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.
That's my same issue. More money flying out my wallet for new house/farm and all things life than the amount of overtime I can stuff in a week. Gets me down a lot and pissed off but I just keep thinking someday it will get better and some stuff will be paid off. Hard for me to not worry about it ALL THE TIME.
beags86
Eastbound and Down
It does get better. If I wasn't a car guy, financially I would have life whipped. But since I am a car guy (one that admits that I have to many cars) I am basically always broke.
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Rush4x4
Registered Member
Yeah, I've been here a bit, I just haven't had anything to say for a while!
I keep looking at 2500 Subs and at some pickups, too. Problem is finding one in poor enough shape that I'd feel good about cutting it up and good enough shape that I'd feel good about using the parts on my rig. Most of what I see around here is pretty ragged, and nearly all of them either have "a slight ticking noise... but still runs good!" or they have transmission issues. They pretty much all have high mileage, too (200k or more), which wouldn't be too big of a deal if I knew it was well maintained.
I've also been thinking about figuring out a way to use the rear a/c (if I used a Sub as a donor) or adapt one from a van or minivan. This is south Texas, and a good a/c system is a must.
Anyway, can't wait for your conversion!
The GMT400 burbs aren't reaching collector status by any stretch right now so I won't feel too bad chopping one to get what I need. I'm sure you could probably use the rear a/c parts, but as you already know, room to package stuff out back is in short supply. Now having done one desert trip with mine, I can say I wouldn't need the a/c in the back. Mainly because when you are needing it inside the camper, the truck is stopped. So unless you want to run the engine and a/c while parked you will mainly be running the a/c while driving. I found when we parked if we pointed the nose of the truck into the sun in the afternoon we would have decent shade in the back. Pop the top, open the windows in the doors and crank open the roof vent and the window flaps in the soft walls you could get a pretty good amount of cross-flow ventilation going and the inside temp of the camper was less than outside. If you install something like a fantastic fan into the roof vent like Larry has in his K10/Pheonix camper you can push the hot air out of the roof and draw more air from the sides for positive air movement. It's not a/c but it was still better than sitting out in direct sunlight. Food for thought.
I've picked up a cheap ride out of our impound lot to do a quick flip on to make the needed funds to facilitate getting and swapping the L29 depending on where it comes from. Stay tuned...
Got a line on an L29 for a decent price. Things will go down next weekend as my Jimmy I got through work is getting sold then and the guy with the engine will be back in town then.
In the meantime, I really need to stop surfing craigslist at lunch. Found another one. This is another 91 Blazer with a Four Wheel Camper. It's in really good shape and has the added distinction of being powered by a 5.9L 12 valve Cummins NV4500 combo. Funny thing is it's still sitting on 10bolts. Oh yeah, the asking price is $20,000 too.
https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/1991-chevy-blazer-k5-with/6742752230.html
In the meantime, I really need to stop surfing craigslist at lunch. Found another one. This is another 91 Blazer with a Four Wheel Camper. It's in really good shape and has the added distinction of being powered by a 5.9L 12 valve Cummins NV4500 combo. Funny thing is it's still sitting on 10bolts. Oh yeah, the asking price is $20,000 too.
https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/1991-chevy-blazer-k5-with/6742752230.html
I have to force myself to stop surfing craigslist from time to time.
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That's great news, it is hard to copy everything you do if i get too far ahead of you.
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That's great news, it is hard to copy everything you do if i get too far ahead of you.
Maybe I can steal a few tricks from you for a little while.
The guy with the L29 has it loaded in his truck. Just trying to coordinate the delivery for tomorrow.
In the meantime I've been mulling over transmission options.
1. Stay with the 700r4. I would rebuild it with hd parts but the TV cable attachment to the L29 throttle body will need custom fab work. Cost is rebuild parts, no driveline modifications though.
2. Go 4L80e. Need to get a trans, rebuild and complete driveline redo on both ends due to the greater (7") length. Will need a SYE on the 241 for sure. Computer controls would be handled by the L29 ecm and harness.
3. Go nv4500. Need to get a trans, bell, clutch parts, pedal set (hydro/hydro). The trans length is still 4" longer than the 700 by dimensions I found online. So sye and driveshaft rework is still needed.
I have to say I'm now leaning towards the nv4500 side. It simplifies everything. It's built to survive behind the big block, won't require cooling and gets me back into the 3-pedal club again. If I stay with the 700 it's going to hang in my brain that I might kill it. If the TV cable mount is not right I surely will kill it.
I've enjoyed Wheeling with the auto, but if I can get the trans for the right money it just makes sense to go this way.
