Going backwards from 98 K2500 to 92 K2500

[rickpilgrim]

The white 98 has seen better days. Ran as a snow plow truck from day one until the current 247,820 mi has left me with 14 frame cracks welded up, 4 frame plates and now needs t-case, 4L80E number 5 plus front diff #3 swap just to use it for another winter of 26-37 snow days at most.
The adapted plow mount from western contributed a lot to its problems and we finally found the correct mount to move the plow 18" closer to the truck.
The red truck is a 92 K2500 6 bolt wheel truck with 94,871mi on it. Rust will be repaired and frame and driveline is very good. It also has the 4L80E and the semi float 14 bolt and same size brakes as the 98 K2500.
Question is what else am I going to loose going from 8 bolt to 6 bolt?

[rickpilgrim]

One pic per post I guess

[b454rat]

For one won't have a 4l80 but a 700r4. Not sure anything else plow why is different.

[rickpilgrim]

Last one

[rickpilgrim]

Originally Posted by b454rat

For one won't have a 4l80 but a 700r4. Not sure anything else plow why is different.

Rest assured, this one has a rectangular plug 4L80E and 7200 GVW

[b454rat]

Hmm never heard of one having it.....learn something new everyday!!

[rickpilgrim]

That's what surprised me about the 98 plow truck, fleet order for the Post Office where I bought it on auction, full k3500 front suspension, brakes and torsion bars, semi full floater rear axle with half ton leaves, was a 305 w/4L80E/241 at first but has the same radiator/oil cooler/trans as my 1 ton dually just plain wierd until I found the build sheet with the fleet order number.
The 92 I bought is another unknow, repainted at some point, a K2500 with no oil cooler, no aux trans cooler, looks a lot like my 98 srw crew cab on front suspension with the cast A arms but 6 bolt wheels, strange.

[rickpilgrim]

I've been rather lazy with working on the 92 of late but still got a few things done.
This is the 6 bolt 3/4 ton and ball joints caused 2 trips to the parts store as first they gave us the 1/2-light 3/4 ton size but strangely enough mine uses 3/4-1 ton ball joints but 1/2 ton size cv axle joints as far as boot size goes.
Fuel tank and oil pan and pump are next on the list.
My wife took mercy on us and bought the 2002 in the last pic!

[Palf70Step]

The 02 looks good. It should do your job. Wish I could have answered more on you other questions earlier, but I have lived too far away from snow for years and anm not very fluent in the 4wd versions of the trucks.

[rickpilgrim]

Got a little more done this evening, the new fuel tank and new fuel pump are assembled and the old oil pan and pump are off. We pulled the center diff out to do that. Once the new pump and pan are in its new pitman/idler armplus inner and outer tie rod ends plus new adjusters go in.

[rickpilgrim]

Seeing it was a rain day here after the daily paperwork and bank run it was shop time.
Oil pan and pump installed, 4.5 qts 10w-30 and one bottle Lucus oil stabilizer with zinc for the flat tappet cam. The new radiator and hoses arrived from Amazon so out with the corroded copper and in with the double row aluminum and plastic Spectra radiator and Gates hoses.
Also got the new AC Delco idler and pitman arm installed, Friday the inner/outer tie rod ends and adjusters will be here.
The brake lines are a mess of corroded steel with compression fittings with newer patches so we have to re line the complete brake system.
We're going to try the new "copperhead" copper/nickel lines on this one, pricey to say the least ( $116.42 ) for a 25' roll plus 5-60" sticks and fittings but I'm told the corrosion resistance is way better than steel or coated but close to stainless but will have to see.
I'm thinking of adding a Timben rear helper kit to help bring the 6 bolt more like the 8 bolt K2500 it's replacing but will know once the salt spreader gets set in.

[rickpilgrim]

It's been awhile since I started this so update time. We patched/reinforced the back of the bed for the salt spreader, installed the western snowplow and wiring and now here's the driver side metal all fitted and welded in

[rickpilgrim]

Today it was on to the passenger side, off with the rusty fender and inner fender and replace inner and outer rocker panels and the door post bottom.
Next is the rear rocker and cab corner replacement.
The Timbren kit is great with the plow on, set the torsion bars for about 1" of lift beyond stock and let the Timbren do the rest. Without the timbrens my 98 had to have the torsion bars fully raised to carry that same western plow.
If you have a plow, Timbren is the way to go

[rickpilgrim]

Had some time today so it was short hair fiberglass body filler time. It looks like a really heavy amount of fill but it's around 1/4" and with the 8" mud buster DA sander running 40 grit it makes sanding/leveling fairly fast but you have to be careful.

