Moved over to a WordPress blog for a little more flexibility. All of the new posts for the 1971 Chevy Suburban blog will be at this URL: http://www.1971chevysuburban.com.
Thanks!
Monday, February 22, 2010
The 1971 Chevy Suburban has moved!
Moved over to a WordPress blog for a little more flexibility. All of the new posts for the 1971 Chevy Suburban blog will be at this URL: http://www.1971chevysuburban.com.
Thanks!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Not much progress this weekend. Revisiting the rear suspension.
It was a busy weekend this past weekend. On top of that, the weather was just nasty... not fun to be working out in the cold garage or on the cold driveway. As a result, not much progress was made over the last few days. Certainly not a waste though.
I did put new alternator and power steering belts on the 'Burban. In the process I realized the alternator wiring was nearly corroded away entirely, so I took the opportunity to rewire the whole thing, at least as far back as I easily could. So I guess that's progress. I piddled around with a couple of other odds and ends... tightened up bolts on the transfer case and tranny, hoping to slow any fluid leaks.
It was actually cold and gross enough outside that I figured I'd confirm once and for all whether or not the Suburban will fit in our garage. Inching forward... with the door open... my eyes poking out above the roofline... right foot outstretched, toggling between gas and brake pedals...
Just... barely... fits... My post from a few weeks ago shows the contrast, pre-lowering...
So now it's confirmed, I've got a couple of inches to spare on the height of the Suburban... but I have already confirmed that the Chevy is too long to fit (at least with the big PTO winch bumper it is). Either way, I'm not complaining. It's much better to roll the creeper around on smooth garage-floor concrete than on rough driveway concrete.
I never did post any photos or info about what made all this possible -- removing the gigantic homemade suspension lift blocks that were welded to the rear axle's spring perches. These gems appear to be stacks, upon stacks of steel plates welded together (about 8 inches of steel plates welded together), then welded to the axle.
After getting the Suburban jacked up and supported on stands (an adventure in itself), I tried to remove the spring U-bolts by hand, with a big breaker bar and a socket.
No luck.
Then I tried heating the bolts with a torch to loosen them.
No luck.
At this point it dawned on me, why not just grind right through them and hammer what's left of them out the other end.
Above you can see I have the inboard U-bolt already off, and the outboard U-bold half-way gone. Once those are gone, I get to work on grinding away the lowest visible weld bead on the block -- which isn't easy to do with all the dirt and corrosion.
After grinding the bead down far enough to expose a seam most of the way around, I just start whacking the thing with a sledgehammer. You can see above that what's left of the weld gives way, and the lift block tumbles off, leaving this...
Not too bad. Just a little cleanup with the grinder and I'm ready to button it up. I put it all back together using the 4" lift blocks that came out of the front. Probably not a permanent solution, but good enough for now.
The other side was just more of the same, which went smoothly, and pretty quickly. I only ran into one little snag, when I just barely buzzed the new brake line with the grinder and put a hole right through it.
Otherwise... not too bad a job. Putting *another* brake line on it and bleeding, etc, etc added an hour or so to my task that day, but I didn't mind too much. The 4" blocks on the rear put the height just ever-so-slightly low in the rear, but it's very, very close to level with the front (probably so close you can't even tell without measuring).
I think that gets my story pretty much up to date. After an unproductive weekend last weekend, I really need to get the gas tank situation and the choke issues (no fast idle circuit because there's no choke hardware) worked out. After those two items, I think it'll be time for some bodywork. That'll make the missus happy... she's embarrassed to have the neighbors see the beast in our driveway :)
I did put new alternator and power steering belts on the 'Burban. In the process I realized the alternator wiring was nearly corroded away entirely, so I took the opportunity to rewire the whole thing, at least as far back as I easily could. So I guess that's progress. I piddled around with a couple of other odds and ends... tightened up bolts on the transfer case and tranny, hoping to slow any fluid leaks.
