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Project Jeep-killing Chevy. 2000 4x4 Blazer
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https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1437939616In short, plans are:
-mod engine for a lil more horsepower/torque -Solid axle swap Dana 44 front and rear, mechanical locker in rear, aiming for around 6" higher than stock (im at about 2" higher than stock now) -35" m/t's -custom front&rear bumper(winchbox with8500 lb superwinch up front) you get the idea I'm starting with the Engine first...... -port and polish intake manifold(done) -Port and "polish" heads -COMP Cams 56-450-8 - Magnum Hydraulic Roller Camshafts -ls6 valve springs -Timing Chain Kit -Gaskets from the head up -have ECU programmed -egr delete -headers(?) -cat/ downstream o2 sensor delete a few other little things too parts i have so far: -COMP Cams 56-450-8 - Magnum Hydraulic Roller Camshafts(ordered) -ls6 valve springs -comp cams 787 retainers -Head Bolt kit(fel-pro) -Head Gaskets(fel-pro) -Intake-Up Gasket Kit(fel-pro) -Timing chain& gear kit -Timing chain cover -Oil Pan Gasket -Valve cover gaskets - e-fan from a 2005 Volvo s40 Mods i have already done: -throttle body mod -MPFI injector conversion -some evap deletes -Glasspack -added aluminum skids -2"shackles -Torsion bar cranked -Fender trimming -Custom Rock Sliders -custom toolbox in cargo area -31" tires -added leather heated seats -pulled abs fuse(may bypass completely with proportioning valve) -a/c delete -AIR system delete more im forgetting... |
Saw your thread over on s10 I'll be watching the build for sure!
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rock sliders
https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1437940197 https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1437940197 intake: https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1437940197 https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1437940197 couldn't believe how much die grinding has to be done to gasket match these heads and intake.. https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1437940197 engine torn down https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1437940197 https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1437940197 time to get this pile of parts off my table! https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1437940197 e-fan test fit, now just to make brackets.... https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1437940197 well, this is where I'm at right about now. more to come soon! cam is going in in the next few days, and more mods are getting added to the list all the time :icon_dance-twist: |
Originally Posted by rexmburns
(Post 652524)
Saw your thread over on s10 I'll be watching the build for sure!
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I did what you have done what you have done to your heads and intake and noticed a small loss of torque. The cam you have selected will also loose some 'below peak' power. Is that what you want? My work on a flow bench shows 'polish' will return nothing. My recomendations, raise compression slightly to make the cam work a lot better. By milling the heads you introduce valve geometry problems which must be addressed.
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LeWhite, thanks for your input! here's where I'm at with everything/a couple questions about your response
yeah, I know I'm going to loose some low rpm power from the cam. peak range is 1800-5000 rpm on this cam I believe. I realize that its not ideal for lowrange offroading(which I do often) but I also want to be able to push 37's and dana 44/60 axles(just sourced a set out of a old ram 2500 8 lug full floating rear)around town and highway and have some fun on the streets. when I say porting and polishing I don't mean actual polishing. I'm using the word "polishing" loosely. I'm using a die grinding bit to get the rough stuff, and then a flapper wheel to "polish" it. you had less torque on a dyno after gasket matching? I wasn't expecting large gains or even noticeable gains from this to be honest, I was just trying to get a little better airflow. I honestly do not see how it would be possible to get worse performance by removing an obstruction from my airflow passages(unless it wasn't properly tuned for that). I would appreciate it if you could further explain . Also, without changing rods, and pistons is it okay to run higher compression? im pretty sure that was a stupid question...but im a body/ metal fab guy, not a engine builder haha so more advise would be awesome! would more compression help get me back some of my low end power? how much compression would you recommend? Now is the time for me to figure all this out, while heads are still off! well this is what ive gotten done in the meanwhile timing gears and chain hooked up after cam was installed. set is out of a 350. https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1439137920 oil pan painted and reinstalled https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1439137920 and timing cover re installed https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1439137920 |
one design flaw i see with those sliders.... though i doubt youre going to be bouncing this thing off of trees. i had a big issue with smaller trees getting stuck in front and behind of my sliders where the gap is which always made for a fun time trying to get unstuck, i just ran another pipe from the end to the frame so the tree would slide out.
if you dont plan on many tree side swipes then disregard that advice :) |
abig84...that's a really good idea. while I don't plan on taking any tree hits.... they happen all the time haha. and I did have one get caught up once already before I pulled the engine back out. one more thing to add to the list once I break out the welder on her again.
