Great feedback. TyLove me a nice 400sbc . . But if going efi and looking for more power i would skip old school and go gm LS motor . 5.3 stock in truck from 99-05ish or more was 295hp . And around 18mpg . You wont come close to reliability/ fuel mileage and upgrade potential of a LS .
BASIC cam and headers with tune on a LS will get you 2x the power over old school and only drop around 2mpg .
If staying old school go edelbrock proflo 4 hands down for daily driver . American autowire kit is great and HUGE full color instructions and around 95% all pre terminated and factory quality plugs . And comes with aftermarket guage pig tail conversion to keep from hacking up new wiring .
Off the shelf leafs i would do tuff country . Go 3" lift as closer to flat better ride . Then if you want the 4" total go zero rate to make up the inch .
Off the shelf kits anymore SUCK . We here and ORD have good parts lists for mix-n-match best ride and use .
Welcome and good luck . Ask a lot . . Read a lot . . Dont waste money on wrong stuff just cause you see it advertised EVERYWHERE.
CK5
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Grandpa’s Blazer gettin fixed up…
- Thread starter Jon52
- Start date
Papa is fixing up grandpa’s ole Blazer
So….. tried to pull the motor. lol one bolt top right passenger side didn’t want to come out (bell housing to motor) ugh.
Anyone near Seminole County in FL. Wanna come look, poke the project scratch (King of the Hill style) and banter ideas and possibilities?
Just looking for local collaborations in person. Won’t replace the vast knowledge and input from this forum but would be welcome.
After reading initial responses and checking prices. I think I will need to lean to an ole school rebuild on the motor and EFI conversion, keep leaf springs and upgrade suspension moderately and save the wallet. Then once solid and safe to drive maybe pic one upgrade a year and tinker as we go while driving her. I will try to make a build thread and have this merged. Will do from computer so can see what I am doing.
any good efi swap thats worth a crap is 2k min . and you get efi but ZERO major mpg + extra hp gains . . . been down this rabbit hole trust me . all my stuff now is going LS or 8.1 swap and factory efi setup .
Did you strip the head yet or is it just tight? My preferred tool is a 6 point socket with all the extensions you can find so the ratchet is actually down by the transfer case. Sounds weird until you do it and it works well. You can undo the trans crossmember and lower the rear of the trans a couple inches too. It gets you some more room around the bellhousing to work, just don't lower it too far and hit the distributor on the firewall.
There is always infinite opinion on what motor, trans and t-case is the "perfect " combo for your project. The correct answer is usually "the one that's in there", even though we all want to see an interesting swap. It at least came in the truck and all the pieces work together.
You either gave them the wrong specs or you put the factory sway bar back on. The custom springs can ride very nice, as spring rate is spring rate. The compromise is you still have leaf spring geometry, so the axle steers when it articulates, you need a long-slip front driveshaft, poor antisquat, etc.
Yeah, no. You cant spec a Cadillac ride while also telling them that the truck is going to Moab a couple times a year for tough trails with gear in the back. There is no such thing as a single spec that covers all trucks. That's why the usual aftermarket springs ride so bad, they are universal. I like my ORD springs, they work well and I get huge articulation but saying they have a great ride would not be correct.
I also never run a sway bar on squares with leaves. Its not needed. My K5 with ORD springs is the closest to needing one but still totally unnecessary.
You can still call it a better ride.
Update. Motor is out.
The intake is heavy, holy-cow, and the exhaust manifolds too. I know where we can drop some weight real quick.
It is a 509 casting, GM 3951509. Overall doesn't look too bad. Says the first-timer :-/ Although I found sand in the oil pan, and in the rear coolant ports when the intake was removed. Hmmm, maybe it took in some water in the intake?
Google says this 509 casting has a 2 bolt main with steam channels and siemese pistons. IDK, that may be French I have no clue.
Any input on engine mods. I want simple meaningful mods for daily driver. I see no reason for new heads, but think intake and exhaust headers are an affordable improvement. I still want EFI for dependability, and I believe I can lose the massive contraption that is crusie control with the EFI. Can anyone confirm that?
