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Black Betty - Formerly Blaze the Monster Machine

1984 K5 Project for Dad and kids
Overview Gallery Discussion
It’s crush and I’m fine with it. This isn’t a max effort build. The stuff I have now isn’t mandrel bent and it’s 2 1/4”. I need the exhaust out from under my seat so I can stop wearing headphones and smelling like exhaust when I drive it.

Also, I’m tired of wrenching on it and am willing to just cut a check and have someone else deal with welding and bending and making things fit.
 
I would definitely go 3" then, at least it won't crush as small, and it's not like it's going to be quiet with 2.5" black widow mufflers anyway.
 
I’ve got 20 miles on it now. Coolant is running mid 180’s even when it’s 99* outside. Trans temp is in the high 150’s to low 160’s. I’m struggling finding a place to open it up enough to run it higher than about 2500-3000rpm because I either catch up to traffic or I’m well above the posted speed limit even just in 2nd gear.

Gonna go do a fluid and bolt check after dinner and then get ready to take the kids to their first day of school in it tomorrow.
 
Rings don't care about gear, give it 3/4 to full throttle while already moving, short bursts in 1st or 2nd gear, up to about 4000 - 4500 and let off to slow down and do it again, in a safe place of course.

The rings need pressure behind them to force them out into the cylinder wall and wear in.
 
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Went out and did 4 more 2500-5000 pulls in 2nd gear for peace of mind and changed the oil. This is about 40 miles of spirited driving. Hard to tell but there’s no glitter in it but there is nastiness. Drain plug had mud on like I’d expect to see but no chunks or flakes or anything like that. I was surprised how dirty the oil was honestly. On the dipstick it looked nearly new. Put 6.5qts of Mobil 1 15w-50 in it with a new filter.

Also tried out my new Milwaukee m12 grease gun my wife got me for my birthday and a lube locker fitting. I’ll never pump grease manually again. Only thing I couldn’t get to were the zerks on the king pins and that’s because I didn’t want to take the tires off in 99* heat.

Found two bolts on the front crossmember that were barely threaded in.

Tried to test my windshield wipers and they stopped part way up. Looked under the cowl and it’s completely packed with sand and dirt and it’s stopping the arms so that’s gotta get fixed.

Got power to my rear window motor. Now I gotta hook it back up to the linkage.

Been a good day. IMG_4763.jpegIMG_4764.jpeg
 
The first oil change gets all the debris out from some initial wear and also depending on how clean whoever assembled it kept it during assembly.

I wouldn't worry unless it gets worse and not better. I'd change it again at 500, and 1500, then once a year or every 3000 after that, whatever is more often.

Also, the magnetic drain plug should have a little paste on it, feel like toothpaste almost, that's normal.

I don't remember, did you use a stock filter bypass or block it? I block it on my toys and carry a spare filter just in case. But you change like I said above you should not need it (the spare).
 
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There was nothing in there to make me think there’s an issue. I’ll change it again in a few hundred miles for peace of mind and let her run.

Stock filter bypass.
 
Well oil pressure won’t be a problem. Driving around in 100* heat and it’s 50psi at idle and 70psi driving around. It’s 75psi at idle when cold.

Had my first starting issue. Drove to pick the kids up, turned it off, got them, went to start and it wouldn’t start without a little throttle. Think that’s an idle air adjustment.

It’s been so long since I’ve driven a solid axle leaf sprung vehicle. They feel so different especially when hitting dips while turning. Between that and the crossover steering. You feel everything. It’s especially funny when turning and accelerating how the steering wheel repositions itself as the body rolls.

I do have a pop somewhere. I can’t seem to replicate it but I’ve had it a couple of times. There’s lots of noises honestly.

May need a new throttle cable or something. There’s a definitive hard spot that you have to intentionally push through and then the truck jumps and runs. It’s almost like a switch for going from idling up in a drive through to actual acceleration.

I’ll be really glad come Friday when this thing gets an exhaust.
 
Got bored today and bought some 100psi 5v sensors. Gonna hook those up to fuel pressure and oil pressure and set those up in the holley because why not. Wish I could figure out an easy way to get fuel level into the handheld but that's going to take a bit more work than hooking it to the sender. Should probably go ahead and pick up a cheap fuel gauge just to make sure I don't run out.
 
The ProDash has a way to input a fuel level, I've used it on a couple vehicles, but I am not sure about the handheld unit that comes with the EFI.

Look that method up, and then see if you can get it to work with the handheld.
 
There’s a way but you have to trick it. I found one video online for a terminator x with the 3.5” and you have to set the input as a 5v and then use a couple of resistors to convert the resistance from the sender to a voltage and some weird stuff.
 
What mufflers did you go with? I have Venom 250's on mine true dual and really like them. Cruising around they're not bad at all but when you really rap on it they bark.
 
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