Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Fixed up an old dash I had in the stash....

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

I been fighting a oil leak on the driver side at the very rear back oil pan (where it has the little bracket/brace on the oil pan and larger bolt). I tried normal Permatex RTV, then wrapping the bolt with Teflon Tape with Permatex RTV, then again with the Permatex Right Stuff RTV. Best I could get was just above seeping/little drippings. So I cleaned it all off again, which was fun since I really laid on the Permatex Right Stuff the other day. I put on 6 coats of Permatex 82099 Spray after putting the bolt in with a good amount of Teflon Tape (followed any/all tips on the spray on the internets). After two 5 mile test drives there is no run off on the oil pan and zero drips on my garage floor. Though it does look like a family of snails has been living on my oil pan lip LOL.

Between my test drives I installed matching Pertronix flame-thrower spark plug wires. When I was asking my zillion question to Pertronix support they stressed the distributor needed correct wires. I really couldn't tell what kind of wires I had, so I decided to replace them. Their custom SBC wires fit perfectly with my Chevy/GM OEM looms that go around the back of the engine then up under the Ram Horns (what a pain the longer ones are).

On my 2nd test drive with the new wires, unexpectedly I found the truck running so much better. When putting along in the neighborhood as the truck shifted from 1st to 2nd, then 2nd to 3rd the truck would have a wee bit of power drop. Hard to explain the feeling but I would just give it a wee bit more gas to plow through this odd drop/feeling. Now when she shifts in these areas she feels peppy and I can keep the gas peddle in place. The before feeling was like when driving a manual and you shifted too soon - kind of like that but not exactly. Real hard to explain the "feeling".

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

after roughly 70 miles today, no oil on my cover and there is only that one dot on the pan where it is weeping from the oil plug (I have a new washer for that when I do my next oil change).

I have also gone from 8~10 MPG to a solid 15 MPG too - YAY! :uhmk:

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Excellent!

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Pictures

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Got the last bits for the center console today . Dual 3.0 USB ports with voltage meter. Now I can start on the upholstery

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

You want pictures of the area of the spraying on the oil pan or my new wires? If wires you want to see how they are routed from top to bottom?

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

I am interested in seeing how you routed your wires thanks much
Jess

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Figures, that is the one that will take a few photos LOL. You can get all the brackets from GMC Paul's, except for the two that are up around the distributor. I had to get those on eBay ... I think it is Vett people that have them.

So the photos are from Top, going down, to where we end up at #1 plug. #1/3 and #2/4 fish through the motor mount and it is a PITA to get them through there too! I also put a yellow square to point out the brackets - they are a bit hard to see.

Hope this is what you wanted - the passenger side is the same. But the brackets around the distributor are different from each other.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

thanks for taking the time to post those pics...... nice work I needing to re route mine on the 55 265

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

not a problem, love showing them off :-)

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Nice job! I absolutely detested putting plug wires on the SBC in those days. People never cleaned their engines, and they leaked oil like a sieve. Living in dry country (southern California) those wires and looms would be so caked up that by the time I was done the new wires didn't even look new. :lol:

Got the first paint on the cab today
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Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

My friend painted the cab today. :bo2:

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

More pictures.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Nice paint, and congrats to both of you.

I almost started mine today, but one of my sons insisted on carrying the mulch for my front yard home in the bed of his new truck ('21 Chevy Colorado).

Here’s a snap of the swatches they sent. Stuff must be expensive...1.5” x 2.25” pieces.
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Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Well, that didn't work out good....:dohh:

Replaced plugs and wires yesterday. AC Delco parts from Rock Auto. Gapped the plugs to .035... All the old ones looked fine on removal.

Fired the truck up after, and wow does she run terrible. Pinging, backfiring, idles rough, stalls when put in gear.

So, it looks like I did this to myself... Instead of the standard R44T, I went with the Delco Iridium, thinking it'd be better. Guess the ol girl doesn't think so; bone stock '72 with a 350.

Hoping a set of R44T's will get her back purring.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

No kidding those ones that go through the motor mount are a real PITA. So much so that I didn't route them back that way. I about destroyed the old ones getting them out; didn't want to risk the new ones. Would have been nice if after all that the truck ran better but no such luck. The truck definitely didn't like the Iridium plugs I got.

Really want to go the Pertronix route but the wife has me on lockdown for truck spending at this point, lol.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

You should be OK with iridium plugs, double check your firing order.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

I'm with BigBird. It sounds like you have 2 wires crossed.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Cab fitting! Had to work with new cab bushings a bit...the rear nuts on the cab floor moved (as expected) and will need a tack weld to stay in place...but making progress!

