Author Topic: 1991 V3500 - The Only Minivan I Will Ever Own  (Read 67418 times)

Offline fitz

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Re: 1991 V3500 - The Only Minivan I Will Ever Own
« Reply #75 on: August 02, 2016, 04:20:55 AM »
  I think I would go with the new GM long block for $4500.
  The original motor lasted 261k, that's something I wouldn't overlook when purchasing a replacement.
  You mention not having the time to rebuild your motor yourself. I stock replacement would be the quickest fix to get you back on the road.
  A 6BT Cummins would certainly be a nice upgrade (like Irish Alley did to his crew cab).  It sounds like gathering the parts and doing the conversion would take some time.
  A $4500 long block and a weekends worth of work can get you back on the road.
 

Offline ehjorten

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Re: 1991 V3500 - The Only Minivan I Will Ever Own
« Reply #76 on: August 04, 2016, 12:06:17 PM »
I found some information about the fuel pumps...it looks like I can use a 1996 or 1997 fuel pump and mount that to my stock fuel pump/sender unit in the tanks!  Does that sound correct?
-Erik-
1991 V3500 - Gen V TBI 454, 4L80E, NP205, 14 bolt FF, D60, 8" Lift on 35s
1977 K20 Silverado - 350, THM350, NP203, 14 bolt FF, D44, Stock Lift on 31s
1969 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe - EFI350, THM350
1968 Chevrolet Step-side Pickup - 300HP L6

Offline Captain Swampy

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Re: 1991 V3500 - The Only Minivan I Will Ever Own
« Reply #77 on: September 10, 2016, 07:17:58 PM »
Yes, I think you have an EP 386 now, replace it with an AC Delco EP 381. I did that in Brooke's pickup. Check out tbichips.com. Brian has a lot of good info and can sell you a chip and advise you on a cam or tell you what's needed to run the newer injection system. We are using his heated 3 wire O2 sensor and eventually will get a chip from him.
1987  350TBI 700R4  4X4  4.56 gears  33" BFG All Terrain


http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=32209.0

Offline ehjorten

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Re: 1991 V3500 - The Only Minivan I Will Ever Own
« Reply #78 on: September 25, 2016, 12:19:35 PM »
Update...I've pulled the transmission and transfer case.  They have both been gone through.  The transfer case was good, just needed new seals and gaskets.  The 4L80e transmission had been giving me some sporadic issues with hunting; usually between OD and 3rd gear.  Found a couple of clutches were burnt pretty bad, probably from the hunting, a pressure transducer had some metal clogging up the screen.  The transmission did have the '96+ wire harness upgrade, but the wire harness was pretty brittle.  A couple of sprags were pretty shot.  This is exactly why I took it all out since I was gonna have to pull the engine anyways and rebuild!

Engine is coming out soon and I think I have convinced myself to just do a stock rebuild for now.  I have been heavily into learning all of the things that need to be done for an 8.1 L upgrade and with all of the brackets that I have to find or buy, the trimming of the frame rail, wire harness and ECU and it is just too much work for me to take on at this point and a little expensive over the cost of the rebuild.
-Erik-
1991 V3500 - Gen V TBI 454, 4L80E, NP205, 14 bolt FF, D60, 8" Lift on 35s
1977 K20 Silverado - 350, THM350, NP203, 14 bolt FF, D44, Stock Lift on 31s
1969 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe - EFI350, THM350
1968 Chevrolet Step-side Pickup - 300HP L6

Offline ehjorten

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Re: 1991 V3500 - The Only Minivan I Will Ever Own
« Reply #79 on: November 28, 2016, 01:53:50 PM »
Realized I hadn't updated anything on this in a while.  I have the engine out and fully stripped.  Didn't see too much damage to the rod and main bearings.  #3, #6, #7 rod bearings had some light scoring.  #3 rod journal had enough wear that you could feel it with a fingernail, but the other were just slight.  #4 Main bearing had the heaviest scoring in it.  Probably debris from the rod bearings.  Other than that, there was hardly any ridge in the cylinders and all of the rings were free.  Pretty dang good for 261,000 miles.

Here are a couple of pictures from removing the engine:

Only had to partially deflate the front tires to get the sump to clear the radiator support.


