Re: "The Bucket" project diary
 

Very nice project! You might want to try and find some cheap 96+ vortec heads to replace the TBI heads on that engine. The TBI heads are really, really bad.

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Glad you said that! My bro-in-law just pulled the motor out of his '97 truck cause a rod knocking & going to replace it...maybe I can get his heads :metal:

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Brought what was left of '91 truck home & got the motor out of frame. Put on the stand & took off all the extras & intake to see what we really had to work with...looks good & clean on the inside!!!!

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Started working on my center console. Truck currently has SM465 that will be replaced with the new turbo400 that's been sitting in the shop floor. So need a good place for the auto shifter to be mounted. I've always wanted to have a cool console with all sorts of switches & cubby holes!

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very creative center console.. I really like your build so far....:c2:

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Progress on the console....thanks to a wonderful husband!

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Still gotta cut out slot for transfer shifter & few other finishing touches, but I really like how it all turned out!

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Took off work Friday to try & make some progress on disassembly. Front clip off & everything unhooked Friday. Engine, trans, & transfer out & all press washed off Saturday.

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Darn! That was quick. It really is one slick Blazer. You are doing a beautiful job.
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Re: "The Bucket" project diary
 

Some progress...Got the motor cleaned up & some new parts installed (oil pump & screen, timing chain set, waterpump, rear main seal & all new gaskets). Bought a used Edelbrock Performer intake for $60, that was just down the road. And sold the worn out 465/205 that came out...I love Craigslist!
Saturday it was actually sunny & 65, instead of raining, so got the motor painted & all put back together.
Next step will be the hydroboost brake system!

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Nice work! Your a lucky girl to have such talented husband.....

Intersted in the hydraboost, lots of pics please

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All the brake setup we're using came off the same CUCV donor truck that we also got the axles out from under. The hydroboost mounting plate had to be modified to match up the Bucket firewall & to use the existing studs from the brake pedal assembly for mounting. After this, was able to check the rod length to the existing pedal. As you can see it was a little too short & hole in pedal was little too high. The oe brake rod had an end on it that the i.d happened to slip right over the hydroboost rods o.d...cut off & welded that one on to get the extra length & drilled a new hole. I'd also saved the CUCV brake pedal itself, cause like the wide ones better than these little ones since going automatic trans now anyway. So welded it on & cutoff the clutch pedal above the dash.

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The old motor had some cheesy headers that were in pretty bad shape. A few years ago I bought a pair of the Dorman 2.5" ram horn manifolds after reading a thread about them on this site. But I got confused, imagine that, & bought 2 of the side with the bracket on it. Nothing that can't be cut off though, so no big deal. Only thing about the manifolds is they get to looking pretty bad after a while when the cast starts to rust. This is "just a mud truck" (as we laugh & say when something gets scratched or isn't just perfect on this project) but I still want my junk to be presentable when open the hood. Didn't want to go to the expense of getting them jet hot coated. Did this on our Chevelle headers & it's all good, but doesn't seem to hold up on the truck stuff that gets used alot & water/mud splashed on occassionally.
My husband read an article the other day about a guy who "seasoned" his manifolds just like you do a cast iron skillet. We did the same & they came out great!

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Cooked & let completely cool. Then did it one more time to get a more uniform & dark look. (The 2nd pic has some charcoal ashes on them but that brushed right off). They seem to really darken up as they cool. Had to hang them on the motor to get that "look view". I love it!

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If there was a contest for most creative and fun thread You would win hands down...lots of just really cool ideas here..

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A few more parts & got some new brake lines run.

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very nice job. your blazer is awesome keep up the work.

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Finished running all the brake lines, proportioning valve for rear brake adjustment & new master cylinder (off '01 Chevy with disc front & back).
Dug out & dusted off the new T400 that has been sitting in corner of shop for several years waiting its turn!

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Some more progress!
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WOW! That is one of the coolest projects I have seen! Excellent fab work and lots of good ideas! As mentioned before you are blessed to have such good help with this project. Keep up the good work!!!:metal:

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Yes I am very blessed! Now get back over on your own forums & quit spying on me over here :josh:
Lovin u xoxoxox :hm:

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What are you going to use the shift the Xfer case?

