72 project

[Chris4x4Gill2]

Removed and replaced the Axle shaft bearings and dust seals last night. I had to cut the brake lines at the backing plates because the nuts were rounded off and rusted.

Re-installed the axle shafts, sealed the diff back up and re-filled with gear oil.

Hopefull I'll get the new calipers and rotors bolted on next week.

[RCbowtie69]

keep up the hard work , and keep on truckin'' :metal;

[prin]

Glad to know tha tyo are still working on it! Woot! I lowered ine a little more today. I am so loving the new old truck! Cant wait till you get done so we can ride out!

[Chris4x4Gill2]

Same here! Once I get these brakes finished, its time for body work. I still havent decided how or who is going to be doing that part yet.

[Chris4x4Gill2]

Down to bleeding the brake lines now. The rear disc install is complete and the new wheels I got from Prin were test fit. Looks like we are good to go in that area.

[Chris4x4Gill2]

I finished up installing the new Proportioning valve and related lines over the holidays. Brake lines are bled, will probably bleed once more to make sure all the air is out of them though. Time to bolt up the wheels.

Unfortunately the truck i going to have to go on the back burner again for a little while, but I'm getting closer.

[Chris4x4Gill2]

Finally an update.

Set the truck on all 4 wheels. Cranked just fine, but transmission wouldnt pull in Fwd or Rvs. Goes into Nuetral and park fine. I did find a leak at the transmission cooler lines, I'll have to look into all of that later though.

I loaded it up on the trailer and went to where the bed was stored in my shed. Used my 4x4's winch and a snatch block to lift the bed and installed it back on the frame. Now its going to the welder for the new gas fill to be installed. I'm going to get him to weld up a few holes in the body while he has it, and hopefully, he will agree to tackle the rocker panels while its there.

After the bed was installed, I stripped the trim and removed the mirrors.

[Chris4x4Gill2]

Now my plan is to start work on the hood, just need to remove the surface rust and old paint and hit it with some primer.

Need to remove all of the clips from the trim as well. Do these have to be drilled out? Once removed, does the new trim reinstall using the existing holes? or is all of the new stuff adhesive?

[Chris4x4Gill2]

New Rocker panels are on.

The old were practically falling apart on the inside.

[Chris4x4Gill2]

Some more of the new metal:

[Chris4x4Gill2]

And getting started on the new fuel fill.

[Chris4x4Gill2]

I shot all of the new metal with rattle can primer for now. I had to modify my design slightly on the fuel fill as well, I had to go with a hard pre-bent 90 instead of the flexible one in the photo.

I started cleaning up the cab some more, removed the seat belts and used a wire brush to remove the surface rust from the floor. The metal is good there so I sprayed it with Rust inhibitor. Did find that the cab corners have rotted out and been bondoed at some point. Also have some rust in the kick panel that needs to be replaced.

[prin]

Do i see progress???

[Chris4x4Gill2]

Thanks for checking in on me Prin!

I'm making a little progress. Slowly but surely. I prepped the new metal Sunday. I grounded the new welds smooth and put a skim coat of bondo over them. I filled in the patches on the old gas tank fill and the patches on the fenders. Now I have to go back and sand it smooth.

Pulled the doors apart and need to order some lower skins, I'm in line with my welder to have him do that for me, hopefully later this month.

My priority list right now, it to rewire the electric fan and fix a leaking transmission line. The Tranny line is giving me fits, and im ready to pull it completely and get a new line, I dont think Im going to get the old one to seal.

And in between all of that, I am trying to get a plan together for a coat of primer on this old thing. I want to start with the hood and cowl. Then do the doors when I get them back. Rhinoline the inside of the bed, and then prime it and the outside of the cab.

I need to make a project post over on HSV, I just keep forgetting to.

