Typhony 56 K, go to bed, make breakfast, go to work and then come back.

[Six_Shooter]

Currently I'm working on my Typhony (1985 GMC Jimmy).

 

When I bought this truck it looked much better than it turned out to be.

 

It seems I don't have any before pics uploaded, so I'll start into the body work:

 

 

A little more carnage:

 

 

Coming together:

 

 

And shortly after it was together the first time (The truck behind mine is my Grandfather's 1970 Chev pick up, I may make a thread for that at some point to).:

 

 

Then came the engine build.

 

I could have done like everyone else and dropped a SBC in, and called it a day. In fact this was the original plan I had when I bought the truck, even looked at buying a GTA for a donor, 305, 5-speed, and some other donor parts. The guy wanted too much for the GTA, it was junk, and wouldn't let me hear it run, so I walked away from that.

I got looking around at the parts I had kicking around for another project vehicle I was working on at the time. I decided to go a different route and build a GM 60 degree V6. The original engine was a 2.8L, carbed, so starting with a RWD 660 block meant that it would bolt in easy, which was a concern, since this was my daily driver, and ease of install or "quickness" of install would be a concern.

Since I needed a block, I bought a complete 2.8L that came from a 1986 S-10. It turns out ot was rebuilt previously, bored .030".

I used only the block and the rods from the engine, everything else was scraped.

I then added a FWD 3.1L crank, Federal Mogul stock replacement slugs for a FWD 3.1, to yeild a SCR of 8.9:1 with the heads and gaskets I planned to use. I added a GM Performance bumpstick (Same specs as the Crane Cams H-260-2, but for less money), new bearings, high flow oil pump, gaskets and oil pan buttun up the short block. For some reason I don't have any pics up to this point.

Onto the top end:

I started with a small port 3100 top end from a 1995 Buick Skylark, as these heads flow better than the genII and MUCH better than the genI (iron) heads. The rockers were a stamped steel rocker, this was built on a budget of shoestring and bubblegum, so I skimped on areas that I had to. The pushrods were from a genII 660, and the rocker studs were from a genI 660, as they are adjustable. Wasn't a proper valve train set-up, but it worked.

 

In preperation for the engine swap and while I was tsill driving it with the carburated engine, I did a couple things:

 

Relocated the battery to the driver side, to make room for the turbo and air cleaner on the passenger side:

 

I built this battery tray from some angle iron and misc other bits of metal.

 

 

 

And I made new rad mounts that incorporated an electric fan. It doesn't look like I have any pics scanned and uploaded of this other than this one:

 

 

here is the assembled engine AKA "Franken60":

 

 

 

Now this would be a decent set-up for around 160ish HP. Not bad for a VERY mild 3.1L pushrod engine, but that wasn't going to be enough for me, so what to do about that?

Forced induction, that's what!

 

So I started building some headers, since I had to anyway. the RWD manifolds, just won't work on the genIII heads, due to port shape and bolt pattern being spaced slightly wider.

 

 

 

Crossover (under?) Keep in mind this was a low budget build, and had to use crush bend for some of it:

 

 

 

Now came the install in the truck. Which took about a week to complete, since there were still parts that I need to build at the time of install, including about 60% of the headers.

 

Yea! It fits! I positined the turbo and made the left header by measurments and it all fit like a glove!

 

 

Onto pulling it out again, and making some other parts and adjustments. I think I had it in and out about 3 times, at least once, just because it seemed like the right thing to do, I did a complete check over, because I was SURE I had forgot to do something before placing it in the engine bay for the final time.

 

Intercooler and piping:

 

 

 

 

 

But did it run? I had to make an external crank trigger for the DIS ignition system, and this was a question of if it would work or not, as no one had built a hybrid like this before. Sure they had been done in FWD cars, where the block had provisions to use the OEM crank trigger wheel cast in to the crank, but no external crank triggers, until mine.

 

 

 

I had problems getting it to run. Messed around with it for hours, cranking over, but no fire, even though it sounded like it wanted to fire. Fuel pressure? Yep, Spark? Check, Air? Duh, I'm still breathing so yep.

Start chekcing over the inputs to the ECM, since I also had to convert the truck to EFI from carb AND build a custom harness to do so, during this swap.

Find that the TPS is reading WOT all the time. WTF? Unplug the sensor and fired right up, no hesitation, hit the key and it fired!

 

Open down pipe at 11:30 at night and it sounded AWESOME! Best sound I had ever heard, first firing of the engine. My grandfather had already gone inside at this point (I did the swap in the right of way in front of the garage at his place), he came right back out, I think he was smiling almost as much as I was.

 

Yes, the turbo is spinning in this pic:

 

 

I drove it this way for about two years until I bought my current DD (1998 Chev Malibu), as I though tthere was a problem with the turbo and I wanted to upgrade parts of the truck anyway.

 

In that time I took it to the track twice, only ran it one day though as the track was shut down before I was able to make a pass the first time I went due to high winds.

 

It ran, a 13.86, at 99 MPH, with a 2.07 60' and no fuel in 4th gear. I had too small of an injector and the ECM tuning was not where near good. The truck would literally fall on it's face once shifted to 4th, due to knock, then when the timing would come back in the front end would lift about 3".

 

Well it has sat for the last 3 years or so since. But now I'm working on it again, and wil lhave some pics uploaded soon, I just have to remember my password and such for the webspace and re-install the ftp program. Hopefully have that done by the end of the week.

 

Thanks for looking.

[Six_Shooter]

Well, I'm going to show a small update here.

 

I had pulled the engine out previous to this work, and then proceded to remove the front sheet metal, in preperation for the next bit of work.

 

I had planned on upgrading to rack and pinion steering, but since I purchased my '73 240Z, I scaled this project back a bit, to save some time, though I don't think much money has been saved.

 

On this tire of the first picture you can see one of the spindles I will be using, from a 2nd gen F-body. This will give me a larger brake (11"). The spindle is also taller that gives much better camber gain as compared to the original S-series set-up, where the top of the tire actually points out under compression (positive camber). The only problem with the use of this spindle is that bump steer is effected, but I have a plan to get around that.

 

 

Here is a partial disassembly picture:

 

 

Frame cleaned up with a wire wheel:

 

 

And here is the front frame painted, I haven't painted the crossmember, because it still needs to be modified to clear the oil pan of the engine I will be using:

 

 

I have since the last picture cleaned, painted, and re-installed the steering box, cleaned up, painted and re-installed the idler arm, loosly installed the center link for measurements, and have installed an early '90s Cherokee steering shaft between the steering column and the steering box. This removes the rag coupler joint and replaces both joints with universal joints, helping to tighten the steering responce and gain a little more space for headers and down pipe.

I have also cleaned up and painted most of the remaining front suspension components, such as the steering knuckles, sway bar, etc.

 

I also have one piece cutout for boxing the lower control arms, the band saw blade broke while cutting the second piece, and I'm still waiting for the blades I had to be re-welded.

 

I should have the parts needed to build my upper control arms in the next week or two. I need to get this truck rolling again, I have another short term project coming by in a month or so.

[VKLR]

LOL I would love to see your grandfather doing a burnout in his truck. Looks really cool.