Is there such a thing as "re-Subscribed"? 
Go man go!!!
Go man go!!!
CK5
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Time for a new project, been a loooong time
- Thread starter bigblock72
- Start date
Is there such a thing as "re-Subscribed"?
Go man go!!!
Heh heh, good idea.
this is getting even more interesting...
A whipple-charged 6.0L. That's awesome.
After removing the old engine and crossmember I scraped and cleaned and cleaned some more. I then cut off the lip on the front of the frame that cleared the fuel pump. Filled it with a piece of plate to make the inside of the frame straight to prepare for boxing the frame.
You gonna box the entire frame?
For now I'm just going to box from the front crossmember back to just above the shackles. My next phase of the build will include some kind of link/coilover front suspension and I'll continue to box the frame most of the way back to the rear springs. But for now this'll do.
I went ahead and removed the heater box because it was nowhere even close to clearing the throttle body on the back of the charger.
I was a little suprised the motor was nowhere even close to bolting up to the trans even with the heads and valve covers firmly planted against the firewall. Not too big of a deal I just moved the trans and crossmember forward 3 inches to some existing holes and all was well.
I was a little suprised the motor was nowhere even close to bolting up to the trans even with the heads and valve covers firmly planted against the firewall. Not too big of a deal I just moved the trans and crossmember forward 3 inches to some existing holes and all was well.
Somehow my camera nuked some of my pictures so I don't have anything of the crossmember or of the headers in progress. I'll get some when I pull it all back apart for powder and paint.
I was hoping I wouldn't have to go through all of the hassle of building headers but the truck manifolds just wouldn't clear the frame so I had no choice.
They turned out ok, I give myself a B for overall fit and finish. The driver's side fits perfectly and is easy to get in and out. The passenger side is a different story, after building it to clear the starter, firewall, shackle, wiring harnesses, front driveshaft, bellhousing, crossmember and..........
it pretty much doesn't go in or out without unbolting the engine mounts and removing the crossmember. Fortunately the crossmember comes out easily since bolts to the inside of the frame with 4 bolts on either side. Not much more I can do and 40 hours is all the time I want to give for the header project.
Finally moving on it's time for some tube work.
I was hoping I wouldn't have to go through all of the hassle of building headers but the truck manifolds just wouldn't clear the frame so I had no choice.
They turned out ok, I give myself a B for overall fit and finish. The driver's side fits perfectly and is easy to get in and out.
The passenger side is a different story, after building it to clear the starter, firewall, shackle, wiring harnesses, front driveshaft, bellhousing, crossmember and.......... it pretty much doesn't go in or out without unbolting the engine mounts and removing the crossmember. Fortunately the crossmember comes out easily since bolts to the inside of the frame with 4 bolts on either side. Not much more I can do and 40 hours is all the time I want to give for the header project. Finally moving on it's time for some tube work.
I'm using a fan and radiator setup for an Escalade which happens to be 8 or 10 inches wider than the stock radiator so there isn't going to be much left of the stock radiator support. The big radiator will be nice because it has provisions for the 6.0s oil cooler lines, the cooling fan is a drop in affair that I KNOW will keep the motor cool and requires no engineering on my part. After building everything else (especially the headers) it sure is nice to have a no brainer.
I've been planning on continuing the cage into the engine compartment since I originally built the cage last year. Fortunately in my pre-planning I added tubes and sleeved flanges at the firewall. This makes it super easy to attach the engine compartment cage directly to the interior cage making it quite strong and hopefully keeping my fenders from cracking at the mounting points.
I also bent up some hoops that attach to the frame and will get tied into the bars at the firewall and radiator. These bars will serve as an attaching point for shocks and hopefully coilovers in the near future.
I've been planning on continuing the cage into the engine compartment since I originally built the cage last year. Fortunately in my pre-planning I added tubes and sleeved flanges at the firewall. This makes it super easy to attach the engine compartment cage directly to the interior cage making it quite strong and hopefully keeping my fenders from cracking at the mounting points.
