Big Blue 1975 C30 --> K30 Conversion and other Upgrades.

[wixthedog]

Looking great! You are doing solid work for what appears to be a fairly small shop, I know the feeling well!

[Honest Bob]

Originally Posted by wixthedog

Looking great! You are doing solid work for what appears to be a fairly small shop, I know the feeling well!

Thanks! Its a 20x20 this weekend I hope to get the 7' 11" truck out of the 8' garage door. I really could have used a bit more room during this project, but I cant move until the truck is back on the road.

[wixthedog]

Originally Posted by Honest Bob

Thanks! Its a 20x20 this weekend I hope to get the 7' 11" truck out of the 8' garage door. I really could have used a bit more room during this project, but I cant move until the truck is back on the road.

I ran into that problem before and ended up having to air down all of the tires to get it to fit! Good luck.

[Honest Bob]

Big progress but not alot of pictures since its been dark when I get home. Got the front end and bed on. The passenger fender to door alignment really spun me for a loop. Apparently I needed a spacer under the front passenger side of the cab mount (luckily found it laying on the old frame still!). Spent a good 12 hours on it.

Replaced the lap belts with three point belts from the other truck. Just had to drill a new hole in the floor.

[Honest Bob]

Rest of those pictures.

[Honest Bob]

I got to take the truck out for a spin but it wont shift out of first in d or manually (reverse works). I've tried just about everything. I have vacuum at the modulator, I replaced the modulator with another I had, the kickdown solenoid (that I just replaced) clicks when supplied 12v, tried running with the kickdown solenoid unplugged all with no difference.

I did install the new kickdown solenoid using the original metal gasket which I am beginning to think I should not have used and could be my problem.



Gotta drop the pan again.

It will give me the chance to replace the leaking trans cooling line and speedometer gear. I got a deep transmission pan with a drain plug on it in case I need to go back in again.

Otherwise the motor seems to be running great.

[Honest Bob]

Removing the kickdown solenoid gasket didnt solve anything. Trans fluid had a whole lot of clutch material in it for driving it around the block.

The transfer case fluid had some water in it and rust (I should have tore it apart before...), I found some ground teeth and shift rails are kinda chewed up.

What to do.. after about a month or so of going over my options I decided to go with a 4l80e and rebuilding the np205 (I have another np205 to scavenge some parts from) with a twin stick. I picked up a 4l80e from a 2003 savanna with 163k on it, hopefully its got a couple more miles left on it.

[Honest Bob]

I managed to come across a Dana 60 with the correct gear ratio that I couldnt pass up.

[Honest Bob]

More pictures of the transfer case work.

[Honest Bob]

Finally got the NP205 back together with new bearings shift forks and shift collars. Got the PML trans pan on the 4l80e. Just waiting on some good weather to throw this stuff in the truck. Oh yeah and I went with the JB customs twin stick for the hell of it.

[Honest Bob]

I had to swap out the rear backing plates to the 80's type to match the m1010 frame ebrake setup. These were a hard to find item (the 1 ton 3.5" backing plates are not being reproduced as far as I could find) but ebay to the rescue.

The transfer case has been installed removed and installed again (forgot to install the gasket between the np205 and trans the first time causing a massive leak).

I put together an exhaust system using some ebay knock off hooker ls swap manifolds, Hooker manifold to exhaust adapter 520-70701403-R, Hooker 520-16526 exhaust system with some Hooker 520-21005 mufflers and a Jegs H pipe kit. It fit suprisingly well and was even able to fit a stock sized spare tire.

[Honest Bob]

I had to make some more exhaust hangars to match the rest. The tailgate needed some love to get the levers on the sides to move again.

[Honest Bob]

I was able to drive the truck to work last week, the drive in was great but upon walking out to the truck after work I noticed a puddle of brake fluid under the proportioning valve. I was able to limp it home and order another proportioning valve. It ran great otherwise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC_I-zdQI8k

[LT7A]

Originally Posted by Honest Bob

Removing the kickdown solenoid gasket didnt solve anything.

I don't mean to sound unsympathetic or over-simplify anything, but I think I have spotted the problem. If you look in the upper left hand corner, it is cleverly camouflaged, but it appears that there was a wrench in the works...

[LT7A]

On a serious note, you have done a great job of building a very capable truck. I hope you keep going with the level of detail that you have been attaining -- It's cool to watch!

[Honest Bob]

Originally Posted by LT7A

On a serious note, you have done a great job of building a very capable truck. I hope you keep going with the level of detail that you have been attaining -- It's cool to watch!

I swear my drain pan is highly magnetic, at least my tools arent going to rust! Its been over a year of work but I should be very close to being able to drive it reliably soon.

[Honest Bob]

A replacement proportioning valve fixed the brake fluid leak. Got new front and rear driveshafts made up. Also started getting the new hump and its matching part installed and applying sound deadener in the cab.

[Honest Bob]

I decided to make the 2nd panel that I cut out removable as well (rivnuts are awesome!) so next time the transfer case needs to come out I can remove the seat and use an engine hoist instead of wrestling that beast in from underneath. Oh and I added a cucv rifle mount.

[Honest Bob]

Completed some more sound deadening and filling in the hole for the manual trans in the hump. The white hump I bought on ebay I believe came from a blazer which turned out to be longer than the pickup? It all fit up so whatever.

[Honest Bob]

Well the truck has been running well and goes pretty good it the snow. The np205 keeps popping out of low but I'm not enthused about pulling that thing again. I believe its the gear that the shift collar slides onto, I used the nicest one I had but it was a little worn.

I prepped and painted the Hickey bull bar and the metal cups that were supposed to be used in conjunction with the cab mounts (I didnt know they existed! I thought it was just like the 70's cab mounts that were just rubber.).

Up next on the list is redoing the Dana 60 I have for the front end to make it a true K35. Just waiting on parts from offroad design.

[Honest Bob]

Work has begun on rebuilding the dana 60 for the front end. I have new bearings, seals, kingpins, Hill Billy Wizard spindle hub/dust shields, Yukon locking hubs, and an ox locker ready to go in. Almost every single bolt has been a test in patience, lots of pb blaster and heat has been used. The kingpins I welded some junk metal to and knocked them loose with a sledge, worked great.

[Honest Bob]

Everything getting a fresh coat of primer and paint.

[Honest Bob]

Out with the 10 bolt and in with the fresh dana 60 with an ox locker. Oh and I ended up acquiring a second squarebody. Crap!

[Honest Bob]

I scored some 16x7 wheels with 285/75/16 BFG mud terrains from marketplace!

[LT7A]

Good work - somehow I missed the last update. And tell us more about the cool new squarebody. Your new wheels and tires look the business. Just right for the rig, I think.