LUVTruck.com

Yes I'm very fortunate for the find had it not been in shape it is I never would have bought. I need another vehicle like I need another hole in my head lol. Since I bought it all my attention has been directed to it. I've spent way more then I wanted to right out the gate, however I feel this old galike deserves it. It is a perfect base for a weekend warrior in the hills where it was built to be. Just to give you an idea here my right count run down.

1999 suburban 3/4 ton, sas dana 60, ff 14 bolt, 454 272 cam hot tune with how tuner, 4l80e Raybestos reds and Kevlar bands, currently running 40" procomp tire. Working on. 454/502 stroker. Hydro assist steering. Had this truck for long time never ending project. To much more to list.

2006 Silverado duramax (lbz) crew cab. 4" straight pipe egr delete mild hp tuner tune.

2004 chevy trailblazer (wife's truck/ wheeler) mid process of sas with bronco dana 44. Will be on 35s and linked and locked front and rear. Lost of misc. Amenities e-fans, hp tuner tune ect..

1993 s10 extra cab ( 1st gen) my full blown wheeler in making still gathering parts for build dana 44 front and rear. Built 4.3l vortec heads setup for propanext. Truck needs assembled still.

1994 s10 (2nd gen) this is 2wd. It is a factory 4.3l Tbi with vortec heads motor ( for those who say gm never made them.....they did) I hope to bag this truck some day as a cruiser.

1931 ford roadster offenhauser flat head, tri carb, quick change rear end, 37 Trans, z and chopped 7", my life longoes project that I will finish about time I retire some day.

2000 BMW 528i (my daily driver)

1998 audi a6 ( wife's daily driver)

So I pretty much do oil changes every month with 8 rigs lol. Well 9 now with luv. So I have dedicated quite some time to luv for now as I'm waiting for oil pan back from machinest for trailblazer. As for power steering I have been both ways in the sticks and it's nice to have. The nice part about old v-belt rigs if something happens I pull the belt and back to manual steering and I'm out of the woods.

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I have forgot more than most will ever know.

Cant beat old tech for a rig that wont stay on a paved road. I hear a lot of crap from the guys wjth grand new efi dirtbikes out in the woods, cant help but notice gravity feed to my carb can never have a pump fail in the forest

What are you planning to replace the current suspension with?

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1999 Isuzu Rodeo 4x4, 31" kumho mt's, the wife's DD
1993 Lexus SC400 my DD
2005 Honda CRF450R my second love in life

Yes that's what drew me to luv so much. I miss having just a simple runner always goes never have to think twice. For the front after measuring springs I'm really limited in options unless I rebuild hangers and extend frame.I'm looking at running samuri front springs as that's all that will fit but aftermarket with military wrap on springs ( will probably redo front hangers there just to far out there to hold structurely) and boomerang shackles out front. Trying to come up with a way to spring over the axle maybe to much to deal with at this time. The rear measures about the same as toyota springs so will probably run toyota springs. Will be going up another 3" to clear 35s. Shocks are actually in great location so I will just update for some billstiens. That's really about all for suspension. The gears are 4.56 so maybe a little under power but should be fine in 4wd. Before anyone jumps me for tire size, the tire size does not break axles weight does. I have had friends run dana 30's with 38s no problem it's drive style and weight that keep axles alive.

Got to ask. Did any of the mods on 4.3l make big difference? I have heard a lot of guys say it's not worth money to throw at them for the limited amount of power gain.

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I have forgot more than most will ever know.

Sinplest answer i can say is yes. But...
The 4.3 is a 3/4 of a 350 v8 without cylinder 3 and 6. If you do the same work to it as to a 350 you will have 3/4 the power in theory.
I know mine rips around pretty good but i never drove it with a stock v6 so i cant compare
With the old 95 and older heads it wouldnt be as noticeable i would think since they flow pretty poor.. Think 305 heads... Vs vortec heads 96+ based on lt1 vette heads.
Compared to building a 350 you are leaving power on the table so if pass times are all that matters i can see the logic in not building one since you make more with the same parts in a 350. but i love my 4.3 since i also almost daily it for work.
You can use some sbc parts in 4.3s too. So if a guy cooked a piston in a 350 u have 6 good and a spare for a 4.3
In theory mine tuned right would make 260-300hp comparing my parts to hotrod magazines build and several i have seen with sheets and build specs. but that means an equivalent 350 would make around 400 so again depends on your needs.
Havent been on a dyno since cheap distributors keep me from decent timing but im working on that when i get a chance.