I also bent up some hoops that attach to the frame and will get tied into the bars at the firewall and radiator. These bars will serve as an attaching point for shocks and hopefully coilovers in the near future.
Amazing amount of quality work! 
Yukon Jack
1/2 ton status
That's going to be one heck of a motor - will be worth all the work when you plant the skinny pedal for the first time!
I can't say a whole lot other than, "wow!"
The first pic of your headers made me question whether they were worthy of this build. It's amazing what a few coat of paint do for them.
The first pic of your headers made me question whether they were worthy of this build. It's amazing what a few coat of paint do for them.
I ran out of virgin bends so I had to cut up some used headers I had kicking around. Some of the pipe is a little pitted because of that, I bead blasted each tube individually so the paint would stick and look halfway decent. I'll most likely get them coated by HPC when I tear it back down.
Damn that is one saucy k5, and it just keeps getting better. Subscribed
I think I finally have most of the fabrication work done. I'm to the point of needing to get the front clip in the shop and cut up the radiator support and try and attach it to the tubing surrounding the radiator. Could be interesting.
Hopefully I'll have my air/water intercooler, pump and heat exchanger this week so I can get that stuff mounted and plumbed as well as get the trans cooler mounted and plumbed. Then mount and plumb the fuel pressure regulator.
After everything is mounted/roughly plumbed and have the front clip bolted up it'll be time to tackle the wiring.
I'm to the point of needing to get the front clip in the shop and cut up the radiator support and try and attach it to the tubing surrounding the radiator. Could be interesting.Hopefully I'll have my air/water intercooler, pump and heat exchanger this week so I can get that stuff mounted and plumbed as well as get the trans cooler mounted and plumbed. Then mount and plumb the fuel pressure regulator.
After everything is mounted/roughly plumbed and have the front clip bolted up it'll be time to tackle the wiring.
The good news is the air to water intercooler kit showed up finally. The bad news is I had to cut it up to make it work.
It seems no matter how hard I try, no matter how many times I measure stuff still doesn't work the way it works in my demented little brain. You should have heard my wife when she came out and saw me cutting up stuff I had just unwrapped minutes before.
I can hear my dad now "Buy a kid a book and send him to school and all he can do is cut ****uff up........."
It worked out ok, only took me about an hour or so to change the inlet to a shape that may work. Hopefully I can get some time this week and get the intercooler mounted and get the intercooler radiator mounted so I can get the plumbing finished up and build the inlet piece to the intake manifold.
It seems no matter how hard I try, no matter how many times I measure stuff still doesn't work the way it works in my demented little brain. You should have heard my wife when she came out and saw me cutting up stuff I had just unwrapped minutes before.
I can hear my dad now "Buy a kid a book and send him to school and all he can do is cut ****uff up........."
It worked out ok, only took me about an hour or so to change the inlet to a shape that may work. Hopefully I can get some time this week and get the intercooler mounted and get the intercooler radiator mounted so I can get the plumbing finished up and build the inlet piece to the intake manifold.
I think I finally have most of the fabrication work done.
Hopefully I'll have my air/water intercooler, pump and heat exchanger this week so I can get that stuff mounted and plumbed as well as get the trans cooler mounted and plumbed. Then mount and plumb the fuel pressure regulator.
After everything is mounted/roughly plumbed and have the front clip bolted up it'll be time to tackle the wiring.
BB72,
Hey do you have any dimensions for the radiator you used? (Manufacturer, Part #?) I'm getting to a similar point in my build and need to figure out how to choose an appropriately sized radiator for my 502.....I know, bigger is better!! In these photos it certainly LOOKS like it's larger than the factory unit, and if I need to go that much larger, I want to plan my tubework accordingly.
Oh yes, and you owe us an update on the blower installation...
The radiator and cooling fans are for a '05ish pickup/tahoe/yukon. It measures 40"x19" over all with a core width of 35 inches. Visteon #9590.
