72 K30 Build

[First c10]

That is cool Brett. I love being able to watch this build since you started it. Been a great and cool journey. You have done a great job.
Kinda sad it's about finished. Well as a spectator. I am sure you are glad as you get to enjoy it!
Rock on my friend.
Can't wait till the next build.

[Dieselwrencher]

That's awesome! I'm sure you were getting a lot of looks!

[fakerwade]

Dang Brett,, that's a beautiful truck!!! Congrats on getting her done! (good color choice too!!)

[JJorgensen52]

Brett, hats off to you sir. You have done a fabulous job on this one . Glad to have been able to help inform and inspire

[7dee2]

Originally Posted by First c10

That is cool Brett. I love being able to watch this build since you started it. Been a great and cool journey. You have done a great job.
Kinda sad it's about finished. Well as a spectator. I am sure you are glad as you get to enjoy it!
Rock on my friend.
Can't wait till the next build.

Thanks buddy, I appreciate it! Looking forward to more progress on the Hulk's!

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

That's awesome! I'm sure you were getting a lot of looks!

Thanks, it is getting a fair share of attention where ever it goes which is cool!

Originally Posted by fakerwade

Dang Brett,, that's a beautiful truck!!! Congrats on getting her done! (good color choice too!!)

Thank you Wade!

Originally Posted by JJorgensen52

Brett, hats off to you sir. You have done a fabulous job on this one . Glad to have been able to help inform and inspire

Thanks Jim it's a keeper for sure, thank you for your help along the way your build was a big inspiration for this one.



I really appreciate everyone’s kind words, plenty in the pipe line still to build, working on getting my ducks pointed that way.

[7dee2]

You know, it’s always something, with only 121 miles the K30 developed an oil leak that was coming from the timing cover crank seal, dagnabit! Yep, the seal definitely biffed it, appears to have fused/melted to the balancer somehow. Spring popped off the back of the seal and bingo we got a pretty good leak. On the upside a friend said I was lucky that it had weather proofed the underside of my truck. Back into the garage after just stuffing it full with a whole lotta Camaro, here it is going in for surgery! Used an assembly trick adding some red tacky grease to both sides of the seal and smeared a thin film on the balancer hub as well.


Everything else is still peachy to this point except, it’s not really a fan of the 10% Ethanol fuel (E10) that we’ve been trying to run, especially when it’s in 90+ degrees, in traffic, running the AC thinking it’ll get a on demand helper electrical pump like Blue for now. Surprisingly enough the proximity of our big fuel filter to the exhaust is not the big heat contributor I had thought it could be, pretty sure it’s the mechanical fuel pump that’s generating a lot of heat and vaporizing the fuel.

[waco]

Brett

Sorry to hear about the crank seal. I had the same results on an engine I rebuilt a few years back. I learned a little trick about installing the seal from long time rebuilder.

Install the seal in the cover, loosely install the cover, fully install the harmonic balancer and then tighten the cover screws down.

This centers the balancer within the seal.

Hope this useful

Andy

[Dieselwrencher]

Sorry to hear about the seal, it's always some thing though!

[Zane M]

If it is any help, if you have a newer Maverick station in your general area, they usually have Ethanol free fuel available. The downside is the price is as high as diesel.

[7dee2]

Originally Posted by waco

Brett

Sorry to hear about the crank seal. I had the same results on an engine I rebuilt a few years back. I learned a little trick about installing the seal from long time rebuilder.

Install the seal in the cover, loosely install the cover, fully install the harmonic balancer and then tighten the cover screws down.

This centers the balancer within the seal.

Hope this useful

Andy

Thanks Andy, I’ll have to try that next time, it is back together and with 136 miles seems to be fine.

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Sorry to hear about the seal, it's always some thing though!

Ha, such a true statement.

Originally Posted by Zane M

If it is any help, if you have a newer Maverick station in your general area, they usually have Ethanol free fuel available. The downside is the price is as high as diesel.

Your reading my mind, last fill up was non-ethanol @ 91 octane close to $3.20 a gallon!

