86 K30 Restomod LS swap AKA Blue Rust

[Bluerust]

Hi Guys,

I am new to the forum.

I started this project 4 years ago and just now have it pretty much finished. I am going to post what I learned along the way like others. It ended up getting a bit more in depth than expected, like many other projects on here.

Some things you have seen, some maybe not. This was the first project like this I have attempted, and the first square body I've owned.

It started with me buying an ex army M1008 K30 with the idea of making a big block ugly mud race truck. I started looking around more and the mud race industry on the East coast started getting a little too insane on horsepower/blowers,megatrucks and trucks jumping or backflips, so i decided maybe a street truck would be a little safer and I'd get more drive time.

Josh

[Bluerust]

I gave the truck some test drives on and off road and quickly discovered areas of improvement to make. These government trucks did not have all the comforts of the civilian models, but had less accessories to break...

Transmission shifted shattering hard - needed a new vacuum valve on the 6.2 diesel fuel pump/throttle cable to proportionally control shifts,
V belts squealed at high rpm - replaced them
vent windows whistled in the cab,
no overdrive in the turbo 400 and 4.56 gears makes for a screaming engine,
no radio,
no ac,
brakes vibrated,
etc

I started searching and learning on 7.4 vortec, 8.1 vortec, and LS engines. I slowly decided against any modified cummins engine swaps for fear of weight and torque twisting or cracking the frame.

These trucks just don't have the frame construction like newer trucks without more frame reinforcement or boxing. I know alot of people have swapped 6BT's into these trucks so maybe they handle it ok to a certain horsepower/torque? I believe the early dodge cummins pickups had frame cracking issues. Not trying to start an argument there.

[Bluerust]

Eventually I decided on the tried and trues - an LS engine repower with a 4l80 and np205. LS engines are well supported and common, 4l80's are proven and have lots of support and ease of integrating ecu's than 6l80's, and the tough 205.

I started pulling the truck apart while I was going to look around for components locally. I welded a couple little carts up for the bed and cab to roll around to work on them.

Eventually I found a bad 4.8 for mock up, a used 4l80 4x4, and a friend of mine had a np205 with the rare 4l80 factory adapter. I bolted it all together and had a new used drivetrain!

[Bluerust]

Out of curiosity I weighed the two drivetrains to see how they compared.

dressed 6.2 diesel, turbo 400 and np208 - 1012 lbs

fairly bare 4.8, 4l80, and np 205 - 877 lbs

after you add the accessories to the 4.8L it looks like they are not a whole lot of difference,

Also pictured is a previous project, a 2006 cummins 5.9 that got some spicing up. It weighed 857 lbs without accessories, so would be significantly heavier in a swap.

[Bluerust]

Some of the parts of this project I didn't take adequate pictures.

I decided on a 4" lift with mostly ORD components, crossover steering, tough country front ez ride springs, rear 3" custom blocks.

For right or wrong I decided on this project to try a panhard or track bar since converting to the crossover steering. I figure it has to help keep the front end in place. The 7.3 fords have a track bar with leafsprings and some jeeps. I could tell a difference in my ford when the track bar bushings were shot.

The dana 60 and 14 bolt got pulled apart, sandblasted, painted, and reassembled with new parts as needed. I upgraded to 35 spline outer axle shafts and Yukon hardcore hubs. A steel tubing mount for the track bar was added to the axle tube. I also made a custom dual steering stabilizer mount because most aftermarket stuff is so cheesy.

Something notable I found is that the front and rear cast iron hubs were not machined accurately on the wheel and brake disc/drum faces. The new front discs had almost 0.010" runout on the hubs originally when checked with a dial indicator. After measuring and machining the front hubs in a lathe, I got them true'd up. Turned the drums so they run true also.
The rear 14 bolt had one rear hub machined so out that I had to find another from another axle. I couldn't machine it round and keep the drum pilot bore the size it needed to be.

That explained the vibrating brakes....they don't make 'em like they used to, thankfully...

I kept the old drum brakes to keep a working parking brake, I may change to a newer 14 bolt axle one day if its a problem. I'd never realized these trucks have dump truck sized drums....

