1986 Turbo K5
 

I've had a few request to start a build thread on my K5 I recently built. So here it goes. I acquired the K5 from a family member about 2 years ago, so it's been a slow build. It was originally suppose to be a run about ride for the wife to carry our two dogs. Well that quickly snowballed after I decided to add a turbo to the mix. I tried to make a quick rundown of the parts below. Feel free to ask anything. Thanks for looking!

1986 K5

Engine
• Stock 5.3 crank and rods. Pistons came from a 4.8, as you can see they are now flattop instead of dished.
• Clevite crankshaft and rod bearings.
• Durabond cam bearings
• ARP rod bolts and Brian Tooley head studs.
• Z06 camshaft
• LS9 headgaskets
• LS7 lifters
• TSP hardened pushrods
• Brian Tooley dual valvesprings
• New TSP oil pump
• LS6 timing chain
• 340 Aeromotive Stealth Fuel pump intank
• ½ fuel lines
• 60lb Siemens injectors
• Mallory fuel regulator
• Mighty Mouse catch can
• GT45 Turbo
• JGS BOV and wastegate
• A/A intercooler
• 3” s/s intake piping
• 4” downpipe w/ Dynomax bullet
• Speed density tuned
New radiator w/ electric fans


Transmission
4L80E
• Rebuilt by Jake’s Performance transmission
• 2800 stall
• B&M deep pan
• B&M transmission cooler with aux. fan
• Fresh rebuild on NP208 transfer case


Axles
• 14B semi-floating axle in rear
o 3.73 gears
o Gov-lock
o Dutchman custom 6 lug axles
o Lugnut 4x4 custom disc brakes
o Blue Torch Fabrication diff cover
• Stock 10 bolt up front for now


Wheels/Tires/Suspension
• 15” Rally wheels
• 33x12.50 Firestone destination A/T
• 2” lift w/ Bilstein shocks


Interior
• 2012 Mustang GT seats
• Helicopter seat belts front and rear
• Custom roll cage
• Rubber form fitted floors
• Dakota digital VHX instrument cluster


Exterior
• Softopper soft top “money well spent”
• Truck tailgate
• N-Fab steps
• Exterior is mostly stock, few rock chips here and there


The first few pics are the day I bought it, and starting of the tear down.

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

Engine build pics

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

Hotside fab. New engine mounts, gotta love the big engine bays.

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

She's in! It fit really nice. I forgot to mention earlier, I used Dirty Dingo engine mounts. The intercooler shot has got to be one of my favorites. The coldside piping is also starting to come together.

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

DEI carbon fiber header wrap to help cool things down a bit in the engine bay. Also the fabrication of the anaconda size down pipe. The inner fenderwell wasn't installed in the pic, but is later modified to completely hide the downpipe.

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

Downpipe wrapped and installed. The blow-off valve and wastegate sensing lines are ran in s/s tubing. The header wrap isn't that shiny, must have been the flash. Cold-side piping painted in wrinkle black paint. If you notice there is a MAF currently installed. This is taken out later on in the build to just use speed density.

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

Gotta love the Rally wheels. Grille fitment came out good. We only had to take it off about 34 times. :waah:. Fresh rebuild of the NP208 transfer case. We had to install a 32 spline input shaft to be able to slide it onto the 4L80E, so we did a complete rebuild and cleaned it up. New front spoiler also.

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

Damn that is cool!!!

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

Turbo peeking through the grill. It now has a filter on it. 2012 Mustang seat fitment. My old man and my wiring bud helping out with getting it cranked. Last two are of it's first time pulling out under it's own power.

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

Maiden voyage to a buddies house with the top off of course. Shortly thereafter the roll cage started to be fabbed.

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

Cleaned up the dash with new trim and some LSX flare. Dakota digital gauges w/ A/F ratio and boost digital readout. Also installed new door panels. Soft top finally installed.

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

Top rolled up. It was perfect for Crusin' the Coast. Plenty of breeze, but still open to hear all of the cars. For some reason I don't have a pic of the truck tailgate on it. We put a truck tailgate, and installed the blazer trim so it looks like we shaved the grab handle. I'll have to get a pic of it later.

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

Pop's 53 and my K5 at Crusin' the Coast. Dakota gauges all lit up, the check engine goes away after it starts. Helicopter seat belts. Truck tailgate with blazer trim. Rear seat cover.

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

After Crusin' I decided to install the 14 bolt I had laying around. It's a 1996 14 bolt semi-floating. It has 3.73 gears with gov-lock. Lugnut 4x4 supplied the brake conversion. That is a Blue Torch Fabrication diff cover also.

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

Converted the truck to speed density tune, so we had to modify the intake pipe to do away with the MAF. It cleans up the engine bay a bit. Also scored a carbon fiber engine cover. Cleaned up the under carriage a bit.

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

Gotta represent the Tigers. Took it to work early a few times. Installed N-Fab steps for the wife. (Also helps hide the downpipe) If you have any questions about anything, just PM me. I don't get on here daily, so please be patient. Thanks for checking out my ride! :chevy:

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

Thanks!

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

I remember your truck, I think you posted a pic of it once is a Softtopper thread. Beautiful truck and work, thanks for posting details.

Yep I posted awhile back about the top.
Posted via Mobile Device

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

Excellent build, thanks for sharing! On last photo, notice a lot of slip yoke exposed. Do you have enough spline engagement for your driveshaft into the t-case?

Yeah believe it or not it actually has a lot more inside the seal. It was a special yoke I ordered for it. I was going to get a cv joint driveshaft but I never had a vibration problem, so I just got the extra long yoke.
Posted via Mobile Device

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

Wow! Nice K5. :metal:

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

Thanks, it's been a pretty fun build.

Re: 1986 Turbo K5
 

Great to hear. I have a 2.5" lift and do have a slight vibration. I even extended my driveshaft just a bit too for proper slip engagement. I am trying to go SYE and CV Driveshaft to take care of it all. These trucks are so strange on vibration. Some have it, some don't in identical situations.

Well done on your build! :metal:

I had a vibration when I had my 10 bolt in it. We corrected the pinion angle when we installed the 14 bolt. Seems to have taken care of it.
Posted via Mobile Device