72 GMC K2500, short bed build

[randy500]

I got the windows fitted, no big deal just had to start each screw so I could wiggle them all into alignment.
The vent windows are my rebuilt ones I have been selling with new rubber and felt. They fit good but opened and closed better before installation.
Repro door latch fits and works good.
Original regulator fit, had to start all screws and wiggle around to get them all started then tighten down.
At first I installed a real nice used rear run channel felt, the window hung up bad so i installed a new repro felt and now the window operates smooth and easy.
Overall I’m real happy with the door fit.

[randy500]

The hooks were sitting on my bench, in my way, i thought i checked and all my 72’s and none of them had tow hook holes in the frame, then i remembered i didn't have this truck last time i looked for tow hook holes.
It had the holes so i mounted them.

[randy500]

I had this repro 72 driver side door on my 72 short bed big block truck, i couldn't make it fit that cab right, the door latch was too low, i even hogged out the striker plate holes which only exposed the holes which was going to cause an air and water leak at the striker plate holes.

I was hesitant to fit it to this cab but went ahead anyway.
Result is it fits nice.
I previously hogged out the upper hinge holes where they bolt to the cab to get the door to adjust downward and back. That was also needed on this cab.

I had to hog out the lower wing window mounting holes holes.

As you can see i fit all the parts to the door, the windows work good.
I also installed precision push on cab to door weatherstripping.
The door shuts real nice!

[Ol Blue K20]

A little late to the party but I'm in to watch.

[harrisoncole4]

Saw this on the for sale thread awhile back. Definitely following along!

[randy500]

Finally got my tach situation sorted out. I bought a tach cluster here off the board and one off eBay, both dead. I ordered a new circuit board off eBay, Cajun tach shop. I couldn’t make it work despite trying the board in both tachs. I sent Cajun tach shop an email, he said ship the tachs and he would look them over. He got them both working. Apparently on my last install I put the board in backwards, I guess clearance inside is real tight and some part of the board was touching the metal housing too. Anyway he fixed the both for the cost of the boards and about $50 or so of labor. I’m real happy and they both respond to rpm better than most. I find most factory are very lazy.

[randy500]

I finally had free time and good weather so I did the final sandblast session in the cab.
Looks like bare metal in person but not so much in pics, light sanding and then primer.
I’m real happy with how it turned out.

[cornerstone]

There's something so satisfying about going all the way down to clean metal! Looking forward to watching the painting process... In due time...

[randy500]

I sanded the outside to smooth the sandblasting and mudded up most of the dings. I expected to sand the mud today but things came up. Tomorrow is sanding.

I also welded the trim studs onto the back of the cab and test fit the stainless trimL i previously installed this with trim stud-screws, every single one of them stripped out so i also had to weld up the holes they left. Those screws suck!

The tip for my stud gun and the trim studs was $45 i think, i thought i was saving money by using the screws which cost about $20, what a waste.

[CG]

Your build threads always have a lot of great info. How many projects are you working on at once? How do you schedule what you’re going to be doing?

[randy500]

Originally Posted by CG

Your build threads always have a lot of great info. How many projects are you working on at once? How do you schedule what you’re going to be doing?

Schedule...there is a schedule?
I try to, its tough. Yesterday i had all intentions of quick fill on all dents, sand and then one coat of primer on most if not all of the cab.
Day started out like this.
Someone emailed and needed radio install parts, so found, packed and shipped them
Worked on the cab then got a message about the bed rack, drove way across town and picked that up, on the way home it was now about 1pm, Jim Burnem sent me a message about some big block ac brackets, so i went over to his place (25 miles away) and picked through his parts, left here at 5pm with 25% of an ac system, a couple sets of windshield trim, a couple guage clusters and some other stuff.
Came home ate dinner and had 4 boxes of parts from UPS to sort through.
about 10pm got a message from a fourm member about air cleaner parts, worked that for an hour.
I essentially got nothing done except for sold a couple small parts and bought a lot of parts.
Buying is a big part of building but takes up a lot of time.

[cornerstone]

Originally Posted by randy500

Buying is a big part of building but takes up a lot of time.

Boy, ain't that the truth! I can spend a whole afternoon figuring out the best deal on a part that may take 15 minutes to install.

[randy500]

As i said at the beginning im not a fan of a K20 short bed so I found this 71 Chevy K10 in eastern washington, i traded that nice green bed for it that i picked up a couple weeks ago.
This trip was 300 miles each way. Facebook friend which has become a real friend had it, super nice 24 year old kid, his name is Jake, and he is very knowledgeable about these trucks too.
Its a hard worked, work truck, if the frame checks out then i will shorten it up and this project will become a K10 short bed chevy build.

Its low option but has cab lights and AC, V8 truck with no spid. Decent cab with just outer floor and rocker rust, i also picked up most of another AC system and some other small parts. It also has 72 K10 long block 350 rebuilder core engine in the bed.

[randy500]

I guess i posted the bed i picked up in my crew cab build thread. Here is a pic of it, got it for 20 minutes of labor tuning a new engine install. Guy was asking $300 for it in a facebook ad, he mentioned he just installed a new engine in his 72 k20 and it wasnt running tight, told me i could have the bed if i could tune his engine. It was a 100 miles away, i hated to go get it but the guy really wanted his engine tuned so i went ahead and made the trip.

