72 k20 project

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice progress! Rust repair takes me longer because I always dred finishing it. LOL

[ryanroo]

i've definitely been putting this off. but i talked to the painter and the sandblaster, so i figured i better take the next reasonable step and do the work. i immediately started wondering what i could sell to fund paying someone else to it. hahaha.

[Mattman2010]

Ryan this truck is looking good. The fab work is awesome. Cant wait to see this thing together!

[ryanroo]

Thanks

Another little bite

[Dieselwrencher]

Looking good! I hope you and your family had a great Christmas!

[RatRod68]

Looks great!

[ryanroo]

Man, i am working on the rear floor support on the d-side. what a PITA. its going to be ugly and i am glad i will be slathering the bottom with something thick and black. the replacements dont fit well at all here. i've not had to much to gripe about elsewhere, but these suck!

Ryan

[ryanroo]

Got the dside cab corner in and about half welded, test fit the rocker and finished both dside floor supports. i sure like fab better than rust removal

[ryanroo]

I decided to play hooky from work today, so i made a run south for some parts.

i bought these doors. unfortunately they have speaker holes, but i have a plan for that. anyhow, they are GM OEM and totally strait, no bondo no rust. came with some metal door panels ( i like the pre 72 door panels better)



as we were loading the doors i noticed this tailgate. damn. i only had the money for the doors and maybe 60 bucks in loose money in my pocket, so i offer 50 bones and the fellow says, load it up.





i think i bought a tailgate and got the doors for free

Then i was fortunate enough to meet Pete (DeadheadNM) and had a big pile of brisket before i had to head back. Thanks again Pete!

Ryan

[DeadheadNM]

You bet Ryan! Glad you made the trip. Don't be a stranger. Pete

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice score on parts for sure! It's pretty cool when you can meet a member on a parts run like that.

[mosesburb]

If you set your motor in again, I would HIGHLY recommend pulling the rack off of #6 (possibly #5 also with the set-back you have) and pulling your pushrods up, marking where they contact your cowl and cut some holes accordingly. Otherwise, if you have to pull the head in frame, you will not be able to get the rear pushrods out and they will have to come out as an "assembly"(??) with the head. This is NOT fun. You may have already considered this, but just in case you hadn't, I wanted to let you know. Those pushrods seem to be never-ending when pulling them up out of the block.

[ryanroo]

Thats good advice! and i never thought of that. im not sure i will have the engine back in the truck before the cab goes to paint, but i think i can probably get some access holes cut in after, slather on some touch up paint and plug them with firewall plugs or some such thing.

ryan

[ryanroo]

was this a lesson hard learned on the burb?

[mosesburb]

Yeah, Sunday afternoon.

[jbclassix]

I'll take that tip too if you don't mind. thank you.

[ryanroo]

Thanks

Originally Posted by mosesburb

Yeah, Sunday afternoon.

Did bad things happen inside the burb? hopefully it is just some routine-ish maintenance.




i finally got all of the floor patched, and have both cab corners at least tacked in and the floor supports also tacked or welded in. i have a couple of little spots to patch on the cowl and then the windshield area inside. then i think i can call the rust demon vanquished. i have to visit the mom in Phx this weekend, and i have a fender to pick up. that should complete my body part hunting.

i also have this nagging idea in my head. i really want to bag the rear of this truck and run a 4 link. i want to find an engine driven compressor. i think it would be sweet to have an air system and self leveling air springs for the rear. plus a 4 link would mean i don't have to build traction bars...

[mosesburb]

Originally Posted by ryanroo

Did bad things happen inside the burb? hopefully it is just some routine-ish maintenance.

Well, I guess as much as a head gasket can be considered routine-ish. Small coolant leak to atmosphere. Not bad, but Ryan at Low Budget Diesel Performance said I had to do it before my next big trip, so off it came. Driveway failure--can't ask for anything more out of a vehicle.

Originally Posted by ryanroo

i have to visit the mom in Phx this weekend, and i have a fender to pick up.

Cool. You'll be driving within a mile of my house. We have places that sell that pinky-stick-out coffee that you like--I don't know where, but I can ask my wife. Dinner. Beer. Whatever. Provided your schedule permits. Are you getting the fender from anybody I know??

