LUVTruck.com

so...

Im planning on picking up this 4by Luv in california mid jan, and i just thought of something.
The truck is reasonably intact, but i have decided to just take off my cab and engine out of my 2x4 and install it on the 4x4 chassis. Someone here at work just reminded me that i will have to make sure to have a hole for the 4wd lever.

my question is this : what difficulties should i be looking for when i do this? i will only have 2 days to do this, so i want to be as prepared for this frankensteinian surgery / chop job as i can.

thanks in advance!

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To the Oquirr hills for awesome thrills! Go-go 4wd, Activate!

I'm thinking you'll need a bit more than two days to do that... You're gonna havta worry about the wiring system also. There's a alight on the dash that's different in the 4X4 (4WD indicator light), and the alternator is a 50 amp in the 4X4 where it's something like a 30amp in the 2X4.

Plan for a few more than 2 days... it's gonna take awhile.

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1980 4X4 LUV daily driver, as stock as can be.

well, I already have the 4wd light in my cluster (which is sort of confusing actually)

ok, let me be more specific. this is my tentative plan of attack. (plus i will have some help doing this too)

1.) The cab will be isolated from the engine and transmission (meaning the clutch cable, accelerator cables, heater hoses, radiator hoses, and fuel lines will be disconnected. this includes the wires leading to the tail lights and turn signals, steering column, etc)

2.) the same will be done to the 4x4 at this time. (the engine is already out of it so it makes that a bit easier)

3.) I will lighten the cab, but allow all electrical wiring to remain in place. (doors, seat fenders hood etc

4.) the cab will be removed from the new truck, and my engine will mate with the new truck at this time.( this will also allow me to replace the clutch and kill several birds with limited stones)
once the engine is in place, my cab will be raised above the new chassis and any holes that will need to be made will be done so.

5.) new cab is re installed and mated to the chassis, and re connections of the engine will be done.

The biggest goal in this entire project is to keep as many major assemblies intact as possible. Lets face it, our trucks are pretty light in comparison to other vehicles we own or have owned. (i remember doing something similar to my grandfather's 64 C10 fleetside!)

Is there anything i might have missed or not thought of? i have 5 weeks to plan this out and would like to have a relatively good timeline / workflow down when it come time to do this. I think 2 days is enough, with 2 people, but it may be wishful thinking. there is of course the problems of rusted / broken bolts, worn out parts and other things to consider (which im trying to do) and so, again, im trying too plan accordingly.

if you have any other advice or suggestions, please let me know. i'd greatly appreciated it!

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To the Oquirr hills for awesome thrills! Go-go 4wd, Activate!

What are you planning to lift the cabs off with? People or hoist/winch?

The brake lines are tough to loosen... even with flare wrenches. There were several
that I had to use vise grips on just to break them loose. The lines are connected to both
the frame and body.

The problem with doing that in two days is that there is no better time to access your
front suspension and frame than with the cab off and engine/transmission out. You are
going to see all of the grease and road dirt and may want to clean it. And that takes time... believe me... I knowww.

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1978 LUV Mikado - all stock with automatic/AC

You can cut the trans tunnel out of the old floor saving both shifter holes then lay it over the 2X4 floor aliening the trans shift hole then mark and cut the transfer shifter hole and presto it is like it came that way.

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1978 pro street step/side 455Buick, 4sp,4.11s, 31/18.5s

ooh, thanks for reminding me about the brake lines! i almost forgot about those!

once the cabs are ready to be moved, they will be moved via engine hoist and 2 by 4 wood beams (with muscle!)

so to add to the list of things to do, Brakes will be bled last. this has just become a 3 day thing.

i'm not sure just yet how much caked and baked on crap is on the new truck, but i know mine is going to be a little bit rusty. i had a chance to clean up the engine in my truck when i did the cyl head a few weeks ago. (took advantage of the nicer weather we had! )

keep the thoughts coming! this is helping me plan this out!
thanks for the idea of overlaying the shifter hole in the 2by cab. i wouldnt' have thought of that!

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To the Oquirr hills for awesome thrills! Go-go 4wd, Activate!

Remember the vin number is part of the cab.

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75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.

well, according to the guy im buying the 4by from, the interior of the cab is a little bit torn down, and needs to be put back together.
limited downtime and the vin number is the biggest reason for transferring my cab to the new chassis. i dont want to have to pay for registration and smoging twice in less than a year!

benefits to me and you: i get a new 4by truck on the relatively cheap, and you get parts from my truck you may need. its a win win. (that and really for a truck this light, i NEED 4wd here in utah)

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To the Oquirr hills for awesome thrills! Go-go 4wd, Activate!

That's alot of work but if you get "everything possible" pulled loose before you start the major move, two days of 6 AM to 10 PM (long days) might get you done but I wouldn't bet on it. I wouldn't bet on it but if everything goes as PLANNED..... That is with nothing going wrong. Count on replacing the Cab mount bolts and hopefully the rubber bushions will be OK. Hopefully there won't be any frame issues.

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In life there is the "Way things should be" and then "There's the way they are".

