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CK5
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Ooo this is gonna be fun.
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I picked up this 83 K5 for cheap. It's an AC truck with power locks and windows. The seats were in great condition, the carpet was disintegrating and it had no dash. Has some rust on the door sills. It had a good crate 350, and the 700r4 wasn't shifting. I figured "hey, I have an extra 700r4 in the garage, I'll swap the trans and flip it for a couple grand". Famous last words.
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So I got to pulling everything, and decided a carpet kit and new interior wasn't TOO pricey, and would bring more value to the truck. To my surprise, it was very difficult to find all the interior ducts for the vents, but I was able to source everything over a few weeks. And while I had the engine and transmission out, I may as well swap that mild 350 for a very nicely built forged 383 (pulled from my Camaro several years ago, just sitting in my garage and just taking up space) because who doesn't want some free horsepower?? Just need a bigger carb and we're golden!
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THEN, the demon in all of our heads got to me. Who tf wants a 700r4 in their offroad rig, especially now that she's making ~450 horsepower? I've had a nightmare of an experience with them in the past, and it just so happens I have a 1000hp rated 4L80e I built for a project that never happened... maybe I'll slap my 502 big block (also taking up space in my garage) into this baby after I get everything running. But I won't buy a carb for the 383, just to get rid of it when I switch to the 502. Enter fuel injection. Snagged a full Sniper EFI kit, got the timing control add-on, and the piggyback transmission controller for an awesome deal on a ~40% off sale. Boom, easy day. Now when I swap engines, I can use this efi/tc/distributor setup on the big block, too. Got the engine bay wiring cleaned up, redid the interior wiring, and got a billet 2800 stall converter made for the setup with sbc, bbc, and LS bolt patterns on it because I can't make up my mind. Foresight that will pay off later in the build. The interior went together very nicely, and she ran great, but those 3.73's combined with the 35" tires made her kind of a dog on the bottom end. The rear end was also locked, between the spool and the gearing it wasn't too fun to drive. Let's do something about that.
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nice build . that was a 6.2 diesel truck from the factory . hydroboost and fire wall insulation setup .
hope you have better luck with the holley sniper than i did .
hope you have better luck with the holley sniper than i did .
that's purty.....
I want traction, but not a spool. I also want my 10 bolt front to have traction, but I don't want a locker because I don't want it to explode from a lockup torque hit. Snagged an INSANE deal on a couple of Yukon posi's for front AND rear, may as well regear! 4.56's will be fine due to my new 4L80, overdrive is a game changer! I sit at 2200-2300rpm at 65-70mph! Plus, may as well upgrade to 30 spline chromoly axles up front, they're 40% stronger because they don't neck down like factory 27-30spl setups. Can't reuse my TOAST u-joints, let's throw some spicer 760x's in there. And what the hell, while I'm here, crossover steering is gonna make her way more manageable. After all, I have to spend the money dear, it's a safety thing! Lol.
And of course you want it to look the part, better just drop the axle and clean everything up, seal and paint it. WOW was the effort worth it, she's lookin SO clean. I'm currently getting the front axle back into the truck, should be back on the road tomorrow. I want to break in the front differential with the 383, before I pull it and put ungodly power into this beast. You think I'm gonna be able to drive 500 miles with a supercharged V8, without WOT? Hah!
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And of course you want it to look the part, better just drop the axle and clean everything up, seal and paint it. WOW was the effort worth it, she's lookin SO clean. I'm currently getting the front axle back into the truck, should be back on the road tomorrow. I want to break in the front differential with the 383, before I pull it and put ungodly power into this beast. You think I'm gonna be able to drive 500 miles with a supercharged V8, without WOT? Hah!
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After that, the 502 swap idea went out the window. I had a spare LQ4 in my garage from a guy who wanted an LS swap, then disappeared. Flakes nowadays, I swear. Perusing marketplace, I snagged a MONSTER deal on a low mile, dealership take-off TRX blower from a tech. The engine was warranteed for a bottom end knock, and they never asked for the blower back, so he "paid a core charge" and kept it. Now the wheels are turning, and I have all sorts of bad ideas. My daily is an 87 R20 Silverado with a centrifugal supercharged 6.0/4L80, and I LOVE the driveability. Plus, I worry the 502 torque would turn this old girl into a twizzler. Screw it (or twin screw it, hah) let's go LS.
