step side info
 

Hello my name is Vincent.
I am new to your web site and really new to posting on a form. I have been a square body fan for years and own two of them now. the project that is first in line is a 1980 Cheyenne edition Chevy step side 2wd. I have decoded the VIN and found out this truck was a 5.3 diesel step side. I have never seen or heard of a 5 lug 1/2 ton step side Diesel before. Has anyone heard of or owned a diesel step side?
Thanks for your time. [SIZE="2"]

Re: step side info
 

They did have a C10 diesel, but it was a 5.7 diesel. I think it was based off an Oldsmobile 350 block. I know a lot of folks got rid of them back in the day due to head/head gasket issues.

Re: step side info
 

Bill. Yes it was the converted olds 350. It now has a 305 or 307 in it. the original motor is long gone. I did read about the head issues. I was surprised that this pick up was a diesel. it does have a 12 bolt rear end with 3.40:1 gear ratio so its not much of a 1/4 mile beast.

Re: step side info
 

3.40 is a good all around gear for a 350, but you think you have a 305 or 307.

I helped my friend build a nice 307, and he had 3.73's. It was a nice truck.

Have you tried advancing the timing of the engine to get attention more pep out of her?

20 years ago Car Craft magazine built what they called agent 87 350sbc engine. Basically they polished the turd of a very low compression to something quite peppy. I did it, and was quite surprised how well it did for my application. I had a comp 270 cam in my 882 headed 8-1 compression 350. I set initial timing to like 12* advanced, and hooked the distributer vacuum advance to a manifold port for vacuum when the engine ran. It would really hit hard till about 3000 rpm, and then it was the same as a regular timed 350. My city mpg went up a good bit especially when I kept my foot out of the throttle. It started easier then normal, and idled better. Especially when cold it wouldn't die 1/2 as much. So all in i was very happy. So ever since then I would hook the vacuum advance to port vacuum, and see if the engine liked it..

Re: step side info
 

after looking and talkin with the old owner it is a 307 with a t350 trans. this is a project that my son and i are building. we just purchased the truck two weeks ago.

Re: step side info
 

As far as I know all of the 73-87 half-ton 2wds were five lug. The 4wds were six lug.

Before 73 all the half tons were six lugs.

Re: step side info
 

Thank you 76gmc20 that helps a lot.

Re: step side info
 

Pretty sure around 70 the half tons went to 5 lug with disc brakes. For the rear axle you can just swap the shafts in a 73 up to go 5 or 6 lugs.

I used to work for a guy that had a half ton Olds diesel truck. That motor was yanked for an Olds gas 350. It had 2.73 gears. When I was a kid my neighbor bought a new Olds diesel and drove it home from the lot. The next day he went to leave and the car didn't have enough power to back up the hill in the driveway. The chevy dealer came and got it with a tow truck and bought it back. It was no wonder people thought diesels were dirty slugs with those anemic engines and Detroit 2 stroke diesels in semis.

Re: step side info
 

Engine type and pickup box style are not related.

In other words you could get any engine available for that particular model (1/2 ton) with either fleetside (RPO E63) or stepside (E62).

Here is the generic info packet from the GM Heritage Center if you want to read up on what was available:

https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/doc...olet-Truck.pdf

K