Engine on the engine stand.
-Erik-
1991 V3500 - Gen V TBI 454, 4L80E, NP205, 14 bolt FF, D60, 8" Lift on 35s
1977 K20 Silverado - 350, THM350, NP203, 14 bolt FF, D44, Stock Lift on 31s
1969 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe - EFI350, THM350
1968 Chevrolet Step-side Pickup - 300HP L6

Offline ehjorten

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Re: 1991 V3500 - The Only Minivan I Will Ever Own
« Reply #80 on: November 29, 2016, 03:52:23 PM »
Picked-up a low mileage 6.0L LS out of a 2004 Yukon Denali XL2500 today! Slightly different route now. Hope I will be satisfied. I don't think I'll be making 410 lb-ft of torque at 1,600 RPM anymore! I'd really like to put some L92 heads and an LS3 intake manifold on it, but the cost of those things along with a new camshaft really isn't in the cards right now.
-Erik-
1991 V3500 - Gen V TBI 454, 4L80E, NP205, 14 bolt FF, D60, 8" Lift on 35s
1977 K20 Silverado - 350, THM350, NP203, 14 bolt FF, D44, Stock Lift on 31s
1969 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe - EFI350, THM350
1968 Chevrolet Step-side Pickup - 300HP L6

Offline ehjorten

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Re: 1991 V3500 - The Only Minivan I Will Ever Own
« Reply #81 on: December 04, 2016, 12:07:24 PM »
I took pictures of all of the bearings in the Gen V 454 for a friend.  For reference; it started knocking lightly and in only a couple of weeks time it was ever present and very loud!  Here is what I found...Quite a few with wear down to the babbit in places.  Engine had a little over 261,000 miles on it.  It probably would have kept on going had I not ran it a little low on oil and peg the throttle around a sharp corner.  That is when I first heard the slight tick.


#1 Main


#2 Main


#3 Main


#4 Main - Heavy Scoring


#5 Main


#1 Rod


#2 Rod


#3 Rod - Light Scoring...Wrist Pin is a little sticky


#4 Rod


#5 Rod


#6 Rod - Scoring


#7 Rod - Light Scuffing


#8 Rod
« Last Edit: December 04, 2016, 12:09:55 PM by ehjorten »
-Erik-
1991 V3500 - Gen V TBI 454, 4L80E, NP205, 14 bolt FF, D60, 8" Lift on 35s
1977 K20 Silverado - 350, THM350, NP203, 14 bolt FF, D44, Stock Lift on 31s
1969 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe - EFI350, THM350
1968 Chevrolet Step-side Pickup - 300HP L6

Offline Captkaos

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Re: 1991 V3500 - The Only Minivan I Will Ever Own
« Reply #82 on: December 05, 2016, 10:54:33 PM »
I wouldn't run the LS3 intake on it if you want it to make good torque.
What you have should be a LQ4 which makes 300hp and 370tq.

Offline ehjorten

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Re: 1991 V3500 - The Only Minivan I Will Ever Own
« Reply #83 on: December 06, 2016, 07:41:54 AM »
It would be a custom cam too Capt'n that addresses making torque down low, but...I was looking at some old articles and saw like CarCraft where they made a bunch more power with the GMPP Hot Cam in a stock LQ4.  So I may go with a custom camshaft grind before I stick this engine in the truck.  With tuning they made 450 lb-ft of torque and 483 HP.  At 2,200 RPM it was making 399 lb-ft.
-Erik-
1991 V3500 - Gen V TBI 454, 4L80E, NP205, 14 bolt FF, D60, 8" Lift on 35s
1977 K20 Silverado - 350, THM350, NP203, 14 bolt FF, D44, Stock Lift on 31s
1969 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe - EFI350, THM350
1968 Chevrolet Step-side Pickup - 300HP L6

Offline Captkaos

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Re: 1991 V3500 - The Only Minivan I Will Ever Own
« Reply #84 on: December 06, 2016, 09:22:42 AM »
The truck intake makes more power and torque than a LS1 intake.  The only thing better is a trailblazer ss intake.  I would definitely put a cam in it.  The LS motors really like cams...

Chris Lucas
73-87chevytrucks.com
squarebody.biz


Offline ehjorten

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Re: 1991 V3500 - The Only Minivan I Will Ever Own
« Reply #85 on: June 27, 2017, 01:35:01 PM »
Well...major progress in the last few days! I got my fuel system all finished...just need to run the AN line from the frame up to the fuel rail. This LS is a returnless system, so I am running the Corvette filter/regulator mounted in the rail and then only need to run one line to the engine.

