The 396-6.2 swap project

[Barrman]

Because of where I work, I don't let the students behind the wheel or even inside a vehicle. Therefore, I am the one to push the pedal during bleeding. That means I didn't or couldn't hear the brake shoe springs while bleeding was going on. We redid the front shoes a few months ago and the rears were fine, so got left alone. That means the front shoes needed to be adjusted.

When we started trying to get pedal, I had adjusted the shoes out to contact. I should have done the step the TM calls for. Even though it seems wasted effort. "Adjust the shoes out until the drum will not turn. Loosen the adjuster until the drum turns with little resistance."

My drive last night and today was kind of hard because the brakes were hair trigger on the rear only. The rears would lock up in a second and the fronts didn't seem to be doing much. I picked the front end up and spun the tires. No drag, no scuff, no noises at all from the brakes. I pushed the pedal and had the students try to spin the tires. No resistance.

I adjusted and adjusted and adjusted and adjusted some more. Finally I had drag and not just a scuff noise. I push the pedal which had no change and had the students try. Nothing moved. I let go and they spun to stop when I pushed the pedal. My rears were so good, the master wasn't moving enough to push the front shoes out to contact. However, the little moving they were doing centered them up and created more travel. All is better now.

I figured somebody else would run into this at some point in the future and didn't want to feel like the only one it had ever happened to.

[randyscycle]

Sadly, everything has doubled in cost in the last 3 or 4 years. I mean that about everything. I cannot quote prices anymore for tires and batteries here in the shop unless I sell them then and there. They can fluctuate that much in a short time.

With that in mind, I've been amassing pieces and parts over time, and stashing them away. I have a full set of brackets, doing the TH400 that is already installed anyway, grabbed an oil cooler sometime back, and slowly but surely gathering my parts pile so when time comes, I will be pretty much there.

[Barrman]

I forgot to add a pair of Optima Red Tops, cables and connectors to my listing above. That was an easy $500 all by itself.

My fix to the fan shroud works great except when I hit bumps. I will have to mess with it at the Rally Saturday. The brakes were great coming home with the trailer though. It was also nice having my glow plug light working.

We got to work as soon as I got home. Washed the M715, found the troop seats, washed them, installed them, moved all my travel tools from the M1009 to the M715, threw some camping stuff in, threw the tow bar in just in case and then we washed RED. Before we could wash it though, we had to put the end gate glass and all the seals back in. I wasn't really sure which thread to put these pictures in, but since the M715 is the mover, they go here.

This is the M715 with the troop seats and pioneer tools back on, trailer attached and RED on the back:




I didn't take it for a test drive, but moving around the yard it moved just fine. I will get to find out in the middle of the night tomorrow.

One other observation I just puzzled together coming home tonight. I could never get the 396 level in the truck. It was always leaned over just a bit to the passenger side. To make sure the 6.2 was level, I put more spacers on the passenger side motor mount.

That was all well and good until I got to driving around and wondering why the shifter was up against the steering wheel and feeling like I had less leg room than before. Anybody ever bent a NV4500 shifter and have advice about the best way to do it?

[fishtail]

Shouldn't RED be called GREEN now?

Scott

[Barrman]

True, but I think it will stay the same for now.

[randyscycle]

Anybody ever bent a NV4500 shifter and have advice about the best way to do it?

I did, when I finished up Grantshire's Big Cheese. The 6.2 and NV4500 and NP205 were actually installed by Tom Lawlor.

The shifter was way to close to the steering wheel when I ended up with it at my shop, so with a little heat and some fresh paint, you couldn't tell. I may have a picture of it. I will have to look.

I just removed it, then heated it with a torch, and bent it to the right angle. I let it cool by itself rather than immerse it just to be sure it didn't get brittle.

[jeeper]

Looks like a fun time for sure.

My fourteen year old son wants a 6.2 Blazer now.

What are you using for a trailer hitch on the M715?

I'd like to be able to tow a bigger trailer with mine but I don't trust my hitch with too much. I just welded a receiver right to the frame below the pintle with a piece of flat stock as a spacer. I don't dare tow more than a thousand pounds with it though. I've been thinking about cutting the inside of the rear frame off and replacing it with structural channel.

[Flingarrows]

George, 1982-1984 6.2 trucks had a screw into the water jacket temp sensor/glow plug controller. 6 wires and even today they cost almost $200. It would be ok if they lasted more than a few hard bumps or at least a year. GM changed in 1985 to a dry temp sensor that bolted to the back of the engine and had the relay integral to the sensor/switch.

That is what I put on my truck. I would recommend anybody that has a 6.2 or is thinking about one to buy the 3 6.2 books on this web site:
https://thedieselpage.com/form.htm

I think volume I has an article about this controller and how to wire it in. It could be another volume though.

The controller I took pictures of the boxes is automatic and normally keeps the plugs on about 5-8 seconds.

I have 60G glow plugs and they don't care if they get used every time or not. I have not lived with one of these contollers in the summer yet. However, they turn on everytime I turn the key right now. It is supposed to not at a certian temp. Some people have installed inhibit switches so the plugs don't come on every time.

I don't like that because there is always a dead zone. The M1009 stock system has an inhibitor that keeps them from coming on if the engine is above 125°. However, the engine could be cool enough to need the plugs and not get them. This seems to be around 1 hour 45 minutes in the summer heat here. Exactly how long I am normally at a Scout meeting. I flip the starter and it doesn't start. I cycle the key, no plugs and I have to crank for 3-5 seconds.

Cool, thanks Tim, and nice job on the engine swap

[Barrman]

Here is a thread from a few Zone versions ago about my hitches.
barrman : Tale of Three Hitches

I have pulled other M715's, M37's, Suburbans, M1009's and just about everything else you can think of with it. I would suggest you buy one of those reciever hitch kits. The kind with a flat steel plate for safety chains and the reciever all welded together. TSC carries them. Bolt it in and weld it in. You can also drill out the hole for the spare tire carrier. That is what I am going to do on the truck for Sermis. I trust my welds, but I have no safety chain attachement besides the pintle.

I have gotten a few PM's about paint colors. My M715 was painted 24052 in 2006. My trailer attached to it in the pictures above was painted the same color in 2007. You can tell which has sat out in the sun longer.

The M1009, RED, is 383 green.

[Barrman]

Thanks for the tip Randy. I sold Tom that NV4500 and we set our engines/NV4500's up the same way. I will know by the end of this weekend and probably 8 hours behind the wheel if I will want to bend it or live with it.