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88GMCtruck's 99 6.5L Towpig slow build.

Awesome Devin. I've been keeping my eyes out for a truck like that and haven't found anything. MN is full of gassers of that era, but diesels and especially stick shifts are few and far between. You got dang lucky with that truck.

Now for the real questions:
A. When the hell did this forum appear? I asked for it like a year and a half ago, LOL.
B. What's wrong w/ the 02?
C. Which is your favorite to drive?! :hihi:
 
Dad's 05 LLY said:
Awesome Devin. I've been keeping my eyes out for a truck like that and haven't found anything. MN is full of gassers of that era, but diesels and especially stick shifts are few and far between. You got dang lucky with that truck.

Now for the real questions:
A. When the hell did this forum appear? I asked for it like a year and a half ago, LOL.
B. What's wrong w/ the 02?
C. Which is your favorite to drive?! :hihi:
Click to expand...

Uhhhh, Ed what did I do?
 
I'm David. I was gonna say :p

Anyway. It was quite a search finding a 6.5L handshaker. I had been looking a few months and this just popped up one night, called and looked at it the next day.

A. This forum appeared a few weeks ago IIRC. I know a few other people asked for it, they created it and moved the project threads into it.
B. The 02 and the 88 have storm damage from asphalt shingles from the neighboring building. 88 just has paint damage, 02 has paint/glass/body damage.
c. I like driving all the trucks really. The 88 is just fun all around, the 02 is quite peppy, and the 99 is obviously the towpig. They are all quite comfortable to drive long distance. Right now the novelty of the 99 is still strong it being my first diesel pickup, and the fact that is gets better mileage then the other two and it can haul more people and stuff.
 
Been awhile since I have done much to the truck, but I figured I'd updated the thread. I recently graduated and am moving across the state, so I haven't had much time for mods, nor the money. Anyway, truck's running well. Recently made quite a trip with it and ended up getting 18.3 MPG mixed driving. Very soon here the truck will be put to use for it's primary purpose: towing. I'm going to load my travel trailer up like a u-haul, and I also borrowed my dad's 16' flat deck car trailer with 3' sideboards to load up. I'm curious to see how many trips it takes me, I'm figuring at minimum 3 back and forth, which will be about 1,800 miles total, about 1,500 of it towing.

I did pick up a autodim mirror at the wrecker's today.
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Few other things I have lying around for it as well. 4wd Valance
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Dick Cepek spot/fog lights. These will go in the valance, similar to the factory fogs on my 88.
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Few switches. Two fogs (for the spot and fog lights) and a rear A/C switch. It's a roller with Hi, Med, Lo and off positions. I'm going to use it for a high idle switch at some point.
2011-05-23_13-59-32_87.jpg
 
For sure! Luckily I have a month and a half to pack and move everything, so there is no rush.

A few weekends ago I pulled the hubs apart on the trailer and checked the brakes, bearings and grease, everything was in tip top shape. The trailer weighs roughly 3,600lbs dry with it's gear. It has 3,500lbs axles and the tires are rated at 2,038lbs each. So, I have a bit over 3,000lbs of cargo capacity, not that I will even come close to touching that anyway. Just nice to know I'm not overloading it though.
 
There are lots of switches for the later 400 trucks. I also have a rear hatch and rear wiper switch. Ones I don't have are DRL off and Aux Lamp.
 
Their is also an air bag switch it requires the key to turn it. Actualy anything like a knife or screwdriver will turn it.
Think I have one, can take a picture if you like
 
Louis, I haven't yet. It probably won't get chopped up till after the move as I have made a temporary PMD cooler under the hood with a CPU fan and heatsink. I'm all honesty, I might keep using it awhile, it really keep the PMD cool.
 
For those who didn't check the other thread, I ended up pulling the heads, oil pan, pump etc and cleaning the entire motor up, and re-assembling the motor with ARP studs and Fel-Pro gaskets. I also re-built the turbo as it has begun to rub the compressor housing. After re-assembly, it idled fine but the turbo was shot either the shaft was bent of the rubbing screwed with it because it sounded like an angry shop vac).

Fast forward another week, and I have replaced the GM8 with an ATT. Truck is together and working fine thus far, just waiting for the turbo to finish seasoning so I can give her a run.
 
Here she is. The A-Team Turbo.
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So, After seasoning the turbo and all that, I had some errands to run. So the first drive on this thing was with my father's 16' flat deck. On a side note, his trailer isn't just any normal utility trailer; He's put more money then he should have into the paint job (he did himself), is lowered with 16" aluminum wheels, LED lights, and stainless tie-down bars. There are 3' sideboards on it now, but typically there is a gullwing toolbox (that matches) on the front of the deck. I have the trailer at the moment to move my large furniture in the near future.
2011-06-11_13-08-46_617.jpg


So, my thoughts on the turbo?!
I put about 80 miles on the truck today towing this around (with just some light stuff on it). Turbo has an entirely different powerband than before. The low end isn't quite as strong feeling but the truck pulls much better once you spool that thing up. One thing I did notice is that my truck being a manual I'm in the boost much less while accelerating. I think that my crap 3" exhaust isn't letting the turbo breath quite as well as it could, it'll be upgraded as funds permit, as well as a tune to compliment everything. I did notice I can roll coal much easier now, which I think is a condition of this exhaust as well. But, it pulls really nice and smooth, even more so with a load behind it.

So, after all this driving around town and crap, I went and checked through everything. Oil is still nice, clear/golden colored; like it just came out of the container. Pressure hot at idle is about 25 PSI, driving about 40 PSI, give or take a few... So, everything seems to be working well and ready to rock, hopefully for many more thousand miles.

Seeing as everything checked out, and I move into my new place Wednesday this week, I loaded her up, and hooked up the trailer. Checked all 10 tires out, lights, brakes, and fluids. Helper bags are doing their job keeping the truck level. Here is the view of how things are loaded up.
2011-06-06_17-34-10_658.jpg

2011-06-04_20-48-52_719.jpg

2011-06-11_18-24-45_903.jpg

2011-06-11_18-24-28_915.jpg


So, tomorrow morning comes a 300 mile trek with the truck & trailer, so wish me luck on a safe and successful drive. :D

























































Oh that is right.... you wanted to hear what it sounds like! The exhaust. Man, the ATT changed it entirely. No more turbo whistle, just a slight turbine sound at idle and even more big block chevy rumble. When you let into it though, it sounds like the gates of hell have opened up. I like it :D
 
Just in the nick of time eh? You are one efficient wrench. The turbo should loosen up and really come into it's own. That's what all the ATT owners claim, anyway.

Best of luck David. Get some sleep!
 
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