Project λ^2 (Lambda Squared or Lambda II) - 1988 Chevrolet C1500 Extended Cab

IMO, once a car starts doing that, its meant to retired. It sounds like your going to keep having issues down the road. I understand the truck has been in your family a long time, but cars die just like family members do, and it sounds like your going to have to keep putting it on life support. On a side note, you could always replace the engine, that would work out a lot better. Because its a Chevy, and most likely a common engine, you should be able to find one, and at a reasonable price.

PS: OMFGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG RdHoltz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where the f#ck have you been?????????????????? I missed you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have missed so much!

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Originally Posted by HiJackZX1

Because its a Chevy, and most likely a common engine, you should be able to find one, and at a reasonable price.

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If I had the facilities to, I'd swap the motor on the van with this one since they are (AFAIK) identical. Plus the one on the van has about 75000 miles less than the one on the truck.

On the plus side, I fixed my fuel gauge! :lol:

PS: Welcome back RDHoltz! Haven't seen you post anything in a while. Hope all is well.


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Originally Posted by freeflashstuff

I get blue-white smoke when I start it up after it has been sitting for a couple of hours and the plug in #2 keeps fouling. On top of that, I'm losing coolant and oil

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That does sound like a head gasket issue, and possibly signals the need for rings.

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Originally Posted by HiJackZX1

IMO, once a car starts doing that, its meant to retired.

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Well, Chevy small-block V8s are almost bulletproof, and they can be rebuilt inexpensively. Chevy parts are easy to get, and hot rod magazines have articles all the time about the smallblock; it's been a hotrodder favorite for decades. You can even rebuild with a "fuel economy" cam if the original one's lobes are too worn. Much of what you'd replace depends on condition and budget.

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Originally Posted by freeflashstuff

If I had the facilities to, I'd swap the motor on the van with this one since they are (AFAIK) identical. Plus the one on the van has about 75000 miles less than the one on the truck.

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If the truck is otherwise sound, the swap sounds like a really good plan. They're probably both 350cid engines. The truck is more likely to be a four-bolt main, so it would be the stronger engine for rodding, but the standard 350 has long been known as a very reliable engine.

They'd swap pretty easily; you'd just be swapping in the basic engine (and transmission), and using mostly the accessories from the truck. Transmissions are likely similar if not identical, meaning you could swap the whole package. If they're identical, then you won't even need to worry about a driveshaft length mod.

Note that getting the engine out of the van requires that you pull almost the whole front end off. It's a PITA, but do-able. All you'd really need are standard tools and an engine hoist. Look on Craigslist for a simple engine hoist; they're $100 -- and sometimes less -- around here. As a last resort, you can get a new 1-ton unit at Harbor Freight for $160 plus freight.

You might also check and see which vehicle has the lowest numerical axle ratio, and use that axle in the truck for fuel economy.

You might consider getting a manual on the truck from the auto parts store; it will guide you through the process. When you do the swap, get your camera out and document everything you do as you take out the systems -- every disconnection, every bracket and brace, every sub-assembly. Then you'll know what goes where, and you'll have a roadmap back to a running vehicle with no forgotten connections and mystery parts. Take your time and do it carefully. Patience and good photo documentation pay off.

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Originally Posted by HiJackZX1

PS: OMFGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG RdHoltz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where the f#ck have you been?????????????????? I missed you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have missed so much!

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Originally Posted by freeflashstuff

PS: Welcome back RDHoltz! Haven't seen you post anything in a while. Hope all is well.

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Thanks, guys. We got the shop pretty well done, and the contract work is tapering off. All's well again. I've been lurking here for a little while, and am finally starting to gather pieces for more work on the carPC. It's been running fine, but it's time for an upgrade to Windows7, and possibly the addition of an SSD, so I've pulled it out of the car. I'll be on the road back to Michigan for a few weeks, but then I'll get back to Atlanta and get busy on it. Maybe I can even finish the dash, too . . .

** End of thread hijack ** (no pun intended, HiJack)

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Originally Posted by rdholtz

That does sound like a head gasket issue, and possibly signals the need for rings.

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If I got those taken care of, would I have to have the heads done too? That's what everyone keeps telling me (everyone = mechanics). I'd feel better if I heard it from someone who isn't out to get every single dime I have... (Plus, I'm about to finish rebuilding my personal desktop, and I need a new laptop, so I need all the money I can keep for those...)

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Originally Posted by rdholtz

Well, Chevy small-block V8s are almost bulletproof, and they can be rebuilt inexpensively. Chevy parts are easy to get, and hot rod magazines have articles all the time about the smallblock; it's been a hotrodder favorite for decades. You can even rebuild with a "fuel economy" cam if the original one's lobes are too worn. Much of what you'd replace depends on condition and budget.

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My points exactly. You can do so much with these older vehicles because there really isn't much of a computer holding you back.

