Purchased a 1969 C10 Short Bed - Pleasanton, CA

[MikeB]

About the steering wheel. My 69 came with a 17" wheel, which was nice to have until I converted to power steering. I think a 13" wheel would take a linebacker to turn w/o power steering!

[pjmoreland]

Originally Posted by Luke87gt

I confirmed that the fuel pump is in front of the motor mount so it looks like it’s a 250 i6. Thank you guys for the tip to positively ID the motor.

I’ve had the car sitting in the garage overnight and came out in the morning to a very strong gas smell that was starting to find its way to the house.

It looks like there is a gas leak between the carburetor and intake manifold. It drained the little fuel filter container overnight.

Does anyone have a recommendation on a carb rebuild kit?

I’ve included a pic of the fuel leak

Very nice solid truck!

There's a short piece of rubber fuel line under the cab that connects the solid line from the tank to the solid line that runs along the passenger frame rail. That could be the source of your fuel smell if it is cracked and weeping. There is also a large rubber o-ring that seals the fuel tank sender to the tank that could be leaking as well.

[MARKDTN]

Nice!

I do like a GM HEI distributor. I looked on Ebay and there are 2 used ones. 1 has no picture, the other is aftermarket so that's probably no good. I looked on Car-part.com for a 1980 C10 250 Federal Emissions distributor and they seem to be out there for around $50. You would want to change cap and rotor, plug wires, and change or at least re-gap the spark plugs. You would have to run a wire from the firewall to it to replace the original resistance wire.

[Luke87gt]

Originally Posted by pjmoreland

Very nice solid truck!

There's a short piece of rubber fuel line under the cab that connects the solid line from the tank to the solid line that runs along the passenger frame rail. That could be the source of your fuel smell if it is cracked and weeping. There is also a large rubber o-ring that seals the fuel tank sender to the tank that could be leaking as well.

Does anyone make like a fitted/bent soft line that’s intended to go between the tank and the fuel pump?

[3drburb]

That is a very nice solid truck.

[3drburb]

I really don't think this one was a long bed cut down to a short bed.
Any pictures of the bed?

[72c20customcamper]

Very nice truck

[Luke87gt]

Originally Posted by 3drburb

I really don't think this one was a long bed cut down to a short bed.
Any pictures of the bed?

I’ll get some pics

Vin shows LWB. Owner indicated it was cut by a fabricator many years ago.

Appears to have been done well.

[Rust_never_sleeps]

Originally Posted by Luke87gt

Does anyone make like a fitted/bent soft line that’s intended to go between the tank and the fuel pump?

here's how they run the hard lines, and you can see the little sections of hose that connect them:
https://www.lmctruck.com/1967-72-che...-and-clip-sets

[Luke87gt]

I ordered a rear chrome sport bumper today.

What I realized though is that I seem to be missing the brackets that bolt to that bumper?

Any recommendations where to pick that up? I hope I don’t have some complications as a result of this being a converted short bed? Might have to drill some bracket holes?

[Luke87gt]

I’m thinking my first project should be to remove the gas tank and replace the filler neck seal, soft line, and flush the tank. I have reason to believe there is gas in there that’s a decade+ old.

Can anyone provide a procedure on how to best flush the tank?

Also, while its out, should I service the sending unit in any way (besides a new gasket)?

Any other tips you have while I’m in there would be appreciated. Thanks

[PanhandleShantyman]

Originally Posted by Luke87gt

I’m thinking my first project should be to remove the gas tank and replace the filler neck seal, soft line, and flush the tank. I have reason to believe there is gas in there that’s a decade+ old.

Can anyone provide a procedure on how to best flush the tank?

Also, while its out, should I service the sending unit in any way (besides a new gasket)?

Any other tips you have while I’m in there would be appreciated. Thanks

Originally Posted by Luke87gt

I’m thinking my first project should be to remove the gas tank and replace the filler neck seal, soft line, and flush the tank. I have reason to believe there is gas in there that’s a decade+ old.