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We made one!
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WIRING has been the word for the past few weeks. Gave up on finding a 205 4wd indicator light switch that worked. I'm not paying $100+ for one from Quad 4x4. Made up my plug wires & got them installed, wired up alternator, starter and such motor stuff. This weekend I tackled the interior wiring and am now 90% finished with that; at least to the point I could re-install the instrument cluster & console pieces!
Tip for the day: Found these cool little velcro wraps at Lowes the other day. They are great for bundling wires together till you get them all routed before final ziptieing together.

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Good job! Isn't wiring fun? ...kidding
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Lots of work the past few weekends...steering column rebuilt & put back in truck, hydroboost lines & steering box back in, finished wiring everything, exhaust completed, radiator/trans cooler & hoses installed, repairs to battery box, several little vacuum & vent lines...you know all that stuff that has to be done, and seems to take forever with little progress.
So Saturday we were able to finally crank it! :bann:
This initially battery hook-up & run always makes me so nervous, but it all went GREAT!
Still don't have rear driveshaft back from being shortened...the machine shop has messed it up twice, so maybe the third time it'll be right.
Fan spacer is supposed to be here today from Summitt & then have to finish some fab work on shroud.
Reinstall passenger fender & grill stuff...then we'll be cruising again.
I'm getting excited now!!!:two:

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Cooling system complete!

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Very nice progress, enjoy reading your build...you gave me another idea for my exhaust

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How hard was it to get all the air out of that Hydroboost setup.?

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Cool!



I'm not sure yet... bled brakes & all this weekend, then drove it down the road. Brakes & steering worked flawlessly for awhile, then went to zero pwr steering & almost zero brakes. Steering pump not whining or anything, but the fluid looked like chocolate milk & very watery. So drained it then refilled, cranked & let run for a bit; all seemed better sitting in shop. But fluid all choc milk again/still. Will probably do this several more times until it clears up & then see what happens.
The steering pump & box are both used, so they are probably a little nasty inside. Hopefully this is all it is. I've read that hydroboost is pretty picky about contaminated fluid. If that doesn't work, will swap out the power steering pump.
But to answer your question it shouldn't be air in the hydroboost. As it can bleed itself through the power steering cap. We filled the power steering up with fluid & let it sit several days, working wheel back & forth occassionally & keeping resevoir full, before ever cranked it the first time.

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Flushing out the nasty pwr steering fluid helped a little, but it still wasn't correct so put a new pump on it & that worked! It was the same pump that was on my old motor & the extra demand of the hydroboost showed its weakness. It's one of those things should have just put new on it from the beginnning anyway. Also had to play around with the adjustment on the manual valve to the rear brakes to get that set just right so wouldn't slide the back tires = close all the way, then 3 rounds open, perfect.

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Motor/Trans/Xfer...PHASE 2...COMPLETED! :metal:

So yesterday was the day. Got the final pieces put back on, cleaned it up & we went for a maiden voyage! It drives so much smoother now. Crazy how much vibration & all was in that old drivetrain. Even my 9yr old boy was excited, and he is usually not into this at all. But he now likes playing with the air horn button on the shifter & wanted to drive it, so I let him.
Made a run up to Little Mountain - 130 miles, 1/2 tank of gas & we were back home with no major problems!

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Very nice, great job....now you can go out and wheel it somemore.

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Love the pictures. You live in a beutiful place. Btw, you must be the coolest mom, lol. Now it wont be long before he wants one.

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Thanks y'all!!!

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Really fun truck. I enjoyed reading the build. Hope that you will have more to add down the road.

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Good stuff. How well does turning out your exhaust out ahead of the rear tire work? Do you have a problem with fumes?

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Zero fumes...Had them straight out back before & that was the worst, not as bad coming out at back corners, but out the side in front of tires seems to work the best!

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I've always used ammo boxes for storage & love them. But been a little worried about someone swiping a box while I'm in the store or away from the truck for any length of time. It's where I keep winch controller, snatch straps, shackles, tools & all that other good stuff that doesn't need to come up missing. And heaven forbid I should ever crash this thing, the box weighs at least 50lbs & could easily be a death blow to the head (bunji corded down but don't really trust those) bouncing around. I've seen folks rig up locks on ammo boxes and cool hold-down brackets you can buy, but decided to go a different route...
So with pieces already had laying around the shop, a 6' aluminum hinge for $13 (this leaves 4'+ for another project) and $8 lockable paddle latch we fabbed up this solution.

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Nice! So where do I send my $21 to get one?!?!