Duramax in a Half Shell

malibu795

misspeelleerr
Apr 28, 2007
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in the buckeye state
nice score!!

BTW going to have to do alot of cutting to fit a dmax CAC in the rad support not sure hoe then engine mounts are goign to work out in that truck.. iirc the a parrell instead of staggered.
 

TheBac

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Apr 19, 2008
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Cool. I agree....traction is going to be interesting. My feeling is that I'll need to go to an old-school setup similar to a BB Nova or Camaro.

nice score!!

BTW going to have to do alot of cutting to fit a dmax CAC in the rad support not sure hoe then engine mounts are goign to work out in that truck.. iirc the a parrell instead of staggered.

The intermediate frame pads are offset for a DMax. As long as they bolt onto the 1/2ton's frame mounts they should work. Yes, it would be a lot of cutting to fit a Dmax rad/IC, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Thanks for the info, Adam.



Mitch, AJ....you guys are terrible. :roflmao:
 
Oct 16, 2008
948
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Idaho
Very cool Tom. Good luck on the build. Being that light of a truck it would probably knock down some decent MPG's if you decide to street it too.
 

crzycowboy

New member
May 21, 2012
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Good luck with the build Tom. I know a certain company that makes hood stack kits...that truck will need one I think...:D Just sayin'....LOL
 

TheBac

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Apr 19, 2008
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Are you planning on swapping the entire drive train over? Engine, trans, axles?
Yep.

Very cool Tom. Good luck on the build. Being that light of a truck it would probably knock down some decent MPG's if you decide to street it too.

Probably. :) I'll have to get with you about blankets. Thanks Levi.

Good luck with the build Tom. I know a certain company that makes hood stack kits...that truck will need one I think...:D Just sayin'....LOL
No hood stack. Bed stack probably (AJ...never on a DD, but for this truck Id accept it LOL). I was actually thinking about your company today when I was brainstorming things that I'll need. Thanks Josh.
 

crzycowboy

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May 21, 2012
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LOL I was only playin' about the hood stack. Buy hey if you need any help for the exhaust don't hesitate to ask man.
 

sweetdiesel

That's better
Aug 6, 2006
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Cool. I agree....traction is going to be interesting. My feeling is that I'll need to go to an old-school setup similar to a BB Nova or Camaro.



The intermediate frame pads are offset for a DMax. As long as they bolt onto the 1/2ton's frame mounts they should work. Yes, it would be a lot of cutting to fit a Dmax rad/IC, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Thanks for the info, Adam.



Mitch, AJ....you guys are terrible. :roflmao:


I'd put the rad in the back run a W/A intercooler and sit the motor as low and as far back as u can ..... And yes on a hood stack? Thought it was a drag truck??:D
 

Kennedy Diesel

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Mar 13, 2009
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For all the people who thought I was just "blowing smoke" about this idea.....

Found this on Craigslist yesterday, and brought it home today. 1999 Silverado, RC/SB/2wd. 4.3/5spd stick. Paid $800 for it. Well, actually Roni paid for it. Told her about it this morning, and she says, "When are you going to get it? I'll buy it for your Father's Day gift." To say I was :eek: is an understatement. Bang bang bang and 5 hours later I have the truck. I have a wonderful wife. :thumb:

No A/C, manual everything. New clutch, battery, alternator, etc. Tonneau and plastic bedliner. Exactly what I was looking for

Problem is, it will turn over, but wont start. Throws a P1351 code, must be in the ignition system somewhere. Truck hasnt been started in over 8 months. I would like to get it to run first so I know the condition of the motor and trans before pulling them.

Needs a windshield, new front bumper, P/S front fender, D/S rocker panel and bondo work above both rear wheel wells. Has a dent in the D/S rear of bed, but its not bad. Rear bumper is rotted out, but I have a rollpan for that.
Frame in typical Michigan shape (rusty but nothing bad), and floorpans and inner bed in good condition. Will need brakes, and lines will get replaced just to be safe. Underhood oily but looks intact. Electrical is in fine shape, everything works as it should.

Turned out the owner is an ex-Marine who was in the same unit as Dustin (othrgirl) too. Small world we live in, for sure.

