My new truck

[1976Scottsdale]

Okay, I just bought my fourth 73-87 truck.  I bought a 1984 Chevrolet Silverado Big 10 4x4.  It has the factory 700R4/NP208(I think that is what the T-Case is).  It still has the factory 305, slightly modified.  Power windows, power locks, tilt wheel, and dual tanks.  I am going to swap engine from my 76 and rebuild the 84's 305 and install it in my 76 and sell it.  My main questions are, how hard is it to do a complete swap of transmissions, transfer cases, and driveshafts from my dad's 79 shortbed 4x4.  He has 4.11 gears and wants the overdrive.  I want his new TH350 and NP203.  

[roundedline]

Well, how hard is kind of a vauge question, but if you are asking if it is possible, yes.  There will be some things you will probably run into, but if you are swapping from one running truck to another, all associated parts should swap.  It has been a while since I have messed with a 4x4 700r4, but it might be longer requiring a change in the crossmember location.

BTW, congrats on the new truck.

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[1976Scottsdale]

Well, The crossmember was my main worry.  Also, do I have to remove the speed sensor for the overdrive from the cluster or can I leave it in?  My dad is going to use the Lock up kit from Jegs for his.  We are also now considering leaving the 700R4 in my truck and finding another one for my dad.  Also, all of the emissions equipment is gone from the truck, what should I do about this or does Missouri require it?

[roundedline]

You only need the speed sensor for the engine.  700R4's are not computer controlled.  
If you want a cheaper alternative to buying a switch to lock the converter, go here:
www.73-87.com/7387garage/...lockup.htm

You will have to check with the state on what emmisions are required though

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[1976Scottsdale]

Well, I am going to leave the 700R4 in my truck and my dad and I are going to go and find him one later.  What is the distributor difference between a 76 and an 84?  All I know is that I had to give my buddy a 77 distributor to hook up his 85 K-5 with an 84 engine.

[roundedline]

post 1981 trucks had the ESC 4 wire distributor, which was garbage.

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[bigblock73]

I thought the last year for the Big10 was 1980?  Am I wrong Chris?

...Jeff

'73 swb 2wd
'77 Blazer 2wd

73-87.com

[1976Scottsdale]

You are correct.  I found out that the whole bed was replaced with a 79 bed.  I also found out there was no title... which was not that big of a deal, I know how to go through the process with the DMV and State Patrol.  However, the previous owner moved into my town I found out and all he would have to go is say that the truck was stolen, even though he left it behind, and I would be arrested.  At the age of sixteen, this is not a thing I wish to be involved in.  So, the gentlemen who found the truck and was selling it is giving me my money back.  Also, when his son learned I was buying the truck, the sone proceeded to bust the mirrors, stereo, steering column, and stereo equalizer out of the truck.  I informed him that this would have been the third 73-87 chevy I bought from his father and the third that had been wounded after I payed for it and I would have to hurt him if he did that again.  So, I am back to going to the local 73-87 salvage yard and finding a truck.  Or, since I have found room, I may buy the group of trucks I mentioned in another thread.

[1976Scottsdale]

Okay, I went ahead and bought the truck yesterday morning and it now sits in my driveway.  The 305 runs great.  It had sat in a creek since 1997 and never ran until yesterday.  I got it home and found out that apparently, someon wanted me to lose the engine and think it just blew up.  They dumped a gallon of oil into the radiator.  Then they cranked the engine so it got all through the block.  I also found that the radiator is damaged internally and sucks up all the tranny fluid.  So, it gets a new radiator today.  The old 600 or 650 carter AFB was full of squirrel droppings so I took it off and capped the Dominator II intake off with my 670 Street Avenger.  IT ran very well.  Being 8 years old, the oil is like water, but it is all oil.  It still gave out 35 psi oil pressure.  It gets flushed and new oil today as well.  It also gets some Prolong... good stuff.  If it runs well, I will be keeping it and selling off the 87.  I will probably post it here before going to ebay.  I figure you all will know how to treat the thing right rather than some other people I have known.

[1976Scottsdale]

Got the radiator installed today.  I gave it a HD 3 row radiator from Advance Auto Parts instead of keeping the factory 1 or 2 row radiator style that it had.  It now runs about 155 to 160 degrees when warmed up.  Was removing the 700r4 and installing a TH350 in its place a fairly common and easy swap?  I have two of these trucks and this was done to both of them.  I have to sort out some of the wiring in the truck as well.  Some lights don't work and some of the switches and gauges are dead.  I plan to install a new instrument cluster before I am done.  The brakes are locked up pretty good too.  I can get it to move but it takes some effort.  I can do calipers for $20.00 each and wheel cylinders for the back for about $7.00 each.  The truck was built for towing from the factory.  It has a oil cooler, air shocks, and heavy duty rear springs.  I have a heavy half 79 k10 at my house and the springs on my 84 are about twice as thick as the ones on the 79.  Were air shocks any good?  I am only curious because I have the 6" lift kit and axles from my 87 and was planning to install them on the 84.  I know that the shocks won't fit with 6 inches of lift, but if they are worth hanging on to, I don't want to just throw them out.  Anyway, the engine runs very strong.  I poured in a can of motor flush and cleaned the engine out.  It does not smoke at all.  The valves need to be set and the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor are worn out.  I also doubt kind of that it is in fact a 305.  It runs too strong for a 305, but who knows, it might be.  I also found a rocker arm in the glove box that was attached to a broken off rocker stud and there were gaskets and bent push rods in the truck.  More details when I have time.

[87swb]

just curious but what kind of motor flush did you use and how did you do it?

[1976Scottsdale]

I bought a can of Gunk brand Motor Flush.  I dumped it into the engine with the existing oil while it was dead cold and then started it up and ran it for exactly 5 minutes.  DO NOT run it any longer than that or it will eat seals and things.  I then dumped the oil and replaced it and the filter.  Then I ran it some more to clean the leftovers off of the inside of the engine.  I will be changing the oil again after about 4 more hours of run time.

[1976Scottsdale]

Another update for you all.  Today was a bad day.  The truck ran fine last night, so, I had on of my blue oval buddies over to look at it and to show him that a truck that lived in a creek bed for 8 years can still run well... better than his anyway.  So, I got it started and it did not hit high idle like it always does, then it died when I gave it gas and backfired, not a big one, just a little mist of fuel.  I am running a holley Street Avenger, so I was worried about the power valves, Holleys are not my thing, so I don't know what it takes to blow a power valve.  I looked at the fuel filter while my buddy cranked the engine, it was not filling up enough to get fuel into the carb, kind of odd, since I just put gas in it.  Also, what little fuel got to the filter was dark yellow.  So, I am going to be draining both tanks this weekend and starting all over next weekend.

[roundedline]

Depending on the orientation of the filter you aren't going to "fill it up", and gas is normally yellow.

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[1976Scottsdale]

The filter was not even getting enough fuel to reach the filter element.  I had to cannibalize the tank switch from my 87 and the filter fills up all the way now.  The gas from the tank that fills the filter almost all the way up is light yellow and smells like good gas.  The fuel from the other tank looks like a brown color now and won't put hardly any fuel into the filter.  I have to charge the battery, then I will try to start it.