It was actually cold and gross enough outside that I figured I'd confirm once and for all whether or not the Suburban will fit in our garage. Inching forward... with the door open... my eyes poking out above the roofline... right foot outstretched, toggling between gas and brake pedals...
Just... barely... fits... My post from a few weeks ago shows the contrast, pre-lowering...
So now it's confirmed, I've got a couple of inches to spare on the height of the Suburban... but I have already confirmed that the Chevy is too long to fit (at least with the big PTO winch bumper it is). Either way, I'm not complaining. It's much better to roll the creeper around on smooth garage-floor concrete than on rough driveway concrete.
I never did post any photos or info about what made all this possible -- removing the gigantic homemade suspension lift blocks that were welded to the rear axle's spring perches. These gems appear to be stacks, upon stacks of steel plates welded together (about 8 inches of steel plates welded together), then welded to the axle.
After getting the Suburban jacked up and supported on stands (an adventure in itself), I tried to remove the spring U-bolts by hand, with a big breaker bar and a socket.
No luck.
Then I tried heating the bolts with a torch to loosen them.
No luck.
At this point it dawned on me, why not just grind right through them and hammer what's left of them out the other end.
Above you can see I have the inboard U-bolt already off, and the outboard U-bold half-way gone. Once those are gone, I get to work on grinding away the lowest visible weld bead on the block -- which isn't easy to do with all the dirt and corrosion.
After grinding the bead down far enough to expose a seam most of the way around, I just start whacking the thing with a sledgehammer. You can see above that what's left of the weld gives way, and the lift block tumbles off, leaving this...
Not too bad. Just a little cleanup with the grinder and I'm ready to button it up. I put it all back together using the 4" lift blocks that came out of the front. Probably not a permanent solution, but good enough for now.
The other side was just more of the same, which went smoothly, and pretty quickly. I only ran into one little snag, when I just barely buzzed the new brake line with the grinder and put a hole right through it.
Otherwise... not too bad a job. Putting *another* brake line on it and bleeding, etc, etc added an hour or so to my task that day, but I didn't mind too much. The 4" blocks on the rear put the height just ever-so-slightly low in the rear, but it's very, very close to level with the front (probably so close you can't even tell without measuring).
I think that gets my story pretty much up to date. After an unproductive weekend last weekend, I really need to get the gas tank situation and the choke issues (no fast idle circuit because there's no choke hardware) worked out. After those two items, I think it'll be time for some bodywork. That'll make the missus happy... she's embarrassed to have the neighbors see the beast in our driveway :)
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Well looky here... a leaking gas tank.
Walked out to the Suburban after work last night, and to my surprise, I find a big stinking wet spot on the pavement under the right rear corner of the truck.
It was around 7PM, so it was already dark, and there is no light on that side of the parking lot. The camera on my Blackberry is pretty much awful, but I gotta say, the flash is pretty decent. In the photo above you can see the fuel spot on the pavement (the corner of the bumper just peeking through on top of the picture.
It's not a puddle, so the leak can't be that fast. I crouch down to take a better look (even after lowering the Suburban by 5 or 6 inches, it's still tall enough that "crouching down" to look underneath doesn't take too much).
Two nights ago I put about 10 gallons in the rear tank, thinking I had been misjudging just how many miles a given gallon of gas will take me. I hadn't noticed any leaks from the tank before, but now I've seen it in the act. The drip is reasonably consistent, maybe one drip per second. That adds up to a lot of fuel.
Long story on the dual-gas tank situation on this Chevy. I'm not even really sure myself, but there are two tanks, and the primary (factory) tank isn't being used. This one in the rear is an auxiliary tank, and it looks like maybe it's even home made. I guess I've got no reason to trust it. Perhaps this weekend I pull the factory gas tank out and see if there are any problems with it. Probably should get it switched over asap, and ditch the home-brewed tank.
On a positive note, I found two Dynomax SuperTurbo mufflers with an H-pipe for $50. Not brand new, but pretty close, and *way* cheaper than retail. Some quieter mufflers will probably make my neighbors really happy.