Next on the agenda is to find an LLY or LBZ donor truck and start swapping parts. The plan is to transplant another motor in BBT (no injector worries anymore) and put the old reliable LB7/Merchant trans/11.5 under this truck.

Keep in mind that this crazy little plan of mine wont be done overnight, so please stay patient as work progresses. It'll be slow going.


I have a project like this sitting stalled out waiting on the fab guy for man I don't know 4-5 years now. It was started before my Dad passed I remember that much.

Might consider selling the rear 4 link "clip" with the 9" Strange rear separately and put the truck back together.
 

TheBac

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Apr 19, 2008
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Well heck, I didnt know you had a project like that going on, John. Sounds pretty cool.

I think some of you may have the wrong idea about my goals here. This isnt going to be some gazillion-HP, 8 or 9 second monster. Im hoping its just going to be a nice low 11 second play truck. Im not crazy, and I sure as heck dont have the six-figure income that some of you have in order to afford the constant breakage of driveline parts at +700hp.

Back to me finding parts....found an LBZ/6spd/11.5 up North, 225 miles away. Just have to call on it and see what shape everything is in.

What do you guys think of using a 10.5 rear axle instead of the 11.5? I think the 4.10 geared rear would probably work better than the 3.73s if I end up using nostalgia slicks, so Im looking at that.
Do you guys think using drop shackles will be ok? I know next to nothing about lowering a vehicle.
 

Dan@PPE

Diesel Enthusiast
Aug 8, 2006
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Well heck, I didnt know you had a project like that going on, John. Sounds pretty cool.

I think some of you may have the wrong idea about my goals here. This isnt going to be some gazillion-HP, 8 or 9 second monster. Im hoping its just going to be a nice low 11 second play truck. Im not crazy, and I sure as heck dont have the six-figure income that some of you have in order to afford the constant breakage of driveline parts at +700hp.

Back to me finding parts....found an LBZ/6spd/11.5 up North, 225 miles away. Just have to call on it and see what shape everything is in.

What do you guys think of using a 10.5 rear axle instead of the 11.5? I think the 4.10 geared rear would probably work better than the 3.73s if I end up using nostalgia slicks, so Im looking at that.
Do you guys think using drop shackles will be ok? I know next to nothing about lowering a vehicle.


Dont skimp on the rear end, if you do you WILL be sorry.
 

TheBac

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Apr 19, 2008
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The 10.5 is really that weak, Dan? is this another one of those, "Dont fix what aint broke" kind of things?
 

JoshH

Daggum farm truck
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Sweet project, Tom. I wouldn't put a heavy 3/4 or 1 ton axle in a light truck like that. When you don't have the weight, you don't need such a big axle. I also wouldn't put anything lower (numerically higher) than a 3.73 in the axle.

Oh, if the Marines I've been around are any indication of how they all are, never call a Marine an ex-Marine.
 

TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
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Apr 19, 2008
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Well, consider it a cost vs strength equation. Under that circumstance, the OEM 11.5 is a viable option, plus it'll bolt right onto the existing suspension. So would a 10.5.
Yes, weight is a compromise. Thinking the 4.10s considering the height of the rear tires I may have to run.

I remember Ben once mentioned a 6-lug floating rear out of a Denali that he thought was a strong unit. Looking it up, I think he meant the 9.5" ring gear, 14bolt AXN axle.

Yeah, sorry about the ex-marine remark. Not being a serviceman, I didnt think about it that way. Apologies to any people I offended.






Edit: Adding link for notes: http://www.performancetrucks.net/fo.../official-14-bolt-9-5-sf-truck-thread-467473/
 
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JoshH

Daggum farm truck
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I have no doubts the 10.5" 14 bolt will hold up to what you want to do, and I wouldn't be surprised if the 9.5" 14 bolt would survive back there as well. The nice thing about it is you can find them with a 6 lug bolt pattern to match the truck's current bolt pattern.
 

JoshH

Daggum farm truck
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Oh yeah, I just want to say I don't think you will be happy with 4.10 gears unless your rear tires are going to be HUGE!