1970 K20 Z62 Full Restoration

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by landarts

Excellent work once again. I am pulling up my easy chair and getting the popcorn, better than TV. Sign me up I am in for the adventure.

Now it's a party.

This posting takes time. I won't get us up to real time tonight, but maybe close. I have to go do real work every so often or I get in trouble here.

[BAD1916]

Loving the detail. Incredible work!

[IronCanine]

Ok...let's move on to the transmission. Muncies are bullet proof too right? Again, depends on the firefight. And this poor girl had been pounded on. Input splines and shaft were rung out. Forks were thread bare. But the gear sets seemed pretty good. Reverse had been dinged up (as they are).

Took a lot of time and effort to get the case clean. Several runs through the electrolysis tank.

[IronCanine]

New main shaft and bushings. I did that job one night when the girls were away. Shaft in the freezer for a week, bushings in the oven. Still gave all my little 12 ton press wanted. Bearings, seals, balls, etc.

Couldn't come up with the part number correct block out plug for the TCS sending unit. (TCS was only on half tons). But it turns out a generic drain plug is pretty close to a dead nuts match.

[IronCanine]

The broadcast code for the 4sp was HA for at least a couple of years during this time. It was on both sides of the case and stenciled in yellow. They make code stencils for GM cars, but not this one. So we had to have this one made. The first pic is a factory original stencil. Mine ended up a little too neat. It is hard to find the right level of factory sloppy.

[chewychevy67]

Good to see you back on here with another build . Blue is the color around here lol

[IronCanine]

Alright...now let's talk about the engine. See the first picture and there's no surprise that this engine was stuck. I had real anxiety that this block was going to be cracked or wouldn't clean up quick. It's never fun when you're taking out a piston with a hammer.

I had to call A LOT of machine shops before I found one that said they could save my deck numbers (while still decking the block). I took it down to a production shop outside of Atlanta that specialized in diesels. They had it forever, but they basically got it done (not the way I would have preferred, but I had my numbers). Unfortunately I had to do some handwork on the deck to get the upper corner.

Miraculously the crank cleaned up at .010 under and the block at .030 over.

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by chewychevy67

Good to see you back on here with another build . Blue is the color around here lol

Thanks Rod. You've added so many mods I'm gonna catch you!!

[IronCanine]

The parts in this motor are better than need be honestly. They did the block and crank in Atlanta, but the finish machine work I brought home to my local guy. He did the head work (hardened seats, positive valve seals), all new everything. And they balanced my rotating assembly. They build race engines and I ordered my parts through them. So everything is a little bit extra than is probably needed. We had a long conversation about cam. I wanted bone stock. I lost the convo and it's got a mild lift on it.

I will say it all went together pretty easily. Only real headache was separating the rod caps. I had to get the special tool to get them apart. They ground them, re-trued and balanced them. And apparently torqued the hell out of em.

Sean Murphy rebuilt and restored my QuadraJet. I was sad to find out this week that they've gone out of business. Glad I got this one in under the wire. They've done three for me and they all looked great and the first two performed great. We'll see on this one.

[68bowtie]

Lots of eye candy piling up here

[IronCanine]

I did use stock style head bolts mainly for the aesthetic. Another thing I hope I don't regret.

Advanced Distributors rebuilt my distributor. Note red factory mark.

By the parts book, this shouldn't be the correct oil fill cap. But I believe it's what came on this engine. And the 80-mile barn find 70 looks to have the same cap. So I found an NOS version for the build.

[IronCanine]

Restored the rubberized insulator on the valve cover tabs.

Got her on a transport stand to take back to the machine shop to break in on the dyno last Monday.

It was the last day off I'll have for a while. I had an appointment, but a race engine that was on the dyno ahead of me blew...resulting in some carnage. So unfortunately it'll run (or not) for the first time without me. Maybe as soon as tomorrow. I wanted to run it in before we painted it or put it in the truck. That way if there's a problem or a leak, it'll be bad, but at least it won't be in a finished truck. Crazy that we've gotten away with starting these motors in the truck without major issues on these other builds.

It goes on the dyno without the water pump or fuel pump...and turns out the starter too. I'm learning.

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by BAD1916

Loving the detail. Incredible work!

Thanks!

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by 69cam

I've been waiting a long time for this build to start. Can't wait to see it progress. Best of luck!

Me too! Thanks for coming along!

[loudchevy]

I'm in to follow along. Awesome build so far. Your attention to factory details is impressive.

[tim71]

Subscribed. Looks like a fun one from this vantage point. Terrific build so far!

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by loudchevy

I'm in to follow along. Awesome build so far. Your attention to factory details is impressive.

Originally Posted by tim71

Subscribed. Looks like a fun one from this vantage point. Terrific build so far!

Thanks guys! Appreciate you jumping on.

[1970cstblazer]

Magnificent build as always.

On my 1970 K/5 TBC 350 engine, as well as my grandfather's 1970 350 K20, they both have/had the oil fill tube on the drivers side valve cover, with the twist on steel cap with heavy cork sealing gasket. This is GM 3714893.





The original tires on the 1970 K series were Goodyear Custom Xtra Grips. This was the case with both the K/5 I own as well as the K20 that my grandfather owned since new. Both have/had the 8.25" wide 16.5" wheel option.

[IronCanine]

Good info. Thanks for that and the kind words.

BTW...you wouldn't have any pics of your grandfather's engine bay would you? I have no engine bay pics of a 70 K20 with A/C. I am interested in the shape and routing of the hard vac advance line that goes from the front of the carb and down the right side of the engine. The TBC I have came from a K10 and had TCS so things were different. Any help appreciated.

Also...here's the 80 mile barn find 70 C10. Not a K truck, but it appears to have the same oil fill cap as the 70 TBC I have.

[1970cstblazer]

I don't have any photos of it. Neither units had factory A/C. I believe the tube was a K series feature.

[IronCanine]

It was on 2WDs too. See right side of the engine of the 80 miler. This would be my set up except, 3/4Ts did not have the TCS switch or solenoid or whatever that thing is that it terminates in mid valve cover.

[IronCanine]

Turns out the juice was worth the squeeze. Big E for the win. She's an honest 70 again. No sound deadener ignited.

[1970cstblazer]

Originally Posted by IronCanine

It was on 2WDs too. See right side of the engine of the 80 miler. This would be my set up except, 3/4Ts did not have the TCS switch or solenoid or whatever that thing is that it terminates in mid valve cover.

I should have been more specific. I was referring to the driver's side oil filler tube, not the distributor vacuum tube as being on K series.

Additionally, I have the original carb from my grandfather's K20. It's a 7040208 versus the 7040511 on my Blazer's TBC coded engine.

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by 1970cstblazer

I should have been more specific. I was referring to the driver's side oil filler tube, not the distributor vacuum tube as being on K series.

Additionally, I have the original carb from my grandfather's K20. It's a 7040208 versus the 7040511 on my Blazer's TBC coded engine.

I would love to see pics of the oil fill tube. I was not aware that a valve cover oil fill tube was available in 70. I know a lot of us add the 71-72 oil fill tube to pre 71 trucks for the convenience. I did it on our 70 Blazer.

[jerry moss]

Originally Posted by IronCanine

Turns out the juice was worth the squeeze. Big E for the win. She's an honest 70 again. No sound deadener ignited.

sorry I mentioned that part about the mirror, it just made more work for you that only some idiot like me would even notice. looks awesome so far.