"Brown Truck" 1984 K30 Crew Cab

[Devillusion]

How is the interior holding up so far?

[Dieselwrencher]

The truck looks nice without the moulding, but that tip is too dang small!

[yousesteers]

Interior is holding up good does not seem to scratch to easy

[yousesteers]

I have not got anything done in a month on this truck, parts are still sitting on the floor just minor stuff to put on but we are busy at work may be a month before I get anything else done we did get a really nice long bed 2wd on a consignment auction we are having. I have not even been driving the truck to work just take my John Deere Gator it is only a mile i hate to start the diesel in the cold to drive a mile.

[Dieselwrencher]

That's crazy, a mile to work? Yeah, it would take more fuel to warm it up than to get to work for sure!

[87chevy305]

Question on fuel swap from gas to diesel , what did you do with the pumps that where in the tank? Did you leave them in pull em out? Please go into details on what you did with the fuel system . I'm currentlydoingthe same swap and need some help here . Thanks
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[Dieselwrencher]

I remove them and install a draw straw to feed the factory lift pump or after market fuel system. I leave the factiry sending unit so the stock fuel gauge will operate normally.

[87chevy305]

Thank you for the quick response!! Do you remember where you got the Draw straw from ?
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[Dieselwrencher]

I can get them from a few places for you. Or you can build your own from steel tubing like brake line and fuel line.

[yousesteers]

Mine only had Straws (no in tank pump) with the sock on the end I had removed the sock when it was a gas truck so I just put line from the factory steel lines to the lift pump on the cummins some time I want to redo all of it and run it straight up the driverside but I was on a real time constraint at the time so took the easy route

[snm95ls]

Love it!

What size tires are you running in the last pic you posted?

[yousesteers]

Originally Posted by snm95ls

Love it!

What size tires are you running in the last pic you posted?

Those are 265/75/16 when I put new ones on may jump up a size.

[yousesteers]

Took the truck on its first long trip about 220 miles round trip took an empty trailer one way and got a load of machinery. It ran great and made it ok I still need a second overdrive I could run about 65 to 70mph on I-70 just kinda fell in with the governed semis and stayed there. I have added a couple small things to the truck like a coolant over flow and just odds and ends nothing major.

Does any body have a source for factory front leaf springs checked Rock Auto they offer a 3 leaf pack mine has 4. Local auto parts stores can only get lift springs.

[joe231]

What gears in the diffs?

Was that 70mph loaded?
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[yousesteers]

It has 4:56 gears in it. does not matter 70mph loaded or empty any more and it just pushes to many RPMs. I want to put a gear vendors in to give a second overdrive this should make it cruise pretty comfortable at 80mph or so and not push a great amount of RPMs yet retain my lower gears for in town or larger loads.

[crewcabsquared]

My 86 K30 crew had 3 leafs in the front from the factory, but there were many different spring combos used on these 1 tons. Are yours bad, you need replacements? I have my original springs that are in good shape if you just need some replacements. I put lift springs under mine. If so let me know.
Steve

[Dieselwrencher]

Check out Husky spring. They offer 3 and 4 leaf springs. I'd either re gear your axles or lift your truck a little and put a taller tire on. Those over drives are pricey. They are nice, but re gearing would be cheaper for sure. Just to give you an idea, my 95 F-350 has a VE 12v in it. It has 3:55's and 285's. It has a ZF5 ford trans which 5th is an over drive. It gets 21mpg hwy and 17-18 every day driving back and forth to work. I drive from 25-75mph most days. A Gear Vendors was like $3500 for a dodge cummins last I checked. You can buy a nice set of gears and a posi for the rear and front and have some left over.

[yousesteers]

My springs are shot they were before I put the cummins in the bushings are gone and the springs sag pretty bad I am just gonna put a new 4 leaf pack on. I checked into the Gear Vendors it was gonna run about $2500 to go on the 205 transfer case. $2500 is most of the reason I have not done it yet. I am getting good fuel milage I just want a little more speed for the interstate driving. I dont drive my truck every day some times not even every week it is my only vehicle but it is only 1 mile to work on gravel road so I just take our John Deere Gator. Most of the time when I drive it it stays with in 15 miles of home but there are those times I go on a long trip to pick something up.

[Dieselwrencher]

Nothing else look around for a mud bog guy or a rock crawler who wants 4:56 axles and swap them.

[gvchevy]

Try Al Scheppers Motor Company in Jefferson City Mo. best source for local, the last set I bought was the best price around they also sell replacement leafs if you just want to rebuild. They also have a press to bend new u-bolts I hope this helps.

[JPalmer81]

Good lookin truck. My old boss had property right outside of paris that i went deer hunting on every year. Thinkin about putting the NV4500 in my truck, doing some research on it now. Good job on the build so far, needs about a 2.5-4 lift IMO, but that is just me. So what is nect on the list?

[nekkidhillbilly]

4:56 is a little deep actually most diesel trucks are running 3:73 gears and can pull 18k

[yousesteers]

I knew the 4.56 were too low when i put the motor in. I just flat ran out of time on the engine swap so once it was running and moving down the road I drove it the plan at that time was to swap gears the truck the motor and trans came out of had 3.42 I was going to put in 3.73 but have not ordered the gears so have been thinking about a way to split what I got. The truck most generally does not go over 30 miles from home and probably has a trailer on 50% of the time (moving machinery and cattle).

As far as what is next I am have a few things.

small stuff I want to change with the motor swap
electric fan controllers
clean the wiring up
fix windshield wipers

new front leaf springs

finish the interior
little more sound deadening
head liner
sound system

Paint going to have the local Vo tech school paint it some time next school year if funds allow

[yousesteers]

I have put a little under 10,000 miles on the truck since the swap. I replaced the radiator in it a couple of weeks ago mine started leaking. It was the original 4 core radiator and I think the Cummins ended up just shaking it apart. I have not really got anything else done on the truck. Bought a new farm/house and have spent every free minute doing stuff to it. That and the new place has no shop at all just a small 1 car garage the the mirrors on the truck have to be folded in to get it in and then just the hood and half the cab will fit so if I do anything either do it in drive way or go to dad's shop. not much of an update but all I got for now. truck will get driven until I get a shop built then will go back to working on it.

[Truck Guy99]

About how much did it cost you for the swap? Would you mind doing a cost breakdown?