'72 C-20 Project Aztec

[Aztec.A]

Howdy everyone,

I recently purchased a 1972 C-20 Custom pick up from a best friend of mine.

It still has the original build sheet on the back of the glove box. It's a pretty basic truck.

It is mostly original with a few mods my friend did to it.

It has drop spindles up front and lowering shocks and springs in the rear. Other than some headers, Cherry Bomb glasspacks that dump in back of the cab, an HEI distributor, and power brakes the truck is stock. Oh and the original color was Medium Blue, he had it resprayed with Grapefruit Yellow enamel about 10 years ago when he first bought it.

It's a non factory AC truck, has the original 350 V8, 3 on the tree, non power steering, Long bed, and I want to say has a one barrel carburetor.



As far as the rear axle goes, I believe it to be an Eaton HO52. For the life of me I can not figure out the Axle type, but it does have 17 spline axles.

The wheels were locked up in the rear and I found the issue. It was a bad inner wheel bearing. It litterally fell apart when I pulled the axle out and there is a roll pin bearing that is seized and cocked to the bearing basket assembly. The basket was also kinked and seized up on the race.

I'm having a helluva time finding the bearings local. They're pretty pricey and range from $58 to $80 each depending on the parts store.

The brake shoes look like they're in good shape and the drums are smooth and even with no scoring or grooves.

I can't say that for the front disc brakes.

I drained the cooling system and flushed the radiator and block out. I'll be sending the radiator out for a clean and repair to a family friends shop.

All the coolant lines, clamps, neck, cap, and water pump will be replaced. Heater core looks horrible.

The fuel pump is shot, I'm thinking the diaphragm is dried and won't make suction (if it has one) therefore the carb is not getting any fuel.

I did drop a splash of gas in the carb and the darn thing starts right up! (shoot me for doing that, I have a fire extinguisher in the garage)


I do have a new Brothers Truck side fill rear fuel tank. Original tank is gone as my buddy took it out years ago. I'll need so guidance with installation of the lines and filler neck so any pointers are appreciated.

For now the main goal is to get it in running conditon so I can make good use of it while I get my other frame built up.

So far I have a Holley 650 DP that I rebuilt, Victor Jr. Intake (yes its a single plane and I plan to cam and swap heads), Holley electric fuel pump w fuel pressure regulator, spark plugs, top end gaskets, fuel pump block off, air cleaner, water pump, thermostat, intake water neck, upper and lower radiator hoses, and the rear mount fuel tank. I can't complain since all this was free from my uncle. I'll play with the small block for now.

I have C-10 long bed frame that was given to me for free and I will be shortening it and doing a new short bed, full Porter Built suspension system, Accuair, LS Power (LQ4 w L92 heads or other LS Variant), T-56 trans, Infinity Box wire harness/control module, and 18-19 in wheels and tires. Unsure on the rear diff combination.

I own a wrap, window film, paint protection, and automotive lighting business. So I will also feature my products and services on it as well.


Here are a few pictures that I have so far.

Thank you in advance for any support, following, advise, hating, etc. It's much needed!

[swamp rat]

Same exact rear axle as in my truck, Ho-52 full floating with the larger drums, The origional bearing were called Barrel roller bearings, they have been phased out and now regular tapered roller bearings are avalable, i got mine thry NAPA, cost wise they seemed reasonable, at under $50 i think. i have only seen that chartruse paint about 3 different times in my life in these trucks, pretty rare.

[dfwright]

Welcome to the board! I'll be watching the build with interest. It looks like you have a solid start there, and I'll definitely be on the lookout for that truck around town after you get it running. I think it will be hard to miss!

[Aztec.A]

Swamp Rat, I see why they're called Barrels and the parts guy did tell me they're tapered and ordered them for me. I did notice these drums are have fins for heat dissipation on them compared to some of the other drums that are on the 8 luggers.

I can say it's safe to assume I have the larger drums. I measured the ID and they're 11".