Can anyone provide a procedure on how to best flush the tank?

Also, while its out, should I service the sending unit in any way (besides a new gasket)?

Any other tips you have while I’m in there would be appreciated. Thanks

If you're going to pull the tank, you might think about whether you're interested in relocating the tank while you're at it. I know that some guys who don't like the idea of sitting directly in front of the gas tank take it out and put a replacement in the back.

I'm a newbie to these trucks too, and like you I'm new to these old school carbureted / points systems, so if I could pass on 3 very basic things I learned in the last few months getting my '69 from "barely runs" to "daily driver," and that could have saved me grief if I'd known them sooner, they'd be:

1: don't do anything else until you have a CLEAN , SAFE fuel supply. Clogged carb fuel passages are a pain, and fires are even worse... you're right to start where you are with the fuel lines and gas tank.
2: My timing light and vacuum gauge became my best friends. My truck backfired, dieseled, started hard, idled crazy... part of it was timing way off, and the rest was a vacuum leak. If I hadn't learned how to use the timing light and vacuum gauge, I probably would have spent weeks blaming everything on the carburetor and never gotten anywhere. (Before you dive into a carb rebuild you might want to see how far you can get with just setting timing and idle adjustments for good vacuum and then putting in fresh spark plugs/wires.)
3. Almost every problem I've had with an electrical item not working on my truck has been due to lack of ground, usually just due to grime and corrosion where the device housing attaches to the body of the truck.

Happy wrenching! That's a nice looking truck you have there.

-Will

[TimUK]

Getting my C10 from the seller in San Jose to home required 4 stoppages on the shoulder of various freeways and an eventual ride on a tow truck. It was 105 at the time.
I replaced the tank, The fuel sender was really crusted and its filter missing. Putting the fuel sender back in the tank with a new gasket was tricky. There is a tool.......but I fought it in. The tank was full of crud. There were two additional tanks in the rear wheelarches and a three way valve under the drivers seat. The lines were brittle plastic. You could break them with your fingers. I replaced all the existing rubber line connectors. Getting the tank out is easier with two people.

I wish I had sat down and set a goal of what I wanted my truck to be when I finished it before I started. It was my first project. I went at it a bit piecemeal and ended, over two years, with redoing things and buying more parts that I could have avoided if I had had a plan!! I have learned at lot though!

Good luck.

[LT7A]

Originally Posted by PanhandleShantyman

If you're going to pull the tank, you might think about whether you're interested in relocating the tank while you're at it. I know that some guys who don't like the idea of sitting directly in front of the gas tank take it out and put a replacement in the back.

I'm a newbie to these trucks too, and like you I'm new to these old school carbureted / points systems, so if I could pass on 3 very basic things I learned in the last few months getting my '69 from "barely runs" to "daily driver," and that could have saved me grief if I'd known them sooner, they'd be:

1: don't do anything else until you have a CLEAN , SAFE fuel supply. Clogged carb fuel passages are a pain, and fires are even worse... you're right to start where you are with the fuel lines and gas tank.
2: My timing light and vacuum gauge became my best friends. My truck backfired, dieseled, started hard, idled crazy... part of it was timing way off, and the rest was a vacuum leak. If I hadn't learned how to use the timing light and vacuum gauge, I probably would have spent weeks blaming everything on the carburetor and never gotten anywhere. (Before you dive into a carb rebuild you might want to see how far you can get with just setting timing and idle adjustments for good vacuum and then putting in fresh spark plugs/wires.)
3. Almost every problem I've had with an electrical item not working on my truck has been due to lack of ground, usually just due to grime and corrosion where the device housing attaches to the body of the truck.

Happy wrenching! That's a nice looking truck you have there.

-Will

I think the items listed one two and three are top notch advice. The idea of relocating the tank sounds a little ahead of the game based on the rest of the information. Might be worth considering if you feel like you need to buy a new tank. Barring that, it seems like your plan of getting it going with the existing components is a solid one.

