RowdyRebel

I could find the 12x1.25 tap, but no bolts. 7/16-20 seemed extremely close...larger than the 10mm, slightly smaller than the 12mm, and the threads are only about 1/4 thread off over the 1-1/2" long bolt. Close enough, so I picked up a pair of drill bits and a pair of taps (just in case I break one). Going to see if the holes are close enough to run the tap in with a wrench first...might solve the clearance issues of getting in there with a drill. Hell, might even weld a nut on the end of one of the drill bits to turn it by hand (slowly...) if I get to thinking that might be quicker/easier than dropping the transmission. Also picked up some thread paste (says it's "better than tape") and a stick of blue locktite. With the threads being a hair off, not sure which would be better to use to get things to stay put...guess I'll figure it out as I go. Anyway, pretty sure I've got what I need. Already 3:00 today and still got a few more stops to make while I'm up this way...probably be tomorrow before I get to work on it.

Most of what I'm finding as far as threaded inserts and helicoils, I'm afraid I'll have to pull the transmission back out of the way. While I've got a 2000# transmission jack, that 2180B is going to be pushing that to its limit...and I've got a choice between a gravel parking spot or a rough asphalt driveway to work in...neither one very friendly to rolling around a 2000#+ (transmission, gear oil, 2 PTO's, hydraulic pump, etc...) Prefer (if possible) to find an option that can be completed with the transmission in place.

Well that's not what I wanted to hear! Dern near a brand new clutch...just replaced 150K miles ago with the new motor. If the clutch goes, I'll look into the new bell housing, but for now looking at my options for making it work. Found some thread inserts at Fastenal ("only" $4.95/ea) that I'd have to drill & tap a 9/16-12 hole to screw in some brand new M10x1.25 threads...but they look to be special order only. Also found I could go with the cheaper wire inserts (helicoils), but I'm not having much luck in finding out how big of a hole they thread into. I've also found that M12x1.25 bolts are available...but have yet to find a source for them. I'd also need a tap that size. I figure if I upsize the bolt a little but can keep the thread pitch the same, I'd avoid the problems associated with cutting new threads and stuff not all aligning right. Unfortunately, money is extremely tight right now. Changed the name on the door to run under my buddy's numbers, and there was a 2 month delay while paperwork and everything got sorted out and put in place. Still owe on a brake overhaul (S-cams, slacks, etc...) and now that front diff that let go...so really not much room in the budget for a clutch right now. That and a full year's registration is due at the end of the month to renew my tags. I could really use a winning mega-millions ticket right about now...only a $421 million jackpot tomorrow night.

So I've been having this issue where my clutch is not maintaining adjustment. Started the other day as I was limping it home (front diff issues...done got another new one of those now)...the dadgum thing instead of having a little free play got to where it was stupid tight...as in it was completely disengaged before it would trip the clutch switch. I adjusted it to get it down to the local Mack (they put in another ReMack front diff) and I asked them to look at the clutch. "Nothing we can see wrong with it" they said. So today, I'm running and the clutch is gradually tightening up again. So, I adjusted it again at my 1st drop before heading on down the road to grab my backhaul. I noticed a couple bolts missing between the clutch and transmission...odd...but didn't really dawn on me. Anyway, clutch was snugging up some more on my way home, so I got under it with the creeper and found my problem. I've only got 4 bolts left holding the transmission to the bell housing...2 on the passenger side, and 2 at the bottom. I tried moving one of the bottom bolts to the driver's side, but apparently those holes are a little sloppy. Pretty sure the bolts are M10x35 1.25 pitch...was going to see about picking up some more to replace the missing bolts, but now think I'll have to see if I can't find M12 in a 1.25 pitch to re-tap the holes a little larger. If that won't work, I'll have to see about those helicoil things to repair the threads to the proper size. Anyway, snugged up the bolts and it pulled the transmission back up tight to the bell housing, and wouldn't you know the clutch pedal had about 60% free play? So, I had to adjust it back again to set it right. At least now I know if the clutch starts seeming like it's not maintaining adjustment, that I need to crawl under there with my 15mm wrench and snug it up again to get it back where it needs to be. Hopefully it gets me to the weekend where I'll have a couple days to see what I can do to fix it proper.