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Following.
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finally got the block painted! used ppg epoxy sealer(dp90lv) and PPG single stage(DCC) paint. the color is GM's Race Red accent color.
https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1439484696 Also, after a ton of research, I'm dropping my heads off at the machine shop on Monday to have them milled .030 which should bring my compression up to right around 10:1 give or take a little. also, im having them mill my intake side of the head back to the factory angle(10 degrees im told) so my intake will still fit properly. |
Looking forward to keeping up with this thread, very similar to what I'm doing to mine soon.
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Been a minute since I've updated, but been back at it the past couple months.
Got tranny and T-case pulled out, and degreased and cleaned up nice. Got a corvette servo ready to get installed in it. Front end all tore down to give me plenty of room for the SFA swap. Also did a couple little random things like blue LED guage cluster lights, and automatic headlght override/ DRL disable |
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Got my donor vehicle for my Dana 44s, sacrificed a Wagoneer.
Pulled out front axle, steering setup, and leaf springs Pulled rear axle Gave my buddy the rest of the Wagoneer so he has a spare engine for his AMC Matador |
Got leafs, shocks and panhard bar off the front axle, and the axle all cleaned up and degreased.
http://i63.tinypic.com/2drgt2v.jpg http://i64.tinypic.com/2aaenev.jpg Front leafs were actually rotted out, so I decided to go higher... Ordered Rusty's FSJ 4 inch lift springs for the front. Leaf spring perches, brackets, and shackle hangers on the way from Ruffstuff. Bought 2x4x¼ rectangular tubing and ¼ inch plate from a local metal shop for my front hanger and my outriggers to mount my shackle hangers. If everything comes in by Friday, I'll be getting the front axle mounted over the weekend! |
That engine looks beastly i would love to see how much hp it produces to the crank.
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Thanks man, unfortunately it'll probably never get hooked to an engine dyno, just a wheel dyno eventually...So I'll only know what it puts down to the wheels
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I would still love to see that one of these days and keep up with the pictures I always love seeing this thread geting updated.
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looked at the package tracking, and my order from Ruffstuff wont be in until Monday, so unfortunately i wont be able to install the front axle until next weekend...
However, my front leafs came in today, so i sanded them down and gave them a couple coats of epoxy sealer to keep them rust free and looking nice for as long as possible. I also drilled out the U-bolt plates for the larger U-bolts I got. Glass bead blasted the hell out of them to get the rust off, and sealed and painted them red to throw a little contrast underneath the truck.(will also be doing the diff covers once i get new ones, and all of my steering components red) going a little overboard, considering shes gonna do some heavy offroading, but hey....nothing exceeds like excess https://s30.postimg.org/6v1kx9z41/IM..._183654396.jpg https://s28.postimg.org/y6jxf3mzx/IM..._194558451.jpg |
Looks like a great project.
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jeez that jeep is a rusty turd. i wonder if any of that crap on that jeep is worth anything, like the glass or interior parts.
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It was rotted bad, there were a couple 1-1.5 foot sections of the frame that were completely missing from rust...I'm honestly surprised it made the 3 hour tow on a car dolly lol. Only good body panel was the hood
My buddy I gave it to is gonna save the engine and sell the rest of the parts off it. |
Shipment came in today! Got everything I need for the front axle install (and some for the rear) so everything is a go for getting the front end in this weekend. Feel like a kid on Christmas lol.
https://s13.postimg.org/4h5bd7mqf/IM..._125745432.jpg |
^^Nice!. A pile of new parts is always exciting.
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Are you still planning to run 35s?
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I decided to go with at least 37s maybe 38s now, I'm sure I'll have to do chromoly shafts eventually, but I'll see how the factory ones hold up for now.