Built the 6.0, put in some gen 4 rods and pistons I had laying around, polished the crank, honed the cylinders, new rings/bearing/cam bearings etc. The works. LS7 lifters, LS9 head gaskets, head studs, all high dollar brand name seals. Waiting on the camshaft before assembly!
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Built the 6.0, put in some gen 4 rods and pistons I had laying around, polished the crank, honed the cylinders, new rings/bearing/cam bearings etc. The works. LS7 lifters, LS9 head gaskets, head studs, all high dollar brand name seals. Waiting on the camshaft before assembly!
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I can get the Hellcat blower pulley to sit at LSA spacing, and found a handy dandy chart that lays out all the pulley spacing for the different LS based engines.
There are three options here:
1. You can run everything off a single 6 rib belt on truck spacing
Pros: -cheapest and easiest solution
Cons: -least belt traction
-most likely to stretch and/or slip
2. Convert all the accessories to 8 rib, and run one 8 rib belt
Pros: -only ~20% more expensive
-30% more belt traction than 6 rib
Cons: -long belt still likely to stretch and slip after use
-tension will either be too much for the accessories, or too little for the blower
-~40% less effective than a dedicated belt
-I would have to machine and custom fit the accessory brackets, as this option doesn't exist in the market. Risky
3. Dedicated 8 rib for the blower, run accessories on corvette spacing like the LSA setup
Pros: -shortest supercharger belt, least likely to stretch
-maximum blower pulley traction via proper tension
-If I break the blower belt, I can still drive my truck home because the accessories have their own 6 rib belt
Cons: -most expensive option
WELL, I've come this far. I settled for option 3. I snagged another AMAZING deal. Got a full set of used but good LS3 corvette accessories, including the PS pump, high output alternator, PS/alt bracket, AC bracket, LS3/LSA water pump, and all the pulleys FOR $340. PERFECT. I also got an LSA balancer to support the 6 and 8 rib setup for cheap! Shopping around and being patient is paying off. The blower adapters I got won't get here until early April, so what's the rush?
This thing is gonna be SICK! It kinda sucks that it has an old 4" lift that rides like a 1 ton...hmmm. As a disabled vet, it would be nice for it to ride comfortably, for myself as well as friends and family.
There are three options here:
1. You can run everything off a single 6 rib belt on truck spacing
Pros: -cheapest and easiest solution
Cons: -least belt traction
-most likely to stretch and/or slip
2. Convert all the accessories to 8 rib, and run one 8 rib belt
Pros: -only ~20% more expensive
-30% more belt traction than 6 rib
Cons: -long belt still likely to stretch and slip after use
-tension will either be too much for the accessories, or too little for the blower
-~40% less effective than a dedicated belt
-I would have to machine and custom fit the accessory brackets, as this option doesn't exist in the market. Risky
3. Dedicated 8 rib for the blower, run accessories on corvette spacing like the LSA setup
Pros: -shortest supercharger belt, least likely to stretch
-maximum blower pulley traction via proper tension
-If I break the blower belt, I can still drive my truck home because the accessories have their own 6 rib belt
Cons: -most expensive option
WELL, I've come this far. I settled for option 3. I snagged another AMAZING deal. Got a full set of used but good LS3 corvette accessories, including the PS pump, high output alternator, PS/alt bracket, AC bracket, LS3/LSA water pump, and all the pulleys FOR $340. PERFECT. I also got an LSA balancer to support the 6 and 8 rib setup for cheap! Shopping around and being patient is paying off. The blower adapters I got won't get here until early April, so what's the rush?
This thing is gonna be SICK! It kinda sucks that it has an old 4" lift that rides like a 1 ton...hmmm. As a disabled vet, it would be nice for it to ride comfortably, for myself as well as friends and family.
