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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.
Overview Gallery Discussion
I thought that read funny... Autocorrect!

Despite my zombie-like state in the morning due to the time change, I'm liking the fact that it's light still when I get home. I hopped into the truck and peeled back the windshield gasket and it looks like I'll have a small amount of room to tuck the wires in. The wires to the mirror are 20ga, but there are 5 circuits to the mirror. Two are ground wires so the instructions list to tie them together, that still leaves 4 to hide. I'll have to find some 20ga wire to run this weekend. Shouldn't be too hard to setup.
 
nocoasthardcore said:
Does the windshield mount have to changed?
Click to expand...

Nope. Attaches to the windshield the same way as always. There is a plastic shroud that goes over the windshield mount that hides the normal retainer bolt, but it also hides the compass (or compassion depending on who you are, LOL) electronics. This makes it a pretty nice little self-contained unit.
 
Check your mirror tab, mine fits loosely on the original tab. I have had a difficult time keeping it from getting loose. I'm not sure how to stop that yet.

And what about the sensor? Do you have that figured out?

Some compassion for a fellow member here, please!!

Cuz all I have is a compass right now!

:thumb:
 
6872xtc said:
Check your mirror tab, mine fits loosely on the original tab. I have had a difficult time keeping it from getting loose. I'm not sure how to stop that yet.

And what about the sensor? Do you have that figured out?

Some compassion for a fellow member here, please!!

Cuz all I have is a compass right now!

:thumb:
Click to expand...
A compassionate compass?
 
6872xtc said:
Check your mirror tab, mine fits loosely on the original tab. I have had a difficult time keeping it from getting loose. I'm not sure how to stop that yet.

And what about the sensor? Do you have that figured out?

Some compassion for a fellow member here, please!!

Cuz all I have is a compass right now!

:thumb:
Click to expand...

My "kit" came with the sensor. Just need to connect the dots with the wiring.

I'll look at mine when I get home and see if there is a part number on it. I'll see if it's still valid and post it up.
 
Well my mirror tab came off today, and I showed the mirror to my glass guy, and he showed me the correct tab, and then installed it for free when he came by my shop on his way home. So check your fitment of the tab, and see.
 
25775833 is the sensor by itself. Pulling the part number off the bracket 15047946, finds that it's the sensor with bracket. The mating connector is 12101856.

Hope that helps.
 
Got one little project knocked out today. The new mirror, harness and sensor are in and working. Oh and @6872xtc you are right, my mirror does not fit the button on the glass either. I'll have to check with my glass guy about the bigger one. On to the pics...

The sensor itself with the bracket. The bracket has a tab sticking out the back to index it into another hole. I found a spot on the core support that had a couple of holes with the right spacing to allow the tab to go into the hole and sit flush.
IMG_20170318_182940110.jpg

Here it is mounted to the drivers side of the core support opening. This should have a good flow of air.
IMG_20170318_185356566.jpg

Final product. I need to take it out and calibrate it. The truck is pointing due east in the pic.
IMG_20170318_231414_134.jpg


Pretty pleased. I was able to tuck the wiring under the windshield gasket. Took a little fiddling to get it done, but it was worth it. The auto-dimming feature of the mirror works like it should too. It was starting to get dark when I took the pic, so I pointed my flashlight at the mirror sensor and it darkened up in seconds. Pulled the light away and it cleared up. I could have used it this morning when some douche in his new GMC needed to run with his brights on behind me for a few miles on my way to work in the dark.
 
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ZooMad75 said:
Got one little project knocked out today. The new mirror, harness and sensor are in and working. Oh and @6872xtc you are right, my mirror does not fit the button on the glass either. I'll have to check with my glass guy about the bigger one. On to the pics...

The sensor itself with the bracket. The bracket has a tab sticking out the back to index it into another hole. I found a spot on the core support that had a couple of holes with the right spacing to allow the tab to go into the hole and sit flush.


Here it is mounted to the drivers side of the core support opening. This should have a good flow of air.


Final product. I need to take it out and calibrate it. The truck is pointing due east in the pic.



Pretty pleased. I was able to tuck the wiring under the windshield gasket. Took a little fiddling to get it done, but it was worth it. The auto-dimming feature of the mirror works like it should too. It was starting to get dark when I took the pic, so I pointed my flashlight at the mirror sensor and it darkened up in seconds. Pulled the light away and it cleared up. I could have used it this morning when some douche in his new GMC needed to run with his brights on behind me for a few miles on my way to work in the dark.
Click to expand...

77 degrees already? :eek1:
 
campfire said:
77 degrees already? :eek1:
Click to expand...
More like 80 today.


Got another little project completed. The onboard air compressor is on board now. Still need to plumb the lines and run the wiring.

Made the brackets out of angle iron, bolted to the inside of the core support near the end of the radiator. The compressor is isolated with 1" diameter 1/4" rubber I cut out of the extra sections of the bed mat I had laying around.

