new head gaskets in motel 6 parking lot

[67/72junkie]

flew from nc to ca to pick up a 72 bb cheyenne 30.after picking up the truck I discovered it had a blown head gasket.I rented a room at the motel 6 in pinole ca and pulled the heads in the parking lot.The motor was recently rebuilt with all quality parts and machine work except no sealant on the head bolts.I took a bus to the local machine shop and had the heads checked.I then reinstalled them with felpro gaskets and headbolt sealant.I drove it 3300 miles on the return trip with no other engine problems and it runs awsome . fastest 1 ton truck I have ever ridden in .Even with the probelm it was another awsome ca road trip and I scored some good parts at the pick n pulls.

[gonzo6869]

Nice job. Where in Cali did you pick it up.

[67/72junkie]

pleasanton,then I drove all over ca hitting the pick n pulls

[gonzo6869]

I hope you have pics of your road trip. Would like to see more of the truck.

[travlinman]

what pick an pulls did u go to and what did u take home ?
did u have a chance to stop by vintage chevy in fremont ?
glad u made it home in 1 piece

[pmpski_1]

You're the MAN. You must've won the lottery. How much did you end up spending on gas? Does the new ride have an aux tank?

[67/72junkie]

truck is 72 bb cheyenne 30 has 454. picked it up in pleasanton at a towing service for 1900 it has keith black piston 030 msd 6a box,msd distirbutor ,wires and blaster 2 coil,hooker super comp headers and flows.high torque mini starter,edelbrock intake and carb.has factory tach and auxilary tanks.I hit every pick n pull in ca except 3.I picked up a 75 model 454 ,a set of 049 heads off another 454 and a 400 smallblock.I got 2 nice sets of 72 doors a couple of nice consoles and a bunch of small stuff.remote resovoirs,brackets,emblems etc.I had a pinion bearing go bad and I couldn't get the pinion nut off even with an impact gun so I could replace the bearing.I wound up picking up another 3rd member that was 456 posi at the last pick n pull in fresno for $102.I swapped it out in a rest area in the mohave desert.I traveled a little over 3600 miles from the time I picked the truck up until I got home.I averaged 10 mpg for the first couple hundred miles stopping and going alot.Once I left fresno and hit the road I averaged 12 mpg.I spent a little over $1000 on gas for the entire trip.The truck has minor surface rust and faded paint but no cancer.I would have bought another truck and filled the bed with doors and body parts if my money hadn't been a little tight this trip due to the fact that I had my girlfriend with me and we spent a chunk in motels and eating.I slept in the truck the last several trip when I have been alone and showered in the truck stops.She really enjoyed hanging out with me though and we had a great vacation so it was worth it.I will do it again in the fall and then I will really load up again.

[TheSeeker]

1000 bucks on gas? must be nice...

[stllookn]

I took a bus to the local machine shop and had the heads checked.I then reinstalled them with felpro gaskets and headbolt sealant.

Tell me you had some help loading those big block heads onto the bus...and doing this work or I am going to start wearing a skirt to work and change my name!!!! UDAMAN!!!!!

[67/72junkie]

I had a suit case with wheels that I emptied out.wrapped a plastic bag around each and shoved a pillow inbetween them.bus stop was only about 100 yards from the room.the rough part was the 1/4 mile from the bus stop to the machine shop.I only weigh 140 lbs and I think the 2 heads weigh as much as me.even in the suit case it was a haul.I have built dozens of chevy v8s over the years so the actual machanic work was nothing.I had all the tools I needed with me except a torque wrench and I purchased 1 at kragen.

[68 short step]

you sound like you might be a redneck, or live in oklahoma.....

(jeff foxworthy voice)if you take a bus to the machine shop to get your heads checked, you might be a redneck..

[QKENUF4U]

thats awesome you did the work yourself in the parking lot.... i got lucky on my trip... found a coolant leak about 2hrs north of phoenix on my trip from PA. back to PHX... got lucky it was just a loose hose clamp. (i did a water pump a couple months before this trip) awesome that the GF had fun too.. if you can deal with each other on a trip that long with those crazy problems then you are meant to be....

[67/72junkie]

she is great!A real keeper. sat in the truck doing crossword puzzels and keeping an eye on my parts and tools while I was in the pick n pulls.even bought me a new rachet and set of gear wrenchs from sears in the mall while she did her shopping and I tagged along.I am a lucky man to have her.

[btullis99]

what an awesome trip!!! everybody needs an adventure like that. 140 lbs, you must be all sack, flying accross the country to drive a 40 year old big block accross the nation. not many people doing that these days for sure!!!!!!

[68C15]

you know we have an emergency contact list for situations such as this. if you were within driving distance I would have loaded up a box and came to help. I am sure locals there would have done the same.

remember guys, you are not alone on road trips.

[Jeffs70]

Originally Posted by 68C15

you know we have an emergency contact list for situations such as this. if you were within driving distance I would have loaded up a box and came to help. I am sure locals there would have done the same.

remember guys, you are not alone on road trips.

great Idea for sure. I would have went to help If I was with in driving distance also.

Great job on the head gasket repair. glad you had a great trip out to wonderful california. now whats your CC# haha JK... you must have a great job or have a ton of money in that bank account to spend that kind of money on just fuel alone. especially since fuel is not cheap here in california.

[steelhorse]

Memories for a lifetime!Our country was founded by men brave(crazy)enough to do the what others wouldnt.

[Jobe72]

That is badass! And to have a GF along for the ride and enjoy the trip is beyond words!

[big_al_71]

WOW!!! you my friend are my HERO!!!

[Tom Vogel]

I gotta say, youve got a good attitude. Idve been a bear to be around if I had to do those heads in a motel 6 parking lot.

[Sinister]

Bad to the bone. Nice work. Sounds like it was an awesome trip.

[BluTrukker]

It sure was nice of Tom Bodett to leave the light on for you

[tasian]

sounds like you got a pretty good deal on the truck thats why real men drive chevy trucks wouln't catch someone changing a head gasket on a tuner in a motel parking lot

[grayw0lf]

Nice work! Nice attitude!

[El Jay]

You da man & I'm impressed!

You may want to put this in your memory banks if you're ever back in that/this area: I'm about 1/2 an hour, or so, east on Pinole, & I'm on the emergency contact list 68C15 mentioned. With, or without, truck problems, you wouldn't be the 1st board member that's "camped out" at my house (this ol' house is a lot cheaper than Motel 6); & your truck wouldn't be the 1st one repaired in my driveway.
As the old C & W song goes; "The key's in the mailbox, come on in."

And, that invite goes to other folks too.

Now, on a somewhat critical note, I'd get rid of that plastic fuel filter before you burn your "new" truck to the ground.