86 K10-Orion

[toomany]

Finished mounting the seat. Ended up raising the front an inch to give the bottom a little more angle. Didn't get time to wire in the lumbar, probably do that when I run wires back for the speakers before the carpet goes in.

Modified and installed the gas pedal. Used the one from the donor. Cut the bottom off of it, cut the bottom off the factory one and married the two. Got it pretty close to the same as it originally was. Forgot to take picture of it, will try to remember next time I'm out there.

 

[toomany]

Took the dash pieces back off and hooked up the last couple wires to the Dakota Digital box (ground switches for getting into the settings). Also put the light sensor on that module. Ran some of the ducting for the vents. Need to figure out where I put the pieces for the passenger dash vents they are MIA.

While it was off, I gave the bezel and pad a good scrubbing. Both cleaned up nice. While I was in there, I put some o-rings on the vents to tighten them up. Mounted the gauge cluster and installed the bezel and pad.




I did take it for a ride around the block today too. Gets up and moves really well. For some reason it shifts out of first at like 5mph unless you're really into the throttle. Thinking that might be something to do with the gearing and tire size in the PCM. Once I actually start driving it, I'll log and see what/when it calls for gear changes.

Gonna try getting the box back on and figure out a fuel filler early next week. Also going to try getting plates and insurance on it too.

 

[toomany]

Set the box back on. Ran into an issue with one of the crossmembers hitting the gas tank. Trimmed a little bit of that and it was good to go.






Box sides have been replaced at one point. Someone tried filling the hole for the passenger side fuel filler...did a very poor job. Shouldn't take much to clean that up. Drivers side fuel filler I'll probably fill in too.


Had originally planned on using the fuel filter from the parts Suburban I've got. Went as far as to cut it out. Wasn't until I tried making it work that I realized that it wasn't going to happen.

Came up with this contraption.






Which mounts here.






It slopes down towards the tank the whole run, hopefully it fills alright. May try filling the gaps in around the top/sides once I know it'll work.

 

[imiceman44]

Set the box back on. Ran into an issue with one of the crossmembers hitting the gas tank. Trimmed a little bit of that and it was good to go.

View attachment 319586

View attachment 319587


Box sides have been replaced at one point. Someone tried filling the hole for the passenger side fuel filler...did a very poor job. Shouldn't take much to clean that up. Drivers side fuel filler I'll probably fill in too.


Had originally planned on using the fuel filter from the parts Suburban I've got. Went as far as to cut it out. Wasn't until I tried making it work that I realized that it wasn't going to happen.

Came up with this contraption.

View attachment 319588

View attachment 319593


Which mounts here.

View attachment 319594

View attachment 319595


It slopes down towards the tank the whole run, hopefully it fills alright. May try filling the gaps in around the top/sides once I know it'll work.

That's going to fill up with dirt if it doesn't get ripped off when the tire stuffs. It probably is far enough in the corner but it will definitely be full of dirt.

 

[toomany]

That's going to fill up with dirt if it doesn't get ripped off when the tire stuffs. It probably is far enough in the corner but it will definitely be full of dirt.

I think it's far enough back that it won't get hit by the tire. I'll be into the bedside before the filler. I did get to thinking about it last night and will probably try making a cover for the front of it to keep that from filling up.

 

[max 02]

I think it's far enough back that it won't get hit by the tire. I'll be into the bedside before the filler. I did get to thinking about it last night and will probably try making a cover for the front of it to keep that from filling up.

My 77 had a filler in the wheelwell like that when I got it. It was two of the side saddle tanks one was factory fill the other was aftermarket, I deleted that side. Sorry to be rude but I would totally not have it there. Way to dirty and the chance of water in the fuel isn’t something I would chance.
@skunked and @Bent77 both have blazer tanks with the fill in the box.

 

[toomany]

My 77 had a filler in the wheelwell like that when I got it. It was two of the side saddle tanks one was factory fill the other was aftermarket, I deleted that side. Sorry to be rude but I would totally not have it there. Way to dirty and the chance of water in the fuel isn’t something I would chance.
@skunked and @Bent77 both have blazer tanks with the fill in the box.

