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Storms a 'comin! Project Thunderbolt returns (with pics)

21K views 105 replies 12 participants last post by  NCEvets 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
The storm clouds gather on the horizon...
The bank account quakes in fear...
Project Thunderbolt has returned.

The Basics:
1989 Trooper, 5 spd, 4ze1 engine.
IMG-8163.JPG


I had originally started this project way back when but after I determined that the engine was developing a rod knock, I found a different Trooper to drive around. The red one worked great but it didn't have air conditioning. That was a deal breaker for my daughters so I sold the red one to finance the build up of Thunderbolt. The original story is in the threads here:
https://www.planetisuzoo.com/viewtopic. ... 5&t=137907

Bad engine:
https://www.planetisuzoo.com/viewtopic. ... 5&t=138495

Replacement Trooper:
https://www.planetisuzoo.com/viewtopic. ... 5&t=138497

Cleaned up, fixed all the little things and then sold the red Trooper (it looked good!):
https://www.planetisuzoo.com/viewtopic. ... 5&t=143599

And now back to the blue!
Currently, I am installing sound deadener throughout. I did this in the red one as well and it made a nice difference. This time I think I am doing a better job. Instead of just covering everything I could, I did a little research. The best way I got it in my head was to think of sound waves like water in a river. A long stretch of flat sheet metal is like a smooth river channel, the sound just rolls through it. The deadener is like sand bars trying to interrupt that flow. So I did the inner and outer doors, the floor, the firewall and the rear wheel wells. I would have liked to do the roof but I am terrified of taking down the headliner, especially when it is in perfect condition.
Next up is installing the new crate motor. Since it is a new motor, I went ahead and got a new water pump (Thank you Jerry!) and radiator for it. I hate when engines overheat. I also got an upgraded alternator. Should be interesting to see how that works. I am planning on adding some camping electrical gear to this rig and I heard the stock alternator is a little weak.

By the way, if you are curious as to why this spot always rusts on the first gens, here is why. Just a catch spot for crud. Since I had the fenders off to replace the door hinges (no more driver drop when opening! Hooray) I figured I would POR-15 that spot on the fenders and rockers before they rusted out.
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After that it is just the basics of new ball joints, new tires. I also am planning on putting in a new Exedy clutch whenever RockAuto gets around to sending it to me.

The debates:
1. Crate vs. rebuild-the endless debate. I had originally planned on rebuilding the motor in Thunderbolt. But after reading through several threads (especially Alan's), calling around for some machine shop pricing and being honest with myself, I decided to go for a brand new engine just for peace of mind. My number one goal is reliability. I just want to jump in and go. As anyone who has tried to source a 4ze1 crate motor, they aren't common. I found one at S&J Engines in Spokane. They had one core they rebuilt for me. Once I send my core back, they should have another in case anyone wants to go this same route. To my door it was about $2500. The fact that the engine runs smoothly in Thunderbolt now should make the swap go better since I am not repairing it as I go. According to *******, it should only take me about 30 minutes (yeah right! I wish J5 was my neighbor!)
IMG-8157.JPG


2. 4 cyl vs. 6 cyl- I went around and around on this one. Thanks to Dick Hess for his advice. I am part of the bigger-is-better crowd with power, but I also like a fine running 4 cyl. If I want to go fast, I can fire up the big-block in the Chevelle parked next to it (hiding under all the boxes waiting for its turn).
IMG_7549.jpg


3. Manual hubs vs. Auto-locking - I go back and forth on this one. I know the manual are better for long term durability, but for now I am going to leave the autos on. Most of my upcoming trips will be highway anyway. I did scrounge a set of manual Aisin's at the junkyard that I will put on someday.

4. Seats - I may do a writeup on this topic in another thread. I wander the junkyards just for fun to see what is there. Like every other 1st gen trooper owner, I want different seats. I wanted non-electric buckets with factory armrests. Not easy to find. I originally had seats from a 92 Suburban that I thought would be nice but they were too wide. I had a set of seats from a Nissan Quest but gave those to Dick for his project. Some Suzuki seats are ok. Some Kia's have armrests. The volvo seats are nice but no armrest. Lately, I think I found a winner. 2010 and up Dodge Grand Caravan front seats. I have my eye on a set at the yard. If I pick them up, I will do a writeup on them and adding the factory brackets.

5. Other parts to install- In my hoarding, I have managed to acquire a pretty decent pile of parts. I got a G80 out of a 94 trooper that I want to swap in. I have the rare rear sway bar that needs to go back in, some good KC off-road lights, rhino-line both bumpers black, the factory brush guard needs to go back on and I want to do the heavy duty tie-rod mod. Those parts will have to wait until it is running though.

Questions:
1. This is a classic "while-you-are-in-there" situation. I was already planning on a new clutch, new radiator with new hoses, new alternator, and new water pump. Is is common to replace the AC Compressor at this junction? What else am I missing?

