1996 GMC K3500 Dually Build

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93M6Formula

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Got a good amount of stuff done this weekend, started working on getting the frame stripped down. This thing being a quintessential farm rig, it had some pretty janky brackets welded on the rear frame rails along with that ultra sketchy gooseneck plate, so those were the first to go. Guessing this thing was overloaded constantly judging by that bent 1" plate the springs sag lol.

Can't find that I posted it but this is what it looked like. MINT....
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Cut that heavy plate off, and the rest of the brackets I took my sledge and just knocked them off, not very good welds lol. Started grinding down the welds and smoothing things out. The frame does have some pitting but luckily nothing major. My plan is to go over the whole frame and smooth out the smaller ones with my flap disc and cheek poker so it doesn't show up in the powdercoat, plus that will help out the sand blaster a little.

Some of the larger pits i'm probably not going to worry about as they are kind of unseen, i'm just cleaning them up a little. I could get nuts and do some spot welds but that's a little over kill. So far, 90% of it is pretty clean or is smoothing out. I did order new rear spring hangers though, they're just ugly looking and I figured why not, they're easy to replace.
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Was absolutely stunned... every leaf spring bolt came loose and tapped out... no fire wrench here! Most of the ones I pull apart need a torch. Infact, every bolt came out on this this frame. Not something I could say with the cab... Also removed all bolt on brackets.

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All said and done, I got all the lines and wiring out of the frame, gas tank is out, just sitting there, all brackets removed, shocks, front diff, brake cables, clips etc. For now i'm leaving the suspension in so I can roll it out side and finish the grinding and cleaning up. Making way too much of a mess in the garage with that rust flying around. Also I want to set the motor and trans in yet to double check the trans mount location. Then i'll strip it down from there. Also don't judge stuff sitting on my T/A, it needs paint. Actually going to use the T/A paint code for this truck and repaint that when this is done.

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Supercharged111

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When I was cleaning my frame, I had to cave and get a harbor freight sandblaster. It got in all the nooks and crannies, I highly recommend it. I also use a knotted wire brush on my angle grinder more than anything.
 

93M6Formula

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Got my rear spring hangers, shackles, and rear tank brace in. Decided to replace that brace also, it's not rotted out but it's got some good pitting and just looks ugly so I figured why not.
 

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93M6Formula

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Spent last night dropping my mockup block and 6L90 in. Dropped right in and fits perfectly. Once I convert this to 4WD, I will be able to use the factory mount and everything. The mount ended up about 1/2" forward but luckily the stock crossmember has notches and enough room for the adjustment. I don't think I'll even have to touch the driveshafts which is awesome.
 

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93M6Formula

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Small update.
Been a little busy but been prepping the block for assembly and measuring all my bearings clearances which has been a pain.... I think the up and down temperatures have been messing with my measurements since I don't have a climate controlled garage and we're talking tiny numbers here. At one point I was getting numbers slightly on the loose side which is to be expected due to the polish on the crank, then another time I checked again and they were tight... Longstory short I spent $300 in standard and +0.0010" bearings and ended up mixing them to get the clearances I wanted. Was even lucky to get them due nearly every place I looked being back ordered. Luckily Rockauto came though.

After that mess, I FINALLY was able to drop the crank in, only to turn the crank and it stopped... My machinist neglected to notch out the new sleeve on #7 to clear the counterweights.:mad: Luckily I hadn't torqued the new TTY bolts yet which would have been $150 down the drain. So last night I bit the bullet and pulled the crank back out to grind down the sleeve. And of course that's exactly what you want in your fresh block is metal shavings. Got that fixed, vacuumed out the shavings, cleaned everything, and blasted it with my air chuck. Once again set the crank in, torqued it down and rolled. Turns over smooth with just a touch of resistance.

Block painting
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You can see where the block casting is notched for the connecting rods but not the cylinder sleeve

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After clearancing

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Crank installation

Double checked clearances with plastigauge as well.

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(These thrust bearings are funky)

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Also ordered duramax front and rear main seal installers.

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93M6Formula

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That's where i'm at for now. Finally got my parts washer cleaned out and a new pump so i can clean up the cam, rods, pistons, and lifters, then move forward with assembly. My heads should be done at the machine shop soon which will be about right on time. Probably take a break for a bit to finish getting the frame prepped for sand blasting. Can't swing $3K for my injectors at the moment anyway lol.

Another thing i've been experimenting with though is electroplating. There's a ton of little brackets and hardware I want to reuse on this engine and also a lot of the factory chassis bolts on the frame that I want to coat for corrosion purposes, and also save a little by not replacing everything. I don't have it in me to put a dirty or rusty bolt anywhere on this rig lol. So far I got the process down pretty well, will just have to use larger containers to do more at a time, and I also want a tumbler to clean parts easier and better. Having the parts clean is an absolute must for a good coating.

This was a rusty 6.5 waterpump bolt that turned out good in nickel plating. All in all I have $60-70 in this whole setup which is awesome.

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