"52 3600/3100"

[Mains52]

Originally Posted by joedoh

yeah but I bet it was a fun 2 hrs!

looking good!

Thanks! You're right its always fun fabbing stuff up.

[dsraven]

looks good. the only thing I wouldda done different is make it a bolt on. thats just me though.
whats the plan for the old cross member? are you gonna connect the dots for frame flex concerns without the cross member where it used to be? remove it entirely? something different?

[dsraven]

where are you measuring your angles from? oil pan flange on block?

[Mains52]

Originally Posted by dsraven

looks good. the only thing I wouldda done different is make it a bolt on. thats just me though.
whats the plan for the old cross member? are you gonna connect the dots for frame flex concerns without the cross member where it used to be? remove it entirely? something different?

I will probably just take the remaining parts of the old member out. Art Morrison only has the MII, trans and drive line x member so I figure Ill keep it like that. I am measuring the angles from the tailshaft of the trans.

[dsraven]

a more accurate reading of the angles can be had by using the oil pan mounting surface. sometimes the play in the rear trans bushing can make the angle gauge lie when it is using the ujoint or the yoke. you prolly have it dialed in the way you want it now but if you need to change it later you can always use a shim under the trans mount to jack the trans end up some if needed. otherwise slice a piece out of the square tubing under the trans mount and weld it back in lower, if it is already too low.
keep plugging away man. looking good.

[dsraven]

sometimes the frame flex can make the cab mount points become closer or further apart. time will tell. could be horsepower/horseplay related for some trucks I suppose, lol. I remember having an old V8 Vega back in the day. sometimes I had to do a burnout in reverse so the doors would close. haha. no subframe connectors on that one. sold it too soon to finish it properly. I remember it went like stink though.

[Mains52]

Originally Posted by dsraven

sometimes the frame flex can make the cab mount points become closer or further apart. time will tell. could be horsepower/horseplay related for some trucks I suppose, lol. I remember having an old V8 Vega back in the day. sometimes I had to do a burnout in reverse so the doors would close. haha. no subframe connectors on that one. sold it too soon to finish it properly. I remember it went like stink though.

Backwards Burnouts ha I may do some more bracing. I am still unsure. The 3:08 rear end on the back of a high mileage 5.3 probably isnt going to be twisting any doorways ha.

[Mains52]

As usual Its been over a year since I touched the truck. There is 8 weeks until GoodGuys and my brother told me we should bust ass and try to get it driveable by then. Its most likely not going to happen but it has given me a reason to push the build along and get my butt back into the truck side of the shop. Racing MX with my son every weekend takes a lot of my free time but its time for some all nighters.

[dsraven]

No pics, didnt happen. Lol

[Mains52]

Got the passenger side cowl going. Just need to finish it up so I can move on to finishing the bed and running boards. Also got the 5.3 completely torn down. Thankfully I went with my gut and tore it down because the " low oil pressure" that the previous owner was having could have been from the roached / stuck cam bearings and lack of maintenance. To be fair the main and rod bearings weren't too bad and the cylinders still look good but will get ball honed. 175k miles of crappy maintenance I expected some of this.

[Mains52]

Well after selling my motovan and having a stack of cash to put into the truck I decided id get a running driving 5.3 to hook up and drop into the truck since my other engine is now going to be a full rebuild. So I found a local guy who does ls swaps for a living and he just pulled a 160k mile 5.3 out of a silverado last tuesday. Ran great and had no issues. Picked it up complete with pcm and harness for 600. Also after a year of dragging my feet I bought my second project for the family and brought home my new 1939 Chevy Master 85. Needs some love but 98% of the parts are there and it was on the road in the early 2000's so I know it can be a runner while the truck gets finished.

[8man]

Cool car. Nice find on the 5.3 too.

[Tempest67]

I have always liked the 'Businessman's Coupe' body style....... nice

[Mains52]

Alright the countdown is on. I have a ton of parts on the way and with a good effort and a little bit of luck I should be able to have my truck on the road by my birthday 8/30. I really think my GOODGUYS DES MOINES goal was a bit crazy since I am doing all of the work myself. I got the good ol "AFTER THE KIDS ARE ASLEEP" Shop shift so I may be low on sleep by the time its done but Im driving this damn truck this summer. Wont be painted but it will be on the road.
With all of that said. This past friday I took the day off work and went to a local salvage yard. picked up a steering column, brake booster/pedal set up along with the gas pedal set up for the truck and started mocking it up.

[dsraven]

do you recall what the booster set up was from? I am using a set from an envoy which has the booster and pedal set up allk in one. cut a hole in the firewall, bolt it in. are your pedals integral with the booster mounting panel?

[Mains52]

Originally Posted by dsraven

do you recall what the booster set up was from? I am using a set from an envoy which has the booster and pedal set up allk in one. cut a hole in the firewall, bolt it in. are your pedals integral with the booster mounting panel?

It was out of a 2007-2013 Silverado 1500 single cab 2wd.

[Mains52]

Update: The LS RUNS!!! Tested it on the stand. Steering mocked up ready to be permanent. Fuel Cell mocked up. LOTS of Parts coming in. Big push is about to go down to get it put together.

[8man]

Big day, vroom, vroom noise!

[Mains52]

BIG UPDATE: So boxes started rolling in a few weeks ago and I have been busting some serious butt to try and get this thing together. I may not have pics of it all but.....
List of Stuff I have done.
Mocked up ad finished steering.
Brake booster and pedals mounted.
Steering column mounted.
frame notched for exhaust manifolds.
Seat mounted.
Driveshaft mocked up/ measured but not done yet.
outer cowls ready to be finished up.
Trans tunnel started.
I have everything to drive the truck besides rad hoses, internal harness for my 4l80e to update it, fluids and Registration.

[Mains52]

Big update continued:
So I was installing the new fly wheel on my 5.3 and it decided to crash to the ground and break the oil pan. Its ok I have another truck pan but dang talk about set back. Also this past Monday I had 8hrs of free time to bust out as much stuff on the truck as possible. Well in the first 30 minutes of said free time I had a cutoff wheel on a grinder decide it wanted to jump off the part I was cutting and catch an artery in my shoulder. I really want to get this thing driving but its going to fight me the whole way.

[8man]

Dang! That's a tough break. Hope you heal quickly.

[NorCalGal]

Uh oh, the wheel of death strikes again! That’s some scary stuff, as bad as it is it could have been way worse. Hope it heals quickly.

[Mains52]

Thank You all

[joedoh]

dude holy hell.


question, was it a plug in grinder? or a batt grinder? lately i have been using a batt grinder for my cutoff wheels because when they get stuck they just stop. the plug in i have just pours on the torque, I caught my t shirt once with a braid cup once and had to unplug it, it was still trying to spin.


hope you heal quick!

[Mains52]

Originally Posted by joedoh

dude holy hell.


question, was it a plug in grinder? or a batt grinder? lately i have been using a batt grinder for my cutoff wheels because when they get stuck they just stop. the plug in i have just pours on the torque, I caught my t shirt once with a braid cup once and had to unplug it, it was still trying to spin.


hope you heal quick!

It was a plug in push/lock power button. It hit me then was trying to wrap my shirt towards my face so my first focus was on getting it shut off after I killed the power I felt the warmth pouring down my side. Im bummed I lost that 8hrs of uninterrupted truck time. Im switching to a plasma cutter from now on.