DF Wright, I hope I run into you around town. It'd be nice to know some of the local C series folks out here. I'm on the NW side near Helotes.

It should be running as soon as Thanksgiving passes.

[Aztec.A]

Just an update on what I've done so far over the weekend and yesterday.

I got curious about the paint and hit it with a medium polish and it brightened up the paint pretty good.

I also degreased the engine and power washed under the hood and basically the whole truck, bed, and under the chassis. I did find an engine under all the gunk lol.

I finished up the carburetor and put a power valve plug and wiped down the carb. Too bad the throttle plate and body was too big to dunk in the Chem Dip.

I picked up an electric fuel pump to use for now. got it for under 40$ from Advance using their 20% off online codes and picking up in store.

I need to configure the fuel lines and all these barbs on the tank. As well as the filler neck. I used an air chisel and took out the required rear cross member to mount the tank.

I was able to put half of the bearings back in the basket and slide it back on to the axle to mount the tire back on. Filled up the dry rotted tires and had my neighbor push the truck in the garage. You can see in the pic how the bearing is seized and the basket is cinched.

I got the head lights to work too. Truck has no front signal lights and none of the other lights work at all.

I also scored an AGM battery that is 2 mos old from my cousins Autozone store. A customer of his purchased it and had him install it. He came back 2 mos later and traded up for an optima deep cycle. I got it for 40$.

Plugs need to be replaced and so do the spark wires. I'm going one heat range hotter on the plugs and picking up some Taylor Cable Spiro Pro wires so I can custom fit them around the HEI and Headers.

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by Aztec.A

Swamp Rat, I see why they're called Barrels and the parts guy did tell me they're tapered and ordered them for me. I did notice these drums are have fins for heat dissipation on them compared to some of the other drums that are on the 8 luggers.

I can say it's safe to assume I have the larger drums. I measured the ID and they're 11".

DF Wright, I hope I run into you around town. It'd be nice to know some of the local C series folks out here. I'm on the NW side near Helotes.

It should be running as soon as Thanksgiving passes.

Yes larger than the other drums i have seen posted, but my understanding is the HO-72 has even larger drums, upwards of 13" i think?? Man your inner bearing was toast!

[sduckworth13]

Nice job buffing out the paint it looks great.

[Aztec.A]

Swamp rat, yes sir that bearing is toast, I have another on the way. I did happen to see a larger brake set up compared to the one I have and yes it was on an HO-72.

I seem to find some folks that have HO-52's with small blocks and manual transmissions have 4.10 or 4.57's for gear ratios.

How could I find out what I have?

sduckworth13, thanks man! It didn't take much to buff it out that nice. Paint is enamel so it brightens up really quick.


I did manage to get my spark wires and find the right fuel line/pressure gauge set up. I got them for cheap at Pep Boys using their cyber monday and christmas special online codes and choose store pick up.

The fuel line I originally purchased was a Trans Dapt that had the 3/8 line connectors, but the nuts that have the flanges that hold the spring, filter, and gaskets on the carb were for smaller line diameters and had a fine thread.

Good ole trusty Mr. Gasket set up took care of me again and came with the larger 3/8 connecting hardware etc.

[Aztec.A]

Now time to find a new throttle cable since this one has seen better days. I need to figure out which to use and what kinda brackets/springs I need to fit on the Edelbrock intake and with this 650 Holley dp. I believe it's a 4150 series carb.

Any recommendations?????

[Aztec.A]

Thanks to Swamp Rat for giving me some ideas on throttle cable recommendations.

I found a nice Lokar cable and bracket to use. I like it since it gives me the flexiblity to cut to size.

I also picked up a set of Proform valve covers to clean up the engine a bit. The originals have seen better days and I may end up changing the cam soon down the road along with the rocker arms. I got the tall covers.

I also scored some ARP bolts for the intake manifold, valve covers , and the carburetor.

It's been nice getting these parts from pepboys for 25-30% off using their online coupon.

I'm trying not to spend a lot of money to get this truck running for cheap.

