So I've been MIA for awhile & a lot has happened:
got the Sierra Dropped 2/4
Fought with a shitty transmission for awhile
built a flat top 5.3 with a little cam
Got divorced (No contributions from yall on Mrs. Spent's Shiny and Expensive Items fund)
Sierra got smacked by a drunk driver
Bought it back & parted it out

 

Picked up a blown Tbss
replaced door pins, suspension & the transmission at a local shop
snapped the input shaft on a hard 1/2 shift. the shop replaced transmission under warranty
hydrolocked the 6.0 when the brick leaked & bent a rod
built the 6.0, then blew it up
built a 6.2,
smoked the clutches
ditched the awd & replaced the trans
suffered a bad lifter, rebuilt the 6.2
More 4l65 problems. replaced the trans with high dollar CPT
Hit a deer
fought overheating issues
more 4l60 problems, CPT fixed it
started pulling threads after so many head swaps
Found another block, swapped everything over, and then....
yep, transmission. broke input shaft on a wot 2/3 shift
4l80 swap. Decided I'd try my hand at rebuilding an auto....
aaaaand it didn't work out. Probably because of an issue with my Tcm repin & a tune problem
Pulled it back out & sent it off for a rebuild & a PCM 4l60 conversion harness (that's transmission #7 for those of you keeping up)
another brick leak & replacement
Just got that replaced & need to work on my trans tune.



I'm embarrassed about these calipers.... I later pulled them off & painted them


i sent the blower off to have it checked out & ported. Guy "fixed" the brick...



Got the new engine in & had an issue with surging which I thought was a problem with the blower. Decided to pull the belt off the blower to eliminate that possibility & encountered a runaway condition. 2 minutes of run time on this build:


Found a 6.2 shortblock, for sale in good condition. Popped a set of rings & bearings in it & ready to go.



I was still losing sleep over that runaway condition & hadn't figured it out until I noticed these witness marks on the heads:


I'd used aftermarket intake gaskets with the metal backing & had created 8 intake/vacuum leaks since the blower has shoulders:



Started tuning the 6.2 & the 4l60 didn't like awd shifts. decided it was time for the rwd conversion



Some guy was being a jackass on the way home, so I rolled into the throttle, but also enough for a downshift. 4l60 no likey boosted downshift


Truck was great for awhile, then developed a significant knock on my way to pick up a '68 C10. Found a lazy rocker on the side of the interstate, so a buddy came & towed me home on my own trailer. Sure there's a moral there....

Decided I'd try the whole deal out the top this time.


Well, there's the problem. Only set of Morrell's i've ever had an issue with





Have to use counter sunk valley bolts with the Maggie. I hate these ******* things





Figured out I could scoot the condenser over to the side. That helped a bunch

 

updated the headlights



A little 3m Carbon Fiber wrap


More cooling problems


Helper bags for the win


Time to pull the heads back off again.

Picked up a BeCool radiator & a set of fans this time





You know it's going to be a bad day when that bolt starts getting easier to turn halfway into the torque spec



Found out you can't helicoil these.


Big Serts are the ****! Also broke a tap trying to get the helicoil out. Figured I'd try out these new studs i came across. They're really impressive


and then a #$@%$ deer


Got that fixed rather quickly


Since I was still pushing coolant out, I decided to get another bare block & swap all my stuff over. Machine shop later found a low spot between 2 bores on the block




neighbor set a perfectly good parts washer out on the curb:


After I got the 6.2 together, I went back to tuning. on the 3rd wot pull, the input shaft let go on the 2/3 shift.

 

I sent the trans back to have CPT fix/ refreshen it. Ended up selling it on marketplace & had CPT ship it directly to the buyer.



All of my transmission problems are over! 4l80 swap time!


Well, that was short lived





After getting the PCM 4l80 conversion harness, the truck sat for awhile & then wouldn't crank when I went to move it. Found water on #8 again only this time a weak battery saved me from having another bent rod



Now i've found that the new lower control arms from 2 years ago had shitty bushings straight from rock auto. I pushed some new poly bushings into my old lowers & need to get this replaced to continue dialing everything in.

 

In the meantime, I really missed my rcsb, so picked up a 4.3 w't
quickly bought another to get the 5sp stuff out of it in prep for t56
swapped all the trans stuff over, & sold the blue one
Replaced door pins
dropped 4/6 & added helper bags
popped some Yukon's on






My take on a remote shifter setup & yeah.... I ran my remote bleeder inside for solo clutch bleeds







Tired of the saggy door:


and since I'm so Patriotic and already had a red & blue one.....
J/k I put a set of lifters in the white one & took advantage of the opportunity.



i guess you could say things are getting serious









Tada! low AND slow


I picked up an 06 grill & a SS bumper cover with some new lights.

 

Talked to the body shop about painting them on my way to Georgia & then, this.
F*&^&*^*^% B(*&*& Hit & ran on the interstate...... 480 miles from home
lucky for me there was a repair shop close by






The shop tried to tell me that the rack & pinion needed to be replaced & something about warranties, & liability & not able to align it....
I'd already scoped out an alternative when the Gomer Pyle tech couldn't drive a stick.
went next door, bought a tape measure, a hammer, a jack, a pair of stands & got busy




I set the toe with the tape measure & was back in the road in 2 hrs including the teledoc appointment in the middle of this that i'd forgotten about. I wasted more time dealing with the shop and the GHP

now i'm arguing with the insurance company over the value of an 18 year old, v6 truck

But I've already made my mind up which way this deal is going to go:

 

Damn son that is a lot of engines and transmissions...

I couldn't tell, you sold the TBSS?

 

I'm in the middle of building a stroker for the Camaro, too

Yeah, I still have it. Mostly just work around it since I'm too deep into it to sell it.

 

Wow, this is alot to take in. I think I want to wish you good luck and commend you for keeping at it as yes you've certainly been tested.