^ maybe so, but......vortec heads are still a TERRIBLE choice for carb'd applications in the cold. Besides, everybody knows that chrome valve covers and a few back window stickers trump the hell out of a pair of heads, even Vortex!
It all just depends on how picky someone is about cold starts and what they consider to be acceptable. I've had a few daily drivers (winter too) that did not have a heat crossover and it wasn't nearly as bad as people make it sound these days. After the first mile of driving, they tend to run fine. Hell, a couple of those cars didn't even have a functional choke.
Yea I know, I watch all the Alaska shows too. But we don't know all the facts. This guy could live in Anchorage for all we know it 2 miles outside Homer and a car might do just fine for almost everything, except towing, camping or fishing/hunting expiditions? Or he could live in Tok, Tanana, Mcarthy, 60 miles in the bush from Fairbanks, who knows.
Acceptable is for her to be able to turn the key and start it without a list of crap to do before she starts it and have it warm up promptly. I can live with it, but most women can't and won't. Fighting a cold natured engine is futile and frustrating. I did plenty of it back in the day and ain't going back. I'm too old for that shit.
I can respect that. For me, it's just man and machine. Me telling it what I want it to do and it giving me feedback. When we both come to an agreement it is happy motoring that is a different feeling than what you get when everything just happens automatically. It may sound weird, but it gives me satisfaction. But I also have no problem firing up a chokeless big block truck with bias plys and no overdrive, then drive it on down the road in the dead of winter. I realize that many people don't want any part of that.
About differentials... Is a 88-91 front differential a direct bolt in to a 1988 model? I know those differentials were superior to the 88s and I could buy one if I wanted it bad enough, but will it bolt in? I bet not.
All half ton fronts suck and I don't know of any improvement yr to yr, the 3/4 & one ton fronts do not bolt into a half-ton unfortunately. Wish they did, I'm going to install a hot 407 into my '94 shortbed
In fact the differentials were improved for the '89 model year...but I think the spring perches changed .... I do not believe an '89 differential will bolt in place of an '88 differential. Moving to that newer style would indeed be an upgrade. The bearingsgotbigger or something.. I thought this thread aughta have something useful about differentials in it...
? The only front diffs in 88-91 were D60s on the crew cabs and probably 10 bolt on the Blazer/Jimmy/Suburban. The gen 5 that arrived in 88 was independent (car suspension). Right?
It's possible to swap the candy-ass IFS on half tons to a full 1-ton setup. All you have to do is separate the frame at the fishmouth welds under your feet. Frames are the same size (except the half-ton shorties) and it'll weld right up. This gives you the 9.5" ring gear and a whole lot stronger CV axles.
