Chevy 4.3 TBI
T350 Tranny
Marlin Crawler
Cross Over Steering
On Board Air
Red Optima
Eagle GPS
Ramsey
REP8000
Ramsey Front Bumper
Cobra CB
3" Wider Rear Axle
Detroit's Front and Rear
5:29 Gears
3" Body Lift
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Trail Master Front Springs Pins moved forward 1"
Custom Mazda Rear Springs
Custom Rear Trac
Bar
BF Goodrich 35x12.5x15 on
10" Wheels
Bolt in Cage
Seats from a Toyota Celica
5012
Shocks on all 4 Corners Warn's Birfield Eliminator Kit |
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Chris bought the truck with
the tires already on it. The motor was a very tired 20R with a Weber carburetor,
header and a 2 1/2 inch exhaust. Shortly after the initial purchase, he bought gears and
lockers, a lock rite in the front and a Detroit in the back. Next came the motor, a 1984
22R bock was acquired for $100.00. The block was bored 4mm over and the crank was
balanced. The 20R head was completely gone through and the head and block were both
shaved. After it was assembled, a new center force 3 dual friction clutch was added. How did it run? I raced a 1990 Jeep Sahara
with an I-6 and beat it! Not bad for a 4 banger. |
| After a few years of driving it, it was
time to get serious. I ordered a Marlin Crawler. On the first test drive with it, I
found out how much torque the second low range added. I got myself caught between a rock
and a hard place. The only way out was to back up onto a very large rock with my wheels
turned hard to the right. On the first attempt, I broke the hub, birfield, and my
lock-right. The next major obstacle for
the truck was the carburetor. The 8+ year old Weber and the increasingly steeper hills I
was trying was not a good combination. I tried everything I heard of to stop the flooding
when I went up hills. |
I lowered the floats and I sealed drinking straws in the overflow of
the float bowl. The thing that worked the best was running the carburetor backwards. It
took a little imagination to get it working, but it did work. I could go up hills okay,
but I would flood and stall the motor going down hills. The problem was not as bad, but it
was still not fixed. Also, I needed more power to get up the hills in the mud.
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The best answer to both problems was a Chevy fuel
injected 4.3. I got it from a 1990 S-10 Blazer at a local salvage yard. The
4.3 and a T350 tranny is a great combination for my truck. My truck stayed in this
configuration for a few years until the quest for travel began.I
tried several coil and buggy spring setups. I was not
completely happy with any of them. About this time, I started reading about people
on the internet putting Mazda springs on the backs of Toyotas. After several people were
singing the praises of the Mazda springs, I decided to try them. The setup is as good as
everyone says. You do have to add a track bar at the same time, but the ride is much
better and the travel has greatly increased. I also added a 3" wider axle out of a
1986 truck. The axle also has larger breaks, which is a nice plus.
After a broken steering arm and a worn out drag link,
it was time for cross over steering. Luckily I met a friend on an off-road internet site,
who was selling his setup. This setup is a great improvement over the Toyota design. After
4 or 5 broken birfields, it was time for a change. Since I helped change the first broken
Marfield (and Marlin's production schedule was hectic ), I decided to get a Warn Birfield
eliminator kit. What I like about the kit is that it upgrades several things, instead of
just one joint. I love the fact that everything except the U-joint has a life time
guarantee. The last two upgrades were tested at the end of July.
- Chris Reeves
(918) 446-5535
Open Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Central Time
Email:
staff@samsoffroad.com
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