Rising up to the challenge

[RAMairGTO72]

If the picture didnt work I will post a link in response to this post.

Hello all, wanted to poke in here and say hello, it's been a long time.

I am getting thing cranked up to get the M-715 project going. Life got int he way, a move, lost a person that needed to be gotten rid of, new place.

Had a buyer for the M-715 a while back, but that didn't work, and I think im glad.
In any case if I get over my head I have a few numbers to call.

This is whats up, the M-715 is at a place where I want to do the engine transplant, no the factory engine is not staying in, in fact in time I will be putting most of the running gear up for sale as it comes out.

I did, after over a year, get my custom top from a well known maker of tops, it got a little ugly and I did the best I could with this person and had to push as I payed up front and the stuff in the back was only protected with a tarp.



I have been in close contact with David at Novak Jeep Conversions, and we are working with the best way to set up the LS 6.0, 4L85e, AMG 242 setup.

I am working with a garage to help me with the major parts of the build, he's huge into Military stuff and owns his own Garage business.

He is a little worried about the fuel injection part of the build, and oddly thats the least of my worries.

I wanted to ask the people on here that have done engine swaps and or axle swaps for some insight. I have read the "Chevy Express 3500 Axle" swap but the people who wrote it here never said what year.. Also the clearance a centered axle will have on the gas tank, I have read its just over a fingers width..

I don't want to upset the purest here, it's great you guys keep it original, I want a every day truck I can take anyplace and get parts anyplace for.

It would be great to put a Cummins in her, but I don't have the resources to fab up mounts, also finding a "1 wire" 12BT seems rather hard. If anyone has a 6BT and can pump out some weld in motor mounts i'm all ears!

The plan is to get the engine and trans in. I bought a new/rebuilt TQ converter because you never trust one you dont know, for the price It could not be passed up. The 4L85e is a GM manufactured unit from a military brother of mine, it has around 200 miles on it.

The LS 6.0 has a Car Fax report with 50,000 miles on her. As cheap insurance I got a new water pump and replaced all the TB sensors. As well I got the block off plates for all the smog equipment. I had the alternator tested, it's a HD unit with the "wide" belt, someone must have checked the box on the GMC 2500 for the HiOutput.




The AMG 242 is a military rebuilt unit, it's nice, the place I bought it from sold my a used unit and during shipping the back case got cracked, the box was a mess, it's like they dropped it off a 3rd story building.. But the trans place I got it from stepped up to the plate and sent me a rebuilt unit.






I have had a few Jeeps and really like the AWD, it's saved me a few times and as well I trusted them with my life in the ARMY, as they are standard in the H1. It's a HD NP 242 without the 2wd option. I was on the fence about this transfer case for a while in the M-715, everyone feels happy with a overly solid transfer case, however none of them offer full time operation.



It makes it nice for driving in crap, say a road side puddle you hit at speed, or going on and off of snow on one of those days where they got the intersections clear but nothing else, rather then getting out, locking in the hubs and then shifting in and out of 4wd, you can just...drive..

The H1 Mils also switched from the TH400 to the 4L80e. I was lucky and got a 4x4 4L85e. The spline count on the AMG 242 and 4L85e is also a marriage, no taking anything apart. It was a little hard to find the Military adapter to fit them together, but I did, and I also got the H1 Military shifter that came in 4L80e equipped H1s.


The cool thing is, if I ever want to "Cummins up", the trans and T case are fine with it.

If anyone is in the Richmond VA area and would like to get together with me on this project that would be great.

If anyone has replaced the rear axle with another I would like to talk one on one with you. I know the springs are an issue because it's very wide.

Looking for a D80, D70 or 14 bolt full floater, no semi. Also a front Drivers Drop D60 kingpin with disks.

I also am at a loss with the rear bumper, is the frame "the rear bumper"? The fire Dept had one made for it, it's not bad, but im thinking it's not my bag, and it's kinda low.

Before the train wreck I built and put in the Troop Seats and found a Bow Kit, I used all Stainless Steel hardware, I have all the parts for the soft top and a new windshield frame because all the holes they drilled into them for the HT would have been crazy to fix, as well they took off the slot for the soft top.

I'm open, feed me what you know!

[RAMairGTO72]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/q2l1w39k0n...58.39.jpg?dl=0
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[Flingarrows]

Welcome back.
I put a 14 bolt FF from a 70's Chevy pickup in my truck.

I cut off the existing spring perches and shock mounts, and welded on new mounts to match the springs, after setting the pinion angle.

I put on rear disc brakes, and if I remember correctly, there would have been interference from the drums if I didnt.

I believe that I bought the brackets, perches and pinion guard from http://www.greatlakeoffroad.com/

When I originally put the 6.2 diesel in, I offset the engine 3/4" to the passenger side to account for the centered rear axle, but saw that I really didnt need to do it after I had the 14 bolt in. I swapped the axles after the engine

[RAMairGTO72]

Thanks man, life gets in the way, and I have started and stopped this project so many times it makes my head spin.

Been trolling Ebay getting people to give me WMS measurements on rear axles, and it really seems the "3500 Chevy Express" with disks is the ticket.

I didnt think that the 14 bolt was that old?

I even contacted Dana to have them look and see what axles were wider then normal. It's really getting under my skin, something built this ...basic .. but the springs get in the way of any "normal" axle.

It makes me wonder if getting rid of the leaf springs is a better idea, but I hate to get mired down in some 4 link.

Tell me, what did you do for a front axle? Did you have any fitment issues with the gas tank? Still have the factory tank?

Do you like your 6.2, when I served they were just dogs, but I know they are rather reliable.

Did you stick with the 4 speed and 200?

Love to talk to you more about this, thanks for your time in answering, was hoping for more peoples input.

[Flingarrows]

Yea the 14 bolts were in the chevy 3/4 tons in the 73 and up models. Not sure about the 68-72's though.

I used both axles, SM465 trans and 205 tc from a donor 73 chevy.

I bought the truck for $500, sold the tires/wheels for 250, engine for 200, cab for 75, and misc for 50. I did ok on that one.

I put discs on the rear, and moved the perches, not too much drama there. The front in the truck is a dana 44. I swapped it under as a temp axle, but it is still under it 2 years later. My projects tend to move like a glacier . I'm glad that I took the time to strip and paint it...

When I put the 6.2 in, I offset it 3/4" to the passenger side, after reading about gas tank interference. It turns out that I had enough room though.

The 6.2 was ok. My buddy who loves 6.2's talked me out of the sbc 350. I ran it for a year, but bought a 1st gen cummins dually during that time. I fell in love with the idea of a cummins with overdrive in the 715.

Sooo, sold the old engine and tc, and have a 6bt, and nv4500 sitting in the garage. Family and work have made progress very slow. I dont see much work getting done until Sept, and bow season starts soon after that...