2. Any wisdom to share? Members have been down this road many times and this is my first Trooper engine swap. Tips, advice or things to watch out for would be greatly appreciated. My initial plan was to remove the old engine with the itec still on (using J5's tip about removing the motor mounts) and then swapping everything over to the new block before dropping back in. Any concerns about that route?

I appreciate the fun I have had on this forum. Thanks in advance to everyone who took time to read my long post!
-Curtis (Boise Trooper)
 

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#79 ·
I like the last pic but those things are always up to the taste of the owner. Who cares what others think about it?

On the Ac and tint thing, thanks for the info. I guess I am going to have to keep sweating for a while because I can't afford that right now Lol. Heck I don't even know if I will need to replace any of the components. I asked several AC shops if they could test my evaporator and compressor when I had all that crap out and none of them would or could do it. Wish it was as easy as putting in a can of freon from the local auto parts store.

On the tint, they removed all the roll up windows? Assuming they left the quarter glass in when they did this? Seems like it would be a royal pain to remove all the glass and put it back in. Was there a certain tint level you went with? Never done this so don't know what to ask for but also don't want a ticket for being too dark.

Your truck looks good all finished up BTW. I also installed my brush guard over the weekend.

Regards,
Alan
 

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#80 ·
giusedtobe said:
I like the last pic but those things are always up to the taste of the owner. Who cares what others think about it?

On the Ac and tint thing, thanks for the info. I guess I am going to have to keep sweating for a while because I can't afford that right now Lol. Heck I don't even know if I will need to replace any of the components. I asked several AC shops if they could test my evaporator and compressor when I had all that crap out and none of them would or could do it. Wish it was as easy as putting in a can of freon from the local auto parts store.

On the tint, they removed all the roll up windows? Assuming they left the quarter glass in when they did this? Seems like it would be a royal pain to remove all the glass and put it back in. Was there a certain tint level you went with? Never done this so don't know what to ask for but also don't want a ticket for being too dark.

Your truck looks good all finished up BTW. I also installed my brush guard over the weekend.

Regards,
Alan
Hey Alan,

I hear ya. It was a bit of a sticker shock for me too. But I had prepared myself that it might be a project that got bigger. I needed to get the 30 year old AC system working reliably. Now I hope to just maintain it. I sold some tools and vintage guitars to pay for it. With getting the house ready to sell, I can't keep everything anyway. On the glass, they didn't take apart the roll up mechanisms. Sorry for the awkward wording. They tinted those as one normally would. They did pop out the cargo area and back door glass though, tinted and reinstalled. It turned out nice.

I think I am going to put on the one pinstripe on the upper for now. I can always add more later.

-Curtis

p.s. Your trooper is looking awesome!
 
#81 ·
For tint look into ceramic tints. A couple buddies in another forum were talking about them and said the amount of heat they keep out is incredible, even without being dark. One guy tinted his entire front windshield at a level that isn't even noticeable to the casual observer. He said it's amazing because you can see out of it just fine, but it keeps something like 85% of the heat out. That's the direction I'm going when I get around to it.
 
#84 ·
Wow! Many changes since I last checked. Are you sure you will off road that beautiful Trooper?
I had a great time in Green River UT and then to Montrose CO. Put almost 2000 miles on mine in a
Little over a week. Make sure you readjust your valves and retorque the head after your breakin.
 
#91 ·
BoiseTrooper said:
Alan,

Unfortunately no. I simply ran out of time and had to put the originals back in. I don't like them but they work.

I made it on my first extended trip to my cabin! It ran great! The first long cruise is always nerve-wracking.

Troop Dawg was happy too.

View attachment 1
Man, that is beautiful. My dream that I never accomplished was to have a remote place to go such as your cabin. I picked a career ( aircraft mechanic) that demands big city living. I was able to retire to a lake for 6 years and that was as close as I got to remote living. I hate big cities with there high taxes, crime and disfunctional people who think big government is the answer to everyone's problems. And I had a Golden Retriever that if you were to throw a stick anywhere (water, didn't matter) he was gone. It's bred in to them to retrieve. Beautiful dog. As to those seats, I've placed seats in 2 Isuzu's that came out of other cars. Just make sure the measurements are correct, and then you'll have to make some parts to make them work. Doable but as you've learned, it's time consuming.
 
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#92 ·
itsmehb said:
BoiseTrooper said:
Alan,

Unfortunately no. I simply ran out of time and had to put the originals back in. I don't like them but they work.

I made it on my first extended trip to my cabin! It ran great! The first long cruise is always nerve-wracking.

Troop Dawg was happy too.

