350 For 82 C2500 Cc?

rickpilgrim · July 26, 2010

We love our 82 crew cab, she was a 6.2 diesel and when that died a 455 Olds from a jet boat went in, 5 yrs later a '69 Cad 472 went in. now thats tired and we are thinking a stout 350 for it.

It's a TH-400 with a splitter (underdrive low), a 14 bolt gov-lock 3.73 rear axle and has the diesel radiator, the dual batteries, a nice oil cooler and trans cooler, ps cooler and the hydro-boost brakes and the 350 is a bolt in.

The 350 I have I built for a friends Camaro, he got cancer and doesn't want it. Its a 1974 4 bolt block .030 over, steel .010/.010 crank, h-beam rods, big valve heads with bowl work and port match, flat top pistons, crane cam about 220 degrees at .050, .454 lift, Rhoads lifters, roller rockers, stud girdle, guide plates, 7qt oil pan, blueprinted M55 oil pump and all the oiling systen mods and baffles you can buy. RPM type intake(Tall dual plane, 1500-6700 rpm) and Holley 670 carb, ignition by MSD.

Now I usually build big cube for trucks but has anyone tried a hot small block in a big truck or have any thoughts on this?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Mike G · July 26, 2010

What do you plan to do with the truck? Considering how many motor variations have been in there, I think you will be pleased with the 350. I had a similar LT1 set up in a 73 blazer and it toted that pig around on factoy gears and 36" tires with no problem. It did suffer a little up in our higher elevation hills however...

--Mike

rickpilgrim · July 27, 2010

What do you plan to do with the truck? Considering how many motor variations have been in there, I think you will be pleased with the 350. I had a similar LT1 set up in a 73 blazer and it toted that pig around on factoy gears and 36" tires with no problem. It did suffer a little up in our higher elevation hills however...
--Mike

In north central WI where we are elevation about 3200 ft above sea level. We use the 82 for weekend cruising and as a spare for towing our yard care trailer which is 24' ball hitch and trailer when loaded goes around 8500 lbs, maybe a bit less. When I get the rockers and lower rear wheelwell panels replaced and a new paint scheme on her next summer she will be the weekend cruiser, the estimate truck, maybe a few shows and very last on the spare tow vehicle list as the Fo** will fall off the main use and take that spot.

The 82 is semi -custom already, it has an 87 tilt/cruise steering column w/93 steering wheel, front bucket seats with console and matching fabric rear seat, custom door panels matched to seat fabric with power windows/locks and door pockets. 8 speaker sound system with 1250 total watt system with 6 CD carasole changer, all blacked out when powerd down/off.

Outside up front are HID lighting, custom made stainless grill with LED turn/running lighting and electronic bug deflector that is clear at 0 volts, red at 3 volts, fades to blue @6v which goes to blackish @9v and full black @12v made for us by Electronic Innovations who is a customer of ours. LED tail lighting, Stainless front and rear bumper and the side markers are same as body color(white) untill you turn them on. Stainless is also in the mirrors. Chrome Baby Moon and wide chrome trim rings on red wheels that you only see 1/2" of between the two. The back windows are tinted black. Of all this we only did the lighting (EI) and the tunes.

The underdrive is currently set up to start in low and shift to main drive @ about 40mph. The TH400 upshifts @ 4900 now, but I can change that as it has a B&M kit in it. That should help as the 350 has the 180CC heads on it an even with the Rhoads lifters I doubt the power will be below 1200 rpm.