Finally, finally, finally, my truck runs again!!!!!

Black Knight

I Glow Therefore I am
After a year and a half my truck started and idled (quite well actually) under it's own power! I did take some video, but it's too dark to see anything so I'll get more later.

This has been one hell of an project that I will admit I tried to take on too many things at once and baried myself in a truck that needed too many things tended to.

Final result is now a Syclone with
-Vortec head swap (yeah, yeah I didn't change the cam. I had enough shit to deal with :rotf: )
-Ported and polished upper intake
-Ported and polished T/B (got lost in the mail, for a month)
-A2A conversion
-Solid motor mounts
-ZQ8 steering box
-Coilover suspenion w/ tubular control arms
-All poly bushings
-R/R front diff (both new CV axles) full synthetic
-Upgrade front brakes (F-body) w/ DOT 4
-Redid my ABS delete lines
-Gilbert drive shaft
-Changed rear U-joints, changed rear diff fluid to full synthetic
-Waller's TD06-GT30 turbo
-Scrub, clean, and paint frame from firewall forward (17 years of grim and grease it was nasty)
-Carbon fiber dash gauges w/ all carbon fiber pillar gauges
-Bigger trans pan, S/S lines, giant cooler, external filter, and a gauge
-A/C, ABS, C/C, EGR, W2A I/C delete and were talking everything down to the pins in the wiring harness. This became the biggest nightmare and ended up being one of my biggest problems. I had the entire wiring harness out of the truck exterior and interior and removed every wire that I didn't need, cleaned it, and tried to reinstall it. Still not 100% happy with where everything is, but it's close.

Now this list isn't too long, but it was plauged with problems, half of these parts had some issue that held me up for way longer then thay should have, and a couple had to be redone 2-3 times.

Big thanx to Nolan Nykyforuk (many, many late nights on the phone trouble shooting), Jeff Scott (one sick azz 3" downpipe), George Blake (lots of transmission stuff, the C/F gauges, and lots of great advice), Mike Renz (super light weight turbo reclock bracket), Mike Lee (motor mounts, vortec conversion, lots of other stuff), John Waller (turbo), Scott Golembiewski (all my tuning equipment). I'm sure there are more but it escapes me so if you helped thanx :tup:

Few loose ends to tie up and Nolan and I are gonna start tuning this beeyach. Now this isn't no 10sec monster, hell I'll be happy with mid 12's, but it's so nice to put all this blood and sweat into something and finally see it come together. I'm just really glad I didn't end up giving up and parting it out 'cause I couldn't figure it out :roll:

Ok enough of me freaking out, time to start tuning :myclone:
Oh and only take on one thing at a time :lol:
 

Tooky

Serious about performance
Re: Finally, finally, finally, my truck runs again!!!!!

Congrats on getting it back together!!!!

I'm real curious to hear how those vortecs work out with the stock cam. I almost did that combo myself when I realized how much extra work the cam would be...
 

MikeRenz

not stock
Re: Finally, finally, finally, my truck runs again!!!!!

less type, more drive.

congrats. maybe one day i'll have a thread like this to post.
 

Flyin Ryan

hated cuz he drives fords
Re: Finally, finally, finally, my truck runs again!!!!!

sounds awesome Roy, way to go

hope you upgraded the pistons and rods while you were in there :)
 

SY2932

Administrator
Re: Finally, finally, finally, my truck runs again!!!!!

CONGRATS! :cool: Now, how long before we get to see some pics
icon_wink.gif
?
 

TYTILIDIE

METH HEAD
Re: Finally, finally, finally, my truck runs again!!!!!

Good for you, now get out there and whoop some ass!!
 

James Thomas

"NO CLASS"
Re: Finally, finally, finally, my truck runs again!!!!!

These trucks are a PAIN IN THE AZZ but worth it. Welcome back!

_______
James
 

4C FED

Absolutum Dominium
Re: Finally, finally, finally, my truck runs again!!!!!

Black Knight said:
This has been one hell of an project that I will admit I tried to take on too many things at once and baried myself in a truck that needed too many things tended to.

That's what seems to happen with me every time. :rotf:
 

Loeryder

New member
Re: Finally, finally, finally, my truck runs again!!!!!

Congrats man!

