Shop project...

[Pullstart 62,831]

2 hours ago, 953 nut said:

Looking good Kevin, have you ordered the running boards yet?   A good sturdy running board will probably deter careless people from swinging their door into the side of the Suburban.

For now, we ordered some Bully steps.  Long term, I may build some custom ones.  

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And to round out the video series on this build…

 

 

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“The Cadillac” is in the shop tonight.  I’m tired of the sporadic push button 4x4 woes and am going to try my hand at a lever shift 4x4 conversion.

 

Having an entire parts truck helps.  I’m going to tackle the shifter install tonight and try to get the interior back to seat-able by tomorrow.

[Pullstart 62,831]

Shifter installed, time for interior re-install.  Perfect time to blow out the vents again and get rid of that pesky mouse crap and shreds…

 

 

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Center console is back in, trimmed to fit around the shifter trim.  I heated and bent the shifter and might have to fab a knob.  I might just leave it the way it is…

 

Time for seats and finish trim around the carpet!

 

 

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Shift knob sorted!  That golf ball ain’t never improved my hack game!  The slight bend I put in the shifter shaft doesn’t interfere with my leg on the go fast pedal, so all is well.

[ebinmaine 67,398]

7 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

Shift knob sorted!  That golf ball

I like it.   

[Pullstart 62,831]

8 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

I like it.   

 

it saved me a ton of time dabbing a knob too!  I was thinking about some knuckles like Rebel’s shift knob, but thought about the cold factor and how something plastic/synthetic would be more comfortable.  I spun the hole on the lathe about .005” small and it’s a perfect press fit with the help of a soft hammer.

Edited January 3, 2022 by Pullstart
Photo

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The two t-cases are on the floor next to each other.  I’m sorting out harness stuff before the re-Install.

 

Hopefully the small bunch will replace the big bunch and the truck will operate well.

 

 

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I got the swap done, but still have a “Service 4x4” light.  That’s why they make black tape!  And stickers!

 

 

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Last step (see what I did there?)in this project… DeEtte is finished!

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,398]

Step. That's funny right there.

[Pullstart 62,831]

5 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Step. That's funny right there.

Her boss and a peer at work are all buddies.  Two guys and her.  They seem to be more of a girl(s) than she most days.  They sure spent a lot of time poking fun watching her try to get in her truck without ‘em!  She’d park next to a curb whenever possible, etc.  that little loop makes a world of difference with us not so tall people!  

Edited January 20, 2022 by Pullstart

[ebinmaine 67,398]

1 hour ago, Pullstart said:

that little loop makes a world of difference with us not so tall people

I knew a fella maybe 30 years old that had a cop as a friend. School buddies I think. The guy I knew was VERY much a gear head. Had some seriously fast cars trucks snowmobiles etc. The  cop would bust his chops about those vehicles. 

At one point he had a 4WD Ford that was too tall to pass inspection in Massachusetts so he sold to someone in NH. 

His cop friend told him to be super careful about what he bought/built next....

Well there was a loophole in the law that it did NOT cover dump trucks registered at 10K or higher. 

He went out and found himself and F350 4wd and put an electric over hydraulic cylinder under the 6 foot step side bed..... And something ridiculous like 44 or 48" monster tires. 

His rockers were an honest 40" off the ground. 

To this day I still have no idea how he got in the beast. 

 

[Achto 27,562]

Nephew bought a truck with a lift. I asked him if they knocked any money off because it had a lift kit. Why he asked? More maintenance, less fuel mileage, less towing capacity, gotta lift everything up further to get it in the truck, etc. Truck was useless to me, was my answer. Plus the only time it will ever go off road is when it's parked in a gravel driveway.

Edited January 20, 2022 by Achto

[Pullstart 62,831]

Remember the reason we did this lift kit… so she wouldn’t get door dings from the thousands of people who come and go all day at her work.  With 3 split shifts, lunches, etc… there’s a lot of new neighbors throughout a day.  Now, they can go ahead and try.  If I do ever get around to full length steps, it’ll be ultimate door dinger armor!   

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I’m I the shop doing some investigations…. Suspected cam and lifter failure.  Dealer quoted $1200 for confirmation of diagnosis only.

as I was pushing this one in today, someone called offering me $2,200 to swap engines in his 2010 3500 Duramax.  Business is good this week!

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,398]

4 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

Business is good this week!

NIIIIICE

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There’s a little trick with LS engines and cam swaps.  The wooden dowels will hold the lifters up away from the cam if you spin the cam a bunch then stick the dowel in.  Well, I wasn’t able to pull the cam, telling me it’s pretty much certain that a lobe couldn’t push a lifter up far enough out of the way.  Heads are off to get to the lifters.

 

 

Edited February 22, 2022 by Pullstart

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Found the wiped out cam lobe.  Probably a .040” notch in the #8 exhaust lobe.

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Cleanup day on the heads and deck.  .

It appears these have been removed before.  There’s tons of irregular swirls on the mating surfaces of the heads, deck and intake along with different brand gaskets on each side, not to mention pry marks on certain edges.  I’ll hone all surfaces, then I’ll check everything for flatness before re-assembly.