You might be a Redneck if... ...you dig through your closet and drawers and the ONLY green you can come up with to wear is either Mossy Oak or Realtree. True story. Even my boy is wearing camo today...his is an old school jungle print, though. Most important, though, is the corned beef simmering away in the crock pot with some taters, carrots, and onions. Ought to be done around the time the wife gets home from work.

You know, though, if it didn't happen on video it may as well have not happened at all. You've got a good cover story, but without video I'm thinking the Mrs found a greasy truck part in one of her clean kitchen appliances and introduced another kitchen utensil (rolling pin perhaps) to your noggin... ...just sayin'...

So I was messaging back and forth with a friend who found a 1-ton Ford crew cab 4x4 diesel with a long bed for a reasonable price...only problem is that it's an auto. Sure, I could swap it out for a manual, but then the dash and steering column won't ever really look right. That got me thinking about the old 3-on-the-tree manual transmissions, and how much work it would be to modify a few things to set up a 5 or 6 speed transmission to shift on the column. Would probably have to use a cable-type linkage like is found on a front wheel drive car, and probably need some modifications up in the steering column to ensure the range of motion necessary to facilitate hitting every gear. Would definitely add another level of WTF running through a potential carjacking thug's mind when he's trying to get it into gear to drive off...but more likely to happen is a good laugh when some "state certified inspector" wants to take it around the block as part of a test drive during a safety inspection when he can't figure it out. Anyway, don't have the time, money, or space to take on anything like that right now...but the more I think about it, the more I want to do it. I guess I'll put it on my bucket list.

Not necessarily. Courts have repeatedly ruled that the police do NOT have any "duty to respond" to any individual call, and therefore cannot be held liable for injuries sustained as a result of a delayed or totally absent response to a 911 call. ...and yet there are idiots who rely 100% upon those police to protect them. When seconds matter, the police are only minutes away. I read an ignorant post on Twitter yesterday about how the AR15 is the only weapon that can easily kill 17 people in 7 minutes. I had to chime in, because my 1866 Yellowboy ("new" replica of an 1866 Winchester rifle) in the hands of an evil person would be more than capable of that feat using 150+ year old technology, especially in the absence of any "good guys with guns" to stop the attack. Hell, a skilled individual can knock off a round every 15 seconds or so with a Revolutionary War era musket! That equates to 28 shots in those 7 minutes...more than enough to accomplish what can "only" be done with an AR15. Absolutely ridiculous what some uninformed people think they know.

I don't know anything other than the way my truck's kingpins seem to work (appear to be of the tapered variety). I remove the lock pin, unscrew and remove the bottom plate, pop the top cap off, and then position a roller thingamabobber from a previous brake change into the hole and give it a good thump and the pin usually drops right out. Of course in order to get the clearance to do that, I have to remove the brakes and hub assembly...tried it the first time without removing everything and wasted more time beating on the stupid thing than it would've taken to remove and reinstall the parts I was working around...and STILL had to pull them before I could finally get that stupid pin to drop. Now, I don't even attempt to knock the pin out until I've made room to work.

Sounds like you found the problem. Always best to use the wife's best pots for that sort of thing...wouldn't want to have to worry about inaccurate results due to inferior kitchen utensils.

I usually just grab the OEM filter...Motorcraft for my Fords, AC Delco for GM, and Mopar for Dodge. Always figured it'd be more difficult to deny a warranty or damage claim if it were all the same company.

Saw the insides of a Fram years ago during a similar comparison and was glad I'd never used them. Surprised the Walmart filter was as good as it was...craftsmanship (from the video) looked to be on par with the higher quality ones. Curious about the paper element, though...filtration, quality, etc...and how that would compare to a higher end filter.

