Big Block '82 Malibu wagon thrash
- Thread starter Ringers
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Got after the header install yesterday. Day after Christmas. Passenger side went pretty troublefree, except where the tube interfered with the lower A arm bracketry.
The Driver's side, a little more mods. The clamshell need some slicing-
But, fit Okay. I didn't want to use the headers that fit aroung the steering column, so went with the 64-74 Midsize GM.
A-arm mod
Close to the Proportioning valve, but they're coated headers, so they should fair out OK. We'll see.
The Gen 6 Big Blocks have a provision for oil cooling. The cast in block comes very close to the header, but fits.
Ready for srossmember mods
...And the last mod. The 6th gen BigBlock Crate motors, will not fit the crossmember. I gotta pull the engine for detail and engine bay detail, so at that point I'll just TIG in a piece of thinwall tube, to move the transition back a half inch or co. Well, BAck to work.
The Driver's side, a little more mods. The clamshell need some slicing-
But, fit Okay. I didn't want to use the headers that fit aroung the steering column, so went with the 64-74 Midsize GM.
A-arm mod
Close to the Proportioning valve, but they're coated headers, so they should fair out OK. We'll see.
The Gen 6 Big Blocks have a provision for oil cooling. The cast in block comes very close to the header, but fits.
Ready for srossmember mods
...And the last mod. The 6th gen BigBlock Crate motors, will not fit the crossmember. I gotta pull the engine for detail and engine bay detail, so at that point I'll just TIG in a piece of thinwall tube, to move the transition back a half inch or co. Well, BAck to work.
Many of us have gone with the Jeep Cherokee steering shaft, and got rid of the old rag joint shaft. There is a little more clearance as well. Plus the steering has a more positive feel to it.
Lookin' good so far. :wink:
Lookin' good so far. :wink:
I'll do the steering shaft. I think there's a few at the local yard! Thanks! Well, I yanked the motor tonight, left 'er hangin and dropped the pan and went to town. I didn't have any thinwall tube, so i just bent some 12 gauge around a hunk of aluminum pipe for the radii
I'll stuff the engine in tomorrow and see if things fit a little better....
I'll stuff the engine in tomorrow and see if things fit a little better....
Well, I got the bus back together New Years Eve. Fired it up and have zero issues! Thank Christ! That was a JOB I tell ya! Slapped the pan back on the 454, dropped the mill back in and it fits like a glove. Now, the trans goes to my pal for a look inside, I don't know what to look for, it was a cheapie out of a 92 Chev, so, it should have good guts. I gotta throw bags on a 98 Dually we picked up over the holiday, it has a power steering leak and one of the front tubular A-arms has a clunking bushing and we gotta run to souther cali next week to retreive a drag boat we left down there after the world finals. Here's the truck-
We all HATE the wheels, but It's got a 454, chipped, stainless headers, K&N. 4l80E, Eaton posi, DJM suspension, 4dr, leather, rear pan, HID lights, not a bad swing, plus it's green so it matches the Green boat. We've wanted this truck for some time and the owner had to have this 07 (or05) SS truck on our buddies lot, which we just so happenned to own, so a deal was struck. We're out of room so I met with a guy that has a shop/office in the 4000 sq.ft. range and I think we'll be having lunch and signing this coming week. Lots going on, but I'm trying to keep the wagon front and center!! Happy New Year!
We all HATE the wheels, but It's got a 454, chipped, stainless headers, K&N. 4l80E, Eaton posi, DJM suspension, 4dr, leather, rear pan, HID lights, not a bad swing, plus it's green so it matches the Green boat. We've wanted this truck for some time and the owner had to have this 07 (or05) SS truck on our buddies lot, which we just so happenned to own, so a deal was struck. We're out of room so I met with a guy that has a shop/office in the 4000 sq.ft. range and I think we'll be having lunch and signing this coming week. Lots going on, but I'm trying to keep the wagon front and center!! Happy New Year!
Wow your oil pan looks amazing..I wish I had the skills/confidence to mod an oil pan, I would be too afraid of is springing a leak and than have to pull the motor again...headers look real nice too..keep up the good work.
Thanks! It's not too difficult. It's all in the prep. Gotta be free of any and all petrol products and then it's just a matter of filler material and heat input. Anyhow, i got my trans back from my Trans guy. Checked out Good!! He threw in a Corvette servo and a differant second gear something or another, slapped it on the *ss and sent ot home with me. Now, while I was there, I asked about the speedo gear/sender. The 92 is an electronic speedo, with a reluctor wheel and a hall effect sensor. The G-Bodies have mechanicals. We pulled the tailshaft housing to access the reluctor. I had gotten this trans from a 92 Chev van and they have a different seall option for the vans and trucks. He asked which yoke I was going to use, I told him the car, so he knocked off the seal adapter and we pulled the reluctor off. There are two holes in the tailshaft. The rear hole is Corvette only, the front hole is all others. We grabbed a pink nylon drive gear and pressed it in place and inserted the retainer. While talking about junkyard transmissions, I got another little tidbit of info. When scrounging around, looking for transmissions, if the Torque converter is bare, it's factory. If it has been painted, its aftermarket replacemant! Wow! No sh*t! Now, THAT'S good info!! Mine was bare, but since the trans was so clean inside, he said the only thing that probably happenned, was it was a factory/dealer installed replacement, not a rebuild. Hmm, well, it's good to be back on the Wagon and I'm gonna go fab a crossmember. Oh yeah, a couple pan pics for fitment- Cheers!-Matt
OK, blasted the stock crossmember apart-
Did a little fitting and tacking-
and, it's finished to this point. Tomorrow, I'll grab a new trans mount, set the angle and weld a new perch in place.
If you do this type of mod to your crossmember, just don't cut the tube until there is no vertical member. You need to leave some material to have somewhat of an egg shaped tube at the top. The tube on these crossmember is only 3/16' thick, or so and will yield easily if only a horizontal plane is used for the member. Box it completely and you will retain the majority of the designed strength. They are designed conservatively from the factory, so there is a little wiggle room on how much you can remove and still be safe. Onward-
Did a little fitting and tacking-
and, it's finished to this point. Tomorrow, I'll grab a new trans mount, set the angle and weld a new perch in place.
If you do this type of mod to your crossmember, just don't cut the tube until there is no vertical member. You need to leave some material to have somewhat of an egg shaped tube at the top. The tube on these crossmember is only 3/16' thick, or so and will yield easily if only a horizontal plane is used for the member. Box it completely and you will retain the majority of the designed strength. They are designed conservatively from the factory, so there is a little wiggle room on how much you can remove and still be safe. Onward-
I like how you still have the rubber isolators on the end of the crossmemeber....thoses were only used on the v6 models right?
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