Also found a pair of flat top knuckles already machined for crossover steering for 150 locally, so hopefully I can scoop those up this week before someone else does...Cause that's a pretty sweet deal in my book Will have updates over the weekend as I go through the swap process |
so i ended up with the pair of machined flat top knuckles for $125. cant beat that when they're selling for $250 a piece online
https://s10.postimg.org/puzqyq6jt/IM..._202243287.jpg |
I love seeing clean freshly painted parts :D Can't wait to see all this come together!
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Who makes those knuckles? You are going to have to buy high steer arms from whoever the knuckles are machined by with them having the key machined in them.
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Originally Posted by rexmburns
(Post 673675)
Who makes those knuckles? You are going to have to buy high steer arms from whoever the knuckles are machined by with them having the key machined in them.
Thanks for the heads up, saved me alot of confusion later on. |
No problem! Make sure you get the correct arms or you will %100 shear the bolts and the worst possible time.
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Just went back to look at the ad for the knuckles, and it said "have been machined to accept either normal high steer, or keyed arms".
Are there some kind of standard, non-keyed high steer arms? Sorry if that's a stupid question, but I'm a noob to this high steer thing. Thanks blazenred, it's so much nicer working with new/like new parts. Makes everything go 10x smoother. |
Generally most arm's have the same bolt pattern but I can't say for sure which ones are interchangeable. The issue you are going to have is that it's not uncommon to sheer the bolts due to force which is why they add a key to help take some of the force off the bolts but having the key machined and not filling that space is going to allow the arm to torque on the bolts in that open space even more than if it were two surfaces mated together and allow the boltsu to stretch and ultimately break. I would ask the seller if he knows who did the machining. Also if you could post some pics of the lettering on the arms perhaps I can help you identify them if they are aftermarket.
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https://s1.postimg.org/511ivfkzj/IMG..._125736257.jpg
https://s4.postimg.org/m4zaxkril/IMG..._125745828.jpg Contacted the seller, and he didn't know what brand, or who machined them, he got them thrown in with a complete axle he bought and had no need for them. If worst comes to worst, I could just mill my own, but hopefully I don't have to. EDIT:from what I found researching, these are factory flat top knuckles off of a 70s wagoneer that have been machined. Looks like I'm not gonna be finding much info about what company's keys they are milled for. |
Still a good find I think! Been searching for a set for some time and definitely don't want to pay 259 each for these things. Btw thanks for commenting on my build thread. Seems like you have a nice build going on over here as well :icon_beerchug:
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Thanks! Yeah they are pretty expensive, you might be able to find a pair of factory ones and have them machined yourself for cheaper.
Here's my progress as of last night: Removed all front suspension components and front differential https://s12.postimg.org/wfqlkpnvh/IM..._214712945.jpg Cut off shock mounts, differential mounts and control arm mounts off passenger side of frame with plasma cutter, and ground all the leftover metal away ( hours of grinding..) https://s24.postimg.org/bua1ans7p/IM..._221639655.jpg https://s12.postimg.org/z6dgwhyd9/IM..._015830509.jpg Also cut off the leaf spring perch on the passenger side of the axle, but found out I need shorter u bolts before I can mock that up Heading back to the shop I'm a few minutes.. will have more progress later |
HAHAHAHAH yes all that grinding takes hours and hours of work. I have a little bit left to do still because I used up all my grinding discs. You have it a little easier since you're going with leaf springs up front. I'm having to cut part of my frame for the shock/coilover towers to fit nice and flush. Looks like you're getting it done though!
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american1, thats going to be sweet with coils! a lot more work for sure though.