The challenge I've given myself is to get it on the road for cheap with out sacrificing quality parts. I tend to go all out when it's not necessary, so this will be fun!


I sent the old victor jr intake to my uncle to have him tig weld to build up a hole and retap on the coolant flange. Waiting on that to come back so I can get back to work.

[swamp rat]

Nice progres!

[Aztec.A]

Thanks Swamp Rat!

I should have some more progress over the weekend.

So far I need to clean up all the old gasket pieces stuck to the block and make sure I'm carful not to get any debris in the intake and exhaust ports on the heads.

I really need to figure out the fuel tank situation.

The truck came with a side fill tank and I really want it to be a bed fill.

I need to find some installation threads on here. It's the Brothers Truck steel tank and all it came with is the tank, straps, and a sending unit.

I don't know how to set up a vent and which lines to plug up.

Dave

[BigMike]

To do a bed fill in my truck with the same tank you have here is what I used.

A boat style fuel cap & housing and a 73-78 pickup fuel hose to make it work right. Below are the parts I used, got both off of eBay.

Hope it helps.

Fuel filler


Hose

[Aztec.A]

BigMike,

Thanks for the information. I figured something like what you showed me to use could be found.

I take it I'd have to put the hose at an angle and the boat filler neck will sit offset towards the drivers side rear fender.

I did take a look at your website to see if I saw any pictures. I saw a couple and the YouTube video.

Nice build by the way! I'll be using your work for reference on my build!

Dave

[BigMike]

It's been a slow process that's for sure. I recently upgraded my tank to a Boyd's aluminum because one thing you may find is that the setup you have is slow to fill. Not sure if you have the monstrous fill nozzles like we have at our gas stations but every time I put gas in it's a pain in the butt. I have to hold the vacuum mechanism up because the nozzle will not go all the way into the filler and put gas in very slowly or it overflows all over the place. It's a two handed and sometimes messy task. The tank I got from Boyd's is a bed fill so it's a direct shot into the tank and I won't have to monkey around with it every time I put gas in it.

As far as the throttle cable I went with a Lokar setup and LOVE it! It's cable driven and the throttle is smooth as silk and super easy to set up. I also bought the Lokar Eliminator floor mount throttle pedal to clean up the firewall. I really like the Lokar products and plan to put more of their stuff in my truck as well. Eventually a trans mounted shifter, e-brake setup & brake pedal assembly.

A little off topic, but my wife can retire in 5 years & we are thinking of coming down to your neck of the woods. We have good friends that live in New Braunfels so we are thinking anywhere between San Antonio & Austin. There is no way she can retire if we live here so we'd sell our house and hopefully be able to buy a decent spread down there.

[swamp rat]

Sounds to me that you may have the pic's on a webpage? you could load from your C drive if you download the pic's off your picture webpage.

Keep up the good work.

[Aztec.A]

Swamp Rat, I was trying to upload from my c drive, but no matter what I do now it will not work.

I'll try this way from my new photobucket account.

[Aztec.A]

It's been a while since I've been back on.

I still have yet to get this old truck started, however I have some good progress to report.

Since my tank is a 21 gal side fill tank it has a taller profile on the top side. With that being said it created some challenges for me.

The Brothers tank is a decent quality tank, BUT I feel it's very generic as far as hardware and instructions. Seems to me like there are very vague installation instructions on their site an on the various forums.

With that being said I had to improvise like everything else on this truck has been so far.

I cut these tabs off of the tank that were sticking up towards the frame on the tank supports. I grinded them smooth and I tried to mount the tank flush to the frame.

Well this made the filler neck move about 3/4" towards the cab and stick out of the bed floor. I'll be making a plate to surround underneath fuel cap to cover up the small gap.

I ended up cutting the filler neck down and ordered a push style fuel cap from LMC. I found some Gates fuel tank hose and cut about a 2.5 piece while clamping it to the neck.

I trimmed the floor some and got it mounted. I also had some spacers and got some longer bolts to mount the tank to the frame. The straps are ridiculous to work with since for some reason the j-bolts kept slipping out of the holes when lightly tightening them.

