Backfoot100
Full Access Member
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2017
- Posts
- 374
- Reaction score
- 644
- Location
- Florida
- First Name
- Eddie
- Truck Year
- 1986
- Truck Model
- C1500 Suburban
- Engine Size
- Carbed 350
Hey guys,
Been lurking awhile and my first post. Been reading alot here and am much wiser for it. Still, I’m looking for your opinions and confirmation that I’m either on the right track or full of s**t.
A little background first. Back in the day, I ordered a brand new ’88 Sub that I drove 245K miles. It was a grey on grey Silverado TBI 350, 4x4, 700R4 with buckets and a tailgate. D SUB as it affectionately became known provided 15 years, countless hours and life long memories of pleasure for our family vacations, weekends, boating, snowmobiling and hunting without ever skipped a beat in the process.
My girls grew up and went off to school. My wife and I wanted to excape the WI winters and move south so I sold it to get a Harley edition F150 pickup that I’ve regretted every time I get in and turn the key. That was back in ’03.
For the last seven or eight years I’ve been looking on and off for a replacement that I can play around with. I'm sure you guys know the drill...It was either jacked up, running 36" and the owners wanted $25K+ or the truck was pretty much ready for the junk yard. Not a lot in between.
I didn't think I was asking for a lot. A truck in the '84-'88 model year range. I wanted something pretty much stock because I wanted to do mods to it that I always wanted but never got around to. I didn't need a 4x4 any longer but it had to be a 350 and preferably with a darb. Why a 350? Because I've had this boat that was even a bigger part of our family than D SUB was if that's even possible. In fact, they were kinda one in the same. Wherever the boat went, D SUB was pulling it. It's a grey on grey '86 American Skier Tournament barefoot boat that I've completely redone, including a 383 stroker that I designed and built. It runs pretty strong. And why the carb? Because carbs are cool and if you know what you're doing a carb can outperform EFI. I'm really old school and all the new tech crap on vehicles makes people lazy, piss poor drivers. Sorry, purely IMHO which doesn't mean spit at most places so flame away if you want.
Then, last year I found this grey on grey ’86 with a 350, 700R4, buckets, cargo doors, rear A/C and supposedly 125K miles…….
Best part is that it's not a complete rust bucket that needs a frame off restoration. Spent all of it's life in NC. The owner bought it to flip it. New carpet, headliner, wheels, tires and paint. The paint won't win any awards but it looks good from 10' away.
The issues when I bought it....It has a rediculously high idle, exhaust manifold leak, massive oil leak and the A/C doesn't work (however was informed that it did work when first brought to the consignment dealer to sell). By the way, living in FL now, the A/C is a must have item. It does run but how well is still an unknown until I can get it to be drivable. All stuff I didn't have a problem with beacuse I'm pretty mechanically inclined.
So now the reason for the post in the first place. The long range plan ultimately would be to pull the motor and build another 383. In the meantime, I just want to make it a reliable driver and put some miles on it to see what it really needs.
I started with a good old fashioned tune up and found the distributor frozen. I can't turn it. Been soaking it with a 50/50 mix of ATF and Acetone but haven't tried to force things until I can get the idle where it's supposed to be. By the way, where the hell is the timing mark? I could only find something similar to one looking directly from the top of the motor down behind the water pump. Is that right? That just doesn't seem right but it's the only thing resembling a timing mark that I can find. Then the next thing is if that is the mark, I have no idea how to read it because the marks are pretty much unreadable.
I figure on rebuilding the carb. Problem is that I know Holleys really well. Don't know squat about QJ's but willing to give it a honest chance to see what it'll do. I bought the Cliff Ruggles Rochester book and started reading and now I'm on the fence. I still think I'll rebuild it just to get it running like it should be but I'm thinking I want a Holley. My question is do you stick with a spreadbore or go with a squarebore and an adapter? Any and all opinions appreciated. I also have a 2601 Edelbrock intake left over from my boat when I built the 383 that would bolt right on. It's the Air Gap version of the standard 2101 Performer. That's a no brainer. By the way, I have a pristine forged crank from my boat motor that I could also use to build a really stout 350 or 355 if I decide to not go for a 383.
I'll put on ceramic headers, dual exhaust and loose the cat but have seen plenty of differing opinions about what brand. I don't want to cheap out but I'm not gonna put custom pipes on either. That should fix the exhaust leak. For the A/C, I plan on trying new fittings, a purge and refill with R134 to see if that does anything for it.
Next thing would be to try and clean up the non-essential vacuum systems and lines going all over the place. I've found at least half a dozen different vacuum lines that were cracked, broken or missing completely and thought that would fix my high idle but no such luck.
So, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. Any and all responses are welcome and appreciated.
P.S. I have to apologize for the pic posting. Photobucket sux and the the other one is from my Google drive so the difference in viewing. It took me waaaaaayyyyyy longer to post this entire thread than you could ever imagine. You can bitch slap me later.