[Bluerust]

I pulled apart the rear leafs and blasted and painted them. Replaced the press in eye bushings and plastic pads. Blasted and painted the frame and started assembling and mocking up.

The exhaust on this project was a little tricky, I piped it a few times... Ive also heard complaints that 6.0 engines are noisy and drone so with that in mind I was aiming for quiet. I picked up a set of speed engineering c-10 long tubes which fit perfectly other than needing 2 spark plug wires clearance adjusted with a hammer, a set of magnaflow hiflow cats, some flex joints, a knock off magnaflow- xlerator muffler, and a vibrant performance resonator

[Duck1]

Originally Posted by Bluerust

Eventually I decided on the tried and trues - an LS engine repower with a 4l80 and np205. LS engines are well supported and common, 4l80's are proven and have lots of support and ease of integrating ecu's than 6l80's, and the tough 205.

I started pulling the truck apart while I was going to look around for components locally. I welded a couple little carts up for the bed and cab to roll around to work on them.

Eventually I found a bad 4.8 for mock up, a used 4l80 4x4, and a friend of mine had a np205 with the rare 4l80 factory adapter. I bolted it all together and had a new used drivetrain!

That rare adapter wouldn't happen to be an adapter for TH400 would it?

[mongocanfly]

Welcome...
A k-series LS swap can be a little bit of a challenge...
Looks good...

[Katrina/10]

Nice work, thanks for the pics.

[Bluerust]

I stumbled across this crossmember from a local guy selling some parts that fit well with the 205, but it made me rework some of the exhaust.
After getting the chassis set I test fit the body for clearance before the body work. I installed 1" aluminum body spacers from ORD for more clearance to work on anything underneath.

[Bluerust]

One rocker was dented and the cab corners had minor rust so they were replaced.

This truck had a couple thick layers of paint to strip and blast off. I wanted to do something different with the colors and coat the underside and inside black regardless of exterior paint color.

On all the frame and underside I used a 3 step Devoe industrial zinc epoxy/epoxy/polyurethane. If it's rated for water immersion, it should last a while on here. Its not super expensive either for the protection it gives.

[Bluerust]

After looking at endless paint colors and talking to a few painters I know, I picked out a GM indigo blue color and got into priming, sanding, bondo, sanding, sanding, priming, sanding, and painting.

I took a gamble on this project painting it in pieces so I could manage it being as it was the first auto paint job I had attempted. I bought enough basecoat to go through the whole job to hopefully have color match. As much as I would have liked to have used a booth, I painted in the garage with some draft.

I ordered some sound deadeners and insulation for the floor and firewall. I went with black floor vinyl for ease of cleaning and no stains.

The lady in my life is pictured as she checks on progress hoping the project would finish itself.

[Bluerust]

I ended up getting a harness kit from PSI, dakota digital gauges with BIM module, and the vintage air kit and kwik compressor mount. That is where the headaches came in of how to tie them all together.

Fortunately the military has a complete truck schematic for the trucks original harness published online so I took every wire out that did not run the lights, wipers, or ignition.

I used a ford winstar dual fan on a big block radiator. I also bought a new hydroboost for a newer chevy truck and extended the pedal rod as needed.

I tried a newer see through 1 1/4 bore master cylinder but ultimately took it off because the brake pedal sat too low with it. The original style cast iron 1 5/16, I think, master cylinder felt like a better brake pedal.

I robbed a steering shaft from a Jeep cherokee at a junkyard to replace the rag joint shaft.

[mongocanfly]

WOW!!...that blue looks great!....

[layinrocker65]

Great build. I’m starting my vintage air install Monday. Any tips you wished you knew?

[MTCK]

That really escalated quickly! Nice work. You’re making the rest of us look bad by documenting your whole build in two days hahaha.

My 205 in my V3500 was wore out too.

[Bluerust]

Thanks,
I would have posted progress along the way but did not pay any attention to the forum here until the truck was pretty much finished.

I have had the truck on the road for a little while, I haven't really used the vintage air product much but it seems to work.

