1971 K20- project just get driveable!!

[Vintage Windmills]

I had a few days off over the holidays and had some time to work on this again. Since its winter I have time to be on the forum again I finally made a subframe for the Diamond 9ft plow and got it mounted. It was a lot of fabrication since I just had two small bracket pieces to start with. There is a lot of steel here, probably about 150lbs in total. Total plow weight is about 1000lbs!

Here is the subframe I built and the intermediate Diamond frame I sandblasted and improved. Last pic is just the subframe on the truck, so how it will look in the summer if I pop off the intermediate frame.

[Ol Blue K20]

Looks great, the fab work looks awesome

[Vintage Windmills]

Thanks Dale! Here are some pics of it mounted and at work. I will make a new plow skin for it this summer, it has pretty serious rust on the blade still. These skyjacker 2.5 lift springs barely care this heavy plow is on the truck. Sure moves a lot of snow quickly. I do need to rebuild the front driveshaft, the cardan joint is clacking pretty loudly under load.

[swamp rat]

Yea nice fab work!

[Ol Blue K20]

Originally Posted by Vintage Windmills

Thanks Dale! Here are some pics of it mounted and at work. I will make a new plow skin for it this summer, it has pretty serious rust on the blade still. These skyjacker 2.5 lift springs barely care this heavy plow is on the truck. Sure moves a lot of snow quickly. I do need to rebuild the front driveshaft, the cardan joint is clacking pretty loudly under load.

It looks bad @$$, great job. It must be nice to keep the drive way clear

[El Dorado Jim]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

I would definately install the hubs, but if the gear ratio is the same I would probably swap the complete diff. It already has a broken axle let alone all the extra wear on the other parts because it didn't have lockouts. Everything spins all the time, just no load ya know... if you get the yellow lockout knobs I want the blues

The blue ones are period correct color, the yellow ones are '73 and newer

[Dieselwrencher]

Very nice work on the plow mount! How quick can you knock one out for a western or meyers?

[El Dorado Jim]

nice build on the truck, love the K20's

[Vintage Windmills]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Yea nice fab work!

Thanks! I like your project too

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

It looks bad @$$, great job. It must be nice to keep the drive way clear

Yep, beats my 2wd tractor that doesn't have a cab

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Very nice work on the plow mount! How quick can you knock one out for a western or meyers?

Quite a bit quicker than this one Ryan, now I know where to attach the subframe main points and kick braces!

Originally Posted by El Dorado Jim

nice build on the truck, love the K20's

Thanks, the K20's are my favorites

[y5mgisi]

Updates?

[Vintage Windmills]

Long overdue for an update. A lot of life has happened in the last year or so. More on that later.

Finally found a little time to work on the truck again. Yanked the engine out as it was only running on 7 cylinders and I never could get the one valve to seat and give good compression. As such, I have only been using it around the property and to plow snow. I did put another ochre bed on some time ago for a better paint match.

Finally assembling and putting in a new crate engine that I ordered about 3 years ago. Here are some pics. Takes a little while to degrease the used manifold, spark plug shields, wire clips, paint the water pump, paint manifold, build a oil pump priming tool, round up the misc gaskets and rubber pieces. Anyways good to be back at this spare truck.

[Ol Blue K20]

Good to see you're back on it.

[Vintage Windmills]

Thanks Dale, glad to be back!

I was really struggling with not painting the engine orange but I figured this may be about my only truck that won't be fully stock looking so I might as well have a little fun with it.

Got the new flywheel and clutch installed.

This weird young cat now calls my place home. My friend found him starving and pretty wild on some property I own. We saved him and feed him well and now he is super grateful and just loves life. I'm trying to teach him not to be comfortable around vehicles but he just isn't getting it. If he survives to an old age I will be surprised.

[Vintage Windmills]

Old engine out

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by Vintage Windmills

I was really struggling with not painting the engine orange but I figured this may be about my only truck that won't be fully stock looking so I might as well have a little fun with it.

Goin' crazy with the black paint! LOL You're a wild man.

The new bed looks good. Much better match for color. Good luck with the break in. The last one I did went very bad. I get to build another engine!

At least we're not getting much snow to plow so far.

[Ol Blue K20]

I think it looks good black. Great looking cat to keep you company too.

[Vintage Windmills]

Originally Posted by hgs_notes

Good luck with the break in. The last one I did went very bad. I get to build another engine!

At least we're not getting much snow to plow so far.

Glad you checked in- I was able to check out your threads a little last week and you have been busy! I'm hoping the break in goes well- wondering if I can plow with it before its broke in properly? Probably won't be able to anyways since the front axle threw a cap on the U joint and then the U joint yoke wore into the axle yoke. I found a good used axle shaft off ebay that I need to install.

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

I think it looks good black. Great looking cat to keep you company too.

I figured it would look better longer with the black to hide any small leaks, dirt, heat damage, etc.

He is a bit odd, check out this pic.

[Ol Blue K20]

What pic? LOL

[DeadheadNM]

Hi Jud - great to see an update. Passed through Minneapolis last week and thought of you. Whats the cats name? Pete

[Vintage Windmills]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

What pic? LOL

Oops, was fighting the uploads. It is of Charles attempting a different grooming method. Also here is a pic of him in field find condition, before his “build”

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

Hi Jud - great to see an update. Passed through Minneapolis last week and thought of you.

Let me know next time Pete! Are you in town here for the Super Bowl?😀

[Ol Blue K20]

He looks much healthier and happier now.

[BlueBullet]

Good to see your back at it. Was thinking about asking how the projects are coming along and your thread popped up again. How is the Cummins swap coming in the red square body? Still have the Longhorn in the herd? I found another one out in South Dakota and I got a thread on it in the 4x4 section called Big Bird.

[Vintage Windmills]

Hi Nathan, I will check it out, always like to see other builds! Thanks for stopping in here. I haven’t done much on the Cummins truck but it’s moving up the list and the engine is ready. Still have the longhorn. We parked it down by the road and sold apples out of it. Here is a pic of it while being pulled down there. We really like the color of it. I almost forgot how beautiful MN is in October.

[Vintage Windmills]

New engine sitting in place.

[Ol Blue K20]

Looking good.