Loving this build and Larry's other builds. Great work and looks factory. Can I be next in line! LOL!!
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 a little behind our self imposed timeline, but then again getting right knows no timeline. We were able to get the 5.3 lit off for the first time today. This is where Larry's attention to detail pays off. His wiring and setup of the ECM calibration allowed it to fire up on the first twist of the key. Larry took a video with his Gopro that he'll probably post up later tonight. If I know him, he's back out in the garage right now cleaning up the wiring.
So I took a quick video with my phone when I cranked it up. It's loud without the exhaust, but it settled into a nice idle. Without further delay here's the quick video I took:
We really got a lot accomplished. The alternator wasn't charging so I had done some research on wiring the connector and found an issue. Larry had the bright idea to take the alternator back off and run over to autozone and get it tested since this one was never run and it came from and old co-worker at Workhorse. So I pulled it off and ran it over and it passed the test. I came back and put it back on and studied the schematics a little more. Turns out I got the pins reversed at the alternator. Swapped them around and tried it out and bingo it's charging. Other vitals on the electrical checked out, gauges started coming up and all the lights were working except the dash lighting. While Larry finalized the alternator wiring by looming it up I pulled the cluster out and figured out what I did wrong on the dash lighting. I checked for voltage with the lights on at the pin on the connector for the cluster and had power where I needed it. Turns out my LED bulbs were in backwards. Since LED bulbs are polarity sensitive I popped them out one by one and reversed them and they each came on.
Still got a lot of little stuff to do, but it was sweet hearing the 5.3 rumble to life for the first time in the Blazer. Major kudo's to Larry for busting his tail to get it this far. Watch for Larry to post the better quality video of the first fire.
So I took a quick video with my phone when I cranked it up. It's loud without the exhaust, but it settled into a nice idle. Without further delay here's the quick video I took:
We really got a lot accomplished. The alternator wasn't charging so I had done some research on wiring the connector and found an issue. Larry had the bright idea to take the alternator back off and run over to autozone and get it tested since this one was never run and it came from and old co-worker at Workhorse. So I pulled it off and ran it over and it passed the test. I came back and put it back on and studied the schematics a little more. Turns out I got the pins reversed at the alternator. Swapped them around and tried it out and bingo it's charging. Other vitals on the electrical checked out, gauges started coming up and all the lights were working except the dash lighting. While Larry finalized the alternator wiring by looming it up I pulled the cluster out and figured out what I did wrong on the dash lighting. I checked for voltage with the lights on at the pin on the connector for the cluster and had power where I needed it. Turns out my LED bulbs were in backwards. Since LED bulbs are polarity sensitive I popped them out one by one and reversed them and they each came on.
Still got a lot of little stuff to do, but it was sweet hearing the 5.3 rumble to life for the first time in the Blazer. Major kudo's to Larry for busting his tail to get it this far. Watch for Larry to post the better quality video of the first fire.
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Albeit a week after our target startup date of Thanksgiving, we finally got her fired up. As Rob said, the ZooK5.3L took her first big breath this afternoon. Pretty uneventful really, but I cheated a little and already had flashed in a 6.0L Bin file and already had it run for a few seconds before this video was shot. Up until this video, we really didn’t know how well it would really start, build oil pressure or anything. We did have some challenges getting the alternator to charge and the dash lights to work but Rob got all that sorted out.
Still got some little stuff to do before it goes to the exhaust shop. Once it comes back from the exhaust shop we can fine tune things after we can hear ourselves think………
Fire in the hole!
Zoomad himself fiddling with something. Never mind the wiring, got a lot of fine routing and clipping yet to do.
Still got some little stuff to do before it goes to the exhaust shop. Once it comes back from the exhaust shop we can fine tune things after we can hear ourselves think………
Fire in the hole!
Zoomad himself fiddling with something. Never mind the wiring, got a lot of fine routing and clipping yet to do.
Congrats! 
y5mgisi
1 ton status
Great news! That is an extremely nice mile stone!
Nice work!
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Well, Larry’s portion of the ZooK5.3L project is almost done for a while. We still have some loose ends to tie up once it takes a trip to the exhaust shop to quieten it down so we can hear ourselves think enough to finish up the tuning and what not.
Our issues list is getting much smaller…..The alternator stopped charging, TV cable needs to be hooked up and adjusted, torque converter lock-up wiring finished, and the radiator is leaking at the seam where the tank meets the core. Go figure, as that was one of the parts from the tired old ’75 K5 that we scrapped.
