The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network - View Single Post - drivabeater 4.0 the truck i should have built last time

dusterbd13 · 02-20-2021, 08:07 PM

Budget first:
previously: 3144.81

new money:
1998 2500hd parts truck (vortec accessories, 4l80e trans, crossmember, driveshaft, dash, ac syste, that held charge, door panels, a pillar, radiator, shroud, PS/trans/oil coolers, wiring, front sway bar, other stuff im forgetting) 250
window tint: 150
downfire box, tonneau cover, floor mats, rearview camera, trailer plug, brake controller: Christmas presents
plastic bedliner: 40
d rings: 12.69
rally armor mudflaps 26.90
torque converter bolts: 10.98
flexplate bolts: 11.82
prom adapter and chips from moates: 68.50
4l80e external seal kit 23.49
plug boot insulators: 19.25
thermostatic fan switch 21.35
copper header gaskets 13.43
rockauto order: o2 sensor, oil cooler gaskets, upper and lower radiator hoses, 170&180 thermostats, flexplate, trans mount, ac orifice tube/o rins/drier, trans filter, oil and trans cooler lines: 234.74
stage 8 locking header bolts: had

total to date: 4027.96

well, we have hit the ski jump portion of the slippery slope, I believe.

Lets see if I can do this in chronological order. No promises.

First off, got the truck tinted. Went 18 on the extended cab, and 35 on the front doors. Looks good!

20201218_112444 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

then, I picked up a plastic drop in bedliner and tailgate protector piece. Used my heat gun to bend it a bit and make it fit properly, and installed a TON of d rings that are through bolted through the plastic with nylock nuts and large fender washers on the back side. Should be good!

20201221_145926 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

them Christmas came. With it, truck goodies! My wife and daughter got me a downfiring sub box, trailer connector (7&4 pin combo) and brake controller. Mom and dad got me a backup camera system and tonneau cover. In-laws did floor mats. I'm blessed! All I have installed so far is the sub box (no picture, its under the back seat), trailer wiring, and tonneau.

20201221_145933 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20201231_093507 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

so, everything was pretty awesome! Except that I keep popping the courtesy circuit fuses. No dome lights. That sucks. But could wait for diagnosis until it warms up.

And then, a few weeks ago, I was driving home with a bed full of girlscout cookies (wifes a girlscout leader, and its easier to put cookies in a truck than a minivan) when the 4l60e decided to commit suicide. Turned into a big bucket of failure and slipping and neutrals.
With this being a 95, it has a one year only valve body. Which is ludicrously priced. The 4l60e is also deserved of the reputation of failure. Its actually rumored that they may be made by dodge they're so bad! (flame suit on) regardless, im not going to pat 1500-2k to build a 95 only 4l60e.
So I started looking at options, such as converting to other years, other transmissions, etc. the 4l80e was the ultimate swap in my mind, but requires a LOT of parts. However, a parts truck would make that problem easier to overcome. So I called my scrapper buddy steve. He had a 1997 2500hd service body that was taken out by electrical issues. He said it was good, and hes never steered me wrong. So, for $250, I bought the drivetrain, most of the interior, the wiring, the exhaust, the front sway bar, that AC......

smoking deal. Even if the trans is junk, its STILL a good deal!
That $250 included him dropping iyt off at my house and picking it up. I love a friend with a rollback. Brother dustin came to help me get the engine and trans out. In the dark, uphill, in the rain. Not a fun pull, but we got it!

20210212_160604 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20210213_163547 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20210216_172733 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

engine turned out to be seized from water getting in it. Which meant we had to get aggressive to get the torque converter off the flexplate. Between pry bars, BFH, and grinder, we got it. Destroyed the bolts and flexplate in the process though, necessitating replacements. Grabbed new flexplate bolts for good measure to go with the new rockauto flexplate....

20210216_191405 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

pulled the oil cooler, heads, roller cam parts, accessories, and everything else I could save from the engine. Sold the sensors, emissions stuff, and other misc parts to stampie for $30
stuffed the garbage short block back in.

