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88 K5 Build Thread - 4BTA Cummins Swap - 05/18 Dory is delivered to Alaska!!

So I spent the day connecting all the coolant hosing and electrical. I also connected all the wires for my transmission controller which took an hour or so. I finished with putting the oil in the trans, transfer case, and engine. Then putting in the coolant. I intended on finally starting the engine but when I connected the battery the starter began spinning instantly. I thought I may have used the wrong wire on the ignition terminal on the starter solenoid so I pulled the wire out and connected the battery again--same result. It was really strange because nothing was connected to the starter except the positive lead coming strait from the battery. So next I connect the battery and looked at the starter while its spinning. The starter was spinning but the solenoid was not engaged, which it shouldn't be because nothing is connected to the ignition pole. I figure something has got to be wrong with the starter so I pull it. After its pulled its very obvious what the problem is.
imagejzg.jpg

If you look at the picture you can see that the connector I am using is bridging the input positive pole to the motors positive pole. Which isn't supposed to happen! I grabbed my hand grinder to shave it off so it wouldn't be a problem. This would bring me to my next topic--SAFETY.
imagedph.jpg

I really wanted to get the engine started so I didn't grab my gloves or my face shield when I went to grind off the extra tab. While I was doing it some metal shards shot into my eye and I closed them. After that the grinder walked up the metal I was cutting and cut into my thumb. It could have been a lot worse so I'm lucky but damn, what the hell! WEAR GLOVES AND FACE SHIELDS PEOPLE!

After I got this gash to stop bleeding it started getting dark so I decided to call it a night. On a good note I will start Dory tomorrow for sure. Everything is ready. All I have to do is turn the key and bleed the fuel lines. So stay tune tomorrow to hear the beast!


I'll be moving to Juneau, AK. Looks a couple hours away from you.
Quick Link To View Juneau - http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...d=ijPUObZJoZDCHKtPb4u6xA&cbp=12,59.69,,0,7.26


Ouch... One of the reasons I stopped wearing contacts... glasses offer at least some protection against crap flying into eyes.

Juneau is a couple hours away from us by plane... At least a day or two if you drive.
 
Juneau is only accessible by Plane or Ferry , you'll have to make the trip up to wheel with us though!
 
Juneau is only accessible by Plane or Ferry , you'll have to make the trip up to wheel with us though!

You can't go through Canada to get there anymore? Thought there was a ferry. Would be a looong drive.
 
SHE LIVES!!! Let me say that it feels really good to hear this thing start after so many months of building.

Video of the first actual start of the engine. You can hear that all cylinder are not firing correctly because of air in the fuel lines.

Heres a video of me bleeding the fuel injectors upclose. Vid gets ****y as I go back further in the engine. After the lines where bleed I could tell that the engine idle was set to low. This is becuase I had to take the idle scew out of the fuel pump to add the new 3200 RPM spring. I tried counting the threads before I took it out and put it back in but I guess I didn't get it quite right.

Here is the video of the engine running just as it should, might be idling a little fast but it sure does help reduce the engine shaking.

Me and the wife had crawfish today and I think I had one of the largest crawfish I have ever had gotten from a boil. Curled up next to a coke can.
imageuoze.jpg

Look at him laid out by his friends, hes HUGE!
imageuzr.jpg
 
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Yeah I actually just rerouted them to the other side. I love your vette build by the way. I plan to do a car next after the k5.
Thanks, its about time to get it out and play!!!!!

imagedph.jpg

I really wanted to get the engine started so I didn't grab my gloves or my face shield when I went to grind off the extra tab. While I was doing it some metal shards shot into my eye and I closed them. After that the grinder walked up the metal I was cutting and cut into my thumb. It could have been a lot worse so I'm lucky but damn, what the hell! WEAR GLOVES AND FACE SHIELDS PEOPLE!

I've tried to make it a point to wear gloves for most fab work now, to many little cuts and slivers, I like the rubber handed stretchy ones:

AtlasFit gloves. Popular seamless knit. Natural rubber palm with a rough finish. Excellent cut and abrasion resistance.

