Project 1966 K20 adventure rig

[The Rocknrod]

Your doing great work, thanks for the updates.

[FoxCustom]

Great build!!!! Digging the progress. You're going to end up with a reliable rig you can wheel and work with! Very interested to hear how you like that Range Splitter OD setup. I have a '60 K20 that I'm planning to run overdrive in combo with the SM420. Glad to see someone keeping the 4 speed and getting creative with it!

-Zach

[notsolo]

Is that an OEM flannel TBI cover......Great build, cool truck.

[roll_the_dice]

Good looking build. I am doing my A/C system now too, so I bookmarked your pictures...exactly what I needed to see!

[72cs20]

Thank you everyone for the all the positive comments and input.

I decided to finally have my driveshafts built this week and got them back today. They turned out nice. Front one is 35 inches and rear is 53.

Still working on the front fenders. The fender to cab gaskets are getting replaced. But first the attaching brackets need the standard scrubbing, priming and painting. Working the upper ones presently.

[FoxCustom]

Nice work.

[72cs20]

Things keep rolling here. Always a lot of little time consuming things that need to get done, as well as some big items.

I refurbished the upper and lower rear seal brackets for the front fenders. Got the seals installed on the upper ones and then back on the fenders. The seals for the lower rear are on back order. I was hoping to have the front end together (except the hood) by now.

[72cs20]

Also worked completing the brakes and clutch. Got the pedals installed and fabbed up my brake booster push rod. Then with help from my GF, we bled both systems. Had a few drippy fittings and after re-snugging the brake pedal feels good. The clutch bled quickly and seems to release the pressure plate adequately, but will more than likely need fine adjustment after the engine is running.

And this week my new wheels were delivered. American Racing 17x8 machined aluminum with 4.5 inch backspacing. 3500 lb. load rating. Had to do a test fit. These pics really show the bumps and bruises in that fender.

[350TacoZilla]

Don't take this the wrong way but I love seeing your truck go back together with the dings and dents here and there. I feel not every truck is meant to be a show truck or a 100% perfect restoration. If your projected use is more than driving it to shows and storing it in a climate controlled garage after a hand wash then dents,dings & scratches are going to happen, so why fuss with every dent you see during the rebuild or build.

I'm going to try and straighten my truck a bit and deal with 100% of the rust to try and stop the spread but the little dings and dents will be there when new paint goes on.

[roll_the_dice]

Originally Posted by 350TacoZilla

Don't take this the wrong way but I love seeing your truck go back together with the dings and dents here and there. I feel not every truck is meant to be a show truck or a 100% perfect restoration. If your projected use is more than driving it to shows and storing it in a climate controlled garage after a hand wash then dents,dings & scratches are going to happen, so why fuss with every dent you see during the rebuild or build.

I'm going to try and straighten my truck a bit and deal with 100% of the rust to try and stop the spread but the little dings and dents will be there when new paint goes on.

I agree. I love seeing awesome perfect restorations, but I also like to see honest 55+ year old trucks with all the dents and dings. Maybe I like them because that is how I am doing my build also and I will use my truck as a DD and a truck. I love this build!

[72cs20]

Originally Posted by 350TacoZilla

Don't take this the wrong way but I love seeing your truck go back together with the dings and dents here and there. I feel not every truck is meant to be a show truck or a 100% perfect restoration. If your projected use is more than driving it to shows and storing it in a climate controlled garage after a hand wash then dents,dings & scratches are going to happen, so why fuss with every dent you see during the rebuild or build.

I'm going to try and straighten my truck a bit and deal with 100% of the rust to try and stop the spread but the little dings and dents will be there when new paint goes on.

You're spot on.

Body and paint work are not in the scope of this project. It is in pretty good shape overall.

Thanks for chiming in everyone!

[72cs20]

Today we took the new wheels and got the tires mounted. The tires are Michelin LTX's size 245/75-17E with about 5k miles on them. These tires are the ones that came off of my F-250 when I put new rims and tires on that truck a couple of years ago. They are 31.5 inches tall and about the tallest tire that looks decent and don't make the truck look out of proportion (to me anyway).

Also worked on fitting up the fan shroud using my original one for now. And installing the fan and upper radiator hard pipe. Still need to paint the pipe.