I'd say if you are going to seal the side floor vents under the dash seal them up before mounting the evaporator under the dash. I used some thin gauge aluminum and worked the aluminum to fit and used micro sheet metal screws and sealant. Some of the stuff they give in the kit I didn't use.

After fitting the condenser I had to trim at some of the core support where it would rub on the refrigerant hard lines. I slit and wrapped some rubber hose around any tubes that have anything close to them. I also accidentally ran a drill bit into the condenser when mounting the other coolers and had to order another one and reinstall. Don't do that either.

If you use the same Kwik LS bracket I did for the compressor it took me some time playing with it to get the erector set properly aligned for belt alignment by adjusting some of the shims or washers around or thickness of the washers. I think Kwik advertised their kit to be engineered and stress analyzed but I still added an additional steel support to the rear of the compressor after it was installed. Theirs might be adequate, but I wouldn't say overkill.

I manually engaged the ac clutch to charge the system. Afterwards I found I wired the trinary switch to the wrong wire colors at first and the ac compressor would not come on when AC selected. Simple mistake.

[layinrocker65]

That’s for the reply. How’s it cruise down the road with the 80e and 4.56s? My next project is a swapped CUCV

[Bluerust]

Since my truck did not have factory air and I ordered the factory air kit, I had to only use one of the passenger side vents. I took a strip of stainless sheet metal and formed the curved end, mounted a new vent on the back with some welded tabs and put belt sander polished finish on it. Works for me and not plastic.

[Bluerust]

I wen't back and forth on 4.56's and 4.10's and left the 4.56's in the axles. I think Id rather have the 4.56's after test driving it with my tire size of 34+". Toyo AT 315/75r16.

I want to say 60 mph is about 2000 rpm. The 4l80 first gear is not a very fast acceleration from stop but it has a decent downshift and pass from 35-60mph for a stock engine.

I feel like with 4.10's the truck would not be as much fun to drive cruising around but if you have interstates that require 70-80 mph what I have is probably not what you want. If someone had a big block or cummins, that's another story too.

The transmission I had rebuilt, knock on wood, seems to be ok. It shifts quickly under low load but will ride the gear out under acceleration to stay in the powerband and shifts acceptably firm. Shout out to Rory and Sons in VA Beach.

I can hear the 4l80 first gear noise but it seems they are common for that. I went to the PRI race show in Indiana last year and talked to a couple transmission guys, Sonnax, Monster, etc, they all said some noise wasn't necessarily a concern.

Pictured is the Lokar shift rod that seems to work fine after a bit of adjusting. I think I had to lengthen the rod they gave me slightly, probably from the 1" body lift.

Also pictured is the clearance of Improved racing's oil thermostat and the long tubes

[Bluerust]

The controversial track bar I made with 1 adjustable end using a modified Ballistic Fabrication rod end that I narrowed and made a bushing for to fit the normal ford superduty 7.3L rubber bushings. I made the track bar last to fit around everything. We'll see how it does.

Also made custom steering stabilizer brackets that might not break. I didn't want anyone driving the truck to experience death wobble if something gets loose. Used some Rancho stabilizers that had just enough travel to turn lock to lock.

[Bluerust]

A couple other tips if someone doesn't know:

I took a store bought plastic radio adapter and made one from some stainless sheet metal, the plastic one is kind of flimsy. Use it as a template.

Before I painted my cab I welded a couple threaded inserts or hex nuts where the door switches go. My truck did not have door switches factory but the switches I bought were not going to stay in place with what holes were there with a little rust around the edges, and probably not get the best ground.

I found some older model 1 piece dodge LED cab lights on Amazon that do not require drilling massive holes and look decent. They were tedious to run wires, connections, and grommets to prevent cut wires.

[Willowrun]

Lots of cool stuff in your build. I like your use of the hhr seats. I’m usually skeptical of newer model seats in older vehicles but the hhr seats seem to fit the era of your truck well and the plastic grain is similar. I drove an hhr for 305K miles and always liked the seats so maybe I’m biased though. Nice job on the build.