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

[hgs_notes]

yesterday I think I got the alternator working. The voltage while running was about 13.6 and the battery voltage went up slightly during my test drive. Also got the temp gauge on the dash hooked up. I almost burnt up the wires to the starter where they were against the header. I didn't see it when I was getting everything tied up out of the way, but seems ok.

The timing by ear and vacuum seems pretty close. It was really running pretty nice yesterday afternoon, so I wiped the dust off and told the wife we were going to town. Then during the trip it started smoking like hell. I pulled over and open the hood, nothing wrong there. Look underneath and fluid is draining out of the torque converter dust cover and getting on the hot exhaust. Crap, turn around and drive it home. No issues with the tranny shifting or anything. Just leaking and burning off.

This morning I pulled the dust cover and it for sure is tranny fluid, which is a relief, not the rear main engine seal. Not a difficult fix if you have a lift. Working under the truck on the floor though, trying to drop the tranny enough to pull the torque converter, just plain sucks. So I talked to the local mechanic here in town. He has 3 lifts and can fix it in a few hours, which is worth the money to me right now with so many projects going on.

Here's the rub, I had planned on doing this while it was apart. But when I looked it over there was no sign of leakage at all, so I took the "don't fix what isn't broke" approach. My mistake.

Here's what happens. The pump seal is the last defense for leakage. There is a bushing behind it. There is a small drain back hole between the bushing and seal. When the bushing gets worn there is extra fluid seeping by and eventually it gets bad enough that it overcomes the flow of the drain back hole and puts pressure on the seal.

When I had the truck apart like 7 years ago I replaced the seal but not the bushing. My mistake again. So the bushing has been wearing out and finally overcame the drain and the seal.

The fix is easy enough. Replace the bushing, drill out the drain hole and replace the seal. Easy enough while the tranny is out of the truck, PITA after it's installed.

[Palf70Step]

I got REAL good yanking my T350 in and out of my 83. I agree, paying someone is worth it at my age now.

[Ol Blue K20]

Glad you got the pick up going and I'm really digging the flatbed. I want one someday. I'd love to convert it to a rollback or put a modern wrecker on it.

[Dieselwrencher]

Mike, it's nice to hear you got the turquoise truck back running again. That stinks about the trans issue, but at least it isn't anything major or too expensive. Keep at it and try not to get eaten by your state bird, the mosquito.

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by bh86

That's a cool truck. I've been reading through your build thread. How random is it that I just sold a truck last year, a 76 k10 sport, that had been owned by probably the same lumber yard in St. Anthony, Stoddard Lumber. It still had the original paperwork in the glove box with their name on it. If it will let me post pics I will. You've done some pretty amazing work on your trucks. Keep it up!

Small world isn't it? It's really too bad I had to let this one slip away. One of the separation/divorce casualties. I just saw a similar one listed for sale around here in the last few days.

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

Glad you got the pick up going and I'm really digging the flatbed. I want one someday. I'd love to convert it to a rollback or put a modern wrecker on it.

I was looking for a ramp bed for this one.

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Mike, it's nice to hear you got the turquoise truck back running again. That stinks about the trans issue, but at least it isn't anything major or too expensive. Keep at it and try not to get eaten by your state bird, the mosquito.

The mosquitos haven't bothered me until after dark, when I'm sitting on the porch at the end of the day. Hopefully that won't be the case once I have the screened area done. Last night I finished building the main part of the roof and got the felt down. All that's left is to build the overhang on the end and close it off.

I suspect the bushing has been worn for a while and I just didn't recognise the signs. I still have some work to do on it when I can find the time. I need to replace the heater core, replace the tach, fix the e-brake, fix the pinion leak and get the dash pad recovered and windshield leaks fixed. Plus there are some paint blemishes from the use over the past few years that need some attention.

[hgs_notes]

My truck is finally back on the road. I brought it into a local shop because I just don't have the time right now between the job, the house project and the family obligations and I want to drive it again before fall.

What he found after pulling the tranny was that the bushing actually walked out towards the seal and blocked off the flow for the drain back. Luckily the torque converter wasn't damaged. The odd thing was that the new bushing, when put into the pump plate, was too tight on the torque converter. He had a junk tranny for parts and used the pump plate and gears from that one. He said the gears were a little tighter than mine, less wear. The bushing was pinned to keep it from moving in the future. He drilled out the drain hole to flow better and keep pressure off the seal.

He also dropped the pan and replaced the filter. It was due, fluid was getting dark. He turned around the detent cable hook up so it was easier to install it. I didn't know why it was such a PITA when I hooked it up years ago. A couple of the pan bolt holes needed heli-coils in them.

I had him replace the pinion seal on the axle since the driveshaft was out and it was on the lift already. The exhaust had to be dropped out of the way so the new collector gaskets fixed the exhaust leak I had. Also, one of the exhaust hangers was broken so he replaced that.

I picked up some all-thread to get the air filter back on. The new throttle body uses a thicker bolt than the old one. There is a squeak from the engine, one of the pulleys I suppose. It's all new parts so I should be able to get it replaced under warranty but the work to do it is on me.

The drive was good. The power is up and it does nice smoky burn outs, but the shift is really soft with the new torque converter. There are some new noises and rattles from all the work done lately I'll have to figure out, but it's back on the road and running good.

[Palf70Step]

Congrats!

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Congrats!

Thanks, but it was short lived.

