1989 K1500 ECLB 4x4 Build...

[BlK89EXLB]

Another decent day, a little more progress on both sides. I'm able to walk short distances with one crutch, making carrying things much easier. I had been loading tools / parts into a backpack and "crutching" from the garage to the truck in our gravel lot / work area (about 300').

The ground has been a snowy / muddy mess so it's been mostly interior work until today.
- DIN size radio / audio player installed
- OEM radio removed, bin added
- Replaced front speakers / rear panel speakers
- Rewired audio system w/ 16ga wire
- Sanded / filled spots on rockers - painted w/ non-skid epoxy
- Sanded / painted seat frame / kick panels w/ non-skid epoxy
- Replaced used battery w/ 770CCA AGM battery - similar to an Optima / Odessy
- Replaced all underhood wire loom / elec. tape.
- Relocated some wiring to simplify engine bay
- Correctly fixed poorly spliced wires / grounds
- Sanded / painted air cleaner in semi-gloss "crinkle-finish" black
- removed spray paint / cleaned plastic air tube.
- Fixed glove box door
- Wrapped / painted headers / mufflers
- Installed new tailights, stop light board.

Got Dad and my brother this weekend, here is the big plans;
- Remove wheel / dismount tires / blast & refinsh
- Remove entire front suspension / differential
- flush / fill front dif / replace axle seals
- sand / paint frame
- remove exhaust / manifolds
- drain / flush / fill t-case
- Install B&M shift kit / +1qt pan / fluid
- Install RCX 6" kit
- Install new F44 bearings, rotors, pads, calipers
- Install new U/L BJ, I/O tie-rods, pitman arm, center link, idler arm
- Control Arm bushings

* I may have found a flood-totaled '94 RCLB 2500LD than I want to use for the front fenders, hood, its got a big whack on the dr. side of the bed but if the pass side is in decent shape, I may use it for a patch panel.
It's got a 6-lug 14bolt and some nice 16" Eagle 187 wheels. I would consider doing an interior swap but it was flooded over the roof

a couple pics / more to come!

Wrapping the headers - 1-5/8" headman LT - stripped and painted w/ 2500* coating & wrapped w/ DEI 2" TI-Header wrap

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2-1/4" Hooker header back exhaust w/ homemade crossover & and dual Hooker Super Comp mufflers.

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Before and after, big difference between 24yo broken taillights and new shiny ones!

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Pic overload tomorrow night, stay tuned!

 

[94Sierra4x4]

Looking forward to the to do list thats for sure! Glad to hear your getting better man

 

[BlK89EXLB]

Alright, a bit more today... got the radio hooked up the rest of the way, fixed some more wiring, did the intake manifold gaskets
Steering column was a P.I.T.A. the one I got from a pick a part had a bad neutral safety switch, went back got a new switch, and it works but I had to "modify" it and as of now have no ACC pos.
Suspension tear down tomorrow!

Digging In & fixing the damned wiring!

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And Dad's rolling workshop -- Peterbilt 356 - 300HP PACCAR, 12spd, 10k# crane, 300amp, 7kw, 40cfm hydraulic power unit
every snap on tool and custom tool -- 1/4"drive, short swivel 15mm & 13mm sockets! (makes removing the coil bracket a breeze)

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Yes he has OCD about keeping the stuff organized and spotless

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the smaller truck - 454, 4.10s, and 8900# gas mileage FTW!!

 

[Darkrider]

Nice progress!!! Def grab that 14 b SF to upgrade your truck unless you have one already.

 

[BlK89EXLB]

having an issue keeping the timing in this thing, seems like I set it, runs fine. then after a few min its off to the point it starts pinging really bad under load... any ideas??

a little rainy today so I cleaned the interior, started cleaning /de-greasing underhood.
Got a little bored, and was trying to figure out my timing issue so I was driving around the field... even with these bald, dry rotted cooper STs it still did really well in some sloppy mud and through the woods.

a few pics

moving parts from the garage to the shed so dad can get the Chevelle out.

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"flexing" in the field, i'll use this as a comparo pic when the RCX is on.

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Before and after painting / cleaning underhood... getting there, luckily the rust isn't bad at all on the inner fenders, a quick scrub with degreaser, and scuffing with some 600grit, some high build primer, and finally sprayed non-skid semi-gloss black epoxy on the fender, and black on the brake booster / steering shaft. I painted the washer bottle and taped off a sight window, but I'll need to redo it. not real happy with the turnout.

...I know I painted the brake lines, but once I can dig out my tube bender I'm replacing the lines with 316SS lines and fittings I scavenged from work.
once all thats done the engine bay will be screaming for a detailed chevy orange small block with polished alum. heads, intake, and crinkle black valve covers.

