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Help a noob out with his first k5 purchase

Hmmm... I guess I am the black sheeep. I swapped my 89 Blazer for a KTM 640 LC4 and never looked back. Best trade i ever made.
 
Well, the good news is, I still have my Honda 450X and my custom streetfighter FZ1. I couldnt go without a bike...

going to check that red and silver 89 out in about an hour. seller really talked it up for being in great daily driver condition..but we will see about that here soon.
 
I like that one. Clean and stock is a good thing.

Print out that buyers guide!!
 
well, you can all stop listening to my BS now...atleast on this thread.

I met the seller, and took a long once over, took a drive, and made my offer (2800 - yall would be proud)

He said no, said he paid 4500 for it 2 years ago, i told him that was too bad that he overpaid, said good luck and left.

He called 8 minutes later, and she was mine :D

1989 silverado 350V8 tbi/ 241tcase/ 700R4/ mickey thompson baja 31x1050 on black cragers
seats, carpet, gauges, looks great...dash is cracked.
i seriously couldnt find a single piece of rust on it anywhere.
power windows, power locks, power rear window...all works
new ac compressor and heater coil...all works great
bumpers have some minor issues, but about a 9/10...same with body..its near perfect.
Drives fine, but has a very slight stumble when idling, but doesnt die, or drive bad once moving.
Steering is waaaaay loose!

more to come..cant thank yall enough...would love to hear yalls thoughts. i can take it...

Lots to learn, and figure out...just teaser cell phone pics

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Your garage is some how familiar.
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Congrats, Looks like a great start!!! Time for an oil and filter change, i'd put a new fuel filter on as well (fuel filter is on the inside of the passenger side frame rail). Its a good time to do a thorough inspection of everything. Might want to consider running a can of a good quality fuel system cleaner, it might clear up that stumble. Loose steering is probably a simple fix. Most likely at the rag joint on the steering shaft, but check to make sure the steering box isn't loose. Best way to check is have some one turn the steering wheel back and forth while you watch to see where there is play. I always like to do a thorough tuneup on every vehicle I buy, but that's just me. Feel free to ask any questions, lots of knowledgeable guys on here. Enjoy that truck, I like it!!! Oh, we need more pictures!!!
 
will take better pics in the sun tomorrow.

Thats a great point...I could really use a "To Do" list of what I should do to get her checked out, tuned up, and make myself familiar with what components she has.

It has double front shocks on the front...is that stock?

Seller says he replaced the distributor cap and plugs to try and correct the stumble, but nothing. It just seems to idle really low or something, but doesnt seem to affect the off the line performance.

It also has what feels like a rumble from about 5mph to 0 when I am coming to a stop...does it in neutral too. Could this be just the aggressive tread on the M/T tires? or something in the gears?
 
front shocks could be stock or just an aftermarket add on, no biggy

Don't worry about the stumble or rumble for now. Just get some stuff taken care of.
Example: (personally)
pull diff covers off and check what gears, carriers, and condition
pull trans pan and change fluid/ filter, make sure to look over condition of fluid and filter
dump engine oil into a container that allows you to look over the oil, drop a magnet in and go fishin for metal
change oil filter and cut open old one, check inside the pleats for materials
change fuel filter
dump a bottle of SeaFoam in fuel tank and run it
could also dump some inside a vacuum port to clean up the valves/ combustion chambers

after all that stuff is done and you still have a stumble or rumble or whatever,then worry about that :)
 
So, I picked up a bottle of seafoam, poured it in the gas tank. Where is the vacuum port opening that I should be pouring some into? How much? etc?

Replaced my air filter even tho it looked pretty good.

I am going to do an oil change. Am I correct that I need 5qts of 10w30? (158k miles)

i am really noticing that all my weather stripping and window seals are very dried and cracked. Making the windows struggle to go up and down, and the sliding windows in the back will barely open. Is there something to wipe on them that helps? or can they be easily replaced? Dont want to stress the old window unit motors if i dont have to.

