2000 K2500

[HerpDerp1919]

Moved my "build" thread here as I do enjoy input/feedback as I go along.

This is my 2000 K2500. I've had a few GMT400s over the years but this is one that I've always wanted. ECLB in the odd year where GM also had the new body style, just because I like to be different apparently. I picked it up for $2200 as 4x4 2500s are hard to find in S. Texas. Has 263k on the clock and a nasty knock/tick that I am really hoping is a cracked flex plate. I've had it since April so I'll post the progress so far.

When I first brought it home:

You must be registered for see images attach

In its previous life it was used as a work truck for a concrete crew so it had concrete splattered all over it. I suck at taking pictures of progress, but a couple evenings were spend with old credit cards scraping it off. My fiance was smart and took a picture of one spot.

Before:

You must be registered for see images attach

After:

You must be registered for see images attach

When I got it, it had this ugly ladder rack on it that I have absolutely no use for, so that had to go

Before:

You must be registered for see images attach

After:

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[HerpDerp1919]

The box was all smashed up and bent, I ended up finding a used one that was in slightly better shape for $100. Not sure if this new one is worth fixing but its a heck of a lot better than the old one.

Went and picked it up, and this was also the trip that my truck decided it no longer wanted to have overdrive and started to tell me that it had no oil pressure.

You must be registered for see images attach

A little degreaser and a hose:

You must be registered for see images attach

It was also at this point I decided I was going to take the gooseneck hitch out. After about three days of heat, hammers, pipe wrenches and cheater pipes of various sizes, me and my buddy concluded the ball was welded in and the PO had actually just cut the ball portion off. A few sawzall blades later and it was off.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[HerpDerp1919]

Got the new bed on, while it isn't a "Oh my god that looks amazing" better, its much better than the previous.

You must be registered for see images attach

S. Texas summer hit and this northern transplant doesn't do well in the heat so I took a break. But now that its cooling off I'm getting back into it. I'll get the mechanical oil pressure gauge put in to see if the sending unit is bad or if the truck truly doesn't have any oil pressure. I also found out that the PO had no thermostat in it so the truck never got up to actual operating temperature, so I'm hoping that with new coolant, and a thermostat in place allowing it to get to operating temperature the computer will let the truck shift into OD as it shifts fine when cold, but when it warms up it just kinda "slips" out of OD. No shudders or bucking or anything.

Got some time to get out and work on the truck. This truck had zero actual coolant, was all water. So we got some good news and some bad news... Good news is that now with a thermostat in place the transmission will hold overdrive with no issues for the short time I ran it. Bad news is I also hooked up a mechanical oil pressure gauge to check and see what the truck is actually at vs trusting the dash.

PSI Cold:

You must be registered for see images attach

PSI Warm at idle:

You must be registered for see images attach

So, like a whopping 2psi at idle. Looks like I'll be searching for a decent used engine. So if anyone knows of a decently priced good Vortec 5.7 around San Antonio, TX DM me.

I also learned that you need that Vortec box for the truck to run. Tried starting it without it on to verify that the connections for the gauge were tight and it WAS. NOT. HAPPY. Put the box back on and it started right up.

 

[HerpDerp1919]

Was finally able to find a decently priced used engine. Started tearing into the truck today and its slow going. Things are gonna get weird when it comes time to pull the engine though. No access to an A-Frame hoist or flat smooth driveway. Hopefully my plywood idea for rolling the hoist will work!

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[frito-bandito]

It gets sketchy on plywood sometimes, but I’ve done it many times like that lol

 

[HerpDerp1919]

Made some progress this weekend. Got the core support out and most of the harness disconnected and labelled. It seems like mother nature knows when I'm able to work on this thing because its been nice and cool most of the week but this weekend it was reaching back into the 90s by 1PM. Hopefully next weekend I'll have the T-case out so I can start on getting after the transmission bolts.

You must be registered for see images attach

It gets sketchy on plywood sometimes, but I’ve done it many times like that lol

Yeah, I'm sort of excited to try it but also dreading it lol. Back home in Minnesota I had a decent garage with almost any tool I needed. But this truck won't fit in my apartment garage. Heck, even when I did the engine swap on my E36 BMW I had to roll the car halfway out to get the engine/trans out of that!

 

[HerpDerp1919]

Been kind of a crazy month but been slowly plugging away at the truck. As well as helping my fiance build her desk since she's working from home now.

Got the engine pulled out a couple weeks ago. Doing the swap in my friends backyard, doing the engine swap on plywood wasn't as sketchy as I though it would be. I did however buy some thicker stuff that was made to have weight on it. I think at Lowe's the tag said it was comparable to what they use on the sides of houses and sub-floors.

You must be registered for see images attach

Oil pan came off the old one and cleaned a bunch of gunk off because the oil pan on the new engine had a dent but in the end I ended up just keeping the old one on since the gasket wasn't leaking yet. Also tried to do the rear main seal but stripped the head off one of the flexplate bolts. That sounded like a problem for future me, as I just wanted this engine in and didn't have tools to get the stripped bolt out.

But today was a successful day and I got the engine in and the trans bolted up. I even managed to get it in without crushing the distributor cap on the cab lol.
On the next one of my days off I'll be putting in the new knock sensor, new oil psi sender. I still have some small projects to do like getting the stripped bolts off the manifold so I can get whats left of the exhaust from the donor truck off so mine can get hooked up. I also wanted to clean the engine bay but its been dry here in S. Texas lately and someone drained the aquifer that my friends well is tapped in to, figured I probably shouldn't waste the water on that. Again, problem for future me.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[HerpDerp1919]

The end goal is to replicate my old 2500 that truly made me love these trucks. I had a 97 K1500 ECSB but it was just a good trade I got on an old Ford Exploder. Only issue I'm seeing on mine is that the front seems to sit a bit lower, but not sure if thats because the black truck was ECSB and this truck is a ECLB and its just messing with my eyes.
My old 2500:

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

Also pictured is my old 97 K1500 RCLB that I picked up for $500 with a bad 4L60e and then proceeded to grenade the engine on the first test drive after replacing the transmission

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[1997]

nice work. the black one rocks, i'm a ECSB fan, espcially the 8600 series.

 

[HerpDerp1919]

nice work. the black one rocks, i'm a ECSB fan, espcially the 8600 series.

Thanks man! That was the one vehicle that I deeply regret selling. I have tried numerous times to try and track it down through various MN truck groups but no luck. My neighbor bought it brand new, spent most of its life hooked up to their horse trailer. I got it from my neighbor in return for replacing the back window when it got smashed out on an icy day while hooking up to the trailer. She bought a new truck and gave the black one to me, got it at 295k miles, only changed the oil and spark plugs and proceeded to run it hard for another 5k before I sold it when I joined the Navy. Really wish I could find it and buy it back.