Hi shakey, It's never an easy decision around here...
I like real bumpers earthman!
bling that goes blang!!!
I've been wanting to build one of those 350 diesels. I've had a few.
use arp main and head studs, arp bolts in the rods, get everything magnafluxed...
i neer knew the reason they leaked was the rope rear main. a 460 lip seal fits.
IDK...
here's what I've got
1986 chevy dually was a 6.2 diesel running a 350 chevy in it right now.
1977 f150supercab full time 4x4 with a 460 and everything to switch it over from auto to stick and part time 4x4
1968 nova project
this 79 olds
engines
1 new pontiac 389 with a clutch. .o60 over with 6x heads, headers, and edelbrock performer rpm setup, victor intake, or offy dual quad.
1 1977 pontiac 400 needs new gaskets and reassembled
1 1971 pontiac 400 needs fully remachined
1 460 in the truck 375hp@4500 rpm 450+ ft-lb @4,000 rpm and 10.75:1 compression built for natural gas dual fuel pipedream. runs like hell on 91 octane, pings like hell on 89 octane
1 stock 460 for a spare
1 late model 390 truck engine new .030 over and .010 under never assembled
and a 69 buick 430 with a th400 from a 69 electra might need re ringed or new pistons, never had it apart yet.
Now the dually runs great but I towed a suburban on the tow dolly from Omaha to Grand Island and it was foot to the floor and 60-65 mph all the way. the mileage was between 6 and 7 loaded and 12 empty.
The truck has 3:21 gears and a diesel th400 tranny.
The ford ran great. I went from 8 city/5 interstate with the 400m to 7-8 city or loaded and 9-11 mpg highway empty with the moderately built high compression 460.... with full time 4x4.
I'm thinking with the dually leave it alone underpowered and live with it...
I could put in the pontiac 400, I have a bop turbo 400 to do it with and the headers...
or put a 6.2 diesel back in...or take this 4 speed allison 545 I have in the garage and mate it to a perkins 354 turbo diesel and put that in the dually. that setup would be too heavy for the ford.
Now with the ford I mulled over dropping in a 300 six for mileage and decided no.
It could get the 390,
I could leave the 460 in it and see how much the mileage improves after installing the lockouts, 4 speed, and part time transfer case.
I could install a 6.9 or 7.3 diesel in it and beef up the front coils with airbag inserts.
I could get really freaky and install an olds diesel in the ford with an automatic but there is that lack of power thing...and it would be the most difficult to do for the least benefit of any kind.
I had one in a 79 chevy 2x half ton and it pulled like a 305 gasser. got 30 mpg but wasn't a workhorse.
the 350 d I had in my 82 eldorado ran great till I ran it low on oil. it was a leaker.
I have to keep my engines tight, I forget to check them sometimes
The purpose for looking for another car was to have something to drive if the dually breaks down. my suspension is worn and i don't want to ruin my tires.
It needs new balljoints and a frame busings and all steering linkages. about $600 if I go with moog or trw. $300 if I go with Oreilly's. My brother was a mechanic for 10 years and said moog stayed tight and the cheap ones did not.
So It's going to be down a while for that.
My options on the olds are:
rebuild something
Put in my new pontiac 389
reassemble my used pontiac 400
buy this running 350 diesel for 250 and drop it in
or go through a350 diesel upgrading the bolts and gaskets.
I think dropping the $250 350 diesel in is the cheapest and fastest way to get it on the road and it will, I'm certain, get 18 city and 30 highway.
I'm probably not going to swap a diesel into the chevy or ford any time soon but i miss having one around. I went looking at some older used mercedes and bmw's but those are too small for me.
I heard it said that the caddy 425 could get 22mpg. I know where i can get one of those too.
I wonder what that buick would do for fuel? prolly 10?
i forgot I also have a low mileage 200r4
with the 16" rims I can get some good light truck tires instead of the half tread ripoff car tires.
what do you think...white letters out or in?
I used to get 12-15 with my pontiac 400's in my firebirds and the grand prix's and 18 highway on a fresh tune-up. I wonder what one would do with an overdrive. I'd prolly have to give up the 69 gto cam
to get the power band back down into the range of an overdrive tranny.
I have a fuel oil furnace in my garage and will eventually be installing a 250 gallon diesel tank.
If I modified the oilpan I could wait and buy a 6.2 to put in the olds but with the 350diesel I can run cutlass headers on it. there's one guy on youtube put a turbo on his 350d and it's still alive. timing is crucial. too much advance...or getting a little non-compressible water in the fuel will stretch or bust stock bolts, even bend rods. I can get a luminosity probe that screws into the glowplug hole and lets me use my timing light to time the thing when its running. there's been over 20 years of advancement on the 350 diesel since it earned a bad rep. I liked mine better than my 6.2 till i killed it...killed them both
not their fault but most people would blame the engine before they admit they goofed up.
so far I have 400 in the car 200 in the tow and 200 in the Greg Weld forged 16's
on track to staying on a rat budget even if it's a nicer ride.
planning to re dye the roof and work over the small rusty areas one at a time and blend in the paint. I might put in a new carpet it has a little mouse pee in it. the seats will clean up, throw a mexican blanket over the rear of the seat so it doesn't sun rot.
get a dash cover...the factory pad is perfect
definitely a new steering wheel. something simple and classic like black and chrome with a little dish to it. I don't feel comfortable palming a big lunky overstuffed wheel .
When I was putting on the tires it looked like the brakes were fairly new but rusted from sitting the 4 years since they threw the rod.
the tranny looks like it's never been out. who knows, she has 108k miles on her.
I love that interior...
I'm going to go sit in it before I hit the sack, see ya.
updated pic (in the sun) of the welds on the car
a pic of the $300 diesel regal I'm buying (waiting to hear on title)
and a bad idea?
