Over 25 Years Later, Finally My 71 C-10 Truck Build

[88Stanger]

that is so awesome that you got that car at that deal!!! good for you

[Dieselwrencher]

Originally Posted by hgs_notes

What? Like a 4 door?

From what I've read the factory five cars have an extended footwell. I'm not really tall at 5-11 or so. I could put a race type steering wheel (quick release) to ease exit/entry.

No, I know a couple of the companies building these offer the bodies stretched in the passenger compartment area to accommodate for more leg room. I haven't researched for sure who does them because then I'd be itching worse to build one.

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

No, I know a couple of the companies building these offer the bodies stretched in the passenger compartment area to accommodate for more leg room. I haven't researched for sure who does them because then I'd be itching worse to build one.

There is an optional pedal box that gives more leg room and they recommend a different seat than the standard one that will sit lower and further back. They say the car will fit a newer mod motor or Coyote 5.0 but they use up some of the foot well for an aluminum heat shield or something so an old school sbf might be a better option for tall people.

I wish I had an update on the motor but I've been taking advantage of the mild weather to work on my house. The contractor is finally on site working on the roof. I finished installing the last of 22 windows and resheeting the family room addition on the back of the house. The old siding is off and it's ready for house wrap and taping the seams. I'll probably get the short block together this weekend.

[Dieselwrencher]

It definitely sounds like great progress on your house! Very nice!

[hgs_notes]

I got the rotating assembly back together. No new issues there.


The heads were checked for cracks. One looks good. The other "might" have a crack by one of the exhaust seats. If so it should be repairable at a good machine shop.

[hgs_notes]

The good news is the heads don't have any cracks. So Mike is going forward with my head rebuild.

As I mentioned, I was looking at switching to a serpentine belt set up. I think I already have almost everything I need on hand to do it. I got a parts suburban from my cousin last year. It was a 1990 with a 350. Some of the stuff on the passenger side of the engine was missing, but it looks like the stuff I really need was there. I only have an alternator and power steering, so I don't need the AC stuff. I just need a water pump pulley which I saw at the junkyard the other day.

[hgs_notes]

My heads should be ready soon. I might have them by next weekend. So I spent a little time cleaning the engine and getting some paint on it.

Making the small block great again...


I also got the oil pump installed. Found another problem there from the kids that put this thing together. The oil pump pick up tube wasn't even tight into the pump. It wasn't pushed in all the way so it probably would have just fallen out of the pump later on. I took the measurements to get it in the right position, about 3/8" off the bottom of the pan and used a punch to get it into the pump. Usually that's all I ever do but this time I decided to put a tack weld on there to make sure it stays where it's supposed to.


The serpentine belt set up I'll be using. Just needs cleaned up and painted. And I need the correct (reverse rotation) water pump.

[hgs_notes]

Mike got my heads finished up last week and was even able to bring them down to me. A 3 hour drive, much appreciated.




We wiped them down and sprayed them with some aluminum silver engine paint. I have an awesome set of faux-luminum vortec heads. I think the paint makes them about 50 lbs lighter.




I still need to pick up a few things to finish it up but it'll be ready to swap in fairly soon. Unfortunately it'll have to wait until I have the time. Hopefully before the end of April.

[hgs_notes]

Been out of town most of the past couple weeks so not a lot done. I did pick up a few parts the other day so I could get the intake manifold installed and the valve covers were delivered...


I also got a water pump, AC delete pulley and a new tensioner. I think I just need a new idler pulley and some bolts and the serpentine belt set up is ready to bolt on. I should get a new PS pump to replace my leaky one.

I've pretty much decided to upgrade the EFI to the new FI Tech unit. I'll need to swap the dizzy and oil filter adapter from my 283. Not much left outside of these things before I can make the swap. Looking forward to that.

[hgs_notes]

Inching closer...

[mcbassin]

Very nice progress on the engine! looks great

[Dieselwrencher]

Your truck's new power plant is looking great!

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

Very nice progress on the engine! looks great

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Your truck's new power plant is looking great!

Thanks guys. I'm happy with it so far.

I'm just trying to button up as much stuff as possible before the swap. Most of the changes are primarily in the serpentine set up. I had a some trouble with the power steering pump, as in, which one to use. The 71 pump fits the bracket but has the wrong pulley shaft so the newer press on pulley won't fit. A square body pump has the correct pulley shaft but won't fit the bracket. The advantage with those pumps is that they use the older flare fittings for the pressure hose. In about 1980 GM switched to the bubble flare lines, which would require some kind of adapter or another option. Eventually I found the answer, or what I think is the answer for using the newer pump, specifically one for a 94 truck (the year I've been using for sourcing serp parts). I bought a new pressure line and I'll try to reflare the steering box end to a standard old style flare.

Another small glitch I had was with the idler pulley. I bought one for an AC set up because I also bought the AC pump delete pulley, which is basically a pulley of the same size mounted on a piece that bolts into place of the AC pump. The brackets I had were of the none AC variety and it has a different idler. So the new idler I bought wouldn't fit because I was missing a little spacer that the idler rides on. I went back to the junkyard and got one, problem solved.

As an option I could have just returned the idler pulley and not used it at all. It's really only needed to get a few more degrees of belt contact for the AC pump pulley. I decided to go with it in case I do add AC later. My ultimate goal is to swap an LT engine in here in a couple years but I know there is a chance that doesn't happen and I might want some AC before then.

Lastly, I didn't have the metric bolts for the water pump pulley. GM used studs and I tried to remove some at the junkyard. No luck and really not worth the trouble. I bought some bolts at Napa.