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Originally Posted by rdholtz

If the truck is otherwise sound, the swap sounds like a really good plan. They're probably both 350cid engines. The truck is more likely to be a four-bolt main, so it would be the stronger engine for rodding, but the standard 350 has long been known as a very reliable engine.

They'd swap pretty easily; you'd just be swapping in the basic engine (and transmission), and using mostly the accessories from the truck. Transmissions are likely similar if not identical, meaning you could swap the whole package. If they're identical, then you won't even need to worry about a driveshaft length mod.

Note that getting the engine out of the van requires that you pull almost the whole front end off. It's a PITA, but do-able. All you'd really need are standard tools and an engine hoist. Look on Craigslist for a simple engine hoist; they're $100 -- and sometimes less -- around here. As a last resort, you can get a new 1-ton unit at Harbor Freight for $160 plus freight.

You might also check and see which vehicle has the lowest numerical axle ratio, and use that axle in the truck for fuel economy.

You might consider getting a manual on the truck from the auto parts store; it will guide you through the process. When you do the swap, get your camera out and document everything you do as you take out the systems -- every disconnection, every bracket and brace, every sub-assembly. Then you'll know what goes where, and you'll have a roadmap back to a running vehicle with no forgotten connections and mystery parts. Take your time and do it carefully. Patience and good photo documentation pay off.

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I have a Haynes manual for the truck somewhere... I'd just have to find it. :doh: All of that sounds like it might be a bit time-consuming, and time is something I don't have. I think it would just be better to have it rebuilt if that's what it came down to.

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Originally Posted by rdholtz

** End of thread hijack ** (no pun intended, HiJack)

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:lol:

Whether the head needs to be machined is only known after having it checked. When we didn't have a machine shop handy, we'd just stick new head gaskets in, go through the headbolt torquing process (there's a specific pattern you use), and see what we got. A gasket set is pretty cheap. Sometimes we were lucky.

The real question is what caused the gasket to fail. Was the system overheated?

You're absolutely right: all this remove, repair, reinstall stuff takes time. But, on the truck, you could put replace the head gaskets without removing the engine from the vehicle (it would be a lot less easy on the van). Removing and replacing a set of head gaskets would take less time than pulling the whole engine and then reinstalling it after (someone) rebuilds it.

You could pull the head and have a shop check it. If it's okay, your cost is a gasket set and time. If the heads need to be machined (it's probably the same price to machine one or both, since they'll set them on the grinder at the same time, and it's best to do both) you'll have to decide which way is better: fix the truck engine or swap in the van engine. Either way, it might be a great opportunity to get some good Dad time in.

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Originally Posted by rdholtz

Whether the head needs to be machined is only known after having it checked. When we didn't have a machine shop handy, we'd just stick new head gaskets in, go through the headbolt torquing process (there's a specific pattern you use), and see what we got. A gasket set is pretty cheap. Sometimes we were lucky.

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That may be the best first choice to try...

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Originally Posted by rdholtz

The real question is what caused the gasket to fail. Was the system overheated?

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Well, my brother "borrowed" it one year to "take hunting" and we didn't get it back until 2 1/2 years later and it had no coolant in the reservoir and the temp gauge is (and has been) stuck at the max since we got it back, so I would say it overheated several times... I keep the reservoir topped off as much as possible though.

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Originally Posted by rdholtz

You're absolutely right: all this remove, repair, reinstall stuff takes time. But, on the truck, you could put replace the head gaskets without removing the engine from the vehicle (it would be a lot less easy on the van). Removing and replacing a set of head gaskets would take less time than pulling the whole engine and then reinstalling it after (someone) rebuilds it.

You could pull the head and have a shop check it. If it's okay, your cost is a gasket set and time. If the heads need to be machined (it's probably the same price to machine one or both, since they'll set them on the grinder at the same time, and it's best to do both) you'll have to decide which way is better: fix the truck engine or swap in the van engine. Either way, it might be a great opportunity to get some good Dad time in.

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The Dad time would be minimal at best because I have classes during the week, classes during the weekend (sometimes), and church on Sundays. But I guess it's better than none, right? :lol:

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Originally Posted by freeflashstuff

. . . it had no coolant in the reservoir and the temp gauge is (and has been) stuck at the max since we got it back, so I would say it overheated several times . . .

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Yeah, I'd say it's been abused, then. If you're lucky, those tough old heads just need gaskets. If that doesn't work, just milling or grinding them flat shouldn't be too bad an expense, depending on where you take them. You can call around and get prices. You're just looking for a cleanup, but it's just about the same amount of work as a major milling. Make sure you invest a good amount of time cleaning them up; you don't want any particles from the machining to stay in them. The shop may give them a good bath before returning them. Ask if they do; if they don't, ask what it would cost to run them through a good parts cleaning.

You might look at that cost of the machining and see if it wouldn't be easier to get the heads into the shop, rather than just replace the gasket and find out they have to go in anyway. How much is it worth to you to save the time of redoing the job?