[RatRod68]

Originally Posted by ryanroo

Thanks



Did bad things happen inside the burb? hopefully it is just some routine-ish maintenance.




i finally got all of the floor patched, and have both cab corners at least tacked in and the floor supports also tacked or welded in. i have a couple of little spots to patch on the cowl and then the windshield area inside. then i think i can call the rust demon vanquished. i have to visit the mom in Phx this weekend, and i have a fender to pick up. that should complete my body part hunting.

i also have this nagging idea in my head. i really want to bag the rear of this truck and run a 4 link. i want to find an engine driven compressor. i think it would be sweet to have an air system and self leveling air springs for the rear. plus a 4 link would mean i don't have to build traction bars...

If you do, build 2. I need a 4 link similar to the Kelderman setup for my 30

Kelderman just costs too much for me

[SCHRUMGMC]

Awesome progress man

[ryanroo]

I dont know the valley well. Mom lives in Mesa or Gilbert i got the fender from some dude on CL from Chandler but mom picked it up for me. ill shoot you a message if it looks like ill have time for a ritzy coffee, we wont be there long, so i may have to ask a raincheck. i also like cheap coffee, so no worries on tainting my sophisticated pallette!

Glad the burb didnt leave you stranded. and if i had to listen to anyone, i suppose that guy from iowa would be a good bet. even though he didnt box his frame, he seems to know something about these oilburners.

[mosesburb]

Originally Posted by ryanroo

Glad the burb didnt leave you stranded.

Yeah, me too. I am very glad it happened here and not there, because there could be a long way from here.

Originally Posted by ryanroo

and if i had to listen to anyone, i suppose that guy from iowa would be a good bet. even though he didnt box his frame, he seems to know something about these oilburners.

Yeah, he's pretty smart for a cornhead.

[Dieselwrencher]

Just a tip from a cornhead, If you have an issue removing your pushrods in the rear areas, pull the push rods up as far as you can at an angle against each other. Use a rubber band and place it around the area near the head or where ever you can get one on there and wrap it tight. This will allow the push rod to be partly in the head and help it come out with the head. I've had to do this on a ford, and dang 7.3's. And boxing frames is for people who don't like excitement............... Haha

I sold my last engine driven compressor this summer. I think you'd be better off retro-ing a york for the price honestly.

[ryanroo]

Originally Posted by RatRod68

If you do, build 2. I need a 4 link similar to the Kelderman setup for my 30

Kelderman just costs too much for me

all their stuff looks a little to "farmall" for me. i say that with no slight intended to farmers or red tractors, i grew up in the vast cornfields of IA. it all just looks clunky and unrefined. but, this will happen, just not sure if i can keep it out of my head for now and drive it first, or if i torch off all my rear suspension work while the bed is at the body guy!

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Just a tip from a cornhead, If you have an issue removing your pushrods in the rear areas, pull the push rods up as far as you can at an angle against each other. Use a rubber band and place it around the area near the head or where ever you can get one on there and wrap it tight. This will allow the push rod to be partly in the head and help it come out with the head. I've had to do this on a ford, and dang 7.3's. And boxing frames is for people who don't like excitement............... Haha
hahaha
I sold my last engine driven compressor this summer. I think you'd be better off retro-ing a york for the price honestly.

how much do they generally go for? its hard for me to hang something off the motor all awkwardly when i know i have an oem type option. if i dont go with the OEM stuff, ill probably stash a decent electric somewhere. i know, i have issues....

[Dieselwrencher]

Originally Posted by ryanroo

all their stuff looks a little to "farmall" for me. i say that with no slight intended to farmers or red tractors, i grew up in the vast cornfields of IA. it all just looks clunky and unrefined. but, this will happen, just not sure if i can keep it out of my head for now and drive it first, or if i torch off all my rear suspension work while the bed is at the body guy!



how much do they generally go for? its hard for me to hang something off the motor all awkwardly when i know i have an oem type option. if i dont go with the OEM stuff, ill probably stash a decent electric somewhere. i know, i have issues....

On the Kelderman air ride, how do you mean by clunky? I've installed some of their kits and at first I thought it was over priced BS. But after I drove the first truck with the 4 link rear air ride, I was totally surprised. I feel their kit was heavy duty enough to do what ever I'd want to with a pick up.

On the air compressor, used usually $400 up. A reman from holset is $1700 and a reman bendex was $750 last time I had to get one. The biggest issue is they use a different power steering pump that you will have to regulate down, and then find another source for vacuum for blend doors if you don't go with a vintage air kit.