I got this low mileage (140K) 1990 to replace my middle aged (226K) 1990 that had frame cancer, get this: last december.

The goal was to put all the goodies from the old one, on the new one. The new one was a limited slip 2 color XLT with 2 odd features: 1 tank and no carpet. Which means, given the PEP package that year, someone had to delete something that was given for free as part of the package....

Its not rusty cuz the owner sprayed the frame constantly with oil (which makes a grimy dirty mess, but the paint is still on it.)

The engine ran good, but hyper rich and used 2.5 tanks of gas to get home from levittown PA - 10mpg!

So far everything I did was a 'best of...' compilation. This interior was blue, old's was grey, but old had a blue seatcover so I used the seat and the grey carpet. I custom mounted the speakers and amp behind the seat rather than the haphazard was they were done for 15 years.

some pics:



Its packed into the garage, blocking a lift it cant use (there is 26ft of boat motor and trailer behind/to the left ofthe camera eating up half the space)

the tires are newish (<5000 mile) BFgs in 235XL on cragar soft 8's using xlt trim rings and junk cragar centers. This is 3.55LS front and rear (very very rare) with an original AOD backing up the bone stock 5.0.



Just finished putting on new lower intake gaskets and the rest of the fuel system from the old truck. It has the super cooling radiator with a massive hayden tranny cooler in front. Note the coffee can vacuum reservoir - original (when they go I replace with plastic vacuum ***** from GM B cars)





The last 2 are the interior - the clarion speakers are in the doors, the pioneers behind with the amp and my radio in the dash. Also installed the oil pressure gauge where a 4x4 cancel switch would be and in that pocket mounted the brake controller.

This truck has a tach which mine did not, all the door panel clips were changed and I think I did a good job getting the carpet in.

Upcoming now:

I am in the process of taking off the bed (2 bolts came off, 1 I cut off b4 I ran out of time this weekend - 3 to go that need cut)

With the bed off I will be installing every single dual tank line from the old truck, as well as the tanks from the old truck. The borla exhaust and the hi flow custom y-pipe and cat I am saving for the 347. I will also reinstall the body harness (dual tanks + trailer tow) - a lot easier when you can stand over it.

I will also be using my home made rear cross member cuz I built a stronger one than ford that also helps hold up the big class IV hitch.

I have a drivers side panel to weld onto the bed to give me dual tank fillers. right now I am routing the saddle tank fill thru the wheel well.

Come spring when its warm, out comes the 302 and in goes the 347 as a complete virginal unit, along with my old tranny/transfer case which was rebuilt about 12K ago.

I have shocks, rotors, hubs, springs etc from old that will find their way on here over time.

 

Cut off the remaining bolts and a friend and I deposited the bed in the back yard. I already have the old rear crossmember rivets drilled out and the drivers side rear spring hanger - it was going bad and I have my parts from the 'rusty frame end fix' which I have decided to just use now instead of later. when you are standing over an empty frame this is cake.

should go fast now. I hope to have tanks in and it runing next weekend.

 

Ok so I was a bit lazy coupled with a bit thorough...I decided to put on all the parts for my 'rusty frame end fix' since its not like Im gonna sell them.

This is what it looks like when installed:

Drivers side


Passengers side:


From the rear: (showing my improved crossmember)


Here is the end detail. The strength of this comes from sandwiching in the frame with 2 plates that include a lip underneath for the hitch. It is bolted via the spring hanger and the bumper bolts, and the inner piece is bolted thru the frame up near the axle crossmember. Note how the bend of the factory frame as they age appears, when I bolt on the bumper using the grade 8 9/16 hardware, this will flatten right out.


Here is what the outer plate looks like, since is is about 3/16 thick, it wants to displace the frame against the springs inward - loading the new rear crossmember - this sucker is TIGHT on the rear.


Lastly a look at the big bolts that hold the front of the inner plates on, I have all bolts to the outside - simply because in the event of a crash you dont want bolts an inch or so from the tank... (remember the pinto?)


All the big hardware is grade 8 - the spring hanger bolts are 7/16th in grade 5 as well as the single upper rear crossmember bolt (about 50% more tensile strength than the 2 factory 3/8th grade 0 rivets)

When the hitch is on - a class 4 valley IIRC, its 'first' bolt will be 9/16 and will include the crossmember, and the lip the 2 plates have extends far enough forward to include the fist and second bolts of the hitch. And furthermore I back up each hitch bolt even further with 3/8th thick steel plates I had cut with an EDM and clearanced for 9/16.

The color/texture of the frame pieces is due to me stripping the frame with a scrotch bright on a drill, then using a rust converter chemical, then I big time coat each part with rustoleum and valspar oil based paint in black, then once done, I spray on rubberized undercoat which kinda gives it a shiny brown look.

