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mxerhale · 08-21-2023, 07:29 PM

Thanks for the compliments, I thought at this point I would try to think back over the past couple years of the build and remember the ups and downs of the build. Here are some meandering thoughts...

I did the caster mod during the reassembly phase and did a home alignment with a long string and 2 jack stands. Brilliant idea that I stumbled across one day on Youtube! The power steering pump just barely clears the driver's side of the frame, and the stock return line needs a little tweaking, but it also clears. I did replace the power steering box with a 1974 quicker ratio box and love the light feel of it.

I put a Jeg's XHD 3000rpm stall converter in the 4L80e and that sucker stalls almost exactly at 3000! The stock dipstick from the truck transmission fits just fine.

I bought an Autocity radiator with dual fans for about $330 (I think it fits some Chevelles too) off Ebay and it has already driven me around town and back and forth to work on a few 100 degree days keeping the engine temps below 211, even sitting at lights in afternoon traffic. The radiator did necessitate some trimming of the core support to fit correctly though.

I studied Matt Happel's Sloppy Mechanics videos for quite awhile before starting this, but Donald is my first foray into turbos and LS motors. The Terminator X came out during this time and made the tuning part seem way easier to learn along with quite a few smart guys putting videos out helping to answer questions before I even asked them. It has a 3 port MAC valve with an electronic boost controller (Matt Happel's) hooked up to the wastegate and my lovely wife gave me an Evil Energy catch can for Xmas so that I could delete that horrible GM PCV system with. The motor still has the original oil pan and dipstick being used and they are working just fine.

Donald was inspired by my first vehicle ever, at age 16, which was a 2wd 1969 long bed stepside Chevy C10 with a 350 and 4 speed combo in it that I eventually swapped a 1967 cab and front clip onto along with a 383 stroker that I built and a turbo 350 automatic. It could hang with the original 5.0 Mustangs back in the mid to late 80s and was 5 different colors, just how I like my sleepers!

08-21-2023, 07:29 PM	#23
mxerhale Registered User Join Date: Nov 2020 Location: northern Utah Posts: 44	Re: 1971 GMC Donald Thanks for the compliments, I thought at this point I would try to think back over the past couple years of the build and remember the ups and downs of the build. Here are some meandering thoughts... I did the caster mod during the reassembly phase and did a home alignment with a long string and 2 jack stands. Brilliant idea that I stumbled across one day on Youtube! The power steering pump just barely clears the driver's side of the frame, and the stock return line needs a little tweaking, but it also clears. I did replace the power steering box with a 1974 quicker ratio box and love the light feel of it. I put a Jeg's XHD 3000rpm stall converter in the 4L80e and that sucker stalls almost exactly at 3000! The stock dipstick from the truck transmission fits just fine. I bought an Autocity radiator with dual fans for about $330 (I think it fits some Chevelles too) off Ebay and it has already driven me around town and back and forth to work on a few 100 degree days keeping the engine temps below 211, even sitting at lights in afternoon traffic. The radiator did necessitate some trimming of the core support to fit correctly though. I studied Matt Happel's Sloppy Mechanics videos for quite awhile before starting this, but Donald is my first foray into turbos and LS motors. The Terminator X came out during this time and made the tuning part seem way easier to learn along with quite a few smart guys putting videos out helping to answer questions before I even asked them. It has a 3 port MAC valve with an electronic boost controller (Matt Happel's) hooked up to the wastegate and my lovely wife gave me an Evil Energy catch can for Xmas so that I could delete that horrible GM PCV system with. The motor still has the original oil pan and dipstick being used and they are working just fine. Donald was inspired by my first vehicle ever, at age 16, which was a 2wd 1969 long bed stepside Chevy C10 with a 350 and 4 speed combo in it that I eventually swapped a 1967 cab and front clip onto along with a 383 stroker that I built and a turbo 350 automatic. It could hang with the original 5.0 Mustangs back in the mid to late 80s and was 5 different colors, just how I like my sleepers!