[Rust_never_sleeps]

Replace the "sock" filter on the intake side of the sender unit as well. I guess make sure the float hasn't leaked and check the resistance on the sender while it's out.
Pardon me if I'm repeating stuff...

[Luke87gt]

Thank you all

Given the age and how long the car sat, I’m tempted to get a new tank

If I go that route, any trusted sources I should consider that are proven to fit and function well?

[67 twins]

Originally Posted by Luke87gt

Thank you all

Given the age and how long the car sat, I’m tempted to get a new tank

If I go that route, any trusted sources I should consider that are proven to fit and function well?

O'Reilly auto parts. Spectre brand or something like that. Made in Canada. Fit perfect had it in 2 days. Didn't have to pay shipping.

[PanhandleShantyman]

Originally Posted by Luke87gt

I confirmed that the fuel pump is in front of the motor mount so it looks like itÂ’s a 250 i6. Thank you guys for the tip to positively ID the motor.

IÂ’ve had the car sitting in the garage overnight and came out in the morning to a very strong gas smell that was starting to find its way to the house.

It looks like there is a gas leak between the carburetor and intake manifold. It drained the little fuel filter container overnight.

Does anyone have a recommendation on a carb rebuild kit?

IÂ’ve included a pic of the fuel leak

Are you still chasing down the fuel smell/leak problem?

You're working on the fuel lines and tank now and it sounds like some of the issue is coming from those connectors, but also, looking at this picture, a few thoughts come to my mind about the carburetor. Since fuel is draining without restriction through the carburetor (I think you have a Monojet?) and also leaking out past the gasket to the manifold, you may have one or more of these problems:

1. What limits the flow of gas into the carburetor (assuming no leak right at the fuel line to in-carb fuel filter) is a float valve system basically similar to what limits flow of water into a toilet tank. Fuel flow into the carb float tank is turned off when the float rides high enough on the top of the fuel supply in the float tank. (Fuel supply from the float tank *to the engine* is more complicated and involves other downstream circuits-which involve other little passages and mechanical parts that you should also check for clogs if you have power problems). Now, the plastic float inside the Monojet carburetors is reportedly solvent permeable over decades, and people say they just get totally soaked and lose buoyancy, and sink in the float basin, leaving the float valve permanently open, which could be contributing to your fuel leak issue? So you may want to replace the float. also possible, your float could be buoyant but the arm holding it could be bent at the wrong angle leaving the valve permanently open no matter what the level of gas in the float tank. The float setting is something you can adjust.
2. Might want to make sure there's no debris interfering with the function of the float valve itself, which might be another reason for the gas supply to stick open/cause your leak. A wise old truck guy I talked to said he'd actually had an under-hood fire start this way.
3. I suppose there could theoretically be a defect in the in-carb fuel filter itself, or at its mounting to the fuel line, that could cause a leak, and you'd want to at least glance at this area too.
4. clearly you'd want to put a new gasket at the carb to manifold interface.

There's probably also going to be sediment in the float tank inside the carburetor (just wipe it out) and in the tiny passages leading out of it (which you can blow out with compressed air). If you don't get this cleaned out, you'll have fuel supply problems and the truck will stall out.

Once your fuel supply issues are sorted, and you have done the basic tuneup so you know whether you need to get into the carburetor next, you may find the info on this page useful in figuring out how your Monojet works: https://www.carburetor-parts.com/monojet-technical-help There are also many useful links searchable on this board, and some helpful videos findable on Youtube for almost any procedure you want to learn about.

-Will

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by Luke87gt

I ordered a rear chrome sport bumper today.

What I realized though is that I seem to be missing the brackets that bolt to that bumper?

Any recommendations where to pick that up? I hope I don’t have some complications as a result of this being a converted short bed? Might have to drill some bracket holes?

Wow, that truck looks real clean, how's the rust situation, cuz I don't see any. And a SWB too, very cool.

