73-87chevytrucks.com
73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => 73-87 Chevy & GMC Trucks => Topic started by: brandenbmx on April 03, 2010, 01:03:01 pm
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Hello, My name is Branden this is my first time posting here. I am a member of several other auto forums.
My grandpa builds 73-87 chevy 3+3 duallys. He pulls the drivetrain and puts cummins 12 or 24 valve off the computer and on the injection pump.
He is giving me his first project! It is a 86 3+3 dually with the 12v cummins and stock dodge 5 speed. I have to rebuild the injector pump or I might drop in a fresh 454 with th350 or 400 trans. Not sure yet. But that leads me to my question. I tried googling for the answer but cant find anything on it.
What is the wheelbase of this truck? and Whats the bumber to bumber length? This will let me know if I can even get it on my car trailer to tow home or into my 23 foot garage to work on lol.
From the back wall of my garage to the closed door I have exactly 23 feet. I will take some pictures so you guys can see the project as I work.
I have to replace rockers a few door skins. etc but all in all this truck is solid and built right. I just have to freshin it up.
Thanks in advance for the info,
Branden
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No answer for you on your length and wheelbase questions, but depending on your uses, most would tell you to keep the cummins. Any big block is going to put your wallet in a hurt locker if you drive it every day..If you choose to go the route of the 454/auto, source a built 700r4, or a 4l80e w/ a standalone tcm.
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Thanks for the advice, BUT NO 700r for this guy. I built a 80 shortbed k10 383 stroker TBI 700r short shaft, and a np 205, dana 60's and detroit lockers a couple of years ago and I WONT work with a 700r ever again. Long story short, fresh trans, and engine, maiden drive 2 blocks to the muffler shop to have collectors welded to exaust from new headmens, decided to give it some and POP 700r parts all over the ground. I had 38's on it and I was told by my trans guy it "shouldnt have had a problem" he rebuilt it a second time for the price of parts. It lasted 3 months, on weekend driving "abuse". He suggested I get a TH350. So I got a heavy duty 4x4 case and he built it and it is still running with that trans. Finding the np205 to th350 coupler was a pain in the but thats another story..
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He should have told you to get a TH400, not the TH350.
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Hey I figured id let you guys know I measured thee truck today. It is Exactly 248 inch from bumper to bumper, another 6 inchs for ball hitch, and if anyone ever needs to know it is exactly 99 inchs wide at the dually fenders. So It is going to take up most of my 2 car garage. Its tight with my wifes GTP, and the s10 Blazer now... But when grandpas truck is in it thats pretty much it. But now that winter is over the wifes car doesnt need to be in there anyways lol..
I was thinking about doing those 1pc windows and eliminating the wing vents, on the 3+3. Has anyone had good or bad things to say about those...?
I also ordered the dakota digital dash today too. I have heard mixed reviews on it also.
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Well I got the truck home today.
I got pics to post later this evening. I might start a "project Thread" if you guys are interesed let me know if your not i wont.
Let me tell you about my adventure today... And trust me you cant make this kind of shoot up...
My grandpa and I went out to the barn and took the bumber bars off the bumper and hooked the tow bar up and I towed it home with my 98 z71. This truck is a 350 truck and a pretty good truck. I have coil over shock on the back and tembrens on the front and a beefed up trans, I use the truck to pull my boat and to plow snow in the winter.
I thought No problem This truck will pull the c30 no problem..WRONG.. Several times over bumps and railroad tracks my rear wheels were off the ground... when I got home I have a pretty steep hill from garage to sidewalk as my garage sits about 5 foot or so higher than the road. We had the bright Idea of using the tow bar and just backing the truck into the garage. The c30 needs a new p pump and the gear vendors od unit and drive shart are out of the truck so it couldnt make it up the hill on its own..
I ended up getting the back of my truck off the ground once the c30 was in the garage and had a heck of a bind between the bumper of the c30 and the k10. Ended up popin the ball off the tow bar dropped my z71 about 2 feet sideways, rippin tread off my new goodyears and prolly either bent the rear axel or twisted the frame.. The truck "dog legs" down the road now tires making all kinds of noise. But I dont really care about that. They make frame racks for that kind of stuff lol...
But the flawless bumber on the c30 got pushed in... BAD bending the bumper brackets and getting into the driver finder a lil..... WHAT A DAY. I need a new 81-82 chrome bumper with the parking lights and bracket kit. 200.00 dollars without the shipping.. Can I stop my order on the dakota digital dash and order a bumper now.. lol.. Just ask guys I got all kinds of pics off todays adventure before and after bumper accident. I will post if you wanna c.
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Definitely post up some pics! I wanna see this.
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Sorry to hear about your other truck. Definitely post pics.
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can i post link to album on snap fish? I have like 20 pics and they are bigger thank 128k...
Hope this link is ok?!
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=3671961007/a=78476167_78476167/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/
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Too bad I dont have a snapfish account. Cant see them without it.
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how can I post them.. The resloution is pretty high so they are larger files. Is there a site I can make a album that you dont need a account for?
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photobucket. you can post the album link or load each picture from there.
