Test drive time.
09-01-2014, 10:21 AM
#41
VEry nice. Your grampa would want it back now!!! lol
10-24-2014, 08:18 PM
#42
Thanks!
It's really not bad, the balance is a lot better than you'd expect likely thanks to such a heavy and long transmission. I'll need to get updated weights on the truck now I have the 8.8 in it. Likely is ~55% front and 45% rear. I'll get it on the scales this weekend.
As life goes been really busy and really haven't had many updates. Just mainly keeping it on the road. I put the 8.8 rear in it last year, I thought I updated the thread but doesn't seem like I did. The LSD has made the truck perfectly driveable in the wet now. Before I couldn't really even start in 2nd gear w/o just sitting there and spinning. So it was a quick 2nd gear start and shift right into 3rd once I got going. Now I can start w/ reasonable acceleration.
Outside of that I've only been doing little detail work as time allows. I may be comfortable enough w/ it being "done" to actually paint it or get it painted next spring.
for the swap question, really just get the engine, tranny and harness. I had to use f-body manifolds and cut off then ends to angle the exhaust to clear the firewall. Not sure if the truck accessories would fit under the hood, I used a gto setup and had to move the alt to the passenger side or it would hit the steering box.
If you're using the auto tranny I really can't help w/ that part.
The ECU reflash, mine was flashed from the salvage yard I got the engine from. I need to do it again since I figured out my predator tuner re-flashed some things back in that needed to be taken out. So the lesson there is maybe aftermarket tuners for specific cars shouldn't really be used in swaps that don't have every single part swapped over.
One of my main problems with the swap was using a separate fan controller and not the ecu for fan control. This is what it was http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pro-69598 . So I spent some time replacing that and wiring the ecu to control a single stage fan. *edit* Just reading that is nice... seriously I have not had one problem w/ this swap outside of that damned fan controller. Now w/ it controlled by the ECM I don't expect to have any problems.
I ran new battery cables ( 0 gauge) and grounds to get better starting and charging. Before I was using the battery cables that were from the GTO that were getting a little long in the tooth.
That's the only swap related work I've done in the last year. Lately I've just been trying to make the interior just a bit better, keeping in mind that in 1989 a truck was only a truck and not expected to be a luxury vehicle.
The only things major left to do is still address the steering, still wanting rack and pinion and have collected a few more parts but likely will wait until winter is over (still daily driving it through winter) to start that project. I still want AC in it so I would likely drive it more in the late spring and summer and not just for runs to lowes. Also AC helps clear the windshield of moisture in the cold humid mornings here. Right now I just turn the heat on full and crack the window
not always fun in 20* weather.
In short. I still love it. I love driving something I built, again the only thing I didn't do was make the driveshaft (credit "the driveshaft shop" w/ my current shaft). I love that I'm still daily driving my very first vehicle almost 20 years later (despite how modified it is). I love 350+ HP in a truck that weighs ~2800lbs
Also notice the interest in the thread because I had to log on to find out some info about my next swap, the, now done many times over, BMW e36 LS1 swap. I've bought a e36 about 4 years ago to do this swap, but thanks to life being what it is and money being what it is I haven't had time or money to do much to the car. It's been sitting w/ pretty much new suspension for 2 years now waiting on me. Finally have a bit of money but still really not time, but I went ahead and got a z28 to swap its LS1/t56 into the e36. My plans are simple for that swap, just the swap and trying to do twin turbos. Not looking for max HP, I'm mostly looking for a good lot of HP to the wheels but very easily so. I'm sure I'll leave a lot on the table for the set up, but again, mainly looking for more power than necessary w/ good driveablity.
hey man I realize been a while since you did this but by chance ive ended up with a 87 one ton toy and a wrecked 1999 Silverado 1500 if I wanna combine these two in to one truck what all will I need that I cant take from the two existing trucks aside from custom harness from some where like painless and ecm reflash?
Outside of that I've only been doing little detail work as time allows. I may be comfortable enough w/ it being "done" to actually paint it or get it painted next spring.
for the swap question, really just get the engine, tranny and harness. I had to use f-body manifolds and cut off then ends to angle the exhaust to clear the firewall. Not sure if the truck accessories would fit under the hood, I used a gto setup and had to move the alt to the passenger side or it would hit the steering box.
If you're using the auto tranny I really can't help w/ that part.
The ECU reflash, mine was flashed from the salvage yard I got the engine from. I need to do it again since I figured out my predator tuner re-flashed some things back in that needed to be taken out. So the lesson there is maybe aftermarket tuners for specific cars shouldn't really be used in swaps that don't have every single part swapped over.
One of my main problems with the swap was using a separate fan controller and not the ecu for fan control. This is what it was http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pro-69598 . So I spent some time replacing that and wiring the ecu to control a single stage fan. *edit* Just reading that is nice... seriously I have not had one problem w/ this swap outside of that damned fan controller. Now w/ it controlled by the ECM I don't expect to have any problems.
I ran new battery cables ( 0 gauge) and grounds to get better starting and charging. Before I was using the battery cables that were from the GTO that were getting a little long in the tooth.
That's the only swap related work I've done in the last year. Lately I've just been trying to make the interior just a bit better, keeping in mind that in 1989 a truck was only a truck and not expected to be a luxury vehicle.
The only things major left to do is still address the steering, still wanting rack and pinion and have collected a few more parts but likely will wait until winter is over (still daily driving it through winter) to start that project. I still want AC in it so I would likely drive it more in the late spring and summer and not just for runs to lowes. Also AC helps clear the windshield of moisture in the cold humid mornings here. Right now I just turn the heat on full and crack the window
not always fun in 20* weather. In short. I still love it. I love driving something I built, again the only thing I didn't do was make the driveshaft (credit "the driveshaft shop" w/ my current shaft). I love that I'm still daily driving my very first vehicle almost 20 years later (despite how modified it is). I love 350+ HP in a truck that weighs ~2800lbs
Also notice the interest in the thread because I had to log on to find out some info about my next swap, the, now done many times over, BMW e36 LS1 swap. I've bought a e36 about 4 years ago to do this swap, but thanks to life being what it is and money being what it is I haven't had time or money to do much to the car. It's been sitting w/ pretty much new suspension for 2 years now waiting on me. Finally have a bit of money but still really not time, but I went ahead and got a z28 to swap its LS1/t56 into the e36. My plans are simple for that swap, just the swap and trying to do twin turbos. Not looking for max HP, I'm mostly looking for a good lot of HP to the wheels but very easily so. I'm sure I'll leave a lot on the table for the set up, but again, mainly looking for more power than necessary w/ good driveablity.