Also, I found a new torque converter when I pulled the engine. I did some research and it seems that in 2012 about 10k miles ago the transmission was rebuilt. It was shifting fine when driving earlier last year. So, I am thinking pull the tranny, clean it up and put it back in but crack the case on the transfer and see how the gears and chain are. I was told it is not difficult to service the transfer case? Is that true?
The intake is heavy, holy-cow, and the exhaust manifolds too. I know where we can drop some weight real quick.
It is a 509 casting, GM 3951509. Overall doesn't look too bad. Says the first-timer :-/ Although I found sand in the oil pan, and in the rear coolant ports when the intake was removed. Hmmm, maybe it took in some water in the intake?
Google says this 509 casting has a 2 bolt main with steam channels and siemese pistons. IDK, that may be French I have no clue.
Any input on engine mods. I want simple meaningful mods for daily driver. I see no reason for new heads, but think intake and exhaust headers are an affordable improvement. I still want EFI for dependability, and I believe I can lose the massive contraption that is crusie control with the EFI. Can anyone confirm that?
Also, I found a new torque converter when I pulled the engine. I did some research and it seems that in 2012 about 10k miles ago the transmission was rebuilt. It was shifting fine when driving earlier last year. So, I am thinking pull the tranny, clean it up and put it back in but crack the case on the transfer and see how the gears and chain are. I was told it is not difficult to service the transfer case? Is that true?
The 509 is a good engine if it's a virgin engine.
As for the French...
2 bolt main is the run of the mill setup for those years, 2 bolts per main cap on the crankshaft.
And siamese are not the pistons but the exhaust ports. Meaning they are touching which is not great because they get hotter in that area.
As for the steam channels, the 400 is physically the same size as a 350 but with a bigger bore which reduces the space left for cooling passages around the cylinders, some end up just steam running through.
Yes it is all original no prior mods or machine work. It only has 91000 miles on it but leaks oil from all the seals being dry and shrunk up.
I am thinking of basic machining and adding roller lifters, aluminum intake, maybe rams horn exhaust headers and the efi. I like the idea of basic simple mods and not stroking it out or going too crazy.
Is there a thread discussing best mods to keep it simple but yield best results for cost effective efficiency and dependability?
There are plenty of threads from mild to wild.
Just search and start reading.
But what you want is straight forward.
You need to refresh the engine and put a roller cam.
You need to find a good machine shop, and find the right parts.
I can only recommend you talk to Heath @folkenheath for the parts and ask around your area for a reputable shop
Okay…. I dropped the engine off to the machine shop 3 weeks out from a status report and figuring out the motor build.
So what to do???
Pull the AC and clean up wiring and brake lines to get ready to move forward and….. Grandpa had a sense of humor. Did I mention I didn’t find it much funny then nor now.
Grandpa decided to “refresh” the ole girl in the early 90s. I now know he covered rust with fiberglass and glass cloth. So here is what I have to deal with.
Fun times ahead.
Think I will start w POR15 on under side and new cab mounting brackets. Then on to tank removal and running new fuel and brake lines. Then new wire harness.
Am I on a track that won’t require me to double back? Is there a best tasks first list anywhere??
Ok last thought.
I have decided on motor build.
Keep her mostly original but upgrade to a roller cam, lifters and rockers. Delete the mechanical fuel pump. Deck the block and have the heads worked over and decked also. Then have it finished out to an aluminum intake that can take the stock 4brl carb or efi conversion. Seal off the intake ports and exhaust ports and put in the ole girl covered while I work on the suspension, body, fuel system, brakes, and get her back together.
I learned the transmission was rebuilt in 2005 at 72k and now she has 91k on odometer. So just servicing trans and transfer case and buttoning her back up. Will drive and work out the kinks and then give her a new coat of paint.
Input?
So what to do???
Pull the AC and clean up wiring and brake lines to get ready to move forward and….. Grandpa had a sense of humor. Did I mention I didn’t find it much funny then nor now.
Grandpa decided to “refresh” the ole girl in the early 90s. I now know he covered rust with fiberglass and glass cloth. So here is what I have to deal with.
Fun times ahead.
Think I will start w POR15 on under side and new cab mounting brackets. Then on to tank removal and running new fuel and brake lines. Then new wire harness.