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right click on the image then see were it says "address (URL)" copy that address then type [îmg]address of the img here[/img] and it will show up but if you have to be a member of fish then it wont work cause we would have to be logged in to view it i would transfer them to photobucket
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(http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae347/brandenbmx/Grandpas%20Truck/DriverFront.jpg)
(http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae347/brandenbmx/Grandpas%20Truck/PassFront.jpg)
(http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae347/brandenbmx/Grandpas%20Truck/FrontBEFORE.jpg)
(http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae347/brandenbmx/Grandpas%20Truck/DriverBack.jpg)
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(http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae347/brandenbmx/Grandpas%20Truck/Dash.jpg)
(http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae347/brandenbmx/Grandpas%20Truck/3plus3.jpg)
(http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae347/brandenbmx/Grandpas%20Truck/12vCummins.jpg)
(http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae347/brandenbmx/Grandpas%20Truck/Intercooler2.jpg)
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(http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae347/brandenbmx/Grandpas%20Truck/turbo2.jpg)
(http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae347/brandenbmx/Grandpas%20Truck/Driveway.jpg)
(http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae347/brandenbmx/Grandpas%20Truck/DriveSIDE.jpg)
(http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae347/brandenbmx/Grandpas%20Truck/DriveSIDE2.jpg)
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(http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae347/brandenbmx/Grandpas%20Truck/BUMPEROUCH.jpg)
(http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae347/brandenbmx/Grandpas%20Truck/After3.jpg)
(http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae347/brandenbmx/Grandpas%20Truck/TWEAKED.jpg)
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(http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae347/brandenbmx/Grandpas%20Truck/WIFESGTP.jpg)
(http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae347/brandenbmx/Grandpas%20Truck/RIVI.jpg)
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So i posted all those pics and not a single comment? ???
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I haven't had actual experience with tow bars except for selling them, but I fail to understand how it would bind up and cause the damage it did. The tow bar would articulate up and down via the bumper brackets and the ball on the hitch would allow for the turning. Perhaps you went beyond its limits? I just don't see how it would do that. Your driveway really isn't that steep. I wonder if the tow bar made contact with the bumper. Was the steering wheel of the dually locked or open?
Maybe your z71 was jealous of the 5.9
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I'm with beast. i don't see how the tow bar would cause the step side to bounce if it hit a bump almost as if it was locked in place idk i mean i see that it happend just don't see how
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Those pictures dont do the driveway slope justice. What you dont see is that the z71 was in the street still while the 3+3 was half in garage. The bumper ball actually lifted the ass of my z71 off the ground. The steering wheel on the 5.9 was unlocked my buddy was tryin to steer it in. Some how we got it all in a bind, and thats where the damage happened. It didnt jack knife but I know we had the ball angled all the way up and down it would. When I used a 5 foot pry bar to pop the ball my z71 fell down and sideways, and the hitch shot up.. It was CRAZY.
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Im not sure I would have popped anything with a pry bar when a truck has been lifted off the ground, especially unexplained like it was. Glad you guys didn't get hurt.
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It looks like the Cummins swap was done really great why would you want to pull that out and put in a BBC?
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I was thinking about doing those 1pc windows and eliminating the wing vents, on the 3+3. Has anyone had good or bad things to say about those...?
I also ordered the dakota digital dash today too. I have heard mixed reviews on it also.
I need a new 81-82 chrome bumper with the parking lights and bracket kit. 200.00 dollars without the shipping.. Can I stop my order on the dakota digital dash and order a bumper now.. lol..
I, the site you are on sells the One piece kits. I sell A LOT of them. I have 2 sets to go into my trucks. I don't have anything bad to say about them.
http://store.73-87chevytrucks.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=7&Product_Code=OPP7387&Category_Code=7T
I am guessing you didn't order the Dakota stuff from me either? Hope you didn't pay more than $535 shipped for it:
http://store.73-87chevytrucks.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=7&Product_Code=VFD3-73C-PU&Category_Code=7G
I also sell bumpers:
http://store.73-87chevytrucks.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=7&Product_Code=4145-000-813&Category_Code=7FB
With such a great job on the cummins conversion I would keep it. It can be modded to make a 454 look like a joke!
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I didnt even know you had a store besides the windows.. I actually found this site by doing a 73-87 chevy trucks forums search..
I never heard anything bad about the 1 pc windows. I just know how big a pain in the ass the "guts" can be of those doors.
I actually canceled my dakota dash order. The price of the bumper I listed was from . Now I know why it was edited out.. LOL
The truck was org a 6.2 and it was converted correctly. But my problem with it is Only one person knows howto work on it, my grandpa. I am learning as much about it as possible, and he documented a lot. One big issue I am running into is it is leaking fuel out of the Bosch VE Injector pump. They are a really weird set up and pretty expensive to repair and only a handful of guys are even certified to work on them. Its small stuff like that.
Right now I am working on getting all the gear vendors OD stuff off the stock NP 4500 trans, and getting a jack shaft made from the np4500 to the carrier. The trans side has to have the dodge u joints, and the carrier side is stock chevy, and because of the length difference I have to get all the measurments and make a print and then have one made. Its just stuff like this that is tedious. Where the stock drivetrain I could go anywhere and get parts off shelf.
I would like to talk to you about the dakota dash and bumper. PM me if you get a chance.
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I replied back to your PM.
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Put a P-pump conversion on that VE motor, you will be very glad you did! I am a huge big block fan but if it already has a 12-valve in it you would be _____ to go back to a 454! You got a cool truck, have fun with it! You might look into a C60-C70 diesel truck factory tach bezel, it should have a 0-4000 rpm tach and might wire it to your 12-valve, it would look stock, very nice! You would be surprised how many of these trucks have been converted over to a Cummin's!