88GMCtruck's 98 Silverado Towpig Build: "Black Fox"

[88gmctruck]

When I retire I definitely have plans to have a lot more time to do what I want to do. Camp, Fish, Hunt, Travel and some days not strike a lick at anything if the mood hits me.

I think back about 25 years ago, I use to do a lot of camping, fishing and a lot more hunting. Even helped farm 500 acres of land, one 400 acre farm was the best in this area. Those farms are gone now, but I still help take care of over 200 acres.

Have not been fishing in years and I look back at the old days and wonder how I found time to just take off and go.

I know what changed. I got married, settled down, keep up the mowing on three different properties now and work on a public job.

Retirement looks better and better each day. Then I will have some fun again my friend.

My father recently retired and is having the time of his life. Constant projects and such. I can't wait myself.... but i'm enjoying things as i can currently.

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Just a pair of 98 Silverados (dressed as Sierras) heading to the dunes!

 

[BIGR]

Enjoy life as you go, we are not promised tomorrow. Guys at work tell me if I didn't take 5 weeks of vacation a year, I could retire early. I often remind them that one has to take time off, relief some stress and reset from time to time in order to function.

 

[Will L.]

My Dad worked from 13 years old, retired USAF, then retired again as civil service for the AirForce. The second time was 14-16 months earlier than his plan- as a required medical retirement. Bought his first 4 wheeler 5 months before that for hunting trips. Only played on it about 20 minutes in the yard. Never got to take it hunting. Bedridden shortly after that little putput ride.

Biggest lesson he taught me in life. Do not plan on 5 years from now, you need to enjoy the family now. Get the work done you need to, but life can retire you before you retire your job.

 

[88gmctruck]

Very true words. I try to make living my life priority over my work, even though I do work a good amount I at least enjoy it and take the time to enjoy other things. If i had a choice I wouldn't work at all.

Anywho.... Stay tuned for more upgrades in the next while....

 

[btfarm]

I have yet to see a tombstone that says "I wish I had spent more time at work"... I enjoy my job (and the $ is good) but I like my time off to work on things more important to my life.

 

[88gmctruck]

I have yet to see a tombstone that says "I wish I had spent more time at work"... I enjoy my job (and the $ is good) but I like my time off to work on things more important to my life.

For sure! I like my job, it's interesting, but the rest of my life is so much more enjoyable.

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More upgrades!

I did this one awhile ago, but here is my custom vertical stack of switches - Top to bottom: LED lightbar, backup lights, and fog lights.

I hooked up the DRL indicator, with a bright LED behind it, as an indicator for the LED lights bar - kind of like a highbeam indicator. Sometimes I drive at night using it in the backroads, also a nice reminder it's on. :lol:

You might be wondering what happened to my cargo lamp switch? Well, I use the retainer and put it over by the headlight switch, which is actually where the aux switch would have been. Makes more sense to me.

I originally installed the small opening truck style overhead console with an S-10 trip computer. It worked OK, but they are pretty limited in function and the range is WAY off. I have had these sitting around awhile now, larger opening console with a modified panel to fit a 01-02 Denali/02 Escalade trip computer. It doesn't have compass or temp (my mirror does already) but it has about twice the features over the S-10 version, including 2 trip meters that give you Distance, Avg Speed, Avg MPG, and Gallons Used. There is also a 15-day history of top speed and miles driven, and a lifetime trip that will tell you the % of personal VS business trip... provided you set them :lol: I have had this DIC in my 2002 for years now.

Back in April i picked up a set of Denali/Escalade door switch panels. I have now completed the set with the Escalade pieces, and the Chrome door handles.
Before:

After adding some class.

Did you notice the round item between the switch panel and the speaker grille on the front door? The Denali/Escalade switch panels is you lose your tweeter speakers (strange that they didn't have them at all). I found a set of matching grey pillar tweeters out of a 03+ Escalade EXT... Drilled the holes and mounted them up.

 

[NVW]

Nice

 

[88gmctruck]

Added another Escalade part. Painted the dash bezel to match, and modified it for my switches. the SEM came out a touch lighter than the dash itself, will have to see what it looks like in the daylight.

My next project has hit a snag and might get delayed some, I will hopefully find out more tomorrow.

 

[Jorge6.5]

That truck has a classy looking interior

 

[88gmctruck]

Thanks!

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Oh joy... injectors again.

Lower intake gasket time....

All cleaned up

I ended up pulling the valve covers and will be re-gasketing them as well. I also found 2 of the exhaust manifold studs were broken off on the driver's side.... That won't be fun.

 

[Burning oil]

Were are the glow plugs and turbo?

 

[88gmctruck]

Hahaha tbh other than the fuel mileage the 454 is a great deal more reliable and doesn't overheat.

 

[Will L.]

I deny your reality and substitute my own. - Adam Savage.

 

[88gmctruck]

I deny your reality and substitute my own. - Adam Savage.

:lol: Hey, I've owned both. I miss the rattle of the 6.5L and the turbo, but.... yeah.

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Hrrrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggg

$214 worth of carbide bits... lets see how tonight goes.

 

[88gmctruck]

About 6 hours of drilling, grinding, ez-outing (those F*ckers aren't easy. They are a lie), and tapping but the exhaust studs are fixed. Ended up with 4 broken total, 2 each side. Only 1 of 4 I was able to cleanly extract, the rest were drilled and tapped. They aren't perfect but better than nothing.

Manifolds were re-installed with a new gaskets, with a liberal coating of marine grade anti-seize torqued to the standard 20 ft-lbs.

Gapped the new colder NGK plugs to .035". The previous set looked flawless when they came out as well.

Got all the plugs in, wires re-ran and the valve covers fully installed with new gaskets.

Finally coming back together after this little side adventure. Lets hope I can get the rest of the intake back together this evening.

 

[Ed HD]

They don't make aluminum-framed LIM gaskets for these?

 

[88gmctruck]

They don't make aluminum-framed LIM gaskets for these?

I'm not sure, to be quite honest...

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Nobody here caught on to the subtle hints...... so, here you go

Spent a bit of a late night wrenching, but, the deed is done.

To be honest, it seems so... unimpressive under there. Very OEM looking for the most part. There are a few things that bother me about the parts/install too.
- I can't swap a S/C belt without removing the upper fan shroud.
- The pulley brackets are huge aluminum chunks, and look a little out of place.
- Some of the lines/fittings don't look OEM
- The Whipple air filter setup (which I do not have) requires the pass battery be relocated, which wouldn't work as I run dual batteries. Because of this, you can't run a stock airbox and i'm running an open element currently.
- It's a PITA to align the S/C with the other pulleys. I already ate a belt...

BUT

It is very quiet at idle. You can't even tell it's there... Until you step on the throttle. Then there is a audible whine that steadily increases with RPM.

And, it's quick. The NV4500 definitely limits me on acceleration. From a rolling start in 2nd gear (same as first for an Auto) at about 1/2 throttle I can spin the tires and kick the truck sideways. Shifting the 3rd, if done quick enough, will carry the spin a little longer. On the freeway, gaining speed is easy, even uphill in OD. Downshift to 4th, and step on it... Lets just say from 60MPH to 90MPH comes very fast.

Curious to see how it reacts to the camper & the mountain pass.

But, tonight I need to fix the alignment on the S/C. The belt already skipped a tooth and bound up on the compressor...

 

[Jorge6.5]

Sweet super charger! How many lbs of boost. Were any changes done to the ECM?

 

[88gmctruck]

It's running 6 PSI - The tune was done by Westers Garage with the addition of 42lb injectors.

 

[btfarm]

Niiiiice