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81 k5 build (wheeling pics/vid inside)

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down4thakrown

down4thakrown

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down4thakrown submitted a new Build:

81 k5 build (wheeling pics/vid inside)

finally after 7 years of hard abuse on my th350, i finally lost 2ndgear. so thats when i decided to go through the entire truck and box the frame and other up grades. so im learning how to weld while doin this so my welds dont look to great....actually someof them looks like i was doin it blind :haha: but i never really did alot of welding before. so i bought a lincoln 3200hd for 180$off craigslist. and im teaching myself. :waytogo: and i wish i would of found a unbeaten frame. i didnt realize how bent and twisted mine was until i started lineing up the boxing plate.
here are some pics

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Read more about this build here...
 
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as u can tell my frame is pretty bent in the pics above. and it was a pain geting off the previous owners bumper remains that were welded on the frame. and the pics below, i got the most of the bumper remains off (4th pic) but there was still some left on inside of frame i couldnt get at. so i just choped it off. (2nd pic) i got on the phone with diy4x and ordered the a bomb bumper and he said he mite have a couple of front frame horns i can just graph on and plate on the inside.

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a couple pics of my booger welds. i plan on grinding off and goin back over the really bad stuff, my custom springs designed by ord, built by alcan:waytogo: and some other goodies from ord. and my th400:popcorn:

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ok, so right now im tryin to swap the fixed yoke from my th350/205 to my th400/205 and the needle bearings fell out on one and the other ther pretty mixed up and not were there suppose to be. an i cant get this clip off to get to them? what tool do i need?:dunno:

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been waiting on parts so havnt did much, atleast nothin worth posting. but been lookin into tube benders and mite have a deal on a jd bender used,so i did alot of searching on cages and tieing them to the frame, and read alot of opinions, about how race cars, nascar, people with dd's, average offroaders would do/ did it. but didnt see much people that said they did it (this "x") way and had (these "X") results...so im hopin people who did it the same or like what im doin to chime in. so buildin a 81 k5 thats goin to see little street time and be trailered alot. its goin to get beat on hard. so im planing on hard mounting the body using flat stock welded where the bushings would be and just run the bolts through those., sandwiching the body with plates on top and bottom with bolts and then tie the cage to the frame as close as i can get where the springs mount, run tube from pillar to pillar close to the floor and sanwich the fire wall for engine cage.my seat mounts, rock sliders will be tied to the cage also.and my frame will be completely boxed from the rear spring front hangers foward. with some plating over the rear spring rear hangers. and wherever the cage mite tie in. mainly im tryin to reduce the frame flex, in hopes to keep it from cracking.and help with rollovers. the motor and doubler crossmember will still have bushings tho. im not to worried bout high speed rollovers since it wont be goin that fast. and ill probly attempt a couple welds, then have somebody experianced check my welds and do the more critcal spots if mine are doubtful(ive goten alot better since i first started boxing my frame:thumb:). my concerns are mainly where the body will be mounting to the frame. and if theres goin to be issues with the drivetrain still have bushings.
 
Sorry I don't have any advice for you but I would like to ask you a question. I'm about to swap to a TH400 also and I was wondering if you knew what all I have to have to get it working besides the transmission itself. I've heard there is a vacuum modulator, but where is it? I've also heard there is a switch around the accelerator pedal somewhere but I don't know exactly where it is. Just wondering how you were doing yours and if you knew where any of that stuff was. Thanks.

I'll be watching your build and may steal some ideas from you. Looks like your Blazer is going to be pretty tough when you're through with it.
 
andyblack said:
Sorry I don't have any advice for you but I would like to ask you a question. I'm about to swap to a TH400 also and I was wondering if you knew what all I have to have to get it working besides the transmission itself. I've heard there is a vacuum modulator, but where is it? I've also heard there is a switch around the accelerator pedal somewhere but I don't know exactly where it is. Just wondering how you were doing yours and if you knew where any of that stuff was. Thanks.

I'll be watching your build and may steal some ideas from you. Looks like your Blazer is going to be pretty tough when you're through with it.
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torque convertors are the same i believe. the kick down switch summit sells and i think it mounts up where the throttle linkage is on the carb. what tcase are you putin behind it?the input shaft on the t'case is differant so you will need a tcase that was originally behind a th400 or swap out a 32 spline input and get the correct adapter. you will also have to drill the 4 mounting holes for the crossmember because the th400 is iirc 3.5'' longer. best to get the trany and tcase in there with crossmember, leave crossmember bushing bolts loose, center crossmember and mark where the holes need to be. as for the vacuum modelator should be mounted on the transmission. its just in a differant spot then the th350/700r4. probly could use the stock metal vaccuum line with some slight modifications. and the tranny and tcase shifter linkage will have to be adjusted also.
 
Okay thanks. So are you saying that the TH400 is 3.5" longer than the TH350? I wonder how much longer (or shorter) it is than the TH700R4 because that's what I have now. I'm getting an NP208 with a 32 spline input for the 400 so I was hoping that my current driveshaft would work and not have to be lengthened or shortened. My current t-case is a 208 but of course it has a 27 spline input.

Thanks for telling me about the other stuff too. I had no idea about the kickdown thingy. I think I can maybe get one off the truck I'm stealing the t-case out of.

Oh yeah one more thing. The 400 is coming out of a diesel Blazer and I'm going to (hopefully) have a 350 to hook it too. Right now my truck just has a 305. Do you know if I could reuse the torque converter from the diesel 400, or would I need to get another one?
 
no problem:thumb:, im not sure the bout the torque converters since the flywheels might be differant.
 
anybody have an idea how much room there is inbetween the bodyand a 203 doubler? clocked flat? but i probly could lower it to clear with a custom crossmember
 
finally got some wrenching time in. couldnt getm painted before it rained tho. and the tires are just for rolling it around. anybody have any good tips on where to place a angle finder to find out pinion angle. i think i should wait til motor/drive train/ winch are all on it so its more accurate. what you guys think?

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Lookin like you are making some progress!

I got my angle finder at Sears, but most hardware stores have them. Try Ace, Lowes or Home Depot. Get a magnetic one too.
 
weres the most accurate place to use it? the flat side on the drivers side of pumkin? or top of steering knuckles?
 
Depends on what you are measuring.

Top of the knuckles if you are looking for castor angle.

For pinion angle i use the rib on the side of the pumpkin.
 
started on the cage. i think its goin pretty good for my first cage. things are just tacked in and mocked up so its not straight or even jsut waitn on my plate from kirk. :woot:and just got the tracking number
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Love those springs! I might have to get a set. Don't ya just love Kirts fab? He made me some inner front frame plates to help reinforce the bumper. It's cool that your fixing the frame instead of throwing the old girl out to scrap. Can't wait to see more progress
 
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