88GMCtruck's 98 Silverado Towpig Build: "Black Fox"

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meterman

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What supercharger are u running


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88GMCtruck

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Clutch M/C mod!

...and the pic while under boost...that's an impressive oil pressure level!
I've noticed the vortec 454's have considerably higher oil pressure than they 350s did.

What supercharger are u running
Whipple. There are pictures of it a ways back in the thread.
 

meterman

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Cool I am running a procharger


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98sierra4x4

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When ever I see this truck I get a chill up my spine. Thats how badass it looks! Man im drooling right now lol


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88GMCtruck

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The combination of the tune and the 0411 has really helped the truck out. With the camper I was getting 6.5-7.5 MPG..... This past weekend I ended up getting 9.3 MPG. I about fell over. Mind you this is up a summit and two passes, then back. All at 60-70 MPH.

Did I mention that I can do all 3 of those in overdrive now?!

I was grinning from ear to ear this weekend because of it.
 

88GMCtruck

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My work is never done......

So, I've been chasing down a rough idle in this truck since I bought it. Not quite a miss but it isn't as smooth at idle as it could (should in my opinion) be. I've had a oil leak at the pan for awhile, and it recently started dripping so I decided to replace it and the timing chain while I was in there.

Out goes a few things.
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Once you get here, you have to drop the front diff. Let's just let it be known that a few curse words were said during it's removal and re-install.
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Once it's gone you can have a peek inside.
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The timing set.
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Here is where the second cursing during this project came about. I ordered the GM Performance Parts 502 timing set - the same one I used on the 88, as it's designed for the aluminum timing cover in a gen 6 block. Well, it doesn't work out so well. The Vortec truck has a reluctor ring that fits over the crank gear, which causes it to be thinner. I knew this, but didn't take into account. So a bit of research and I picked up a Cloyes timing set locally for 2x the cost of the GMPP version. To make things worse, Cloyes makes the GMPP version and the only thing different is the thickness of the crank gear.

In order, Stock, GMPP 502 set, Cloyes Vortec 454 Set. The ear pictures show the difference in thicknesses.
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Got all that back together, but while I had the radiator out I cleaned it. You'd be surprised how much junk gets stuck in these. Once it was back in I flushed and re-filled with coolant.
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Since I was in the mode of chasing the rough idle and giving it a tune-up, I decided to eliminate the plastic shafted distributor with a drop in MSD unit. Not only is it pretty, it is all billet and has a much higher quality cap than the OE stuff.
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So, once it was all together I got the timing set within .8 degrees of 0 (tolerance is +/- 2 degrees), did a CASE relearn and still have a rough idle. Not sure where else to look at this point, I've gone through 95% of this thing.......
 

88GMCtruck

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Now, switching away from maintenance, I got around to building a cold air intake. And when I say cold air intake, I mean an actual box that is insulated and sealed from the engine bay...

Started out with cardboard for a template.......
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Then I cut and riveted everything together using aluminum plate and angle. The first stages...
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And here is the finished product.
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The outside is covered in DEI floor and tunnel shield, rated to 1750 F to insulate the box. I decided I wanted a smooth lid so the inside is insulated on it. It's held on with stainless torx screws from a GM squarebody.
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It's a bit of a squeeze, but I managed to get an OEM sized filter in it, plus i'm still able to disconnect and remove the battery with no issues.
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To create a seal and flex joint, I used some sheet rubber and made a retaining ring that holds everything together where the pipe passes through.
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That is all, for now. I plan to clean up the lid some more (brushed or polished, haven't decided) and do a few other things to it, but I'm happy with how it turned out. I'm not really expecting or hoping for any gains, other than the fact that my non-intercooled supercharger will no longer be pulling in hot engine bay air (you know that exhaust manifold is really close to it all).
 

BowtieBrody

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I've always read a rough idle was just a normal thing on a Vortec Big Block.
Absolutely incredible work on everything once again, love the Cold Air box.

If you ever decide to get rid of this truck, let me know, I've got a soul, and some organs I'd be willing to part with to get a hold of this truck :Big Laugh:
 
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