Quigley/ZZ383

Blkvoodoo

Blkvoodoo

professionally useless
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Mar 16, 2005
Location
Archer Lodge
Ok, so Thursday just another crazy day at the oriface, I see a LARGE van dragging an equipment trailer parking behind the shop.

2001 model Chevy G-van with a Quigley conversion ( SWEET !! ) D60 front axle, 14b rear, NP241 Tcase( I think, I haven't looked) . Sittin on 35" Nitto Terra Grapplers.

Engine has a definate miss to it. Go thru the a few diagnostications (technical term) and determine #8 hole is DOA, no compression, exhaust valve either burnt or bent. Oh boy, this is gonna suck, in chassis head removal is a B*tch at best on a van.

SO, we offer up a few different options to the customer, top end rebuild, or crate engine swap.

Customer plainly states that he wants a new engine, what options are there. Stock Vortec 350 swap,or the HT383 crate engine.

Hmm, priced it out, and find that the HT383 is yet to be released/national backorder. next option ( this guy wants some power ) ZZ383 425hp stroker.

Damn, hell yeah !! ( careful what you wish for ! )

So the service writer and cust get things hammered out, we start tearing into the van,


2.5 hours later, we had the old engine sitting on the floor.

Friday morn, we got the crate engine


ZZ383

All is good till we start adding parts from the old enigne to new.

new engine block is tapped with standard thread for trans, engine mounts (Vortec is metric),and there are a few other issues with the water pump and flywheel (included with new engine)

Then we find that the timing cover isn't provisioned for a crank pos. sensor.
which means the reluctor ring isn't there either. add new cover, and pull reluctor off old engine.

a few other odds and ends and it's finally sitting in the van. will get it running Monday, then determine to what extent the ECM needs to be reprogrammed (dyno run, outside shop) to make it run. ( this was added into the cost)

So much fun, I dunno what I'm gonna do !!

I had often wondered what Quigly did to run the D60 on this van, now I know.


They cut the factory Xmember out ( in pink ) and add a new one across the frame under the steering box ( red arrows ) there is a track bar to handle spring sway, and the axle is running cross over steering.


Very cool van, I would love to own one some day.

Kevin
 

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Make sure customer has a oil pressure guage, not an idiot light. We just pulled one down that had less than 3 races on it( roundy round dirt track) and was on second oil pump. Both broke with different issues. when factory one went out it was before the first race. Called GM, they said, it's your motor! So just a heads up!
 
i cant believe some ding-dong would pay dealer prices.... I guess hes not to worried about emissions.

deffinitely cool though.
 
I have seen one or two of the converted Econolines. Man are they bad. That is what you buy to haul the family around, not a minivan.
 
StudNuts said:
i cant believe some ding-dong would pay dealer prices.... I guess hes not to worried about emissions.

deffinitely cool though.
Click to expand...

He was given several options, he chose the most expensive. and the most pain the the arse.

The engine is NOT emissions friendly, there are NO EGR passages in the heads, the ECM for the van was not compatabe with the engine at all.

Tried to send it to CAM in Durham, they couldn't touch the ECM at this time(software issue).

We had to special order an ECM from a place in Canada shipped next day, and them do a small amount of programing once we got it.

it runs well, but he'll never realize the full potential of the engine due to stock intake and exhaust manifolds. Power doesn't come in till you are about 2500 rpm, ( go figure this is a RACING engine !!! )

He was after the HT383, which is on national backorder. Personally, I'd have dropped another stock engine in it and regeared the axles.

Kevin
 
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