89 Suburban Burden

[eclipse85k10]

My 89 suburban's 350 died a month ago and I had planned on having the engine rebuilt this fall, but I just found out I'm moving about 800 miles so now its a burden. I'd like to take it with me and still fix it but not sure how to transport two vehicles and my wife isn't all that for hauling it.

My dad has a 350 out of an early 80's van, will that work with my current TBI setup not having centerbolt heads?

[RandyP]

You'll have to modify your intake, not a huge deal really. Otherwise just a few odds and ends to swap it out. Put a new GM crate in my 87 (same engine as yours) truck, the crate engine was "pre 1979" though (more h.p.). We had to modify the intake, put a new flywheel on, block off plate where the fuel pump went and a few other little odds and ends.
Not a huge deal really, especially if you have the engine available and ready to drop in and drive.

[eclipse85k10]

Well got another option on the table for my suburban. Its got pros and cons for me. So hopefully I'll get it hauled back to washington with the moving package my wife and I are getting from her new company. So then I could just drop a 350 in it and drive it, or my friend has an 85 crewcab I could get cheap. its a little rough although I've always wanted an 80s crewcab. I'd want to take all the parts from suburban, front clip, power doors, and most of the interior including the buckets and console and put them in the crewcab. So basically it would be my burb reincarnated into a 4door one ton. Ah then I might actaully be able to tow something. The con is, its been a great rig and I hate parting vehicles out, I'm weird and get attached to my trucks.

The crewcab


Below is the 89 burb, and also my other burden. My 85 K10 i've had for other 10 years that I cant seem to let go of. Which also I'm trying to get hauled back to.

[DBLSPRT68]

All three trucks looks cool. That crew cab 1 ton should be able to haul anything. Your Suburban looks too nice to part out..... Sometimes though we have to make choices we don['t like. You have to get your family to your new home, and bring what you can. Here is an idea. Moving van with house stuff, towing car trailer and the Suburban. Buy the 1 ton crew, rent another trailer and bring the truck! Will that work? Do you have another car? Hope this helps.

[eclipse85k10]

the crewcab is back in washington where I am moving. What I have in Reno is my 03 F150, my 85 k10 and my 89 suburban. I also have a cartrailer but I dont want to max out my only reliable vehicle towing for 900 miles. So most likely the F150 will tow the trailer back empty and I hope to get both Chevys shipped.

Really the only thing wrong with my suburban is needs an engine rebuild, still runs but barely moves and a paint job. I got started on sanding the roof while it has been sitting in my garage. The roof was almost completly paintless.

[mcrich01]

I wish I was closer I would be trying to talk you out of that Bur..................lol

[eclipse85k10]

East Coast huh... yeah minimal rust on on it. A little on the bottom of the back driverside door and thats all I can see until I sand it down.

[Davidmichael]

I wish I had some of your burden haha. But what I would do is do an engine swap and keep the sub. it looks really clean.

[eclipse85k10]

ok pulled it out of the garage. Gotta start cleaning my tiny garage up for the move. It actaully ran fine at 1st (except the knocking sound ) Then I needed to move my car trailer so I put it in 4low and pulled it around and it didn't like that too much. I took a current pic of it outside, pretty dusty from the garage. Found out from the relocation company, they are hiring us an auto transport so we'll get them to ship the burb and my k10. So I think if its in 4low and I powerbrake it to give it some throttle it'll drive up onto a hauler

oh btw its hard to tell from that pic, but almost all the paint on the low side is peeled off

[DBLSPRT68]

Sounds like it'll all work out.

[eclipse85k10]

ok after driving it in my yard today makes me miss it, its easy to want to part with it when its buired in the garage. Also i really want to do any axle swap on it. I have a build thread in the 60-66 of my dad and my project 65 4x4 swap. Great thing is now I get to get my hands on this project. I really want to swap my suburbans 3.73 10bolt axles under the 65 4x4 project for the better gearing and the option to use my old 15x8 rallys on the 65. And then I put the 3/4ton 4.10 axles under my sub.

Oh btw took some daylite interior pics of it. The interior is what sold me on it 4 years ago.