1949-50 3100

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

...........Ahhh thanks for the heads up on the Camaro manifolds, I just took delivery on a pair today !!
LS is going into a 46 Chevy truck.

I think the issue with those is that they don't tuck as close and you need them, they come off the head and curve out to far. Give it a try and let us know.

[Root2812]

Thanks for sharing this. I have my LS on the garage floor and I picked up the corvette exhaust manifolds. Is 4 degrees tilt back the ideal for this engine? Being my first build there is one thing I am more nervous about than anything else.... engine placement. I've done paint and body, fuel system, electrical, and other stuff on various cars but the idea of placing a motor between two flat frame rails seems intimidating. Please share your wisdom.

[99 to Life]

yeah thanks for making our lives easier for future LS swaps. You da man.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by Root2812

Thanks for sharing this. I have my LS on the garage floor and I picked up the corvette exhaust manifolds. Is 4 degrees tilt back the ideal for this engine? Being my first build there is one thing I am more nervous about than anything else.... engine placement. I've done paint and body, fuel system, electrical, and other stuff on various cars but the idea of placing a motor between two flat frame rails seems intimidating. Please share your wisdom.

From all the research I did it seems 4 degrees is the preferred angle on an LS. On a carb motor you can just put a level on the carb flange of the intake and make it 0 front to back , side to side but with EFI that angle isn't really relevant for equal air/fuel flow and float level. The stock 6 cylinder angle is something like 3 degrees 47 minutes 9 seconds. How you measure that I have no idea. To me it looks real close to 4 degrees. Most all the drive shaft makers seem to agree that Chevy engines should or would be at 3 - 4 degrees. At 4 it lines up with my axle better so I made it 4.

If you just search sites its all over the place on what it should be. I saw some references to LS being at 4 and as high as 6 or 7. I looked at Carcraft, Classic truck and sites like that and they were saying 4 so I think 4 is a good number. I also put a angle gauge on the trans pan. It came out tilting forward 2 degree when the engine was backwards at 4 and level across the back side to side.

Don't get hung up on centering it in the frame. If you can get it dead center great but if its has to sit 1/2" to the left or right that's OK. Its more important that it be parallel to the frame and not nosing over to left or right

[dwcsr]

This is a little off topic but I was given a home gym yesterday and I think they were trying to help me get in shape and lose weight. BUT I am far more likely to die using the gym than a sheet metal beader so i converted the gym to a beader stand and a sheet metal rack and kept the bench to lay down on when I get tired. Lets hope they don't come by the shop anytime soon.

[Denee007]

That's clever!

[99 to Life]

I like that man, I'll be making a stand soon myself, then eventually making an electric conversion. Gotta luv repurosing stuff, I like seeing others creativity, thriftiness on tools along with their actual builds.

[dwcsr]

A little more progress. We are making the firewall recess. The front and rear suspension is done we just have to get the drive shaft made. We have the new accessory brackets on, Holley has very nice accessory relocating bracket at a really fair price. As you can see the dash has been painted RED. This is the color the customer picked out. It looks a little orange in the picture but its a bright red

[dwcsr]

Made some progress on the firewall today. Its actually only 1.5 inches further back than the original but as you can see the recess is much wider.

[slydogg76]

Looking good

[ghettoluxury]

Why was the motor set back this far?

[dwcsr]

Two reasons, first being the motor mounts we used lined up better on the frame and secondly we are using a Mark VIII fan that is 5" deep. In the usual engine position we can't use that big fan and have good clearance. Its really only 1.5 inches deeper than the stock recess but because or the width it makes it look huge. I'll post pictures later when its finished.

[ghettoluxury]

I was just wondering if it was for weight bias or something else. Thanks for the reply.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by ghettoluxury

I was just wondering if it was for weight bias or something else. Thanks for the reply.

No that wasn't even in the plan, just fits better there for what we needed.

