SunlitComet
OBS Jedi-Do Good
maybe some traction bars might be in order for you.
6.2L L94 & 6L80 into my 1992 Blazer
- Thread starter Nak
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That's pretty cool 
SunlitComet
OBS Jedi-Do Good
Is that a bolt in?
No, not at all. It'll be an Android tablet that I'll mold into the gauge pod. I may have to modify the pod as well as It may not be tall enough; it might be just about .5" short. The display area of the tablet will be identical in width to the factory gauges, so gauge real estate will be just a tad bigger. (The extra height.) I'm going to have a set of custom indicator lights made for things like the CEL, turn signals, high beams, etc. There's an outfit out in the Midwest that has pretty reasonable prices for doing that. There'll also be an Android phablet to the right of the gauge cluster for music and navigation. Sound will be handled by a JBL signal processor/amp. Heater/AC controls will end up where the factory equalizer was, along with the seat heater controls.
Power to the displays will be Start/Run, but there will also be a timer circuit that will power them up for 5 minutes on door opening. That way they'll be fired up and active by the time the engine is started. (The tablet only takes a couple of seconds to come out of sleep mode.) The displays will automatically power down to sleep mode on shut down.
The music/nav display has an FM radio, but in 23 years of driving that truck I've never once turned on the radio, so it'll be for emergency use only. Having Pandora and my entire music collection available will lessen further the need for FM. Plus, when I add music to my home system, it'll automatically synch to the Blazer.
Power to the displays will be Start/Run, but there will also be a timer circuit that will power them up for 5 minutes on door opening. That way they'll be fired up and active by the time the engine is started. (The tablet only takes a couple of seconds to come out of sleep mode.) The displays will automatically power down to sleep mode on shut down.
The music/nav display has an FM radio, but in 23 years of driving that truck I've never once turned on the radio, so it'll be for emergency use only. Having Pandora and my entire music collection available will lessen further the need for FM. Plus, when I add music to my home system, it'll automatically synch to the Blazer.
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Wow! A tablet as your gauge cluster? That is definitely the first I've heard of that!
- Joined
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...and you've not used the radio in 23 yrs of ownership?
Nope, I like listening to my own music. Radio has so many commercials I can't even listen to it.
Yeah, using tablets is starting to catch on. They are just recently bright enough with enough contrast to be usable. The dash program Im using is DashCommand, and I'm custom designing the skin. That's all the gauges and design you see there. A bluetooth dongle plugged into the ALDL Port sends all the information to the tablet.
Yeah, using tablets is starting to catch on. They are just recently bright enough with enough contrast to be usable. The dash program Im using is DashCommand, and I'm custom designing the skin. That's all the gauges and design you see there. A bluetooth dongle plugged into the ALDL Port sends all the information to the tablet.
yukondoit
Stay Classy
Bad ass
Steveman2000
TYF Newbie
So when you're completely done with this swap on yours I'll just fly you out to Minnesota for a week or two and you'd help me with my swap right? 
Also, if you do end up making that awesome skin for your gauges, please save it so I may save myself the pain of trying to make it again I'd gladly pay hahaha...
Also, if you do end up making that awesome skin for your gauges, please save it so I may save myself the pain of trying to make it again
I'd gladly pay hahaha...
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Minnesota? Hawaii, maybe...
Absolutely I'll post the skin. I'm posting this thread as paying it forward for all of the help I received preparing to do this swap. I only ask that others who get help from this thread post their own experiences to help the next guy.
Absolutely I'll post the skin. I'm posting this thread as paying it forward for all of the help I received preparing to do this swap. I only ask that others who get help from this thread post their own experiences to help the next guy.
Steveman2000
TYF Newbie
Hey if it makes you feel better it'd be in the summer, when there's a smaller chance of those annoying white icy flakes... besides, it'd be just as hot as Hawaii hahaha.
If you don't mind my asking, what have your costs been so far? Both for parts and for any labor that you've had done. I'm hoping my ballpark of $20k is a bit high....
If you don't mind my asking, what have your costs been so far? Both for parts and for any labor that you've had done. I'm hoping my ballpark of $20k is a bit high....
Boy, the cost can vary pretty widely. My costs are on the high end because I'm doing a complete restore and going further than is required. When I'm done I'll have 30K into it, but that's new everything and most of it factory. (Interior & paint included.)
You can go the minimum necessary route--absolutely nothing wrong with that--or you can go all out. Or, anywhere in between. I will say it's going to cost more than what most people plan on. Figure out all of your costs, and add 25%. There will be a ton of expenses you just can't foresee, unless you've done a number of these. I mean hell, I spent close to 1K on fuel lines/fittings, tranny and engine oil cooling. Factory evap cost a bunch by the time I was done. I spent probably $500 on stuff that ended up not using. If you try and get all factory systems/emissions running, there will be expenses. Some of those costs can be lessened by learning from my mistakes, but their will be unanticipated expenses.
Sorry though, I've spent much time in Minnesota in the Summer. Not fun at all. WAY too humid. Hawaii is MUCH nicer! Besides, the surfing sucks in MN.