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Originally Posted by freeflashstuff

The Dad time would be minimal at best because I have classes during the week, classes during the weekend (sometimes), and church on Sundays. But I guess it's better than none, right? :lol:

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Well, sometimes Sunday with Dad is as good for you as church. You're only going to have him for a while. We old guys just up and die, and then it's too late -- no more Dad time. And Vietnam veterans die younger than the rest of the population -- combat's a significant strain on us. My advice is to trade in some church time for Dad. That's a crucial bond in your development, even if it's a strain.

My Dad lived 'til last year, when he was 92, and I still didn't get enough of him. Now, people who knew him tell me stories about him -- stuff I never knew -- and I realize I could have known that nifty stuff if I'd spent more time with him. He was a warrior, too -- was in the Pacific theater in WWII. We traded stories a few times, but -- like most combat vets -- we mostly only talked to vets about them. It was a pretty good bond, though; combat is combat, no matter what war it is, and our experiences were surprisingly similar.

Get that Dad time in. These are formative times for you, and Dad's input will be very valuable. Yep, maybe sometimes he's cranky, and maybe sometimes it's like you're being a PITA. But he needs Son time and you need Dad time. It's amazing for your soul, and it adds sonshine to his life.

With a little luck, you can ask about his boyhood, and you'll hear some interesting stuff. Just sitting next to him in silence is a connection.

Don't pass on those opportunities . . .

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Originally Posted by rdholtz

Well, sometimes Sunday with Dad is as good for you as church. You're only going to have him for a while. We old guys just up and die, and then it's too late -- no more Dad time. And Vietnam veterans die younger than the rest of the population -- combat's a significant strain on us. My advice is to trade in some church time for Dad. That's a crucial bond in your development, even if it's a strain.

My Dad lived 'til last year, when he was 92, and I still didn't get enough of him. Now, people who knew him tell me stories about him -- stuff I never knew -- and I realize I could have known that nifty stuff if I'd spent more time with him. He was a warrior, too -- was in the Pacific theater in WWII. We traded stories a few times, but -- like most combat vets -- we mostly only talked to vets about them. It was a pretty good bond, though; combat is combat, no matter what war it is, and our experiences were surprisingly similar.

Get that Dad time in. These are formative times for you, and Dad's input will be very valuable. Yep, maybe sometimes he's cranky, and maybe sometimes it's like you're being a PITA. But he needs Son time and you need Dad time. It's amazing for your soul, and it adds sonshine to his life.

With a little luck, you can ask about his boyhood, and you'll hear some interesting stuff. Just sitting next to him in silence is a connection.

Don't pass on those opportunities . . .

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I think I'm gonna do this tomorrow/today (DST has my all messed up...). I was supposed to go help him with my truck (he's had it a week now trying to do the brakes). I've had his Dodge Ram 3500 Diesel Dually while he's been working on it, and while I like it (I learned how to drive a standard in it and even finished the original clutch off) I hate it because it's so hard to park at school. The girlfriend hates it because no matter what, it ALWAYS shifts hard.

We went to lunch Wednesday and she said, "I like your truck better..." :lol:
Me: "I like my truck better, too... But on the plus my Dad's paying for the diesel!"
GF: "Really? Then let's go to Roswell!"
Me: "I wish! He wrote down the odometer reading when he handed me the keys..."
GF: " :censored: "
Me: "Yep... :lol: "

So the local Autozone has the head gasket in stock, so we may go ahead and do that tomorrow, too. I think we're gonna replace the temperature sensor as well to see if we can get the temp gauge working, or if I'll have to order an after-market one. I'm looking at a plasma/LED Voltmeter, so if I need a temp gauge too, I'll order them both at the same time and save $5 on shipping. :)

Sounds like a plan..... I would hate to drive a Dually. My SUV is just about to big and thats Mid Size. One time I had to drive a huge truck, and it was manual shift. My leg hurt like a week from that d@mn clutch. The fastest speed was 65. When you hit 65 you feel like your going to fall over and die and or kill everyone on the road. I use to get so ****ed from trucks going slow on the highway and pass and cut them off. Now that I drove one I see why they go slow and everyone was cutting me off :-(. I also wont mention how many trees I destroyed trying to drive down certain roads.

As for parking, that was easy, I just decided to park the truck, which took up 3 spaces. When the meter man said, hey your taking up 3 spaces, I told him to go f$*k himself because it aint fitting no place else unless he wants me to double park in the street and cause traffic.

I got my truck back!!! Oh, how I missed my stereo system! Was at my dad's from 10:30am to 4:30pm. 6 hours to bleed the back brakes, put on the front ones, bleed them, replace the temperature sensor and cuss the instrument cluster for being messed up (The temp gauge is still stuck at 260 degrees...). So I got an aftermarket temp gauge and we're putting it in tomorrow after I get out of school. I'm gonna order my voltmeter tomorrow, too, hopefully. (Thanks OldSpark for the link to that awesome voltmeter on eBay!) Then I can tend to the engine, which, as far as I could tell today, didn't smoke when I started it up (knocking on wood here).

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