|
10-26-2012, 09:51 AM | #1 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Coastal NC
Posts: 276
|
Re: looking at a suburban
Quote:
What jmack said above is simply the case. Projects like this are usually real disasters that the owner finally realizes are hopeless and try to shove off on somebody else. There's a good chance that 4BT is garbage. It definitely isn't complete. If you can't get receipts, you have no idea what's been done or who did it. I'd also be terrified of that body work. Fresh primer: there's no telling what's hiding under there. If you can get it for 2k, and you are already planning on a long and involved process to get it running, it might be worth it. I personally wouldn't pay more than 1k for it. There's too many original unmolested burbs out there for low prices still. It's probably going to be much easier to put a gas motor in there, than to scrounge up the parts necessary to get that 4BT running. You'll definitely be more satisfied with the result. If you want to get crazy with it, put in a 6BT. For the amount of effort involved, the 4BT is going to be a waste of time. -cal30sniper
__________________
86 Chevrolet K20/30 Suburban - 8.1/NV4500/NP205/Dana 60/14 bolt FF, build in progress 73 Formula - 400/Doug Nash 4+1, resto on hold 86 Chevrolet K30 3+3 - 350/TH400/NP241, Air Force/Forest Service Rescue Truck, for sale 01 Ram 2500 - 5.9L Magnum, daily driver 91 BMW 325i - Chumpcar series racecar |
|
10-25-2012, 11:13 PM | #2 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: charlotte, north carolina
Posts: 950
|
Re: looking at a suburban
Here's his response to what he has. "If I'm not mistaken it's th400 and yes it has everything else turbo fan powersteering the only thing it needs is a hood gaskets oil if I had the tools and place to work on it I would keep it"
Posted via Mobile Device
__________________
1969 chevy camaro Z28 #matchin Factory 4wheel disc 1969 chevy cst10 big block overdrive 5/7 drop dog dishs 1997 gmc yukon 2 door 2 wheel drive project 4/5.5 22s 2004 gmc sierra dually 4/4 lowering daily driver |
10-26-2012, 11:10 AM | #3 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Poulsbo washington
Posts: 107
|
Re: looking at a suburban
i dont agree with the 6bt statement, those axles were never desgined for that weight or torque. the 1st gen dodge cummins had a hd dana 70 and were known for breaking them.
im not debating gas vs diesel im debating that a low horse diesel engine is not comparable in any way with a low horse gas engine. i do agree that the engine is a little scary being as it looks like a ag/gen set engine. i think it would be worth a look, the body work would scare me too which is why there are many tricks to check that if you ask the right people or ask a reputable body shop to look at it. diesel are only expensive to work on if you do a complete rebuild, yes a full rebuild if done yourself can be about $3000. that 4bt if driven normally (meaning not overrevved or lugged way down) will last on average 3 times as long as a small block. you cant say that there are plenty of un molested suburbans around to build because while that may be the case where you are it isnt everywhere, good suburbans around here are hard to find and you pay alot for them because 4wds typically get wheeled and the 2wds have already been scrapped with bad transmissions. the whole point i was debating from the beginning is that i dont think a mildy tuned 4bt in this truck would be that bad of a driver, unless you plan on towing something over #1000 lbs i think it would be ok. th400 behind that isnt ideal, it will handle the power fine but that diesel needs a lockup converter and OD (which adds to the build price greatly). i drove for many years a isuzu pup with the c223 diesel, it wasnt fast but it went the same speed with #2000lbs in it. the c223 is rated for 58hp and 85 or so tq in about a 3000 lb vehicle, yet again not fast but diesel power ratings dont truly equal the same as gas. i wouldnt buy the suburban unless i had a good body guy give the go ahead and somebody that works on the 4bt look at it and say yes, i would go to 4btswaps.com and ask as many questions as i can because most of the people that DO swap these engines into fullsize vehicles are there. if we still cant agree thats fine im done debating. im still fairly young but ive driven alot of stuff and know a little bit, cant convince people what they dont want to believe. make a educated decision not taking the word of someone who hasnt driven one.
__________________
1969 C2500 350/np435 1983 malibu wagon vortec 350/700r4 Gillis |
10-26-2012, 08:43 PM | #4 | ||||
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Coastal NC
Posts: 276
|
Re: looking at a suburban
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
4BTs are great in smaller Jeeps, light trucks, and other oddball swaps. They never have had a place amongst the fullsize truck community. Diesels do great for what they do, big diesels hauling heavy trailers, small turbo diesels in light cars getting great gas mileage, or medium-large size diesels in heavier vehicles getting great gas mileage on long highway trips. Put any of those diesels into a daily driver situation around town, and it'll get the same mileage that a gasoline motor will get. Put a miniature diesel engine in a 7500lb truck with 35"+ tires, and you are going to have a very unhappy combination. That's just the facts. All the experience and opinion in the world doesn't change hard facts on paper. Now, Back to Topic, I would be very leary of that burb, just because of personal experience that I've had with these kinds of builds done by previous owners. As a general rule of thumb, anything that has been touched that wasn't properly documented is most likely messed up, not done to specs, and will have to be done over. People that don't keep any kind of records when making major modifications like this to a truck are usually the same people that will slap any old thing together and call it good. You will have many more headaches trying to straighten out (or even figure out) a previous owner's undocumented mistakes, and it will cost you far more in the long run, than just buying a fairly original one and starting from scratch. I wouldn't pay more for it than the shell is worth, because that's very likely all that you will end up being able to use. -cal30sniper
__________________
86 Chevrolet K20/30 Suburban - 8.1/NV4500/NP205/Dana 60/14 bolt FF, build in progress 73 Formula - 400/Doug Nash 4+1, resto on hold 86 Chevrolet K30 3+3 - 350/TH400/NP241, Air Force/Forest Service Rescue Truck, for sale 01 Ram 2500 - 5.9L Magnum, daily driver 91 BMW 325i - Chumpcar series racecar |
||||
Bookmarks |
|
|