IMG_20170319_144735334_HDR.jpg

Top bracket installed on the compressor. I ended up taking this back off after I found the upper left corner of the bracket in the pic was too close to comfort to the radiator tank. I just notched the corner. The rubber spacers were cut with a hole saw. A nice side benefit is the pilot bit of the hole saw cut just the right size center hole for the bolt to go through.
IMG_20170319_144744737.jpg

The compressor's location. Easy to get to. I'll switch the unit on remotely with a relay triggered by a switch in the ashtray. I added the filter back on to the compressor after I shot this so nothing gets into it. Next up plumbing/wiring.
IMG_20170319_152319077.jpg
 
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Going way back in your build: the TV cable setup you are running; are you using some manner of throttle body linkage that allows proper geometry or is the Bowtie kit a constant pressure set up?

I am seriously considering the 5.3 swap into my K5 and as my 700R4 only has 2000 miles on it, it would be more affordable to run than trying to source a four wheel drive 4L60E.
 
nocoasthardcore said:
Going way back in your build: the TV cable setup you are running; are you using some manner of throttle body linkage that allows proper geometry or is the Bowtie kit a constant pressure set up?

I am seriously considering the 5.3 swap into my K5 and as my 700R4 only has 2000 miles on it, it would be more affordable to run than trying to source a four wheel drive 4L60E.
Click to expand...

The Bowtie kit comes with all you need to make the 700 work with a 5.3. The cable comes with a specific bracket that bolts on the intake and the kit has it's own bracket that attaches to the throttle body for the cable. The cable comes with the kit too.

I had thought about figuring out a way to adapt a tv cable off of a L98 TPI setup since it would have been the longest cable GM used due to the forward throttle body, but it really wasn't worth trying to re-engineer what's already been done. For the price it wasn't worth cobbling something together that if I got it wrong might burn up the trans.

The kit is very complete and the instructions are good. If you do plan to go to the 5.3, the only thing you have to make sure it is running the cable throttle vs the drive by wire setup.
 
ZooMad75 said:
Got one little project knocked out today. The new mirror, harness and sensor are in and working. Oh and @6872xtc you are right, my mirror does not fit the button on the glass either. I'll have to check with my glass guy about the bigger one. On to the pics...

The sensor itself with the bracket. The bracket has a tab sticking out the back to index it into another hole. I found a spot on the core support that had a couple of holes with the right spacing to allow the tab to go into the hole and sit flush.


Here it is mounted to the drivers side of the core support opening. This should have a good flow of air.


Final product. I need to take it out and calibrate it. The truck is pointing due east in the pic.



Pretty pleased. I was able to tuck the wiring under the windshield gasket. Took a little fiddling to get it done, but it was worth it. The auto-dimming feature of the mirror works like it should too. It was starting to get dark when I took the pic, so I pointed my flashlight at the mirror sensor and it darkened up in seconds. Pulled the light away and it cleared up. I could have used it this morning when some douche in his new GMC needed to run with his brights on behind me for a few miles on my way to work in the dark.
Click to expand...
Been wanting to do this for years, where did you find the kit?
 
Babaganoosh said:
Been wanting to do this for years, where did you find the kit?
Click to expand...
His buddy got it off of eBay. I checked prices on the temp sensor and pigtail, ended up just getting a used complete kit from ebay as well. Make sure that you get free shipping. I got one for $40 shipped, got it in 4 days.
 
ZooMad75 said:
The Bowtie kit comes with all you need to make the 700 work with a 5.3. The cable comes with a specific bracket that bolts on the intake and the kit has it's own bracket that attaches to the throttle body for the cable. The cable comes with the kit too
Click to expand...

Neat.

Also: now that you have some miles and some trails under it how awesome is the 5.3 in the K5?
Have you ever looked side-long and downcast at it, as a father may to a son wearing skinny jeans and sequined moccasins, and muttered "you should have been born a 6.0" ?
 
nocoasthardcore said:
Neat.

Also: now that you have some miles and some trails under it how awesome is the 5.3 in the K5?
Have you ever looked side-long and downcast at it, as a father may to a son wearing skinny jeans and sequined moccasins, and muttered "you should have been born a 6.0" ?
Click to expand...

I'm not going to lie, more power is better. Had a 6.0 turned up it would have wound up in there. That being said, the 5.3's power over the stock tbi 350's of the era is way better. I only really find the power lacking on hills/grades where I drop into 3rd. The 4.10 gears helped a ton that's for sure. Off road it's just a matter of dropping the t-case lever into 4lo if I find it lacking. Driveability-wise it's so much better it's not even funny. It starts like a new truck, it runs the same at altitude as it does down low and gets better fuel economy than a tbi or qjet 350 ever could.

In my case though, the engine was a freebie, known good running well maintained engine. It was a solid entry to get into a LS type swap. Since a 6.0 is a drop in replacement to the 5.3 I'm already set up to go. If one happens to come across my way I can grab it and swap it in over a weekend.

Overall I'm pleased with the swap. It was totally worth it. I'd do it again.
 
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