We`ll clean up the wiring near the junction block once the alternator issue is sorted out
We`ll tackle the body work next spring and spray some fresh paint on her
Before
Our issues list is getting much smaller…..The alternator stopped charging, TV cable needs to be hooked up and adjusted, torque converter lock-up wiring finished, and the radiator is leaking at the seam where the tank meets the core. Go figure, as that was one of the parts from the tired old ’75 K5 that we scrapped.
We`ll clean up the wiring near the junction block once the alternator issue is sorted out
We`ll tackle the body work next spring and spray some fresh paint on her
Before
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y5mgisi
1 ton status
Awesome stuff! I'm sure you have the alt situation figured out, but when I originally wired mine I didn't have the ecm controlling it. It wouldn't charge and I had to wire in a charge light so it would sense a load. After that it charged perfect all the time. But then I rewired the whole dang Thang anyway...
That's really clean under the hood. Looks like what the factory would have done. Great job!
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Yep, and that is the main issue here is the MEFI-4 ECM does not have provisions to control the alternator. Rob read a thread on the 67-72 page where a 12V key on source is all that is needed to use a computer controlled alternator in a non-computer controlled application so he wired it up per the instructions this past Saturday. It worked great and charged fine until the next key cycle and it hasn’t charged since. Maybe we fried it?? I’ve been kicking this damn alternator around the garage for 10 years or so and didn’t want to use it on any of my projects for this very reason. Pretty sure Rob is going to go with my suggestion and grab a CS-144 140 Amp alternator from a 96-00 C/K w/L29 spec. That is a good ole 1 wire GM alternator that fits these brackets and the same one I’m running on my Burb and K10. Piss on these computer controlled alternators. I'm tired of phucken with it
Thanks! That was the plan
I knew you were up to something when told me to check out the forums after work. This is the first time I've seen it with the engine cover on and cleaned up. What blows me away the Keep your GM all GM sticker. I always thought it was cool on your rigs and thought it would be cool to cap off the factory look you've shot for. Very cool- I love it. Didn't Jesse make the labels for yours? Did that guy have a hand in this too?
Got to recharge the wallet and get this thing knocked out!
Larry is probably getting tired of me telling him thank you for all the effort, but I think it bears repeating. Larry didn't have to do this for me. He's busted his tail, worked in between is actual job and late at night so he still could take care of his girls. He's gone through this as if it was his to do. To say it's humbling for me is an understatement. He knew my time is wrapped up around my work and leaves little time for wrenching since my garage isn't big enough to pull it off with my Nova hibernating in it. He wanted this for me and his effort inspired me to bust my hump to be able to pay for it. I've done a lot of horse trading, side work helping friends sell some classic cars and leaving the house at 6:00 am to come home by 7:00 pm to run a circus they call a service department at a little Chevy dealer. There is no end to the appreciation I have for him and can't thank him enough. The best way I can pay homage is keep it going with the same effort and attention to detail. The 91 is not going anywhere either. It's not getting sold. Ever.
Kudo's dude! You knocked it out of the park!
Got to recharge the wallet and get this thing knocked out!
Larry is probably getting tired of me telling him thank you for all the effort, but I think it bears repeating. Larry didn't have to do this for me. He's busted his tail, worked in between is actual job and late at night so he still could take care of his girls. He's gone through this as if it was his to do. To say it's humbling for me is an understatement. He knew my time is wrapped up around my work and leaves little time for wrenching since my garage isn't big enough to pull it off with my Nova hibernating in it. He wanted this for me and his effort inspired me to bust my hump to be able to pay for it. I've done a lot of horse trading, side work helping friends sell some classic cars and leaving the house at 6:00 am to come home by 7:00 pm to run a circus they call a service department at a little Chevy dealer. There is no end to the appreciation I have for him and can't thank him enough. The best way I can pay homage is keep it going with the same effort and attention to detail. The 91 is not going anywhere either. It's not getting sold. Ever.
Kudo's dude! You knocked it out of the park!
Amazing.
Martin
Martin
beags86
Eastbound and Down
Looks good, looks damn good. Nice work to both of you.
You must be one very proud owner! Very nice work guys. Much envy from this guy!!!!
well done
:golf clap:
:golf clap:
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You betcha dude! Nobody I can think of that appreciates the labor of truck love more than you. Glad to help and be part of your new K5.3 story.
Pretty sucktastic day for pictures but at least it’s got a lid! I can’t wait until we get started on the body and bumpers in the months to come.
I can’t believe how tall it is….hopefully it will come down once bumpers and the interior is filled up
The right rear quarter is the only spot that will require some body work and even that doesn’t look very time consuming. At least there is ZERO rust to deal with
Hard to believe those are the same 4" lift springs up front from the 75. I think you are right though. It will come down once we load it out. That thing looks awesome outside. Beastly.