Funding for the trans swap would probably come from selling the 5.3 complete, intake to oil pan, mounts, harness, ecm, ECT. It would include the trans too. Could make someone a quick and easy LS swap for a squarebody.
In the meantime I've been mulling over transmission options.
1. Stay with the 700r4. I would rebuild it with hd parts but the TV cable attachment to the L29 throttle body will need custom fab work. Cost is rebuild parts, no driveline modifications though.
2. Go 4L80e. Need to get a trans, rebuild and complete driveline redo on both ends due to the greater (7") length. Will need a SYE on the 241 for sure. Computer controls would be handled by the L29 ecm and harness.
3. Go nv4500. Need to get a trans, bell, clutch parts, pedal set (hydro/hydro). The trans length is still 4" longer than the 700 by dimensions I found online. So sye and driveshaft rework is still needed.
I have to say I'm now leaning towards the nv4500 side. It simplifies everything. It's built to survive behind the big block, won't require cooling and gets me back into the 3-pedal club again. If I stay with the 700 it's going to hang in my brain that I might kill it. If the TV cable mount is not right I surely will kill it.
I've enjoyed Wheeling with the auto, but if I can get the trans for the right money it just makes sense to go this way.
Funding for the trans swap would probably come from selling the 5.3 complete, intake to oil pan, mounts, harness, ecm, ECT. It would include the trans too. Could make someone a quick and easy LS swap for a squarebody.
That is great! I will hook you up with as much 4500 stuff as I can, I have been collecting that stuff for years. If you can swing the funds while Howells has got there Black Friday sale going it will save you about $70.00.
My buyer is out driving the Jimmy as I sit here. Gotta pay for the engine first then I'll see if I can take advantage of the black Friday deal. I was checking it out earlier.
IllI take any help you got on the nv4500 front. Thanks a ton brother!
I vote for the NV4500. For what it seems like you use it for, the fat block and manual trans would be my choice.
Three pedals.
The engine has landed. It's warm and snug in the Bigassgas Garage (aka Larry's place) now. The diesel bro that had it was in a frigging hurry to unload an was loaded and ready to head my way tonight. He wanted to bring it to me last night but I was in Denver for the holiday.
His original ad had it the engine for one price, add more for the ecm and more again for the 4L80e that was pulled with it. Through a week's worth of messages back and forth he came back to the lower price for everything. When he came back with the lower price I didn't think it was with the trans though. So it was a surprise to see the trans still attached. The way this thing got yanked out of the doner Suburban shows he was in a hurry. The NSBU switch on the side of the trans must have had the connector hooked up when they pulled and it was forgotten until they yanked the engine. Instead of pulling the starter by taking the wiring off at the solenoid, they just unbolted it and left the battery cable and wires hooked up. Many other clues like that were seen. I've worked at junkyards and we pulled engines cleaner than these goons did. But it did come with everything short of the bracket for the throttle cable.
It did make my decision a little more challenging for the trans. I'm still leaning towards the nv4500. Larry and I went back and forth on it tonight after divorcing the trans from the engine. We talked each other into the manual for most of the normal reasons one has during a debate over manual vs auto trans. Overall as backwards as this sounds with a big block, the fuel economy would be better due to less parasitic loss and being able to control the shift points and not need to rev the snot out of it.
Gonna get real interesting around here for sure.
His original ad had it the engine for one price, add more for the ecm and more again for the 4L80e that was pulled with it. Through a week's worth of messages back and forth he came back to the lower price for everything. When he came back with the lower price I didn't think it was with the trans though. So it was a surprise to see the trans still attached. The way this thing got yanked out of the doner Suburban shows he was in a hurry. The NSBU switch on the side of the trans must have had the connector hooked up when they pulled and it was forgotten until they yanked the engine. Instead of pulling the starter by taking the wiring off at the solenoid, they just unbolted it and left the battery cable and wires hooked up. Many other clues like that were seen. I've worked at junkyards and we pulled engines cleaner than these goons did. But it did come with everything short of the bracket for the throttle cable.
It did make my decision a little more challenging for the trans. I'm still leaning towards the nv4500. Larry and I went back and forth on it tonight after divorcing the trans from the engine. We talked each other into the manual for most of the normal reasons one has during a debate over manual vs auto trans. Overall as backwards as this sounds with a big block, the fuel economy would be better due to less parasitic loss and being able to control the shift points and not need to rev the snot out of it.
Gonna get real interesting around here for sure.
I will say having a free 4L80 show up would definitely push me that direction.
Although I was voting nv4500 earlier
Although I was voting nv4500 earlier
Fixed
Once I factor rebuilding the 80e it still swaus me to the nv4500. That and the added length really shrinks the rear driveline even with adding a SYE to the 241.
Here comes the rat though.
