_zebra

iTrader: (5)

it'll be even better after you reinstall the trim under the back glass

RedXray

Installed the new cab vents.

They have been re-designed with MUCH beefier rubber windows. You can see in the photo the difference in the thickness between the two. The old rubbers measure 0.023 in thickness whereas the new rubbers are 0.081 over three times as thick.

You can see the old rubbers have deformed through the years allowing road noise into the cab.

Easy to see the thickness between the two rubbers.



New



And Installed

_zebra

iTrader: (5)

good thing... you sure don't want your rubbers to allow unwanted things past them. and them being thicker sounds like it'd make for more overall satisfaction.

RedXray

Third weekend in a row the Carolina's are getting SNOW It's been over 20 years since we've had this much winter precip! Global Warming my ***

So being grounded again this weekend I decided to change the 4L60's fluid and filter. The Performabuilt level 2 has just over 20,000 miles since last filter change. The fluid was a little darker than I'd hoped for. Not black or burnt but dark in the drain pan.

The biggest pain is you have to remove the complete exhaust system except the headers.



Pan off new AC Delco filter installed






Clean pan & bolts



Pan installed



I think I'll relax with a couple cold beers before I tackle installing the exhaust... worst part of the job lol

_zebra

iTrader: (5)

makes me glad the nv3500, nv4500, ar5, and g56 all just have simple drain & fill plugs. not 100% sure on the t56 since i ain't changed its fluid (happened during the rebuild)

RedXray

Finished... added 4qts of fluid going to wait awhile before firing it up in order to let the hi temp RTV setup on the collectors and X pipe. The snow left just a trace which I'm sure the roads will be clear by noon. Finish up this beer then it's nighty night.


Yeah I miss my Muncie M22 and Super-T-10 days way back in the olden days.

So happy I swapped to a pan with a drain plug making this filter change easier with just a few drops on the floor. The non drain pans "spill & fill" made such a mess! I had to wrestle with the (soft shallow) stripped drain bolt head then replaced with a plug that has a deeper hex.

RedXray

Today's high is in the 30's so getting the transmission up to temp for proper fluid amount I came up with two choices... turn off the cooling fans in HP Tuners or tape up the grills.

I chose the latter option...

Taping off the grills like a NASCAR crew chief sparked the redneck in me so with an Amazon box and some duct tape I went to work!

I left the lower grill just above the "splitter" open on the ends for brake cooling. It was a choice between more down force or brake cooling... I chose the latter again. The truck owner overlooked the work and approved then handed me two sponsor stickers which I applied per the NASCAR contingency program. Then hit the hwy for testing





The test was a 100% success with engine temps around 200* and transmission temps equal to my summer driving temps around 150* degrees.



Added 1.5 quarts and the level is perfect (total 5.5 quarts).

Smithsonite

Just read through this whole thing from the beginning - NICE work, brother! Sure wish I lived in Dixie! I've been wanting out of this hellhole for years, but the wife is not onboard with the idea (yet, anyway). I could never keep anything that rust free and clean up here. Our vehicles get blasted with car-dissolving white crap every single time there's a hint of moisture on the roads this time of year. My black truck is white right now. '07 Silverado 1500, been in my garage at night since day 1, and the fenders rotted through a couple years ago! I spray the undercarriage down with used motor oil every fall, so that's the only reason this thing's still alive right now.

I threw a Performabuilt Heavy Hauler in mine, with the optional 5-pinion planets, Beast sunshell, and Sunnax Smart-Tech drum. Only got 103k out of the OE 4L60E. The rear end failed at 97k - upgraded that to an air-actuated Ox Locker, so no more one-tire fires, lol. I was planning on doing a 6.0 swap, but I just realized my low oil pressure was due to an old Amsoil oil filter I was running - changed it last night and my pressure went up 14psi on a cold start. With that in mind, I'm planning on a Magnuson supercharger. I tow heavy and often, so that will be a welcome addition. I've got the same Tru-Cool cooler you've got there. I have to say, the PeformaBuilt is the BEST transmission, hands down, I have EVER run! It's built pretty much the same as yours, only the shifts are mellowed out a bit so I don't break stuff when I've got a load onboard. Just doing the trans swap made this truck feel like it gained 100 ft.lbs. of torque - it works that good! The power adder is supposed to add 120 RWHP - that'll be nice! Stupid money, though. Might be a while to get the funds, especially with heating oil up here costing me $3.50 a gallon x 240 gallons ... which barely makes it 5 weeks this time of year. Dreamin' of Dixie!!

I can't seem to find (or remember the brand ...) the part where you installed the timing set. What brand did you go with, and how's that been holding up? I remember it was Performance ... something ... Not a brand I was familiar with. Have to be super careful these days with parts brands, so I make sure to do TONS of research before buying. I've never seen so many bad new parts right out of the box as in the past 10 years. The last 5 have been the worst ever!

Before I do the power adder, I've got to do a AFM delete, and install a cam. Looks like I'll be going with a BTR Truck Norris cam - seems to be the best all around gains for what I'm doing. Going to leave the stock 243 heads.

Here's what mine looks like now ... That crap takes YEARS off the vehicle's lifespan. I run nicer chrome wheels in the summer. No sense destroying them in this crap.

zz454Chevelle67

To a Texas boy that looks really cold. I`m gunna stop whining now about the 33 degrees this morning.

Smithsonite

When I took that picture it was about 12°. Yesterday it was 57°. Snow is GONE! The saying up here goes, "If you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes", lol.