Am I on a track that won’t require me to double back? Is there a best tasks first list anywhere??
Ok last thought.
I have decided on motor build.
Keep her mostly original but upgrade to a roller cam, lifters and rockers. Delete the mechanical fuel pump. Deck the block and have the heads worked over and decked also. Then have it finished out to an aluminum intake that can take the stock 4brl carb or efi conversion. Seal off the intake ports and exhaust ports and put in the ole girl covered while I work on the suspension, body, fuel system, brakes, and get her back together.
I learned the transmission was rebuilt in 2005 at 72k and now she has 91k on odometer. So just servicing trans and transfer case and buttoning her back up. Will drive and work out the kinks and then give her a new coat of paint.
Input?
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Okay, it wasn't fibreglass, just seam sealer. A lil heat and pealed right up and revealed this mess. At what point is an entire panel a better choice than a repair? Or just laminate some metal together with body panel adheisive and call it a day... JK,
OOF, I would find a doner and cut it up and replace the cowl and firewall. LMC makes parts but its $$.
https://www.lmctruck.com/body-components/body-panels/csb-1973-91-front-steel-patch-panels
The entire cowl panel is available (link), but it's large, expensive, and a very big deal to take off and put on whole. I didn't buy the panel new, but I removed mine, repaired it, and reinstalled it. To get the top part above the windshield off, the roof skin has to come off.
Unless your A-pillars are trashed, I would probably not try to replace the entire panel. Whether you buy the whole panel or patch yours, it's probably better to just cut the bad sections out and leave your A-pillars and roof skin alone.
Based on your pics, I'd probably cut the lower section of the cowl panel off, patch the firewall underneath it, and put the lower cowl section back on (either patching yours or replacing with a clean donor/new panel section).
It's not fun but definitely doable. Hope that helps!
Unless your A-pillars are trashed, I would probably not try to replace the entire panel. Whether you buy the whole panel or patch yours, it's probably better to just cut the bad sections out and leave your A-pillars and roof skin alone.
Based on your pics, I'd probably cut the lower section of the cowl panel off, patch the firewall underneath it, and put the lower cowl section back on (either patching yours or replacing with a clean donor/new panel section).
It's not fun but definitely doable. Hope that helps!
Yeah. I got a welder so I am going to learn. Lowest setting and blowing thru so I am stepping away come back later.
I thought that as I was posting but then remembered my budget. LOLnow
You'll get the hang of it, and diving in head first like you are is the only way to do it.
I'm not a professional, but I'd recommend maybe trying to use a higher voltage setting than you're "supposed" to for the thin material (~18 gauge) and instead of trying to do any continuous welds, just do quick zaps (like half a second) to make a bunch of dots until the entire butt weld is done. Each dot of weld should ideally make a small, shallow puddle that eliminates the seam completely from both front and back of the panels. Don't let it get too hot or it will warp, especially on flatter areas.
I think the idea is raise the voltage enough to penetrate all the way through the sheet metal (but not instantly blow a hole in it) in a short, half second ish zap. Then adjust the wire speed to keep the weld as flat as possible for minimal grinding.
Just as a point of reference, I think the ballpark settings I used for most of the rust repair on my truck was 20.0V and 285 IPM, which is way higher than what the machine says to use, but that's based on continuous weld vs doing quick zaps.
I'm not a professional, but I'd recommend maybe trying to use a higher voltage setting than you're "supposed" to for the thin material (~18 gauge) and instead of trying to do any continuous welds, just do quick zaps (like half a second) to make a bunch of dots until the entire butt weld is done. Each dot of weld should ideally make a small, shallow puddle that eliminates the seam completely from both front and back of the panels. Don't let it get too hot or it will warp, especially on flatter areas.
I think the idea is raise the voltage enough to penetrate all the way through the sheet metal (but not instantly blow a hole in it) in a short, half second ish zap. Then adjust the wire speed to keep the weld as flat as possible for minimal grinding.
Just as a point of reference, I think the ballpark settings I used for most of the rust repair on my truck was 20.0V and 285 IPM, which is way higher than what the machine says to use, but that's based on continuous weld vs doing quick zaps.
