I bought an abandoned 93 GMC 2500. Let's get it back on the road?

[99xcss4]

the latter 4500 I think it switched in 95 or 96 it is on the wikipedia page got a little bit better gearing depending on who you ask opinions are like a$$holes we all got one and they all stink and my stinky opinion is I like the early ones more along with the sm465 and sm420 the best manual transmissions that gm ever put into their trucks

 

[99xcss4]

the perfect gm truck drive train imho built big block or diesel early nv4500 np205/np203 triple stick doubleler aam 11.5 rear the the largest most heavy duty solid front axle that gm ever used or a ford hpd60 or maybe a set of 2.5t rocks maybe 5.38:1 gears hydroboost

 

[Groosalugg]

the latter 4500 I think it switch in 95 or 96 it is on the wikipedia page got a little bit better gearing depending on who ask opinions are like a$$holes we all got one and they all stink and my stinky opinion is I like the early ones more

Well I've got both now. Although, the Chevy is 3.73 vs the GMC's 4.10.

Looking at it on paper, it looks like the GMC would be totally fine to start in "1" 2nd gear? Whatever. Not "L". The Chevy is alright to start in 2nd gear, but it feels a little like clutch abuse vs 1st gear where you can literally dump the clutch with no gas and it just goes fine.

I think I might like the GMC a little better overall, but they're kind of 2 different use cases. Like, there's no case to be made for the utility body Chevy to be creeping along in 4L "L gear" with no one in the driver's seat, but there is for a pickup truck you're loading with crops or hay bails or something.

 

[Sean Buick 76]

Well I've got both now. Although, the Chevy is 3.73 vs the GMC's 4.10.

Looking at it on paper, it looks like the GMC would be totally fine to start in "1" 2nd gear? Whatever. Not "L". The Chevy is alright to start in 2nd gear, but it feels a little like clutch abuse vs 1st gear where you can literally dump the clutch with no gas and it just goes fine.

I think I might like the GMC a little better overall, but they're kind of 2 different use cases. Like, there's no case to be made for the utility body Chevy to be creeping along in 4L "L gear" with no one in the driver's seat, but there is for a pickup truck you're loading with crops or hay bails or something.

How I drove my 92 2500 light duty (350, NV-4500, 3.73) was basically easing out the clutch and then gently accelerating and shifting to 2nd about 15 feet out and then getting aggressive on the gas and shifting through the gears. I agree you can start out in 2nd no issue, that works too, but I enjoy letting out the clutch without even having to touch the gas till the clutch was coupled.

I also agree that the main advantage to the super low 1st gear is when pulling a trailer at low speeds or when using 35+ inch tires. With this setup I’m confident that a person could run 35-39” tires without re gearing the diffs (3.73) and not have an issue with acceleration in 1st gear. They have a 6.34:1 1st gear ratio which works out to comparing to a 3.059:1 1st gear in the 4L60E. It’s the equivalent to having a 7.5 rear gear ratio!

Mines not a drag truck, it’s just being built with a turbocharged SBC for fun. Should be fun to row the gears!

 

[Groosalugg]

I enjoy letting out the clutch without even having to touch the gas till the clutch was coupled.

The Chevy's throwout bearing or something was going bad, because it was bucking like crazy when it got hot. But, it didn't really matter, because you don't really need to slip into 1st gear.

Even with the 3.73, it did ok-ish power wise pulling this:

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Although, that was stupid for other reasons... like all of them. Really would have been better with the 4.10, but no problem getting this moving even without giving it gas. I just couldn't get moving fast enough safe enough to get into 4th gear, but that was the unsafe trailer's fault mostly.

Although, I paid 80 bucks to rent just that trailer, and 190 to rent a dually truck and same trailer to bring Gretta home. I'll just beat their trucks up instead for that money...

They have a 6.34:1 1st gear ratio which works out to comparing to a 3.059:1 1st gear in the 4L60E. It’s the equivalent to having a 7.5 rear gear ratio!

Gretta really does feel like driving a tractor in "L gear", but with about 200 more horsepower. If I was really crazy, I'd see if there was an even lower rear end, and bolt agg tires on the back.

Mines not a drag truck, it’s just being built with a turbocharged SBC for fun. Should be fun to row the gears!

I tossed the idea around, but in reality, vortec heads would give this thing a bigger boost in power than a turbo.

I think these 66cc swirlport heads are fine for what I want though. I'm after low RPM torque. I couldn't care less about horsepower. With this new 4 barrel intake manifold and the design of the boosters in this carb, I think it'll make more low end power than it ever could have with the TBI. Probably horsepower too.

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A turbo done right would be cool, though. All you see on youtube is ebay garbage turbos people try bolting on, and realize it isn't as easy as they thought... Duh.

Even just a little turbo that builds only a few pounds of boost quickly and makes fun whooshie wooh noises would be practical and fun, though.

 

[1990Z71Swede]

Oh, I forgot to mention, the heads are 10110810's.

Correct me if I'm wrong, 64cc, swirl port, garbage for making horsepower and second worst of the TBI heads? If so, perfect for me.