It was around 7PM, so it was already dark, and there is no light on that side of the parking lot. The camera on my Blackberry is pretty much awful, but I gotta say, the flash is pretty decent. In the photo above you can see the fuel spot on the pavement (the corner of the bumper just peeking through on top of the picture.
It's not a puddle, so the leak can't be that fast. I crouch down to take a better look (even after lowering the Suburban by 5 or 6 inches, it's still tall enough that "crouching down" to look underneath doesn't take too much).
Two nights ago I put about 10 gallons in the rear tank, thinking I had been misjudging just how many miles a given gallon of gas will take me. I hadn't noticed any leaks from the tank before, but now I've seen it in the act. The drip is reasonably consistent, maybe one drip per second. That adds up to a lot of fuel.
Long story on the dual-gas tank situation on this Chevy. I'm not even really sure myself, but there are two tanks, and the primary (factory) tank isn't being used. This one in the rear is an auxiliary tank, and it looks like maybe it's even home made. I guess I've got no reason to trust it. Perhaps this weekend I pull the factory gas tank out and see if there are any problems with it. Probably should get it switched over asap, and ditch the home-brewed tank.
On a positive note, I found two Dynomax SuperTurbo mufflers with an H-pipe for $50. Not brand new, but pretty close, and *way* cheaper than retail. Some quieter mufflers will probably make my neighbors really happy.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Out of gas... again
Couldn't get the Suburban started this morning, in the cold, windy snow. Could pour a little gas down the carb and it would start to fire up. Turns out it's out of gas, again! Either this thing has a leak I'm not aware of, or it GULPS gasoline, because I've barely driven it.
I should make this an electric Suburban.
I should make this an electric Suburban.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Weekend progress, part 2: Seats that don't fall over when you turn left.
So... seats. Here's what was in the Suburban when I picked it up.
I don't know what these nasty bucket seats came out of, but they're awful. Last weekend I took the passenger seat out and just left it out. I actually took the driver's seat out too, but had to put it back in to drive it. The floor is swiss cheese from all of the screw holes the last owner put in it to bolt these seats down, and most of the holes are stripped out. I managed to get one bolt to bite, and that's how I've been driving it for the past week. So on a hard left turn, I have to pull hard on the armrest of the door or the whole seat will fall over (which, believe it or not, is kind of a safety hazard).
Two weekends ago Tami's dad drove down to Potosi with me to pick up some seats from a 2003 Silverado. They're pretty nice, what I'd been looking for, for the most part. The fabric is dark charcoal, but it's more of a tweed, probably what they normally put in base model Chevy pickups. They cloth they use in new Suburbans is a softer velour, which I really like, but these seats were $150, so I'll take it. I figure a little upholstery work may be in order when I get rear seats anyway, so these'll work for now.
One of the big reasons I wanted late-model Chevy truck seats was the fact that they have shoulder seat belts built into the seats, so I don't need separate seat belts that bolt to the body pillars.
Alright, so this morning, it's a late start, but I figure I can knock this out. I cut out the carpeting where the seats will mount (all of the carpet's getting replaced anyway). The floorpans aren't bad really, some surface rust, but really minor. I mock-up the seat placement, and mark some bolt placements on the floor with a Sharpie.
I figure there are two options here, drill more holes into this already aerated floor, or weld some studs in place. I had bought nuts and bolts, but decided that welding the bolts in as studs would a better long-term solution (and way more fun, because drilling holes sucks compared to welding).
The rear mounts are going to be trickier, because there's a hump in the floor behind the front seats, and the seat tracks actually don't clear the hump when you try to slide the seat back. So, couldn't just weld the studs in, I had to fabricate some 1" risers for the rear mounts.
I just tack-welded them into place for now, in case I decide to adjust anything before installing new carpet.
Ok, so the passenger side is done. Repeat for the driver's side and we're golden. Drop the seats on the the studs and tighten everything down. The seats are a perfect fit. The height and angle seem to work just fine, even with the rear shimmed up 1".
