Project “Polar Bear”: 1989 V2500 Suburban

[Larry]

Exactly, there are no parts unique to 2010, just some bits are coming from a 10MY engine (coolant crossover, oil pump drive and a few sensors). Pretty much 2004 to 2010 engines are the same. Even though GM stopped using the engine in the pickups in 2006, it continued on in GM medium duty and Workhorse (until 2011MY). The 8.1L is still made today and even spawned an 8.8L version but it is no longer manufactured by GM but rather PSI bought the rights from GM to manufacture it just the same as AM General bought the rights to the 6.5L diesel back in 2000.

 

[chilliwak]

One day I am going to have to come down and see your car lot full of cool machines Larry!:Wow1:

 

[Larry]

Well, finally got around to getting the RayLar cam is installed and the engine is all back together. Got boxes of install parts stacking up around here like cord wood but still have a lot more bits to collect. The Howell Engine Development harness is due in any day. Looking at the holiday schedule, work travel and life things the actual install probably won’t go down until at least mid-January if not February….until then here are some pretty engine pictures to look at.

Anxious to see how a performance cam works out in a L18

The engine is actually a 2008/2009 model year unit with painted 2002 valve covers on it. It probably had less than 10,000 miles on it before tear down. I like the early textured valve covers better than the later bare pieces.

That is not the actual oil fill pipe that will be used. That one is just in there to plug the hole for now.

In a few months the Polar Bear will be looking just like the K10. I’m using the exact same recipe of install part numbers right down to the air induction piping, fuel system and ECM tune. The only difference between this one and the K10 is the Raylar cam and use of headers. I am no fan of headers so hopefully the Sanderson headers used on the Polar Bears engine will turn me in to a header lover. Mr. Larry at RayLar talked me into headers to make the best of the cam so we'll see!

 

[chilliwak]

It never ceases to amaze me the high level of mechanical excellence in your vehicles Larry. Always a feast for the eye. Kind of like Chevy porn!:drool:

 

[Bojak]

Throwing me curves, cam?, and headers? Just when you think you know someone.
Ok so I actually don't know you but I thought I knew your opinion on keeping things stock. Now, I have to rethink some ideas / options I was passing on thinking "Larry said stay stock so it is easier to live with and fix." I'm not even sure I trust Santa now. Just funning with you. Should be cool. Interested to see what kind of beast the motor turns into going this route. I'm thinking fire breathing suburban dragon.

 

[Larry]

It never ceases to amaze me the high level of mechanical excellence in your vehicles Larry. Always a feast for the eye. Kind of like Chevy porn!:drool:

Thanks Chili!

Throwing me curves, cam?, and headers? Just when you think you know someone.
Ok so I actually don't know you but I thought I knew your opinion on keeping things stock. Now, I have to rethink some ideas / options I was passing on thinking "Larry said stay stock so it is easier to live with and fix." I'm not even sure I trust Santa now. Just funning with you. Should be cool. Interested to see what kind of beast the motor turns into going this route. I'm thinking fire breathing suburban dragon.

Yeah, no kidding! I almost don't feel like I know myself right about now either as I AM usually the guy preaching to keep the powertrain stock as possible for durablity. Well how it all started was I called Larry Hofer at RayLar looking for a few small L18 internal pieces and the next thing you know I ended up with a cam and headers on my door step. The cam is not huge by any means. In fact, RayLar claims it doesn't even have a noticeable lope nor does it need heavier valve springs, an adjustable valve train, fancy ECM tune, blah, blah, blah. This is pretty much a drop in cam with real world dyno tested in a Silverado at 420/500 per RayLar Larry. I also trust RayLar as they have been producing top quality performance parts for the RV chassis (Workhorse) that the company I work for builds (Navistar). They also do a lot for the marine side of the 8.1L business. RayLar has done extensive performance testing and durability testing with all of their pieces so I am not too worried plus it is pretty well known the stock cam is very small for emissions and fuel economy reasons but even at that, the 8.1L runs great with a broom stick for a cam. I know I am excited to see how one runs with a bumpy stick!

