For those who read through my posting about my S-10 it was a 3 1/2 month trail of constant idea swapping.

For those who didn't, BE GLAD..

Just an update, I have swapped the 3.08 with open diff back into the truck, and I have but to bolt the driveshaft up later this morning to be able to put it back on the road. New shocks are in but I did not make it to NAPA in time to pick them up for installation.

I ordered one of the two rear wheels for this truck, 15X8 sport lite wheel. I will order the other one later this week. Free shipping so spreading the purchases over multiple weeks doesn't cost any extra. I will probably order tires week after next, 275/60-15's. They will give me some legroom with only having the 3 speed Turbo 400 to allow me to drive it longer distances without killing my wallet for gas.

The 4.10 rear and wheel hop issues I had managed to bust 5 of the 8 corners on the mini-spool, crack another to almost breaking, and the last 2 were still looking solid. Plus the rear had some bad vibration to it which was probably because of the broken pieces. I contacted the seller and he is replacing the mini-spool. By next season, I expect to have 3.55 gears, traction bars, nitrous kit, 2600 nitrous converter, and hopefully a freshly rebuilt Turbo 400 with a manual valve body in the truck and ready to go.

It will need a couple parts for the front end as well, but getting those might have to wait, or be bought one or two pieces at a time.

One of the nitrous bottles I had came to me with a loose bottle valve, missing the burst disc, and a broken stem for the nut. So I snagged up a brand new assembly of the NOS Super HI-FLO variety, got it in and installed. 100% just like new again!! Except the no paint on the bottle part......

Pictures are below.

And yes, I will have about $1300 more to spend to ALMOST get it done.

Paint and body work will have to occur without an engine computer.
Sorry, I am the ONLY person who will be driving this under it's own power.

 

Forgot to add that I did get a whole new exhaust from the collectors on down installed. Sounds nice and healthy, even without any lumpy cam or fancy tuning. Had the O2 sensors moved downstream as well to get a better position on the sniffer. I may see about getting the brackets installed for the nitrous bottle mount. That itself should prove quite interesting because I plan to install 2 separate bottles in the bed of the truck, plus move the battery out of the floorboard to a mount in the bed. I know these items can't be too close together at certain tracks, but since I will primarily be running one track, and maybe one other close by, I don't plan to worry too much about it.

 

Spent about 30 minutes or so getting the driveshaft installed. It is really windy out today so I may wait on the other stuff. Despite the warmth of being in late November and it being about 70 degrees outside!!

 

Well, went for a little drive. I hit 128 and blew out a collector gasket!!

So its gotta get back on a rack and change the collector gasket.

Anyone got any ideas how to stop this thing blowing gaskets like crazy?

This is the 3rd collector gasket so far on these headers...

 

Buy a copper collector gasket.

 

Bought the copper gasket and it is still sitting in the box. Drove it over to the "local" track which is 43 miles away and made a couple passes sunday. Didn't do worth a damn on street tires. 10.23 in the 1/8th. On the way home I managed to blow out the other collector gasket. Which is fine cause I am pretty sure I will have to remove the exhaust completely to get the transmission out in the next couple days.

I will be buying the manual valve body this week, and taking it to get rebuilt next week, unless they can have it done next week by me dropping it off this week!!! Did you guys follow that? Cause I am confused as hell and I typed it!! LOL

Got the other wheel in for the rear of the truck. I plan to take the wheels and my slicks over to get the slicks put on the new wheels later this week.

I noticed on the drive over to the track it does NOT like street driving on those skinny front tires. That thing was trying to eat them off because of the curvy roads here in Arkansas. I made it but not without a bit of extra wear on the shoulders of the front tires..

More to come later on.

 

Can you chop the flanges off and run V-bands? That's what I have on my dual x setup. I really like it. I slide the vbands back off headers. remove two bolts on my hangers and the whole exhaust comes straight out. Easy when pulling trans.

