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Refreshing my engine and transmission 95 S10

2K views 35 replies 4 participants last post by  observant1 
#1 ·
This has been my work truck for around 10 or 12 years. I bought it for work. Had to increase the springs in back with extra leaf and coilover shocks. It's a 1995 LS with the 4.3 "Vortec" It has the TBI intake with OBD 1 and the good type of distributor. (It will turn). It has many miles on it. 108,000 when I bought it. It was burning some oil back then and that's probably what clogged my converter. I thought the transmission was acting up. took it to a local shop and they read some codes and said it looked like I had exhaust issues.
I made a very dumb calculation and decided to jerk out the engine and tranny to get her running right. I found a 1996 4l60e with few miles on it. Bought it and tore into the engine. Not much wear so I just had the crank polished and the cylinders bored 30 over with new pistons and a cam for more low end torque. Went back with standard size bearings.
Asked around about the 96 transmission to replace the 95 and was told by everyone I asked including several forums It wouldn't work right. Put it all together anyway. The green electrical connector had pins bent so I took my wiring harness out and put it in the 96 transmission, also using my TCC solenoid. Had to splice the VSS wires on the tail-shaft to accommodate the different style sensor. I may have gotten lucky because the 96 transmission had a DCLF torque converter with the woven fiber clutch material. My PCM didn't use the pwm slip engagement for soft lockup. Once I got it all together it fired right up. Bolted on my exhaust and...yep she wouldn't run for shit. I herd what sounded like an air leak...the exhaust gasses were trying to escape anywhere they could. Put a straight pipe in place of the converter and she ran great. I put another 110,000 on it. Gave it to my son-in-law to use in his construction business and he drove two years before he said the transmission was going out.

OK so I had another transmission with very few miles. Opened it up and it looked in very good shape. Took it to a friend that has a transmission shop so he could rework it properly, (I was gonna do it but I lack the experience to know what is good and will work and what is just worn enough to replace.
He said it's gonna be a good transmission. He does it for a living and charged me mostly just for parts. It still cost me 600.00. I decided to go ahead and re-ring and put bearings in the engine while I had it out. Never want to spring leak at the back of the motor when it was just sitting in front of you. I ended up sleeving each end of the crank where the seals contact. It's amazing what a groove rubber seals can cut into a forged crank and harmonic balancer. Lapped in the valves and put new seals on, including umbrellas on the exhausts. Got a set of almost new valve springs. The cam looked good and I had used new lifters back when I 1st changed cams.
Somewhere you need to stop putting money into just a 20 year old work truck.

I have got bushings and top/bottom shaft to fix my drivers side door from sagging. Have not yet decided what to do about the seats. Probably something cheap.

I've got plenty of pictures over the years on each round of rework. I'll try to post them in "the garage"?

Anyway right now I have the engine off the stand, hanging on the cherry picker so I can lower it and install the transmission.

Long read huh? Lot more work than I remember also.
 
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#23 ·
I'm having trouble locating all the pictures from previous years work on this truck. Too many computer upgrades and lost internet logins to picture hosting sites. I did put a few in my "Garage" and will add more if /when I can.

Thanks for your interest. It's like talking about a pretty woman. No pics it isn't so.:smile2:
 
#13 ·
It's back together, about 1 pint in the torque converter. No oil yet. I did away with the oil cooler adapter and am going with just an oil filter. Of course I flushed my trans cooler twice and it currently is ready to shove out over the engine bay, and with the tilt bar I can snake the transmission down thru the top and level it out so everything aligns to the mounting points. The cherry picker is a big one. I borrowed it about 15 years ago and if my buddy gets divorced again he may want it back.

This is about the 5th time Ive jerked out a motor and trans with it. You can do it without any help if everything is set up right.

Wish I could find the pictures I had hosted on imageshack. I also probably have them on another computer. I'm ready for this to be over. I live in Alabama and have been working at night to keep from over-heating.
 
#19 ·

Sorry no better picture I just snapped it because you asked. Most pictures I take are just so I can figure out what goes where. You may wonder why the cherry picker is hooked to the engine with the hood on.
Well I had to change motor mounts after setting everything back in and I don't need the hood off anymore. I tried to reuse a motor mount that was flat from age. They usually come apart before they get as flat as this one was. Probably because it was on the passenger side when I took everything out.
I just hope this old truck is worth the effort. It's been a good dependable truck over the years. I just couldn't see getting rid of it yet.
 
#16 ·
Any of the truck?
You don't want to see it. I saw a 95-96 in a mans yard that had been there for over a year and offered to buy it but he said no. My truck is mechanically sound but scratched and small dents different color tailgate.....like I said it's just a very dependable work truck. Not pretty at all. It doesn't even have white letter tires. It was even stolen for about 2 weeks before they found it on the side of the road without wheels and tires several years ago.....I'll find a picture though.
 
