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Alphius Peanut
Joined: 05 Sep 2006 Posts: 2429 Location: Grand Mound
1984 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 7:44 pm Post subject: |
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We had a productive weekend. Day 1 was an unqualified success, but day 2 proved challenging.
Day 1:
The transmission boogie
We started by swapping the second fuel tank out and plumbing/wiring the entire fuel system including tank vents and switching valve. Great big easy check on that one. It's easy to tell that GM designed the truck around the primary tank and the secondary was a massive afterthought. We did the primary this time, secondary last time.
We moved on to the trans pan, and while it was off swapped the internal wiring harness as the case connector was seeping a little fluid. The inside of this 4L80E is spotless, almost to the point where Aaron and I suspect it might be either a replacement or rebuilt trans. It is spotless for having a quarter million miles on it. We did not escape this part without spilling the red sea out on the floor, as you do.
The driveshaft was up next, so we swapped on two new U-joints including an adapter joint from Neapco to convert the 3R GM shaft to the 1350 yoke for the 4L80E... My planning (and luck) paid off and it turns out that the stock TH350 driveshaft was the perfect length. Couldn't have been any easier.
With the transmission nearly buttoned up, the final step was to shorten the auto shifter linkage an inch. The 4L80E is wider than a TH350, so the shifter ear was closer to the frame rail. A little cut and weld action and it fit perfectly. Now, here I thought I might need to swap my steering column out to get the correct sector gear to shift the 4-speed auto through all the gears, but apparently people on the internet are not as smart as they claim because my stock TH350 shifter successfully clicks the 4L80E into every gear. Just have to swap the 3-speed shift indicator in the cluster out for the 4-speed indicator and all will be well.
Final piece of the puzzle on day 1 was laying the engine harness out. Just a few wires to hook up (power, MIL, cruise module, VSS to cluster, OBD2 port) and the engine will be ready to fire.
As you can see, Day 1 was a screaming success.
Day 2
These goddamn control arm bushings can die in a fire.
I'll back up and start from the beginning. After a hearty breakfast and a little BSing, we blasted the front end apart. I have all new parts to solve the lowering "kit" of the previous owner, which consisted of cut springs alone for roughly 4-5" of drop. What is suspension travel anyway? On top of that, literally everything was still the original 200k mile OEM parts. Riveted balljoints, 100% original steering linkage, etc. and all of it was surprisingly still passable. However, I'm not one to let sleeping dogs lie, so I bought:
CPP 2.5" drop spindles
McGaughy's 2" drop springs
Moog control arm bushings and new bumpstops
Moog upper and lower balljoints
Moog steering parts (idler, pitman, inner and outer tie rods and sleeves)
KYB shocks
Energy Suspension swaybar bushings and brackets
Blasting everything apart with the impact proved easy, but we spent the next 8 hours just replacing control arm bushings. It took all of our redneck ingenuity and not-inconsiderable sledgehammer skills plus creative use of the 20-ton press and rental balljoint tool to free those bastards from their rusty 30-year old prisons. A common refrain heard in the shop was "GFB", or Get F---ed, Bushings.
8 hours later, with all new bushings pressed in, we called it a night. Now I'm reassembling the suspension bit by bit after work this week.
What's Left?
1. Reassemble front suspension
2. Finish up wiring harness
3. Swap cluster to 88-91 electronic Suburban cluster (delete cable speedo)
4. Weld up some exhaust from the headers to the existing pipes
5. Recover some interior (seats and doorpanels)
6. Reinstall core support to plumb up the cooling system and A/C
7. ???
