'91 K5 Four Wheel Camper

[ZooMad75]

I finished up the valve covers yesterday. Just before laying down the clear I took more 220 grit and hand sanded all the bare sections to take out the swirly marks from the palm sander. Plus I noticed the raw aluminum soaked up any of the oils on my skin and left a dark spot when I touched it. The hand sanding took all of the marks out and I cleaned it up quick and shot the clear on it.

The baked in the front seat of my truck all day before I stopped by Larry's house on the way home tonight. He mocked up the coils really quick with a harness and it gives one an idea of how much of the work I did will be visible when assembled.

It still shows quite well and the little bits I couldn't get into the corners of are hidden by the coils and the harness.

I love how it looks. It reminded both of us of some of the GM performance crate engines.

 

[Fastereddie]

I finished up the valve covers yesterday. Just before laying down the clear I took more 220 grit and hand sanded all the bare sections to take out the swirly marks from the palm sander. Plus I noticed the raw aluminum soaked up any of the oils on my skin and left a dark spot when I touched it. The hand sanding took all of the marks out and I cleaned it up quick and shot the clear on it.

The baked in the front seat of my truck all day before I stopped by Larry's house on the way home tonight. He mocked up the coils really quick with a harness and it gives one an idea of how much of the work I did will be visible when assembled.

It still shows quite well and the little bits I couldn't get into the corners of are hidden by the coils and the harness.

I love how it looks. It reminded both of us of some of the GM performance crate engines.

That looks awesome

 

[82355]

It’s a shame they don’t still paint them orange.

Martin

 

[ZooMad75]

That looks awesome

Thanks! There are a few little flaws, but most are hidden by the coils for sure. I know this if I was to do another set I'd do it differently. Since the paint was in decent shape on the covers, Larry shot the orange over it. So when I come in with the sander to expose the aluminum I went through two distinct layers, the orange, and the black. So if you get really close in on the fins, you'll see a hint of black on the edge. It's almost impossible to see from the distance you would be viewing it from the side of the fender, but there really isn't much I could have done about it but start over. So I shot it with clear and called it a night.

IF I did another set, I would have blasted all the original paint off first in Larry's sandblast booth. Then paint and resand the ribs again.

 

[skunked]

Thanks! There are a few little flaws, but most are hidden by the coils for sure. I know this if I was to do another set I'd do it differently. Since the paint was in decent shape on the covers, Larry shot the orange over it. So when I come in with the sander to expose the aluminum I went through two distinct layers, the orange, and the black. So if you get really close in on the fins, you'll see a hint of black on the edge. It's almost impossible to see from the distance you would be viewing it from the side of the fender, but there really isn't much I could have done about it but start over. So I shot it with clear and called it a night.

IF I did another set, I would have blasted all the original paint off first in Larry's sandblast booth. Then paint and resand the ribs again.

Agreed, I blasted both sets BBC covers I’ve refinished. Without the coil mounts on the M/T and L29 covers it’s easy to sand the fins with a belt sander as well.

looks good.

 

[ZooMad75]

Larry got some small details done buttoning up the engine. The serpentine drive is complete. Since A/C isn't in the plans currently, we went with an idler pulley and shorter belt.

The dipstick tube was crusty so it got cleaned up and painted.

Fresh crank sensor installed now because once the engine is in it won't be as easy to change.

I spent the day pulling apart the interior. Seats came out along with the console. I used the shop vac to clean up and then wiped down the rubber floor. With everything out of the way, I labeled all the wires going to the console so I can remember where they went when I reassemble. I pulled the rubber floor and jute backing and sucked out the rest of the dirt that was under it. I put the driver seat back in with a couple of bolts so we can move it without having to sit on a bucket. The seat covers are in the washing machine for a much-needed cleaning.

I need to still bleed the brakes since I installed the master cylinder, but other than that its ready for a ride on the trailer to the Bigassgas garage.

 

[Bent77]

These are good updates!

 

[Atl-atl]

Lookin good! Meanwhile Im over here making zero progress on the 5.3 since its been eleventy-hundred degrees every day.

 

[82355]

Do you have future plans to add AC?

Martin

 

[mrk5]

That's quite the long bendy dipstick tube.

 

[Bent77]

They seem unyieldingly awful. But they are actually nice to use, stay in the tube, and are easier on the aging generation to find

 

[mrk5]

I was wondering if it would work in a 454. Mine's hard to get to.

 

[ZooMad75]

Do you have future plans to add AC?

Martin

Oh hell yeah I do. But the budget is all going into the drivetrain swap currently. I've got an add on aftermarket A/C unit that Larry pulled out of a '91 parts Blazer last year. It is pretty unique that it does not replace the existing heater box. It installs above the box behind the dash and hooks up to the stock a/c vents in the dash and has its own blower motor. The problem is the system isn't complete. All we were able to salvage is the parts within the interior and didn't get all the parts under the hood. So I'd have to source the condenser, have lines made, and adapt to the 8.1 compressor. Checking prices, it could run pretty close to a Vintage Air system. I'll be doing further research but I may end up going with a complete system for the modern electronics and availability of replacement parts.

That's quite the long bendy dipstick tube.

Stock GMT800 8.1 parts there. But given the overall height of the fender, the 5.3 was a hell of a reach without a stool. I should be able to reach it without one now.

They seem unyieldingly awful. But they are actually nice to use, stay in the tube, and are easier on the aging generation to find

As much as I refuse to age, it just keeps happening anyway. At least it's an easy reach now.

 

[ZooMad75]

I was wondering if it would work in a 454. Mine's hard to get to.

Not sure if the 8.1 part would work, but keep an eye out at the local boneyards for a 454 equipped G-van or P-chassis motorhome/step van. The dipsticks are longer and reach further to the front of the engine.

 

[ktmoutfront]

Not sure if the 8.1 part would work, but keep an eye out at the local boneyards for a 454 equipped G-van or P-chassis motorhome/step van. The dipsticks are longer and reach further to the front of the engine.

While catching up on this thread, I was thinking that I was going to mention this. You beat me to it.

 

[Bent77]

Not sure if the 8.1 part would work, but keep an eye out at the local boneyards for a 454 equipped G-van or P-chassis motorhome/step van. The dipsticks are longer and reach further to the front of the engine.

Do the 8.1 pans do the funky pass through like the LS pans for the oiling?

 

[Larry]

While catching up on this thread, I was thinking that I was going to mention this. You beat me to it.

Ha! Me three. Ya, if one ever needs a longer dipstick a G-Van is the place to get one from as long as it’s the same generation of engine. Years ago I bought a 1990 G-van for 400 bux for parts and ended up dropping the TBI 3fidy and 700R4 in an old C20 I had. Being a dirt cheap project I used as much as possible from the G-van including the 35 mile long dipstick and air clearer. The dipstick and oil fill tubes were so long you could almost service it from across the street. In fact, the oil fill tube was too long and hit the hood

As far G-van and P-chassis dipsticks for L29 454 and L18 8.1s, the dipstick tube is the same as a truck with an extension that presses into it but the diptstick itself it much longer.

This old TBI G-van 350 had a one piece dipstick tube. It came out above the radiator

 

[Larry]

Do the 8.1 pans do the funky pass through like the LS pans for the oiling?

Whatcha mean?

 

[ZooMad75]

Do the 8.1 pans do the funky pass through like the LS pans for the oiling?

Nope. Just a standard oil pan gasket. No passage through it.

 

[Larry]

Nope. Just a standard oil pan gasket. No passage through it.

Oh, ya.... I forgot about that. Nah....these are normal engines