#18 ·
I filled it up with oil. Used a long straight blabe screw driver cut off and a drill to turn the oil pump. 1st time I've ever primed an engine I built. It pumped right up. I have the TBI intake so I adjusted the oil pump shaft where I wanted it with the engine at TDC and installed the distributor so number 1 would be the same as it was. Made a mark labeled it finish line. Removed the distributor and made another mark with it labeled start line and put painters tape around it so it would be ready to slide back into the engine lining up with everything after snaking the engine and transmission back in the truck without the firewall damaging my distributor.

I'm just waiting on a day that's not too hot and I feel like a few hours work outside and I'll have the powertrain back in the truck.
 
#20 ·
Dood, you are HARD on the poor old rig.
It really looks pretty good.
I expected a dented rotted out POS - honestly.
It's not all clapped out, the paint is mostly all there, and it isn't all mashed up.
Put some Upull GM factory bling wheels on it and you'll be totally stylin'...


I say it is well worth it. :tup:
 
#21 ·
Thanks. I always ran it with 60 series white letter tires, and it looked good to me. This truck is in my daughters name so her husband could get some use out of it. He currently is using a ford ranger he bought after the transmission in this one just plain wore out. I went and brought it back home.
His ranger has a smaller engine and I have a feeling he will be happy to get this one back. My grandson is helping him some during summer and weekends if needed and he is about to turn 16.
That's why I decided not to just drive this one down to pullapart and sell it. They can use this truck. The air-conditioning still works on it. I should probably be working on it right now.:smile2:
 
#31 ·
I almost made a picture discription of how to line up your distributor while the engine is out. I put a start line so as I slid the distributor in it would engage with the oil pump shaft and be located properly as it spins somewhat during the installation.
Just used a sharpie to mark my start line and the the finish line. Had to turn the oil pump shaft some also. Then removed the distributor covered the hole and installed the engine. I've done this numerous times. I usually pour a dab of gas down the intake and the motor fires right up when I bump the starter.
Well that didnt happen last night. It spit and sputtered blew fire out of the intake. I thought no way. Not me. Needless to say I immediately, somewhat angrily moved my plug wires 180 degrees and it fired up and purred like a kitten. I don't build engines for a living but this is the 1st time I've ever lined my distributor up on the exhaust stroke. I guess if your not careful it can happen to anyone.

I've got a couple of loose ends to complete then I'll be able to take it for a break in drive around. Seems like this has taken 3 time as long as it should. Now I have to decide whether to pull the distributor and make it line up like the book. I'm sure I will...one day.
 
#33 ·
The transmission I had rebuilt has a slightly lower gear ratio. About the same as the truck had when I got it. I had to take it back to the transmission shop due to leaking fluid from the front seal. I suspect they did not replace the front bushing and the seal couldnt hold back the fluid when I really got on it.
They pulled it and fixed it. Even put on new fluid coolant lines. They didn't charge anything. I went ahead and replaced the intake gaskets again because they said I had a water leak in the rear. It also allowed me to set the distributor correctly. (I had it 180 off)
I used felpro instead of victor reinz. I thought they may have been the wrong typ for my TBI intake but were not. I then found a leak from the heater core inlet tube from the firewall. I dont know if that was the leak they thought was my intake or not. (always block rear ports on TBI intakes) is the rule I've been told. Later intakes allow water to enter the rear ports on the intake.
 
#34 ·
I still had a bad power steering leak. I think it started out as the high pressure hose. My son-in-law couldn't put fluid in fast enough so I changed the hose, still had a leak. Bought a rebuild kit for the pump 13.99 at part store and rebuilt it. The bushing was in bad shape. It was the most trouble to hammer in. Had to use a bastard file after installing it to take the burs off as I do not have the proper bushing installer. The right socket will work after getting it started with a soft mallet or piece of wood. It will cause the hammered end to become burred so you have to file it some. The kit comes with all the rubber seals, and for a dollar less you can get the kit without the bushing if you havent ran it dry and damaged the bushing.
I also reversed the valve covers due to installing them each on the wrong side.

Now I just need to replace sway bar bushings on the drivers side. I may also replace the door latch mechanism due to repeated door slamming while the door was sagging. It has not sprung open a couple of times and I think the spring in it is too weak after so much abuse. All these thing should be taken care of when they start to wear. Even an old work truck needs love too.

As I think I said earlier my son-in-law has a ranger with a 4 cylinder. I put a water pump on it yesterday as his bearings were shot. The fan was flopping around. They sold him a fan clutch also. I told him to return it. His is not as tight as a new one but for the price he paid I saw no reason to use it. His fan clutch is still firm.

I know he will be glad to get a truck that can haul a heavy load. The rest is just aesthetics and I'm not gonna spend any time or money on a ripped seat or cracked windshield.....well maybe the windshield one day. I'm even keeping the beauty rings and center caps. He doesn't need them on a work truck.
 
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