Blue11's 2000 K2500 CCSB (unnamed) build!

[boy&hisdogs]

Keep it! I love my truck but if I could do it all over again I'd want to start with an 8 lug CCSB. There's a reason every dad and uncle drives a CCSB 2500 these days...

Or maybe that's just my dad and uncles? Still though, a 2500 crew cab is more truck per truck than a ext cab 1500.

 

[Road Trip]

Paint color will likely be a metallic midnight blue with color matched fender flares.

I just discovered your thread & read through it. Glad you decided to stay with
the unicorn. Sounds like you are going from the old "Looks bad, Runs good", to
"Looks Good, Runs Big." The big block/4L80-E/full floater will deliver on the promise.

I chuckled when you mentioned the Pick & Pull date with your wife. She must harken back
to the women that rode across the continent in one of those Conestoga wagons. With all due
respect she sounds like a rare Dream Woman in our modern world to yours truly. :0)

As for taking Rainbow Brite to a midnight blue, the '99 RCLB C2500 that followed me home
was the factory Indigo Blue metallic that had become a bit dingy/cloudy/faded lighter over the years.

But I was to able to clean it up back to it's original look. This color is one of my favorites, can't believe
that I lucked into a used truck pretty much optioned out like I would have ordered it. (big block
chore truck, manual roll up windows, vinyl floor, but also cruise control to help control ticket accumulation. :0)

Here's something you can show your better half in order to give her an idea of how these look
with a "midnight blue metallic". Take a look at both Replies #24 & #25: (Indigo Blue brute)

Best of luck with your project. And I think that you will find this forum to be a good match
for what you are trying to accomplish. Common sense & sweat equity are both on parade
in here.

Looking forward to your future updates --

 

[Blue11]

I just discovered your thread & read through it. Glad you decided to stay with
the unicorn. Sounds like you are going from the old "Looks bad, Runs good", to
"Looks Good, Runs Big." The big block/4L80-E/full floater will deliver on the promise.

I chuckled when you mentioned the Pick & Pull date with your wife. She must harken back
to the women that rode across the continent in one of those Conestoga wagons. With all due
respect she sounds like a rare Dream Woman in our modern world to yours truly. :0)

As for taking Rainbow Brite to a midnight blue, the '99 RCLB C2500 that followed me home
was the factory Indigo Blue metallic that had become a bit dingy/cloudy/faded lighter over the years.

But I was to able to clean it up back to it's original look. This color is one of my favorites, can't believe
that I lucked into a used truck pretty much optioned out like I would have ordered it. (big block
chore truck, manual roll up windows, vinyl floor, but also cruise control to help control ticket accumulation. :0)

Here's something you can show your better half in order to give her an idea of how these look
with a "midnight blue metallic". Take a look at both Replies #24 & #25: (Indigo Blue brute)

Best of luck with your project. And I think that you will find this forum to be a good match
for what you are trying to accomplish. Common sense & sweat equity are both on parade
in here.

Looking forward to your future updates --

I’ve seen your thread and have been greatly inspired by the color! As much as I hate flashy paint jobs - I grew up going off roading in tight trails where pinstripes happen - I want to do that color as a base, with the metallic sparkles every few layers of clear coat to give it some depth.

I feel better about the truck today. I’ve been Marketplace hunting for more goodies, and I may be picking up a 3” body lift kit from an extended cab long box (but from what I’ve looked at online, it should work for my crew cab, and I’d assume the short box as well). My body mount bushings are pretty shot so it will be nice to replace them and gain some lift as well.

My cab corners are pretty bad, but the rocker panels are rusty yet possibly recoverable, so that’s some exciting news. I’m going to have to find some cleaner doors, the rear windows are sluggish and won’t even go down more than 2” and the bottoms of the doors aren’t great.

I will be replacing the rear bumper this weekend, and doing the body lift if I get it, both weather permitting of course.

She is definitely my dream woman, couldn’t ask for a better one. She supports my crazy ideas of wanting to build a truck, comes with me to get parts and keeps me company while I install them

As far as the truck options, the only things I would have done differently was chosen the 5 speed manual over the automatic, and the floor shift transfer case instead of push button. Both of those can still be done, it’s just a matter of money, time, patience and effort.

 

[Blue11]

both

And so it begins..

I just ordered a set of Bosch injectors, intake gaskets, spark plugs, and cap and rotor.

It's tune-up time (soon)!

Injectors from Precision Auto Injectors have been shipped, as well as the rest of the tune-up goodies from RockAuto.. I'm expecting delivery by the weekend which is great, means I can tear into it and get it done before next week. I’ve also ordered a new FPR so I’ll do that while I’ve got it torn apart.

On top of all of that, I ordered some paint for the intake manifold and valve covers when I have it all taken apart. There will be a bucketload of photos incoming after the weekend! Stay tuned!

