CK5
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'91 K5 Four Wheel Camper
This is the build for my 1991 V1500 Blazer, AKA the K5.3. It started out life being sold to the U.S. Government with a 350 TBI/700r4/241 combo. 4 years with a 5.3/700r4 Combo and now moving to an 8.1L Vortec and NV4500 5-speed.
It's back near the beginning, but I'll give you the short version. I picked the 5.3 up at the dealer I work for. We had a customer request to install a GM Performance 5.3HO crate engine in his 2001 Silverado. Performance crate engine's don't require a core return like a standard Goodwrench rebuilt engine. So I asked the customer if he wanted the old engine and he told me nope. So I loaded it up and took it to Larry's shop. He stored it for me until I got everything together.
I will say this, I might have got the engine for nothing, but all I got was the long block. Not one bracket, no coils, no wiring, no intake or anything else. It wasn't cheap to round up the parts needed. That's even with my discount buying parts at work. It's all worth it now that it's running. Not that it can make it out of the driveway at the moment! Pretty noisy driveway ornament.
Me, too.
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2000
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Mee three
I'll pick up some Monday at work.
1` Not sure what that was. Wasn't even home when it posted. nevermind!
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Any updates?
Not really. Haven't been home. Took off on a road trip to the Chevrolet Nomad Association's annual convention. Nomad's have been part of my life from the beginning. Dad bought ours the same year I was born and we still have it. No, unfortunately we did not bring it as it's not been out since the convention in 98. Needs some updating. Anyway, when the convention is close, we try to make it as a family. It kinda explains my screen name due to my Nomad addiction, Last name Zulian often Zoo for short. Mad for the Nomads, Zoomad.
We've been in Billings Montana since last Saturday. Soaking in the sweet sheetmetal and friends we haven't seen for a while. Hanging out with my Dad is priceless, just absorbing his tri-five knowledge and cracking jokes all day. On Monday we came across another member and his Dad with a really cool '55 with a blown small block having a little battery problem. Another member of our Denver club was helping him. I jumped in to help while they start pulling fuses to find where the battery draw was coming from to kill the battery. We got through 8 fuses with no change. Still pulling, so I move to the alternator to see if it's shorted, again no change as it's pulling 0.4amps. While I'm under the hood I look around and notice the horn is not plugged in. We ask about it and the horn stuck a couple of days back on the ride in from California so they unplugged it. DING! We found it. Horn relay was stuck on. Pull the wires and the draw was gone. Nobody had a spare, plus this one was rivited to the inner fender so replacement would require a drill we didn't have. Still we solved the problem and the father and son duo could enjoy the rest of the week not worrying about needing a jump start. No Nomaders get left behind...
Just an example of the eye candy I've been around all week. We shove off tomorrow for home.
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Got back to my house yesterday, yea 100 degree heat! Got out to the K5 in the morning and starting fixing problems from my rush to get ready to drive to Larry's a couple of weeks ago.
First up, fixing the switches to the console light and inverter. Just reversed the ground and load terminals. Bingo, it works like I planned.
It's bright, but diffused nicely so it's not a spotlight to the front of the box. Loomed the wires in the box too so it's tidy.
Figured out why I had no left rear channel too. Had to fix a crimp. System officially cranks. Think I might have pissed off the neighbors. Bluetooth on the deck is slick for the phone and audio. I've got a 10gb card in my phone for music and photo files so I ran through a few samples. Clear, good thump to the 6x9's with no distortion. The tunes will be great on the road or trail.
While I had the console up to fix the speaker wire I plugged in the external speaker for the CB. Needed to make a bracket for the speaker so I could hang it under the dash. Called my brother in law who runs the sheetmetal fab shop for a local heating/ac outfit to get some help. Now this is an easy bracket, simple "u" shape. Could have done this with a hammer and a block of wood. But I didn't have any material and I needed something else too. Get to that in a moment. So a quick cut on the shear, measure and set the bend lines and quick 90's on the brake. Easy. Used the existing screws holding the lower portion of the ashtray to the dash so I didn't bore more holes in it.