[7dee2]

Dang, just got back from aligning the K30 today and it looked really good. Some minor toe adjustment was needed but we were very, very close. The alignment guy said the rear alignment was better than a lot of new Chevy trucks he’s seen.

I did reinstall the camber shims because they were in the original donor truck and thought it drove great for what it was (hands off the wheel straight down the road deal). Tech did say it was really a preference thing and that it could create some tire wear, he also mentioned that they don’t mess with them.

Removing them would create a 0 degree chamber and it could feel like it was pulling to the right depending on the crown of the road.

[deejaaa1]

how do you get rid of vapor lock? install a diesel! looking good.

[7dee2]

Thanks deejaa1, yep that'd do it! I’ve wanted a 496 for a really, really long time! Found 2 places close to me that have non-ethanol for $2.88 a gallon, that is a little better. Leaning towards removing the mechanical pump all together and perhaps adding a return line if needed since our sender has a return. EFI is also not off the table for this project and we could run the big 850 Holley on the Camaro project!

[7dee2]

Pleased to report the truck is pretty sweet! Currently a little over 200 miles so far and the only failure has been the timing cover seal. Haven’t added the helper electric fuel pump as of yet, currently working on my honey do list. Non-ethanol fuel is working noticeable better but still planning to run it on E10 once we make the changes.


Flatbed update; After repairing the timing cover/crank seal and while still in the garage I noticed that there was a pretty loud rattle coming from the bed? Found the lower part of the bulk head (headache rack) where it meets the deck has come loose. About a foot in from the hoop to the same point on the other side has separated you can see a crack in the powder coat along the seam. Got some folks on the phone and it went back out to Semi Service for a CM warranty repair? They’re (Semi) thinking they want to remove the bed re-weld the bulkhead, paint & reinstall, Holy Moly! Currently waiting on CM more to follow.

Camaro update; Not much happening on this one yet still clearing my plate.

[swamp rat]

Hey at least they're going to back their product! I'm a firm hater of E10 for carbureted, I will use non Ethanol any chance I get with the rat, I just hope my truck will start back up after this latest sit time even with the non Ethanol....

[Dieselwrencher]

I've really been considering a Fitech for my only gas powered project. I listened to a lot of guys pissed on power tour because they couldn't find any good octane gas. Most of our area doesn't have any higher than 87. Bad deal for all those dudes. No big deal for this dude. Haha sorry to hear about the bed, but at least they are wanting to fix it.

[MTCK]

That truck looks amazing! The flat bed is right at home. I have about 44 pages of reading to do now... Nice work.

[7dee2]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Hey at least they're going to back their product! I'm a firm hater of E10 for carbureted, I will use non Ethanol any chance I get with the rat, I just hope my truck will start back up after this latest sit time even with the non Ethanol....

The bed repair list has been growing and I’m curious as to what CM is going to do? Not a big fan of E10 either, but really don’t want to fuss trying to find non-ethanol in a pinch or on a trip. If it’s been awhile maybe you should try and start it adding some fresh with some fuel stabilizer if you’re thinking it might still be a while before your done?

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

I've really been considering a Fitech for my only gas powered project. I listened to a lot of guys pissed on power tour because they couldn't find any good octane gas. Most of our area doesn't have any higher than 87. Bad deal for all those dudes. No big deal for this dude. Haha sorry to hear about the bed, but at least they are wanting to fix it.

Dude, spark plugs! General consensus is that it wouldn’t even be a deal if the K30 was currently a work or farm truck, but somebody made it just a little to flashy!

Originally Posted by MTCK

That truck looks amazing! The flat bed is right at home. I have about 44 pages of reading to do now... Nice work.

Thanks Marcus I appreciate your kind words, hope you enjoy the build thread…



Flatbed update; The K30 was getting lots of attention while out at Semi Service, they parked it right in the center of the shop in front the shop foreman’s office for safe keeping. We left it out there for a few days so they could work with CM on exactly what is going to the best course to make some repairs. After mentioning some other issues, its looking like the repair direction is moving towards a complete bed replacement. WOW, didn’t see that one coming!