[dwcsr]

We have more progress. Re worked the door gaps and latches so they look a little better. Have the front sheet metal in place and cab in position for test fitting. As you can see we need to make reliefs for the Alternator and AC compressor. Fan is in, its close but clears the pump nicely, this was the main reason for the firewall setback

[dwcsr]

A few more. I need to make a bracket for the trans linkage so its back toward the firewall and not into the exhaust manifold. Still have to make up the steering shaft and assemble and mount the bed.

[dwcsr]

Making more progress, installed the Vintage Air AC and because we setback the firewall so far it just barely fit between the firewall and the dash. Made all new mounting brackets to secure it four in all. I have the column in and bolted down. We used a CPP foot brake bracket and welded a column mount to it.

[Denee007]

Neat, the AC really conforms and hugs the lower panel So is installed for good or is this just making sure it fits correctly? I had a good time running my vent hoses too, your under the dash looks even tighter than mine!

ps: That's a pretty Red!

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by Denee007

Neat, the AC really conforms and hugs the lower panel So is installed for good or is this just making sure it fits correctly? I had a good time running my vent hoses too, your under the dash looks even tighter than mine!

ps: That's a pretty Red!

Its the final fit but we have to take it out for paint and insulation. Its very tight under there. Need to get the lizard skin on it and send it to the painter.

[Billys68SS]

Just read through this build. I like the work you guys have done. All of that sheet metal work... WOW!!! I was thinking, you mentioned thinking this May have been one of the Old Navy trucks in the beginning, but dismissed the idea. I think it's certainly possible that it was. Considering the mixed up parts, and the horrid body work! I've heard stories about some of those trucks being more mud and wire than anything else. You certainly have brought it back from the dead though. I look forward to seeing you finish it.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by Billys68SS

Just read through this build. I like the work you guys have done. All of that sheet metal work... WOW!!! I was thinking, you mentioned thinking this May have been one of the Old Navy trucks in the beginning, but dismissed the idea. I think it's certainly possible that it was. Considering the mixed up parts, and the horrid body work! I've heard stories about some of those trucks being more mud and wire than anything else. You certainly have brought it back from the dead though. I look forward to seeing you finish it.

well you know it may well have been done by a company about 50 miles west of us that did a lot of the old navy trucks. The color was right and the type of work was the same, looked great til you saw underneath it all. I'll have to ask him who actually did the work, And thanks, I appreciate the complement.

[dwcsr]

I have the steering shaft routed and it clears everything. I will have to notch the rail a bit near the lower ujoint. The heat shield clears by about an inch which is a 1/2 or 3/4 of an inch from the manifold. I tacked the shaft supports in place and will weld them up later when I can get at the pieces better. We did have to move the column over about 2" to make all this work, if we moved it any further the steering wheel was at a weird angle in the cab.

[99 to Life]

dang, and how much you got into all the joints? sux that is the biggest downfall with using the stock frame with a rack. Like folks doing s10 swaps and having to kick out the radiator, its just one of those things you gotta deal with. Looking good though. Hows is feel turning it. You jack it up and check it out?

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

dang, and how much you got into all the joints? sux that is the biggest downfall with using the stock frame with a rack. Like folks doing s10 swaps and having to kick out the radiator, its just one of those things you gotta deal with. Looking good though. Hows is feel turning it. You jack it up and check it out?

I was afraid it would bind but it turns freely with no tight spots. The joints are $35 each with the top one being $45 and the shaft was about 22 so its a lot for a shaft.

[dwcsr]

We have the bed setup and on the frame. This should answer the questions on S10 Blazer 4x4 rears and how they look.

The tires on it now are 185/65-15 24.5 diameter. 3.875 offset
The fender lip is 28.5 off the ground at ride height
The axle is a 63" Blazer ZR2 4x4 rear 2002 with disc brakes.
We intend to use 275/55-17 on the rear 29" diameter, 11" section and 9.25" tread width.

The axle is just about right for our purposes It leaves the tire about 1" inside the wheel opening.
bedside to outside of the tire is 10.5", bedside to inside of fender is 12"
I have 9" from the low edge of the bedside to the caliper so unless your slamming the truck it has plenty of clearance.