Got a friend telling me I ought to spend $100 more for the air-gap intake (1500-6500) instead of the regular one (idle-5500)...but the cam I put in there is only idle-5000, so I'm not certain I'd see much benefit from that $100. Also, kicking myself for not looking into oem replacement manifolds when I put in the exhaust. Had I spent the $155 and pulled those ridiculous long tube headers off, I could've used the oem replacement Y-pipe without hacking it up and rewelding it to use all of the angles, and it probably wouldn't be leaking at the flanges where the rest of the exhaust bolts onto the headers. So, I'll probably do that as well. This thing needs more low and mid...so those high-flowing headers really aren't necessary and are causing more headaches than they are worth. Looking at Rochester remanned Quadrajets from Jet...not sure if I ought to go with the stage 1 or stage 2. Stage 1 says "This Carburetor is NOT intended for engines with RV or Performance type Camshafts" ...but the stage 2 says "Camshaft Specifications: Duration @ .050 Min. 210 Degrees, Max. 220 Degrees Lobe Seperation Angle 110 - 112 Degrees". My cam is 206 intake/210 exhaust, and 111 separation. In other words, I'm too modified for the stage 1, not quite modified enough for stage 2. Probably have to call and discuss and have it built. That's for an 800 cfm light truck carb. Roughly $1000 and hopefully I'll be able to get it dialed in. Probably be a few months, though...wait for warmer weather to be outside fiddling with it.

Welp, done screwed the pooch on the 454 hopes. Talked to my neighbor who likes to play in the mud and he said the 4wd malfunction was most likely the hubs not locking in...so he gave me a mismatched set of used manual lockers. He also had an old truck he was going to junk when prices come back up that had the window and window track I needed. So, we'll be all fixed up without spending a dime. Transfer case seemed to be working just fine the other day, spinning the front drive shaft while the rear tires were spinning (I was stuck). Crawled under there tonight and spun the drive shaft by hand and the axle shafts turned, so the spider gears are intact...which is a bit of a bummer, because it would've given me a perfect excuse to buy the Detroit Tru-track for that front axle. Want to do both, but they'll have to wait 'til I need one or both or have the spare cash laying around. Ain't cheap, but it'll make it a little more capable. So anyway, since I won't have a 454 laying around here, I've been looking at ways to maybe bring this 350 up to where I expect it to be. I'm thinking about ditching the stupid computer (too old to have any programmers I can tweak and fine tune). That means replacing the TBI intake manifold for a 4bbl carb manifold, putting a carburetor on it, regulating the fuel pressure down from 12 to 5 or 6 psi, and swapping the distributor out for one with vacuum advance instead of the electronic BS I have now. Moroso has a decent enough looking one that comes with various weight springs and such to adjust both mechanical and vacuum advance to tune it to suit your needs. I need to put an air/fuel mixture gauge on there to confirm my thoughts that it's running rich right now, which would explain a low-power/crappy fuel mileage scenario...I just don't have any way to correct that right now with the current computer controls. As soon as I get those locking hubs installed, I'll jack up the rear of the truck and see if the front axle will pull it off the jack stands. If it does, problem solved. If not, might still grab that old truck after all for the t-case. Guess time will tell.

Well, yesterday was just one of those days. Had to pick up the horse from the vet, and was going to take the F250 but decided the Suburban could handle it, and be more comfortable since the wife & kid would be with me. Got to the farm to grab the trailer, and as I was backing up to it, the rear was sliding sideways down the hill. So, I figured I'd pull up and start my approach higher to compensate. Put it in 4wd, and tried pulling forward. Spun the rear tires, sliding even closer to another trailer. Had to call the farmhand to pull me up the hill to try again backing in to hook to the trailer. So, I get out and unhook the chains, and I had the window about 3/4 of the way down so I could talk as we were working, and I'd be able to hear the boy if he woke up. Anyway, I climb back in the truck and pull the door closed and the damn driver's window shatters. So, needless to say the wife is OK with buying that old Chevy truck...transfer case, possibly front hubs (if not the entire axle), driver's side glass and window track... And she doesn't know it yet, but that 454 is going to happen if we buy that old truck. I'm just tired of a truck as thirsty as this thing is that still can't get out of its own way. I don't mind a thirsty truck IF it's got something to show for it...and a gutless wonder that sips fuel is somewhat tolerable for around town BS...but I absolutely have no use for a thirsty gutless wonder. The GM Performance 454 from Jegs ought to work well for what we're needing it for. 8.75:1 compression ought to even run on the cheap gas. 438 HP @ 5300 RPM 500 ft/lbs TQ @ 3500 RPM should work well with the 2200 stall torque converter I've got. Basically it'll be a "pull the 350 out, drop the 454 in, move the accessories from the old truck to the new motor" deal. Put a regulator in the fuel line (old truck has a mechanical pump on the motor...Suburban has the pump in the tank), new distributor (because why not?) and we're in business. Then I won't mind getting 10 mpg with it anymore, and it'll never feel like it's "struggling" to just run down the road, let alone pull a trailer with a horse or two inside.