The other bracket I needed help with was the CB antenna bracket. I still had the one I made for the 75, but fitting on the 91 proved problematic. Seems over 16 years of production the bodies don't fit the same. The old bracket on the 91 has the tailgate hitting the bracket prior to it closing. I took the bracket to work before vacation and had one of my techs try to rebend it since he had a small brake at home. He tried, but it didn't help. So I decided to just make a new one with my bro's skill and correct tools. The gap on the 91 between the gate and quarter is only 1/4" so I have to get it right. We cut a chunk to size, laid out the bends and got it on the brake. Looking at both, using a brake vs a vise and hammer makes cleaner work.
Here it is in position. Got 1/8" to spare.
Punched the holes in both brackets and fogged them with a coat of satin. Still need to run the antenna cable. But I got a few little things that were nagging my brain done. Got a plan for the t-case mounting bolt holes. Need to bring the thread insert tools home from work. Using the same type of thread inserts we use on aluminum block Northstar (Caddy) V8's when they pull the threads out of the block for the head bolts when they over heat. Thread inserts are much stronger than heli-coils and will be a permanent repair. That will get done next Sunday. Also got a second battery to start making my dual battery setup. Need to order some stuff to complete it
First up, fixing the switches to the console light and inverter. Just reversed the ground and load terminals. Bingo, it works like I planned.
It's bright, but diffused nicely so it's not a spotlight to the front of the box. Loomed the wires in the box too so it's tidy.
Figured out why I had no left rear channel too. Had to fix a crimp. System officially cranks. Think I might have pissed off the neighbors. Bluetooth on the deck is slick for the phone and audio. I've got a 10gb card in my phone for music and photo files so I ran through a few samples. Clear, good thump to the 6x9's with no distortion. The tunes will be great on the road or trail.
While I had the console up to fix the speaker wire I plugged in the external speaker for the CB. Needed to make a bracket for the speaker so I could hang it under the dash. Called my brother in law who runs the sheetmetal fab shop for a local heating/ac outfit to get some help. Now this is an easy bracket, simple "u" shape. Could have done this with a hammer and a block of wood. But I didn't have any material and I needed something else too. Get to that in a moment. So a quick cut on the shear, measure and set the bend lines and quick 90's on the brake. Easy. Used the existing screws holding the lower portion of the ashtray to the dash so I didn't bore more holes in it.
The other bracket I needed help with was the CB antenna bracket. I still had the one I made for the 75, but fitting on the 91 proved problematic. Seems over 16 years of production the bodies don't fit the same. The old bracket on the 91 has the tailgate hitting the bracket prior to it closing. I took the bracket to work before vacation and had one of my techs try to rebend it since he had a small brake at home. He tried, but it didn't help. So I decided to just make a new one with my bro's skill and correct tools. The gap on the 91 between the gate and quarter is only 1/4" so I have to get it right. We cut a chunk to size, laid out the bends and got it on the brake. Looking at both, using a brake vs a vise and hammer makes cleaner work.
Here it is in position. Got 1/8" to spare.
Punched the holes in both brackets and fogged them with a coat of satin. Still need to run the antenna cable. But I got a few little things that were nagging my brain done. Got a plan for the t-case mounting bolt holes. Need to bring the thread insert tools home from work. Using the same type of thread inserts we use on aluminum block Northstar (Caddy) V8's when they pull the threads out of the block for the head bolts when they over heat. Thread inserts are much stronger than heli-coils and will be a permanent repair. That will get done next Sunday. Also got a second battery to start making my dual battery setup. Need to order some stuff to complete it
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What are the plans for the dual battery setup? 
What are the plans for the dual battery setup?
