To sawp or not to swap...

[Tony Wells]

Just a minor update. That 2000 2500 is probably out of the picture. It has some other issues. Fusible link was bad, I replaced it and smoked immediately. I don't really want to mess with it. The same guy has a '95 2500 that runs, is in fair shape for a work truck, my focus, but according to an independent shop has reverse out. I can rebuild the trans myself if our guys will do the R&R for me. It's a 6 lug, like mine, so it more or less would be just a replacement, with the upgrade to a 350 with AC. I can move my lift gate to it and put the tailgate on mine and sell it.

I found my exhaust leak and bought the remedy off the bay. It came in today. So I have a possible solution, even though I probably would prefer the heavier 8 lug axle. Oh well, can't always get what you want.

Pics below of exhaust leak and solution.

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I can't recall seeing a manifold completely break like this one did, but there it is. Oddly, there were no gaskets on any of the ports. Have not checked the driver side, but suspect same there, so got them on hand. Should be back on the road soon. That still leave the front trans seal, but I'll deal with that later.

 

[stutaeng]

Fusible link? What's that?

On the photos you posted there is resemblance to the curve of the pickups. I can take a photo of my '00 K3500 pick up tomorrow for you to compare.


Now, on those 6 lug 2500 trucks...they are kinda weird. Sort of frankenstein trucks, LOL.
they were not "true" 3/4 tons as everyone thinks. They do have the beefy 14 bolt rear axle and an extra leaf spring, but engine and transmission are 1/2 ton. 350 with 2 bolt main from 1/2 ton is still okay, but the 1/2 ton trannys are sort of weak links...

better to stick with an 8 lug truck is what I would advice.

 

[Tony Wells]

Fusible link is sort of like a super slo-blo fuse. There are as many as 3 on some vehicles. Basically it is a short (6-8") length of wire in line with a electrical power feed (typically to the main fuse block) that is 2 or 4 sizes smaller than the wire that makes up the feed. Usually found near the positive battery connection. They, being a smaller gauge wire, are designed to smoke before the rest of the harness, thus saving it. So in that sense they are sacrificial, like a fuse. This works out in cases where wires are pinched to ground or cut through by sharp edges around failed grommets. Shorted diodes in alternators can take out a link too. The main functional difference between them and a normal fuse is that because of the length, they can actually take an overcurrent longer than a fuse. You will find them outside wire bundles for safety. The insulation is flame resistant, so if they do go, they typically won't flame up, another reason they aren't in a bundle. They could ignite nearby wire insulation. You can spot them pretty easily. Many have a rubber flag molded on them with the amperage rating on it, and the connector where they make up to the full size wire is a short, cylindrical rubber molding. At times they are located off the positive terminal at the starter, feeding some other circuit. When they go, if it's the main one, you get a no-start. The others can cause weird symptoms that are hard to pinpoint, like part of the lighting doesn't work, part does; instrument cluster acts oddly.

Their failure is common enough that most parts houses carry them in a few sizes. Supposedly, a special crimp connector is used, but I believe it is because of the radically different wire sizes involved. I've always just folded the smaller link wire back on itself a time or two until it's sufficient to make the crimp is secure. Heat shrink always.

All of that just in case you weren't really joking when asking what they were.

I agree on what you say on the 6 luggers. I've driven enough of both to note the difference in ride, especially when empty. 8 holers are stiffer for sure, and carry a load much better. I've been looking for a bed locally, but nothing turned up yet. But then, I'm holding out for white. We have a guy who does a lot of sandblasting, and are thinking of putting in a paint booth, so that will open up an option for me. I don't mind painting one.

I'd be interested in pics of your 3500. I may just pull that flat bed off and see exactly what's there. If I do find a bed, I'll be that much ahead anyway. Otherwise, there is a tool bed available to put on it.

 

[stutaeng]

Your frame and mine look pretty much the same. I could not get a single photo and it's raining, so the wet parts kinda throws you off...

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[Tony Wells]

OK, tried putting the replacement manifold on today. Before I did, I discovered, much to my aggravation, that the seller neglected to tell me and I failed to notice on arrival that one of the outlet flange bolts was broken off in the hole. Once I got that out, I discovered that apparently this manifold was warped or something and absolutely will not align with the head boltholes. All but the last two I managed to get in, but those miss the head holes by at least 1/8". I'm disgusted with the seller as well as myself for not being more cautious. I am leading up to a question though. I looked on the bay for another and intend to just scrap this one, but I find something that I've never been aware of. I the compatibility chart, they seem to differentiate between "standard cab" and "cab and chassis" models. I'm not sure I understand the difference in anything that would affect manifold fitup. Can anyone shed some light on this for me? I have been thinking that pretty much any same year, same engine manifold would interchange.

 

[Erik the Awful]

Don't blame the seller for the misalignment - it's all too common on SBCs. There's even a tool for that, and it works pretty well. Only spread it as far as needed to get a bolt in. Put the bolts in the center first and use the tool to spread the end ports out. https://www.google.com/search?channel=fs&client=ubuntu&q=exhaust+manifold+spreader

Absolutely blame the seller for the broken outlet flange bolt if they didn't include a pic or description of that in the sale post.

 

[Tony Wells]

I wasn't blaming the seller for the warpage. They had no way to evaluate that on the part. The broken bolt I have a problem with. Nothing in the description mentioned it, nor showed it in the pictures. I have sent them a message. I know about the shrinkage on the SBC engines so should have been expecting it. I am a machinist by trade, and have a machinist jack I could have used to spread it, but in my experience, that is not a real solution. It puts the manifold in a highly stressed condition, probably why the original broke. As far as this one goes, I figure it would crack pretty soon under that much stress. I might try stretching it and then cooking it for a while and see if it will stay straight.

I'm also thinking of experimenting with a specialty TIG wire for CI welding that supposedly does not even require pre or post heat on my original. Nothing to lose and a few bucks and I'll maybe have a good welding solution for CI.

 

[stutaeng]

Should work with TIG welding. I've never had to mess with welding CI, but I've seen some guys using some special stick nickel electrodes. But that does require pre- and post-heating.

On my 4.3 Silverado I recently pulled to swap the engine, the driver's side last manifold bolt next to the firewall was halfway in.

The factory must have missed it or something, LOL. I don't think it had backed out, about 3/4" of the head was sticking out. Maybe it was Friday at 4:45 PM when those manifolds were getting installed?

 

[Tony Wells]

I've welded a fair amount of it, from manifolds to blocks to even CI radiator tanks on heavy equipment. Even re-lining forklift brake drums with steel pipe sleeves. There was a foundry here that reclaimed oversized drums on the hundreds of lifts they used. It was cheaper to re-line them with steel than to replace them, so we had stacks and stacks of them to do. 3 brass plug welds through the wall, and seal weld the edge. Then off to an old Bullard VTL. Hated that job.

The nickel rods generally come in two flavors, pure nickel and some that are Ni alloys. Nickel has a linear coefficient of expansion not too different from CI, but at welding temperatures, it's still different enough to cause problems. Some people claim only about a 50% success rate using them. I have those on hand, and could use them, but I want to try this newer wire/rod. Just wish I still had my head surfacing belt sander to dress the flanges down, but I guess I'll mill them if they need some touchup. It may be hard to keep them co-planar, even clamped to a plate.

Yeah, I've seen a few halfway in bolts and screws. I figured it was either Friday late or hung-over Mondays when that happens, but with robots in use so much these days it could just as easily be a bad torque setting or a little more drag going in that fools the sensors. Still should have not gotten by QC though.