There was no spring break in 2008 because I had already completed my program and in April they gave me a diploma. I quit my job and moved back home to prepare for a career by expanding my portfolio. Having torn apart and rebuilt or replaced much of the driveline on my 240Z, then diagnosing and correcting driveability problems with it I was quite a bit better equipped to tackle the remaining challenges of the Suburban.
I would like to say that this was a particularly productive period with the Suburban, but not much happened for a variety of reasons. I was busy working on my portfolio and in August attended a large industry conference and exhibition plying my wares as it were. This was also the year that my dad, who had been my compatriot in this project from day one, was diagnosed with cancer. I wound up being his middle man to run the day to day affairs of the shop as he progressed through surgery, radiation treatment and chemotherapy. He passed away in April of 2009 at the age of 45.
He was an incredible and exemplary man. I will always treasure the time that I was able to spend with him.
Without him we could unfortunately no longer run the business, so for two months I was in charge of clearing out the building, selling off equipment and scrapping tons (literally) of used transmissions and parts while my mother dealt with closing accounts and ceasing all business operations.
I sold four of my father's vehicles in the space of a month because there would be no way to store them any longer. Among them was a 1954 Buick Century Wagon I had helped him scope out and retrieve from Arizona the year before (one of 1500 produced in '54). I held on to one vehicle at his request, a yellow 1970 Chevy K/5 Blazer he had purchased in March of 2007. It had been the one project vehicle of his over the past 10 years that in my opinion had progressed the most. He'd removed the original 307 / 3 Speed Manual / Dana 20 drivetrain (for which I also found a buyer).
In their place went the old 355 from my Suburban (he'd been wanting to put it in something for years) which had been mated to an NV4500 and NP241C, both of which he had rebuilt. He'd done his research and ordered all of the needed adapters then found a way to mount a hydraulic clutch to the firewall and all other necessary linkages. It was a functional vehicle with full exhaust (he re-purposed the old exhaust from my Suburban, but had some Magnaflow mufflers added instead of my old glasspacks), shortened driveshafts and the tilt van column that was supposed to go in my Suburban. He'd stuck it in the Blazer because it was “just laying around looking forlorn and neglected”. I was able to drive the Blazer home under its own power. When I find the time to start cutting out and replacing its floor pans I'll post a project thread just for the Blazer here.
Here's one picture until then:
Before the Suburban left the shop, I had some work to do. If it was going to be towed home, even on a flatbed trailer I'd want some form of brakes, and if I had exclusive access to two-post lifts and a shop full of tools and equipment, then by golly I was going to use them. My original plan was to quickly hash the Suburban together and drive it home, all the while preparing to vacate the premises, but the landlord of the building we were leasing reneged on a previous oral agreement to let us “take whatever time you need” in clearing out of the location.
First order of business. Adding an oil filter and oil cooler to the engine. I gathered up any part that may have had a relationship with my Suburban. One of the needed items was the oil cooler adapter.
The Mark IV Big Block engine I was using didn't have a direct screw on filter nipple, instead a sandwich adapter fit between the block and the filter. I found the adapter in a box of parts and cleaned it up.
I knew that the original style clip in connectors with plastic retainers had a lousy reputation, so some large ID ˝” brass fittings were located for the adapter. Didn't want a pressure drop because of a restriction in the system. Some matching brass fittings were threaded into a used stacked plate style transmission cooler that was being re-purposed as an engine oil cooler. I ordered a sandwich adapter gasket set as well. If / where the originals could be found was an unknown at the time.
$40 later I had 25' of ˝” cooler hose. I wanted to make sure there would be plenty for both the feed and return.
While cleaning out the shop I found my old NP205 still languishing under a teardown bench:
I hung onto it, and also removed the range box from a used NP203 in case the urge ever hit to order a doubler adapter. That would be another entry for another day though.
Behind the transfer case are my old 40” Blue Flame glasspacks that I found outside. The stock cast iron intake manifold from the 454 was lounging somewhere inconspicuous. Ever wondered what one of these things weighs? I was curious too and threw it on my scale to find out. Unfortunately I seem to have misplaced my notes from that day but when I find them I'll post what I measured.
My engine that had once been so clean and shiny was now covered in a thick coat of dust.