One of my old trucks was set up that way. Someone swapped the box on it and ended up with the filler on the wrong side. Not the most convenient thing, but it did work and never gave me any trouble other than having to have the pump handle at a certain spot so it'd fill without shutting off every couple seconds.

I've done one before with the filler in the box, while it worked, I wasn't the happiest with how it came out. If this ends up being a problem, that's the route I'll go.

 

[max 02]

One of my old trucks was set up that way. Someone swapped the box on it and ended up with the filler on the wrong side. Not the most convenient thing, but it did work and never gave me any trouble other than having to have the pump handle at a certain spot so it'd fill without shutting off every couple seconds.

I've done one before with the filler in the box, while it worked, I wasn't the happiest with how it came out. If this ends up being a problem, that's the route I'll go.

Fair enough! I’m liking your truck a lot... Nice work!
Just seen the mud on you tires and was thinking I would want to deal with that when it came time to fill. That said you got a plan. We done sir! Carry on.

 

[toomany]

Fair enough! I’m liking your truck a lot... Nice work!
Just seen the mud on you tires and was thinking I would want to deal with that when it came time to fill. That said you got a plan. We done sir! Carry on.

Thanks!

That mud is just from moving the truck in/out of the barn and around the yard when I need to get something else in the bay. Haven't finished the drive going to the back yet and this time of year (and spring) my yard gets super sloppy.

 

[toomany]

Finished installing the fuel filler and am already looking at a way to change it. Not because it didn't work/leaks, but because it's a bitch to get a gas can to it. Even with one of the bendy funnels, the angle it comes out the side is so shallow that it takes forever to put anything in. I did drive it down to the gas station after that attempt and used the pump. Worked fine that way without any trouble.

I should have seen that coming, and sort of did. Just didn't think it'd be that bad. I've got two other ideas on how to route it through the bed floor without taking up much room.

Shifted attention to back to the exhaust. Had originally planned to run out the back under the bumper. Well that was before I had put the bumper on and found out it hung so low. It's what I've got and will run that till I find a better solution.

Not wanting wanting to hang the exhaust that low, I stopped it short in front of the bumper and put some turn downs on.

Testing a dummy shock on each side and there is just enough room for it to sneak by.





On the couple K5's I've had, I ran the pipes the same way next to the tank and didn't have any heat problems with the tank. There is a good amount of space between the two.


Decided to wait one more week before putting plates/insurance on it. Ordered some stuff from LMC to get the exterior lighting finished, once that is complete it'll be ready I think.

 

[toomany]

Delt with some of the lighting tonight. Had to change out the Weather Pack connector on the box side (I put a male end on the chassis side). Ran a ground wire from the box to the frame, wasn't one of those in the harness.

Putting the tail light buckets (?) in could have went better. Both box sides are reproduction from probably 10-12 years ago. Quality control wasn't much of a thing on the Taiwan stuff then (or now for that matter). The passenger side fits pretty well. Drivers side sticks out close to half an inch all the way around. Going to have to see if I can cut some metal back from the mounting points to get it recessed further.






Everything lit up the first time I tried. Not sure if I have the wires crossed at the chassis/box connection or at the turn signal switch, but the blinkers are switched when you hit that switch. I'm thinking I got the Weather Pack connector mixed up because the dash lights up correctly and that is tied in right off the signal switch.

Other than that, things work correctly. With the light sensor installed, dash/park lights come on when pulled in/out of the barn. Reverse lights work. Park lights flash with lock/unlock from the remote.

 

[toomany]

After entirely too much time at the Secretary of State, I got a plate on it yesterday.

Bugs me that it sits so low on the bumper, might drill a set of holes and center it up.




Moved on to some of the small things that should be done before getting any road time.

Mirrors mounted.







