Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Thanks for chiming in Racer!

Here is the head board for the flatbed made out of the lumber rack given to me.
I still may build it up the roof line and frame the window.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

I am trying to find the two upper gas tank brackets you have across the top of the gas tank. Are those sourced from somewhere? Or what material did you use to make them? Thanks

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Home Depot for all of it. In the metal section of the store and some thick rubber gasketing to go between the metal and the tank, from the door and window section.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Been awhile since the last update but things are still moving along.

I dropped the truck off at my friends shop to charge the ac system, front wheel alignment and finally have the title transfer and registration taken care of. So now we have cool cab and are road legal.

Now that I can get it out on the road for testing, I found that the steering box had too much slop, and the pitman arm had seen better days. So I swapped the box out for a Redhead unit. I also installed a new two inch drop pitman arm. The truck has a very nice turning circle with tight turns and u-turns no problem. However, I have a bit of wander when driving on uneven sections of road that I need to look into. New steering damper installed too.

Still moving along on the bed too. Storage needed to be addressed so I decided on a box of 30 inches long, 16 inches deep and 14 tall for each side. Maybe something behind the rear wheels later on. We'll see how it goes.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Well I had a productive week of test driving and getting the steering and braking dialed in just right. I'm very happy with the handling now. Now I need to deal with getting some rear shock absorbers fabbed in and everything will be good!

Another auto parts house part failure I've had is the positive side battery cable. Not too long after purchase and installation, the clamp cracked in half. So I decided to buy the parts and tools to make my own battery cables. Installed now are 1/0 cables with high quality clamps.

I also installed my non slotted cowl cover and new hood-to-cowl seal. The new cowl cover should keep debris out and I'm not using the kick panel vents any more. I did need to make slots for the windshield washer nozzles.

Next the seating needed attention. Specifically the seats were too high. And there was no front to back downward angle to the seat bracket. I shortened the rear legs 2 3/4 inches and the fronts 1 1/4 inches. Vision through the wind shield is right about center now. Given the short cabs these truck have, I think I look for seats with a thinner back rest to help with legroom and back position. I also finished the seatbelt installation and they work well.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Sorry if this was covered but is that cowl panel a stock one filled in or aftermarket part that comes with no holes?

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

No problem. It is an aftermarket piece with no slots.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

With almost 100 miles on the odometer only two issues are standing out. There is very slow drip coming from between the transmission and the overdrive. And there is a driveline vibration that starts at about 50 mph. I think I'll need to get the truck loaded down to get final proper pinion angle. The gear oil leak can wait for awhile.

Another thing on the list is to measure for rear shock absorbers. To get the truck to sit at what should be close to normal ride height, I set my bent, warped and twisted boards onto the bed and set my current camper on the bed to compress the suspension and then measure for shock static stroke. This camper weighs about 1000 lbs. as shown. The suspension compressed an inch and a quarter over the tires. The truck will level out even more when fully loaded out for a trip. So it looks like I'll need a shock that sits at 24-25 inches, 29-30 inches extended and 17-19 compressed. I've got my eye on a couple of different Bilsteins that should work.

Lastly, I measured for more storage boxes to go on the top left and right sides of the bed.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Looks great on there! Storage box's to fill in the gap will be a very useful feature I'm sure, help keep more stuff out of the camper itself but still be able to bring it along. I'm getting excited for your first trip lol, hope all goes great with it and truck gives you ton of use.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Thanks Taco! That camper usually sits on my late model F-250. It is a little too big for the 66. But it was a good trial fit and answered some questions in order to keep moving this project ahead. I'm keeping my eye out for a camper of the same type, but shorter and narrower. I'd also like to reduce the gap between the top of the cab and the camper overhead if I can.

I'm also excited and I think I can see some light at end of the tunnel. I have a bunch of test runs to make in preparation for the ultimate destination - Alaska!

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Could you remove the center boards and just sit the camper down onto the crossmembers of bed or would that cause issues? I think most modern campers are going to have the height over cab issue just due to newer trucks having super tall cabs.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

No, that won't work. There isn't enough length to fit the camper on the cross members. And even if it did fit, It would be so tight I wouldn't be able to open the door.

