-
Welcome to The Truck Stop! We see you haven't REGISTERED yet.
Your truck knowledge is missing!
- Registration is FREE , all we need is your birthday and email. (We don't share ANY data with ANYONE)
- We have tons of knowledge here for your diesel truck!
- Post your own topics and reply to existing threads to help others out!
- NO ADS! The site is fully functional and ad free!
Problems registering? Click here to contact us!
Already registered, but need a PASSWORD RESET? CLICK HERE TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD!
Hello, just little story on my truck.
- Thread starter Kape
- Start date
btfarm
America First!
Welcome to The Truck Stop!
BIGR
Lucky To Be Here
Welcome to The Truck Stop. Nice looking truck, especially for the year model.
Will L.
Well-Known Member
Welcome, and nice rig. Love to here the before, during and after stories if you get time.
Damn nice truck all the way over in Finland. I know a 6.5 supplier there if you need some parts, or I might be able to help too?
Ok, let's start.
Truck has little colission damage on driver side when i get it,
it came from California to Finland.
There's some damage list, Front fender, front driver door, center link, Rear fender missing (there is some work to get it done.),Leaf spring was broken, rear end was missaligment, Rear wheel, and some other little parts combinations, ball joints,steering rods....
First, start on the engine swap.
Truck has little colission damage on driver side when i get it,
it came from California to Finland.
There's some damage list, Front fender, front driver door, center link, Rear fender missing (there is some work to get it done.),Leaf spring was broken, rear end was missaligment, Rear wheel, and some other little parts combinations, ball joints,steering rods....
First, start on the engine swap.
Last edited:
Then i take engine and transmission out of the G30 van.
Bumber off
Then i take off all parts on the front of that van.
When i buy that van i have to drove it about 200miles to get it home.So i have plenty of time to check the engine and transmission are working propely. That engine and transmission works perfect so i don't have to fix it first, it's save time and money...
Bumber off
Then i take off all parts on the front of that van.
When i buy that van i have to drove it about 200miles to get it home.So i have plenty of time to check the engine and transmission are working propely. That engine and transmission works perfect so i don't have to fix it first, it's save time and money...
Last edited:
Now i give the first try to install engine back to C30. I used original 454 motor mounts, all i have to to is just put passenger side motor mount to little bit upper than it was, then the Diesel engine was there.
I forgot to take pictures when i put engine back. but i try to tell something.
After engine was there, i have to get transmission 4L80E to place, exthaust pipes done and shifter leveller work.
I used 6.5 diesel exthaust down pipes, just cutting them and weld those pipes to original 454 pipes.
Because 4L80e is longer than TH400 there are some modifications have to done before shifer linkage works.
i get some support on 67-78 pickup forum to do that.
Just drilling the new hole to frame and extend the shifter rod little.
and there is it
only the hole missing the frame.
I forgot to take pictures when i put engine back. but i try to tell something.
After engine was there, i have to get transmission 4L80E to place, exthaust pipes done and shifter leveller work.
I used 6.5 diesel exthaust down pipes, just cutting them and weld those pipes to original 454 pipes.
Because 4L80e is longer than TH400 there are some modifications have to done before shifer linkage works.
i get some support on 67-78 pickup forum to do that.
Just drilling the new hole to frame and extend the shifter rod little.
and there is it
only the hole missing the frame.
that all happends in last summer, because truck is so big and my garage is small, I have work on my yard, so during autum and winter i have time to figured out some other issues to get solved, and get things ready for summer.
My friend is skillfull welder so we fix that rear alcoa wheel. that is where we start.
and there is the wheel fixed.
My friend is skillfull welder so we fix that rear alcoa wheel. that is where we start.
and there is the wheel fixed.
And what comes to Rear fender.
I ordered it from Texas, but maybe some mistake happend, when i get the fender it was about 3,7 inch short.
But i cut fender to half, and add some fiberclass between two halfs to get it correct lenght.
After all work fender was ready, that was my first fiberclass job, so it takes some time, but now i'm happy with that.
I ordered it from Texas, but maybe some mistake happend, when i get the fender it was about 3,7 inch short.
But i cut fender to half, and add some fiberclass between two halfs to get it correct lenght.
After all work fender was ready, that was my first fiberclass job, so it takes some time, but now i'm happy with that.
Other works need to be done before firing up first time the engine on C30.