To do all this I superheated the garage to 75-80 (it was dang cold out)

 

Wiring harness in, fuel lines in, both tanks in. Just gotta add a fuel filter, some gas and perhaps connect the chassis ground at the end and she will be fired up in about 30 minutes (unless I screwed something up somewhere else)

Then comes the hitch, bumper, and the bed back on, reg it, inspect it and do donuts in the walmart parking lot....

 

Well she lives...

first when priming the pump it would not start and I heard dripping - GAS! I knew I pinched an injector O-ring so open the garage, kill the heat, dump on some water to dilute and get into it

Fast path to get to the rail: throttle hookup off - 2 screws for the cover, 2 bolts for the plate.

unscrew the ECG pipe, unplug the EVP

unbolt the TB 4 bolts

unhook the upper intake vacuums

undo the ground on the support rod

undo the 6 bolts holding the upper on - remove it - 5 minutes!

so I tap into a bag of em and half hour later, all is back together.

She starts, stalls, starts, stalls starts stalls - pcv not hooked up

now she runs, but rich (missing) and not wanting to idle.

soon the ECM learns the idle and she sits at 650-700 and a little rough - sounds like it has a cam.

then it straightens out.

vacuum while rough is 15, hold to 1100-1200rpm, vacuum to 18

I had assumed the fuel system was screwed up so it has old blues TB, upper, EGR, cap, rotor, ECM, MAF, Harness, coil, triple pack, wiring harness, tanks w/pumps, fuel lines.

the wires look real new - im thingin perhaps plugs, tomorrow Ill pull the plugs from Old's engine and install and I should check the timing, I used the chisel method to set the timing.

but the exhaust is clean, the crankcase show no evidence of blowby.

might even change dizzys - Old had a new TFI.

this is good, now I can move it (but damn the shift lever got rusty!) and get something else in there.

between xmas and new years I am here working from home so each day at 4pm-9pm - garage time!

 

pulled out the plugs - 'ver 'ver black and sooty. so rather than clean up a set of autolite 25s, I pulled the 1000-1500 mile set of AP25s from old's engine. IT started and idled a lot better, a little bit of a hump, I pulled off the ISC and put a drop of gun oil in the solenoid barrel - otherwise its fine.

Since its globally rich and swapping all the EFI componentry out didnt help, Im thinking O2S Pulled that oul of Old's y-pipe to swap next week while on break.

I did notice the old plugs were very close - like .028-030 close instead of the .044 ford uses.

If the O2 does not fix it, the only thing left is the tfi module

 

Slow start for my xmas holiday but I drove to pittsburgh today to pick up a bumper and sell a stereo, not 2 miles apart!

O2S in, rest of frame stripped and treated, exhaust hanger off, blasted, treated, painted.

Tomorrow I register the truck, then put on the hitch, new bumper and the bed (got galvanized bolts today)

I plan to inspect it monday, then fix the squawks over next week and transplant my borla exhaust.

Side bar on Borla:

In 1994/5 time frame I got the borla car back system for the 133" truck - 1 in 2 out muffler, exuast pipe leading to it, then twin tail pipes and tips, all the hangers etc.

From RV Performance Connection (long since gone) in cali - $570

December 06 I note the muffler is going - Borla has a lifetime warranty (or had) so I call them up - they need the receipt. Oddly, I *have* it, and Im the original owner.

The guy was stunned - no one ever gets to take advantage of the warranty.

I say all I want is some stainless pipe, some sheet, some clamps, Ill fix it myself and we call it even.

No can do, they can ONLY refund $$. This went on for almost a year - I kid u not.

Dec 07 they send me a check for $570 and it cashes.

Hello Olympus digicam and christmas presents.

If you look in my pics above you SEE the exhaust on the floor under the truck (it was stored there for months). I got a brand new 1 in 2 out stainless muffler at Carlisle for $45 on the last day (half price)

The pipes, discolored, are not rotted in the least. Ill have a local shop expand me an exuat pipe. might as well use it again - just the tailpipes and clamps are Borla but what the heck.

The moral? They do stand behind the warranty. Goofy as they did it, they came thru.
Keep the receipts.

 

well if my day is any indication, she sits in my driveway!

got the bumper on, my mounts were far better, so I blasted and painted them, and put them on the new chrome bumper.

My hitch - shot. it got thin in a place and Im not fixing it. I gotta see if a replacement is even available - this was a big valley (no pun) CL4 900/9000 deadweight and 1200/12000 WD. Ill miss it.

Had a bud come over and we lifted the bed on, bolted it down, liner in, tailgate on.