Anyway, this is how it sits now. I'll use my existing alternator and distributor. Both are fairly new. I'll install the new dipstick after the engine is in in case there is interference getting the headers bolted up with it in the way. I need to verify I'm at TDC on #1. I need the heater hose fittings from the old engine and to plug the holes in the engine/water pump/intake that I don't use. I'll need to swap over the gage sending units/fittings. I need to measure for the correct serp belt. The big thing is biting the bullet and ordering the new EFI. I might make that swap after I get the new engine running because I know it works and I can at least get the cam break in done and test drive it to make sure the engine doesn't destroy itself first.

[Low Elco]

looks nice!

[hgs_notes]

I'm getting ready to start the swap soon. I only have a few parts left to get. I got some garage space cleaned out for it. Took it for a drive last night, maybe the last one with it's old heart. That engine has been in there since 1985. It's been pulled out a few times. I spun a bearing once, swapped cams and resealed, pulled out for another reseal and paint. The little 283 has been good, I can't complain too much.


This FI Tech system is basically the exact same set up as my old Holley ProJection with some upgrades. Like 4 high pressure injectors instead of 2 low pressure ones. Has a built in fan control. Has variable voltage for the fuel pump to slow it down at idle or low speed to keep the pump cooler, has a much smaller ECU that's mounted to the unit rather than the big old one under the dash and has some timing control with or without a CDI box. Should be an easy change. I'm waiting for the fuel pump delivery though. I don't know if the one I have will produce the pressure needed for this system.

[hgs_notes]

Bought a new cobra hauler...


I don't want to borrow a trailer from a friend for a trip to Mass. Too much wear and tear and if something goes wrong, it would be costly. I looked at renting a trailer, but they are not a flat deck, so I'd have to buy some plywood or something, figure out how to bolt it down, to use it for a non-rolling kit car. So I found a suitable trailer for a decent price.

As for the truck, the fuel pump was on back order so I had to find another supplier. It's on the way now. Tomorrow I'm getting started on building a porch onto the house, but if I get time to work on the truck I'll start getting things ready to pull the 283. The crewcab is on the back burner until my 71 is back on the road.

[clay68c10]

Man, I just read this whole thread over a couple of days. What a great project and great trips and side stories! I'll be starting on a similar long term truck this summer, might take years but that's ok.

I met a guy at a show once with a Cobra kit car, it wasn't painted but was clearly driven a lot. He said it was so much fun to drive that he didn't want to take it off the road long enough to paint it. I always think about that guy and his car when I see a Cobra kit car.

Enjoy!!

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by clay68c10

Man, I just read this whole thread over a couple of days. What a great project and great trips and side stories! I'll be starting on a similar long term truck this summer, might take years but that's ok.

I met a guy at a show once with a Cobra kit car, it wasn't painted but was clearly driven a lot. He said it was so much fun to drive that he didn't want to take it off the road long enough to paint it. I always think about that guy and his car when I see a Cobra kit car.

Enjoy!!

Damn, That's a lot of reading. I'm looking forward to that build but like I've said, it'll have to wait a bit. I've waited this long, a little more won't hurt.

As an example, last week I cleaned out some garage space and got the truck parked in there so I can start working on pulling out the old engine. Haven't touched it since other than to set the new fuel pump on the bed rail.

Instead, Saturday morning I got the holes drilled in my yard to set footing blocks in for my new porch. Not Porche, porch. The weather was good, I had the materials on hand and the wife didn't want open holes around the house waiting to gobble up her critters like baby Jessica in the well, so I spent the entire weekend playing carpenter.




54' across the front, 8' deep there and 19" deep on the left side. I ordered trusses last night. It's going to be awesome!

[Low Elco]

Dang, you're gonna double your square footage! I dig me some covered porch.

[hgs_notes]

Last night I finally pulled the old engine. No issues other than how much grease there is to clean up...




I think a lot of my oil loss was through the crankcase vent on the back of the engine. Something unique to those older small blocks. I'll have to use a newer style alternator to fit the new brackets. I was hoping I could use the old one since I know it's good and fairly new and the wiring is good. The newer alternator takes a different wire plug.

Next I'll be doing clean up and replacing my leaky heater core and swapping the torque convertor. Then I'll be ready to drop the new engine in. Maybe this weekend yet, but who knows. I've got a porch to keep building on also.


Have a great weekend everyone!

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice work getting the engine out. The porch is looking great! Have you got to the point of putting the trusses on it yet? I hope you have a great weekend too!

[Palf70Step]

Nice work on all things. That is a very clean engine bay for being "greasy".

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Nice work getting the engine out. The porch is looking great! Have you got to the point of putting the trusses on it yet? I hope you have a great weekend too!

Just finishing the floor boards today. Next I'll get the header and ledger boards up for the trusses, then I'll be ready to start building the roof.

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Nice work on all things. That is a very clean engine bay for being "greasy".

The firewall doesn't look bad but the K member and around the front of the engine is coated in oil and PS fluid. Also the top of the transmission from the crankcase vent on the back of the 283. Trust me, it's worse than it looks.

Once I get my porch floor done, and I'm almost done now, I'm going to do said cleaning and get that heater core replaced. Maybe tomorrow I'll drop the new engine in.

[hgs_notes]

Didn't get as far as I had hoped today, but that's the breaks. I did get all the required engine bits swapped from the old engine to the new one. I primed the oil pump and installed the distributor. Oil pressure with the cordless drill cranking it over was about 18-20 psi.


I installed the new torque converter...


I got started on degreasing it but didn't get far. Maybe I can get the kid to sit in there and do it this week while I'm out on the road.

[Low Elco]

Work, work, work. Hello boys, I miss you!


Get D in there!