Turned out just as I hoped -- 2003 Chevy Silverado split-bench seat in the 1971 Chevy Suburban. This was actually really enjoyable mini-project too, even with the cold temps today. I guess not having to crawl around under the truck and get covered in grease and dirt makes a big difference.
I did a couple of other little odds and ends to wrap things up today. The headlights weren't working right so I got them fixed (good lord, what an electrical mess someone made of this thing). I think when the fenders come off for painting I'm going to just re-wire all of the lights up front. Drove it after dark tonight. Comfy seats (securely bolted down, with seat belts), bright new functional headlights, and a smoother, quieter idle... It's crazy just how much awesomer this Suburban is now. It's still every bit as ugly, but I guess when you're working on something as beat to hell as this old Chevy, the little things really do make a difference.
I don't know what these nasty bucket seats came out of, but they're awful. Last weekend I took the passenger seat out and just left it out. I actually took the driver's seat out too, but had to put it back in to drive it. The floor is swiss cheese from all of the screw holes the last owner put in it to bolt these seats down, and most of the holes are stripped out. I managed to get one bolt to bite, and that's how I've been driving it for the past week. So on a hard left turn, I have to pull hard on the armrest of the door or the whole seat will fall over (which, believe it or not, is kind of a safety hazard).
Two weekends ago Tami's dad drove down to Potosi with me to pick up some seats from a 2003 Silverado. They're pretty nice, what I'd been looking for, for the most part. The fabric is dark charcoal, but it's more of a tweed, probably what they normally put in base model Chevy pickups. They cloth they use in new Suburbans is a softer velour, which I really like, but these seats were $150, so I'll take it. I figure a little upholstery work may be in order when I get rear seats anyway, so these'll work for now.
One of the big reasons I wanted late-model Chevy truck seats was the fact that they have shoulder seat belts built into the seats, so I don't need separate seat belts that bolt to the body pillars.
Alright, so this morning, it's a late start, but I figure I can knock this out. I cut out the carpeting where the seats will mount (all of the carpet's getting replaced anyway). The floorpans aren't bad really, some surface rust, but really minor. I mock-up the seat placement, and mark some bolt placements on the floor with a Sharpie.
I figure there are two options here, drill more holes into this already aerated floor, or weld some studs in place. I had bought nuts and bolts, but decided that welding the bolts in as studs would a better long-term solution (and way more fun, because drilling holes sucks compared to welding).
The rear mounts are going to be trickier, because there's a hump in the floor behind the front seats, and the seat tracks actually don't clear the hump when you try to slide the seat back. So, couldn't just weld the studs in, I had to fabricate some 1" risers for the rear mounts.
I just tack-welded them into place for now, in case I decide to adjust anything before installing new carpet.
Ok, so the passenger side is done. Repeat for the driver's side and we're golden. Drop the seats on the the studs and tighten everything down. The seats are a perfect fit. The height and angle seem to work just fine, even with the rear shimmed up 1".
Turned out just as I hoped -- 2003 Chevy Silverado split-bench seat in the 1971 Chevy Suburban. This was actually really enjoyable mini-project too, even with the cold temps today. I guess not having to crawl around under the truck and get covered in grease and dirt makes a big difference.
I did a couple of other little odds and ends to wrap things up today. The headlights weren't working right so I got them fixed (good lord, what an electrical mess someone made of this thing). I think when the fenders come off for painting I'm going to just re-wire all of the lights up front. Drove it after dark tonight. Comfy seats (securely bolted down, with seat belts), bright new functional headlights, and a smoother, quieter idle... It's crazy just how much awesomer this Suburban is now. It's still every bit as ugly, but I guess when you're working on something as beat to hell as this old Chevy, the little things really do make a difference.
Weekend progress, part 1: Carburetor work, again!
