When the weather gets a bit better, I"ll be doing heads/cam/meth/smaller Radix pulley/90mm tb/Pacesetter lt's. I'm not going to crawl under the truck and do the headers so I thought that while the exhaust y pipe is down I'd have the them change the rod bolts over to ARP's.... just as a little insurance.

Is this a big project? A friend says it's a pretty big job to get that pan down. He thought that probably the cross member would have to come down and maybe the engine would have to be jacked up. If this is true then the ARP's are overkill and too much work to be worth it... at this stage. If the engine was out of the truck then I'd for sure do the rod bolts with ARP's but I'm thinkin I'll see if I can send them back. Whaddya think. (I also have this feeling, or second thought, that I should just leave well enough alone in the bottom end.... not mess with those cracked rods. Might have trouble getting clearances right etc. Getting more nervous as I type. How is Thunder at taking returns? )

Will the Pacesetters go on ok without too much hassle? Don't have to jack the engine up or anything to get them on? We'll be cutting the cats off the system. The headers have bungs welded on for the puter sensors and I see that the y pipe has bungs also. I have a wb 02 guage to install and wonder if I can use one of those bungs for the Dynojet wb 02 sensor I have ready to go on?

Sorry about all the ???? but inquiring minds want to know .... and I GREATLY appreciate your help. Thanks Jim

 

Jim

I just did the Pacesetter install with the 4WD Y-Pipe. I run a Vortech S/C and Tune with HP Tuners. I have the rear two O2's turned off but installed in the Y-Pipe bungs. My Y-pipe didn't have them so I had them welded in. I also added a bung for my LC-1. I am installing Stage 2 heads and cam next week so I left the y-pipes clamped to the headers so I could pull them when I do the heads. I also left the cats off. The headers went in easily from the bottom with plenty of clearance on my 2004 Avalanche. I am installing ARP's in the top half but I am still running a stock bottom. I pull 12 psi with the 3.12" pulley and have zero issues for the 6-7 months the S/C has been installed. Sometime later I will install dished pistons and rods with ARP's but for the now the stock bottom has been sufficient. Personally I think going in to the bottom for just bolts is not worth the hassle. My .02 cents.

Good luck

 

I dont know how hard it will be to do the rod bolts with the motor in the truck, but I blew my 5.3 cause of the rod bolts, so I am using the ARPs on the new motor. For me they were worth the insurance, but my engine was on a stand too.

 

Just use the rear passenger bung for the wideband. That will allow it to read both banks at that point. The crossmemeber drops out very easily, 4 bolts I think, removing the oil pan is no big deal. With the cracked rods you don't have to worry about messing with the oil tollerances by changing bolts. The old style rods with rod studs and nuts are pressed into the rod itself and actually change the roundness of the rod end, that is why you have to resize those. I would go ahead and do the rod bolts now. Look on the bright side, laying on your back shouldn't bother your knee

 

yeah its actually easy to take off the crossmember on the 2wd just 4 bolts and its off the some extensions and i would use the 1/4" ratchet for the back side oil pan bolts little easier to get in there. i had to take off snake eaters pan when i did the cam change i drop a damn bolt down in there but it took about 20 mins or so and i got it out. i will be doing these nolts to mine soon also but i got a 4wd so it kinda sucks.

 

Why are you cutting the cats? You can just take off the old manifolds and Stock Y pipe and just bolt up the new Pacesetters and Y pipe. That way your old stuff isnt ruined if you needed it or sell them. I just stick the O2 sensor in the bung for rear 02 on the passenger side and they are turned off anyway.
I would do the ARP bolts if you arent planning on a 6.0 in the near future. You will need them at 6500+rpm.

 

Don't want the cats. I'm not going to need them. This truck won't be returned to stock.

There won't be a next time. I'm 63 and this is my last truck/hotrod. I"ll have this one for the duration.... or until I"m too old to drive it or build it more. Consequently all my plans are based on a future plan to make it go quicker. There is no "next time I"ll do it this way or that way".. there will be no next time, just a continuation of this build. The only thing that will be happening to this truck is a plan to make it go quicker. If I"m not satisfied with the heads/cam that are soon coming then it'll be time for the 402.

 

Sounds like there is a new guy gunning for the #1 Radix spot!
I would take a very serious look at how far you want to go now. The Radix, while extremely impressive isnt going to give you the CFM of a well sized turbo when you start tallking 402 area. Ive gotten all I can out of my vortech and Im now going turbo since I want more. I think being #1 in the STS crowd would be a good goal. Im going with a 370. I think a GT70, heads, cam, etc could get me very close.

 

Lookin for the growl, the lumpy idle, the scream, the unmistakeable scent of fuel and hot rubber.

 

If you are looking for a nasty street truck with insane off idle torque I think your gameplan is dead on. Thats going to be a bad *** truck without question!! Keep us posted.