build decisions what would you do?

C.Berry

C.Berry

Bad News
Joined
Aug 10, 2008
Location
Blacksburg, Va
So was looking for input from y'all experienced wheelers! I'm wanting to start on a 4 seater truggy with 60/14 axles probably 205 maybe doubler on down the road I just wanna get back on the trails for now tho before I lose my mind! I have a early 80s k5 blazer with a bad 4 bolt main 350 needs cylinder work has small gash in wall in #1 cyl it's pretty solid chassis body is good but I'll be cutting so not a concern! I also have a 79 suburban with a good 6.6 small block and 350 trans rusted all to hell but solid frame both are 1500s also! So my question is which to build for most practical hardcoreish rig my plan is/was to pull engine/trans out of burb for k5 for drivetrain cut all Body panels off bob rear to leaf hangers 52s up front till I can afford links box the rear 4 link the rear first etc... max tire size will be 37-40 really wanting to go 40s tho bc i e had success with another truggy on 40 tsl years ago! Does this seem like a good plan or should I build the burb and save from doing engine swap? I loved my Zj wheel base so I kinda assumed blazer wheel base would be the way to go but wanted a few opinions on the matter! Tube chassis is not in my budget tho unfortunently or that would be my route! I'm probably going to be only person workin on this rig bc I'm cheap and enjoy doing my own work for most part! The pic below is similar to what I want to do but with skins on bad for passengers Any inputs appreciated!
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Yeah I'm leaning that way, should I swap 350 for the 400 till it goes then bore and stroke or go ahead and rebuild the 350 in k5? I'm a sbc 400 fan really I've owned 4 of the 6.6 was first engine I ever touched and the lil extra torque don't hurt. believe the burb will be more work bc of how rough the body and everything, heat/ac still works in k5 so that's a plus in winter or fall im undecided on front window really I know it'll end up out just don't know if I want it out to begin with! Truly wanted a street legal truggy but can't go as extreme as I want if it's a mall crawler...
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
I would stick with k5. Burb might work but will need to be shortened.
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Only way I've seen is cut out middle of frame section and move it forward if I'm not mistaken!? really wouldn't be a issue but the less work obviously the better on a budget!
 
That or cut it off and tube out the rear behind your tcase.

If the 350 is shot i would put the 400 in. You could build the 350 while its out, but a destroked 400 is what i would build with the 2 engines. That or put an LS in it.
 
I thought LS I know where one is in my hometown just rotting away dunno if it's for sale tho! The k5 has solid floors and firewall also so I believe it's just the better candidate really! I'm comfortable with long wheel base on road. It on trail may be a diff story and I feel like even if I shorten burb I'll still have a 142' turning radius lol
 
Loganwayne said:
Put a LS in it and don't look back. You'll have better fuel economy and power and more reliablity over either of those motors

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I don't disagree with this. While you will have more in an ls getting it on the trail, with the sbc you have to think about a fuel system. The carb isn't going to cut it offroad much. You could likely get by with a factory style FI with a stock motor, if you build the engine, it won't be enough.
 
Offset the cost of LS by selling the 400 and 350. LS can be had for around 500-750 with harness if you keep a look out for them. And if your willing to spend the time you can cut the harness yourself.

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hmmm. I was pondering fuel system I thought the Holley truck avenger carb allowed you to make inclines without the carb stall!? My major down fall in mechanics is electrical work not bc I can't do it or bc I'm to lazy to try to learn more than anything I don't wanna burn stuff up when I wires something up wrong with LS I'll have to figure in fuel pump and all the computer components right? Is it easier to use factory harness or a stand alone type system for everything? I'll have to do some research on the LS, the LS I know ole boy has is old alum block I believe it may not even be good that's probably whys it's sat for 15 years untouched!?
 
I was considering just a carb to efi conversion from summit would that still not be good enough fuel delivery? Gonna look into LS and see if budget allows it! Would be pretty sweet to have a LS tho
 
Loganwayne said:
Offset the cost of LS by selling the 400 and 350. LS can be had for around 500-750 with harness if you keep a look out for them. And if your willing to spend the time you can cut the harness yourself.

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Can't sell the 350 it's got memories it's the first sbc I took part in rebuilding top and bottom end when I was 13 I still have Polaroids of it on cherry picker in backyard the day we put it in a 69 c10!
 
If you go LS let me know my buddy does harness. A couple grounds a hot to battery and a ignition wire. Not sure how he his fuel pump is wired almost think it's wired to ignition as well but not 100% sure

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Sweet I'll def give this some thought! So besides fuel pump it would be same hookup at any other sbc essentially? if so that may be a idea if I have the patients to get it done lol
 
Here is what I would do to start and get out on the trail:
- Use the Blazer
- Swap the good motor into the Blazer
- Rear springs up front
- Four link the rear with some coil springs
- Stretch wheelbase to 115"
- 40" TSL's
 
Question is propane not good choice these days for fuel? Wouldn't a mixer on a qjet base give me the ability to do steep hills?? I read on the LS swap for hours yesterday seems pretty straight forward except for what trans to use bc no kickdown for th350 now!? Also I have a np203 in the blazer should I run it till I find a nice 205 or run the 208 in burb? So many questions so much to learn... lol I think for sake of my sanity right now I'm gonna swap all to k5 and just get back on trail also more research on LS swap but seems like future plans for sure dunno which one to use I'm thinking 6.0 if I can fjnd a deal on one!
 