OOPS, my finger slipped and I ordered full custom long travel suspension from ORD. A crippling blow tbh, waaaay more than I wanted to spend on this "quick trans swap and flip it" Blazer. Still feeling super impulsive and a little out of control to be honest, but the rest of the truck will be done well and done right, may as well send it on the suspension! This is going to be a truly one of a kind build, and I'll be damned if it rides like garbage when I'm showing it off! RIP to my savings account. But everyone says ORD is the best there is, and I gotta experience it for myself. Plus, 6-8 week lead time right now, I wanted to order before everyone gets their taxes back and the lead time jumps to 12 weeks. You only live once, right?
The GIRTHIEST traction bars I've ever seen, goodness gracious. I could grind this truck on those like Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2. Now we are all caught up to where I'm at currently, and springs are 4-6 weeks out (hopefully). I'm gonna paint everything metal today that doesn't require welding, then wrap it all back up and wait for the springs. Then I gotta get the hubs back together and get the truck back on all 4 wheels. Should be driving by tomorrow.
I still need to figure out bump stops and limit straps, but I can't do that until I get everything in and cycle the suspension to find my measurements. This is my first 4wd build, so I'm happy to hear experience, advice, or input. Particularly with building/installing these traction bars, as well as the limit straps. As far as I know, I'm setting the front up for 5" travel each way, and the rear at 6" each way. I also saved a few bucks and went with the Black Max shocks, until I get a feel for the truck. Then I'll decide whether I want to go for the Bilsteins or the Fox 2.0s.
I'm doing all my work in basically a 1/2 car garage, and my lightly sloped driveway. I don't have a lift either, so I'm gonna have to get creative with cycling the suspension. I am definitely learning a lot!
The GIRTHIEST traction bars I've ever seen, goodness gracious. I could grind this truck on those like Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2. Now we are all caught up to where I'm at currently, and springs are 4-6 weeks out (hopefully). I'm gonna paint everything metal today that doesn't require welding, then wrap it all back up and wait for the springs. Then I gotta get the hubs back together and get the truck back on all 4 wheels. Should be driving by tomorrow.
I still need to figure out bump stops and limit straps, but I can't do that until I get everything in and cycle the suspension to find my measurements. This is my first 4wd build, so I'm happy to hear experience, advice, or input. Particularly with building/installing these traction bars, as well as the limit straps. As far as I know, I'm setting the front up for 5" travel each way, and the rear at 6" each way. I also saved a few bucks and went with the Black Max shocks, until I get a feel for the truck. Then I'll decide whether I want to go for the Bilsteins or the Fox 2.0s.
I'm doing all my work in basically a 1/2 car garage, and my lightly sloped driveway. I don't have a lift either, so I'm gonna have to get creative with cycling the suspension. I am definitely learning a lot!
I run the Sniper on my Nova and the Blazer (for now) and I never had any unsolvable issues. You gotta be mindful of RFI, and make a throttle arm extension to make throttle input more smooth off-idle. Being able to convert any sbc/bbc to electronically controlled timing is the selling point for these IMO, and is under-advertised.nice build . that was a 6.2 diesel truck from the factory . hydroboost and fire wall insulation setup .
hope you have better luck with the holley sniper than i did .
That’s a helluva build. I can’t wait to see it finished.
Thanks, buddy. Me too. Gotta see if the 10/12 bolt combo is gonna hold up, or if I gotta put my emergency ford 9" in it lol
9”? 14 bolt full float and Dana 60 front. Overkill is underrated.
True, and I considered 1 tons, but I wanted to keep it lighter. This is more of a capable go-fast comfortably rig than it is a crawler rig, and I already have a Strange 9" with matching 4.56's, a locker, and 35 (or 37?) spline setup. Plus, if I DO drop to 33's, I'll have like 3" ground clearance with a 14ff/d60 lmao
Good lord that escalated quickly! The might as well concept on speed for sure. Holy cow dude! Subscribed for the awesomeness.
Go big or go home!
Go big or go home!
Drop down to 30’s and drag diff. Make the low rider crowd jealous. It’ll also self clearance after a while and you’ll have a free 13 bolt mod.
Had brand new L31 vortec from gm . Help from a guy who put in over a dozen units . It drank gas and even with throttle arm ext my ankle still didnt like it . Pulled it off and doubled my fuel mileage with used 750 edelbrock carb . Then went pro flo 4 and never looked back .
But each to there own i just know a lot of use out there hated the unit and how they designed it for supposed daily driver friendly .