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Started on my seat this weekend. I'm glad to have the back done for now!!!

Looking good. Hope mine looks that smooth next month. Look fwd to seeing the complete seat.

Have you done these before?
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Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Sunday afternoon drive and some photos around the old town of Uhland, Tx :-)

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Thanks for the compliment. No I have not done them before!!!

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Rich, Nice place for a photo op!

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Nice pics! It's looking good.....:metal:

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Finally got my '71 Cheyenne on the road again (3/1/21) after 15 months of rust, paint, and interior work (all done by me...hence why it took so long). Would have been on the road a bit sooner, but an early test drive indicated a stuck caliper (would not release) and a cruded up carb. Cleaned the carb out and got it running (not well...rebuild kit on the way). New calipers and I drove it to work today so I can drop it off to get a bed liner sprayed in.

I know, these posts are better with photos, so when the weather clears, I will take a a few snaps and post. Oh, still need to recharge A/C.

Next major task will be LS swap as the current engine is tired with a good amount of blow-by. But, it runs ok so no hurry.

EDIT: Bed liner complete...sure looks good. But it is way thicker than I was expecting. Pictures to follow....

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

New steering wheel. Sammy approved🐕

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Got a new set of BFGoodrich T/A tires today from Discount Tire!

They look just like the old BFG GT's but are not 9+ years old - so no more worrying about dry rot and blowing a tire. I swear the tread on the old ones looked darn near new. But I've read you are suppose to replace ties after 6 year, regardless how good you think they look.


Later this week, my new set of KBY Gas-a-Just shocks from RockAuto will arrive and hopefully I'll get them on this weekend!

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Nice! That's why it is okay to burn the rubber once in a while. They eventually need to be replaced even if the tread is still all there. lol

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Yup. My wife's econobox is coming up on 6 (or 7) years old and needs tires. I mentioned that the truck's tires are almost 5 years old and should be replaced soon. There goes a bunch of money for tires that have maybe 2k miles on them. That got my wife talking about how she wants to go camping in the Sequoias, and that she doesn't trust the engine to get us there. I said that the last time we discussed engine work, she balked at the plain jane rebuild price! Never mind a roller cam, etc., and when I told her that towing up into those mountains might require a turbo, she was almost crying at that expense. I guess we'll only ever cruise the coast of California. :lol: OK, the part about the turbo was mean, I guess.

Back story. My wife's father bought this truck in '73, and it has always run hot. They always had to wait for it to cool down after getting gas so that they could continue on their trip(s), because it just wouldn't start when hot. That's how I got it when he died. I worked through the heating issues and they are now under control. I guess she's still stuck on "what used to be" from her youth, as opposed to what it is now.

It doesn't get hot now, and it starts right up after getting gas at a station on a camping trip. But the memories of those problems still linger. Given that if I never went camping again, I'd be OK with it, it's kind of amazing that I go through all this trouble to assure her that the truck is good to go. I must be a masochist.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

You guys really tick me off!

Some of you can remove a lug nut and then weld, rebuild, and paint everything in front of it. :mad:

I'm thrilled because I just replaced a sweaky/leaky original GM water pump with a $35 O'Riley"s number.

Didn't paint it because I wasn't sure it would work, and may have had to return it.

It looks like a short casting, but that spacer (the only thing I painted orange so far) allows it to work with my long type alternator bracket.

Pretty dang clever IMO!

Was crying to the UPS guy because it's starting to rust and I'm not going to remove it again just to paint it.

He suggested I just paint it with a brush.

...oh yea. :o

Or remove the bracket, put newspaper everywhere and spray paint it.

https://i.imgur.com/bNZSDOEl.jpg

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Aluminum foil is your friend here

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Dropped my truck off at the body shop this morning so they can do some paint matching for the driver door, front fender, bed fender grille, cowl and bed steps that they will be painting. All body work is complete and the parts have been epoxy primed. They should be spraying the color either tomorrow or Monday. I have been waiting since October (dropped the parts off in early January), so I'm pretty excited to get these parts back.

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Yea, I heard something like that on one of these threads someplace and I may have to give that a try.

Thanks.

I'm obviously not prepping the engine compartment for a car show, I just want to stop the rust from spreading.

Then I'll drive it with the hood down...nobody has to know how filthy and rusty it is under there. :)

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

I'm excited for you! I want ya to drive it to my cabin this spring.....

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

That would be fun :chevy:

Re: What did you do to your truck today.The 3rd chapter
 

Got all the tape off Sunday and out of booth.