 

[chilliwak]

I am eagerly awaiting your response to the new cam and header set-up Larry. As if your machine did not have enough power as it is....:Wow1:

 

[rayra]

Love the work you've done with that old bus and your other projects..
I'm 2yrs late to the topic, but when I saw your Tach location pics I had to post my own similar setup in my '85 C-10. I tried a few positions for ym Sun Tach II and liked 10 o'clock location when in Drive. It 'disappears' when the vehicle is in Park, without hanging so low that I bump it when getting in and out.

Been running that for about 20yrs. Had the truck since it was a year old. Put 335k mi on the vehicle, on top of the 25k I bought it with. Almost broke 300k on the original engine until I got distracted working on another projected vehicle and ran low on oil before going into a huge sweeping freeway interchange at 60mph with ~2-1/2 quarts in the pan.

Finally have my own Suburban project vehicle, '02 K1500 5.3L LTZ, really looking forward to working on it / modifying things.

 

[Larry]

Cool! My brother ran a tach on his column shift automatic ’77 K10 forever. The clamp came loose every so often but it was neat the way it moved around like the sun setting and rising.

 

[Chevrolado]

Man... Thats a beauty of a motor. Cant wait to see it getting into the Polar Bear. Nice work as usual Larry. Inspirational.

 

[centexan]

Awesome build!

I, like most, have been following your builds for a long time. I would also like to do the 8.1 swap one day as well but that's a while down the road. I do have a question regarding the auxiliary battery tray. I just picked one up from the local dealership and I know that I will have to move the evap canister. Is this something that you did or have you eliminated yours? Additionally, when you mounted the aux tray did you have to use nuts in the fender as I felt behind and didn't feel any nutserts(?). Thanks Larry. I love looking at your rides. Like many, the Polar Bear is what my "Big Ugly" wants to be when it grows up.

 

[Larry]

I, like most, have been following your builds for a long time. I would also like to do the 8.1 swap one day as well but that's a while down the road. I do have a question regarding the auxiliary battery tray. I just picked one up from the local dealership and I know that I will have to move the evap canister. Is this something that you did or have you eliminated yours? Additionally, when you mounted the aux tray did you have to use nuts in the fender as I felt behind and didn't feel any nutserts(?). Thanks Larry. I love looking at your rides. Like many, the Polar Bear is what my "Big Ugly" wants to be when it grows up.

Thanks centexan! You’re right, there is a fitment issue with the aux battery tray and charcoal canister. If you think about it, most of those old dogs that had dual batteries were 6.2L diesels that didn't use charcoal canisters but surely there were dual battery options for gassers as well that must have used a different charcoal canister bracket or smaller charcoal canister. If such a bracket exists, I’ve never been lucky enough to find one in the salvage yards.

None the less, I removed the EVAP canister completely and just added a fuel tank vent cap to the EVAP hose for the short term. The vent I used is just like what is on the axle vents. I’m sure if we had emissions testing here that would not fly but since we don’t…it works for me. In all reality my Suburban has never vented correctly since the day I got it where I suspect a vent line is kinked near the tank someplace. The tank has to come down to replace the fuel pump to a higher pressure pump to support the 8.1L anyway so I’ll chase after the venting issue then. Until then I just keep leave the fuel cap loose just like the PO before me did

.

 

[hidesertwheelin]

I, like most, have been following your builds for a long time. I would also like to do the 8.1 swap one day as well but that's a while down the road. I do have a question regarding the auxiliary battery tray. I just picked one up from the local dealership and I know that I will have to move the evap canister. Is this something that you did or have you eliminated yours? Additionally, when you mounted the aux tray did you have to use nuts in the fender as I felt behind and didn't feel any nutserts(?). Thanks Larry. I love looking at your rides. Like many, the Polar Bear is what my "Big Ugly" wants to be when it grows up.

I unbolted the factory evap canister and then welded it to the factory driverside battery tray.

 

[landshark]

Read this entire thread tonight! Grew up around Suburbans and Chevy's in general, and pretty sure I remember your K5 in on of the 4wheeler magazines.

Anyways, just wanted to say you have some top notch chevy's.


Edit: We are practical neighbors, I'm just north in COS.

 

[edlaffoon]

Lookin good man.

I have to say I like the looks of the warn flares personally, I've been considering them.

It's weird, we have the same car-seat too. I keep telling my wife that old Chevy guys are cast from the same molds.