1971 K20- project just get driveable!!

[Vintage Windmills]

Thanks guys, appreciate all the positive feedback.

Thinking I need 285/75/16 meats on there. The tires on it are about 10 years old and 1/4 of full tread left

[SS Tim]

Or 255/85/16 tires. What size wheels are you planning?
As an example Toyo suggests 6.5-7.0-8.0 for the 255 and 7.5-8.0-9.0 for the 285 with both tires being right at 33.2-3" in the M55 series.

[Vintage Windmills]

Hi Tim,
i'm running 7" rims and agree with the guys here that 70 series and up are ok on that rim with a 285 and narrower tire. Going to price out those toyos though.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=582186

[SS Tim]

Found them looking for C30 tires that would live at maxc. GVW. They are commercial all season tires. The 285s are E rated at 3700lb and the 255s are also E at 3400lb. Expect to pay about $300 a corner IIRC.

[Dieselwrencher]

Jud, how's the truck treating you?

[Vintage Windmills]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Jud, how's the truck treating you?

hi Ryan, I have been wanting to post an update but too busy parting a couple trucks and making pickup box trailers

A few weeks back I swapped a different rear hatch on the topper and put on an ochre tailgate. new lift cylinders on hatch too.

Havent driven it much at all since it had driveability issues. 1). it pulled hard when braking. That sealed the deal that i might as well rebuild the front axle that I never got around to before. I figured as long as the hubs are coming off, it getting new dust shields, bearings, rotors, calipers, caliper mounting plates, ball joints, tie rods, seals, lugs, everything but gears and bearings on the carrier.

issue 2). is it stumbles alot accelerating. I checked the timing and found the vaccuum advance isnt working. Theres a new distributor sitting here waiting for me to install.

[Dieselwrencher]

I hate to say it, but right now is a perfect oppurtunity to ditch that gasser and small D44. You have the donor pieces on hand, right?

[Vintage Windmills]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

I hate to say it, but right now is a perfect oppurtunity to ditch that gasser and small D44. You have the donor pieces on hand, right?

Yeah, if I was smarter I'd probably just go that route: chevy:

And if those wer'nt big enough hints, the Sm465 trans sticks going into second gear... I've got a getrag/205/gearvendors sitting here with the 12V and D60.......

If the Dana 60 didn't need rotors and seals, or was 4.10, I'd swap it in. Also, I keep thinking the frame on the K20 needs to be beefed up first or I should just find a C30 or longhorn!

[Dieselwrencher]

Originally Posted by Vintage Windmills

Yeah, if I was smarter I'd probably just go that route: chevy:

And if those wer'nt big enough hints, the Sm465 trans sticks going into second gear... I've got a getrag/205/gearvendors sitting here with the 12V and D60.......

If the Dana 60 didn't need rotors and seals, or was 4.10, I'd swap it in. Also, I keep thinking the frame on the K20 needs to be beefed up first or I should just find a C30 or longhorn!

Just buy the parts for the D60 and do it once instead of twice. Sounds like the 4 speed is about ready to die too. Keep going, you might talk your self into it.

[Vintage Windmills]

While on the topic, I did pick up some more "parts" a few weeks ago. '93 with Spun bearing in engine, body has rust, but chassis is solid and this truck was maintained and has overdrive A518 so thinking maybe I will fix and use this as a winter tow rig, then in 5 years when I'm on my second 12v conversion, harvest these parts.

Trying to figure out if I want to swap in the other 12V from the '90 white truck or try to stab in new bearings with the engine still in the truck???

[Vintage Windmills]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Just buy the parts for the D60 and do it once instead of twice. Sounds like the 4 speed is about ready to die too. Keep going, you might talk your self into it.

Already have the parts for the D44, so I will "practice" by rebuilding it

Below is the '90 getrag, 5spd donor, 3.54 D60 totally shot body and chassis is rusty too. I'm running it now with a D60 rear I rigged up for it. Wouldn't mind trading one of my 3.54 Dana 60's for a 4.10 one.

[Dieselwrencher]

Jud, chances are if it spun a bearing, the crank will need polishied and the rod could need resized. It might be easier to swap engines for now and rebuild this one for your next project.

[Vintage Windmills]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Jud, chances are if it spun a bearing, the crank will need polishied and the rod could need resized. It might be easier to swap engines for now and rebuild this one for your next project.

You think its worth pulling the oil pan in the truck to check it out? Or are the odds of it being good so low, I should just swap engines?

[Dieselwrencher]

Originally Posted by Vintage Windmills

You think its worth pulling the oil pan in the truck to check it out? Or are the odds of it being good so low, I should just swap engines?

It's been a while since I've worked on a 1st gen engine in a 1st gen. I can't remember if there's room to get the pan off without picking the engine up or not. If you have to pick the engine up to remove the pan, you might as well yank it IMO. You're half way there. And if you have my luck, there will be more issues than a light spun bearing.

[Cobalt964ruf]

Very nice ochre build.

[Vintage Windmills]

Overdue for an update. Needed brakes and I figured as long as the hubs are coming off, it getting new dust shields, bearings, rotors, calipers, caliper mounting plates, ball joints, tie rods, seals, lugs, everything but gears and bearings on the carrier since that seems good, fluid was good, and it only spins a fraction of the time anyways. Lots of PART$

[Ol Blue K20]

It's gonna drive like new

[ryanroo]

its a good feeling to get the front back in good order. driving something that is nice and tight in the front makes a big difference in your attitude towards the vehicle.

[hgs_notes]

Hard to believe how quick all those new parts add up. I did the front suspension rebuild on my C10 this winter and without the brakes spent a few hundred. And that was after bargain shopping for a while. There won't be much left to overhaul on this truck soon. Great job as always.

[Vintage Windmills]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

It's gonna drive like new

I hope so Dale, really curious to test out the rear brake conversion with proper brakes on all 4 corners!

Originally Posted by ryanroo

its a good feeling to get the front back in good order. driving something that is nice and tight in the front makes a big difference in your attitude towards the vehicle.

Ryan, right on, road feel is pretty important to me. I felt a little shimmy in my high mile commuter Honda today and it was pretty unsettling. Made me wonder if the lugnuts were tight!

Originally Posted by hgs_notes

Hard to believe how quick all those new parts add up. I did the front suspension rebuild on my C10 this winter and without the brakes spent a few hundred. And that was after bargain shopping for a while. There won't be much left to overhaul on this truck soon. Great job as always.

Mike, yeah, there is no lack of parts here. Suddenly the IFS Chevys don't seem so bad!

With a proper front end, it will be interesting to see how good/bad the stock steering box is. My only real experience with a roadworthy K20 was with an upgraded AGR variable ratio box.

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice looking pile of parts. It's never ending it seems.

[Vintage Windmills]

Pics of front end when i was working on it.

working on distributor replacement now. vacuum advance wasnt working at all. Hope that solves the chugging while accelerating.

[Vintage Windmills]

Pic for above post plus one of a test fit on 32' trailer. Plenty of room, a 30' would work

[Dieselwrencher]

Making a trip soon Jud?

[Vintage Windmills]

Ryan, no trips with it this month unless i get time to part a couple trucks and make time for a scrap run. I was either faced with replacing the axles on the tandem with heavier ones but the price was getting up to 1600 just for axles with brakes and hubs so i thought it may make sense to get another trailer, then i saw this older but well maintained 2 place for about the same price and couldnt pass it up. Now i really need to get that diesel going or do the cam/tune/headers on the lq4 At least the unloaded weight is fairly low on this one, and its pretty low so drag will be less. Feels about the same weight as my tandem empty (3600), maybe a tad lighter.