Been lurking awhile and my first post. Been reading alot here and am much wiser for it. Still, I’m looking for your opinions and confirmation that I’m either on the right track or full of s**t.
A little background first. Back in the day, I ordered a brand new ’88 Sub that I drove 245K miles. It was a grey on grey Silverado TBI 350, 4x4, 700R4 with buckets and a tailgate. D SUB as it affectionately became known provided 15 years, countless hours and life long memories of pleasure for our family vacations, weekends, boating, snowmobiling and hunting without ever skipped a beat in the process.
My girls grew up and went off to school. My wife and I wanted to excape the WI winters and move south so I sold it to get a Harley edition F150 pickup that I’ve regretted every time I get in and turn the key. That was back in ’03.
For the last seven or eight years I’ve been looking on and off for a replacement that I can play around with. I'm sure you guys know the drill...It was either jacked up, running 36" and the owners wanted $25K+ or the truck was pretty much ready for the junk yard. Not a lot in between.
I didn't think I was asking for a lot. A truck in the '84-'88 model year range. I wanted something pretty much stock because I wanted to do mods to it that I always wanted but never got around to. I didn't need a 4x4 any longer but it had to be a 350 and preferably with a darb. Why a 350? Because I've had this boat that was even a bigger part of our family than D SUB was if that's even possible. In fact, they were kinda one in the same. Wherever the boat went, D SUB was pulling it. It's a grey on grey '86 American Skier Tournament barefoot boat that I've completely redone, including a 383 stroker that I designed and built. It runs pretty strong. And why the carb? Because carbs are cool and if you know what you're doing a carb can outperform EFI. I'm really old school and all the new tech crap on vehicles makes people lazy, piss poor drivers. Sorry, purely IMHO which doesn't mean spit at most places so flame away if you want.
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Then, last year I found this grey on grey ’86 with a 350, 700R4, buckets, cargo doors, rear A/C and supposedly 125K miles…….
You must be registered for see images attach
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xOeOJ_F1Z5KLbCAc2ObtXHFm0fjX7SHL/view?usp=sharingBest part is that it's not a complete rust bucket that needs a frame off restoration. Spent all of it's life in NC. The owner bought it to flip it. New carpet, headliner, wheels, tires and paint. The paint won't win any awards but it looks good from 10' away.
The issues when I bought it....It has a rediculously high idle, exhaust manifold leak, massive oil leak and the A/C doesn't work (however was informed that it did work when first brought to the consignment dealer to sell). By the way, living in FL now, the A/C is a must have item. It does run but how well is still an unknown until I can get it to be drivable. All stuff I didn't have a problem with beacuse I'm pretty mechanically inclined.
So now the reason for the post in the first place. The long range plan ultimately would be to pull the motor and build another 383. In the meantime, I just want to make it a reliable driver and put some miles on it to see what it really needs.
I started with a good old fashioned tune up and found the distributor frozen. I can't turn it. Been soaking it with a 50/50 mix of ATF and Acetone but haven't tried to force things until I can get the idle where it's supposed to be. By the way, where the hell is the timing mark? I could only find something similar to one looking directly from the top of the motor down behind the water pump. Is that right? That just doesn't seem right but it's the only thing resembling a timing mark that I can find. Then the next thing is if that is the mark, I have no idea how to read it because the marks are pretty much unreadable.
I figure on rebuilding the carb. Problem is that I know Holleys really well. Don't know squat about QJ's but willing to give it a honest chance to see what it'll do. I bought the Cliff Ruggles Rochester book and started reading and now I'm on the fence. I still think I'll rebuild it just to get it running like it should be but I'm thinking I want a Holley. My question is do you stick with a spreadbore or go with a squarebore and an adapter? Any and all opinions appreciated. I also have a 2601 Edelbrock intake left over from my boat when I built the 383 that would bolt right on. It's the Air Gap version of the standard 2101 Performer. That's a no brainer. By the way, I have a pristine forged crank from my boat motor that I could also use to build a really stout 350 or 355 if I decide to not go for a 383.
I'll put on ceramic headers, dual exhaust and loose the cat but have seen plenty of differing opinions about what brand. I don't want to cheap out but I'm not gonna put custom pipes on either. That should fix the exhaust leak. For the A/C, I plan on trying new fittings, a purge and refill with R134 to see if that does anything for it.
Next thing would be to try and clean up the non-essential vacuum systems and lines going all over the place. I've found at least half a dozen different vacuum lines that were cracked, broken or missing completely and thought that would fix my high idle but no such luck.
So, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. Any and all responses are welcome and appreciated.
P.S. I have to apologize for the pic posting. Photobucket sux and the the other one is from my Google drive so the difference in viewing. It took me waaaaaayyyyyy longer to post this entire thread than you could ever imagine. You can bitch slap me later.
