jimbosprint 1972 C20 - the good, the bad, and the ugly

[jimbosprint]

Here is my new truck! It's a 1972 Chevrolet C20 in mostly original condition.

The good:
California truck with almost no rust, good frame with mostly straight body. Original 350 engine with TH350 transmission, power steering, power brakes, factory AC. Enigine runs strong and starts easily. Interior, dash and gauges are in great shape. Odometer reads 23,093 making me guess it has only 123,093 original miles based on the condition. One family owned.

The bad:
The transmission leaks like crazy. Fluid in the top pours out the bottom in a short while. This is my first priority in making the truck drivable. Also the fuel gauge not working and the driver door lock doesn't lock from outside.

The ugly:
There is a substantial dent to the passenger side of the bed, but it appears to be a slow moving accident with a tree or something, not a collision with another moving vehicle.

[Grip]

Nice start. What are your long term plans?

[jimbosprint]

Originally Posted by Grip

Nice start. What are your long term plans?

I'm thinking mostly stock sleeper. I'd like to frame off restore it, but no money for that right now. It was a great deal and pretty much the exact truck I wanted, so I had to buy it. I'm gonna fix the transmission and try to fix the burning oil (I think it's just bad valve seals from sitting). At least make it mechanically sound and drivable, then work on making it better a little bit at a time.

[mcbassin]

Looks like a very solid truck. I'll follow along too.

[jimbosprint]

I put some more photos in an Imgur album that will be updated as the project moves along.

http://imgur.com/a/SVWTW#0

[jimbosprint]

First wash - a little less ugly now.

[jimbosprint]

Removed all these old abandoned spare fuel tank lines, a piece of wood that was wired under the frame for some strange reason, and some romex wire that went from the battery to where the spare fuel tank lines were.

[jimbosprint]

The driver side door lock would not lock with the key, so I had a locksmith friend help me out with it. He rebuilt the lock cylinders for the driver side and ignition, cleaned and lubed up the passenger door lock, and made a couple new keys for me. All locks are now fixed and working smooth! No more climbing out through the passenger door to lock the truck.

[Saclandman]

Nice looking C20. Love the old ochre on these trucks. I'm sure that dent will buff right out.

[jimbosprint]

Replaced the broken passenger window crank today. Also removed a metal bracket that was bolted in the bed. I think I'm doing this little easy stuff to avoid cleaning the 40 years of grease off the motor and tranny. That and it's almost 100 degrees outside.

[sierragrande71]

Cool truck I seen your from Chico, I live in orland.

[jimbosprint]

Originally Posted by sierragrande71

Cool truck I seen your from Chico, I live in orland.

Nice. Any good local resources I need to know about?

[sierragrande71]

A few years there was a guy in Corning that had a bunch truck parts but I haven't been in contact with him. For some time. Let me knw if you need any parts I might have some or know somebody that does.

[jimbosprint]

Started on parts cleaning at the top. This is going to take a while to do right.

[jimbosprint]

The air cleaner is now... CLEANER! Also no more grease or paint on the oil filler tube and the tube that goes to the exhaust manifold. It took 2 cans of oven cleaner and a few hours of scrubbing and wire wheel. Next step: primer and paint for these parts.

[Oldtruckfanatic]

Nice job. I hate the cleaning part of a build. Lol. I will cut and weld all day long but I get seriously unmotivated when the tedious stuff needs to he done.

[jimbosprint]

The stock air cleaner primed and painted. It looks even better with the "Keep your truck all GM" sticker on it, but it may be a while before it goes back on the motor for me to take a photo (see next post).

[jimbosprint]

Can of worms...

I just wanted to do a compression test, but I had a couple parts from LMC I just couldn't wait to put on like the decal for my freshly painted air cleaner. I also ordered new oil caps and for some stupid reason I decided to replace the one on the passenger valve cover. Turns out it was so old and dry that it broke into pieces that fell into the valve cover. I don't want that in the oil system, so now I have to take the valve cover off before I can start the engine again or do a compression test.

It's a bit of a pain because of the AC compressor, but I get the cover off and find a crispy black worthless gasket under it, along with this:



The second rocker from the front (right on photo) is loose and sits twisted off the side of the valve spring. I took it off and find the pushrod is bent and there is a really big gouge in the side of the stud where the rocker was cutting into it. The hole in the rocker is also worn out of shape a little. I thought there was a lifter making noise, but I believe this was the problem.



Now the tough decision - keep digging or pull the motor out? I really wish I had done that compression test, and I really wanted to drive it before taking it completely apart.

[no1udknow]

Originally Posted by jimbosprint

Can of worms...

I just wanted to do a compression test, but I had a couple parts from LMC I just couldn't wait to put on like the decal for my freshly painted air cleaner. I also ordered new oil caps and for some stupid reason I decided to replace the one on the passenger valve cover. Turns out it was so old and dry that it broke into pieces that fell into the valve cover. I don't want that in the oil system, so now I have to take the valve cover off before I can start the engine again or do a compression test.

It's a bit of a pain because of the AC compressor, but I get the cover off and find a crispy black worthless gasket under it, along with this:



The second rocker from the front (right on photo) is loose and sits twisted off the side of the valve spring. I took it off and find the pushrod is bent and there is a really big gouge in the side of the stud where the rocker was cutting into it. The hole in the rocker is also worn out of shape a little. I thought there was a lifter making noise, but I believe this was the problem.



Now the tough decision - keep digging or pull the motor out? I really wish I had done that compression test, and I really wanted to drive it before taking it completely apart.

I have had some experience with this on my 73, the stud was messed up and started to come loose. My dad was looking at it with me and told me I had 2 options, either pull the head and take it down to have the stud welded in, or pull the stud, thread the hole, and use a threaded stud. The original studs are pressed into the hole and can be removed using a nut and a socket that fits over the stud, just tighten down the nut and heat the head at the base of the stud with a map gas torch and it will pull out. Then you can find replacement stud kits that come with a tap, you tap the hole, and thread in the new stud with some green loctite and voila... new stud. then you can get a new push rod pretty cheap at the local auto parts house.

[jimbosprint]

Waiting for a mechanic friend to come look at this and give his opinion on the rocker arm and stud problem... might as well get all the grease off the old valve cover.

[Jake1971]

Nice truck! From what the pics reveal I would give it a complete new wire harness,

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...artNumber=true

and if the engine is too far gone one of these
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-Pe...554709&vxp=mtr

[Oldtruckfanatic]

If it ran fine otherwise and the cam lobe isnt worn you could just replace the rocker arm and pivot ball and the pushrod. I use a slide hammer with a collet on it to pull pressed in studs and then use locktight sleeve retainer liquid and install the replacement studs. Unfortunately it looks as if yours has been run that way for a long time though and if the tip of the valve is worn crooked the rocker will always try to slide off putting a side load on the pushrod so probably wont stay fixed.

[Oldtruckfanatic]

Whats the casting number on that head. Maybe I have one.

[jimbosprint]

Originally Posted by Oldtruckfanatic

Whats the casting number on that head. Maybe I have one.

Casting number is 3986339

I also notice the pushrod moves side to side a little in the slot through the cylinder head.

[jimbosprint]

I'm starting to think crate replacement is the right thing to do. Thanks for the link.