My 6.0 swap into 82 Chevy

[team39763]

I got a 228 cam now.  Before I had a 226 cam, lift is about the same.  It's a baby cam compared to what some of the guys on LS1tech are running.  The windows are Lexan.

[SUX2BU99]

It definitely sounds healthy. Sounds like he revved it higher in 2nd gear, or it lit up and revved higher, than in 1st.

[team39763]

I told him to short shift 1-2 and wind out 2nd gear to the normal shift point.  I'm gonna mess with the pinion angle and swap in my new fuel pump, then we're gonna go do some real runs on the backroads.

[team39763]

Man! I was so excited to go play with my truck yesterday, but then I went to start it and it won't start.  It's acting like the battery is dead or something...I hit the key and the starter just goes klink one time until I let off then you hear the starter release.  Usually this truck is super easy to start...several times I started it with a fairly drained battery(too dead to start any of my other trucks).  I'm thinking a ground somewhere is bad or something, but I decided to just rip all the wiring out and re-do everything so I know what is where and why some things don't work.  I noticed my kill switch doesn't kill the truck, so I just put a rocker switch on the MSD box to kill the ignition system when I want to shut it off.  I'm only planning to run a few electical items - ignition, headlights/taillights, e-fans, and fuel pump.  Goodness, I hate wiring and electrical stuff...I rarely get it right.

[team39763]

I drove my truck for the first time since the rebuild.  My first impression was not so good.  The truck layed an egg(nearly turned off) when I floored it, but I let off and got on it slowly and it picked up and started smoking the tires in all 3 gears.  I was a little disappointed, so I parked it for a bit to think about why it ran so poorly.  I decided to try another run and this run was much better.  I got a little rolling start and then got on it a bit more....tires lit up so I let off...then I hammered it and MAN! it pinned me to my seat and took off.  I don't know if I told ya'll about that time my uncle took me for a ride in his 1970 GTO with a 600hp 505ci.  That car slammed me back hard in the seat....well my truck had that same feel today.  Finally!...I'd been after that "pin you in the seat" feeling since I started this truck project.
  I still got some issues to sort out.  I don't like the way the trans feels.  3rd gear feels like I'm hitting the brakes. While I was coasting/idling up to a speedbump, I put it in second and it slammed like it was went into park, then I put it in first and slowly made it over the bump.  Another thing is that the trans response is delayed.  I can put it in reverse, but I have to rev it to get it to engage, same with the forward gears. I'll look into it in the morning.

[SUX2BU99]

Maybe it just had to have it's morning coffee before it got going    Smoking the tires in all 3 gears.......nice! Can you usually stomp on it from idle and it just rip? My truck isn't like that at all. It will bog or stumble, etc. All the things I hate about a carb  lol   Anyway, how is your diff swap working out? No strange noises?

[team39763]

Yeah, I learned my lesson...this truck is cranky when you just wake it up and jump on it.LOL.  I can stomp on it after it's had it's warm up run, but only then.  I'm gonna look into it more when I'm not so scared to drive it. Right now it doesn't have headlights or front turn signals so I'm scared of getting a ticket or getting it towed.  The diff swap seems to be working out fine.  The only troubles I'm having is with the transmission.

[team39763]

I've been messing with my truck a bit more.  It looks like I've been adjusting the accelerator pumps wrong all this time.  I readjusted them this time and took it for a drive and it didn't backfire, it just roasted the tires and I went through all 3 gears and probably moved 5 feet(on street tires with caltracs disabled).  I've been too afraid to throw the slicks on since we have some picky cops out here lately.  With my luck, I'd get 1 year in prison just for having the slicks on.
Anyway, I've been thinking about going to the track to see what it'll run, but I'm a little nervous.  A bunch of things are running through my head...stock axles breaking, seat brackets and seatbelts not passing inspection, trans lines coming loose...  I may end up going once my trailer gets here...if I can find a ride since I no longer trust my dually.  My goal is 10.9, but I'll be satisfied with an 11.2...I know it seems nearly impossible for the combo I have in my truck, but I'm going for it.  I've had a lot go wrong for me in the last year and I've given up on plenty of projects and stuff, but I'm aiming high and I'm going for this goal.

[SUX2BU99]

Wow, well that's a lofty goal but with enough money and time, you can do it    You want to do low 11s without nitrous? Be prepared though that if you go under 12 seconds, they will want a roll cage. That's an NHRA rule as I recall.

[team39763]

Yeah...the goal seems kinda "out there", but on the other hand look what's been done with these motors already.  There's guys with 5.3's running low 12's and high 11's in much heavier trucks(on motor).  I believe my truck weighs 500-1000 pounds less than some of those trucks.  Most of those trucks were street driven too while mine is a purpose-built racetruck with no consideration for streetability.  I think at this point I have more motor than most of those trucks, so I should have a good shot at low 11's without nitrous.  I think my biggest downfall is the tuning.  I'm starting to learn more about what things do and how to make them do what I want.
  I have another short video that I forgot to post up after I got it running again.  You can hear the truck idle.  I'll post it up in a minute.

[team39763]

Click Click Boom

[Layne]

Nice! Gotta light them tires soon though...

[team39763]

Thanks.  I'll see if I can get a vid of my truck with the street tires on...it's usually a pretty good smoke show when I try to take off with them.
I plan to get some good vids for you guys when March rolls around.  I'm taking my truck to the next town for the races at the airstrip.  I know of two other squarebody trucks that are gonna be out there too and both of them guys like to put on smoke shows.  I'll see if I can get you guys a little preview of the one that's here in town right now.

[Layne]

Sweet! Keep us updated!

[team39763]

Here it is.  This truck has a 14:1 Brodix headed 406 with a huge cam, TH400 and 4.10 gears.  It's should be one bad truck on the track.  Me and him have been talking about racing for a little over a year now, but I refuse to street race and we never seem to make it to the track at the same time.  This year I'm gonna do whatever I can to help him get his truck ready for the races in March.  He's got a lot more motor than me, but I think it'll still be a good race.