8. Profit!
Stretch Goals:
Non-critical upgrades to take place after I'm on the road again
1. Detroit TrueTrac diff, potentially with new gears if I don't like the 3.08s anymore with the 4L80E.
2. Better exhaust. It's 2.5" duals with crappy "Xlerator" mufflers right now. I'd like to eventually H-pipe it with Magnaflow mufflers and hi-flow cats. _________________ 84 Camaro Z28 - LS1/T56
85 Silverado - Low and Slow |
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Alphius Peanut
Joined: 05 Sep 2006 Posts: 2429 Location: Grand Mound
1984 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2016 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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Got it back on the ground at the end of last week. Front seems a tad higher than the rear, but it is still minus core support in the front and the rear helper airbags don't have any air. They're supposed to always have a minimum of 10psi, so the rear end will come up a hair as well. I expect it to end up a little lower that it was pre-project and level out nicely when everything is properly put in.
Front suspension alignment is better in every way with drop spindles and lowering springs instead of cut factory springs. Firmer, better steering and balljoint angles, and more travel. Success!
On to the next stage! _________________ 84 Camaro Z28 - LS1/T56
85 Silverado - Low and Slow |
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QwkTrip 11sec Club
Joined: 17 Feb 2004 Posts: 3942 Location: Peoria, IL
1989 Pontiac Firebird
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2016 6:32 pm Post subject: |
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That will be nice when you're done. |
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Alphius Peanut
Joined: 05 Sep 2006 Posts: 2429 Location: Grand Mound
1984 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2016 11:36 pm Post subject: |
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Let me learn you guys a thing.
81-87 cluster like I have in my truck with cable speedo and factory clock option. No tripmeter. 5-digit odometer. This one's more beat up than mine, but it'll work for illustration.
89-91 Suburban cluster with VSS speedo, no clock available so there's a blank spot. With tripmeter and 6-digit odometer. I wish it had two tripmeters so I could track both fuel tanks.
With my swap, I need to switch to the VSS cluster, but I want my mileage to match and I want to retain the factory clock. I set the mileage on my new cluster to match my best guess of the truck's current mileage: 199,733. Still have to mod the gauge bucket to stick the clock in, but that won't be too difficult. The newer cluster also nets me a "Service Engine Soon" light to hook up to my LS PCM. So fancy...
Bonus round: I know of a company making these to replace the big fuel gauge. I'd lose my seatbelt and e-brake reminder lights, but it'd be trick as hell. I can't decide...
A vanishingly rare number of these trucks had a factory tach there, but the max revcount was either 4k or 5k, and the fuel gauge would be displaced to the clock location which I don't like. Combining the two gauges into one is a novel and useful idea, along with a 7k tach.
_________________ 84 Camaro Z28 - LS1/T56
85 Silverado - Low and Slow |
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aaron_sK Member
Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 8834 Location: Back in beautiful Tacompton
1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 8:47 am Post subject: |
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That combo gauge is pretty sweet and not priced badly for what you get. |
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Alphius Peanut
Joined: 05 Sep 2006 Posts: 2429 Location: Grand Mound
1984 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 10:03 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, similar price as an aftermarket gauge.
Looks great in the cluster too. Man, I'm convincing myself now.
_________________ 84 Camaro Z28 - LS1/T56
85 Silverado - Low and Slow |
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Dewey316 The Lama
Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 7295 Location: Bringing the tech
1990 Chevrolet Camaro RS
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 10:37 am Post subject: |
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I dig the combo gauge. DO IT |
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Alphius Peanut
Joined: 05 Sep 2006 Posts: 2429 Location: Grand Mound
1984 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 11:04 am Post subject: |
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Dangit, can't handle the peer pressure. It'll be awesome. Ordered one. _________________ 84 Camaro Z28 - LS1/T56
85 Silverado - Low and Slow |
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Dewey316 The Lama
Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 7295 Location: Bringing the tech
1990 Chevrolet Camaro RS
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 11:57 am Post subject: |
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Alphius wrote: | Dangit, can't handle the peer pressure. It'll be awesome. Ordered one. |
like |
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Schultzy89GTA M.R.A. (11sec Club)
Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 4415 Location: Gresham, OR
1989 Pontiac GTA
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 12:18 pm Post subject: |
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Truck looks good bud.