 

I could if anyone around here was capable of welding v-bands to exhaust and it work properly. Most of the hicks around here don't give a damn enough to weld stuff up right so it lasts. Makes me wish I had the money to take a welding class and then the money to buy a good mig and tig welder, chop saw, and plasma cutter. All the fun stuff for fabrication!! I figure those items would be about $2500 or so for good ones.

* edit *

Did not get trans out or the manual valve body purchased.
Wound up getting the parts to finish up my home computer tower.
Damn this thing flies compared to my laptop!!

* done editing now *

 

Managed to get the gas pumped out of the tank today. Got the intake manifold off yesterday. Got the harness removed and as much of the crap as I could that I managed to tape to it removed. It is sitting in a box with the PCM waiting on a payment for them both. hopefully he pays me today, and the guy I am wanting to make a deal with for an intake manifold for carb sells me the one he has.

 

Got the intake and 6LS bought this evening. Nice stuff. Wish I had the money now to buy the carb and the remaining fuel line parts I need and the fuel cell.

I already had the software installed on my desktop computer, so I broke out the power supply and usb cable and ran the ign box through its paces. I could see it working with all the different stuff I was going to be using. Ignition retard, two step activation. Diagnostic screen showed they were working just fine. Maybe tomorrow will be warm enough I can go out and try to get some of this stuff installed and tested out.

 

I told you what you need to do....

 

No you didn't.

 

Got the fuel pressure fitting in for going out of the regulator to the carb and fuel solenoid for the nitrous kit. Also got in my C3 Craftsman cordless 1/2 in impact. Still have to get battery and charger for that.

More parts are on the way and I have not had tracking show up on several smaller pieces.
It's gonna get irritating if I don't start getting some tracking information on these parts.

On top of that, I have to get parts for Mom's truck now also.

Picture shows the pile of stuff I am starting to get built up...

 

I looked over on another forum and found some gears to fit my differential for pretty decent price. Unfortunately, there appears to be no one who gives a flip about activating accounts or fixing problems with registrations... I can not get a response from anyone who is an administrator to get it resolved either.

 

Stormed Norm, I now have BOTH copper collector gaskets. If either of these blow out, I am just going to go with welded pipe to underneath the truck, then either to mufflers or they will stay straight pipe.

More parts arrived today, both via FEDEX and the mail carrier. Getting closer and closer. Should be making arrangements on the carb either Thursday or Friday.

 

This medicine the Dr has put me on is turning me into a damn insomniac!!

I broke out the wrenches and swapped the nitrous kit hard lines in the picture above to my solenoids. Next up is get the carb in a couple days. After that is get the transmission out of the truck, hopefully with a friends help it wont take but maybe an hour. Might be able to get it out myself in that amount of time. But I have to jack up the passenger side of the motor to get the starter off so I can easily get to the torque converter bolts. Such a PAIN!!!!!!!!!! I will be glad when I get this crap straightened out and then I can get it ready to race again.

I would give my left (ackhem) for a 16x25 shop right now. So long as it had a heater/window air unit, I could get stuff done!!

 

Solenoids with new lines.........

Don't they look just NICE!!!

 

Progress is always good.

What's the weather down in Ak like nowadays? Get yourself a carhardt and stuff it full of those hand warmer packets from the dollar store.

 

AK is ALASKA
AR is ARKANSAS

DAMN YANKEES!!!!!!!!

I have a large coat with some NICE gloves I recently picked up at Wal-Mart for $11.00. They do a fantastic job of keeping my hands warm when I am outside. Problem is I just don't really feel like freezing ALL THE REST of my fat *** off!!!

I am like John Pinette, if I ever started burning fat, it better be a controlled burn or else there would be a mushroom cloud overhead!!! Remember, 6'4" tall and tipping the scales at a hefty 482 pounds. Which is why I need a SMALLER (read SHORTER) drivers seat... LOL

 

AK, AR, AW (rootbeer), what's the difference? Besides, if us yanks don't know where your state is then you don't have to worry about us visiting and bothering anyone.

No garage at all? If not, I'd say do a canvas cover with metal skeleton set-up, although, that's not too efficient when it comes to keeping heat in it. Maybe build a temp structure alongside the house and a little kero space heater action?