Simple. Going with another 80 amp continuous duty solenoid. Wired to close when the ignition is on. Charges both batteries when running, shutting off opens the solenoid and the aux battery can be discharged with the winch or future fridge gets purchased. Not planning to use it to jump the other battery with a flip of a switch. If I kill the main battery I can just hook up the aux battery to the opposite side of the solenoid to get it to start. To allow to jump with the aux battery one would need a 250 amp solenoid. Right now it's not a priority to spend the extra coin for the higher amp solenoid. I've got a driveshaft I need to save up for. Another reason not to set it up to jump via a switch is because I carry a small jump box (the lithium cell type) when I go wheeling for emergency jump power. I had to use it on the last wheeling trip when a buddy soaked his Heep and killed the battery trying to start it wet. Fogged the cap with WD-40, hooked up the jump box and fired right up. Back in business.
Still this basic setup is proven and relatively inexpensive to set up. Using the same solenoid as what I used for the console power, I've got a spare on board if one fails. I can sacrifice the console power to keep the dual battery if the aux battery solenoid fails for some reason. Redundancy is good when you are out in the sticks.
Sunday got some stuff done. My buddy John came over to help with the heavy lifting of the t-case to fix the holes in the trans that are stripped. Had the t-case back out in a few minutes. Using the GM time-sert tools we make short work of drilling out the holes, cutting the counter bore and threading the holes.
Here's the holes prior to tapping for the inserts.
Hole threaded for the insert.
From here it was pretty simple, load the install tool with oil, thread on the insert and run a bead of red loctite on the outside of the insert. Run the tool until the insert sits flush. Tighten the tool and a slight click is felt where the insert wedges itself into the hole. The insert is locked in at this point and not coming out. From here we proceeded pretty quickly so I didn't stop for picture taking. T-case bolted back in like it should. No funny business with bolts that strip out. I did jam up my shoulder holding the t-case up as John lowered the trans down withe jack. My jack takes a delicate touch to work slow, John wasn't aware of it. So it dropped about an inch onto the cross-member but before it did I took the weight with my left arm as it jammed my shoulder to the driveway. Wasn't comfy but stuff happens. Main mission accomplished on the day, John took off. I buttoned up a few other things. One was mounting up the finished CB antenna bracket. Not liking the look of the stud and bushing, I ordered a new one and a quick release for the antenna from amazon.
I grabbed some fresh hardware for it with acorn nuts to keep the threads capped off as I did snag crap on them from sticking out too far.
Driveshaft is ordered as of today too. Should have it next week. At that point I should be able to drive and tune.
Here's the holes prior to tapping for the inserts.
Hole threaded for the insert.
From here it was pretty simple, load the install tool with oil, thread on the insert and run a bead of red loctite on the outside of the insert. Run the tool until the insert sits flush. Tighten the tool and a slight click is felt where the insert wedges itself into the hole. The insert is locked in at this point and not coming out. From here we proceeded pretty quickly so I didn't stop for picture taking. T-case bolted back in like it should. No funny business with bolts that strip out. I did jam up my shoulder holding the t-case up as John lowered the trans down withe jack. My jack takes a delicate touch to work slow, John wasn't aware of it. So it dropped about an inch onto the cross-member but before it did I took the weight with my left arm as it jammed my shoulder to the driveway. Wasn't comfy but stuff happens. Main mission accomplished on the day, John took off. I buttoned up a few other things. One was mounting up the finished CB antenna bracket. Not liking the look of the stud and bushing, I ordered a new one and a quick release for the antenna from amazon.
I grabbed some fresh hardware for it with acorn nuts to keep the threads capped off as I did snag crap on them from sticking out too far.
Driveshaft is ordered as of today too. Should have it next week. At that point I should be able to drive and tune.
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Nice, I'm looking forward to making cruising the coast this year. Haven't been to a good classic car show in years. Looks like the blazer is coming along, where you end up getting your driveshaft from?
It's coming along slowly but progress is progress. I ordered the shaft through Front Range Driveline in Englewood, CO. My Dad got a tip from somebody on these guys. I called them and told them what I need and they've been down this road before. 1350 size joints in the CV, 1350 joint in the rear and a slip yoke on the front. They use heavy wall 3" tube too. Should be a good setup. Can't wait to put it on the road and find more teething issues!