today i got the drivers side ifs brackets cut off, and started the fab/ assembly process from there. cut the drivers side leaf spring perch so it fit over the casting for the differential for the spring over axle conversion(factory spring perch is part of the casting on that side) https://s17.postimg.org/a9pi3bkxb/IM..._141118436.jpg notched the differential housing on the underside of the axle to cradle the U bolt. https://s23.postimg.org/65y89jpln/IM..._145702638.jpg ill take this time to mention that i found my u bolts were too long, and was only able to find 2 correct size ones locally without ordering them. so drivers side u bolt plate is shimmed temporarily. with that being said, u bolts were snugged with leafs and new perches on while making sure the leaf springs were square. i will set pinion angle later on and weld perches once i do. moved on to fabing my front leaf spring hanger. i already had the leaf spring brackets from Ruffstuff so i took my 2x4 rectangular tubing (1/4"wall) and cut it down to 36", set it on the brackets which i had tightened to the leafs, and after a bunch of adjustments i clamped it all together, removed the hanger from the leafs, and tack welded everything in place https://s24.postimg.org/lh5sfk1lh/IM...959806_TOP.jpg went back and test fit again, and welded it all up. I'm a little disappointed in my welds, but they certainly arent going anywhere. https://s2.postimg.org/cc8vvwna1/IMG..._190758433.jpg now i was ready to mount it back to the leafs, and test fit it on the frame https://s31.postimg.org/dh5k5ffx7/IM..._193047022.jpg got it centered, and squared with the frame. clamped it in, everything looked good and i was ready to weld https://s10.postimg.org/nuvj4ulh5/IM...00634327_1.jpg https://s3.postimg.org/hx39vcl9f/IMG..._220737270.jpg https://s8.postimg.org/obf1kkuf9/IMG..._220809416.jpg tomorrows another day, and ill get the outriggers fabed up, shackle hangers on, and the truck sitting on its own weight again. |
Got my shackle hangers welded up,
https://s28.postimg.org/o9zbkazf1/IM..._105817069.jpg Bolted up the hangers to the leafs, made a pattern for my outriggers, cut them out of 1/4 inch plate, and clamped them in place. https://s15.postimg.org/q3m4ccwwr/IM..._130225865.jpg Tacked the shackle hangers to the outriggers, tested the fit, then pulled them off to weld them fully, and reinstalled them. https://s28.postimg.org/u0be7rdfx/IM..._132947795.jpg All the way through I was checking my shackle angle to keep it where I wanted(set 89 degrees with no weight on it) https://s15.postimg.org/t1t5co4or/IM..._131043012.jpg Ground the frame down to bare metal around where my outriggers were going to mount up, and after double and triple checking my mesurements and shackle angles I tacked them in place, put weight on the front end to make sure the shackles rotated the way they should and everything was square still. And then I welded them right up. https://s16.postimg.org/wi406zlhh/IM..._175152381.jpg Still have to gusset the outriggers on the inside of the frame, and do some final details, but here she sits right now. https://s11.postimg.org/5i5ex8ng3/IM..._175611597.jpg https://s4.postimg.org/4dxymxtv1/IMG..._175539153.jpg Hooked the steering up temporally just so I can move it out of the shop for the week. using the wagoneer pitman arm. Wheels turn left when you turn the steering wheel right and vice versa because I put the stock steering box back in for now :icon_dunce:. But will be getting Astro box soon, and doing high steer conversion. Can't believe I finally have a solid front axle under my blazer now...Been talking about doing it for a long time now, and it's finally a reality. :icon_dance-twist:. Still a ton of work ahead of me, but it's a start |
You're starting to make me feel like I'm not accomplishing much :P Now you need to go find some bigger tires. I'm trying to go with 37"x16.5 HMMWV Tires myself. Btw I'm fairly jealous of that fancy lift you got in your shop...Also, looks like you might be trying to go too fast or doing something funny in the movement of your puddle in your welds. They all look fairly decent from what I could see, other than a little undercut on a couple of your butt joints. Just my 2 cents/observations. I haven't actually been welding that long. Took a class to get started but picking it up fairly well I believe...
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Haha don't feel bad, my blazer sat for almost 9 months with no progress last year. I put in about 35 hours in the last 3 days though lol.
I definitely have some practice to do with heavy metal welding... Most of what I do is low voltage, low wire speed welding sheet metal patches in classic cars. Thanks for the input. I'll have to sit down and practice a bunch with scraps. My buddy had those tires and wasn't too fond of them. They are super thick and puncture resistant, and affordable at that....But on the downside they are heavy as all hell, and terrible in snow(not that that would be an issue in NC...But in upstate NY that is a deal breaker for me lol) and not the best in mud either. Also were very difficult for him to get balanced...Never quite got them right. Just things to consider before you grab a set. I'm definitely grateful to have the lift available to me. Makes everything alot easier. |
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