1994 Cheyenne (Super) project truck
 

I have started doing local autocrossing last September in my 1994 Cheyenne pickup that has done ok against a 99 Silverado with a v8, slammed, and 22 in wheels, but I am looking to take the truck to the next level the coming years with upgrades to the V6, a manual swap, brakes, more suspension upgrades, and rearend upgrades.

Only a few upgrades have been made to it already with DJM 2in front drop springs, 2in rear drop shackles, 17x9in Black Rock steel wheels with Riken 275/40-17ZR tires, and a big aluminum radiator and one real upgrade to the motor in the form of a MSD coil and wires.

Sounds fun! Are you planning to keep the v6? Good luck with the build!

Yeah, the v6 will make the power I need plus way lighter than a 350 once I get some Brodix heads.

4.3? If so they're great little motors. Lighten it up, make it handle and go beat the snot out of it! Sounds fun.

Yep and the original one to it with its 301,000 miles it's a little wore out right now, but I got plans for it.

Added a electric fan add and wired in with Derale controller and deleted the mechanical fan.

Got the EBC rotors and yellow stuff pads on the truck.

Now all I need now for this summer is a T56 from a LS camaro and a posi and 4.10 or 4.30 gear.

wouldn't a t56 from an lt1 camaro make the swap easier? grab the bell housing, clutch, and flywheel, and it will go right on the 4.3 with no mods.

The LS1 T56 is built stonger and better than the LT1.

I thought that was only for the 93 transmissions and 94+ was the same internally except for the differences for the throwout and such?

For what I read through out the run they was constantly updating it.

According to Borg Warner (later Tremec) both varieties were rated at 450 ftlbs of torque. While they most definitely will hold more, I don't think anything changed. According to what little I found the only major difference was in 98 it changed to Tremec as the manufacturer but nothing mechanically changed. There are later differences but fbodies never got them from the factory (different synchro design for the 01+ Z06 and first gen CTS-V and LS2 powered GTOs for example). I'd say an LT1 would do just fine and would be much easier to install.

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Maybe one of those new lightweight V6's out of a newer Camaro would bolt up....

It's what ever comes cheaper first.

I wouldn't mind the newer all aluminum Ecotec 3 4.3L V6, but it's just too technologically advance for me, but I got a plan for when I top out with the stock blocks to go to a Bowtie block and stroke it out to 5 liters.

The original V6 is out because of the I snapped a water pump bolt into the block and can't get it our so there is a 305 in the floor and I figure use it for a couple of years.

i bolted a stock lt1 t56 to my 430hp small block in my 60 chevy truck, thats the reason why i brought it up, it was a direct install, the only thing i had to do was a cross member, and make a custom clutch line. and so far so good, and its been about 2 years now.

pssst, also i would stay away from the new ecotec 3 4.3l, we've been having quite a few ummm.... fall apart... or make their own crankcase vents. give em some time to fix the bugs

Thanks

Built a 305 small block with Lunati .471/.480 cam, 350 heads, 350 tbi, Texas Speed LT1 headers, Jet performance chip, and some Borland mufflers

Looks good dude. What heads are those? I have an 88' scsb that my dad bought new. It's a Silverado, but came with a 4.3, 5spd. It's now a 358, Muncie. I built it in the 90's, and strictly showed it all over the southeast. I've put 4 miles on it since 96'. Brodix heads, lightweight everything, bla, bla, bla.

Another shot...still has the Sport Truck tag on the back from a 98' shoot. It made Truckin' that year also.

Stock 350 efi heads.

Got the v6 frame brackets off after a couple of hours. Added new poly bump stops to the lower control arms for the lower stance and new poly motor mount inserts for the V8 swap, the new sway bar bushings and endlinks, and Belltech shocks in.

Energy Suspension 3.1128R Motor and Trans mount kits
Energy Suspension 9.9101R All Purpose Bump Stops
Belltech 8000 Nitro Drop 2 front shocks

If the wallet allows ....look at some vortec heads they flow pretty good for iron sbc heads. I believe gm performance also sells some nice heads and they aren't too pricey . As for the transmission the lt1 version will do you just fine . Provided you aren't doing 5500 rpm clutch drops ,running huge sticky tires . Realistically that Trans can take 550 lb-ft .

Looks great, can I ask how hard is it to replace the rubber mounts with the poly for your motor mounts?

I just went the cheapest route for getting the truck done, had the heads, intake, and short block laying around.

Just drill the rivets and hit with a hammer and the pop apart but the real fun is getting the mounts unbolted from the frame.

Ah yes, I remember that from my conversion. Fun it was!

I just remembered I never posted any results on the brakes.
Started to take apart the rear drums and found that one drum had parts fall out after taking the drum off and proceed to rebuild both sides with new springs and pads.
Then on to the front with the EBC yellow stuff pads and stock rotors which had the ABS ring on the back which I didn't up front just in the, so I just went to the local pick a part and got some ABS dust plates and bolted everything up.
Tested a few times and the average result was 112ft from 60mph and the brakes got hot but barely had any fade, but had a spongy pedal after about 5 attempts in a row which I figure is there is a little air and causing the fluid to boil.
I did some looking and that distance is better than some supercars of the day so I feel pretty good plus I can add rear discs and maybe get a few more feet out of it in the future.

Got the T56 out of the Z28 and getting parts ready for a swap in to the Cheyenne, already ordered a clutch pedal assembly. Probably swap the LT1 in after some beefing up just need to figure out if I'll stroke it or just bore it out.

Got the Hellwig 1 and 1/8th inch solid rear sway bar installed today. But the instructions did nothing to help.

Helwig #7555

Got my manual brake pedal and clutch pedal assembly in yesterday.
So now the first step is done now I got to get a master cylunder.

Getting the LT1 and T56 for a test fitting in the Cheyenne to see where the hole for the floor should be and get the right master and slave cylinder right.

Getting ready to test fit the LT1/T56 in the truck this 4th of July and see where I need to cut the hole for the shifter. Have already ordered a driver side seat bracket for my Procar seat and a PSI LT1 wiring harness for a manual, OBD2 port so I can use all the stock stuff, and laid out for a Corvette accessories bracket so I don't have to notch the frame for the Camaro a/c compressor placement.

Did you purchase a LS1 T56 or an LT1 T56? The LS1 T56 is not a direct bolt up to your engine. The flexplate, clutch, throw out bearing, input shaft and mid plate are different. The bellhousing will bolt up, but the clutch action won't work without heavy modifications.

The best route is to find an LT1 (1997 and earlier) T56.

I bought a 1996 Z28 for $1700 and sold a few things and scrapped the wrecked body and came out to $1150 for the engine, t56, leather front seats, and center consule, pretty good deal for a running LT1/T56.

Got the LT1 and T56 in tonight for a rough fit and to get some other thing to fit like the master cylinder and slave cylinder and custom transmission crossmember.

Thats a pretty good deal!!

Nice!