M1007 - CUCV Suburban Clone Build Thread

[Barrman]

Sorry about the long post. However, as anyone who has read this thread can tell. Warthog gets on my case if I don't post up what is going on.

 

[Another Ahab]

Sorry about the long post. However, as anyone who has read this thread can tell. Warthog gets on my case if I don't post up what is going on.

No apologies of any kind needed, Brother; because if you don't post here then nobody's got anything to read about.

Don't mind me, I was just making conversation for its own sake.

 

[Warthog]

And everyone laughed at me as I was buying 'burbs and 1009s by the half dozen. Sure is nice to have your own parts house onsite....

And Tim, Valentines came and went and you didn't make a road trip to OKC. What is up with that?

 

[Barrman]

I can only manage road trips on that holiday if it falls on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday. It just didn't work out this year.

Yes, the spare parts nearby is very nice. I got the rear axle from the '90 removed Sunday morning. (G80 clean gear oil, no end seal leaks, no play pinion and spotless gears inside.) We pulled the Cowdog axle ( Open diff, goo or mud for gear oil, flopping pinion and gear oil soaked brake drums.) Monday morning and got the '90 one in good enough by Monday afternoon. I finally had time last night to bolt an axle back onto the '90. Tonight I get to flat tow it back to its designated spot on my fence line.

We have spent the last few days cleaning up all 4 sets of brake parts and picking the best two to go on the Cowdog. I was going to buy new wheel cylinders at $11.00 or so each. But the ones on the '90 are spotless inside and had nice clean fluid sitting in them. I will just clean and replace.

I have the aux circuit panel installed on the front of the center console now. Once we get the brakes on the rear I can lower the truck down enough to rip the front seats back out, pull the front carpet and run all the needed wires to put the interior pretty much together for the last time. Or so I think.

All 3 M1009 radiators that came from Joe had barnacles inside. I took the one that looked the best outside and inside to a machine shop and it is all clean now. Once the brake system is redone and bled. Then we will start playing with the cooling system. No point to have the radiator in the way if I have to pull the proportioning valve out or something like that.

We have lengthened the transfer case shift connecting rod 1.25 inches so it fits now. We did the transfer case to engine strut/brace 2 inches but I haven't put it on yet to see if that is going to fit. The transmission shift rod has gained 2 inches as well. We still haven't relocated the frame side of the shift arm mount though. Soon.

No school tomorrow for meetings so that is all that will happen this week.

 

[Warthog]

Don't forget to check the front axle. It may be in the same shape. Also flush the brake lines before hooking them up to the clean cylinders. Looking forward to the first test drive.

 

[Barrman]

I have the truck on a 4 post Hunter alignment lift. The wheels free jacks at either end of the lift require the lift be raised a few feet up. That makes getting in and out of the interior an exercise routine. It is only a few inches difference, but every little bit helps my aging knees.

Plus except for gear oil. The rear is basically a no more cash out of pocket item. We will probably get the axle mounted brakelines cleaned out and the brakes totally redone next week.

The front is going to be expensive. New rotors are needed. Plus bearings probably, axle u-joints, seals, that inner pin roller bearing, ball joints and calipers. Tie rod ends and drag link end as well. I can't do that this month. The differential cover will get pulled soon just to see though.

 

[True Knight]

It's coming along nicely! Maybe I missed it, but did you end up getting the Compushift controller? From what it sounds like, if I ever need to get a new controller I'll be getting one from them!

 

[Maverick1701]

subbing to this thread. this is one AWESOME project! Keep up the awesome work sir!

 

[Barrman]

Thank you for the compliments.

No, no transmission controller yet. Those things cost money! Plus, if I had it then I might be tempted to throw a drive shaft on and see how it drives. It will be one of the last things I buy so I won't rush through other stuff to get it on the road. Plus I need to save up for one.

 

[Warthog]

Tim, What condition is the front axle from the'90? Is it a candidate for a swap also?

 

[Barrman]

We got the entire brake system vacuum cleaned out this morning. No more DOT 3 left as near as I can tell. The rear wheel cylinders were put back together and we had the same springs in the same locations with no left overs after putting the shoes on too. Drums are now round on the inside and shoes adjusted to just a little rub noise. Final adjustment will happen if needed after the system is bled and I get to feel the pedal.

I haven't pulled the front cover off either axle yet Joe. Unless the Cowdog differential area is just a rust zone I really don't see any need to swap them. 27 or 30 years old means ball joints, axle shaft u-joints, probably bearings and seals. If it is ok inside, the only gain from swapping might be not buying new rotors. Which to me isn't worth the time and effort of doing the swap.

Anybody have a reason why braided steel transmission cooling lines should not go over the transmission and run up the drivers side of the engine near the oil filter and motor mount? I didn't want the solid steel lines hanging under the torque converter and don't want the braided lines doing it either.

 

[86m1028]

Thanks for the updates
I don't see why you can't run the lines like that.
Please post the parts your using to do this.

 

[Barrman]

I pulled the front differential cover after posting the above yesterday afternoon. Clean oil came out and everything looks good inside. One less thing to worry about.

Transmission cooling will include the following:

Stock 1985 M1009 radiator that has been rodded out.

B&M 28K pound cooler. I don't have the part number in front of me. It is the biggest one I could find from them that is stacked plates.

-6 AN braided steel hose. I found a place on Ebay that sells the cooler and AN fittings and such with the hose. They normally sell 10' of hose with their kits. However, they put their phone number in the description so I called them. I got more hose and eliminated some of the fittings they normally include. I don't want to put the business name on here because I am sure they have ongoing auctions still which could be me in trouble. They are in Virginia though and very nice to deal with.

