Drug home an old friend this weekend

[92GMCDriver]

that was a really cool truck, my dad has a 1978 gmc that my grandfather bought new. we still have it but the body and frame are terrible, probably end up pulling the engine and drivetrain and scrapping it just like you had to.

[camaro_red]

The loss of a mother or father is huge...Spent a few hours with my own dad today...He's 87...Lost my mom back in Novemeber at 85...Tough stuff to go through..You will always have their memories and have comfort knowing they are looking down on you each and every day...Cheers to your builds and you dad... : )

[motornut]

Originally Posted by DirtyLarry

Sorry 427bigblock, I just noticed your comment. You wouldn’t want to see this alternator bracket as it was a scabbed together 454 bracket to accommodate an old school 100 AMP alternator anyway. It wasn’t pretty!

Well, after 2 years of pondering back and forth I had to make the tough decision to scrap this truck. It was a very tough call to make being my dad bought it new, I learned how to drive in it and it was the first vehicle I really learned to twist wrenches on. Lots of memories around this truck. In reality the body was completely wasted as everybody panel was either full of body filler or some degree of rust that would need to be dealt with. Even at that, the body could have been replaced from a donor truck but then there where the frame issues. The frame was broke years ago near the right rear upper shock bracket where it received a less than sterling repair. Pretty pathetic repair actually. It also had the typical breakage near the gear box so I had to call a spade a spade and dismantle the poor ole girl.

With help from friends this past weekend we spent two full days pruning the 427, 465/205, D44 front axle, 14 bolt FF rear axle as well as the slide in wrecker unit. The axles will soon be installed in my Polar Bear Suburban and I plan to rebuild the 205 to replace the noisy 205 in my K10. Before I drop this 14 bolt in the Suburban I plan to remove the 13” drums and backing plates to swap them with the 11” drums and backing plates that are in my K10 as the K10 could use bigger rear brakes than the Suburban will ever need. I also plan to have the stock wheels sand blasted and repowder coated to throw in the Polar Bear Suburban as well. The 427 and 465 trans will be sold. The wrecker pieces will be saved for a possible tribute truck at some other point.

It really hurt to do this but it had to be done…..



For those in Colorado familiar with the towing PUC numbering system, this is a very old PUC number. T-10 dates back to 1948. Today PUC numbers are way up in the ten thousand range. My dad got this low PUC number when he purchased an Exxon station in 1974 that came with a 1948 Ford wrecker. That said, this PUC number originally started on a Ford.


Everything I wanted is almost off. We pruned the axles off after it got on the trailer


You should have seen the hack job weld on the inside of the frame. Ugly!












I would have never dreamt the end of the road for this truck would be stacked on top of two Oldsmobiles


The SM465 and NP205 cleaned up well


The 427 cleaned up nicely too



Now time to get busy putting the new parts cache to use. Hopefully, the Suburban will be going under the knife to install these axles and a lift kit in the next month or so as time permits.

that could not have been an easy choice

[camaro_red]

Are you selling the 427 ??..If so can you get me the casting number and the engine suffix of the front pad of the block...Thanks Joe

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by camaro_red

Are you selling the 427 ??..If so can you get me the casting number and the engine suffix of the front pad of the block...Thanks Joe

Here are the numbers on the engine. I am pulling the oil pan today to check the crank casing number and see if it is a 4 or 2 bolt main.

I do know that it is an internally balanced engine which would mean 396 or 427. The block casting number is 3963512 which would be a 454 or 427. Being it is an internally balanced engine narrows it down to 427 which is what my late father claimed it was.

[camaro_red]

Can you get the suffix code of the front pad..? just in front of the passengers side head...This will tell a bit of the story on the block, the 512 is the 454 and 427 casting number,for sure ,some 2 and 4 bolt blocks were cast 512...Head casting numbers would help as well...Thanks Joe

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by camaro_red

Can you get the suffix code of the front pad..? just in front of the passengers side head...This will tell a bit of the story on the block, the 512 is the 454 and 427 casting number,for sure ,some 2 and 4 bolt blocks were cast 512...Head casting numbers would help as well...Thanks Joe

The pictures were in the link in my last post but here you go….. I just got the pan off. It is a 2 bolt main. Looking for the crank casting number now. Any idea where on the crank the casting number is located?

[camaro_red]

Check on the last journal before the flex plate, on the flat edge not the curved edge...Give it a hit with a hammer if it pings it's a steel crank, cast cranks don't ping and have a thinner casting flash as well..Steel is about 3/4 of an inch wide casting flash..Sorry I missed the pics

[DirtyLarry]

Found the crank casting number. 6223


What I Googled on the crank...

Casting 6223
Application: 366/396/402/427
Years: 68-76
Journals: 2.75/2.20
Stroke: 3.76
Forged



This was on the crank too

[camaro_red]

Heads are 65/66 Oval Port 396 heads ,325 hp 97.2 CC

[beamn7]

This was on the crank too


Crank has been turned...
Rods cut .010
Mains cut .010

Sorry you had to get rid of the 'ol girl Larry. Always a tough decision....
Hated it when Grandpa's truck got let go and now I keep looking at the rust on the 78........ Can't bring myself to do it though. You're a bigger man than me!

[y5mgisi]

That is heart breaking.

[manimal]

Originally Posted by y5mgisi

That is heart breaking.

x2

[86454k30]

Wow sad to see it go! Hands down to you to make a tough decision like that I don't think I could have.

[Oilbrnr]

Tough, but you know best.

I see the Sidewinder still works, and Bill wasn't too worried about the cable giving way! :-)

Is the 95 next?

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by Oilbrnr

Tough, but you know best.

I see the Sidewinder still works, and Bill wasn't too worried about the cable giving way! :-)

Is the 95 next?

Hehe, no the Corvair 95 will be saved.

The poor ole wrecker was just too far gone. I thought for 2 years what I was going to do with it but in the end I had to chose to scrap it. The wreckers axles are going into my Suburban and I have already pirated the 13" brakes from the wreckers rear axle to bolt on the K10. Plan to use the K10's 11" brakes on this axle for use in the Sub. The K10 needs bigger brakes than the Sub does.