"BIG" truck forum C/40, C/50, C/60 and the like...

[A.T. RockDriller]

Originally Posted by maddddog

I have really enjoyed all the trucks in this thread. Thanks.
Edit- sorry, I have a ford. I didnt realize this was a Chevy Gmc thread. I would rather have a Chevy.

This is my first but I dont think it will be my last. I just happened to come up with this truck (I originally got it for the Cummins in it) but now I'm hooked. I want to build an older one.

You sure have the right idea, madddog....
Nice work.....

[TJ's Chevy]

One I wouldn't mind having.....

[A.T. RockDriller]

I should spend a little time on mine with the buffer....

[CREWCABGMC]

Found this picture on Facebook. Custom harvest 1958.

[watahyahknow]

Originally Posted by A.T. RockDriller

I should spend a little time on mine with the buffer....

baaaah just tell everyone its a special matt paintjob

[12volt]

Latest platform for the SuperTruck Project: 1963 C60 w/ 2-Speed Rear

[blake's first]

any one know what the g.v.w is on a c40 I have a c60 but I'm in california and need something with under 14000 gvw so I can put a diesel in it

[C10 - C90 Bill]

I believe the only C-40 with a GVW of 14,000 would be one of the early ones, '60 to '62, that actually look like a heavy C-30. The next size truck "Under" 14,000 would be a C-30 itself at 10000.

Any 1 1/2 Ton style truck (one with a Running Board), will have a GVW over 14,000.

Bill

[drfonau]

I am looking at getting a 72 c60 to use for pulling a 32' 5th wheel camper. it has 454 4 speed 2 speed axel (will post pics when I get them)

[A.T. RockDriller]

I am going to pick this one up tomorrow if all goes as planned.
Pretty sweet for a municipal fleet truck. Actually....pretty sweet for a big truck.
Custom cab with a V-8.
These pic's are from his phone....not the best quality.

My buds from Oklahoma ought to like this.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Looks pretty good.

[Robert1970C20rstbukt]

I agree a big truck forum would be awesome! Here's mine, a 1969 GMC 8500. Has a 478M V6 and a five speed transmission with Stopmaster air brakes. It used to be a refinery foam truck, still has the water pump and foam pumps on it but they're rusted really bad. Eventually I'll pull the pumps out and mount a PTO winch on the back with a set of gin poles and a fifth wheel. The body has some rust but it's not bad, it runs great and everything works and even has all four working T3 headlights! Definitely not a speed demon, it's governed around 2800? RPM and only does about 55MPH.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Looks good. The 8500 is a pretty rare truck.

The 478 is also a great engine. My old 478 in my '62 6500 would go 62 MPH.

Keep us posted on it.

Bill

[Old Truck Man]

Originally Posted by special-K

About any engine will run these trucks. The transmission needs to be tough enough for the weight. And,it's the rear end gearing that determines the hiway speed as well as torque. 1:1 is 1:1,it's what ratios get you there that matter. I'd suggest an engine with good torque characteristics. Finding a "made for trucks" engine would be perfect,like a 366-427 BBC. These have longer stroke than the "made for cars" BBCs. I have heard tales of car 396s going into MD trucks and not lasting long at all. Low gears mean higher revs at hiway speed and getting going takes torque. You want a longer stroke. I imagine for a SBC a 383 would do good. I'd prefer some sort of diesel in a MD.
Transmissions that come in these trucks are best. The Clark 5spd is tried and true. That's 5 gears to 1:1,no overdrive. Overdrive transmissions are usually HD truck items and a whole lot bigger. MD trucks used 2spd rears to help give good low speed power and better hiway speeds,kinda like what a Gear Vendors unit does for lighter vehicles.

There is no difference in the stroke of a car 396 or 427 and a truck 366 or 427. In fact I used a steel 366 crankshaft and a 396 pass block bored it .030 had the crank balanced ant everything worked perfect. The difference is the truck engines have a taller deck. the extra deck requires a longer rod or a piston with a different wrist pin location. the truck engines are lower compression and have different camshafts. The truck engines also has a governor to keep the rpm lower.

[Old Truck Man]

Originally Posted by Robert1970C20rstbukt

I agree a big truck forum would be awesome! Here's mine, a 1969 GMC 8500. Has a 478M V6 and a five speed transmission with Stopmaster air brakes. It used to be a refinery foam truck, still has the water pump and foam pumps on it but they're rusted really bad. Eventually I'll pull the pumps out and mount a PTO winch on the back with a set of gin poles and a fifth wheel. The body has some rust but it's not bad, it runs great and everything works and even has all four working T3 headlights! Definitely not a speed demon, it's governed around 2800? RPM and only does about 55MPH.

I once owned a truck tractor like your truck. It had a 478 toro flow diesel 5 speed and air brakes. that thing was governed at 3200 RPM

[Old Truck Man]

Currently I have 3 big trucks. a 57 chev two ton dump a 61 C 60 and a 74 C65 ten wheeler it has a 366 working 5 speed air brakes and a air tag axle. I also have two 59 two tons that I junking out.

[Old Truck Man]

Originally Posted by C10 - C90 Bill

Going a little off subject, I used to drive a '62 GMC 6500 (Similar to a C-80) back in the early and mid '70's. It had a 478 V-6, 5-Speed Trans, 2-Speed Rear, Air Brakes, 10-20 Tires on Spoke Wheels and a GVW of 32,000. They are pretty rare and to this day, I've never seen another one anywhere on the road. The only pictures I have seen are some factory brochure photos.

