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Status on my K5

Operator238

Operator238

1/2 ton status
 Premium
Joined
Aug 13, 2023
Posts
251
Reaction score
111
Location
Houston
With the help of this forum I have been able to:

Rebuild the front end and axle
Rebuild rear end and install a trutrac
Change suspensions (6”RC to a 2” TuffCountry)
Cut/Patch and Paint Floor Pans
Redo my rally wheels

All in the last 3 months. I have a whole room full of replacement parts.

I’m at the point where I need to get the car painted now since the clear has failed. Once I’m done the car will essentially be a new vehicle.

I’m on a 2 month waitlist for paint. In the meantime, I can start taking emblems, bumpers and trim off. The interior is gutted and cleaned.

I’m going to have to scratch that wrenching “itch” once I take a break for 1-2 weeks on the truck. Some things I need to do is:

1) change valve stem seals (have white smoke if it sits idling for too long)

2) Install a new exhaust from the manifolds back (I can’t find new systems anywhere for these trucks). I’d prefer 304 stainless.

3) Consider going back to a Quadrajet or an Aces Killshot. I have an Edelbrock 1406 but the fuel bleeds down and probably needs new diaphragms in the bowls.

Any advice? Should I just remove the heads and get some better preforming units or vortecs, in lieu of changing valve seals? Should I just run it and save for an LS? The engine in this truck is a crate 350 and I have checked the compression and it’s all 175+psi.

Should I stay with an Edelbrock or get the QJet or bite the bullet and get a Kill Shot?

Where the hell do I find an exhaust system for this truck?

Lot on my mind..

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Me I am a Q jet fan. Haven't had and Aces Kill shot experience, looked at them a time or 2. I think someone here installed one recently. New heads are always nice, but if you plan on LS swap in the future, just do the valve seals, maybe new springs. applying compressed air to the cylinder will keep the valves up while you R&R the springs for the seals. Umbrella seals and new under keeper o rings. Can't help much with exhaust kit, I am piecing mine together, and will cut and weld.
Your progress is great and looks good. Maybe that V10 in the corner could be massaged under the hood ???
 
It’s not polite to withhold cool mechanical things such as a lotta cubic inches no matter what make…..as Wes said - what’s up with the V-10 ???

BTW, nice progress on your K-5 - keep going, you have the right attitude and are properly motivated!
 
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Operator238 said:
3) Consider going back to a Quadrajet or an Aces Killshot. I have an Edelbrock 1406 but the fuel bleeds down and probably needs new diaphragms in the bowls.

Should I stay with an Edelbrock or get the QJet or bite the bullet and get a Kill Shot?

Where the hell do I find an exhaust system for this truck?
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It's easy to want to "change everything" to eliminate a problem, but usually changing to something different brings different problems. The simplest thing would probably be to get a rebuild kit for the Edelbrock and make sure it's working right before deciding you can't be happy with it. When it works right, EFI is a lot nicer, especially if you see cold weather or do a lot of elevation changes. I'm thinking in Houston you don't see much of either. You will also gain some MPG, but usually the extra gas for the carb is cheaper than the EFI setup, until you've run a lot of miles. Ultimately the choice is yours about how much you'll enjoy the vehicle and if the $ and headaches are worth it.

The stock LS fuel management works fine. If you're set on going LS at some point, just run that and skip the aftermarket stuff. On this site, the proponents of staying SBC are getting louder than the LS-swap-everything crowd, but most of them would encourage you to go BBC instead of LS.
 
Blue85 said:
It's easy to want to "change everything" to eliminate a problem, but usually changing to something different brings different problems. The simplest thing would probably be to get a rebuild kit for the Edelbrock and make sure it's working right before deciding you can't be happy with it. When it works right, EFI is a lot nicer, especially if you see cold weather or do a lot of elevation changes. I'm thinking in Houston you don't see much of either. You will also gain some MPG, but usually the extra gas for the carb is cheaper than the EFI setup, until you've run a lot of miles. Ultimately the choice is yours about how much you'll enjoy the vehicle and if the $ and headaches are worth it.

The stock LS fuel management works fine. If you're set on going LS at some point, just run that and skip the aftermarket stuff. On this site, the proponents of staying SBC are getting louder than the LS-swap-everything crowd, but most of them would encourage you to go BBC instead of LS.
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Can’t go wrong with them mucho cubic inch blocks that are bigger !
Build a proper 496 and add some of that-there fuel injection and let the mileage fall where it may.

A man with an 8.0 Liter V10 coffee table has gotta run a BIG-BLOCK !
 
I wouldn’t mind just keeping the SBC. My 70 chevelle had a small head big cam 383 and put out close to 445 rwhp.

I just want to put a EPS intake
Manifold and new valve covers on this thing. I wouldn’t mind just rebuilding the 1406, it’s not like EFI would wake this thing up with the heads and cam it has.
 
Operator238 said:
I wouldn’t mind just keeping the SBC. My 70 chevelle had a small head big cam 383 and put out close to 445 rwhp.

I just want to put a EPS intake
Manifold and new valve covers on this thing. I wouldn’t mind just rebuilding the 1406, it’s not like EFI would wake this thing up with the heads and cam it has.
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We all got our favorite engine combos but what’s important is that you build the motor that makes you happy - there ain’t nothing wrong with a good ole SBC.
Especially with the tires size and gear combo that you are running!
 
In my opinion, hit up sean murphy induction and have a qjet built for your engine. I used to run edelbrock on all my trucks, until i got a good rebuilt proper qjet. Mileage went up alot and it will run at an angle.
I don't trust the aftermarket efi to hold up, it seems some have great luck and others replace the ecm every year.

For exhaust find a good shop and cry once, I've used the hooker kit in the past and it still ended up at the exhaust shop due to poor fitment of the tail pipes, they hung down really far.
 
probably not no clue whats in the box the new rebuilt or old worn out pos. Never heard of them. The problem with many rebuilder's is they clean the gold coating off. Any rebuilder that removes the coating I give a solid Pass.
 
I’m with Wes - never heard of that company ( not say’n there bad, their name and brand just ain’t got around and so it’s more of a gamble and I would not take that bet ).
The high dollar Q-Jets are damn nice just as Cody stated above.
I’m a Q-Jet fan for almost any carb’d motor that’s not a true high-performance motor ( that’s why they make them big-ass Holleys! )
 
I went with the Aces Killshot but it only showed up yesterday so I don't have any experience yet. I will add the reason I went with Aces is the ECM is not mounted on the throttle body like so many other aftermarket fuel injection kits. The cables are long enough you can mount it inside the cab.
 
warrpath4x4 said:
I went with the Aces Killshot but it only showed up yesterday so I don't have any experience yet. I will add the reason I went with Aces is the ECM is not mounted on the throttle body like so many other aftermarket fuel injection kits. The cables are long enough you can mount it inside the cab.
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I’m betting that most folks that have great luck and longevity with many F.I. kits don’t actually drive them as regularly as most others do - the heat on those under hood / throttle mounted ECM’s is just brutal. All in the name of easy packaging and set up - quality and longevity suffer…
 
As far as stainless exhaust goes- I got a Flowmaster 2.5 inch universal kit and was able to run true duals on my K5 from the headers back. It actually came out really well. Had to make some cuts and expand some pipe and it went really well.
 
Also I’d like to get a new black intake manifold. Is the EPS too tall?
 
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