[rickpilgrim]

Here she is in primer today. Have some touch up to do where a bit of spot putty is showing through but once that's taken care of its 400 grit sandpaper and color .Yes we left a dent or 2 in there but it's a work truck for snow plowing and I'm quite sure between putting in the salter and loading salt plus all the half asleep late nite drivers and drunks driving around at 2-3AM when we are plowing it will get more.

[rickpilgrim]

More done today but more like 2 steps forward and 1 back.
Got the first coat of bed liner on the lower body and then tried to lay on the cream colored 2 tone center. In retrospect we should not even tried that as the foot heat was down to 50 degrees in the shop and it won't hit even 60 degrees in a day so spraying acrylic enamel with 45% fast reducer, 5% med hardener and 50% paint left a few sags and one small run.
It will be 60-65 degrees in shop by mid morning so by afternoon a bit of color sanding and spray the 4th coat on.

[Palf70Step]

She's getting there! :

[rickpilgrim]

Here's a few pics of the good side. As always we did this on a budget and so when getting new front fenders the drivers side is a Tony Yang capa certified from Amazon for less than $60.00. Fit/finish was perfect and wipe/sand with 220/400 grit/prime sand with 600 grit and paint.
The passenger side was from ebay and a bit less than $70.00. It had no name on box, an oil stained and unreadable paper stuffed in it, required some sloting of bolt holes and a bit of tweaking but ended up looking ok. Did the degrease/wax remove thing and sand and paint. Runs and sags everywhere and after a day in our 70 degree shop you could take a rag and wipe the paint off in sheets like food wrap. Re cleaned it with lots of lacquer thinner and heat gun to dry it, wait 2 hrs to be sure and 400 grit again and prime. Fish eyes and star shaped cracks everywhere, wait 2 more hours and wipe off primer with shop rag again.
Really p-off out comes the 40 grit and take it down to bare metal, work back to 400 and pre clean and primer again. This time primer sticks good everywhere except the edges. Send a quick e-mail to eBay seller with the wtf speech and today a reply.
"Seeing our fenders are made overseas a anti corrosion oil it bolt in the coating a sprayed over the entire fender. The instructions clearly state you should immerse the entire fender in a heated degreasing vat to remove all shipping oil and use a rust inhibiting oil based primer/sealer prior to painting. We are sorry you are having these difficulties and will gladly replace the part if you wish"
Of course I had taken it off and sandblasted it already and now primer sticks.

[Palf70Step]

You are doing a really good job on that ole work truck!

[rickpilgrim]

More progress = more pics. Off to the boneyard tomorrow for tail lights that have all.thier mounting clips and no broken off light circuit mounting bolts

[rickpilgrim]

And if you need new 88-98 tail lights you can either go to your local pic a part where they told me $20.00 each or this:

88 - 99 Chevrolet Silverado GMC Sierra Taillight Pair Set Taillamp with Circuit board Driver and Passenger Blazer Escalade Suburban Tahoe Yukon by Not OEM https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MJLCV5U..._QMN1yb622CKG5

[deejaaa1]

that's the aftermarket or OEM diff in price. probably china.
truck's looking good. like the 2 tone.

[rickpilgrim]

Originally Posted by deejaaa1

that's the aftermarket or OEM diff in price. probably china.
truck's looking good. like the 2 tone.

Yes they are made in Taiwan ROC which is Rebublic of China but the $35 apiece O'Reillys were China as just about everywhere I looked for new ones. It's a shame it's came down to this for our truck parts.
The original Dark Garnet Red Metallic/ Lt Beige Metallic was the plan but when I found out local paint shop wanted $386.99/gallon for Garnet and $418.99/Gallon for Beige plus reducer and activator and no shipping for Urathane paints from Summit Racing I started looking at VanSickle at the local farm and barn store.
That is 50/40/10 mixed International Red and 45/40/15 mix Allis Chalmers creame white Acrylic Enamel. Total cost of that combination was $379.40, far more to the budget. I spent around $96 doing bedliner and I used Flexseal for that as it stays a bit softer and doesn't chip off like the other bedliners we've tried. Next is the new cup holder and extra dome light for Lisa doing her book work when out plowing snow.
BTW my mix is paint/reducer/med solids hardner

[rickpilgrim]

In case everyone missed it elsewhere here’s last summers pic of the finished truck. I haven’t been here much as the project Ramcharger, project D350 dump truck and project GP garden tractor kept me quite busy

[Palf70Step]

Truck looks very good. Glad you dropped in again. Good luck with the other projects. What year Ramcharger? I for some reason have always liked them alot.