Some really great advice above. Other than that, if you drop an HEI in there, word is to gap the sparks plugs a pinch greater than specs. HEI are awesome, I'm using the same Delco I pulled in 1993 off a 1975ish.

Rear bumper. Well, you need to know the bolt pattern in your frame rails, for brackets. It's probably 5.0" or 7.1" IMO, and if so, the outer brackets are the same, while the inners are per the frame rails. If you have rear leaf springs, then it's a 5.3" pattern, and I can tell you how to modify an available set, cuz you sure as heck won't find them.

[Luke87gt]

Originally Posted by 71CHEVYSHORTBED402

Wow, that truck looks real clean, how's the rust situation, cuz I don't see any. And a SWB too, very cool.

Some really great advice above. Other than that, if you drop an HEI in there, word is to gap the sparks plugs a pinch greater than specs. HEI are awesome, I'm using the same Delco I pulled in 1993 off a 1975ish.

Rear bumper. Well, you need to know the bolt pattern in your frame rails, for brackets. It's probably 5.0" or 7.1" IMO, and if so, the outer brackets are the same, while the inners are per the frame rails.

Thank you! I actually ordered a used bumper and brackets before knowing this detail, ugh. How can I confirm whether it’s 5.0 or 7.1”?

Additionally when I was shopping the brackets, I don’t recall seeing any different version.

When they come in, I’ll post up some pics and cross my fingers they are right.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by Luke87gt

Thank you! I actually ordered a used bumper and brackets before knowing this detail, ugh. How can I confirm whether it’s 5.0 or 7.1”?

Additionally when I was shopping the brackets, I don’t recall seeing any different version.

When they come in, I’ll post up some pics and cross my fingers they are right.

Mark a painters stick, center of the bolt holes and measure. The holes are in the frame rail walls, and take 1/2" bolts. The rear hole is generally say 1.4" from the back of the rail, so the forward hole is 5"-7.1" in front of that. If leaf springs, wow, might be 5.3", I can tell you how to modify what's available. I'm only aware of 3 patterns, perhaps there are more, as common brackets have more than one bolt pattern. FWW, the bumper brackets extend approx. 8" behind the frame rails. Technically, I measured everything Also FWW, reproduction brackets aren't very good, and may need to be flattened to sit flush to the bumper.

Do you have leaf springs or coils?

[Luke87gt]

Registering the truck in CA has turned into quite the project in itself.

I took the papers to the DMV to register the truck. They told me I need to bring the truck in for vin verification. I told them it’s not running well enough yet to do that.

They then recommend I call the CHP for the vin verification. Of course the CHP doesn’t do house calls. OK so I hire a private Vin verification company that is mobile and comes to my house. $160 later, the vin is verified.

I go back to the DMV and they indicate that because the vehicle is a pickup, it is classified as a “commercial vehicle” and must be weighed at a certified station 🤦*♂️

Not sure what to do now given the car doesn’t yet run good enough to be mobile under its own power. This is turning into quite the hassle. Thanks California!

[zicc1835]

I’m sure your board neighbors from Ca will chime in here I have purchased 3 trucks in the past from your state and the titles / registrations need to be current I can’t think of the name of the designation at the moment I suffer from CRS ….. or you go through the BS your going through now Good Luck with getting it done be patient with the AUTHORITIES Lord knows they have the authority

[68bowtie]

I went through this exact thing with a 70 c30 I dragged back from Oregon. In addition to the things you mentioned I had issues with it being a camper and the camper was removed so they were calling it “incomplete” (you won’t have that). Also there were questions about some missing sticker, hence the need for the CHP trip.

I had to load it on a trailer, weigh it at the scale, unload, weigh again, reload. But it worked.

It’s a real pain but you’ll get through it.

[Luke87gt]

Terribly annoying… it’s a c10! It weighs ballpark what other c10s weigh. This is a typical CA money grab