jj big shoe

You could get one from a Nissan Quest or a Mercury Villager. Both are minivans (no idea what they're called in AU or if either is sold there) and have higher amperage than the stock one you have. You may have to swap pulleys and modify the mounting bracket but its not difficult. Have you had your alt tested? You may have a pinched wire or a short thats draining the battery and the alt is fine.

I'd love to help. but you're about six years too late. I used to live about two miles from the circle. Check out a few write-ups in the how-to section, it's not too dificult. Just plan on using an entire weekend so you give yourself more than enough time and not rush it. BTW, you'll need a suspension lift along with the body lift to fit 33's. Good luck.

I heared Snoop Dogg did a nav voice for one company, don't remember which one but I want it.

Legalize marijuana. Your kids will be safer.

I'd bet the reason they're saying it won't fit is because the Villager/Quest engines are transverse mounted which requires very different intake and exhaust manifolds. Once you swap yours on to it and spin it around it should be ok. The 3.0 engine in mine was from a FWD and had the funky manifolds.

Installation instructions

I would think at 500 RPMs your engine is struggling to stay running. Are you sure the knocking isn't related to the engine dieseling and the noise is being transferred thru the low end and that's what you're hearing? Also, when installing the dist you're looking to line up the contact, not the stalk where the plug wire connects, with the rotor. I don't mean to question you and your pals technical abilities, but its a common mistake. I haven't done tons of rebuilds or anything but it really sounds like a timing problem and I know if you quick-step through the dist install and its off a tooth you'll never get it to run right.

What!?! I had to swap my clutch out in my one car garage all by myself! I didn't have any fancy-pants tranny jack much less some snazzy lift, I was creeping around on a cardboard box under the truck on the cement floor! I couldn't even jack the truck up high enough to get the trans completely out from under it, had to squeeze in between everything and work on it all hunkered-over like! You dadgum kids with yer Ipods and yer Mountain Dew have it easy nowadays! Dagnabbit, I'm all fired up now and Doc said I have to watch my blood pressure so I'm going to take my Metamucil and lie down. Dang kids...wasn't like this when I was young...none of this crap was going on until women got the right to vote...

The rust is going to be into the metal a good bit past the edge from the looks of it. The seam sealer might get you by but I would cut the rust out and hit the area with a wire brush or grinder to clean it up then slap a few layers of fiberglass on it.

Banned for having a sig pic of your truck giving me the finger.

Cool. A stock TH350 should be fine up to around 400hp as long as you're not at the dragstrip every weekend and since its coming from a friend the price should be right. Definately keep the split windshield and all the hood/grill chrome. That type of thing makes it what it is. Me and my friend re-did an old '65 Fairlane 4-door 6-banger and one of the coolest things was the shift indicator had a lighted plastic piece on the column that said "Cruise-o-matic" on it. Schweet! Channeling the body might be tricky though since its so curved but a roof chop could prolly be done a bit easier. I think bagging it might require chopping the frame so drop spindles/shackles or coil-overs would prolly be more budget friendly and still give it the stance you're looking for. And for more budget savings you could paint it with Rustoleum and a roller. I did my Pathy and it actually looks good. Really, no foolin! I'll give you a tutorial when/if the time comes. Or get the frame and running gear from a Suburban, lift it 8" and mount 44s on it! This is a 4x4 forum after all Damn, now I want an old truck.

I still have my old set of Pro Comp ES3000s laying around if you're interested, stock length. They're comparable ride and quality-wise to Rancho RS5000s. A new set of the PCs are about $140, the Ranchos are $190. I'll clean 'em up and inspect them if you're interested, $50-$60 or so. I'll even throw in some new red boots. Snazzy!

Is it going to be a restoration or resto-mod? Personally I like the latter. Find a good way to chop 4"-6" out of the cab and hood and drop another 4" from the roof then bag all four corners. Slap a worked 327 and TH400 into it and a decent rear end and you're gold. On the other hand, a total restoration is also a sweet way to go. Be sure to keep us posted. That's giong to be a real fun project whichever direction you take.

Banned for using caucasian ebonics.

I have an old set of lifters and stock valve springs if it ends up you need them to get you by. I bought new ones when I did my heads so they're just sitting around doing nothing. I've resurfaced them with 1000 grit sandpaper and I'm sure they're still good. It'll take a while for them to get to you from FL, but PM me if you need them and we can settle up sometime when you're more able to.

They slide thru holes in the trans bell housing from the rear and thread into the starter. If the heads are gone all you really have are studs that are threaded into the starter housing with non-threaded ends sitting in non-threaded holes in the bell housing. It should kinda pop right off.

Have you taken a look under the valve cover yet? Could it be some gunk around one of the valve seats or between the rocker arm and stem preventing it from closing properly? Badly neglected oil is nasty stuff.

Wait a minute...the starter bolts slide through two holes in the trans bell housing and thread directly into the starter. If the bolt heads are sheared off the starter should basically fall out. Have you tried smacking what's left of the bolts thru the mounting holes from the rear? That should pop the starter out the front since the mounting holes aren't threaded or am I missing something?

In my mind it's a given that a cat will reduce emissions due to the solid plutonium flux capacitors inside it, but TNZ has a good point about conspiracies. In VA the gas companies would fill their stations with oxygenated fuel during the winter (at least they did when I was there) which was supposed to bond an oxygen atom to the exhaust turning some carbon MONoxide into carbon DIoxide. Good idea and happy plants, right? Trouble is it has such a lower efficiency as a fuel that you end up burning 25% more of the crap when driving the same distance. I would fill up before going to WV and it would take an entire tank door-to-door, so I'd fill up again before leaving and have 1/4 tank left when I got home. How's that supposed to help the ozone?

Banned for being a punctuation nazi. That's my thing.

Mine have always been slow, but after I replaced the rubber channels with some JY ones from a HB they stall really bad about half way up even after silicone lube. There's a channel in the hinge side of the door that the rubber slides into and I think you might be able to adjust it a bit for smoother operation. I haven't yet but when I do I'll post up and let y'all know if it helped.

Cool, I have that print on my wall actually.

^^What he said. Those guys sound like nazis. I'd take my business elsewhere for sure.

He said he had problems with fuel pooling in the intake since he mounted the TB that way. I was thinking you could remove the injectors and make a plate to hold them at the entrance to the intake manifold just after the SC, more in their original position. Plus I'm not sure about spitting fuel thru the SC. I don't know a lot about it, but that sounds a bit sketchy to me.

Banned for having over 10,000 posts. Find something else to do, will ya?