I'll be putting some nylon centered nuts on the tank bolts and some rubber pads between the frame and the spacers. The spacers dropped the tank about 1.5" to give me plenty of space to trim the tank hose and fuel cap.

The tank hangs lower than it should but can barely be seen from the rear of the truck at bumper level.

I did manage to route the fuel line and temporary route the power wire so I can control it from the front of the truck while I set my fuel bowl level.

I also mounted the Holley fuel pump on the cross brace that is above the pan hard bar. Since my shock are blown and dangling from the frame I was able to check for suspension clearance at full suspension droop leaving 1" of clearance while the bump stops were compressed on the rear axle.

I hope this pump is mounted ok since I have no way of mounting it on the main frame over the axle with the brake lines in the way. I def do not want to mount on the outside of the frame in back of that rear wheel. It'd be a disaster if there was a blow out lol.

This tank has giving me so much hell since it's just me working with it and I have no help.

I did manage to make a vent line with a breather cap I made from a headlight vent. the material is a gortex material and flows plenty of air and will also leave no room for critters to block the line.

[Aztec.A]

It runs!!!!!!
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[BigMike]

YeeHAW! Very cool...

Great feeling isn't it

[Aztec.A]

https://youtu.be/umCZf1TtxmY

Here's the YouTube link. It's not much but you can see it runs. My uncle who taught me all I know about automobiles is the bald guy. He came over and refreshed my mind with the basics of a carburetor and ignition timing. It takes a special kinda mechanic to fitness old school technology.


Hell yeah BigMike, it feels great!
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[notsolo]

Nice clean setup under the hood, truck sounds good too. You probably know this, but, original front rotors have a Vee groove on outer face.

[Aztec.A]

notsolo,

Thanks for the comments. Yes the truck does sound nice for such a simple and short exhaust.

Thank you for the pics. I finally took one of the front wheels off and yes you're right it does have a vee groove on the rotors.

Unfortunately the truck sat for about 5 years and my rotors are very rusted, have way too many deep grooves and they're very thin. The calipers are rusted and seized. I've noticed the soft lines are dry rotting and I have no brake pressure feed back in the pedal. No firmness at all, it's like a limp noodle.



Fortunately the brake light switch works and I have the rear markers, tail lights and brake lights working now. Head lights work and I have fire to the front turn signals and front side markers.



I do have a bad ground on the side markers since I'm picking up a very small voltage reading and a working set of bulbs will not spark.

I'll run a separate ground to the pigtail and see if they come on. If they do it's definitely a bad ground and I'll find it.

Reverse lights have no fire in the rear, I'm thinking it's in the fuse box or the hard to find switch in my steering column.

New Wiring Harness from Brothers is in it's very near future.

Back to the brakes. As far the rear, the drums look fine with no rust, could use a quick turn and the shoes look new. I need to figure out how to get the E-Brake working and replace the rear brake cylinders.

I've made the decision to redo the entire brake system. Truck has been previously converted to power brakes.

I found a company called Inline Tube. They make reproduction stainless and oem brakelines and offer replacement softlines and even make them in stainless braided! Very reasonable on prices and a lot more affordable than LMC.

I really can't do much work on the truck right now since it's not movable. I have a slop in my driveway and no brakes or help to move it out. I'll attempt it when I'm ready to rebuild the braking system.

I did manage to refurbish the headlight switch and this got most of the lights operable.



I also need to find a picture of the oem fuse box marking for fuse locations.

Mine was completely covered in paint when the PO had it resprayed.

So if anyone can help, I'd greatly appreciate a pic!

[dfwright]

There's a thread posted in the FAQ in the electrical section that has the labels for the fuse box.

Labled Fuse box

[Aztec.A]

Originally Posted by dfwright

There's a thread posted in the FAQ in the electrical section that has the labels for the fuse box.

Labled Fuse box

Awesome! Thanks for the link dfwright!