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And the other -400... Waaay cleaner than the 1500. '94 3500HD, 135.8" WB, 98k original miles, custom bed, 4.56 gears, 4L80E, 454... the black welding bed section removes for a alum. flat bed w/a gooseneck for towing our 28' enclosed car hauler.

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And the old bus... '91 2500 Suburban. Dad worked for Marc Christopher Chevy in Cali and custom ordered it with the 454SS motor(290hp), a FF 1-ton rear, HD cooling, silverado pkg, bucket seats, rear AC, tinted glass, rear barn doors w/ factory tint and defroster, AM/FM cassette, cruise, power d/s

 

[BlK89EXLB]

--- Quick update, some wheelin' and dealin' has changed plans a little for the truck. I traded a '93 TBI 454 for a nice '82 K20 with no motor, Sold the flatbed and sheetmetal off it already, and now it appears I have a good starting point for a SAS.

I'm not going to install the RCX, since it'd be coming off in a few months. And it'll be easier to sell an unused kit.

With that said I know I can't post in the classifieds yet but I have the brand new RCX 6" kit for sale, has standard shocks, and red boots. I have the steering stabilizer too.

cost was a little over $1k, I opened the boxes to check the parts and thats it. all still wrapped, decals, instructions, still in orig. envelope.

It'd be pricey to ship (weighs 236# between 5 boxes) which between that and a 15% return fee I figure I'll get more selling it vs. returning it.

I live 45min North of Pittsburgh, Pa. currently and could arrange a delivery +/- 25mi.

Thanks guys, hope I'm not getting in trouble posting this....

 

[BlK89EXLB]

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one step ahead, and two back..
This truck seems to be a little too attached to me, had a set back and blew my knee out in PT, and the same day the truck died.

started burning oil like mad and then made a very bad noise like it was trying to self clearance itself.

Pulled the motor, and boy was she a sick puppy. the knuckle drager that put the motor in had the bell housing bolts finger tight (except the 13mm forced into one hole)
found a 1/4"drive 5/16" socket in the water pump.
half the headbolts were removed by hand, the head gaskets were cooked and had cracked the block between cylinders 4-6. into the scrap pile with this one.
#8 piston had nasty scratches on the skirt and walls.
#1,#2,#5,#6,#8 rod bearings were gone, #7 had a crack in the bearing.
Both heads are so warped they wobble sitting flat on a fab table.

So a little sooner than latter She's getting a 355 I've got in the garage (not enough funds for my carb'd 383 just yet)
I've built 4 355s like this, all dyno'd 320-330HP one has 123k on it (in a class C motorhome no less) so it may be in there for the long haul....

Luckily this makes fixing the wiring nightmare easier.... all the factory wiring is now in the scrap pile and a clean unmolested harness is getting installed, fixed the trans cooler lines, and the homemade fuel lines that rode on the front drive shaft.

Soaking the engine bay in super clean than pressure washing, sanding and painting tomorrow.

onto the pics!

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It's gonna look sooooooo much different, but god what a mess

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And this is what it looks like in a 20 year newer truck.... (swapped my blown 5.3 for a 6.0)

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Dead.

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Wish I had internal pics....this thing grenaded, stupid collapsing AFM roller lifter turned sideways, ate a cam lobe, and #2 cam bearing, caused the oil pump screen to cave in, grenaded the pump, and spun #1,3,8 rods, bent valves on 1,3,4,5. happened in an elapsed time of about 2 seconds @ 3500rpm passing a truck uphill (she was already sick, 14 of 16 lifters showed sings of failure, and it had 102k hard miles)

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DESTRUCTION!!... notice the blueing and the crack she was cutting herself apart with the escaping compression between the two cyl. No wonder why it was a dog....

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.... and what it's getting..HA I wish, that there's a brandy new built 6.0, Lunati Cam, lifters, springs ported, polished heads, 10-1 comp, ported manifold, Wiseco pistons, Crower Rods dyno'd @ 451hp...
I would have pulled it from the Sierra but...

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the pass frame rail was into the starter, which was into the block, the motor mount pulled of and ripped a chunk out of the block too.. 5 months, and 34,000miles old....

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[BlK89EXLB]

Weather is finally cooperating so it's full steam ahead here at monster garage..

Got my core support painted & sanded, re-loomed all the wiring, fixed a melted socket for my parking lamps.
Figured I'd go ahead and do the swap to a newer style GMC grill w/ the composite lights.

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--- thought about leaving the quads for something different but they dont fill the shell right

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The grill and park lights are just set there, thats why it's a bit crooked. It'll be fixed (and painted) soon.

 

[Vortec Lover]

GMC grill = win

 

[thz71]

GMC grill = win

haha jk guys