Ok, I was going to keep this a secret and just show up at the next gtg in the Formula. I am posting around with a few q's and I figured with some of you lurkers, it would get out.
My wifes ex called me saying he just got an 89 Suburban with a rebuilt 350 tbi with a Crane cam in it that I could buy for $400. I went up to look at it and hear it run. It had no leaks, clean oil/coolant and didn't smoke at all. I went up the next day, pulled it and got it home.
I really don't want to do the LS1 swap piece by piece and I couldn't stand looking at it sitting anymore so decided to go old school till next year when I can buy everything at once for the LS1 swap so I'm cleaning up the engine, puting in a gear drive (like the sound), aluminum timing cover, aluminum valve covers, aluminum intake and a Holley carb. It has a Crane Cam in it already but I'm not sure of the size. It has a Ca. smog # so it can't be big. I'll swap it out if the performance isn't there. It has crappy 76cc 191 heads so if after I buy everything else including the t5 swap stuff and I have enough cash left I'll look for a set of Vortecs or something along those lines. Since I still have the serp setup, exhaust, and sfc's, I'll install it back on the car. I'll still use the stock manifolds as I am on a budget and don't want to blow it. I figure this motor will be a decent performer to hold me over till I get the real beast in. It will be back on the road by the middle of next month. The engine is going in tomorrow after I get off work. I can't wait to hear it fire up again and the gear drive will sound awesome aswell.

 

Hey good job! I'm glad you came out of the closet.
I wasn't gonna say anything :P
I am staying secret, everytime I talk, I build up hype and then spoil the fun when it doesn't pan out.
When my car runs and I already get a race at the track, then you will know

 

SWEET

guess I should get my formula back on the road, when is this meet

 

Awesome.

How much longer are you staying in CA Steve? Deleted your threads you requested as you may have noticed.

Let's get something going end of May. Any ideas?

 

Thanks Del.
We're puting off our move for a little bit. My wife just had her thyroid removed as they thought it was cancerous. The 1st biopsy said it was postive for a rare cancer but after removing it they sent it out for more testing and it came back negative. I am having hernia surgery in the next month ish. Plus she decided last minute that she wanted to check out other areas of Idaho.

 

cancer sucks dude.

 

Yeah, we were lucky that it ended up coming back ok. There was 2 tumors growing off of it but they weren't "invading" the thyroid, just growing off of it. The Dr. said it probably would have turned cancerous but since they pulled it out anyway, it would be ok. Everything they pulled out was about the size of a baseball. I guess it started growing down into her chest. She has a slight 3" scar and has to take a pill everyday for the rest of her life but that's a small price to pay.

 

hell yea it is! tell her i said hi.

 

You should buy this shirt..

 

I just found out that my cuz in L.A had cancer. Stage 3 im really close to him. And my Mom had breast cancer when i 12years old. Doctors gave her only 10% change to live but through the power of Christ Jesus she is healed and Cancer free.

Well anyways.......before i tear up, Great find Steve glad your going to stay a little longer. Its always hard to keep a awesome secret LOL... Hope to see you soon and the beauty of your's. Take pics and keep us updated.

 

When I went to the doctor and got a diagnoses, I was stage 4B

the worst 0.o

 

WOW bro!! I cant imagine what you thought that day. But your going to make a full recovery right?

 

He better damnit!

 

I'm going to Summit tomorrow to pick up a couple of goodies, probably the Pete Jackson gear drive and the valve covers. I decided to save some cash by keeping the stock timing cover, since it's pretty much hidden anyway. If my wife or brother get it for my birthday on the 19th then I will put it on.

Travis, do you know if/what the differences in the Pete Jackson and the Proform gear drive are? Did you research them when you did yours?

 

They look quite similiar but I believe the pete jackson has better bearings for the idler gear Im my opinion, just from looks alone.

 

I picked up the Pete Jackson "noisy" today. Installing it tomorrow.

 

congrats, quality look good to you?

 

Yeah, it's a quality piece. I kinda had a hard time spending $175 on it though, but I wanted a quality drive so I went with that one. The Summit brand was $90 and the Proform was $95. That was a big price difference so I figured the other 2 probably weren't as good, I might be worng but atleast I know what I got.

 

To be honest the difference in quality is minimal, I would have saved the $80 for the white box Summit instead of the Pete Jackson box.

I mean how technical can you get on 4 gear wheels that spin?

I have a Dynagear noisy in the 'Bird.

 

the bearings would go kaboom, and i bet the summit brand is reboxed proform.