Nova, the warranty gal at Semi Service has been all over this from day one going above and beyond! So very, very impressed with the whole crew out there.
In this time when customer service seems to be nonexistent it just floors you when you run into a company like this.

Ball is back in CM’s court more to follow.

[mjensen]

Such a great looking truck Brett. I really need to figure out how to get some forward progress going again. I know, action creates motivation...just can't seem to generate action LOL

[Dieselwrencher]

Brett, I bet you had everyone there coming to check it out. Anyone I know would.

Good deal on the bed. Hopefully CM comes through now.

[Zane M]

The group at Semi Service are top notch for sure.

I have dealt with them a lot over the years when I plowed snow. They were always Johnny on the spot for repair or parts.

[7dee2]

Originally Posted by mjensen

Such a great looking truck Brett. I really need to figure out how to get some forward progress going again. I know, action creates motivation...just can't seem to generate action LOL

Hey Mike, thanks! It is really tough to find all the time required to do a complete build (especially if you’re working full time and raising a family). Also, there is the burned-out factor, some people never get past those two. You my friend have made it thru both and just keep going. The truck is important to you for several reasons and just a little effort when you can give it the time and eventually you will get there. You know a wise Nike once said “Just do it!”

Originally Posted by Zane M

The group at Semi Service are top notch for sure.

I have dealt with them a lot over the years when I plowed snow. They were always Johnny on the spot for repair or parts.

No kidding, nothing but good stuff to say about the Semi Service group!

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Brett, I bet you had everyone there coming to check it out. Anyone I know would.

Good deal on the bed. Hopefully CM comes through now.

Good news it looks like they are going to!



Flatbed update; For obvious reasons CM wasn’t initially on board with the whole bed replacement idea. It was decided that the K30 would get a face to face meeting with a CM big wig that was coming to town to congratulate Semi Service for meeting or exceeded a sales goal with CM (something about taking delivery of 700 CM beds!), they were being treated with a Taco truck lunch for the whole crew (dang it, my meeting was in the morning so no taco for Brett)!

Nova (the Semi warranty rep) felt that if he saw the truck and the issues in person that perhaps a replacement bed could happen for us.
A few days later we did take truck back out and met briefly with Billy, CM’s National Fleet Director and some of the Semi folks, after going over the issues he agreed to a replacement and promised to personally inspect it prior to shipping! Sahweet! Going forward we’ll just continue using this bed while waiting for its replacement to arrive. Semi will remove and reinstall the new, repair and then sell the old bed.

CM is really coming through for us and making it possible for a complete do over. Thinking our replacement bed will get a little larger tool boxes and a cargo light installed after the bed arrives. Most everything else will remain the same.

[rgunlock]

Great to hear that they are going to come through for you on the bed. Bet you are enjoying the heck out of driving it!

[Dieselwrencher]

Brett, that's great to hear! Here's to bed #2 being perfect before it goes on!

[7dee2]

Thanks guys, didn’t really expect a do over but CM is really standing behind their product.

Rick, I was really enjoying it very much right up until the 250-mile mark when it ate another front seal! Freakin’, fracken’, aarrrgggghhhh!

Here’s what I know, one, these things usually don’t fail, two, Ding Dong, that’s me used a second Felpro seal that I’d saved from back when Noah loaded the ark. Actually, it was about 15 years or so ago that I’d acquired both of these after buying a couple of complete rebuild gasket sets. Thought they were still good but with 2 failures in a row and nothing else to point to thinking it’s got to be the age (maturity ) of the seals.

Getting kind of tired of replacing these buggers and sprung for a super high heat heavy duty Viton seal for the next go around. It’s made out of the same material as the one installed in the rear main earlier for those that have been following that long. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sce-21302

Currently the K30 is on time out for bad behavior while we finish up a front room remodel project that’s been going on with Mrs. 7dee2.