On Friday the Suburban died while on a run to Home Depot to get some salt for the progressing snow-storm. Luckily Tami was out and about, and was able pick me up. At lunch I did get it started (must have just flooded it), and I put a few gallons of gas in it. Fired up fine since then. I've noticed over the last couple of days though, that the idle is a little rougher and rougher. I've been fiddling with the adjustments, but really, I'm no carburetor mechanic.
This weekend one of my objectives was to deal with the rough idle. I get it started (again, no problem starting it up, so that's positive). It's got a Holley 4-barrel carburetor on it, which is pretty simple to adjust, theoretically. First and primary adjustment is the fuel level. There's an adjuster with a lock screw on top of each fuel bowl, and the fuel level should be just under the sight plug. Basically, the site plug is a screw in the side of the fuel bowl. You take out the screw, and adjust the fuel level to the point where it is just below the screw-hole. So sitting still no gas spills out, but if you rock the truck or bump it, a little gas will dribble out.
I pull the sight plug out and there's gas spilling out. Ok... the level is too high. In the process of adjusting it downward, I managed to ruin the gasket on the lock-screw for the adjuster. I had kept all of the left over items from the Holley 37-119 Renew Kit I used last week, and *hoped* there would be an extra gasket in there. But... no luck. What I did have though, were a bunch of extra gaskets from the metering blocks, which are kinda big, with lots of holes in them. Luckily a little trimming with scissors, and I had a new gasket.
Now the Holley is adjusted, and leak free, so I fire it back up. Idle's high, so I adjust it a bit more as well, and you know, it feels really solid. It actually seems a lot quieter too for some reason. I don't know if the idle was just rough enough before, or if it was just running so rich that the motor was gargling or what, but it sure sounds better now.
This weekend one of my objectives was to deal with the rough idle. I get it started (again, no problem starting it up, so that's positive). It's got a Holley 4-barrel carburetor on it, which is pretty simple to adjust, theoretically. First and primary adjustment is the fuel level. There's an adjuster with a lock screw on top of each fuel bowl, and the fuel level should be just under the sight plug. Basically, the site plug is a screw in the side of the fuel bowl. You take out the screw, and adjust the fuel level to the point where it is just below the screw-hole. So sitting still no gas spills out, but if you rock the truck or bump it, a little gas will dribble out.
I pull the sight plug out and there's gas spilling out. Ok... the level is too high. In the process of adjusting it downward, I managed to ruin the gasket on the lock-screw for the adjuster. I had kept all of the left over items from the Holley 37-119 Renew Kit I used last week, and *hoped* there would be an extra gasket in there. But... no luck. What I did have though, were a bunch of extra gaskets from the metering blocks, which are kinda big, with lots of holes in them. Luckily a little trimming with scissors, and I had a new gasket.
Now the Holley is adjusted, and leak free, so I fire it back up. Idle's high, so I adjust it a bit more as well, and you know, it feels really solid. It actually seems a lot quieter too for some reason. I don't know if the idle was just rough enough before, or if it was just running so rich that the motor was gargling or what, but it sure sounds better now.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Dead at Home Depot
Bah. The Sub has been running really nice since I rebuilt the carb. Always starts on the first try, runs smooth, no worries. Today we get an ice storm so I run to Home Depot to get a bag of salt for the parking lot. Getting there was no problem, but getting home... not so much.
Honestly, I think I'm just out of gas. There are two gas tanks on the truck, so I guess I first have to figure out which one is in use. It's nasty rainy out today though. Good thing Tami had just dropped E off at Preschool. She was able to swing by and pick me up... but I'm not going to hear the end of this very soon, I'm pretty sure of that.
First objective this weekend: get the 71 Suburban back home :)
Honestly, I think I'm just out of gas. There are two gas tanks on the truck, so I guess I first have to figure out which one is in use. It's nasty rainy out today though. Good thing Tami had just dropped E off at Preschool. She was able to swing by and pick me up... but I'm not going to hear the end of this very soon, I'm pretty sure of that.
First objective this weekend: get the 71 Suburban back home :)
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