Wipers installed. For some reason I'm thinking I have the wrong arms. Seem like they sit higher than they should. Get full sweep of the windshield though. Have a washer tank to mount yet as well. Can also see the new master cylinder I put on last week. The old one started leaking from the bore. Upgraded to the bigger bore one to move some more fluid.





Classed it up some with the drip rails.





My front end stuff from LMC should be in today. Once that's on, I can start driving it and getting a little tuning done. Going to try painting the hood and a few small things later this week. Box needs body work on both sides, so that can wait for paint.

 

[toomany]

Big box from LMC came today.

New grill, headlights, marker lights, bezels and trim. While I would have liked to go with OEM parts (or even decent repop stuff) by the time you price it out, it's cheaper to get LMC's kit that has everything. Fairly pleased with the fit/finish on most all of it. The side markers are a little much for me though. Was missing the high beam headlights, so I'll have to call them tomorrow and have them sent out.



I don't have a lower valance which is why the lower piece of trim isn't on.


Took it for a short drive after that. Drove about like I expected it to with no shocks or balanced tires. Haven't done any tuning to it yet, might try getting some of that in tomorrow.

 

[skunked]

Ideas for a filler neck if you still need them, this is from my C10. The bracket I built, the filler neck is for a boat application and I used continental fuel hose along with a stainless 90.

 

[toomany]

Ideas for a filler neck if you still need them, this is from my C10. The bracket I built, the filler neck is for a boat application and I used continental fuel hose along with a stainless 90.

That's pretty much what I ended up with. Tried using part of the hole I had drilled for the first attempt and couldn't quite get the angle I needed on the hose. Had to move it over to the edge.

I dumped 6gallons in from a can and it didn't have any problems. Tomorrow I plan on doing some VE tuning and will hit the gas station to top off and will see how it does. I don't see there being any issues though.

 

[jekquistk5]

That's pretty much what I ended up with. Tried using part of the hole I had drilled for the first attempt and couldn't quite get the angle I needed on the hose. Had to move it over to the edge.

I dumped 6gallons in from a can and it didn't have any problems. Tomorrow I plan on doing some VE tuning and will hit the gas station to top off and will see how it does. I don't see there being any issues though.

View attachment 320463

That doesn't look too bad at all. I kinda like it.

 

[toomany]

That doesn't look too bad at all. I kinda like it.

I like it better than what I had before. Bottom half is a combination of filler necks and black pipe.

 

[toomany]

Replaced one of the headlight adjusters. When I went to aim them, the one just kept spinning. Have lights aimed about where I think they should be.

Ran the rest of the ducting for the dash vents. One of the pieces I was missing was the plastic piece that connects to the drivers side lower dash vent. That came in my LMC order earlier this week.

Spent the day VE tuning. Got the error percentages down to 2-4%. About as good as I need to get for now. Next step will be to bring the MAF back on line and tune for that. The first couple rounds I had to watch it for stalling at stop signs. By the 3rd/4th round it was better and I began smoothing the tables.

Random driving impressions from the 100 or so miles I got on today:

Cruises real nice around 60mph. Around 65 the drivers front tires gets a shake going. If you drive through that, it smooths out again and will drive nice at speeds above 70 (speed limits on most highways around here are 70 or 75). Guessing that shake is coming from no tire balance and/or shocks.

Other than being kind of springy, having no shocks isn't that bad. Until you hit the right combination of bumps and it launches the truck.

Alignment seems close (I never even checked it). Little bit of dead spot/ in play right the middle of the box travel. No stabilizer on it as of now. Axle and tie rod have tabs for hydro assist. Might price out what a simple system will run me and go that route.

No death wobble! No matter what I tried, couldn't get the front end to do anything weird.

4.88's and 35's drives just like stock. Don't even notice the bigger tires driving around. 75mph at 2450rpm.

Scanner was reading the VSS correctly, matched the GPS perfectly, but wasn't outputting the right value to the speedometer. Had to set the speedometer up manually. Set it to ready 1mph higher than actual road speed. Zeroed out the odometer while I was at it too.