That has got to be a good feeling!

cant wait to get mine to the point where its just tuning to work out. lol
 

BigBadSmoosh

Picking fights on I-65 since 2013
Re: Finally, finally, finally, my truck runs again!!!!!

finally.. I passed on a chance to go to concord, ca in a few weeks, otherwise i'd be out there taking it for a ride =P

now if I could just make any progress on my syclone..
 

alwayscode390

pppssssshhhhhtttttttttttt
Re: Finally, finally, finally, my truck runs again!!!!!

Glad to see your back , I thought I noticed you being not as active on the boards as before :) ---
 

Black Knight

I Glow Therefore I am
Re: Finally, finally, finally, my truck runs again!!!!!

Well as I really appreciate everyone's comments, like usual I spoke too soon. :(

I got home from work today and topped the coolant off. I started the truck and let it run for a couple minutes trying to get the thermostat open when I looked under the truck and noticed a nice size puddle, now what :roll:

The intake manifold is leaking coolant all over the place :rant:

It's leaking coolant out of the L/R and R/F corners of it. I've had sooo much trouble with this damn vortec conversion it's not even funny, like almsot anything that could go wrong has.

DSC01017.jpg


DSC01018.jpg


I'm now really thinking about pulling everything apart, doing vortec heads, but using the Edlebrock manifold (that's supposed to to go with them), and Mike's new 90* elbow. Man I wish I would have done that first instead of messing with trying to keep the original intake setup.

One step forward, two steps back........

alwayscode390 said:
Glad to see your back , I thought I noticed you being not as active on the boards as before ---

Yeah life gets in the way from time to time, I may not be posting but I'm usually watching :lol:
 

JuStBlAzIN

Active member
Re: Finally, finally, finally, my truck runs again!!!!!

I had the same issue. I was using the ARP bolts. took the front 2 out and swapped them out for the stockers with 2 lock washers and some permatex and it sealed fine.
 

MikeRenz

not stock
Re: Finally, finally, finally, my truck runs again!!!!!

did you plug the holes in the head that aren't used by our syty lower intake?

i used allen head plugs + thread sealer for mine:
LowerIntakeVortecAlignment1.JPG
 

Black Knight

I Glow Therefore I am
Re: Finally, finally, finally, my truck runs again!!!!!

JuStBlAzIN said:
I had the same issue. I was using the ARP bolts. took the front 2 out and swapped them out for the stockers with 2 lock washers and some permatex and it sealed fine.

Well all I'm using is the stock bolts, so that's prob not it, but I don't remember if I put any sealent on the bolt threads, it's easy enough to fix if that's the only problem. I'll take them out tomorrow and look.

MikeRenz said:
did you plug the holes in the head that aren't used by our syty lower intake?

i used allen head plugs + thread sealer for mine:

I did plug the 4 corner bolts with allen head set screws and used sealer on them. I didn't plug any of the other holes that are covered by the manifold gasket, but IIRC they don't go into a water jacket or oil passage way.
 

MikeRenz

not stock
Re: Finally, finally, finally, my truck runs again!!!!!

what i hate about the gasket you're using is the intake bolts go right through the blue rubber, which will also try to seal water. If i were a betting man...your gasket where the bolts go through it, where it doesn't normally want bolts going through, is the culprit. Another reason why i opted for the 1268 gasket instead of the 1203. (i think i got the #'s right, mighta switched them though...its late)

VortecTappedWithGasket.jpg


i plugged all the holes instead of just the corners...might as well since you're gonna have to pull it apart again anyway.
 

MikeRenz

not stock
Re: Finally, finally, finally, my truck runs again!!!!!

oh yea...fyi the 1268 is a thicker gasket than the 1203. So if you were to attempt to use the 1268, you might have alignment/fitment issues since your intake was probably machined to work w/ the 1203. All depends on how crazy they went adding material. I can't see the edges of your intake in the pics to tell for sure...but most likely you'd be able to try out the 1268
 

MikeRenz

not stock
Re: Finally, finally, finally, my truck runs again!!!!!

one last thing...you don't want to go crazy tightening down those newly drilled/tapped heads for the intake bolts...there isn't all that much material in the casting where the syty intake bolts end up going....so when you tear it apart check the threads in the head to make sure you didn't break any
 
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