C.Berry said:
Question is propane not good choice these days for fuel? Wouldn't a mixer on a qjet base give me the ability to do steep hills?? I read on the LS swap for hours yesterday seems pretty straight forward except for what trans to use bc no kickdown for th350 now!? Also I have a np203 in the blazer should I run it till I find a nice 205 or run the 208 in burb? So many questions so much to learn... lol I think for sake of my sanity right now I'm gonna swap all to k5 and just get back on trail also more research on LS swap but seems like future plans for sure dunno which one to use I'm thinking 6.0 if I can fjnd a deal on one!
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What do you mean kickdown for a turbo 350?

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C.Berry said:
Question is propane not good choice these days for fuel? Wouldn't a mixer on a qjet base give me the ability to do steep hills?? I read on the LS swap for hours yesterday seems pretty straight forward except for what trans to use bc no kickdown for th350 now!? Also I have a np203 in the blazer should I run it till I find a nice 205 or run the 208 in burb? So many questions so much to learn... lol I think for sake of my sanity right now I'm gonna swap all to k5 and just get back on trail also more research on LS swap but seems like future plans for sure dunno which one to use I'm thinking 6.0 if I can fjnd a deal on one!
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Propane is an option, but i wouldn't recommend if you are driving on the street much. Finding fuel isnt as easy for logging a bunch of miles. It is possibly to run dual fuel, gas for street and propane for trail.

Im pretty sure the 203 & 208 have different outputs. I would swap the entire drivetrain from the burb. Keep the th350 & 203 to pair with a 205 for a doubler. Swap all 3 pieces in together.

If u can find a 6.0/6.2 for a good price, id go there, but a 5.3 with a cam & tune makes good power.
 
Loganwayne said:
What do you mean kickdown for a turbo 350?

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From what I've read a LS swap with th350 trans I'd have to reprogram computer to think it's manual transmission!? I may have read that wrong but thought that was an issue with using th350 trans.
 
C.Berry said:
From what I've read a LS swap with th350 trans I'd have to reprogram computer to think it's manual transmission!? I may have read that wrong but thought that was an issue with using th350 trans.
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Oh I don't know about that but I've helped put several 350 and 400s behind LS and it's pretty straightforward

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paradisePWoffrd said:
Propane is an option, but i wouldn't recommend if you are driving on the street much. Finding fuel isnt as easy for logging a bunch of miles. It is possibly to run dual fuel, gas for street and propane for trail.

Im pretty sure the 203 & 208 have different outputs. I would swap the entire drivetrain from the burb. Keep the th350 & 203 to pair with a 205 for a doubler. Swap all 3 pieces in together.

If u can find a 6.0/6.2 for a good price, id go there, but a 5.3 with a cam & tune makes good power.
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As much as I'd love to have the best of both worlds it will probably end up being on a trailer 90% of the time I'd hate to have to have pane tanks and a fuel cell on the back tanks alone take up more space than I'll like tho! If I could find a 6.0/4l80e/241 would it be best to use the 80e an then 205/203? I like the th350 a lot off-road tho but I'm wanting longevity instead of cool factor!
 
C.Berry said:
Question is propane not good choice these days for fuel? Wouldn't a mixer on a qjet base give me the ability to do steep hills?? I read on the LS swap for hours yesterday seems pretty straight forward except for what trans to use bc no kickdown for th350 now!? Also I have a np203 in the blazer should I run it till I find a nice 205 or run the 208 in burb? So many questions so much to learn... lol I think for sake of my sanity right now I'm gonna swap all to k5 and just get back on trail also more research on LS swap but seems like future plans for sure dunno which one to use I'm thinking 6.0 if I can fjnd a deal on one!
Click to expand...

A 203 or 205 alone will SUCK big time due to the 2:1 low range. I would either build a doubler out of the 203 and 205, or run the 208.
 
C.Berry said:
From what I've read a LS swap with th350 trans I'd have to reprogram computer to think it's manual transmission!? I may have read that wrong but thought that was an issue with using th350 trans.
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I have a 350 behind my ls1. Its simple. The auto trans behind the LS is computer controlled. But the manual is not. So if you run a 350, you will need to flash the ecm with a manual trans so it isn't looking for the transmission signal like it normally would.

As for kickdown, you can fab a small bracket on your throttle body for the kickdown cable if you decide to use it. It's what I have done.
 
rockcity said:
I have a 350 behind my ls1. Its simple. The auto trans behind the LS is computer controlled. But the manual is not. So if you run a 350, you will need to flash the ecm with a manual trans so it isn't looking for the transmission signal like it normally would.

As for kickdown, you can fab a small bracket on your throttle body for the kickdown cable if you decide to use it. It's what I have done.
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Ahh this is the info that's missing that I've read on so far! Nothing I had seen mentioned what to do about kickdown bracket being gone! Well future plans are def gonna be a LS I've heard rumors that stock the 6.0 isn't a major diff I'm 5.3 power just that 5.3 is better with fuel econonomy which is irrelevant unless plans change and it's a streetable truggy but in VA I doubt I could pull it off for inspection And from what I've seen over last 11 years in the 4x4 world if it's streetable and hardcore then I'm gonna be single fast bc I'll be broke having to upgrade everything basically to be street safe for myself passengers and everyone else on the road...
 
The 6.0s bring quite a few more $ than the 5.3 does. I'd be fine with either one if it were me or maybe even leaning towards the 5.3 if you want to keep it in budget.
 
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