[The Rocknrod]

Nice job on the fan shroud.

[72cs20]

Originally Posted by The Rocknrod

Nice job on the fan shroud.

Thanks.

It is kind of a final mockup. Everything seems to fit correctly. I had to trim about an inch from the fan opening so the shroud would clear the ac compressor and be able to R&R the fan if needed. I'll replace that old cracked shroud with the new one when it finally arrives.

[Johns 66]

Its the journey, not the destination...Nice work!!1

[72cs20]

Originally Posted by Johns 66

Its the journey, not the destination...Nice work!!1

Thanks Johns 66!

Not much accomplished in the last three weeks. Had family visits and some oppressive heat. Also had some wicked lightning that started a bunch of fires in my area of the Santa Cruz mountains. We are now under mandatory evacuation orders.
They gave us plenty of time though and we're able to get the valuables to safety. My update today are pics of the Adventure Rig loaded on the trailer and ready to get off the mountain. Everything else has already been moved.

The last pic is of my temp fuel fill set up. It is about the only thing I was able to do lately.

[raylube]

Well that stinks, glad you and yours are safe.

[72cs20]

thanks Ray. Appreciate the thought. Were all settled back in and back to normal.

Still plugging along with re-assembly. I'm almost ready to fire up the engine for the first time. In the last couple weeks -

Temporary spark plug wires.
Power steering hoses made and installed.
All parking brake components installed and adjusted.
Rear driveshaft installed.
New battery cables and battery.
Steering draglink mocked up for final fitment.
Seats and seat frame mockup.

I put 10 gallons of gas in the tank and got the fuel pump pushing fuel to engine. My exhaust y-pipe should be here mid week so the o2 sensor can be installed. Then I should be able to try and start the engine. Fingers crossed!

It's all uphill back to the garage and not enough helpers to push it, so the mission is to drive off the trailer and back into the garage.

[raylube]

Your truck is coming along nicely. Very good work. Cant wait to see it driving.

[Johns 66]

Glad everything is back to normal.....wont be long till she is running again

[72cs20]

Thanks for the input fellas!

I finally got the engine fired up this past week after much frustration. Turns out the provided frame mounted fuel pump was working just enough to move fuel to the throttle body but not enough pressure for the injectors. Then it just quit altogether.

So the next day I picked up an in-tank tbi fuel pump and the engine fired right off. Ran it up to temp and got it timed. Then ran it long enough for the cam break in.

But now I'm fighting a sudden engine shut off problem. The engine starts up fine, cold or warm, and will come down to normal idle and then just shut down like the ignition switch is being switched off. No stumbling or rough running. Just shuts off. So I'll be on the phone tomorrow with tech support and see if we can work through this problem.

Also got the brakes pretty much dialed in. All the steering linkage torqued down. All the re-wiring and plumbing for the new fuel pump completed.

The clutch is also not quite right. I've got the wedge adjusted all the way out to the end of the slave cylinder rod but the clutch is dis-engaging way too close to the floor. I think the Land Cruiser slave that I'm using does not have enough stroke length. The transmission does go into gear without grinding but it will need a solution.

And thankfully, no leaks (so far)!

[350TacoZilla]

For reference what bore size and travel are your current master and slave setup? I know you can play around with how much pressure it takes on pedal and how far the master has to travel for clutch engagement with bore diameters.

If all else you can also move the placement of the master on the pedal for different travel ratio but not sure if you will have to go that far.

[72cs20]

Thanks Taco. Haven't yet had a chance to look into the clutch hydraulics. Been working on my engine stalling problem and was able to solve that today with a new ignition module.

I've also been working on the brakes. They work but the pedal is not good. I think I have the wrong size plumbing at the MC or I have lines crossed at the prop valve. Today the right rear wheel cylinder exploded. Fluid everywhere and the brake drum locked up. But it was the rear chamber of the MC that drained. I thought the rear larger chamber was for the front disc brakes. I'm using 71 or 72 K20 MC

[350TacoZilla]

Yeah as far as I have ever seen the larger res is for the disk brakes so you might want to check plumbing. Would also explain it exploding since you would be forcing more fluid at higher pressure than wheel cylinder could take.

[72cs20]

As the song says - " Life is hard when you're dumb ". A seriously bad plumbing mistake. Two in fact. Yikes!!