2005 Silverado 3/4T Crew Cab
1981 Luv 2WD
1979 Luv 4x4 Currently going through Open Heart and Cosmetic surgery
1995 Roughneck JetBoat
1981 Luv parts trk

the 4x4 pan is different than a 2x

geo

Geo makes a good point. The 4X4 has a different oil pan on it, so figure that into your swap. Also, while you're at it, put a second oil drain plug in the front of the pan. I didn't, and it bugs the hell outta me that I can't drain all the oil out of it.
The 4X4 pan is shaped a lot like this:
___
.....\__/
The front dips down a bit and holds almost 1/2 quart of oil. Maybe I'm a bit OCD, but that old oil hangin' out up there bugs me like no other.

The different shape accommodates the front axle.


lol, so you just bought a 4X4 chassis for your 2X4 truck... DMV ought to love that!

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1980 4X4 LUV daily driver, as stock as can be.

SHHHHH!! They dont have to KNOW about it! besides, its actually an entire truck. IMO, its alot easier to install a complete cab from a truck that i KNOW is in good shape, than to try to deal with anyone's mickey mouse wiring patches and figuring out what is routed where and heywhatsthatthingdo-OHGODITHURTS!!!
not only that, but since i dont have any way of towing the 4by to salt lake without renting a uhaul truck and car dolly, i figured it would be easier and more cost effective for me to just drive my truck down to LA to complete one good truck and then just drive back with some extra parts. besides, it helps out anyone that may need some things that are otherwise unavailable.

does anyone have a picture of the 4by chassis i can use as reference?

and as far as the oil pan is concerned, my pan has the plug in the back of the pan ( towards the rear of the truck) i'm more worried about the clearance between it and the frame at this stage.

This is what i will have accomplished once this is done:
Clutch replaced, Oil changed, Cooling system will be flushed, Possible brake job, cleaning the HELL out of the chassis and fixing anything i might have missed.


Edit, being more specific

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To the Oquirr hills for awesome thrills! Go-go 4wd, Activate!

Yeah, what they don't know won't hurt them. lol, rather than saying that you're putting a new cab on a truck, say that you're putting a new Chassis under your old cab... that ought to throw them off!

The 2X4 and the 4X4 oil pans are completely different. The 2X4 one holds a lot more oil I think. Just remember to swap the oil pans too. Other than that, the alternator's output amperage is different by 15amps. The 2X puts out 35amps, and the 4X puts out 50 amps. (http://www.luvtruck.com/pdf/80Dlr-Brochure.pdf) Take a look at the specifications. There are a few differences, but not many. The oil pan and the alternator are the only two that I can think of you running into (other than the 4X4 shifter, but that's been discussed) with the swap that you're planning.

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1980 4X4 LUV daily driver, as stock as can be.

well, with that being the case, anyone know where i can find a 4by pan or has one to sell or trade me?

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To the Oquirr hills for awesome thrills! Go-go 4wd, Activate!

Crap, I assumed that the truck you're buying had the engine intact. Where are you going to get this truck? Maybe there's a member along the way that'd be willing to part with an oil pan. If you would, post your route?

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1980 4X4 LUV daily driver, as stock as can be.

Well, I'm driving the back roads down through Delta, Fillmore, Beaver, Paragonah, Parrowan, Cedar City, St George, in through Nevada and Mesquite, Moapa, Ute, Las Vegas, Baker, Yermo, Barstow, The Victorville/Apple Valley/ Hesperia area, then down through San Bernadino county through Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario using the 10 to get to the 605 southbound towards the 105 and then finally to Lynwood. (My Hometown)


apparently the engine that was supposed to come with the sale was sold, but i wasnt too worried about that. i will however have a spare block that i can rebuild and have ready should i ever need it. If i cant find a pan, my contingency plan is to cut the pan free near the flange and fabricate a new pan. there is a steel supply place not too far from my mom's old house.

But my first choice is going to be obtaining a used 4by pan that i can just install once i get my engine out...

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To the Oquirr hills for awesome thrills! Go-go 4wd, Activate!

There are quite a few LUV'rs in So-Cal. I think you're running right past Ben's place, and luvrv8 is down that way. I think panic989 is also out there, sounds like he's pretty close to Barstow. lol, you're running about 9 hours away from my place almost the whole trip. They're about your best bet. budbondo's also kinda close, but Porterville is about 1-2 hours North of where you're planning to run.

Good luck! Are you planning on driving the LUV there and back?

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1980 4X4 LUV daily driver, as stock as can be.

ill have to hit them up and see if they have a pan they can sell me...

yeah the plan is to leave wednesday the 13th of jan mid morning whereupon i would arrive noonish on thursday. (my calculations show 700 miles at 57mph average is a little over 12.5 hours. i will carry some extra fuel in cans so i only stop once on the way there)

friday i have set aside some time for a UE day, then saturday, pick up the truck and get to work. once it's done i pack up and come back with a 4by truck, a truck bed trailer and several bins of spare parts and an extra cab. i think i will save the glass in case i need it, but i have yet to decide how to bring it back safely.

im looking at close to 600 bucks to do this, including the price of the truck and gas and parts. (also a meal or two )

I think this will be a trip of epic proportions...

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To the Oquirr hills for awesome thrills! Go-go 4wd, Activate!

There are a lot of members fairly close to the route you mentioned. Are you getting this truck from a member of the site? Maybe they can contact whomever the engine went to and can get the 4x4 pan back for you. There are diffences in clutch diameters between certain years of 2wd trucks. What year truck is your 2wd?

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Tact is for people not funny enough to be sarcastic.

i have an 80 2by. rondog is the one selling me the truck.

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To the Oquirr hills for awesome thrills! Go-go 4wd, Activate!