Posted: 2/9/2017 6:09:58 PM EDT
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Attached File Attached File Attached File So a few months ago I bought an 87 Suburban 350 tbi, its the 3/4ton model so it has a bit thicker frame and a 14bolt SF in the rear. Its at a friends property ~100miles away so work on it is/will be very slow. The purpose of this build is to have a family camping/ off road rig. Current plans: 1 ton axle swap 4.10 gears and Detroit locker in the rear. Fix everything else thats wrong with it, PS pump, AC, heat, re-connect emissions stuff (or diesel swap?), redo the seats, custom rear bumper for spare tire and fuel jugs. Eventually it will be tan and look like a cucv an "m1007" so to speak. |
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https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/122464/20161103-140525-143607.JPGhttps://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/122464/20161103-140636-143608.JPG https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/122464/20161104-150839-143611.JPG So a few months ago I bought an 87 Suburban 350 tbi, its the 3/4ton model so it has a bit thicker frame and a 14bolt SF in the rear. Its at a friends property ~100miles away so work on it is/will be very slow. The purpose of this build is to have a family camping/ off road rig. Current plans: 1 ton axle swap 4.10 gears and Detroit locker in the rear. Fix everything else thats wrong with it, PS pump, AC, heat, re-connect emissions stuff (or diesel swap?), redo the seats, custom rear bumper for spare tire and fuel jugs. Eventually it will be tan and look like a cucv an "m1007" so to speak. I have a buddy that has done this in a 99? Suburban. It's a bad ass rig. |
| Bought a 14 bolt ff axle today. It had 4.10 gears as well. just what I was looking for. Open carrier that will be getting a Detroit locker eventually. Only $100! I'll get a picture of it tomorrow when its light out. Its currently strapped in the bed of the pick up. |
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Cool. So easy to work on. I like everything on it except the compressor and wiring. They skimped on both and at this age it really shows. Hopefully you have manual windows so it won't really matter. If you run a/c a sanden conversion is so much better.
My old 89 on 35s with 4.56 got 13.5 mpg driven hard. Just a 350 K crate engine with TBI and pod spacers. |
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Attached File ETA: thanks to a local arfcommer I was able to buy a few more parts that this vehicle needs! |
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I love the V2500's. Grew up around those. Very stout, decent wheelers out of the box.
The front 10b is a little weak, but nothing that can't be fixed with a D60.  Also, plate that inner frame where the steering box connects to the frame. They tend to crack there. Also, there's a later Saginaw box that is bigger and stronger, but bolts into the stock location. I think it's a 90-91 V2500 box, or maybe a GMT-400 3500HD box? A little Googling would turn it up.
Give some thought to a straight-up 6.0L LS swap. 4BT would be neat, but the 6.0 generates over 3 times the HP and over 100ft-lbs of torque, in a very modern package. You'd be keeping it in the GM family, and the swap would be smooth. Edit: if it's a V2500, it's already got a 14b rear. 9.5" |
| I would keep the TBI. imo, with HP and MPG not being huge priorities, all things considered its the best engine GM has ever made. Minor mods and you can see 220ish HP with over 300 ft/lbs. If you are willing to get into tuning and using aftermarket stuff you get a lot more out of it. Sure those aren't huge numbers but its a very reliable setup with extremely cheap parts cost. |
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That'll be a cool rig. I love the square body Chevy's.
The 10 bolt front end will take quite a bit of abuse as long as you keep the open carrier. I've sent well over 400hp to them with very few axle or gear problems. I could never keep one together with a LS or locker though. And please don't swap in one of those old anemic oil burners 
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An LS swap would be much cheaper and simpler than a diesel swap. I know that the sub comes with the 14 bolt SF. That's why I go the full floater. Now I'm on the look out for a Dana 60. |
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I dunno, its possible to get a 6.2-6.5 diesel for under a grand. and only change would be a torque converter and larger radiator. But then no smog with a diesel. I know that the sub comes with the 14 bolt SF. That's why I go the full floater. Now I'm on the look out for a Dana 60. Yeah, but then you'd have a POS diesel engine. |
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Yeah, but then you'd have a POS diesel engine. Quoted:
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I dunno, its possible to get a 6.2-6.5 diesel for under a grand. and only change would be a torque converter and larger radiator. But then no smog with a diesel. I know that the sub comes with the 14 bolt SF. That's why I go the full floater. Now I'm on the look out for a Dana 60. Yeah, but then you'd have a POS diesel engine. How bad are the old GM diesels? |
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How bad are the old GM diesels? *Detroit They're trash. Betweenregular PMD failures, bad OE turbo placement and failures, low TQ/HP output, head cracking, block cracking, their dislike for modern USLD, and picky oil requirements, they're really not a good. If you must do an old diesel, Cummins 4BT/6BT is really the only real answer |
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*Detroit They're trash. Betweenregular PMD failures, bad OE turbo placement and failures, low TQ/HP output, head cracking, block cracking, their dislike for modern USLD, and picky oil requirements, they're really not a good. If you must do an old diesel, Cummins 4BT/6BT is really the only real answer Quoted:
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How bad are the old GM diesels? *Detroit They're trash. Betweenregular PMD failures, bad OE turbo placement and failures, low TQ/HP output, head cracking, block cracking, their dislike for modern USLD, and picky oil requirements, they're really not a good. If you must do an old diesel, Cummins 4BT/6BT is really the only real answer That response is much worse than I'd expected.
I take it that if you were bored enough to shop Suburbans on Craigslist and saw a solid 2500 with a diesel, you'd either completely ignore it or plan on swapping the engine with something friendly to the 4L80? |
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That response is much worse than I'd expected.
I take it that if you were bored enough to shop Suburbans on Craigslist and saw a solid 2500 with a diesel, you'd either completely ignore it or plan on swapping the engine with something friendly to the 4L80? Some folks love them, and are willing to overlook their time-bomb nature for their adorable MPG figures. With some serious work, 6.5's can make close to 600ft-lbs torque, but you still fight things like random pump-mounted driver failure, head failure, and block failure--and there's not really anything that can be done to mitigate against those. But yes, if I were looking, I'd be doing a LQ4/LQ9/L92 swap, and if it HAD to be diesel, 6BT Cummins. 4L80e or TH400 would be fine either way, plenty of adapter plates out there to run a 80e or TH400 with a Cummins if you wanted. Edit: Even a cheaply worked over 350SBC with Vortec heads, marine TBI setup, and an updated roller valvetrain would be plenty enough for a daily. |