Took it for a test drive - first li let it idle for 20 minutes since the O2 was put in - the ECM learned a nice stable idle. I pull out onto the main drag and did a 200ft dual patch thru 1st and 2nd. now Im about convinced the PO put a cam in this engine. 302s dont do that stock.

squawks to address: no horn. hear the relay - no beep. Have a couple in stock.

no cruise. not sure if its a servo or a vacuum can leaking. IIRC it worked coming home from philly

no plate lights. I cant find the dang harness. I know I had at least 2 in stock. so of course I cant find any.

who wants to come over and take inventory and drink some brews? I cant find anything!

time to go online and order a hitch.

 

Good work; going to last alot long than expected...

 

well it appears the O2S was it - its run well over 2 hours now and perfectly clean plugs.

I had a set of brain farts sealing up the injector rail on the coil side. I used the upper seals over from when I took it from old blue and they got brittle, installing them split them. So I used O-ring seals for GM v6 setsups (for no technical reason other than I had a crapload in stock) Gas smell gone...

Horns were shot - old blues horns cleaned up well.

found the harness for the license plate lights

the cruise vaccum line had 2 check valves in it and one was backwards (ooops!)

but still no joy but I think its the wire I tapped the brake controller onto - the cruise does 2 things at disconnect: dumps vacuum from the solenoids to get off it NOW, and uses a voltage at the brake light wire to suspend.

I hooked the brake controller into BOO at the pedal - when the bed (and hence lights) were not there - it worked. now it doesnt. apparently the brake controller cannot see this cuz when I hit the brakes, the low resistance path is the lights themselves, the controller only sees a momentary flash as the bulb heats up and current flows. but when not on the brakes, I think the controller leaks a few volts to the taillights - tellign the servo that the brakes are on.

so I will disconnect and try again, and if the case, gotta go after that goofy wire that my tekonsha once asked for (but when you use it, the controller will also turn on the lights if you use the charlie bar)

the xfer case pin switch sticks - keeps the light on - got one in stock.

just nickle and dime stuff and this project is complete...

 

17mpg over a 200 mile trip, not highway, just 2 lane roads.

I call that a win.

However, in the last 300 miles it leaked nearly a quart of oil out the rear main.

So I forsee a weekend in about 2-3 weeks where Im gonna lift up the engine and replace the rear seal. Its tempting to do rods/mains as well, but given that I am swapping engines come late spring/summer....

 

found the whirring noise in the front end - the inner spiral retainer that holds the ring gear down needs a thrust washer behind it (have you ever taken apart a set of warns?)

the edge of the gear teeth make a little click as they touch the rough edge of the retainer - do it at speed under load and there ya go.

plus, this truck, which is earlier build than my original 90 has the pinned double jam nut for the lock nut, rather than the ratcheting style - which leads me to believe they were retro fit?

however the assembler did not use correct torques - way too tight on the inner, way too loose on the outer.

so rather than rebuild it all, I just swapped for old blues hub/rotor setups which had <2000 miles on them.

slowly but surely....

the rear main oil leak bothers me, thats massive. I wonder if I can get the engine up high enuf without removing any of the efi? anyone ever done this?

 

IS it ok to swear here? NO ONE sells the rear main in 2 piece. Yes yes I tell them, I UNDERSTAND the 1 piece is a better design and its VERY VERY easy to install when the engine is on the stand. BUT, when the engine is in the truck...

so I guess I carry oil and dont park in the driveway until the 347 is done. Funds are an issue (the 03 Tarass SEL got totalled so just got a Redevous) so I might drill thermactor ports in the GT40P heads and just get the P50 FMS headers

 

nice thread... isn't the crossmember (on the frame under the tranny) removeable?? drop the tranny, do the rear main, no engine moving necessary.

 

An update. I have been allocated elsewhere and did other stuff (like heaver front springs and then alignment games using dual planar bushings.)

dropped the tranny and xfer case (what a greasy mess from 140K worth of oil leak and dirt,) washed them, refurbished all bolts etc and changed the rear seal and pan gasket. no leaks on a static idle.

Im moving the boat this weekend so before I go, gotta put on the rear helper springs (chris adds a 440lb tongue weight) to balance out against the front HD's and fix the trailer light wire - no signal but according to the diagram its a splice in the main harness in the rear frame section. Im thinking it went bad at the plug tho - got a couple of those in stock. they dont seal for crap so I pack em full of silicone tub/tile caulk (low buck solutions!)

and of course my amp for the radio behind the seats went.

but the head unit can drive 4 ch ad 22w RMS so Im just gonna fish regular wire and be done with it, its not like my truck is a daily driver like it was in the 90's.

this truck is not done cuz the 347 STILL sits on the engine stand tapping its fingers.....but Im out of time. the temps are up, the boat is in the yard....priorities.