97 C3500 Crew Cab Long Bed SRW

Nov/Dec 2014 - 5.7 Vortec Engine rebuild top end

GMT400 with 180k on it, I guess you all knew there was bound to be a blood and guts post at some point. I had the transmission rebuilt in 2012, but I had a trans shop do that so the only thing I have to show for it is a bill almost equal to the price I paid for the truck.
My uncle and my cousin are both mechanics and my uncle has been building engines since the 60s so they helped me out with the engine work. It was kinda low on power and was told that intake gaskets are a weak point, so I thought I'd replace those. Simple job, right? For some reason I thought it was a good idea to start the project at the end of November, in PA, in the shop's parking lot.

Anyway, disassembled the top end, sent the cylinder heads out to test and both had hairline cracks, so in the end I had
new gaskets
new aftermarket cylinder heads
valve job
new water pump (that turned from grey to rust about 5 min after I installed it - not happy)
new radiator (old one was cruddy inside)
new GM radiator hoses
new fan clutch
replaced the radiator support due to severe rust and previous accident damage
and I'm probably forgetting something

Intake gaskets, that's an easy job


While we're there better check the cylinder heads, because I don't want to do this again.


Last cylinder head I worked on was a 1970s Datsun L series OHC 4 cylinder. How does the Chevy work without lash pads?


When I bought the truck the guy said at some point it had hit a school bus (high bumper). Nothing was leaking, but the front end behind the grille was shaped like a C, and the rad support was seriously rusted out. Since I've got this apart now and 'I don't want to do this again' I took an emergency trip up to Harrys 2 days after Christmas (read cold, snow) and grabbed a good condition rad support out of a suburban to replace this.


Back together, before installing the fan shroud.

Apr 2015 - Tonneau cover

Friend of mine switched from Chevy to Dodge a while back and had this tonneau cover lying around that didn't fit his current truck, so he gave it to me. bonus. Small hole from a tree branch, but only a bit of water gets in and I don't put anything in there that can't get a little wet.

eXtang tonneau cover

How is your truck coming along

Jetson105 said:

I found Suburban front leather buckets, rear 2nd row seats and carpet at Harry's U-Pull-It up in Hazelton.

Some notes from this project
-the stock rubber floor mat could use some improvement. the edges tuck under the door sill plates so the mud and water tracked into the truck build up in the door sill channels and rust out the wiring running to the rear of the cab for speakers and lights
-the front bucket install wasn't too bad, I think that has been covered in other posts here
-the rear seat install was more involved than expected because the crew cab floor profile was a lot different from the Suburban.

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Any more info on mounting the suburban second row??