Stock to Not: A Year-Long Journey of a 12-Valve Build

This build has been going on for A YEAR!

A whole dang year has passed since we’ve been tinkering with this old 12-valve we call “Stock to Not.” We’ve driven almost 40,000 miles, gone to countless shows and racing events all over the Southeast US, destroyed three sets of tires, made it through four dyno sessions, connected us closer with a ton of our advertisers and subscribers, and, most importantly, created an unfathomable amount of smiles per gallon.

Quick recap for those of you who are new: This editorial project started out as a $2,500 marketplace find, and we’ve taken it from being in the weeds at someone’s house to a daily driven street truck. Every month for the last year we’ve been installing a HUGE parts list on this truck to make 700 hp, we’re ready to make some real traction with this build.

We’re taking the winter months here in Florida to get this 12-valve putting power to all four wheels, but first we’re getting our Fleece coolant bypass, Pure Diesel Power vented valve cover, and rear main seal replaced so we can do some testing while our roller is getting cleaned up and mapped out for the 4-link suspension.

The first part of this refresh was to remove the transmission, clean the underside of the truck, and fix a leaky rear main seal. I did two rounds of degreaser and pressure cleaning to get this thick layer of grime and oil off everything. Make sure to tape up your transmission fittings!

NOW LET’S GET TO THE INSTALL.

To begin, first drain your engine coolant. I drained my coolant in a clean bucket for re-use.

Put the end of the pry bar in the middle of the freeze plug. A couple of solid taps should make a small crease in the plug, pulling a big enough lip to where you can grab the edge with the needle-nose pliers. Use the supplied sanding pad to smooth out the shelf that the freeze plug (and soon to be coolant bypass thermostat housing) so that the O-ring seals correctly and you don’t get any leaks!

Keeping a Cool Head

Now something that I’ve had on the shelf for a while knowing it would be easiest to do with the transmission out is this Fleece coolant bypass.

Here are a few things a coolant bypass can do for your truck:

• Lower coolant temperatures

The kit lowers coolant temperatures at the rear cylinders, which are more prone to overheating due to their location at the back of the block.

• Ensure consistent temperatures

The coolant bypass ensures that all cylinders have consistent temperatures.

• Preventing damaging pressure build up

The kit prevents damaging coolant pressure build up, which can cause freeze plugs to blow out.

• Adding a secondary thermostat

The kit adds a secondary thermostat that works based on temperature instead of pressure

PHOTOS BY TUCKER HARRIS