Summit was the source for the rest of the parts.
2-SUM220686B -6 x 45° hose end black for the cooler
1-SUM-220027 trans line adpt black which is the non taper fittings that have to fit into a 4L80E to -6 AN.
3-SUM-220687B -6 90° degree hose ends. These will come off the transmission and the 3rd one will go on the radiator and feed the line going to the cooler.

EDIT: The radiator cooler line is 5/16 inch inverted flare. Yet the radiator fitting is actually called 1/2-20. Russell part number "640330 adapter, inverted flare, straight, -6 (1/2"-20)" is what works to go to -6 AN.

I plan to run the radiator cooler, then the B&M air cooler then back to the transmission. The 1989 V1500 that donated some radiator mount parts had rubber baffles between the cowl opening and the a/c condenser to help channel the air flow. I think I have them fitted to stay on the Cowdog for the same purpose. There are lots of opinions about how to cool a transmission online.

Some run just an air to fluid cooler but the risk is not enough cooling efficiency in really hot weather and slow speed heavy load hill climbs. Along with too much cooling of the fluid in really cold weather. GM did both with the engine oil cooler over the run of 6.2/6.5 engines but always kept the transmission cooler in the radiator with adding an air to fluid cooler on later GMT 400 trucks. I figure they had some sound engineering reasons.

Then there is the cooler before the radiator or after the radiator debate. B&M who makes their money selling add on coolers says radiator first. So do most transmission web sites. The advantage is quicker warm up time for the fluid on cold starts and a more stable temperature over wide ranges of driving conditions. I am going to try it radiator first.

Since I will have an engine coolant temperature gauge, a transmission fluid temperature gauge and an engine oil temperature gauge. Engine oil cooler being just air to oil with no radiator stop. I will be able to watch the trends between the three. Hopefully I will be able to figure out what leads the charge to getting hot if I run hot. Or, if I am running too cool which I kind of doubt will be a problem here in Texas.

 

[The FLU farm]

If this trend catches on, my abandoned project is for sale. An '82 barn door diesel Sub with a Dynatrac rear axle (Detroit) and rebuilt front with True Trac (3.73 gears), built 6.5 w/turbo, TCI 4L80E with computer, Atlas transfer case, and more. Including an M1008 rear bumper, come to think of it.

 

[Barrman]

I never really have paid attention to the difference in gas and diesel radiators. I have a '89 K10 in my class with the 350 radiator. I brought in the CUCV radiator for the Cowdog the other day and went to put it in the truck this morning. After only looking at the gasser one. Those diesel ones are big! I like it. Hoses clear the turbo, cross over and the serpentine belt set up with a CUCV fan shroud.

 

[Barrman]

Got the heater hoses on this morning and went right to a cooling system pressure test. With a hand pump tester, it went right up to 12 psi. I walked away after not hearing any leaks. 5 minutes later it was sitting at 10 psi. UH oh! I did the hose in the ear sound test over every connection of the cooling system. Nothing. I am really stumped, because we pumped it back up and tried listening again. Nothing.

The hand pump is a few years old. Even though I couldn't hear any leaks at it or around it, that could be the issue. I have a powered coolant system flush machine that has a psi test setting. I might hook that up this afternoon and see if I get the same results. New heads, new head gaskets, new hoses, new water pump, new gaskets at both ends of both head cross overs, new heater core and a just rebuilt and supposedly tested radiator. I really don't want to take it all apart again.

 

[The FLU farm]

How about filling the system with plain water, for now, and look for leaks instead of trying to hear them?

 

[Barrman]

Using the air powered coolant flush machine I was able to hear a seep at one of the heater hose to heater core clamps. But, I couldn't hear anything else with the air of the machine working. This morning we went back to the hand pump and heater hose to the ear method.

Tilting the radiator toward the engine, leaning the fan shroud out of the way and crawling under the engine got us nothing. I don't have any spray bottles in my class due to a hyperactive "risk management" inspection team that comes through every week or two. The auto body teacher was here today I knew he had a few spray bottles hidden away. Once we had suds flying, we found bubbles at the front of the thermostat cover.

New gasket on a new thermostat put on with a gasket and 3M weather stripping adhesive (the black stuff in a tube.) We pulled it apart and cleaned it like crazy. We went back with just the aerosol Right Stuff gray sealant just a few minutes ago. We will pump it up again after lunch and see what we have.


While doing all of that, we also installed a M1009 front wiring harness and were able to test the marker lights, blinker lights, horn and headlights with a volt meter. All working light it should.

If the coolant system holds pressure this afternoon, I will fill it with coolant and fire the thing up. I want to get it up to full temperature and see how things work. Still no drive shafts installed or 4L80E controller so it won't be moving.

 

[Barrman]

Good news, bad news afternoon. The thermostat housing has no more leaks. But while spraying I saw bubbles at the base of the coolant crossover. I checked the other side and had a few there too. I sprayed the rear blocked off crossover passages and had bubbles there as well. 5 leaks at places all sealed with a factory gasket and weather stripping.

I have to spend most of tomorrow giving an OSHA 10 course and March 2 is a Texas state holiday. That means it will probably be late Friday before any more progress gets made.

 

[richingalveston]

Maybe a different gasket compound is needed. I use the high tack aviation gasket sealant and have had no problems on anything I have used it on.
It stays soft and sticky.
I just changed my valve covers back to gasket from the RTV. taking the other side of my valve cover off to replace the rtv, I found some spots that would probably leak.