I've seen plenty of 5000's and saw at least one GMC B-Model 7500 in a junk yard, but never another 6500. Wondering if anyone out there has ever seen or driven one. I've heard there were some out in CA back in the day.

Bill

Back in the late sixties the carnival that that came to the county fair had several of those. I worked at a local gas station. truck stop We always stayed open late on Saturday. the nite the fair closed. the carnival trucks would pull in fill the saddle tanks and buy a gallon of RPM engine oil. I seen those V6 pulling all the carnival rides. the trucks & drivers where pretty rough back then. many didn't have mufflers. for some reason when they shut them off they would backfire and split the mufflers. Unblievable great noise seeing the loaded beast,s take off into the nite and flames coming out the exhaust.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Talk about backfires sure brings back memories. With my 478, every once in a while when I was at a high speed and let the truck coast down towards an exit ramp in 5th High, it would let out a blast equal to an M-80. The first time it ever happened sure was an eye opener. It never split any mufflers though. Maybe because they were Straight-Thru Duals? I'm not sure.

Bill

[Old Truck Man]

Back in 1972 I bought a 66 ford F600 330 V8. sometimes when you let off the gas going down hill and hit the pedal again it would backfire. and split the muffler at the seam. and back in those days loud exhaust would get you a ticket I a heart beat. So I made a muffler out of a three foot section of 8 inch well casing. and Its still on the truck today.

[A.T. RockDriller]

You guys are bringin back a few' laughs from the past 'for me, too.

I was helping a few friends demo a drill rig for sale to some folks in Tillamook some years back. Me being eternally lucky by nature....drew the short straw....which gave me the privilege of piloting the Mud Truck (a 1968 C-60 with a 427) through the farm country and over the coast range to present it to the soon to be new owners. (the key to a sale is a successful demonstration....and some alcohol with lunch)
Anyway, the week before this sale, the shop guys had worked on the rig to prepare it for the demo....fixing all the little problems that might cause bigger problems. The only thing they had failed to repair was the serious backfire on deceleration...and I mean serious.
That muthu would knock ya on your tail if you were anywhere behind the cab.
I was at the tail of the convoy to the coast, and we were making our way through North Portland ...a short-cut to our destination....when we all turned down a seedy backstreet with a bunch of young "Gangsta's" on both sides of the street.
Well, I just had to do it....I held the R's up for a few seconds, and instead of shifting up, I let go of the pedal.
The concussion was deafening to me, and wasn't wasted on just my old ears, either.
Those fellas musta been feeling a bit jumpy, because every one of them were quite sure that that round was meant for them. Not one was in sight by the time the echo died out.
As you might guess, I took "Pot-shots" at anything that moved all the way to the beach.

[Old Truck Man]

You can coast in gear and turn the ignition off. that will fill the exhaust with unburnt gas. turn on the key and you will get a backfire with flames. It will knock the fiberglass out of glasspack mufflers! I once owned a C60 1966 dump truck that had a 14 yd bed 5 speed two speed and a pusher tag axle. I could legally haul 17 tons. The old 366 engine was drinking oil . I had a newer school bus that had a 350 two bbl engine. so I swapped in the 350 over the weekend. The next week I spent $35 more on gas that I grossed hauling. Pulled out the 350 and installed a 292 six. the 292 would out pull the 350 but used just as much gas. Sold the rig to a guy who owned a backhoe. The old dump truck was hauled to the scrap man last year.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Originally Posted by Old Truck Man

the 292 would out pull the 350

I've been telling people that for years, but I don't think everyone believed me.

My '64 292 was great. Although mine was also great on gas. Would get close to 15 MPG empty and not much different fully loaded in my C-30 1-Ton Flatbed.

Bill

[special-K]

Originally Posted by Old Truck Man

There is no difference in the stroke of a car 396 or 427 and a truck 366 or 427. In fact I used a steel 366 crankshaft and a 396 pass block bored it .030 had the crank balanced ant everything worked perfect. The difference is the truck engines have a taller deck. the extra deck requires a longer rod or a piston with a different wrist pin location. the truck engines are lower compression and have different camshafts. The truck engines also has a governor to keep the rpm lower.

You're right about the stroke. That makes sense since the engines are the same displacement. I was focused of other aspects and used the wrong terminology. I guess it's longer reach,yet same stroke. My point was the car vs truck big blocks are set-up/built completely different to accommodate their different uses

[Old Truck Man]

Originally Posted by C10 - C90 Bill

I've been telling people that for years, but I don't think everyone believed me.

My '64 292 was great. Although mine was also great on gas. Would get close to 15 MPG empty and not much different fully loaded in my C-30 1-Ton Flatbed.

Bill

My wife has a 66 3/4 ton 292 four speed with a 292 & 456 gears. He daddy bought it new in December of 65. She would commonly haul 7500 pounds of feed in the bed no problem pulling it. However the brakes would fade going down a steep hill. When gas got up around $4 per gallon she parked it. Started then started driving a 65 1/2 ton with a 250 three speed and 370 rear gears & oversize tires. I sold that truck last month. If I ever get the digital camera figured out ill post some pictures.

[Old Truck Man]

Here are pictures of my 74 chev C65 ten wheeler. Equipped with a 366 engine, Working 5 speed and two speed rear end. It has full air brakes and a air tag axle. I was a national welding supply delivery truck and originally had a bed with a rear lift. I used it to haul logs and sawmill products.