Oil cooler lines, electrical works. etc.
So the truck has two piece drive shaft and 4L80 e was longer than TH400 i have to shortened first drive shaft. i get very usefull help on 67-78 forum.
And lucky for me , C30 truck has Fuel feed line and return line allready so all i have to do is just clean up those lines. And Duall tank selector valve shifts the lines correctly.
When i get all electrical work done i use external fuel feed to engine. Just a 6 litre plastic can ( it came for Russian made external engine heater so it has fuel feed and return lines all ready. So i plug those hoses to engine and after Winter Diesel engine fire up just first attempt. So i use original fuel pump to pump all gas out of the tanks. And when both tanks are empty of gas, I connect the Diesel return line to Truck return line and pump some diesel/gas liquide to plastic can. Doing that for several times, shifting the fuel tanks selector couple of times ,I'm sure there was no gas anymore on lines, so i removed external fuel supply and connect hoses back to truck.
Oil cooler lines, electrical works. etc.
So the truck has two piece drive shaft and 4L80 e was longer than TH400 i have to shortened first drive shaft. i get very usefull help on 67-78 forum.
And lucky for me , C30 truck has Fuel feed line and return line allready so all i have to do is just clean up those lines. And Duall tank selector valve shifts the lines correctly.
When i get all electrical work done i use external fuel feed to engine. Just a 6 litre plastic can ( it came for Russian made external engine heater so it has fuel feed and return lines all ready. So i plug those hoses to engine and after Winter Diesel engine fire up just first attempt. So i use original fuel pump to pump all gas out of the tanks. And when both tanks are empty of gas, I connect the Diesel return line to Truck return line and pump some diesel/gas liquide to plastic can. Doing that for several times, shifting the fuel tanks selector couple of times ,I'm sure there was no gas anymore on lines, so i removed external fuel supply and connect hoses back to truck.
Now the truck was ready to move to my friend garage to do some metal work and painting.
Driver side front fender is new, but door was used, door came out on 1985 suburban, We paint door and fender first on the back side, and then install them to truck and painted all driver side together.
Driver side front fender is new, but door was used, door came out on 1985 suburban, We paint door and fender first on the back side, and then install them to truck and painted all driver side together.
After painting
That time the transsmission only uses first gear, because electical work was under construction. I looked day after day those electrical drawings and find out in the G-vans uses external DRAC module, so i went to donor van and find that module, connecting it to C30 and get all gears to trans.
That time the transsmission only uses first gear, because electical work was under construction. I looked day after day those electrical drawings and find out in the G-vans uses external DRAC module, so i went to donor van and find that module, connecting it to C30 and get all gears to trans.
Next thing was put all parts back to truck, new front bumber,
And the speedo meter thing was very interesting also, 4L80-e uses electonic speedo and my truck uses cable driving speedo,
I want to built speedo that just use the original equipment, so i don't order cable-x box and all others what's are in the speedshops.
So i get the van instrument cluster and hook up wires to DRAC module to van speedo and i get it running.
That pic was taken to first test drive on that speedometer work.
After i know it's worked. i rebuilt the C30 original speedo with van speedo meter.
Thats is what is gonna look like.
some insulations on back of the speedo
So my Instument cluster looks like that now,
it has Voltmeter,RPM meter,Water temp, and oil pressure.
Rpm meter get pulses from the alternator.
Well after end ,very small story on the project, it takes so many hours work to get it running. but now it's working like a dream.
And the speedo meter thing was very interesting also, 4L80-e uses electonic speedo and my truck uses cable driving speedo,
I want to built speedo that just use the original equipment, so i don't order cable-x box and all others what's are in the speedshops.
So i get the van instrument cluster and hook up wires to DRAC module to van speedo and i get it running.
That pic was taken to first test drive on that speedometer work.After i know it's worked. i rebuilt the C30 original speedo with van speedo meter.
Thats is what is gonna look like.
some insulations on back of the speedo
So my Instument cluster looks like that now,
it has Voltmeter,RPM meter,Water temp, and oil pressure.
Rpm meter get pulses from the alternator.
Well after end ,very small story on the project, it takes so many hours work to get it running. but now it's working like a dream.
Thanks, Some day i will change injectors on the engine ,so maybe we keep in touch.
Will L.
Well-Known Member
Very nice job. Did you ever drive the truck before pulling the 454 for comparison?