Well, I might be in some hot water this summer. I'm not happy with the fact that I lost 2 mpg with the new engine...down to 9.25 mpg, which is back where it was with the old TH400. I was hoping for a 2 mpg change in the OTHER direction, and would've been happy with 12-14 mpg, considering it was already at 11.25 mpg with the old motor and 4L85E. That Vortec 350 just ain't doing what I thought it'd do, and to top it off it STILL feels sluggish. 1st gear it holds its own. 2nd gear is OK. 3rd it's a dog...and good luck if there is ANY kind of head wind and you're trying to run 4th gear. Anyway, I was looking. Jegs has 454 crate engines for less than $6300...which is what I wanted in the first place, but I was on a somewhat limited budget and a tight timeframe so a 350 to 350 swap seemed like the way to go. Now, the timeframe isn't so urgent, and I just got a line on a mid-80's 3/4 ton Chevy 4x4...regular cab, long bed for $500. If I can use the transfer case, it would be worth it just for that (I don't have low range in the Suburban...just grinds). Extra bonus? It has a 454 and TH400...meaning I could swap most of the accessories and brackets over (unless they are the same as what I've already got...new p/s pump, alternator, and a/c compressor). Probably put a new distributor and carburetor on, but that should pretty much be the only "extras" I'd have to buy. I don't mind a gas hog IF it can get out of its own way and pull a trailer with ease. Pisses me off, though, that my F250 with the 460 under the hood is more fuel efficient than the Suburban with the 350. I can do donuts on dry pavement in the F250...the Suburban can't even break a tire loose on gravel. It really is pathetic. Anyway, when I mentioned what I wanted to do to the wife, she says "We have enough money tied up in that thing." I'm not happy with it, though. My buddy's going to get back to me as to what t-case is in that old Chevy. I figure I could swap the t-cases, then when I pull what I need off it to swap the 454 into the Suburban, I can either drop the 350 into the old Chevy (probably have to buy a distributor and intake manifold and put an electric fuel pump then drop the old carb off the 454 on it) and try to sell it as a running truck for at least the $500+parts I needed to get it running, or just part it out and get back enough to offset some of the cost of the crate 454.

Saw a news clip the other day somewhere (Oregon perhaps?) they have a hedgehog...said hedgehogs have been used in Europe since before the US was a colony. I guess they couldn't use ground hogs back then 'til they got here to discover them since they are only naturally found here on this continent.

Sure would pay better than this truck driving thing his poppa decided to do...

Grocery is a different animal, too. Those 2 days that load is "late" means the food on board is 2 days closer to expiration, meaning the store has 2 days less to sell it before it needs to be tossed.

Ok, then when a truck shows up on time and has to wait for a door, is Walmart going to compensate the company for the late unload? Either it works both ways or it doesn't work either way. You want me there at a specific time, I'll be there. If you're going to "fine" me if I'm late, then you'd better be prepared to open your check book when I show up on time and you're not ready for me. No "2 hour window" anymore. Whatever your specified time frame is before a shipment is deemed "late", that's the length of time you have to assign a door for unloading and get to work. 30 minutes after bumping the dock, the truck needs to be empty and ready to roll. If you're going to have employees' breaks scheduled, you need to take that into consideration when scheduling trucks so that trucks that show up at their scheduled time don't have to sit and wait...because if they do, it'll cost you.