86 M1008 LM7 Swap

[LateOnTheBrakes]

I ended up removing the lift blocks in the rear, body lift, and replacing the power steering gear box, and steering parts chasing sloppy steering.

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[LateOnTheBrakes]

I also spend some time trying to figure out why the PCV system seemed to be drinking oil directly from the valve covers and making the truck smoke. I ended up blocking off the PCV system for a while.

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[LateOnTheBrakes]

I continued to chase the steering issues trying to figure out why the wheel was 180* out when the steering gearbox was in the center of it's travel. Someone had taken the intermediate shaft apart and bolted it back together. Apparently with the splines at one end and the "D" shape at the other 180* out from where it was supposed to be. I also replaced the rag joint while I had it apart.

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[LateOnTheBrakes]

Next it was time to address my instrument cluster that was just the LCD display from the holley unit and a chart I made for RPM/speed in 3rd gear. I went with the Dakota Digital unit and could not be more pleased.

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[LateOnTheBrakes]

Next up was addressing the light output from the stock sealed beams because it was terrible. I have a friend that works at TruckLite that was able to get me some LEDs at cost. I then had to get some new turn signals and freshen up the grille so the front end didn't look stupid.

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[LateOnTheBrakes]

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[LateOnTheBrakes]

I bought a new wiring harness to power headlights directly from the battery. I also fought with the wiper motor and ended up replacing with a WAI unit.

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[LateOnTheBrakes]

I ended up swapping pads and brake hardware in the rear.

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[LateOnTheBrakes]

I also took another shot at the exhaust to try to get some less carbon monoxide in the cab.

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[LateOnTheBrakes]

I also decided to address the disgusting upholstery. The foam and frame were actually not horrible. I did some POR-15 on the frame, bought a cover kit from LMC, and had a local shop install it.

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[LateOnTheBrakes]

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[LateOnTheBrakes]

I took the downtime with the seats being out to build a cold air intake and route the wiring harness and PCM into the cab. I want to buy a CAI that works well with the truck but everything seems to be on backorder so I made it from 3" PVC. I also swapped to to the newer style valve covers that have better baffling to reduce oil consumption.

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[LateOnTheBrakes]

Next up was installing a trailer hitch so I can actually use it as a truck. The M1008 tow bar made it a bit of a pain but it came out nicely. However, I would not suggest the hitch I bought because it took lots of drilling and knocking out rivets.

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[LateOnTheBrakes]

And that brings us pretty close to current day. I trust it enough to drive it around town, on the highway for two hours, and back and forth to work. It needs every new piece of weather-stripping available, a lot of body work, a paint job, and a dash cover. For anyone else doing this I would suggest just saving up for good parts. Don't try to do it on the cheap like I did at first.

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[LateOnTheBrakes]

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