-Schultzy |
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chevymad Master B
Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Posts: 5474
1987 Pontiac Formula
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 7:50 pm Post subject: |
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Only $200?? was thinking it would be expensive. I once tried to put a tach in the dash of my 70 the "cheap" way. In the end I still spent $350 for a 5k tach lol |
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fiveoformula Member
Joined: 08 Aug 2007 Posts: 1799 Location: OR
1988 Pontiac Formula
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Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2016 8:51 am Post subject: |
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Nice! I don't think I've ever seen a square body truck with a factory tach. what is it with GM and the yellow line at 4500? lol _________________
'88 FORMULA |
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aaron_sK Member
Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 8834 Location: Back in beautiful Tacompton
1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
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Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2016 10:11 am Post subject: |
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They're realists.
The factory tach is rare as balls. I have never seen one in person. Funny thing is they have no redline or any coloration at all, the dial just ends at 5K! |
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Alphius Peanut
Joined: 05 Sep 2006 Posts: 2429 Location: Grand Mound
1984 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
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Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2016 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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I saw one factory tach in person at the junkyard, but the face was super rusty.
Funnily enough, GM set the Express van to shift at 5200 at WOT, so the yellow/red on that tach is fairly accurate.
Silverado and Sierra with the 4.8 got a shift point of 5600; the 4.8 needs revs to make power. I'm going to run it on a bone stock van tune for a while before I start messing with things though.
I'm doing some wiring and other odds and ends this weekend. Tentative goal is to get enough done to start it.
Measuring for a serpentine belt since I'm running a junkyard kitbashed accessory drive:
_________________ 84 Camaro Z28 - LS1/T56
85 Silverado - Low and Slow |
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chevymad Master B
Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Posts: 5474
1987 Pontiac Formula
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Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2016 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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Dad's 1980 k30 4 speed truck has a tach. I've never checked redline though, but its been revved pretty good trying to move 20k#s with a 350. |
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Alphius Peanut
Joined: 05 Sep 2006 Posts: 2429 Location: Grand Mound
1984 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
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Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2016 7:05 am Post subject: |
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chevymad wrote: | Dad's 1980 k30 4 speed truck has a tach. I've never checked redline though, but its been revved pretty good trying to move 20k#s with a 350. |
Nice. Apparently lots of C40 and C50 heavy duty trucks had tachs too. I thought my truck was slow at 11k lbs when I towed a Crown Vic.
I'm doing a lot of wiring, so I can't really take any pictures of progress, but believe me I am making progress.
Went and got my belt that I measured for, this is sketchy and marginal. I looked at the guy's pictures I got this A/C mounting idea from, and his is similar. I'm walking the junkyard and looking for a smaller idler pulley today to improve the clearance. There's maybe 2mm space if I'm being generous here.
_________________ 84 Camaro Z28 - LS1/T56
85 Silverado - Low and Slow |
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Twilightoptics Hardcore (12sec Club)
Joined: 13 Jan 2004 Posts: 9191 Location: Auburn , WA
1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
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Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2016 9:05 am Post subject: |
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Shorter belt to pull the tensioner back/up. _________________ A redline a day keeps the carbon away! |
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Alphius Peanut
Joined: 05 Sep 2006 Posts: 2429 Location: Grand Mound
1984 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
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Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2016 11:16 am Post subject: |
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Tensioner is pretty much maxed out, if anything I'd try a longer belt. It points almost exactly downwards for all of it's travel so there isn't much if any help there anyway. The tape shot is with it fully relaxed. I walked the yard looking for an idler smaller than 3", there were plenty 3" ones but none smaller. I'll give it a shot as-is but if I have too much belt deflection I'll need to look harder for a smaller idler pulley. _________________ 84 Camaro Z28 - LS1/T56
85 Silverado - Low and Slow |
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Alphius Peanut
Joined: 05 Sep 2006 Posts: 2429 Location: Grand Mound
1984 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
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chevymad Master B
Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Posts: 5474
1987 Pontiac Formula
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Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2016 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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That truck weighs 7500 empty, add a 7 ton backhoe and 3k trailer to that. Lots of high revs and long grinds.
Is both parts of the belt going the same direction there? |
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