The down side is this radiator uses a degas bottle so it doesn't have a radiator cap provision. It does have both transmission and engine oil coolers
If you need a radiator cap on the radiator then I would suggest going with a 96ish chev truck 7.4l radiator. It has basicly the same dimensions as the 6.0l style radiator and also has trans and engine oil cooler lines. The earlier style radiator mounts similarly to out original radiators unlike the later radiators that use a round mount/pin on the bottom and an ear/bushing/bolt arrangement on the top. The earlier style will require an aftermarket cooling fan setup if you want electrics, whereas the '04 and later half ton stuff use a nice electric fan module that drops right on to any new body style radiator.
I'll get some pictures with the front clip bolted up so you can a better idea just how big this bugger is.
I should also be able to get a good update in the next couple of days.
The down side is this radiator uses a degas bottle so it doesn't have a radiator cap provision. It does have both transmission and engine oil coolers
If you need a radiator cap on the radiator then I would suggest going with a 96ish chev truck 7.4l radiator. It has basicly the same dimensions as the 6.0l style radiator and also has trans and engine oil cooler lines. The earlier style radiator mounts similarly to out original radiators unlike the later radiators that use a round mount/pin on the bottom and an ear/bushing/bolt arrangement on the top. The earlier style will require an aftermarket cooling fan setup if you want electrics, whereas the '04 and later half ton stuff use a nice electric fan module that drops right on to any new body style radiator.
I'll get some pictures with the front clip bolted up so you can a better idea just how big this bugger is.
I should also be able to get a good update in the next couple of days.
mr_blasto
1/2 ton status
I was checking in to see what you had been up to and I saw the link in your signature, went into shock, came here, and was blown away.
I loved your truck before cause it was pretty and could wheel (whereas mine is ugly and not nearly as capable). I remember our conversation in your shop though... I thought you were saying with the 700r4, np241, 4.56's, and 406 (I think I got this all right) that you never needed a lower gear or more power. I guess it isn't always about need though right? I did notice your wheels and tires for sale, what's next?
The old rendition was awesome--I am really excited to see what you come up with this time. Keep it up.
I loved your truck before cause it was pretty and could wheel (whereas mine is ugly and not nearly as capable). I remember our conversation in your shop though... I thought you were saying with the 700r4, np241, 4.56's, and 406 (I think I got this all right) that you never needed a lower gear or more power. I guess it isn't always about need though right? I did notice your wheels and tires for sale, what's next?
The old rendition was awesome--I am really excited to see what you come up with this time. Keep it up.
The 406 ran good and everything worked pretty well until the motor developed a leaky head gasket and the oil pressure started going away.
So I decided it was time for do go up to the next level. I had actually been planning on upping the horsepower for a while but didn't want to take it apart because everything worked so well. So when it became obvious the motor wasn't going to make it one more season I got the ball rolling and unfortunately but not suprisingly it snowballed into a great big, expensive and time consuming ordeal.
The list as it sits now.
Supercharged 6.0l
4l80e (I like 700r4s but I can't build one to hold up to that much power, period)
Different 241 to match up with 4l80 and with
Dana 60 from 2006 Super Duty, 5.13s and detroit to match rear, redrilled lugs for regular 8 on 6.5 pattern.
Driveshafts will be changed for new drivetrain
Radius arm front suspension with
16" coilovers and air bumps
Tubed front end to support coilovers
37 13.50 17 Pro comp X terrain tires on 17 by 9 aluminum classic 2 copies because I can't turn the hubs of the 60 down enough to get 6 lug wheels to work
All the necessary wiring and components to make above setup work plus some.
The only part of the drivetrain that will remain is the rear housing/carrier/gears. The shafts will get replaced to go 8 lug.
If I can get things back under control in the shop I'll get some work done and some pretty cool pictures posted. I have all the above parts sitting here except wheels and transmission
