72 lwb ongoing project (my 1st build thread/1st old school)

[fapfap72]

also ordered my Ron Francis kit & a firewall hole cover yesterday, great customer service, they threw in the firewall cover for free since I bought a kit. ordering several more items from them in the next week, blank switch panel, anti theft relay, etc..

[fapfap72]

realized that the alternator my buddy got me for free from his shop was internally regulated and I was running it off the external regulator lol, rookie mistake but I've learned the difference in the 10SI and 10DN connectors now, for the kit I just selected the 10SI connector (internal regulated 73-86) and I will just bypass the external regulator

[Ol Blue K20]

Originally Posted by fapfap72

picked up a set of 4 steelies yesterday, set of 4 15" 5 on 5, paid 150 for the set, these were in a storage lot but have a piece of paper taped to em that says they were on a 55 pontiac, I plan to clean em up, soak em in metal rescue rust remover, then paint em red & maybe get white wall tires

You probably should test fit the wheels before you put alot of time in them. They won't clear your brake calipers on the front if I remember correctly. Not to be a kill joy

[fapfap72]

I thought these trucks had the 5 on 5 pattern ?

[Ol Blue K20]

They do..but... older wheels don't always clear the disc brake calipers so test 'em before you do alot of work

[fapfap72]

okay thanks for the help man I'm testing em now, looks like they probably won't clear tho :/

[fapfap72]

they are sooo close to sitting flush, I would be interested in some new calipers anyway, do they make some that are a little more slim ? because these wheels almost sit flush on the hub, off by just a little

[Ol Blue K20]

I'm not sure, I would suggest you wait for someone else to chime in, someone here knows just gotta find them

[fapfap72]

If I use spacers and make sure everything's torqued down, double checked, loctite & and sealed tight then it would prolly be fine, they are millimeters away from being even

[fapfap72]

thanks for the help man I do appreciate it

[Ol Blue K20]

No problem, glad to help when I can

[fapfap72]

got the weights off & valve stems pulled out & took the one wheel with the tire on it up to discount tire & got it dismounted, tried to go to the lewisville TX feed mill today but little did I know they closed it down, gunna go to tractor supply co or something to get some sugar beet molasses so I can start the chelation process on these wheels, gunna mix it with water at a ratio of 7 parts water to 1 part molasses and see what a good 2 week soak does for these

[502ms]

If you must keep those wheels, you might be able to have them milled to clear the caliper...but it might be best you,restore them, sell them for a profit, and get the steelies you want that fit. Check with Eric Shirley...he might have the steelies I sent him home with last year. They are in my build thread.
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[fapfap72]

I bought 2 half inch spacers for the front wheels so they will clear, I think they could look good once I clean them up & possibly paint em white to match the roof, what u think ? they are soaking in molasses & water right now to de-rust so I can get a clean coat on there

[DubaiPiratTaxi]

Nice project. It'll be a great ride in no time. ;-)
I've just bought my first 72 lwb truck and I'm learning just like you.

[fapfap72]

awesome man cant wait to get her on the road, good luck with your K20!
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[fapfap72]

pics of og firewall hole & center section of firewall insulation

[fapfap72]

Ron Francis kit arrived last night

[fapfap72]

using the og plastic housing for the column wires, bit of a pita to remove these but once I got the hang of it the last 6 or 7 pig tails were easy to remove, for those who may stumble across this and need the help, you have to find a tiny flathead screwdriver or a cotter pin or something small to push one of the tiny hooks on the side of each individual connector away then pull it out the back, at least thats how i got mine out, it's ready for the new pig tails to snap right in

[fapfap72]

was able to successfully install the sticker, #TeamRonFrancis.. and this is the new mounting place I chose, cut a section of firewall insulation padding out

[fapfap72]

just to clarify, Ron Francis fuse panels are front loading, and no wire will be ran thru this firewall point behind the motor, it will all come out at the bottom and sides of the panel and run in braided covering or loom leashed down and cleanly ran over the steering column out of sight and wires for the engine will go through the firewall hole cover, which has two 1" grommets and does not come with the kit but costs 17 bucks and was thrown in free with my kit

[fapfap72]

^ this is one big difference between Ron Francis Wiring & Painless Performance, from what I understand, painless products are pre-terminated to the panel and you route them and have to keep them from becoming tangled or getting confused as you go. Whereas in Ron Francis systems you run wire from the item to the panel and terminate yourself. I think this makes for a simpler process and less potential headache/confusion. But it's all preference, whatever gets the job done. Also this color coded GXL crosslink, legibly & often printed wire looks beautiful in this kit and I believe it will last me quite a while, high quality stuff

[Hardesty454]

Looks good buddy! Keep up the process. One thing to keep in mind is to make SMALL projects. Don't tackle the whole truck all at once. You'll get discouraged.
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[fapfap72]

Thanks for the feedback & advice, I will try and keep my projects maintained and pace myself lol, this big project just had to be done 100% before I could move on lol it was a bit of a nightmare, gotta get it daily driveable then i can take on bigger projects lol
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[502ms]

Looking good.
I need to see more of what you are doing...post pics
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