View attachment 1
Man, that is beautiful. My dream that I never accomplished was to have a remote place to go such as your cabin. I picked a career ( aircraft mechanic) that demands big city living. I was able to retire to a lake for 6 years and that was as close as I got to remote living. I hate big cities with there high taxes, crime and disfunctional people who think big government is the answer to everyone's problems. And I had a Golden Retriever that if you were to throw a stick anywhere (water, didn't matter) he was gone. It's bred in to them to retrieve. Beautiful dog. As to those seats, I've placed seats in 2 Isuzu's that came out of other cars. Just make sure the measurements are correct, and then you'll have to make some parts to make them work. Doable but as you've learned, it's time consuming.
I hear ya! We built the cabin ourselves (mom, dad and my brother) to have a place to get out of the city. The nice thing is there are no payments or mortgage. But it did take 5 years of weekends and lots of work to build. I come from a farming/construction background so we could do the work ourselves.

Speaking of moving, it looks like I am in the same boat again. Since I am going through a divorce, I have to sell my house and shop. Boise is growing at ridiculous pace and I simply don't think I can afford to live here anymore. That's ok though, it has changed a lot in the 20 years I have been here. Seems politically, there are only extremes. The gun nuts who storm the capitol building or the ultra liberal californians moving in that want to regulate everything. It used to be that most people were in the middle ground and it just wasn't that big of a deal. Not so much lately.

Today I am planning on re-torquing the head and adjusting the valves. I have about 800 miles on the new motor. It is going to suck having to give up the 2-post lift, but if I built this shop, I can build another (hopefully bigger!) I finally built the shop I always wanted to restore my Chevelle and ended up restoring an Isuzu and then having to sell it. Life can pivot on you pretty fast when you least expect it. Funny how that works. Also needed is reinstalling the EGR tube bracket but I am dreading it. The one bracket I overlooked just HAD to be the bracket attached to the worst bolt on the entire truck! (top bolt of the transmission housing). Sheesh! Oh well. Just nuts and bolts...just nuts and bolts...

I am thinking hard about a move to Minnesota. Maybe something with a dock? Not sure. Hard to know what to play when you don't know what cards you are even holding, eh?
 
#93 · (Edited by Moderator)
Oof. Good day and bad day.

The good: I readjusted the valves and retorqued the head. The head looked great and was nice and clean. Well oiled too. I did the .008 on the intake and .01 on the exhaust. It takes less time than you think. Also, for those who don't think you need to retighten the head, I had about 800 miles and some of the bolts took almost a 1/4 swing of my torque wrench to reach spec. Do it.
head.jpg


The bad: I spent about 6 hours today eff-ing around with those damn bellhousing bolts. I am absolutely certain that the factory did them on the assembly line and then lowered the body down on top of them. So maddening. I don't know if I bent my EGR tube at some point, or if the replacement block was just a slightly different size or what, but the egr bracket was at least 1/2 inch off. No way it was going to line up. Then I tried to put the bolt back in and can't get it tight. Either I cross-threaded it (which I don't think) or I can't get enough access to it to compress the clutch plate springs or the bolt is too long and is bottoming out. I might try a shorter one later. I finally threw my tools down in disgust and admitted defeat. Ol Thunderbolt will just have to ride the way it is for now. It is frustrating for sure, but considering I found 3 different sizes of bolts holding it on when I took it apart, I am hopeful it holds together.

Also took a look at the spark plug. Looked ok to me. Any spark gurus see any concerns?
spark plug.jpg
 

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#95 · (Edited by Moderator)
Well fellas, I think Thunderbolt is done (at least for now.) Got all the bolts tight (fingers crossed) . Runs good. Looks good. Now I hope to put thousands of miles on it.

I want to thank everyone for the encouragement and advice. It has really meant a lot to me.

Took a few glamour shots just because...

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#97 ·
Funny we did the same in a different part of the country. Old house on family land leased to a hunt club. Brothers and I meet there occasionally to have fun. Middle of nowhere, love it. Put about 800 miles on the troop and it ran like a top. Still hot as hades though. Failed ,my first mud hole. You will have to go to my thread if you want to see that debacle
 

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#98 ·
giusedtobe said:
Funny we did the same in a different part of the country. Old house on family land leased to a hunt club. Brothers and I meet there occasionally to have fun. Middle of nowhere, love it. Put about 800 miles on the troop and it ran like a top. Still hot as hades though. Failed ,my first mud hole. You will have to go to my thread if you want to see that debacle
That is great! Yours looks as good with mud on it sitting at the lake as mine does all waxed up in my front yard.
 
#100 ·
It has been great watching your build, even better was getting to know you personally! I hope this truck performs for years to come!
Did I mention I bought a 2000 Trooper?
 
#102 ·
Hi,
So far the new motor is working out great. On the highway I get around or over 20 usually. It runs nice.

As for performance, hard to say. The previous motor was in bad shape. But I will say this one is peppy and starts well. Currently it is snowed in but I still start it every few days just to keep things lubricated. It always fires right up.

Keep us posted on what you do. Another build thread is always welcome.

Happy new year.
 

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