I will probably have to look for something older. An older Alaskan perhaps. I can have one custom made by the company that made my current unit, but I'd rather not spend that much money.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Who makes those storage boxes?

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Thank you

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Still progressing with this beast and finishing up the detail work.

I finally got around to installing shocks at the rear axle. They are Bilstein 5100 series units. The bushings on these shocks use 1/2 Inch bolts. To fit 1/2 inch bolts into the upper factory 3/4 inch mounting holes, I used some 3/4 inch outside diameter dom tubing with .120 wall(.510 inch inside diameter) to sleeve those upper mounting holes. The lower mounts are stout aftermarket sourced with 1/2 inch bolt holes.

To address the driveline vibration at 50+ mph, I've decided on CV joint at the transfer case end. And at the rear axle end I used a 4 degree shim to get the pinion and driveshaft on the same angle. I also had to change out the t-case rear output yoke to a CV style. Should get the driveshaft back from the shop next week.

The interior configuration is now the way it is going to stay so it was time to trim down and bend the main transmission shifter. I put some heat to it and made a bend towards the driver. Then I removed about 8 inches between the bend and the shift knob. Then I welded back together. Way more comfortable shifting position now.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

I had some air conditioning tasks to take care of. I never really liked the rotary knob control panel that came with the system. So I bought the newest control panel that is out now for the 64-66 trucks. It is pricey but way nicer and is also backlit.

In addition to the nice factory style ac vents there were still two ducted outputs from the ac unit that needed to be finished. I didn't want to use the whole lower duct assembly that came with the VA system. So I cut off the section I did want to use and rtv sealed off the open end with some thick cardboard. Gave it some black paint. Screwed it to the dash and ran the ducting. Great air flow now.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Time to deal with the front bumper. The old pto winch mount is cool so I'm going to re-use it. I have an old Warn 8274 winch that will look good and work well on this truck.

The pto winch and its bracketry was mounted in this bumper almost permanently with a lot of thick steal. Very well done. It all had to be cut out with a grinder and cutting torch.

I then cut out enough of the middle to fit the Warn winch mount. Today was just mock up day to see how it all fits. Tacked in a few places and bolted to the truck. It fit nicely.

Then I set the winch in place to check fit. Pretty good but I think tomorrow I will move it down one inch and to the rear an inch.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Winch and bumper fit up done. Moved the winch mounting plate down and back one inch. Bolted in with grade 8 1/2 inch hardware on 1/4 inch steel L-brackets. I cut the front bumper into two pieces and bolted her up. A little hammer work to the bumper and some paint and this step is off the whiteboard.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

That turned out great! Looks awesome!

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Nice! Good work man, one step at a time. I always think of the old forestry trucks with those bumpers, just need the headlight guards added lol.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Thanks for your inputs guys!

One more thing before paint is tow hooks. Again I scrounged around my stash of miscellaneous brackets and found a couple that would make good backing for anchoring tow hooks. Done!

I will be completely going through the winch soon also.

And a couple of shots after paint.

Last pic is of a brush guard that I've been test fitting. Picked up at a swap meet a couple of years ago. It had a tag on it that said 1960 F-250. It seems to fit the body lines of the Chevy well though. I haven't decided yet if I want to use it . The truck has a much cleaner look without it

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

The winch and bumper looks great. I like the look of with and without the brush guard. That's a tough decision

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

That looks great on there. For me 100% with brush guard and maybe add small support from middle bar of guard to the rear of bumper.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

That is a pretty cool brush guard, most people don't have them so it'd be a cool thing to have on there especially for the look your going for.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Today was weigh-in day. Drove over to the local scale and weighed in at 5500 lbs. That's with me in the seat, full 31 gallon gas tank and the truck as shown in the pic below. Add another 100 lbs for the bed floor boards and headboard cover. This truck has a GVWR of 7500 lbs. That leaves 2400lbs for the build out to travelling weight. One of the goals is to keep the weight below the GVWR.