I got the engine final mounted in the truck, transmission installed and transfer case installed! All of the heavy bits are in their home and everything lined up and fits rather nicely!

I also spent and entire day pouring through my truck wiring manual and figuring out which wire is which, labelling wires, pulling my cruise control wiring out, removing the stock cruise control module and vacuum line, and removing the entire powertrain wiring harness and stock PCM.

Oh, and I also put my steering column back together with the new Cruise control stalk.
-Erik-
1991 V3500 - Gen V TBI 454, 4L80E, NP205, 14 bolt FF, D60, 8" Lift on 35s
1977 K20 Silverado - 350, THM350, NP203, 14 bolt FF, D44, Stock Lift on 31s
1969 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe - EFI350, THM350
1968 Chevrolet Step-side Pickup - 300HP L6

Offline ehjorten

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Re: 1991 V3500 - The Only Minivan I Will Ever Own
« Reply #86 on: July 15, 2017, 08:28:42 PM »
Went through the intake valley and installed a new gasket and knock sensor grommets. Did the LS knock sensor TSB. Checked the knock sensors then put a loop of RTV around the valley cover at both knock sensors. Left the back section open for any water to escape. I left the rear foam block on the intake manifold, but once I installed the intake and examined the installation I thought better of it. I was able to remove the rear foam block with the intake manifold installed!

-Erik-
1991 V3500 - Gen V TBI 454, 4L80E, NP205, 14 bolt FF, D60, 8" Lift on 35s
1977 K20 Silverado - 350, THM350, NP203, 14 bolt FF, D44, Stock Lift on 31s
1969 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe - EFI350, THM350
1968 Chevrolet Step-side Pickup - 300HP L6

Offline ehjorten

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Re: 1991 V3500 - The Only Minivan I Will Ever Own
« Reply #87 on: July 17, 2017, 01:59:30 PM »
Trial fit my Schoenfeld 1302LS1 headers this weekend...and they fit like crap!!!  Not sure what to do now?!

The driver's side actually fit great, with excellent plug access and could use the stock spark plug wires with the aluminum boot shields.  However, the collector was too high and tight to the gear selector linkage!  It needs to be about 3" lower and it would be perfect!  The slip fit collector is going to rub on the linkage and there is no room for engine and chassis movement.  Put a V-Band flange on it and forget it!!!  The O2 sensor bung was totally in the wrong location and would present an installation and fitment challenge!

The passenger's side was totally frustrating!!!  I could not fit it between the engine and frame-rail!  The engine is totally centered and in the stock location, but it was a no-go!!!  I couldn't even evaluate the fit, except that it wouldn't!

Schoenfeld says these headers fits: 1967 to early 1999 Truck.  Says fits K10 Chevy Blazer 4 wheel drive.  If that were the case then they should fit my 1991 V3500 just the same!

It is so frustrating because I had the stock Big Block 454 in this truck with this 4L80e transmission and full length headers and they fit in the truck and you could install them and remove them without lifting the engine.

What to do now???
-Erik-
1991 V3500 - Gen V TBI 454, 4L80E, NP205, 14 bolt FF, D60, 8" Lift on 35s
1977 K20 Silverado - 350, THM350, NP203, 14 bolt FF, D44, Stock Lift on 31s
1969 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe - EFI350, THM350
1968 Chevrolet Step-side Pickup - 300HP L6

Offline VileZambonie

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Offline ehjorten

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Re: 1991 V3500 - The Only Minivan I Will Ever Own
« Reply #89 on: July 17, 2017, 08:55:10 PM »
Was kinda hoping for full length headers, but I will keep that in mind Vile.  I sent an e-mail to Stan's Headers.  They are not too terribly far from me.  They make custom headers and custom exhaust.  About the nicest in the state of Washington.  I expect $$$, but we will see.
-Erik-
1991 V3500 - Gen V TBI 454, 4L80E, NP205, 14 bolt FF, D60, 8" Lift on 35s
1977 K20 Silverado - 350, THM350, NP203, 14 bolt FF, D44, Stock Lift on 31s
1969 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe - EFI350, THM350
1968 Chevrolet Step-side Pickup - 300HP L6