[Chris4x4Gill2]

Some more progress over the weekend. I disassebled the doors to get ready to patch the inside skins as soon as the new ones show up. The glass is all in good shape minus the pass side vent window. The glass is there on it, but the frame (vent frame not door) has rusted in two at the pivot point of the vent window. Only other issue I had was the main drivers window has a roller off the track on the bottom. Have to figure out if its fixable still. Plan is to weld on the new metal, and then prep the doors and prime before reassemly. Will probably just put the basics back on. ;eaving the interior trim off for now until it gets final paint.

everything was in rough condition but working, I think internals will jsut get a good oil and put back in. The window tracks will be sanded to remove rust and then reused. The outer door handles are peeling, I need ot figure out if they are salvagable. Interior handles both broke trying to take them off.

Also started on the tail gate. I have a new latch assembly coming for it.

[Chris4x4Gill2]

pics of rust damage on doors:

[Chris4x4Gill2]

The replacement panels came in yesterday. Now I need to get with my welder so I can get in line for him to do the doors for me. I still have to do cab corners anad kick panels but that will have to wait a bit. I want ot get this thing driveable first.

Here are the new panels:

Here are the vent windows. I was really hoping to salvage these. Obviously the pass side is a lost cause, but i was optomistic about the drivers. Until i removed the weatherseal athat is. Its not all the way rusted through, but its not far from it.

[Chris4x4Gill2]

The other area I have to deal with is this corner on both doors. There is some rust here, but looks like seam sealer or something similiar? I dont know if the sealer is original or a patch? Anyone have an idea or a suggestion on repair?

[Chris4x4Gill2]

Spent yesterday finxing a leaking brake line. I had to replace the line running from the proportioning valve to the union going to the rear lines. Not a long line, but plenty of bends to it.

Between trying to get the old one off to heading to the parts store for a new line and then bending and re-installing the new one, i used up all of my free time for the day, so I still have to bleed the lines.

[Chris4x4Gill2]

I think the new brake line is still leaking slightly. no where near as bad as before though. I need to tighten it a little more and see if it stops.

I replaced both trannsmission cooler lines this weekend as well. The bottom one was leaking bad, top wasnt so I moght have tempted fate by changing that one as well but I didnt want to have to redo it again soon. Had to pull the pass exhaust off to get any room at all and this job was still a PITA to do.

need to crank it up now when I get the exhaust back on and see if the leak is gone.

[68 c10 gold/ivory]

good work keep on a truckin

[Chris4x4Gill2]

Well, I'm slack on updates, but priorities have taken me away from the truck for quite a while.


The leak in my brake line is due to stripped threads in the proportioning valve, so I have to replace that.

Couldnt get my electric fan to switch on - diagnosed it as a bad thermocouple in the sensor so that needs to be replaced.

Still need to bolt the exhaust back up to see if the tranny line is still leaking.

But........ I dropped the doors and new skins off with the welder yesterday. He has been covered up since before Thanksgiving so he just called saying he had time for them.

[local13hutch]

hey guy to bad you are so far away im in cali and i could give you most of the parts you need for free...I have been making space and cutting loose with alot of stuff....sometimes its a pain to advertise locally to sell stuff you never know whos coming to your house and you spend more time than its worth in the long run....Dont get me wrong if you do this for a living than you get good at it and you can make a few bucks...But im just a guy with 9-72 gm trucks and only 4 of them run.Damn...Good-luck....local13hutch

[Chris4x4Gill2]

If you have a good set of vent windows you want to part with let me know! Thats the main piece i'm looking for right now. Or at least will be when I get the rust issues on the doors fixed.

[local13hutch]

I will see what I got and get back to you....I dont know what shipping would be from 92840 to your house will be but first let me see what I got and if they look good once there removed from the door...talk to you soon....I know what its like trying to get your project on the road and there are a hundred things in life that come first...My 72 c-10 sb has been in my drive way untouched for atleast 2 years and all it needs is a driveline dual exhaust and a windshield cut down for my 3 inch chop and its on the road.I am running a 72 lt1 that I have had since I was a kid and this is the 3rd time I have rebuilt it and this time its got some cash in it I cant wait..I havent even looked at our site here in months until recently infact I have been working on my truck now for the past 3 weekends YAYYYYY. If I have a set ill give them to you just pay for the ride ...Good luck....local13hutch...out