[randy500]

Seat covers and headliner finally arrived, ordered March 26th i think. I have never used a repro headliner before, its much more rigid than the original and the padding is thicker. While I wish it were exact it does seem fine.
As for the color, PUI lists 2 color codes, 40, off white and 37 white, i was hoping for a cleaner white and i believe code 40 was in stock, well these seem to be the same color as in my crew cab, far from white. I may call them to see if there is actually 2 colors available or what the deal is.

[randy500]

Time for an update.
I have been real busy with steering column work, summer stuff and just bogged down.
I have decided to put an LS engine in this truck. I am basically against LS installs for the following reasons.
1. Complexity and multiple system upgrades.
2. Cost vs benefit
They dont run better or start better than a properly tined quadrajet if you know how to tune one and i do!
i doubt the mileage is much better either.
In 1992 i did a TPI install in my 2wd blazer, fuel injection was pretty cutting edge then and the cool factor was a lot. On that one i found the mileage to be only marginally better.
I will find out first hand on this LS and that will be interesting.

I bought a 2010 LS3 engine from a Camaro, it has 77k on it and is complete with accessories, wiring and ecu. I chose the LS3 because its pretty much king of the ordinary LS engines, 430hp, no dod/afm and no vvt, highest compression ratio and the most cam too. I bought a new vette when the engine came out in 2008 and they run real strong.

For trans im using a 2008 4l80e, i had one here i bouht for my crew cab when it was a gasser. I have it torn down for rebuild right now. I just discovered off road design sells a pre-machined th400 to np205 adapter that fits the slightly smaller register st the back of the 4l80. I test fit it today and it fits right.

I bought a ton of install parts and will post up as they arrive and i test things out.

Today i built part of the fuel system. Im gonna run a low pressure in tank pump in the cab tank and a high pressure pump in a surge tank in the engine compartment. I researched rear tanks and from what i can tell the boyd rear tank doesnt have a fuel bowl around the pump which without it the pump will pull air when low which causes drive-ability issues. That boyd tank is over $800, you would think it would be set up properly, anyway i pretty much hate the complexity of installing a rear tank anyway but did consider it if it were a drop in fuel solution. I dont think it is.

So i built this in tank pump today, i bought a new in tank sending unit pump assembly for a 96 chev truck and cannibalized it for the wiring connector, fuel pump, pump sock and other stuff. I was hoping to use the lower fuel pump support but it wouldn't fit through the tank opening,
For the wiring connector through the top of the sending unit i had to flatten the original raised pad, sand it flat and drill the hole larger.
I also drilled the sending unit flange for a 5/16 return line, bent a line and soldered it in.
I used russel, -6 an to 5/16 and 3/8 compression fuel line adapters which i will connect to aeroquip teflon braided stainless lines.
I wasnt sure how the wiring connector connects to the donor sending unit (only seen it in pictures) but i figured i might be able to adapt it to the 72 sending unit, turns out it has a spring clip retainer and an o ring seal. Im real happy with how it worked out.

[randy500]

The internal pump wiring harness was too short so i had to extend it, i hate butt connectors but the splices need to be insulated and i dont think shrink tubing will hold up to fuel immersion, the but connectors probably will.
I may buy another pump with a longer internal harness to get rid of the butt connectors.
I test fit the pump assembly a few times to get it right on the floor of the tank. Which will minimize the pump sucking air when low on fuel.
If anybody has a pump or old tank sitting around with an internal harness thats longer let me know!

[randy500]

I have been considering this swap for over a year and slowing gathering info.
The factory 4wd engine crossmember is not wide enough for an LS then i found a thread where a young forum member LS swapped his k20 squarebody, he said he had never changed an engine before and it bolted right in. That thread turned the corner for me, i wasnt too thrilled about building a crossmember and the available ones kind of suck and are expensive. One interferes with the brake lines and the other needs a lift kit to clear the front axle. The squarebody crossmember bolts in with a few holes to drill and i believe if you raise the engine 3/8” or so there are no clearance issues. I may get lucky like the young guy did and have no clearance issues with the crossmember. I went to pick n pull looking for a crossmember but they all had engines still installed and rivet to cut so i passed. Then as luck would have it a friend came by and asked me if i wanted his 79 blazer for free, he is loosing his storage. So boom, just like that i have my crossmember plus a complete running and driving blazer for free and it will be here at my house where its easy to remove rivets.

The engine choice was a tough one, originally i was gonna get a 5.3 or a 6.0 local or from pick n pull. The prices of local 6.0 is about 2k and none of them looked that good, were older and unknown miles, then you still have the super ugly tall truck intake and accessories drive.
6.2’s are expensive but i think in the end it is worth the extra cost to get the larger engine and more attractive intake and accessories.

[Richard]

See you jumped on the LS bandwagon as well. Why mess with the old school return style fuel delivery system? Pump runs full tilt all the time. The factory PWM pumps are more efficient, run cooler, do not heat up fuel as much, last longer. Only have to run one fuel line.

[randy500]

Originally Posted by Richard

See you jumped on the LS bandwagon as well. Why mess with the old school return style fuel delivery system? Pump runs full tilt all the time. The factory PWM pumps are more efficient, run cooler, do not heat up fuel as much, last longer. Only have to run one fuel line.

Cost mostly and complexity, i also didnt buy the LT1 engine because of the pwm pump. My pump cost is about $250 for the in tank pump, the surge tank and the high pressure pump.