20210217_080453 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

the dash and door panels and seat tracks and drivers side a pillar were all I great shape. So I got those too! Crack free no airbag dash is in storage for if I ever need it. Also, there were ducts to the rear sets for HVAC. I got them while I was in there, and the blower motor to replace mine that squeaks.

20210217_083528 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20210217_161814 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20210217_175757 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

dad came by with the plasma cutter and got the doors off for the sheet metal for his 49 ford. We officially got all the good from this thing.

20210217_094350 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20210217_161758 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

so, this whole thing boils down to this:

20210220_095056 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

after pressure washing:

20210220_165734 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

I decided that since im in this deep, im going to do the headers, exhaust, trans and oil coolers all at the same time. So I orderd new lines, gaskets, filters, etc. headers are getting copper gaskets, stage 8 fastners, and por15 paint. Exhaust got some eastwood exhaust paint. Yes, the muffler is pretty scabby, and will probably be replaced with either a magnaflow or dynomax super turbo. But the price was SOO right.

20210220_095051 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20210220_095108 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

to finish out this update, well talk about the trans swap itself. To go from 4l60e to 4l80e (this is research, and internet lore. Not a completed swap yet) requires a shorter driveshaft (from parts truck), a few pins moved around in the wiring, different flexplate, different program in the computer, different cooler lines, and potentially a different crossmember. I have all these parts on hand except the computer. All the yards around here list them by ECM service code interchange, and without opening them up and checking the code, no idea what they are out of. I HAVE to have a 5.7 TBI 4l80E 7427 ECM code. Which is apparently unobtainuim from jet, hypertech, or www.car-part.com so I have to make my own. I dusted off my old copy of tunerpro RT and borrowed back my chip burner and ALDL cable from stampie, and ordered the parts to burn my own chips. This is a learning curve to re-learn how to do all this. Its been a long time. And honestly, the only part of the swap im really concerned about. However, im certain we can do it, as other people have proved its possible.

