86 GMC squarebody, my introduction to bodywork.

[Dirtman]

Biggest forklift I ever got to play with could pick up a full size fully loaded shipping container and still just used a 300i6. Forklifts don't need big motors, I don't get a reason to use a v engine at all... Or something as big as a 8 liter lol.

The tugs that pull military aircraft including the c5 galaxy use to use 300 inlines... No forklift on earth could pick up a c5 galaxy. Don't even know if there is a crane big enough, but a straight six can pull one. And not just in a goofy TV stunt, on a daily basis for years and years.

 

[Blmpkn]

I'm pretty sure the excuse for a big block'd forklift can be summed up with 4 letters and an apostrophe.

'Murca.

 

[Blmpkn]

I now realize that's 5 letters.

Too much sun today, don't mind me.

 

[dvdswan]

I now realize that's 5 letters.

Too much sauce today, don't mind me.

FIFY

 

[scotts90ranger]

The reason is speed, torque is one thing, just getting something moving, but torque over time is another, IE moving things up hill in a timely manner, not what has to happen at airports... I used to talk to a guy a lot that ran a forklift at a boat yard in the NE somewhere, it picked up boats from the bow end then stacked them on a shelf for the winter... that forklift used a propane injected 5.7L... The company that was working with the 8.1L powered forklift was building barges of some form (not big freighters, smaller) around Minneapolis somewhere... all I know is my hotel was by the mall of America and I drove to Wisconsin from there... What's really impressive is the platform lifts that are made in Iowa to move space shuttle stuff and whatnot with 5.7L's in them, I think they're 27" tall then lift like 8" with stepper motor drive and remote controlled with 4 together... Once you get out of the standard warehouse forklift the size isn't quite as important and you can get wider than the 4' or whatever... what is impressive is the size of a machine that can move 80k pounds with a 3L engine... they don't do it fast, but those are more for maneuverability

Oh, with the camshaft comes softer valve springs for durability, just in case someone comes across one... You never know on those guys, sometimes they get 300 hours in 15 years, other times they get 10k hours in 6 years... after about 10k hours the heads are about done, valve seats gone...

 

[Roert42]

What dirtman is trying to say is the only engine that anyone should ever need is a propane powered I300.

Which is an actual fact. I'm pretty sure it's in the old testament somewhere too.

 

[Blmpkn]

Got it running! Broke out the old multiple meter and had a buddy come over and show me how to use the damn thing (I hate electrical crap, witchcraft.. I tell ya) and we tracked it down to a bad ignition coil. The coil in the truck had no resistance? Infinite resistance? No continuity? I don't remember. Really.. I hate electrical stuff. I just don't get it. Life or death situation and I'd probably be a deadman. The bad coil looks brand new. No markings or numbers on it, probably the cheapest of chinesium.

Luckily I still had the distributor cap from my caprice sitting in the driveway.. full of water. Grabbed it, yanked it's rusty coil out, gave it a quick wire brush off and put it in the truck. Truck fired right over. Ran it through the gears real quick and parked it. Thing sounds wicked with open headers lol.. buuut definitely no more test drives until it has an exhaust. I really hate growing up.

I forgot to take a picture of the nasty rusty functioning coil... but as you can see from its cover.. bad lol. Also.. the no spark coil.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Still probably more reliable than the flat top distributor system at least after the chinesium takeover abut 4 years ago on the distributor caps... It's literally a high voltage switch and they break randomly... a few years ago on the industrial side you could trust them to 900-1100 hours of operation, now it's 7-? I literally got sent to california on an engine with 7 hours on it and the issue was a bad distributor cap... the stupid things will give all spark to a single cylinder (too many beers in to remember which ones right now)

Yeah, open circuit on a coil is bad, hard to make a bunch of volts with that... it needs like 9-11k ohm resistance.

 

[dvdswan]

40k volts can't be produced if there is no connection in the coil.

 

[Blmpkn]

Slight update..

Drove 'cross state lines to get some square parts I found on sh!tbook marketplace over the weekend.

"Stole" a set of brand new aftermarket fenders for 150$, way better than the 400$ I was preparing to spend on some from LMC. Super pumped about that, totally worth the 3 hour round trip just for those.

I didn't leave with just those though... while I was there, guy offered to sell me a pretty nice bench seat for 60$. Jumped all over that.. because all the other seats ive seen listed are complete crap and closer to 200$.

Dude threw in a pair of 73-80 hood hinges for free.. hell yeah. Don't gotta buy those now.

And apparently the guy is super trusting of people who like squarebodys because he let me go home with a mostly loaded drivers door (needs interior panel, latch & handles).. as long as I eventually bring him 100$ lol.

Guy also agreed to sell me the rest of what I need to convert from square headlight front end to round headlight front end for 200$ when I go back to pay him for the door.. nice front bumper, inner fenders, lights, grille, bezels, rad support, windshield wiper stuff.. I'm sure he'll try to sell me on more stuff while I'm there lol.

Guy looked like the old man from duck dynasty but scaled up 150% lol. He also had a badass 70s(?) Ford 550 snub nose truck that had 0 rust and well under 100k on it... told me he'd make me a he'll of a deal on it.. I told him not to tell me that

 

[Ranger850]

I have a complete truck, if you need anything, let me know.

Making a Chevy Square body Dually

Forgot to mention that I get to keep any leftover parts from the Chebby, and as a payment for my labor, I'm getting a late 90's/early00's (?) single cab long bed F-150, that runs and has a clean title. Said I can come get it whenever I want. that's it under the carport.

www.therangerstation.com

 

[Blmpkn]

I have a complete truck, if you need anything, let me know.

Making a Chevy Square body Dually

Forgot to mention that I get to keep any leftover parts from the Chebby, and as a payment for my labor, I'm getting a late 90's/early00's (?) single cab long bed F-150, that runs and has a clean title. Said I can come get it whenever I want. that's it under the carport.

www.therangerstation.com

View attachment 72059

Right on Florida man, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the offer!

 

[Blmpkn]

Well, the old man sold that truck on me before I could get back out there to buy the front clip. Bastard.

So I got myself some NEW inner fenders, grille filler panel, and have a core support on the way.

Nobody seems to make a repro GMC grille.. which is a bummer. You can get one with a stupid bowtie or badgeless. Due to that... "real" gmc grilles in good shape go for $$$. Looks like I'm going the badgeless route.

Next month is one of those fabulous 5 paycheck(friday) months... so I get a whole paycheck to play with. Spending a good portion of that check on one of the Titanium 110v migs from commie freight. Super excited to make that trip and start the bodywork.

 

[dvdswan]

Nobody seems to make a repro GMC grille.. which is a bummer. You can get one with a stupid bowtie or badgeless. Due to that... "real" gmc grilles in good shape go for $$$. Looks like I'm going the badgeless route.

Silly thought, have you tried LKQ or LQK yards (whatever they are) for a grille? I know the trucks are classics but they just might have one they could ship to you...

 

[Blmpkn]

Silly thought, have you tried LKQ or LQK yards (whatever they are) for a grille? I know the trucks are classics but they just might have one they could ship to you...

I have not. That is a damn good idea though, thank you.