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  1. grey wolf

    Lifters, maybe? ... Probably

    What new parts did you install when you did the head gaskets? Did you have the heads rebuilt? One of the first engines I ever built was a 350. I had installed new valves and everything was fine for a while, then one day it started making a ticking noise. I took the valve covers off and found...
  2. grey wolf

    Coolant flush issue

    I've used some roloc discs that were made from a mildly abrasive plastic before, I think they are made by 3M, and probably some chinese rip-off versions are out there too. When these are new, they have a bunch of little "fingers" that wear down with use. They work OK, and they're not as abrasive...
  3. grey wolf

    5W30 or 10W30, synthetic or traditional? Opinions wanted

    Personally I use 10W30 in my worn out old 4.3L, but it probably doesn't matter much. Regular oil is cheaper too, and if you change it often enough, it's not going to matter if you pick regular or synthetic. My truck has a pretty good piston slap on cold start up that takes a minute to go away...
  4. grey wolf

    I need to buy a scope...

    I picked up a used Vantage Pro a while back, but I haven't really had a great opportunity to use it yet. Seems pretty easy to use, and there's guided component tests in there. Mine's updated to 2010, but I think they stopped making updates for it in 2014 or something, and you can no longer...
  5. grey wolf

    4.3L to ?? swap.

    I used to have a '81 Malibu with the 267, it was totally gutless but it had a THM350 trans in it already at least. I built a 355 out of mostly junkyard parts for it when I was in my pre-apprenticeship program. That really woke it up, but it was dying for some better rear end gears. I think I had...
  6. grey wolf

    GMT 400 vs 90s Ford OBS

    I always hated Fords, and I liked working on them even less! They seemed to like doing everything differently compared to other auto makers, and not always in a good way. I just never liked the way any of their vehicles looked either, trucks or cars. I always remember going into a local Ford...
  7. grey wolf

    Bent pushrod, good compression??

    Interesting! I've also got a truck with the 4.3 that ticks, mostly noticeable at idle. I also have to replace the valve cover gaskets one of these days (I keep telling myself that I'm eventually going to do a junkyard LS swap, so I've been putting it off). I wonder if I'll find bent pushrods as...
  8. grey wolf

    1998 k2500 454 getting hot

    Just going to throw this out there, but maybe you've got an air bubble trapped in the cooling system somewhere? I don't really have any experience with big block stuff, but I know some engines can be a real pain in the ass to get the air out when you refill the cooling system. The funnel shaped...
  9. grey wolf

    Plug wire woes

    Any parts with brass contacts are probably going to be decent quality. In my experience, the good stuff always seems to use brass. I guess as long as it installs nicely, or the plug wires kind of "click" into place on the contacts, that's a good sign.
  10. grey wolf

    How do you remove pins from bulkhead connector?

    There are tools specifically for removing terminals from the connector bodies, but a lot of times I've had success just using a paper clip. Usually there's a little plastic tab inside the connector body that holds the terminal in place. Just pry up on it with the paper clip or tool so that it's...
  11. grey wolf

    2000 7.4 vortec with p0171 and p0174 please help

    Do you still have that original MAF? You might try plugging that in and see if it makes a difference. And as mentioned, it's good to check your fuel pressures... My first instinct is to look for intake leaks, but if you've already smoke tested the intake side, I guess you must be ok... In my...
  12. grey wolf

    Tune Up Parts Numbers

    I've still got the 4.3L V6 in my truck, and I've been using the AC Delco PF52 oil filter up until now. Has anyone else noticed that it barely fits though? I mean, maybe it's just my engine or something, but I can only get the filter on maybe two full turns! And I'm not talking about two full...
  13. grey wolf

    pre-bent stainless lines

    Was looking at this one... https://www.lmctruck.com/1988-98-chevy-gmc/cd-1988-98-pre-bent-stainless-steel-brake-line-kits
  14. grey wolf

    pre-bent stainless lines

    So, I've been considering replacing all my steel brake lines. Some are still ok, but most of them are very rusty, and I think there's a small leak developing on part of the one that goes to the rear. Anyway, have any of you bought those kits that have all the pre-bent segments of stainless steel...
  15. grey wolf

    1997 Chevy K1500 master cylinder question

    I think the soft brake pedal is a pretty common issue with our trucks. I've also got the same problem, but it's something that seems to have a few different approaches to fix. I've more or less just grown used to it now. I've also heard that you need a scan tool to properly bleed the brakes if...
  16. grey wolf

    Why are expensive hand tools better than cheaper ones?

    That's awesome! Glad to hear there are still techs out there doing good work. It's damn near impossible for people like that to make a living on flat rate, especially at the dealers where most of the work is warranty, and the labour times are constantly being cut. Meanwhile guys like the cross...
  17. grey wolf

    Why are expensive hand tools better than cheaper ones?

    As others have mentioned, it really just depends what you need them for. For instance, if you're just wrenching on your own cars in your spare time, then you get the cheaper stuff. If you use your tools every day to make a living, you get the good stuff. Of course quality tools almost always...
  18. grey wolf

    Favorite Tool Brand

    I have mostly Snap-on stuff in my toolbox (auto mechanic for 20 years or so now), but not everything. Knipex (German company) makes some great pliers. I've been noticing lately that a lot of Snap-on stuff is made outside of the USA now, but still super expensive... Lucky for me I got all my...
  19. grey wolf

    1997 C1500 hydrolocked after MPFI

    Nice work on diagnosing that problem! As for the fuel trims, I'd try changing the oil again and see what happens. Odds are that the engine oil got heavily diluted by gasoline during the initial problems. Changing it once may not be enough to get all the raw fuel out of there. As the engine...
  20. grey wolf

    Front Half Fuel Line Replacement

    That's a scary story about the Ford burning down like that. Glad to hear you got out ok! When I was in high school, I worked at a parts store and my coworker had a Mustang. He came in one day telling us how he nearly burned down his garage because the engine started on fire. Another coworker...
  21. grey wolf

    The build of "Wh4t3v3rs"

    Haven't been on here in a while, and found this thread. This build looks amazing! You're doing great work and I like the parts you've been using too. Doing it right! I'll definitely keep watching this one.
  22. grey wolf

    New tools!

    These torque wrenches are awesome! I have this one and the 3/8 drive one as well. Well worth the money for the amount of things you can do with them.
  23. grey wolf

    Posi/LSD or open diff.

    Ah, my mistake! I should have watched your video. Honestly, I don't remember ever seeing clutch packs in those things, but clearly they are there. Chalk it up to memory loss as I get older I guess... Thanks for clearing that up though, I'm sure everyone else appreciates the correct information...
  24. grey wolf

    Posi/LSD or open diff.

    Well, not sure what kind of diff you guys were talking about. I was referring to this one. As far as I remember, no clutch packs in these, just the locking mechanism. This video explains how they work: As you can see, they are made of some pretty small parts.
  25. grey wolf

    Posi/LSD or open diff.

    I used to be a tech at a GM dealer. I've seen a few of those G80 locker diffs basically explode. As mentioned above, they're not made for taking abuse. When you take it apart and look at the actual mechanism, it's pretty small, you can see why it won't stand up to much abuse, but if it is used...

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