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Yes and no the 810 heads may flow a little less on the exhaust side because of the fatter sodium filled valves and valve guide, But atleast the 810´s I have has more meat left for a proper valve job without having to go for 2.02 Valves.

Both 193´s and 810´s can be ported to flow decent numbers but the port is already 182cc stock So if you achieve this by taking out most of the swirl ramp these heads are going to be terrible performers on a threefiddy. Cleaning them up with a proper valve job and some basic porting leaving the ramp mostly intact, they will end up pretty decent. But most likely not quite as good as a pair of stock un-cracked vortechs.

 

[Groosalugg]

Cleaning them up with a proper valve job and some basic porting leaving the ramp mostly intact they will end up pretty decent, but most likely not quite as good as a pair of stock un-cracked vortechs.

Yea... I tossed the idea around of swapping heads, but I'm leaving it as "maybe one day". I think the bottom end would need a refresh if I wanted to bother messing with all that. I think I'll be happy with it as it is for now anyway.

Anyway, I ordered the brackets and insulator pads to make this not look like how it is...

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[Sean Buick 76]

The Chevy's throwout bearing or something was going bad, because it was bucking like crazy when it got hot. But, it didn't really matter, because you don't really need to slip into 1st gear.

Even with the 3.73, it did ok-ish power wise pulling this:

You must be registered for see images attach

Although, that was stupid for other reasons... like all of them. Really would have been better with the 4.10, but no problem getting this moving even without giving it gas. I just couldn't get moving fast enough safe enough to get into 4th gear, but that was the unsafe trailer's fault mostly.

Although, I paid 80 bucks to rent just that trailer, and 190 to rent a dually truck and same trailer to bring Gretta home. I'll just beat their trucks up instead for that money...



Gretta really does feel like driving a tractor in "L gear", but with about 200 more horsepower. If I was really crazy, I'd see if there was an even lower rear end, and bolt agg tires on the back.



I tossed the idea around, but in reality, vortec heads would give this thing a bigger boost in power than a turbo.

I think these 66cc swirlport heads are fine for what I want though. I'm after low RPM torque. I couldn't care less about horsepower. With this new 4 barrel intake manifold and the design of the boosters in this carb, I think it'll make more low end power than it ever could have with the TBI. Probably horsepower too.

You must be registered for see images attach

A turbo done right would be cool, though. All you see on youtube is ebay garbage turbos people try bolting on, and realize it isn't as easy as they thought... Duh.

Even just a little turbo that builds only a few pounds of boost quickly and makes fun whooshie wooh noises would be practical and fun, though.

Yes a well sized turbo can add 200 HP without any downside. This one is a fully machined 4 bolt main, 360” setup with forged rods and pistons. At the moment it’s slated for ported vortec heads but I’m eying up some AFR or Edelbrock heads. It’s cammed for a 2500-6000 power range but one could easily set one up for low rpm use.

I’ve got twin turbos on my Buick 350 and it has ran 10.15 seconds in the quarter mile with a stock 8:1 engine with only a cam, intake and boost. The turbos are sized properly and it tries to rip your head off. I will have to go larger on the turbos once the new billet internal engine is installed. Once you feel a boosted v8 it’s very addictive.

 

[Groosalugg]

It’s cammed for a 2500-6000 power range but one could easily set one up for low rpm use.

I think that's why I love these engines.

You want to make a 600 HP monster, there's about a billion parts available to build it any way you want. You want to turn one into a tractor engine that likes 2500 RPM and that's about it, that's pretty easy too.

Anyway, santa showed up again, but this time in a brown sleigh that said UPS on it, and delivered the fuel pressure regulator I don't need yet, but the go pedal bracket I really really do.

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Just snuck outside for a minute to have a look, and I think it'll work fine. Edelbrock part number 8030. It comes with additional brackets you can add for cruise and a TV cable, but I'm probably not going to use the cruise tbh and no TV cable, obviously.

Just will need to swap out one intake manifold bolt for one with a stud on the top to attach it to, and we'll pretend like that won't cause any sort of a leak or anything. I put 1 stud bolt thing back there originally, and this'll need both of the rear ones to be a stud bolt thing.

 

[Groosalugg]

Well, the throttle mounted up perfectly and the go pedal works great. Even without the vacuum advance hooked up, I gave the pedal a few pops. It revs up smooth and quick, and the return springs seem to do the job fine. Ignore that paper clip, it's legit. I definitely didn't already lose the cotter pin...

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I think I've got a vacuum leak somewhere though. It really didn't want to idle down. I was kinda forcing the linkage apparently a little lower than it's meant to go, and it was running ok like that, but it wasn't right.

I'll make sure it's not the choke messing with me somehow, and if not, we'll try the flammable stuff sucky trick. I put zip ties on the vacuum caps and double checked other plugs. I think it's a gasket somewhere.

Whatever, I really did want to pull the intake manifold out and redo the seal on the china walls anyway. I was rushing doing it originally and did a crappy job. The go pedal will work, so I'll just put it back for now and let it heat cycle a bunch more times as I do other stuff. I know it can run good and I really just need it mobile for now.

There's plenty else to do yet instead of getting hung up on this.