87 Chevy... Need a little help here..

[axlr8]

okay heres the scoop. I mentioned this truck here once and well i never actually built anything on it. lost interest.. until this spring..

We (brother(owner), and I, found a 8 inch lift kit minus some small parts and the shocks on CL for 400 bucks.

new 8 inch leafs for the front, ORD shackle flip for rear (+4") and also 4 inch lift leaves for the rear.

We braced the steering box, got brake lines, bed and front clip are off, frame was wire wheeled and painted.. yadda yadda..

NOW the issue we have is the TBI 350 engine and the 700r4.

the engine came to us running good and such. BUT the trans was a bit finicky, at idle in park or neutral, there is NO issue with the thing idleing all day long. But as soon as you dropped it into drive or reverse, it would jerk, and not want to idle nicely. that being said, we got fed up and bought a 'rebuilt' trans off of craigslist, came from a ok looking shop, 500 bucks.. what the hey, so we slapped that and a reman torque converter in it and it does the same damned thing. Albeit it shifts better but not perfect. Now i know that i could take it somewhere to get it pressure tested and such.. but im wondering what you guys think it could be? played with the TV cable alot and that only seems to adjust the shifting. Now im not sure if the converter is good.. as to my brother not installing it correctly the first time.. and he ran it that way.. so we pulled it apart and then installed listening for the three clicks.

Im at a loss here.. if I give it a little gas and have it in gear, it will idle, but that is with the brake being held and such.

heres what i have thought of doing:

switching to a 350/manual and just doing a carb,

or getting a carb manifold and running it with that and a new carb.

Suggestions, tips, anything helps guys!!!

The local shop could not time the engine because the indicator on the block is missing?? I think its running a little advanced to be honest, it starts a little hard and doesnt want to idle without a little gas. but once it does, it idles okay.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[jcl]

have you checked for a vacuum leak?? idling find then adding load (putting in gear) and stalls or low idle sounds more like an engine problem than trans to me (my 2cents)

 

[hawkeyez71]

little late here but check IAC valve, clean TBI unit and run some seafoam through it. Hope it helps!

 

[dieselfitter]

The problem isn't the transmission today. A $500 "rebuilt" transmission? The transmission will be a problem soon.

 

[Goose IBEW]

8" of lift will run what, 38-42 inch tires? I would think about 4:88 or 5:13 gears to go with that set up. The trans swap will further hinder your gearing issue. the 700 has a 3.06:1 first gear ratio where as the T350 has a 2.52:1 ratio. Now take away the TBI and you will be stalling from fuel starvation when you take that beast out wheeling on hills or uneven terrain. Both the throttle body fuel injection and the 700R4 are superoir to what you want to swap into the truck. I'd find what ever is needed to time the engine you have and get a vacuum gauge to do some troubleshooting as a previous poster suggested. The fuel pressure may be weak at idle too.

That sounds like a great truck to have some fun with. I'd perserve with the setup you have and run it. Chances are, the trans you took out may still be good and the engine issues are the major problem. It's always good to have a spare. Good luck, post some pics of your ride.uttahere2:

 

[axlr8]

I think i will have some time in the near future to look for a vac leak, but hell.. we will see.. I guess the part that confuses the crap out of me is that it SLAMS into gear... and that doesnt sound good what so ever. it makes me cringe!! I guess he plans on buying a truck next summer if he cant get this one working good.. he will then swap engines/trans, and hope for good luck! to be honest.. i dont like the TBI setups.

Ill get some pics up someday here.. its not pretty as it sits, but give it some time

I myself am looking for a 67-72 2wd that i can slap a 454 and 5spd into.. and have a little fun!