This one is almost identical in looks to the last one I did except this one has had a dose of Viagra.

This is a 1988 GMC S-15 that I purchased from a nearby salvage yard for $500. It needs the stock 2.8 injector plugs replaced (which I have), and a complete redo of the front suspension (which I have started ordering the parts for). It has already gotten the tensioner and idler pulleys replaced.

Other than replacing the injector wiring, I don't plan to do anything else to it until I am ready to start swapping things out for the LS swap.

Plans are for a 6.0 and Turbo 400 combo.

I have quite a list of items already purchased and there is still a LOT more to go.

I already have front and rear shocks, 2 inch drop spindles, rear wheels, front tires, crank spacer and bolts, camshaft (BIG STICK 614/632), and some blue digital gauges for oil, volts, and water temp.

Below is what all I have spent so far.

Purchased for S-15 conversion as of 2/24/15



36.00 rear wheel studs
37.99 tach
279.98 rear wheels
108.00 front tires
72.60 motor mounts
49.99 motor mount plates (ls)
324.99 powerglide transbrake
500.00 4L80e transmission
42.99 flywheel spacer
24.99 extended bolts
10.00 fittings for powerglide cooler AN
23.00 fittings for 4L80e AN
153.10 both front fenders
5.42 door pins
9.79 LED dome lights
19.95 tailgate net
120.00 2 inch drop spindles
118.00 front shocks by caltrac
250.00 rear shocks by Rancho 9000
7.55 wheel valve stems BOLT IN
15.28 volt gauge blue
19.12 oil pressure gauge blue
171.99 tubular upper control arms
500.00 Cost of truck initially
===========================================
2900.73 total so far

 

Progress is going forward.

 

ol motor made some smoke!

 

Just to be clear here, that was the TIRES making the smoke... The 305,xxx motor left an oil trail like the Valdeez in Alaska. LOL I have a video of the first time trial I did. I am editing it now.


If I can get Mom's F150 running like it is supposed to be, I will be starting the teardown of the front clip of the S15 this weekend. Everything from the firewall forward.

 

I should have taken the hood off of mine also!! LOL

 

what did it end up running with the stock motor. is it a 6 cyl?

 

the pass in the video was a 12.04 1/8th mile.


yes, original 2.8L V6 automatic with 305k miles on it.


the fastest pass I got out of it was an 11.80 during trophy races (broke out of 12.0)
and I was hitting the brakes and letting off to try NOT to break out.


I plan to take that out in one assembly, clean it all up, and put it up for sale locally for 2 or 300$$.


Just to get a little bit back from it.


If I could find a tilt steering column that was for a stick shift truck I would be in hog heaven.


Since I will be running a floor shifter anyways.

 

I have to say, for this little engine having 305,xxx miles on it, it is amazingly easy to start unless its been sitting for a while. Then it's still fairly easy to start but with more cranking.


I have been quite impressed with the actual reliability of this truck. After all, I only paid $500 for it from a nearby salvage yard. Only issue I have run into is since I completed the rear end swap, there is now a massively annoying vibration that occurs right in that sweet spot between being on the gas and off the gas. That kind of cruising spot on the throttle where it just rides along, there is now a vibration that feels like its coming from up in the motor or up front. I am thinking its somewhere in the driveshaft assembly because I never had it do it before swapping the rear ends. And it is definitely not coming from out back when I feel it.


If I had to guess, I would say either carrier bearing or front U-joint. But, It doesn't matter because the motor and trans are coming out this weekend, hopefully. What will be fun is the changing over to a one piece driveshaft in this extended cab. I may be either cutting out or relocating a cross member under the truck where the carrier bearing sits. The driveshaft comes straight out of the back of the trans to that carrier bearing, then turns down to go to the rear end, or in the current case, turns down and points to the passenger side just a bit.


I have given consideration to having a piece of Plexiglas made that is about 1/4 inch thick and about a 6"x6" square that I can mount under the bed of the truck behind the rear axle so I can stick a GoPro under the bed and record the driveline. I say that thick because it should hold up to the vibrations of the truck and be tough enough to handle something possibly being tossed up and smacking it. I also have learned my lesson about cameras falling off so one of the mounting bolts will have a tether of some kind I can clip to the camera or suction cup mount to hold on to it in case it comes loose.


The -10AN to -6AN reducers came in today along with my 10 gallon sumped fuel cell.
So once I get the front end apart, I can then start cutting a big hole in the bed for the fuel cell. Last time I put it to the rear of the bed, but this time I think I will put it up at the front of the bed. Should save me between 5 and 8 feet total of steel braided AN fuel line moving it up front. Plus, I can still mount the battery and nitrous bottle out back if I need to. Last time I mounted the bottle, it was up front and I had 4 extra feet from a 14 foot line still sitting in the bed once it came through the hole.


As usual, more to come later on as things progress.


Below are a couple videos. First one is a slideshow of the progress I have made on the truck, most of it anyways. And the second one is the standard cab S10 93 model I built 2 years ago with a bone stock 5.3 and 125 hp nitrous. Only thing I did to that engine was swap it to carb, installed shorty headers (1 5/8 primary to 2 1/2 collector) and the trans was a manual valve body turbo 350 with a 4000 nitrous converter. Rear end was a BONE STOCK 3.08 geared and mini-spooled 28 spline from the factory with 146,000 miles on it. Tires were 26x10.5-15s.

 

The new slicks arrived today. Will have them swapped over to the right wheels for the truck. Gonna remove the street tires and wheels and hopefully they will be racing sunday so I can take it all over and try to sell it off. May have a couple other things to get rid of as well.


I plan to try to drop off the engine and crank Monday to the machine shop to see whats what on that assembly. Since one of the pistons was cracked, I may ask them to go ahead and bore it out so that the new pistons have a new cylinder to travel in. If he checks it out and says its all good, I will definitely have him hone the cylinder for better oil sealing. Then I get to find new pistons in standard bore.


I have read that the flat tops for the 4.8 are a good choice for bumping the compression up and they are usually readily available for cheap enough.


Gonna get the crank cleaned and polished also, and if necessary, turned.


All that and new rod, main, and cam bearings for the mondo bumpstick (614/632 112+4 on a 112 LSA) I have sitting on the bench, plus the 243 heads with Brian Tooley .660 double springs should make for a healthy combo.


Hopefully it all likes an 850 double pumper carb with a pro fogger nitrous kit for go fast goodies..


More to come as things get done.

 

This list is SO FAR outdated for what all I have spent now......