Glad to hear that. I had got some good feedback and liked the fact they were nearby rather than deal with somebody from another state. Can't wait for it to come in.
In prep to really start driving this thing, I figured it would be nice to get the floor in. Before I can do that I need to run a couple more things like the CB antenna cable and the PA speaker wire. I kicked off with the antenna after work today. Couple of things did come in that I had ordered too, new stud and quick release so I bolted those in first. Based on the location of the antenna mount it's easiest to run it through the tail light opening. I got a new K40 cable that has a trick end with a smaller end on it so I didn't have to cut a 3/4" hole to run it through. Problem was I noticed a couple of winged arseholes coming in and out from that particular tail light. I'm allergic so this is a problem. Prior to pulling the lens out I had already swatted 4 out of the air with my hat. Only spray I had handy was carb cleaner. Pulled the lens and the housing and used my phone so catch a couple of a-holes still in there.
A little action with the carb spray knocked them out and I was able to pull the nest out.
A stomp with my foot to finish the babies off and off to the trash it went. Back to work. Drilled the small hole and ran the cable through and hooked it up to the base of the antenna.
Next item is the PA speaker. Larry had ended up with an extra one after he put one in his before the desert trip. Turned out to be nice for spotting to use the PA instead of yelling out the cab to the spotter. Wanted it out of the way for future additions, so after surveying the area I settled on the aux battery tray behind the radiator support. Pulled it out, mounted the bracket and put the battery tray back in. Dropped the other battery in order to check one other thing, clearance with a larger washer bottle I have since mine is busted. Problem is, the new larger bottle is too long and with it touching the battery on one end the other end is in the way of the hinge when closing. I guess I need a new stock washer jug. You can see the PA speaker tucked in nice and tight to the front of the battery tray.
I ran the wire for the PA speaker through the firewall but it's to short to reach the CB in the console. I added some wire and just as soon as I did it started to dump rain. Tossed the tools in, locked it up and ran for cover inside. I did take a shot of the completed antenna assembly on the back.
The OCD folks might notice a slight forward lean to the antenna. I thought I might be able to adjust it, but the top of the bracket is already touching the quarter at the top so it can't come back any further to level it. I might rethink it, but it's not too bad. Height is good though, 2 foot above the roof at this spot. Not perfect, but a good compromise.
A little action with the carb spray knocked them out and I was able to pull the nest out.
A stomp with my foot to finish the babies off and off to the trash it went. Back to work. Drilled the small hole and ran the cable through and hooked it up to the base of the antenna.
Next item is the PA speaker. Larry had ended up with an extra one after he put one in his before the desert trip. Turned out to be nice for spotting to use the PA instead of yelling out the cab to the spotter. Wanted it out of the way for future additions, so after surveying the area I settled on the aux battery tray behind the radiator support. Pulled it out, mounted the bracket and put the battery tray back in. Dropped the other battery in order to check one other thing, clearance with a larger washer bottle I have since mine is busted. Problem is, the new larger bottle is too long and with it touching the battery on one end the other end is in the way of the hinge when closing. I guess I need a new stock washer jug. You can see the PA speaker tucked in nice and tight to the front of the battery tray.
I ran the wire for the PA speaker through the firewall but it's to short to reach the CB in the console. I added some wire and just as soon as I did it started to dump rain. Tossed the tools in, locked it up and ran for cover inside. I did take a shot of the completed antenna assembly on the back.
The OCD folks might notice a slight forward lean to the antenna. I thought I might be able to adjust it, but the top of the bracket is already touching the quarter at the top so it can't come back any further to level it. I might rethink it, but it's not too bad. Height is good though, 2 foot above the roof at this spot. Not perfect, but a good compromise.
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CB antenna doesn't look bad like that, alot of the semi trucks run them on a huge forward lean.
Nice Impala BTW
Nice Impala BTW
