modern tranny. If you're going turbo you might go for a 4L80E instead, depending on how much you'll be abusing it.

You're making me want to put a radio in my truck, what's in there doesn't work. I wish there was a small (factory sized) one that would do MP3s or at least had an Aux in port...

http://www.casmfg.com/GMC%20Truck_1973_86%20Select.htm you need one of these radios perhaps. The one I installed will ha e an aux input as well once I buy the adapter.

I can build a 60 or 65 to handle my hp level for cheaper than a basic 80 swap, so the 80 is out for me.

[bnoon]

Black leather seats from an '07 Impala. New looking GMC steering wheel from an early 90's GMC van. Mirrors from the same van also look new. And GMC dog dish caps for $3.17 each since they had slight dings. Now I can sell the really nice ones I have and keep these.

[slotard]

Are the seats easy to fit or do they take some work?

[rusty76]

You know it's been awhile since I've checked in on your build. I really like what you have done here.! Great job and keep it up!

[bnoon]

Originally Posted by slotard

Are the seats easy to fit or do they take some work?

They're going to take some work. They have hooks in the front with no bolts, only two bolts at the back of the tracks. Won't be too hard though.

Originally Posted by rusty76

You know it's been awhile since I've checked in on your build. I really like what you have done here.! Great job and keep it up!

Thanks!