CK5
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Got the fuel lines done, painted and installed the exhaust manifolds, and put on some engine accessories .
I went with manifolds over headers strictly because of price. I’ll likely get it to the exhaust shop sometime this week. My driveshafts should be here Wednesday.
I went with manifolds over headers strictly because of price. I’ll likely get it to the exhaust shop sometime this week. My driveshafts should be here Wednesday.
Driveshafts are in, they fit great. Really happy with them. Dropped the wheels off at the sand blaster. Should be done in a week or two. The exhaust shop can’t get me in until early next week. At this point I just need to find the right hoses for the fuel filler neck and I have to fix a leak in the transmission, one of the pto covers has a slow drip. Really close to reuniting the body and frame.
now is probably a good time to start considering tires. What do you guys recommend? I’ve had good luck with bfg ko2s but I’ve also heard they’re not as good as they used to be. Also they’re a little pricy. I can get a set for $800 and that includes mounting and balancing.
now is probably a good time to start considering tires. What do you guys recommend? I’ve had good luck with bfg ko2s but I’ve also heard they’re not as good as they used to be. Also they’re a little pricy. I can get a set for $800 and that includes mounting and balancing.
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Might be a change of plans with the exhaust. It’s supposed to snow every day this week and I’m not sure I’ll have a break in the weather to get it to the exhaust shop and back. I guess it really doesn’t make a difference if the body is on or not I just figured it would be a lot easier with the body off. So as of now the only thing I have left to do is get the trailer hitch installed. It needs some fab work to make it fit so I’ll probably spend a couple evenings on that but otherwise it’s ready to go back under the body. The snow could cause delays with that as well though.
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This is what I’ve been messing with the past few nights.
I got this hitch for free and it was supposed to fit a k5 frame but I’m not really sure how. The center piece and the two outer pieces that bolt to the body were disconnected when I got it but the center piece was way too long to fit between the two. It looks like one of the hitches where the middle piece would fit inside the two outer pieces and a pin or bolt would go through both and that way you could adjust the width depending on which hole you put the pin through. However the outer and center piece are the exact same size, 2 1/2” with 1/4” wall. Anyway I knew it would need work when I got it. I picked up a piece of 2” square tubing that’s also 1/4 wall so I can just slide it inside the two. I obviously cut the center piece to fit between the two so now all that’s left is to grind a groove for the weld bead and weld it up. I’m also going to fill those holes with weld. I might not be the best welder but I’m comforted to know that even if all the welds broke it couldn’t come apart because of the insert between the two pieces.
I got this hitch for free and it was supposed to fit a k5 frame but I’m not really sure how. The center piece and the two outer pieces that bolt to the body were disconnected when I got it but the center piece was way too long to fit between the two. It looks like one of the hitches where the middle piece would fit inside the two outer pieces and a pin or bolt would go through both and that way you could adjust the width depending on which hole you put the pin through. However the outer and center piece are the exact same size, 2 1/2” with 1/4” wall. Anyway I knew it would need work when I got it. I picked up a piece of 2” square tubing that’s also 1/4 wall so I can just slide it inside the two. I obviously cut the center piece to fit between the two so now all that’s left is to grind a groove for the weld bead and weld it up. I’m also going to fill those holes with weld. I might not be the best welder but I’m comforted to know that even if all the welds broke it couldn’t come apart because of the insert between the two pieces.
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I was gonna suggest you get the body on before doing exhaust.
Just to make sure of clearance between the body and exhaust?
Yes, I’ve spent some time hanging out in an exhaust shop. I had a truck years back that we decided it would be ok if I did the exhaust before I lifted it, after the lift we had to change it. It seams like there is always something you didn’t plan on that gets in the way.
Yeah you know that’s probably true there probably would have been some kind of issue.
Currently working on getting everything hooked up and ready for the first start up. Not sure if I’ll wait until I can’t get the exhaust done or not but I’d like to. Anyway I threw the fenders on and I’m not really seeing how these tires rubbed before.
they definitely used to but I’m wondering if by freshening up the suspension and putting in new body mounts (I was missing a few last time these fenders were on) it created more clearance or something. As of now it doesn’t look like they’d ever get into the fenders. We’ll see if they rub when I get it running and driving a little. If not I’m going to keep em. Assuming they fit the wheels. All dimensions are correct I’m just not 100% about the distances between the inside and outside bead. Anyone else run 33x12.50s with 73-80 fenders at stock ride height?
they definitely used to but I’m wondering if by freshening up the suspension and putting in new body mounts (I was missing a few last time these fenders were on) it created more clearance or something. As of now it doesn’t look like they’d ever get into the fenders. We’ll see if they rub when I get it running and driving a little. If not I’m going to keep em. Assuming they fit the wheels. All dimensions are correct I’m just not 100% about the distances between the inside and outside bead. Anyone else run 33x12.50s with 73-80 fenders at stock ride height?
Interesting, I guess I’ll run them for a bit and see how they do before I mount them to the new wheels, it would be great to keep them and save $800
Still hooking stuff up on the motor. My goal is to get it started next week or maybe weekend. Just depends on how smoothly everything goes. Anyway I found this original 73-74 grille online and bought it. It’s in really decent shape. No broken parts anyway. I’ll eventually re paint all the silver parts.
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Alright I had a few delays but It should be ready to run. I rewired most of the engine bay and deleted a lot of tbi stuff. 
It took me a good 2 weeks just to get the right power steering pump. Anyway I sprayed some starting fluid in her and she fired up. I didn’t let it run for more than a second though. I wanted to break it in tonight but it’s late and with no exhaust it’s going to be pretty loud. Should be breaking her in tomorrow and most likely getting exhaust the next day.
It took me a good 2 weeks just to get the right power steering pump. Anyway I sprayed some starting fluid in her and she fired up. I didn’t let it run for more than a second though. I wanted to break it in tonight but it’s late and with no exhaust it’s going to be pretty loud. Should be breaking her in tomorrow and most likely getting exhaust the next day.It’s runs! I’m trying to upload a video now. Not sure if this site will host videos or not so we’ll see. But it runs pretty well and idles. The timing needs fine tuned but it idled on its own for about 20 minutes so It’s not horrible. I also put it in gear just to see if it would move and it did. First time since I pulled the transmission out over a year ago that it moved under its own power. Pretty good feeling to say the least and a big step for this project.
View attachment IMG_5462.MOV
View attachment IMG_5462.MOV