SHE LIVES!!! Let me say that it feels really good to hear this thing start after so many months of building.


Me and the wife had crawfish today and I think I had one of the largest crawfish I have ever had gotten from a boil. Curled up next to a coke can.
imageuoze.jpg

Look at him laid out by his friends, hes HUGE!
imageuzr.jpg

Dam thing looks like a lobster.
 
Dam thing looks like a lobster.
I know right, it was really big. I'm sure others have had bigger but its the biggest I ever seen. I gave it to the wife, big ones suck anyway. Don't tell her that!:haha::whistle:

Thanks, its about time to get it out and play!!!!!
What do you still have left to do to drive it?

Hopefully I will have it out and about this weekend! Still have to program the 4L80E Transmission controller, bleed the brakes and power steering, and connected the drive shafts. Oh, and as of now not one guage works in the truck either but who needs em, those things are for pussies, lol! Oh and the transmission gear indicator doesn't work either! So how you like that!

Of course I still have to install the front grill, bumper, and lights as well. OH! and I just discovered today this truck has no wire for a horn in its steering wheel--wtf!
 
I know right, it was really big. I'm sure others have had bigger but its the biggest I ever seen. I gave it to the wife, big ones suck anyway. Don't tell her that!:haha::whistle:

Maybe you already told her that back before she became your wife! :D

And congrats on getting the engine running, that's awesome.
 
Today I started to assemble the front grill and I realized I lost 3 of my headlight adjustment screws and one of the headlight assembly springs that press it against the radiator core support. I found the headlight adjustment screw but I cant find that dang spring anywhere. Does anyone know where to purchase one? I tried rock auto and a couple others but nothing!

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After I realized that I wouldn't be able to finish that today I started installing the transmission controller. Right now the controller is just sitting on the floor in the cab but I plugged in all the wires from the controller and the transmission and then uploaded the program to the controller. When I started up the car I left it in park. Everything looked like it was working fine but then I started getting very faint smoke in my cab from where the np208 shifter use to be in the floor. I went underneath the truck and DAMNIT! There is a very faint smoke pumping out of my transmissions vent tube. I turned off the engine as soon as I could. I didn't even need to figure out what the problem was. I already knew. Remember the other day when I STARTED to fill the trans with oil. Well, I never finished filling it! When I checked the stick it showed it as empty! I put 2 gallons in it already but I guess that wasn't enough to be pumped through the transmission. I grabbed some ATF and started to fill it up and some faint signs of smoke/steam where coming out of the fill tube as the oil went in--not good. So after that I let it sit for 5 mins and checked again and it looked good this time. So I started it for 1 min and then checked again and it was still good. So I started it one more time and put it into drive this time and the transmission output shaft was turning fine (drive shafts are still not connected). So the damage wasn't terrible but im sure I reduced it life by probably 50K plus miles from just 5 mins of starting from yesterday and today.

On a good note the controller seems to be working fine. I just have to install a temporary 40 tooth output reluctor ring on the driveshaft.
Company Photo of Ring
Reluctor_installed.jpg

I have to do this because my transmission doesn't have an internal output reluctor ring. There is a permanent fix that involves modifying the tailhousing of the NP205 but I wont be doing that until I move to AK due to time. So, for now, Im just going to install this external ring I got from a website called jagsthatrun. I would not recommend anyone use this as a permanent solution even though its sold as one.
 
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Got the reluctor ring and drive shaft installed today. Did some other random things that aren't even worth typing out.

Here is the temporary reluctor ring I mention in my post above being installed on my work bench. When I took this pic I felt more like I was assembling a weapon then a part for my truck.:tongue1:
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After that I mounted it up with the sensor bracket and installed the Drive Shaft. Don't mind the muffler its not installed to the down pipe here.
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Tomorrow I will definitely be taking Dory on her first ride around the block. Just have to install an emergency disconnect to the 4BT engines fuel pump (just in case) and a few other things and I'm taking her out! Oh yeah, tomorrow she is FINALLY going to be driven!

I really doubt you did any harm at all.
Your probably right I tend to be a pessimist.
 
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Thats gotta be a good feeling, congrats on the progress.
 

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