88 C1500 driveline swap

[starlifter]

I know of a Chevy C1500 4X4 that is being sold. It has a 350 with FI and automatic. In stock form what drive line would these truck have i.e. axle types, transfer case etc and would it be a good candidate for a swap over to an 88 Wagoner? The GW will be use for mild off road and street use. For a opinion - would it be an improvement or about the same as the Dana 44 360 setup currently in the Jeep?

[AlsChopShop]

it will have an IFS front end, 10-bolt rear (maybe a 14b SF if you're lucky), TBI injected 350, 700r4 trans and NP241 drivers drop t-case.

if the motor is sound and the trans is solid i'd yank it all and throw it under the wag. just remember to grab the wire harness and ECM while you've got it. the TBI is great for reliability and the 241 is a stout case.

Al

[Heavy_Metal_Thunder_81]

I dont think youd see any improvement other than the benefits of FI. Plus do you really want your rig down for a whole year+ ??? Thats how long it seems to take people for this swap :p :hide: (sorry Al, had to...lol)

Id say just grab a TBI kit for your 360 and call it good, they arent as bad of motors as people say and the 727 is a great trans.

Another problem youd run into is the length of the 700R4 and your fuel tank.
Stick with what it came with, its a lot easier and the benefits you get from the swap arent a whole lot of improvement.

[starlifter]

Thanks guys,
just the kind of feedback I was looking for. The story goes a friend of mine said he was thinking of selling his 88 Chevy to get a newer model 4X4. I've ridden in this truck (on the street) and it is a clean well maintained 4X4 and he is asking $1000 so if i was to purchase it I would have the whole vehicle available to pick from. I told him I'm a $500 guy so the price is negotiable. Anyway, it got me thinking as I have at least one GW that I can do some upgrades to without putting me out of a ride. But, if at the end of the day the swap out doesn't give a big improvement I would just as soon to keep it as is (for now).

[AlsChopShop]

thanks john. :)

if you have the time to do the swap i'd say go for it. but it shouldn't take you anywhere close to a year to do. it has taken me a lot longer to finish mine because i didn't just yank and stab everything all at once. i changed from auto to manual, and a tranny and t-case that didn't even come with the motor. i also did a lot of extra things while i was in there. and now i'm at a standstill because i either have time or money, and never both at the same time. :rolleyes:

i do think you'll see some fuel economy with a combination of the TBI and the OD trans. but it would take a while to recoupe the costs if that's what you'd want. but the reliablility of the TBI and GM parts availability is a huge part of why you might want to swap.

i'd also be concerned with the condition of the chevy drivetrain. how many miles? 700r4's only last 150k in stock form most of the time. rebuilds are a little pricey, but they can be rebuilt to be bulletproof and last another 300k if you want. the stock tbi motor lasts forever with good maintenance, i have 200,000 on one and 286,000 on another. and surprisingly enough the one with higher mileage runs the best.

Al