Project C10/K20 Transplant

[gpgofast]

Well, I made a little progress this weekend. First time the cab has moved since 1980. Going to start the engine transplant process.

[gpgofast]

Test fitting the TPI. I'm going to have to go with a small distributor and it looks like I will have to modify the engine cross member. Oil pan is about a half an inch deeper than pre-86 small block Chevy.

[gpgofast]

Front clip temporarily installed. Starting to look like a truck. Punch list is pretty long still but at least I can start making a list now.

[notchbackgta]

Originally Posted by gpgofast

Test fitting the TPI. I'm going to have to go with a small distributor and it looks like I will have to modify the engine cross member. Oil pan is about a half an inch deeper than pre-86 small block Chevy.

Is that a Corvette sepentine setup? Do you also have a big cap HEI on there?

[gpgofast]

Yep, Corvette TPI, all is going to fit really well. I need to remove the AIR pump still, but all the other accessories fit really nice. Even looks like the stock AC hose will bolt up.

I will be replacing the large HEI with a small cap HEI, it is just going to to be too tight I think.

[notchbackgta]

I am used to seeing the f-body serp setup, the vette one is goofy to me. If you went with an f-body setup it would probably look cleaner. It has the Alt high on the LH, PS below R4 AC compressor high on the right with the air pump below, but the air pump is removable without really doing anything other than getting a shorter belt, but you can put the "delete" pulley in if you wanted. So from what you have there, it would delete the air pump and bring your alternator in some. You could probably just get away with the LH side bracket from an F-body and re-use the alt and PS pump you already have, that is if the vette depth of the brackets are the same

[gpgofast]

Crossmember

[gpgofast]

Well...sometimes plans get delayed. Finally getting to work on the truck again.

[gpgofast]

[gpgofast]

[gpgofast]

[gpgofast]

Progress update.

Well, I decided to go with an F-Body TBI serpentine setup. The Corvette alternator was just WAY to out there and the Corvette Power
Steering pump was not meant for a Saginaw Box. Lots of interesting things learned. NONE of the corvette belt drive pulleys or brackets swapped over. The Corvette TPI is a SHORT water pump with associated pulleys. That said, the local Pick n Pull had a 1992 TBI Camaro and I was able to get all the brackets with a PS pump minus the AC bracket for about $50. Got the AC bracket on Ebay for about $60. Had to get a new reverse rotation water pump.

...more to come.

[72 tigger]

Glad you’re back on it

[gpgofast]

Fuel delivery worked out really well. I'm doing this project on a budget and didn't want to replace the stock fuel tank. The 1986 corvette motor still has a fuel pump lobe on the camshaft even though the fuel pump plate was blocked off. Installed a stock fuel pump for a "lift" pump and plumbed in a fuel surge tank with a Bosch 044 pump inside. The truck had a return fuel line for the vapor canister that I am using as a fuel return line. Here is the fuel pump I used:

https://store.034motorsport.com/full...fuel-pump.html

I installed the surge tank underneath the battery box. You can hardly hear the pump run with the hood open and definitely quiet in the cab of the truck.

To make the newer "metric" power steering pump work with SAE fittings I used this adapter for the pump:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/clp-605sol

Contrary to what I initially thought I was able to use the large cap HEI distributor. On initial startup, I couldn't get the truck to fire. Went back home and re-read the directions. It seems that without power to the HEI it doesn't make any spark. Really helps to read the directions! Once the truck was properly timed and spark plug wires on the right terminals (it doesn't run well with #1 and #7 swapped), it runs and starts just like a FI modern engine should.

Truck is going to be a really nice drive. Should be on the road in a month or two.

[gpgofast]

Pretty good progress this weekend.

Sorted much of the cab wiring. The original owner had began troubleshooting the heater back in 1979. Wired a hotwire to the blower fan. Ended up tracing it out and found it was the fan blower relay (this is an AC truck).

Got all the dash lights working.

Need a new hazard switch, thus one has a broken knob.

Seat belts installed.

First pass at polishing the old paint.

Marker lights working.

Exhaust system complete.

Things to get done this week are to finish the brakes. Needs a new porportiining valve.

[gpgofast]

Well, quite a bit done in the last couple of weeks.

Bed is installed
All lights working
Horn works!
Radio Works!
Did a first polish of the 40 year old paint
Brakes completed minus parking brake - having trouble finding the correct rear cables

[gpgofast]

Also got both inner fenders cleaned up and painted and also got the stock 2 wheel drive fan shroud mounted (not shown in picture.

[gpgofast]

Paint is amazingly "ok"

[72 tigger]

Really shined up well! Nice progress

[gpgofast]

Radiator shroud and brackets painted.

Truck was idling REALLY rich. Computer was never going into closed loop. I took a guess that my O2 sensor was too far downstream to get up to temp as it would go closed loop if you ran at about 2K RPM for 30 seconds to a minute. Relocated the O2 sensor upstream and the truck goes into closed loop as soon as engine temp comes up.

[gpgofast]

Well, no surprise, but a 24 year old engine probably has brittle valve seals. No more smoking after a long idle.

[gpgofast]

Got my mirrors installed.

[gpgofast]

New tires. Should have interior done this week. Minor setback, new Wagner wateroump decided to separate the hub and threw the fan through my new radiator. Got to love Chinese junk.

[52napco]

That body is in amazing shape..enjoyed reading your thread

[gpgofast]

New steering wheel and carpet...

Seat cover, dash pad, shifter boots and other nick nacks en route....