You can go the minimum necessary route--absolutely nothing wrong with that--or you can go all out. Or, anywhere in between. I will say it's going to cost more than what most people plan on. Figure out all of your costs, and add 25%. There will be a ton of expenses you just can't foresee, unless you've done a number of these. I mean hell, I spent close to 1K on fuel lines/fittings, tranny and engine oil cooling. Factory evap cost a bunch by the time I was done. I spent probably $500 on stuff that ended up not using. If you try and get all factory systems/emissions running, there will be expenses. Some of those costs can be lessened by learning from my mistakes, but their will be unanticipated expenses.
Sorry though, I've spent much time in Minnesota in the Summer. Not fun at all. WAY too humid. Hawaii is MUCH nicer!
Besides, the surfing sucks in MN.
Steveman2000
TYF Newbie
Haha yeah, I can agree that it is VERY humid here in the summer. And the surfing here is great! If you count being towed behind a boat
As far as what I'm planning, its very similar to yours as I want to keep VVT and DOD and all those fun extras like tow/haul and maybe even the manual gear selector (might need a new shift lever haha) And I also want to do a full restore, but there's a lot that I'm still on the fence about, like gauges and audio and the like. Plus my build will be slightly different than yours since mine is '95 with a 4L60e, but I'm hopeful that all will end well haha.
Other than that... how's it drive so far? Any major differences compared to your old 350? I'd love to see a video or some pictures haha... I have so many questions that it's tough restraining myself (I haven't done a very good job of that have I? Oops... )
As far as what I'm planning, its very similar to yours as I want to keep VVT and DOD and all those fun extras like tow/haul and maybe even the manual gear selector (might need a new shift lever haha) And I also want to do a full restore, but there's a lot that I'm still on the fence about, like gauges and audio and the like. Plus my build will be slightly different than yours since mine is '95 with a 4L60e, but I'm hopeful that all will end well haha.
Other than that... how's it drive so far? Any major differences compared to your old 350? I'd love to see a video or some pictures haha... I have so many questions that it's tough restraining myself (I haven't done a very good job of that have I? Oops...
)I'll get some pics and video up soon!
It drives SO much better. I love the 6L80. The power is ridiculous. Theoretically, it should get better gas mileage around town, but it is WAY harder to drive it with restraint. Before if I floored it it made a lot of noise and really didn't do all that much. Now, put your foot half way down and she flies. God help me once it's broken in...
I believe your year has cable shifting? That should make it easier to use a 2012 shift lever with the tap shifting. I'm not sure what ABS you have. The '92 is independent from the ECM so it's pretty easy to keep. If yours isn't independent you'll need to keep the old ECM to keep ABS.
Seriously consider a 14 Bolt semi floater rear end swap if you're going to run a 6.2L.
It drives SO much better. I love the 6L80. The power is ridiculous. Theoretically, it should get better gas mileage around town, but it is WAY harder to drive it with restraint. Before if I floored it it made a lot of noise and really didn't do all that much. Now, put your foot half way down and she flies. God help me once it's broken in...
I believe your year has cable shifting? That should make it easier to use a 2012 shift lever with the tap shifting. I'm not sure what ABS you have. The '92 is independent from the ECM so it's pretty easy to keep. If yours isn't independent you'll need to keep the old ECM to keep ABS.
Seriously consider a 14 Bolt semi floater rear end swap if you're going to run a 6.2L.
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Steveman2000
TYF Newbie
Hahaha I totally understand the restraint thing... especially since I'm only 18 
That engine is DBW correct? I forget from your earlier posts, so it would do me no good to keep it for any purpose other than AC and the lights...unless you have a solution? And I have no clue on ABS haha.. except mine always seems to not want to work whenever I need it.
With all of that said...the 350 is definitely a noise-maker only. I floor it and nothing happens, but I borrow my mom's minivan (So cool right?) and mash the pedal, I can squeal the tires with traction control left on
please don't tell her lol
I've been considering a 14 bolt swap, but I'm not sure what all would be involved with that. I know that you've done one, along with a Truetrac diff (I have an open diff, fml) maybe once you're done going over your entire engine swap with me you could just start a new thread just to explain your axle swap and hidden winch and anything else I might want to also "take advantage" of hahahaha....
That engine is DBW correct? I forget from your earlier posts, so it would do me no good to keep it for any purpose other than AC and the lights...unless you have a solution?
And I have no clue on ABS haha.. except mine always seems to not want to work whenever I need it. With all of that said...the 350 is definitely a noise-maker only. I floor it and nothing happens, but I borrow my mom's minivan (So cool right?) and mash the pedal, I can squeal the tires with traction control left on
please don't tell her lolI've been considering a 14 bolt swap, but I'm not sure what all would be involved with that. I know that you've done one, along with a Truetrac diff (I have an open diff, fml) maybe once you're done going over your entire engine swap with me you could just start a new thread just to explain your axle swap and hidden winch and anything else I might want to also "take advantage" of hahahaha....
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