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1999 Isuzu Rodeo 4x4, 31" kumho mt's, the wife's DD
1993 Lexus SC400 my DD
2005 Honda CRF450R my second love in life

I'll have to look up my where I bought my distributor I can't remember where I bought it right now. I have a similar motor in my 93 early block with vortec heads and edelbrock intake. However Its stock internals running on got propane kit. I didn't punch it oUT or cam it this time around. I love these 4.3l just didn't sink money as wasn't sure of power gain.

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I have forgot more than most will ever know.

I wiah i had the $$$ for the gotpropane kit when i built it. Would make supercharging so easy.
Eventually i will get a megajolt programmable ignition setup for it on propane or go full tunable efi with a megasquirt. One day long from now it wil be done..

Man i just read how many vehicles you change oil on. I would be getting it by the bucket or drum at that rate! I thought needing to change my bikes oil every 5 hours was nuts but thats still easy vs 8 rigs

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1999 Isuzu Rodeo 4x4, 31" kumho mt's, the wife's DD
1993 Lexus SC400 my DD
2005 Honda CRF450R my second love in life

I went propane because of it being simple like a carb. Imy running this http://www.skipwhiteperformance.com/det ... =6521-B-V6 for distributor.

Yeah it's to bad only a few of them run the same oil or I would just buy it in drums. I try to keep it so as many parts are Universal as possible. 5 hrs? A lite High zinc oil?

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I have forgot more than most will ever know.

Thats the one i have with a different style cap but same stuff. Mine just had a poorly made canister on it that the adjuster didnt work on so im looking at a aftermarket canister

450cc motocross bike. Trans oil/wet clutch is 5 hours before it breaks down and gets contaminated enough to start getting noticable. Engine goes for 10 or so but i tend to just do both at 5ish or every 2-3 rides. I just use shell rotella so at 14 a gallon its not bad at all its under a quart each side. The engine oil comes out clean enough to throw in my truck if i wanted but that bike engine is just so high strung i dont let it go long.

A 4.3 fits pretty nice in the luv and the 4x4 oil pan on mine cleared the stock axle and diff before i decided to go rwd. If you ever get bored of 1 8 liters of fury.
Only problem was finding a psd tcase for a chevy v8 trans. I found one behind an auto from an early suburban but it didnt quite clear the torsion bar. Of i had a toyota straight axle and no tbars it would have been fine. Or even a coilover setup with the bars deleted.

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1999 Isuzu Rodeo 4x4, 31" kumho mt's, the wife's DD
1993 Lexus SC400 my DD
2005 Honda CRF450R my second love in life

Dang I'm glad I don't ride 2 wheels any more. I have already thought about 4.3l when the motor finally decides to go, I have 3 spare blocks in the shop. My big problem would be sourcing a manual for it the nv3500 were not that common in 2wd and hard to come by. You could have gone with a np 208 or 241 both came in psd chevy. 208 easier to find the 241 came in both psd and dsd. I broke 3 of the 241 in half in suburban and finally put 205 in.

Mine has the dana 20 divorced case there not to hard to find and they make twin stick kit for it.

The German cars are what kill me $60 a pop on oil change and there our daily drivers.

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I have forgot more than most will ever know.

Pretty sure it was the 208 i found. Was too wide to clear the torsion bar. If i had clocked it down with one of the kits it would have made it but taken some ground clearance
I have a 2wd nv3500 from a s10 pickup. Mine has the external slave cyl instead of the internal disc shaped one with the lines plumbed into the housing, i saw more of the newer ones with the other slave cyl when i was looking to replace the broken 1st one i had. Im always just a bit worried about trashing my trans since it isnt rated for a whole lot of power i tend to go a bit easy on it especilly from a stop
Divorced case should make that easy for you to pick and choose parts.

They run full syn?

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1999 Isuzu Rodeo 4x4, 31" kumho mt's, the wife's DD
1993 Lexus SC400 my DD
2005 Honda CRF450R my second love in life

O of coarse, it's oil shipped straight from Germany I can't remember name. My local shop keeps it on hand for me.

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I have forgot more than most will ever know.

The fancy motul or putoline, something like that. Always a good time to shell out top dollar for oil.
Where are you from?

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1999 Isuzu Rodeo 4x4, 31" kumho mt's, the wife's DD
1993 Lexus SC400 my DD
2005 Honda CRF450R my second love in life

Lubro moly is what I ran in my German cars, I think they changed names recently to luqi moly though

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Certified pilots, looking down on people since 1903.

That's what it is liquid molly. I'm in yamhill,or.

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I have forgot more than most will ever know.