The heater on the Vintage Air setup is bad ass. On high, the blower moves a stupid amount of air. Plenty of heat output. They give you a block off plate to cover the vacuum operated one in the passenger kick panel. I didn't use that. Put a manual door in instead, gives me the option of some fresh air (Vintage Air uses all recirculate).

Even without carpet, the insulation I sprayed/stuck down works. Not much road noise and the heat stays in very well. Very (very) slight draft from the doors. Guessing that is coming from their vents, some low/high pressure stuff going on. Once I put the door panels back on I expect that to stop.

Exhaust is nice and quiet with the windows up. Once moving, the tires noise is louder. My only noise complaint would be that...the tires. And even that would be not picking considering what they are.

No drive line vibration, even with the hubs locked in. Guess I got lucky with this on the rear angles first try. Traction bar might need to happen. At least as of now, because of how you need to use 1st gear, it blows the tires away and starts wheel hopping.

I had every intention to find a set of unwelded spider gears for the rear axle (and still may). But the locked rear end isn't that much of a bother. Maybe because it has an automatic in front of them and all my other trucks had manuals and you really noticed the driveline bind/stack up.

One thing that needs to be addressed is the transmission shifts. 1st gear, unless you're really into the throttle, shits way too soon. Like 40' after start moving. 2nd and 3rd shifts are acceptable. The transmission shifts perfectly though. Nice and crisp. Downshifts are a little later than I'd like, but once they happen they are quick and firm. Converter lockup happens like it should. Going to look into what it takes to add a tow/haul button to change the shift tables.

When filling up the tank after 60ish miles, I noticed a few spots of fluid on the back of the truck. When I get it in the air next I'll check all the fluids and see what that is about. They didn't get any worse the rest of the day, so it may have been something seeking it's own level.

Also while it's in the air, I'll check over all the fasteners and re-torque suspension bits and u-bolts. Might check front wheel bearings too (as a source of my driver's front wobble).

 

[toomany]

Painted the hood, cowl panel, glove box and Ash tray last night.

I thought the hood was in better shape than it is. Underside has more rust than I'd like and the top looks to have been through a few hail storms. I filled in the hood ornament holes and a few of the bigger dents and called it good. Will look for a better one down the road. I just wanted to get something on there that matches for now.

Think I might have a plug/wire going bad. Yesterday morning it kind of stumbled a bit then cleared up once I started moving. Did it a couple more times but was intermittent. Today on the way into work, it started doing it but was worse. None of the wires look burnt (some are close to the headers though). But with no hood and a heavy frost this morning if the wires were questionable, the moisture wasn't going to help. It's only on the drivers side too, that header is changing color more than the other side.

 

[toomany]

Installed the hood, cowl, glove box and Ash tray. Put a new outlet in the lighter spot too. Needed to trim some of the glove box plastic to clear the Vintage Air, they give you a template to follow. Hood release cable is sticking out the front because it's broken...don't think I have a good one of those kicking around.




Fixed my odd running issues. Started with some new plugs and wires. Plugs were new at the start of the fresh engine, but the wires were old. And even though they had the metal sleeves on them, a few were touching the header and I thought they might be burnt. Put some fiberglass heat sleeves over the new wires so I shouldn't have any heat problems now.

That made the problem better, but it still wasn't fixed. Tried killing injectors/coils with it running and couldn't pin point a bad one (they all made it run about the same you killed each cylinder).

It wasn't until the temperature started to drop that it occurred to me that since I'm tuning the VE tables, everything the PCM uses to compensate for temp changes is turned off (running off of what the table says, not the sensor feedback). The days I had been tuning were single digits temps and today it was upper 30's. So all the tables I had built were based on the colder temps and their needed fueling. Made sense why my wideband was pegged out rich too.

Once I made that connection, I drove it for a bit while logging and updated the tune. Runs much better now.

I had been keeping notes with my files, just not the ambient temperature. From now on I'll note that along with the other changes I make.

Set the new tune/scanner up to get a baseline MAF tune going. A day or so doing that and I should be able to re-enable the STFTs and LTFTs along with the other stuff I have off currently.