- what would you do about opening the back tailgate if the window motor dies?
 
So, I picked up a bottle of seafoam, poured it in the gas tank. Where is the vacuum port opening that I should be pouring some into? How much? etc?


If you go on Youtube, there's a ton of vids showing you how to Seafoam your rig. But basically all you have to do is:

start the truck and take off the brake booster hose at the booster side. With the motor running, take 1/3 of the bottle and pour it slowly down the hose into the engine so it doesn't die. Shut off the motor after your done pouring in the Seafoam, hook up the booster hose again and let it sit for about 5 or so minutes, (I forget how long exactly). Start it up and watch the smoke pour out of the tailpipe.
 
i'd get that rear window down, and get the tailgate open for one. Then remove the access panel. Remove the drive cable from the window motor and use a cordless drill to drive the glass up again having a helper support it. When the glass is about halfway out you'll see where the steel lower track bolts to the regulator. Unbolt the 4 bolts holding the glass to the regulator. Have a sawhorse or something similar ready, and pull up on the glass so it's all the way up and let it rest on your support.

Now use some brake kleen to spray down the regulator mechanism and get the old gunky grease off everywhere you can. liberally coat the moving parts with some spray lithium grease and using the cordless drill drive the regulator up and down a few times.

Now grab a flashlight and check the very bottom inside of the tailgate, debris loves to collect down there and is the #1 cause for lower tailgate rot. Clean it out, ensure the drain holes are clear.

Now shine the flashlight to the sides of the inside of the gate. Reach in and feel the guides that the window runs up and down in. It's supposed to be a felt-like material in those channels, which does wear out. If all you feel is steel channels with nothing in them it'd be a good idea to replace them.

Remember the 4 bolts you removed from the lower part of the glass? Those little steel channels run on some nylon wheels at the tips of the regulator arms. If you slide those channels to one side they come off easily and you can check the nylon wheels. Often they seize up and end up square. Again they are replaceable if they're wrecked. If the inside of the steel channels is rusty and scaly clean em out, maybe add a bit of rust paint. A little grease there isn't gonna hurt anything after the paint is dry.

If everything checks out add a little light lube like 3-in-1 oil down the drive cable tube. Button it up, drive the glass down again and close the gate. Re-connect the cable to the motor and try the switch. If it goes up and down reasonably good, pat yourself on the back and count yourself lucky. If not you may need a new motor (easy to replace, not sure where to get one though)

Your door lock key should fit at the tailgate and drive the glass up and down. I've had many K5's, and my '90 I currently have is the only one that has a working key switch at the gate itself. All the others only worked from the dash switch.

Congrats on the purchase.

Rene
 
i will do just that! thanks. its very slow going up and down, but the key does work in the back for the window.

the window channels are not felt AT ALL

I am going to check youtube for a vid on the seafoam stuff.
 
2 questions:

1. what does the brake booster actually do?

2. if I want to find out what gears this thing has...is there a write up on how to open the case (as clean as possible) and then what do I do to fill it up? what fluid, how much, how?

....just tell me if yall think I should be starting threads in other places for my newbie questions.
 
Brake booster is power assist. On your axles just spray with brake cleaner then lefty loosy righty tighty.
What part of town do you live in? I can come over and just show you.
 
I am in north austin (right near parmer and mcneil)

It would be awesome if you could come by at some time and just take a peek at the new rig. I am so new to this, that I could really use a second opinion on a few things.

pm me if you can.
 
First off, congrats on the new rig :waytogo: :bow: welcome to the addiction :D, your wallet will never be the same :whistle:.
Check in the glove box for a build sheet/ sticker, it should tell you things like fuel tank size, gear ratio and possible options. There may be a metal tag on the diff cover that should tell you the ratio as well, but a fluid change is always a good idea, great time to upgrade to a syn fluid as well.
From the pics it looks like a really solid clean rig, and wow I was almost dead on with my guess of what the seller would take for it :D
 

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