02-20-2021, 08:07 PM	#18
dusterbd13 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: albemarle, nc Posts: 42	Re: drivabeater 4.0 the truck i should have built last time Budget first: previously: 3144.81 new money: 1998 2500hd parts truck (vortec accessories, 4l80e trans, crossmember, driveshaft, dash, ac syste, that held charge, door panels, a pillar, radiator, shroud, PS/trans/oil coolers, wiring, front sway bar, other stuff im forgetting) 250 window tint: 150 downfire box, tonneau cover, floor mats, rearview camera, trailer plug, brake controller: Christmas presents plastic bedliner: 40 d rings: 12.69 rally armor mudflaps 26.90 torque converter bolts: 10.98 flexplate bolts: 11.82 prom adapter and chips from moates: 68.50 4l80e external seal kit 23.49 plug boot insulators: 19.25 thermostatic fan switch 21.35 copper header gaskets 13.43 rockauto order: o2 sensor, oil cooler gaskets, upper and lower radiator hoses, 170&180 thermostats, flexplate, trans mount, ac orifice tube/o rins/drier, trans filter, oil and trans cooler lines: 234.74 stage 8 locking header bolts: had total to date: 4027.96 well, we have hit the ski jump portion of the slippery slope, I believe. Lets see if I can do this in chronological order. No promises. First off, got the truck tinted. Went 18 on the extended cab, and 35 on the front doors. Looks good! 20201218_112444 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr then, I picked up a plastic drop in bedliner and tailgate protector piece. Used my heat gun to bend it a bit and make it fit properly, and installed a TON of d rings that are through bolted through the plastic with nylock nuts and large fender washers on the back side. Should be good! 20201221_145926 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr them Christmas came. With it, truck goodies! My wife and daughter got me a downfiring sub box, trailer connector (7&4 pin combo) and brake controller. Mom and dad got me a backup camera system and tonneau cover. In-laws did floor mats. I'm blessed! All I have installed so far is the sub box (no picture, its under the back seat), trailer wiring, and tonneau. 20201221_145933 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr 20201231_093507 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr so, everything was pretty awesome! Except that I keep popping the courtesy circuit fuses. No dome lights. That sucks. But could wait for diagnosis until it warms up. And then, a few weeks ago, I was driving home with a bed full of girlscout cookies (wifes a girlscout leader, and its easier to put cookies in a truck than a minivan) when the 4l60e decided to commit suicide. Turned into a big bucket of failure and slipping and neutrals. With this being a 95, it has a one year only valve body. Which is ludicrously priced. The 4l60e is also deserved of the reputation of failure. Its actually rumored that they may be made by dodge they're so bad! (flame suit on) regardless, im not going to pat 1500-2k to build a 95 only 4l60e. So I started looking at options, such as converting to other years, other transmissions, etc. the 4l80e was the ultimate swap in my mind, but requires a LOT of parts. However, a parts truck would make that problem easier to overcome. So I called my scrapper buddy steve. He had a 1997 2500hd service body that was taken out by electrical issues. He said it was good, and hes never steered me wrong. So, for $250, I bought the drivetrain, most of the interior, the wiring, the exhaust, the front sway bar, that AC...... smoking deal. Even if the trans is junk, its STILL a good deal! That $250 included him dropping iyt off at my house and picking it up. I love a friend with a rollback. Brother dustin came to help me get the engine and trans out. In the dark, uphill, in the rain. Not a fun pull, but we got it! 20210212_160604 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr 20210213_163547 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr 20210216_172733 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr engine turned out to be seized from water getting in it. Which meant we had to get aggressive to get the torque converter off the flexplate. Between pry bars, BFH, and grinder, we got it. Destroyed the bolts and flexplate in the process though, necessitating replacements. Grabbed new flexplate bolts for good measure to go with the new rockauto flexplate.... 20210216_191405 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr pulled the oil cooler, heads, roller cam parts, accessories, and everything else I could save from the engine. Sold the sensors, emissions stuff, and other misc parts to stampie for $30 stuffed the garbage short block back in. 20210217_080453 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr the dash and door panels and seat tracks and drivers side a pillar were all I great shape. So I got those too! Crack free no airbag dash is in storage for if I ever need it. Also, there were ducts to the rear sets for HVAC. I got them while I was in there, and the blower motor to replace mine that squeaks. 20210217_083528 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr 20210217_161814 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr 20210217_175757 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr dad came by with the plasma cutter and got the doors off for the sheet metal for his 49 ford. We officially got all the good from this thing. 20210217_094350 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr 20210217_161758 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr so, this whole thing boils down to this: 20210220_095056 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr after pressure washing: 20210220_165734 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr I decided that since im in this deep, im going to do the headers, exhaust, trans and oil coolers all at the same time. So I orderd new lines, gaskets, filters, etc. headers are getting copper gaskets, stage 8 fastners, and por15 paint. Exhaust got some eastwood exhaust paint. Yes, the muffler is pretty scabby, and will probably be replaced with either a magnaflow or dynomax super turbo. But the price was SOO right. 20210220_095051 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr 20210220_095108 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr to finish out this update, well talk about the trans swap itself. To go from 4l60e to 4l80e (this is research, and internet lore. Not a completed swap yet) requires a shorter driveshaft (from parts truck), a few pins moved around in the wiring, different flexplate, different program in the computer, different cooler lines, and potentially a different crossmember. I have all these parts on hand except the computer. All the yards around here list them by ECM service code interchange, and without opening them up and checking the code, no idea what they are out of. I HAVE to have a 5.7 TBI 4l80E 7427 ECM code. Which is apparently unobtainuim from jet, hypertech, or www.car-part.com so I have to make my own. I dusted off my old copy of tunerpro RT and borrowed back my chip burner and ALDL cable from stampie, and ordered the parts to burn my own chips. This is a learning curve to re-learn how to do all this. Its been a long time. And honestly, the only part of the swap im really concerned about. However, im certain we can do it, as other people have proved its possible.