The Hawaiian Blue 1978 GMC.

[HunterRotten]

I got the engine and trans in today, I'll get my pics organized sometime this week and share

[moregrip]

Originally Posted by HunterRotten

Hunter's 1978 GMC Build

So over the last couple of weeks I sucked it up and finally got around to getting my cylinder heads. The thought of spending so much in one purchase kinda made my stomach churn. Anyways.. just about one year after we got the big block it's pretty much done! What I saved on used eagle rods, used crane rockers, and the 88-98 serpentine was ate up with a roller cam and aluminum heads but dang, my block has come some ways since day one! Here's some pics from day one and after some time being tumbled.

And here's what we got done the last few weekends.. I got the serpentine brackets off of my dads old v6. He used to have a pretty cool 1990 chevy he dug into and swapped the engine out. I got some brackets from a company called kwik performance. ( http://www.kwikperf.com/bbc_serp_kit.html ) They make everything you need, including an adapter so that you can use a sbc crank pulley. (big block ones are hard to find and are expensive, apparently.)

Seems like I bought my distributor ages ago. It was my first purchase and the outcome after I had my first break down.

talk about a night and day situation, engine is

[HunterRotten]

I know, right? It was only worth saving because of the free access to machines and equipment I was lucky to have.

[cruizin01]

awesome build

[HunterRotten]

Hunter's 1978 GMC Build

Thanks for all the kind words, guys! I appreciate it. Sooo, I got a hoist. Pretty neat, got it off ebay. It's an old Jet chain fall made in Japan along with a CM 3 ton beam clamp. It cost me around $130.00 shipped total for both. Pretty good deal if you ask me, I can do a lot more with this than I could with a cherry picker. I wonder what we are going to do with it..... ����

Tested it with an old safe.

[TKCR]

Your truck is coming along nicely!! I was skeptical about that seat, but I have to admit, it looks pretty darn nice in the truck. I was pretty impressed on how you guys made the all the modifications to make that seat work. Great Job!!!

[HunterRotten]

Originally Posted by TKCR

Your truck is coming along nicely!! I was skeptical about that seat, but I have to admit, it looks pretty darn nice in the truck. I was pretty impressed on how you guys made the all the modifications to make that seat work. Great Job!!!

Yeah, they look pretty good. I have two sets of good seat belts and I'm on the fence. One matches the seats almost exactly. It's the darker blue belts from an 80s square with the metal buckles. The other is my Hawaiian blue color with the original type plastic buckles. I feel like they clash a little bit, hard to say until I get the Hawaiian blue door panels in.

Thanks for the comment, TK

[HunterRotten]

Hunter's 1978 GMC Build

I'm really excited to share this bit, it's been a long time coming since my truck had an engine in it. It's right at the one year anniversary of getting this big block, and the two year anniversary of taking the old motor out of my truck.

It was a pretty straight forward process. We got the engine suspended from my chain fall, lowered it down onto the engine cradle my dad had made out of an old bed frame, and bolted up the flywheel and pressure plate. We got the cradle out of the way and got the transmission bolted up, in she went. I recall us having trouble putting the bolts between the motor mounts and the clam during the bare block mock-up about a year ago.. they went in like butter this time. No adjustments needed, bolts just fell in.

PS. My dad doesn't have dandruff, it's from cutting the drywall in the ceiling for the new chainfall.

[HunterRotten]

It was a really exciting and productive day last Sunday!! I'm excited. Next on the list is to test out some Chinese headers (Lol.. $60.00 for a set of stainless big block headers, I thought I'd try it.)

Oh yeah, and the new holley sniper unit I've had sitting in a box for a good while..

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by HunterRotten

Yeah, they look pretty good. I have two sets of good seat belts and I'm on the fence. One matches the seats almost exactly. It's the darker blue belts from an 80s square with the metal buckles. The other is my Hawaiian blue color with the original type plastic buckles. I feel like they clash a little bit, hard to say until I get the Hawaiian blue door panels in.

Thanks for the comment, TK

The darker blue, the ones the match the seat, those would probably look better.

I bet your pretty pumped about the engine finally going in!!

[HunterRotten]

Looking for some replacement wiper motor bolts, anyone know where I can get some? Trying to clean out these boxes of new parts out of the basement.

[cruizin01]

Originally Posted by HunterRotten

Looking for some replacement wiper motor bolts, anyone know where I can get some? Trying to clean out these boxes of new parts out of the basement.

I just had to go in search for some.

I believe they were #8-32 bolts. I found some at Menards. They were philips head bolts but had a big enough head to work fine. I cant remember the exact length. Maybe 1-1/2" or so.

[jkk]

Looking good nice work

[HunterRotten]

Thanks guys, haven't gotten a whole lot done in the last week+. Just after hour piddling around with small things like putting an alternator on.

My bed should be painted soon, I brought home the doors recently...

[HunterRotten]

Hunter's 1978 GMC Build

It's been just a bit since I've updated last. Combination of lazy and a phone cord so sensitive that if I took a breath across the house it'd stop transferring files kind of prevented me from updating.

Anyway, let's skip back 3 months! About immediately after the last post I got a set of stainless eBay headers using one of those eBay discount codes. (If you have the app they sometimes have coupons to use on ANYTHING for like 20% off.) I think I paid $60.00 for them and they shipped out of California pretty quick.

Long story short, they didn't fit. Didn't clear the starter, didn't clear the frame rails. I let my dad beat the hell out of them. If anyone wants them to try, come get'm. The welds and finish on them was great, truthfully. They just didn't fit.

One day wasted... beating on the headers.

You can see here where I had clearance issues. I actually ended up getting a mini starter because of these things. Anyway, treading on...



One bashed header.



Two bashed headers.

Looked pretty, though!

[HunterRotten]

Hunter's 1978 GMC Build

Oh yeah, and I got my doors back from the body shop! Woohoo!

[TKCR]

Sweet!!!

[moregrip]

Man that blue is a good looker! I'm surprised at how much I like it! Well Chosen!

[HunterRotten]

Thanks for the kind words, and yeah.. I agree! It's looking real good. I'll be updating again tonight.

[jkk]

Nice looking truck

[Wraith]

Just read the entire thread, nice work!

[HunterRotten]

Hunter's 1978 GMC Build

Thanks for all the kind words and compliments, guys! For about a 2-3 weeks there was a whole lot of piddling. Installing alternator, measuring for serpentine belt, working on wiring for 25-30 minutes a night so I don't have too many photos. I spent a lot of the time dreading over header cost and doing research to see what fit a lowered big block truck.

The gold sniper unit sure does look pretty on it's 1" spacer.

[HunterRotten]

Hunter's 1978 GMC Build

Soooo.. when it came down to finding a set of headers, I ultimately decided on a set of Sanderson BB8's. I got them from summit and they arrived within 36 hours to my door step. There was a bit of clearance issues on the passenger side on the motor mount and with the pipes I have at the moment, header buddies weren't really an option. The motor mount was clearanced and all was well. I had gotten a snapon bluepoint tool off of ebay to expand exhaust tubing. After breaking the bolt that came with it and a couple of OE big block head bolts, we figured out you need to be patient or things kind of explode.

[Bluestep]

It is good to see your pickup going back together! It looks great.
Your belt is routed slightly incorrectly. Right below the a/c compressor the belt should be on the other side of the idler pulley, in other words the back of the belt should ride on the pulley.
Keep crankin'!

[cruizin01]

I like those headers. Probably have to do that with mine when I swap them.