new c10 owner....have some questions

[chappys4life]

Just bought a 82 c10 shortbed over the weekend. 97,000 miles, 305, and th350 tranny. Its a little rough on the outside and the interior is shot. I picked up as a backup driver as my primary driver is a 53 f100 so it can be picky.

I picked up some bosch plugs, msd cap/rotor, and some new door panels. I also ordered a edlebrock 14" air cleaner and accel wires.

I am trying to make this a rock stable driver so I am trying to plan out everything but I have a few questions.

1. What is there for aftermarket exhaust? I cant really find a kit so I have been debating getting a magnaflow high flow cat and a flowmaster dual exit super 40 and running it after the factory y.

2. Does someone sell a whole front end rebuild kit? I am looking for ball joints, tie rods, Tie Rod Adjusting Sleeves, bushings for a arms or do I need to go to napa and order it all?

3. Whats the easiest and cheapest way to get rear discs? Is there a adapter to use gm factory discs?

4. Can I remove the egr system? I have a edlebrock performer intake but it does not have all the egr crap.

5. When I close my doors sometimes the come out like there is a gap between the door and the body but they dont open any more. How do I fix that.

6. Whats the best tonneau cover to get? Should I go the soft with snaps or the hard one that flips up? Never bought one before but was thinking soft would be most practical since it is a work truck still.

Thanks guys for all the help.

[flamingbig10]

welcome, the tune ups is a good start, for the exhaust I would go to the muffler shop, for the rear disc there from a late model big gm car, and there is a kit but I don't remember who make's them,
for the front I've just seen the bushing's in kit, for the door there adjustment at the edge of the fender, and I went with LeBra Ultra Lift System Tonneau Cover

[JohnC]

Hey welcome to the boards. Sounds like you have a heck of a list going. Here's my two cents on it.
1) I like Flowmaster, and Magnaflow. Both are good systems. I would check your local muffler shop. They may be cheaper and easier than a kit. Also check with them for local laws. You may not have to have a cat. If you could avoid getting one I would.
2)Someone one here just asked that, but I can't remember who they said had one. I think it was like PST or something like that.
3)Check out http://www.blackbirdscustomtrucks.com/index7.html Someone on here has used their kit, and said it was awesome.
4)Removing EGR shouldn't be a problem, just depends on how strict your local emmissions laws are.
5)Like stated above the bushings are notorious about getting worn out, also check the striker. You can adjust them back and forth to fix some of the gaps.
6)This really depends on how you use the truck. I have a Soft tonneau, with no snaps on mine. I pull a gooseneck trailer on occasion so I needed something fast to take off, and not have to hassle with. The hard tops if you don't haul a lot of big stuff, or anything are great, and are more secure. Just kind of comes down to your use and preference.

[JW76]

PST Peformance Suspension Technology sells all kinds of suspension stuff for the trucks. They have front end kits, body mount kits, sway bar kits, drop kits, etc. They also have disc brake kits, new master cylinders, etc. www.p-s-t.com

[JW76]

Also, for exhaust I have headers to three inch pipe with no cats. I put Flowmaster Super 44 mufflers just after the cab. Then the pipes turn out just before the rear wheels on both sides. The pipe diameter is a little overkill but it sounds great with a little bit of cam and compression. It cost 125 for the pipes and bending and 160 for the mufflers.

[chappys4life]

I completely forgot about the striker plates once you guys said that I hit my forehead lol. Called napa by my house and they have them in stock. I emailed pst about what kit was right fore my truck as the one they listed did not seem complete.

Sadly I need to save for a new carb. I think my floats are sticking which cause my car to cut off sometimes at idle. Once I get it started a black smoke cloud comes out of my exhaust and I am am fine. Hoping the tune up helps.

My starter messed up in my 53 but hopefully I will have it fixed today so I can stop driving my c10 and give it some love.

[piecesparts]

I have two square bodies in my garage. Mine is an 84 GMC and my Son's is an 86 Silverado. Both are SWB trucks with lowering kits on them. The exhaust system on them are 2 1/2" duals with Flowmaster mufflers. i talked to the Flowmaster guys before building the exhaust and this is what their computer put up as the best all around flow capabilities for the engin sizes. I run a hard tonneau on my truck (SNUGLID brand) and the Son's truck has a soft tonneau (EXTANG brand). I also run and EXTANG soft tonneau on my daily work truck---you can't beat them.

The front end repairs in my area is easiest to just go to the local supply outlet and purchase, but then again you can order from LMC, if needed. The rear brake kits are out there, and many outlets have them, however I have never had a shortage of stopping power on my 84 with the rear drum brakes and it is pushing some serious HP.

I have had the doors apart more than once and a lot of your issues is most undobtedly around the striker bolt and latching mechanism. They do wear out.

If your emmissions rules are not to bad, then removing the air pump, the EGR, the catalytic converter, and any nasty little relay controlled by the computer will clean up the engine. Remember it is nothing more than a large air pump and works off of fuel injected. I ran mine for many years with everything removed and the distributor changed over to an older style HEI unit, so the computer did not feed into the spark. It worked great and now with the latest engine install, the computer is "Sleeping with the Fishes" in a lake somewhere. The updating of going to an HEI will solve a lot of starting and running issues.

[73chevyman]

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http://www.73-87.com/links/trklinks.htm


hope this helps ya

[chappys4life]

Well did some tune up stuff and maintenance on the truck. God this truck was rigged. No filter in the air cleaner just oil in the bottom part. Plugs where shot. Pcv hose had duck tape on it. Vacuum hoses all are cracked. I knew it needed some attention but did not realize so much.

Installed the plugs, cap, rotor, and had a spare filter. Once those where done it started and ran better. Going to get some strikers, hoses, and new fuel filter (it has a clear one now with replaceable elements) later today.

Instead of using the stock pcv system are there push in filters for the valve covers like edlebrock makes that fit the factory valve covers? I have a edlebrock one and its to big for the holes.

[Damien]

Leave the PCV system intact. It helps to draw vapors and moisture out of the crankcase.

I have never had good luck with the Accel plugwires. They will start to arc out soon. I would use a good quality stock replacement wire set or Taylors.

The striker may just need to be adjusted in. Try The striker before you start trying to realign the door from the hinges.

Good luck.

[chappys4life]

Hmm wierd I have always had great luck with accel. Weird.