Finally starting to tear into the B2...

[moogvo]

Thanks guys. Hi Eddie.

The short term plan is to just make it run. I have always wanted a B2 and had a chance to get one on the cheap. At the moment, I am focused on making it roadworthy. At this point, all I wanted to do was to take an old derelict vehicle that was ready for recycling and make it work again. Nothing extreme.

My wife has a Prius, and she is always going on and on about the mileage her car gets next to my Silverado and dare I even mention my Chevy Express Hi-Top Conversion... Suffice it to say that I HATE the Prius. Can't stand it. Nothing would make me happier than to transplant a 350 into that thing. There is NOTHING about it that I like. Well... the LCD panel is pretty cool... But more and more she is pushing me to drive that... and I ain't gonna!

So then... Dude that used to own this B2 SWEARS that he was able to get 30MPG out of it. I am finding that hard to believe, but I can DEFINITELY believe that it gets better then the Silverado's 14 or the van's 10... nowhere NEAR the Prius' 50mpg, but good enough that I can drive it without hearing a lot of mouth.

So the plan here is to do all of the small mods to it that I can find that are geared towards improving performance and increasing fuel economy. I want to see if it is possible to actually get 30mpg out of it.

I have been hearing (well... reading...) 4.0! 4.0! 4.0! 4.0! 4.0!... And I admit, it would be a GREAT project... in the same way that it would be great to quit smoking. However, at the moment, I am not prepared to do either one.

Once this project is done, I will continue to comb the pages of Craigslist looking for the perfect donor vehicle to use for the parts for my next B2 project. I have been looking, but explorer owners have been really proud of their stuff. There hasn't been a deal to be had on one since I started this. I was SURE that there would be a plethora of storm damaged Exploders after the recent Tornadoes we had here.

I let this truck sit in my yard for MONTHS before deciding to do anything with it. The wife was starting to look at it with the stink eye... Kind of a "How long are you going to let that piece of Sh** sit there?"... "Ya know, you really need to Sh** or get off the pot before I call the salvage yard during your next business trip"...

So, fixing it the simplest way became the master plan. Once it is roadworthy again, I will start my research and parts collecting to move to the next level. I don't know at this point what exactly that level will be. there are several directions I could go with this. I will carefully weigh out the options and make an educated choice. The 4.0 or 302 both sound great, but if I am going to go that way, I would like to take the time to build my engine/tranny before putting it in. I will be able to drive the truck while I am building the engine... So it won't be sitting here making me weed-eat around it.

 

[moogvo]

Hey Eddie... I notice that you are in Raleigh. I grew up in Cary. I am not far to your South... Just South of Sanford. An hour and change. maybe we can get together and wheel or wrench sometime!

 

[disciplerocks]

Dana 35 and an 8.8 should be your next upgrade.

 

[88_Eddie]

Hey Eddie... I notice that you are in Raleigh. I grew up in Cary. I am not far to your South... Just South of Sanford. An hour and change. maybe we can get together and wheel or wrench sometime!

sounds good! i'm still trying to get my lift on my b2, just havent had time yet. i was down in cameron back in january. i bought an axle from another forum member down there. just right down US1

 

[moogvo]

Dana 35 sounds like a great upgrade.

US1... Yes indeed. I go to sleep at night listening to the traffic moving up and down the highway. I live about 400 yards away from the 4 lane about a mile north of the county line. Once I finish the 2.9, I will be coming to Raleigh frequently. I have a lot of friends there still... and my parents. Lest we forget them!

 

[88_Eddie]

i live up in north raleigh, just inside 540

my wife and i have some friends down in apex off of ten ten and my uncle is in holly springs, so i know the area pretty well.

 

[moogvo]

I used to live in Apex off of 1010... Smith Rd, Stevenson Rd area. I moved here about 5 years ago to cheapen up the cost of living a bit, and since I work from home, it didn't matter where I went as long as I had access to broadband.

 

[88_Eddie]

that's cool, wish i could work from home. as soon as my wife and i buy a house, i wanna move out of town a little bit for the same reason. we're payin $950 a month in rent right now, that's almost a house payment, lol


if you decide to do a 4.0 swap, i'll see if i can help, i wanna do one on my b2 eventually

 

[moogvo]

I am about convinced that I want to do it. I am hoping to build a shop in the next year so I will have a place to do stuff like that. I am working out of my tool shed at the moment. Still, it is doable even without a driveway or a shop. How do you like the 2.9?

 

[88_Eddie]

i don mind it. i got this b2 when i turned 16, so i've had it 12 years now. i used to drive it from raleigh down to auburn, alabama when i was in college. did that numerous times and it never gave me any issues. take care of it and it'll last a while.

last feburary i thought i had blown a head gasket, so i decided i was gonna redo all the gaskets in it and maybe a rebuild. eventually, i said screw the rebuild, i just cleaned it up and did the gaskets, new head bolts and few new sensors and senders. it runs great now, i just need to fine tune the timing on it.

i painted my engine up kinda like you did

i'm gonna rock it a few more years and then throw an explorer drivetrain in it, probably a doubler and wheel that.

i have an 8.8 and a D35 that i'm gonna install as well. the D35 will go in when i install the lift and the 8.8 will follow (i have gears and a locker to install in it)

 

[moogvo]

That looks awesome. I think your rig looks better than mine tho. LOL!

 

[88_Eddie]

the engine is shiny, but that's about it. i'm gonna paint it as soon as i do some more stuff to it. got a little rust spot developing from when it sat for almost a year.

 

[4.0B2]

I gave up on painting engines. Mainly the aluminum parts... I'm to lazy to prep them right and they start to shed their paint after to long. I just keep the hood down at car shows anyways! Lol.

So where's more pics of the b2?!

 

[disciplerocks]

we're payin $950 a month in rent right now, that's almost a house payment, lol

Almost? My house payment is almost half that.

 

[88_Eddie]

Almost? My house payment is almost half that.

damn, apparently we need to move to IN, no wonder my sister likes it up there

but in raleigh, that's a house payment