Remember that time I let someone borrow my truck?

[Rellim51]

Long story short, my gear shift indicator is way off, so instead of drive, it's actually in 1st.....I let someone borrow my truck, they didn't know better, and after 20 miles of hwy speeds in 1st gear, some internal engine parts decided they had rather be external engine parts. BOOM!

A little background on this truck. I kinda got the bug for a square body after missing out on buying a couple of trucks at Goodguys show in Ft Worth last October. On my way home from the show, about an hour from home, I spotted this truck for sale.



It was pretty solid, ran well, and still had original paint. It was a little rougher that what I was looking for but the price was decent so I drove it home. The first thing I did was clean it up and buff the old paint.



Two days later I had some parts to lower it.



This is what it looked like after it was lowered and new tires. I'm running 225/70/15 and 255/70/15 on 15x7's and 15x8's painted gunmetal gray instead of the standard silver.



This is about where the engine blew. I searched for a month or so for a good used engine but couldn't find anything that I felt good about. I decided on one of the $1500 GM crate 350's from Summit and plan on a few upgrades.





That's about where it stands now, I'm planning on getting the old engine and trans pulled this week and start on the new engine.

[meatwagon83]

no one borrows my truck, people ask but i just laugh when they do!

[Rellim51]

Originally Posted by meatwagon83

no one borrows my truck, people ask but i just laugh when they do!

It's a southern hospitality thing I guess.

[79Betty]

I'm with meatwagon. Only person who does mine is my grandma to use to haul rock as their bed has holes. But hey now you can upgrade!!

[Rellim51]

The engine I'm using is the GM Goodrich 10067363 350. I'm planning on swapping the can for a Comp Cams XE262. I've also got the appropriate valve spring kit from Comp as well. I'm also swapping out the head gaskets for some FelPro rubber coated shims which are much thinner and should bump the compression a little bit. The old engine already had a new Edelbrock Performer EPS intake, Edelbrock 600 CDMA carb, and a set of headers so ill be swapping all that over to the new engine. Here's what it looked like when I uncrated it the new engine.







Hopefully, I'll get the new cam and springs installed in the next day or two.

[meatwagon83]

Originally Posted by Rellim51

It's a southern hospitality thing I guess.

Its not really that, if they want to pay for gas we can do whatever they need to do, but as far as cutting someone loose in my truck? Hell no! Except for maybe my mom

[Keith Seymore]

Very nice. I trust you've adjusted the PRNDL indicator after all this?



I was admiring the installation instructions for the crate motor. I wonder why they specified up through '85, instead of '86 (a more natural breakpoint being the last year for carburetors) or even up through the TBI years (since it appears you are installing your own intake)?

K

[79 silverado]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

I wonder why they specified up through '85, instead of '86 (a more natural breakpoint being the last year for carburetors) or even up through the TBI years (since it appears you are installing your own intake)?

K

The reason as I would understand it is that it comes down to the one-piece versus 2-piece rear seal design changes... 1986 being first year for the one piece design.

Even the reman engines back when you could get them had a 1986 only option using the older style heads on the newer style block.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by 79 silverado

The reason as I would understand it is that it comes down to the one-piece versus 2-piece rear seal design changes... 1986 being first year for the one piece design.

Even the reman engines back when you could get them had a 1986 only option using the older style heads on the newer style block.

Ah - good call. I had forgotten about the rear main seal change.

K

[Rellim51]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Very nice. I trust you've adjusted the PRNDL indicator after all this?



I was admiring the installation instructions for the crate motor. I wonder why they specified up through '85, instead of '86 (a more natural breakpoint being the last year for carburetors) or even up through the TBI years (since it appears you are installing your own intake)?

K

Thanks. I haven't adjusted it yet, I'm planning on doing a 700R4 swap when I put the new engine back in so I'm waiting to adjust it with the new trans.

I was really surprised at the lack of paper work that came with this new engine. I expected some sort of break in procedure and oil change recommendations or something. It didn't even come with warranty info, not that it matters, I'm pretty sure I've voided any warranty it had by tearing it down and replacing internal parts.

[school boy]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Ah - good call. I had forgotten about the rear main seal change.

K

my 86 had the center bolt heads and a tbi, im assuming 86 had a half year?

[chrisestes]

crap that sucks that your engine blew!! good upgrade though

[Rellim51]

I got to work on getting the old engine out. This is what I started with.



Coming out.





It has some pretty good shrapnel holes in the oil pan. I'll get it on a stand and check out the damage in the next week or so. I'm curious to see what came a part.

[Oldriginal86]

I believe they need spell check on the paperwork.
Nice truck.

[nos487]

Looks like oil pan failure!

[83 Silverado]

I know is this story all to well, had a buddy use my 83 for a weekend, he parked it in my driveway after and didn't telling my about it not shifting out of first, some how blow the governor on the th350. He never did say how it happened, but brake torque and burn outs come to mind, he gave my a 700r4 a week later.

Truck looks good, wish stuff that clean came up for sale me way.

[tintbox]

Sorry about your misfortune. I have a question about the lowering kit. Which one is it? Nice stance. I have an 86 I just picked up. Good luck with the motor swap!

[swissarmychainsaw]

You did the right thing by loaning your truck out, and now look! You got a BRAND NEW engine!

Sure it woulda been nice to have that paid for, but this is a WAY better story.
AND from the pics it looks like you got some good toys in the garage.

Lil Red will love you for that new motor!

[slowcpe]

I admittedly did somewhat the same thing this past summer with a buddy's dad's Chevelle. We were coming back from a show and was asked to drive it home (2 hour drive). Now it was the first time EVER sitting in this car and quite a few years since I had driven a 3-speed transmission. Going down the road in "D" it seemed wound out but temp looked good. No tach in the car. Got to the next town at the stop light, threw in in 1st and ran through the gears. Sure enough it was in 2nd.

My buddy's mom drove the car almost all the way there in 2nd. Fortunately the motor didn't blow, but we did have to adjust the rockers.

[Rellim51]

Originally Posted by tintbox

Sorry about your misfortune. I have a question about the lowering kit. Which one is it? Nice stance. I have an 86 I just picked up. Good luck with the motor swap!

It's all Belltech stuff. Rides great!

[Rellim51]

Originally Posted by slowcpe

I admittedly did somewhat the same thing this past summer with a buddy's dad's Chevelle. We were coming back from a show and was asked to drive it home (2 hour drive). Now it was the first time EVER sitting in this car and quite a few years since I had driven a 3-speed transmission. Going down the road in "D" it seemed wound out but temp looked good. No tach in the car. Got to the next town at the stop light, threw in in 1st and ran through the gears. Sure enough it was in 2nd.

My buddy's mom drove the car almost all the way there in 2nd. Fortunately the motor didn't blow, but we did have to adjust the rockers.

It's easy to do, especially in a vehicle you're not familiar with.

[Rellim51]

Originally Posted by swissarmychainsaw

You did the right thing by loaning your truck out, and now look! You got a BRAND NEW engine!

Sure it woulda been nice to have that paid for, but this is a WAY better story.
AND from the pics it looks like you got some good toys in the garage.

Lil Red will love you for that new motor!

Sure, I could have used the money on one of my other projects but I'm kinda excited about making this truck better so no hard feelings.

[Rellim51]

Well, I haven't made much progress on the truck, we've been busy at work. Anyways, here's a little update.

I started tearing down the old engine, this is the first sign of something bad inside. The cam pushed the cam plug out of the block.



Then I found lifter damage.

[Rellim51]

Then I found some metal shavings in the oil pan.

[79Betty]

Dang. Big things go boom!! Hope the block is salvageable!