Well it's been quite a while since I've had an update or even had a chance to do much to my truck. Life gets in the way and there's not much we can do about it ... maybe that's about to change.
On my last update I managed to get the motor and tranny out. That's where progress stopped for a while.
I did get the engine bay scrubbed up and some satin black spray can paint on the firewall and inner fenders.
While the motor was still out I swapped my oil pan and pickup to a better Moroso 5qt pan rather than use the one with the kickout 6qt pan. I also decided to swap out the timing chain for my Pete Jackson gear drive to add to the old school hot rod sound. I know some guys don't like them but I've had nothing but good luck with them. Pic below is with the engine still on the engine stand.
I then bolted up the poly engine mounts. Again here, work halted for a while. A month or so later the engine got the flywheel, clutch, pressure plate and Lakewood bellhousing bolted to the engine. Then the big moment ... the tranny was bolted to the motor for the first time in over 7 years!!!
YES !!!!!
Next step was to get the bellhousing crossmember cut out to make more room.
Not as easy as it seems to get in there with the cab still on to cut out with a sawzall. But it's out of the way for now and it'll at least let me get the motor and tranny in.
Partially at least ...
I've read where some guys running the T56 being able to get the tranny in using the low hump floor. Mine, unfortunately did not ... Could NOT get the trans even close enough to get the tranny crossmember under the trans.
The motor and tranny is in with my ratchet strap crossmember for now. I did some digging around and found both pieces of the high hump floor so getting that installed is the next to do on the agenda. It's no telling when that'll get done as again, life stuff has sprung up again and put my truck on the back burner temporily yet again. Here's the current condition ... now that the engine is at least sitting in there I want to work on it even more!!!
Get the high hump in and crossmember bolted up, get the engine cleaned back up and then start bolting up my serpentine belt setup, get some different headers ...
I also found out something on my paint code on my truck. My plans were to paint it Victory Red and White two tone. I managed to get the paint the p.o. had layered my trim tag in and finally got to read my original paint code. Judging by my original faded paint, I'd thought it was a Dark Green ... but it's not.
Paint code shows 536AD ... It's one of the more uncommon (rare?) Dark Aqua two tone factory paint trucks!!! So, it'll be going back to original paint Dark Aqua.