 

Exactly what I have been thinking. They're only gears. I haven't installed it yet so I could just run it back tomorrow and get the cheaper Summit one, I don't know. I think I'll just keep it and save money elsewhere.

What Bird Vin?

 

first gen
----------
Now I think about it, I bought mine from Jessiesarusrex, Ask him why he bought it?

 

I demand pics!

 

If you're going cheap I would have put a quality double roller in it and not worry about the stupid "supercharger but I dont have a supercharger" noise.

And as far as brands, I have yet to see one of these blow up and it is not like someone is going to see into your timing cover and go WOW you got the PJ one!

Yep, be jealous. I'd post pics but I would be next on the ban list

(secret squirrel)

 

secret squirrel reference please?

how bout when you go gear drive AND supercharger huh huh?

 

Well then it wouldn't be so bad hearing wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee everywhere you go.

Secret squirrel = you'll see it real soon like both of yaz, fuggedaboutit

 

These engines came stock with single roller timing chains right? This one already has a double roller so I am thinking of trying to get a # off the cam, switch that out and reuse the double roller. That's another $175 for a cam or something else cool. The block is machined for a roller cam so I can swap that over too.

 

just run it as is, dont put money into it if your gonna go ls1 save the money

 

I can't believe you just said that

 

I'm taking the gear drive back and swapping in a roller cam, keeping the timing chain that's in it.

 

Stock ones are chain "LINKS". You're better off with the roller chain anyway. Gear drive can create harmonic/knock that can retard timing on an "knock sensor" equipped engines and can also transfer excessive harmonic to the valve train.

 

he's carbing it

 

Picked up mu low rise Weiand intake and some sweet Billet Specialties valve covers today. It's getting closer and I can't wait!

 

I bet your car runs before mine

 

Me too, then I'll come down and help get yours going.

 

i just need my lines reflared, mine leak. but worst of all, my brand new regulator leaks under pressure.. go figure.
Im just gonna run a -8AN back to my fuel filter, and my -6an back to my return hose by the tank, screw those stock metal lines...

I just need to worry about my brake lines now. but ill do that later, gotta get my engine running first

 

Well I went out and looked and there are no visible #'s on the front of the cam. I still have the old intake on it so I don't bang up the new one dropping the engine in tomorrow so I didn't pull it out yet. I took a peek in the spark plug holes and found .030 on the pistons so now I know it was bored and not just honed when it was rebuilt. The valve springs have a red line down each of them, don't know if that means anything or not.

Anybody have an a/c delete box?

 

Red line might mean another manu. like Comp or Crane etc. I believe my Comp springs have yellow lines...

 

Made some progress today. I removed 90% of the harness and cleaned the bay up some. I dropped the engine in and mocked the intake and valve covers. I'll be getting the cam soon and will button up the front and install the serp system and radiator.

 

sick!

 

Nice. I hope to you at the track soon! Looking very clean. What are you expecting to run?

 

My wife got me the cam and lifters today for my birthday so they will go in this week, yahoo!

 

happy birfday///111one!

 

Happy Birthday. Hope to see your car at the track.


By the way. The Sub Box is great. I have the New 12's Kicker Cvr's in at 800 watts each with a legacy 1600 watt amp. Man this thing pounds. Thanks for the great deal. I tried to leave you a Itrader, but it wasn't posted under a For Sale Forum.

 

Those comps are awesome. Mine pounded hard. No problem, glad you like it.

 

Picking up the timing gasket/intake gasket/exhaust gaskets/rear main seal this week. The I'll get everything buttoned up and reinstall the radiator/hoses/ and belt. Then all I need for the engine will be the distributor and carb. I'm getting a K&N extreme air cleaner as I think it'll benefit from the cowl being open. If ceramic headers weren't so much I would pick up a set but I think the stock manifolds will be fine. I might be selling the Audi today ( to Sammy Hagars son) and then i can just do the T56 now so I'm hoping it goes bye bye.

 

COOL dude!

Can you get some free Cabo Wabo / Red Rocker swag thrown in with that? I'm a VH / VanHagar fan still heh

 

you may wanna wait on the t56 swap. I think the LS1 has a different input shaft , and I know the bell housing is different.

 

what he said.

 

Steve, you are a rock star for the following reasons:

1. You have a Formula
2. Your wife buys you HP engine parts.
3. You are selling an Audi (love those).
4. You are selling an Audi to someone related to Sammy Hager.
5. Oh... and the Formula is red.

I want a garage!!!