There is now 208 miles on the odometer. Braking, steering and overall handling are excellent. It's a good driver.
The driveline vibration mentioned a few posts ago is solved. Turns out the linkage for the front axle shift lever was binding up enough to not dis-engage the front output shaft. Re-adjusted that linkage and now smooth over 50mph. I also finished up my pinion/driveshaft issue with some 2 degree shims under the rear springs and a CV joint at the transfer case end of the driveshaft.

So far, overall, everything is working well. Still needs some tweaks here and there. Nothing major though.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Congratulations on your accomplishment! That's a beautiful truck.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Nice work.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

How’s that overdrive box working? Project looks awesome.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

To everyone who has commented, complimented and suggested. A big thank you! It's all good for the motivation!

Will definitely be re-visiting the brush guard fit up.

About the overdrive. I'm not going to call it a resounding success but it does do what it is suppose to do. The truck will run 65mph at about 2300 rpm. This is with 4.10 gears and 31.5 tires. So that part is good.

On the downside it is noisy. I had heard these had some gear whine and now I can personally attest to this. Thankfully it isn't too bad in 4th gear, the most used.

It leaks where it mates to the main tranny. I followed the instructions very carefully and that's where I messed up. Silicone is used and I should have used more than the instructions called for. They called for a "paper thin film" but this is not adequate. A quarter inch bead would be more suitable. So now I have to disconnect the tranny and move it back far enough to clean the mating surfaces and apply a proper amount of silicone to keep it from leaking.

But, back to the details of re-assembly. Today I re-installed the radiator overflow tank and the windshield washer reservoir with all their plumbing. Just need to wire up the washer pump.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

That radiator, who makes that one?

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Your rig is looking awesome and congrats on putting miles on it. I'm sure it's a good feeling!

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

That is from Cold Case Radiators.

Thanks Joesscamaro.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

If you tear it down to reseal that overdrive, don't use silicon again, use an anaerobic sealer like Locktite's gasket maker. Smear it around with your finger, not too thick.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Thank you for for that tip. I actually did use the Locktite version for gear oil applications. Silicone is the term they use generically in the instructions. So, I either did it wrong or didn't use enough and now there is a drip. It's very slow. But because I hate leaks so much, I'll need to get this done sooner than later.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

I'm not sure if I'm surprised the weight isn't more or isn't less lol. 5500lb sounds heavy vs what these trucks in 2wd form normally weigh but almost seems like it should weigh more with the bigger 3\4t 4x4 running gear, sm465,OD and transfercase. Either way I'm happy your getting close to just being able to jump in it and go here soon.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

I was hoping it would come in around 5k. But now 5500 seems about right since everything I put back into this truck is bigger and heavier than stock. And now the truck is at the point where I'm confident I can hop in and use it for everyday transportation. It isn't finished, but certainly functional and useable.

This last week I got a few more things crossed off the whiteboard. Dressed up some wiring behind the dash, dove into the winch and made a more permanent attachment for the mud flaps.

I bought the winch inoperable years ago but these 8274's don't generally catastrophically fail. It is usually corrosion on wiring connections or one or more of the relay's go bad. So I installed a new updated relay and wiring kit and now it is a working unit. Now I just need to decide whether to use wire rope or synthetic for the winch line.

I had the mud flaps temporarily hung with eye hooks and threaded links. The flaps would fly up in the wind and the links were noisy going down the road. Now they are bolted to some welded in angle. They shouldn't fly around or make any racket while driving.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Is that relay update for the winch a kit or did you assemble it yourself?

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

It came as a kit from winchserviceparts.com. I bought it at least 5 years ago and there are some deficiencies.

My kit did not come with the nuts for the large posts on the relays. It did come with the small nuts for the new 5 wire remote plug pigtail.

The cable that goes from the relay pack to the F2 post on the motor was too short. I had to re-use the old one.

The new relay pack mounting plate is different. The new one does not allow the positive battery lead to enter the relay pack from the back, like the old plate does. Now the positive lead has to come in over the top of the motor. So now there is about a foot difference in length between the negative and positive cables at the battery end.

Does not come with new boots for the three post connections on the top of the motor. The boots on this winch are in great shape, so I was able to re-use them.

Hope this was helpful.

Re: Project 1966 K20 adventure rig
 

Thanks for the info :)