Frankenstein Street Queen (a.k.a. SpeedBump)

[ckruzer]

Painted the SYE cover and Yoke.

 

[ckruzer]

Rebuild 90% complete haha. I have reservations about the chain. But gunna run it. I have this other case to fall back on if it explodes. Haha.

Hopefully did it right :apprehensive:

 

[ckruzer]

Finished

 

[Jody Treadway]

Can't have a 4x4 without a front axle.
I wrapped up your front HP44 today. 4.88 gears, all new bearings and seals too.
Time to open up the ol' pinion depth gauge set

I came up with 0.018" (with baffle and slinger accounted for)

Someone at Dana used 0.020" back in 1978, so I must be close

Set backlash to spec for initial pattern check

About as good as it'll get given the gears you supplied me with.

Buttoned up and ready to pick up

 

[ckruzer]

Buttoned up and ready to pick up

Superb work. Thanks so much Jody!

 

[ckruzer]

Picked up the 5.3 engine today got it onto the engine stand man this is one dirty engine for only 78,000 miles it's from a Tahoe but definitely has the truck intake. very excited can't wait to start tearing this sucker apart and cleaning it and painting it

 

[ckruzer]

Set the axles to the side for getting ready to toss under the new frame for a rolling chassis. Also pulled the fubarred wiring harness and cover off the engine.

 

[CAROLINA ROCKRUNNER]

Man your a painting fool haha. Looking good

 

[ckruzer]

Man your a painting fool haha. Looking good

Hahaha. Thanks. Yeah. I have way too many aerosol cans here. No one call the cops please. Lol

 

[ckruzer]

Got to squeeze in some jeep time today! Not much. Just some painting. I need to paint the frame one more time and weld on a plate to fix the front body mount. Once i do that, i can toss the axles under it and move it forward! Gotta call up barnes4wd and drive over and pick up the ubolts and spring plates. Waiting on their email, as i need a custom plate for the d55 cast perch for the ubolt flip. Cleaned and painted up the Lakewood bellhousing! First coat, and i think i can get away with three only. Its stock red underneath so if it scratches no issue. I just wanted to freshen it up a bit. I cleaned up the t/o fork and shot a first coat on it as well. Went ahead and cleaned the camaro mc and shot it with a flat paint. Not sure if going to paint the same black or leave it. Dunno. Maybe go pink? lol. Yanked off the AX15 oem crossmember mount - hope to find a jeeper in need with some bones to spare! haha. gotta fund my bankrupt arse somehow. And here is the shot of the first coat on the transmission. I pulled the t/o sleeve cover and seals/bearings look in excellent condition. I am a little bit worried about the shaft play - got some posts made about it, will see what the gurus have to say.

 

[ckruzer]

Got the old trans and Tcase pulled today!!! Getting ready to yank the body. Super stoked, but winter is coming fast

The internal slave is in super good condition. If it works on ax5 and AX15 trans then hopefully can help someone out for a few bones

The clutch is in super great condition. So good news on salability.

 

[XJsavage]

Has your motivation been as dismal as mine?

 

[ckruzer]

Has your motivation been as dismal as mine?

Yeah havent seen posts from you, slacker. lol. It sure has man. Ive been slacking. My next step is to walk this frame out to driveway area and set on the stands, pick up the ubolt kits from barnes4wd, put the axles under it, assemble axles, and then move quickly with motor install, steering box, and swapping the body over. Not alot to do but just big stuff. right now the honest hold up is only having two hands, and i promised to clean/paint the motor with my brother when he comes to visit mid Dec.

 

[XJsavage]

Any reason this was on page 2 of the build thread section?

 

[ckruzer]

Any reason this was on page 2 of the build thread section?

because its cold and i got no garage and cant do nothin. frame is read to set on axles. steering kit ready to install. ready to clean and paint engine. a hairs breath from being ready to transfer body, but.... brrrrrr

 

[Loganwayne]

because its cold and i got no garage and cant do nothin. frame is read to set on axles. steering kit ready to install. ready to clean and paint engine. a hairs breath from being ready to transfer body, but.... brrrrrr

Sack up it was 50 something today. I was fishing and didn't get cold lol

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[ckruzer]

Sack up it was 50 something today. I was fishing and didn't get cold lol

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

i know it pissed me off. business trip yesterday. all day while driving i was looking at the temperature and seething lol

 

[ckruzer]

im itching to get back to this build yall!!! is it too much to pray for a skipped winter this year?

 

[ckruzer]

Took advantage of some warm days here and with the help of some friends got the engine tore down and broken exhaust manifold bolts removed from the head. Excited to get cleaning and painting!

 

[XJsavage]

So it's not just me then. I wonder sometimes if those bolts are preset to break at 40k miles like clockwork.

 

[ckruzer]

So it's not just me then. I wonder sometimes if those bolts are preset to break at 40k miles like clockwork.

Idk. This engine is 70k. The rear bolts are factory broke off so I've been told. But the driver side I had two bolts snap clean off. Most of the bolts I had to use a impact to get off. Welding on washers and nuts went really smooth and came out clean

 

[ckruzer]

Got some cleaning done on one of the heads

 

[ckruzer]

Cleaned up the other head and other side of block. Took a stab at the timing chain cover. Hard to get everything with the main pulley in the way. Gunna go buy a case of brake cleaner and just try and get every bit of sludge of then paint and let it go. Time to get this thing installed! Lmao. Taking too long cleaning.

Oh and painted the valley cover!

Gunna need to replace that gasket and the water pump gaskets. Want to open it up and verify it's still good.

 

[ckruzer]

Did a final degreasing and then primed the block. Need to tape off the head and prime the head next. Then time to paint!!!!

Decided not to go bare metal heads. The aluminum was just too grimed up and I'm tired of wasting precious time on anal aesthetics. Haha.

Exciting stuff

 

[ckruzer]

Finished priming one of the heads. One more to go then final paint!!!