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Drunkcanuk]

Sounds like you are going to have a busy weekend!

 

[Blue11]

Sounds like you are going to have a busy weekend!

That's the plan, pending weather and arrival of all necessary parts! I'm trying to convince a buddy to lend a hand, but feel free to swing by as well if you're not busy/find yourself in the area (I know it's a bit of a commute to get to my place lol). If the weather decides to take an early turn (supposed to rain Monday/Tuesday) I'll probably just tarp off the area and do it anyway LOL

 

[Blue11]

Parts have started rolling in!
On a quick side note- I’ve noticed a bit of a discrepancy in valve covers gasket offerings:

RockAuto lists FEL-PRO VS50388R
Bumper to Bumper (local parts retailer) lists FEL-PRO 1605, 1630, 1635.
The 16xx gaskets are much more substantial than the VS gasket offered by RA. I’ve searched Google and through this forum and haven’t found any information regarding the differences.
RockAuto doesn’t list the gaskets with more surface area at all for the 7.4, just the thin “spaghetti noodle” gasket.
I’m hoping that there are no major differences and I can use the 16xx series as I’d rather not have to wait for another RockAuto shipment (even though it only took a bit over a day).
Alternatively- what are other 7.4 guys running for valve cover gaskets for reference?

 

[Blue11]

Parts have started rolling in!
On a quick side note- I’ve noticed a bit of a discrepancy in valve covers gasket offerings:

RockAuto lists FEL-PRO VS50388R
Bumper to Bumper (local parts retailer) lists FEL-PRO 1605, 1630, 1635.
The 16xx gaskets are much more substantial than the VS gasket offered by RA. I’ve searched Google and through this forum and haven’t found any information regarding the differences.
RockAuto doesn’t list the gaskets with more surface area at all for the 7.4, just the thin “spaghetti noodle” gasket.
I’m hoping that there are no major differences and I can use the 16xx series as I’d rather not have to wait for another RockAuto shipment (even though it only took a bit over a day).
Alternatively- what are other 7.4 guys running for valve cover gaskets for reference?

Alright, so I’m gonna send it with the 1605 gasket that I can obtain locally. I’ve got everything else I need except that, brake klean and some wire brushes.

 

[Blue11]

Alright, so I’m gonna send it with the 1605 gasket that I can obtain locally. I’ve got everything else I need except that, brake klean and some wire brushes.

Alright, so I didn’t end up sending it with the valve cover gasket. I was too worried about it not being the right one and then having to wait to finish up.
So, I’ll have to go back in at some point and do that, and clean everything as I go. I already have the lower intake gasket so I might as well pull that off and give it a good clean when I do it all.

I did get the upper intake manifold cleaned and painted in preparation for the rest of the color scheme.

Injectors are back in, I found a couple other issues but both have been fixed:

You must be registered for see images attach

The center tab of the rotor seemed to have broken at some point. I’m not sure of when, but that can’t have helped my situation. It has been replaced along with the cap, replacements were the UMP rotor and vented cap, seems to be a favorite here.

You must be registered for see images attach

Second is this PCV hose? Upon disassembly, I noticed it was wrapped in green painters tape (the paper tape stuff). I took off the tape to find it had snapped, so I cleaned it off as well as I could and it is currently held together with electrical tape instead. After the weekend, I’m going to head out and get about 3” of vacuum line, cut the ends of the existing line so they’re square, and use the vacuum line to fix the center portion with hose clamps to maximize sealing potential.

I’m positive the combination of mismatched Amazon and Rochester injectors, broken PCV hose and broken rotor all contributed to the horrid driving experience.

I took it for a quick drive around the block and am happy to report that it seems to have solved the issue at hand. Plus, it’s been about 15 mins and it hasn’t caught on fire yet!

More to come next week when I change the spark plugs- I expect them to be in a similar state to most everything else relating to the ignition LOL

 

[b454rat]

Not sure if ur still undecided to keep or sell it. But I'd say keep it, inless you find another CCSB similar to urs in better condition. I made those mistakes over the years, sold something and almost instantly regretted it. The first CCSB (2000, aka Frank) I traded for a 96 Yukon I was working on. It was in nice shape, and kinda kick myself for trading it cause it had a whipple supercharger, and can't find them now inless wanna give up both kidneys. But the way I looked at it, there are a **** ton of Yukon/Tahoe's out there, but not alot of CCSB's. Shortly after I got Frank, there was another one on m/p in CT for a good price. Now I have 2. Both 454/4L80/14ff, 4.10s, one floor shift other push button. I got them cheap enough where I can sell them and make money, but I won't be able to replace them for even what I sell them for. M/P and prices in general have gotten absolutely ridiculous, and they aren't costing me anything if they just sit. I'd say just keep pluggin' away it, and have fun.