Nothing serious, I don't think. Anyway, the serpentine belt was sqeaking. I traced it to the crank pulley, which was wobbling. Pulled the pulley off and the harmonic balancer wasn't tight on the shaft. Had a little play there, which is bad. It pulled off way too easy. I was worried about the crank because when I built this motor there was a chunk missing by the front key way. I just put a key in it and some JB Weld to hold it and installed the balancer. It seemed ok but I used an old used balancer I got cheap and I think that's the culprit.

I have a new balancer from the damaged engine and I don't have an installer tool. O'reilly's wanted $50 to rent a tool I can buy for $40 from amazon. I'll be gone for work a couple days and the tool should be here when I get back. As long as it fits snug, and it's not sliding on like the old one came off, it should be ok. My JB weld is still in place. The rest of the crank snout was ok, so hopefully this solves the issue.

Always something.

Time to go work on my porch.

[Low Elco]

Glad it's back on the road where you can futz with it. Porch looks great!

[hgs_notes]

The new balancer is on and seems to be ok. I still have a little belt sqeal once in a while but not too bad. My son swapped valve covers for me while I was gone, but forgot to check that the gaskets were on them. I discovered that on a test drive. No leaks while idling but when you get on it the oil sprays more from the rockers and then runs down the side and back to the head. Without gaskets they leak a smidge and you trail a nice blue smoke like a crop duster.

Anyway, installed the gaskets and took it for another drive. Seems to be running pretty good but I could hear a knock from the driver side valve cover. You could feel it in the cover. Not like a rod knock. So before the next drive I started it up, knock still there, so I loosened the valve cover bolts and move it around a little and the noise went away when I pulled it forward. But when I retighten the bolts it came back, not as bad but still audible.

So more fiddling around is needed. But it drives good, power is definitely up from the 283. I don't like how it shifts now, way too early and soft, so that needs to be adjusted and I need to buy or fab up a new kickdown cable bracket (vortec intake and new EFI changed it). I need to get used to new sounds because the whole drive train has been in and out 2 or 3 times this summer and it's not the same now.

[JG358]

Just went through the thread from start to finish...Awesome build and story!

[nuke1]

Looking good bud!! break that engine and in and come for a visit!!!

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by JG358

Just went through the thread from start to finish...Awesome build and story!

Dang! I hope you got something useful out of all that rambling. Thanks

Originally Posted by nuke1

Looking good bud!! break that engine and in and come for a visit!!!

This engine was already broke in, just needs some tweaks.

I'd love to come up to visit, maybe next year. This year has been too busy.

Some pics to brighten up the thread a bit. Too much talking, not enough pics lately...


The new engine, as it is right now. I need a new air filter, sheesh that looks bad...


My first anniversary is coming up next month, here's a look back. Damn my wife is hot!

[Dieselwrencher]

Very nice and congrats on the 1 year anniversary. Here's to wishing you 2 many more happy years to come!

[Palf70Step]

Congratulations!

[Low Elco]

Congrats on the anniversary!

[Ol Blue K20]

X3 on the congrats. Happy Anniversary!

[hgs_notes]

Last summer I had some problems with the motor swap, transmission, etc. but eventually got the truck back on the road. We had a harsher than normal winter (for MN, that's saying something) and really didn't drive it or do anything with it. Spring finally arrived sometime in late May. I drove it once or twice. Then in early June I went for a drive and was thinking that I usually had some plan for a repair or improvement every year and didn't have anything in mind for this year. Mainly because of the struggle last year. I felt it was better just to get some miles on it.

But then on the way home the engine stumbled a bit. And got progressively worse. Then died while going down the highway and I coasted into a parking area for a small cemetery along the road about 2 miles from home. Fuel pump growling and stopping. Welp, I guess I know what I'm doing. After a wait of 10 minutes or so the fuel pump cooled enough to stay running and I drove it home.

That was a new inline pump from FI Tech. There were reviews when I bought it that said the pumps had died prematurely but I put the pump right where my old one was and had no issues with it. Different pump, different results. I decided to upgrade the fuel delivery system with a new tank from a 90 blazer with the in tank pump sump and a new intank pump.

It sat for a month while I gathered parts and got other things done and waited for the weather to improve. The old tank came out without too much difficulty. I wish I could say the new one went in as easily.


The new tank with the newer sending unit. I used a walbro universal in-tank pump (GSS342 with install kit 400-791).


The problems started pretty quick. Turns out the fuel fill inlet on the new tank is a larger diameter, the vent line for the fill is also larger, the new sending unit has special threaded flares for the GM EFI throttle body system that don't really have standard fittings available (at least that I could find while in the middle of the install).

I checked at the parts store for fittings or lines and you can get sections of stock fuel line but it's expensive stuff and doesn't really help with the install because you would just cut it and use one end anyway to connect to the sending unit. So I went to the junkyard and we found a tank where the connected fittings weren't too severely corroded. I could have just cut the fittings off the sending unit and flared the tube (maybe) but the thing costs about $95 and if the level indication isn't working they are not likely to accept a hacked up unit in return. So I used the junkyard fuel line connectors with about 6" of the fuel line. Then I connected to new high pressure fuel line, the same as what I used for the install last year, using brass hose barb couplings.

I decided to keep the return fuel line from the corvette regulator/filter as it was, dumping back into the fuel fill hose so I didn't have to redo that section. It worked so why not. So on that connection on the sending unit I just plugged the attached junkyard hose.

The fuel filler hose was rednecky but should work. The outside diameter of the old hose was about the same as the diameter of the new tank fill tube. Which is about the same inside diameter as a radiator hose. Yes I know it's not rated for use with gas. What I did was use it as a coupler that just wraps around the 2 ends butted together. The radiator hose will see almost no contact with gas. If it fails I'll change it. I had to use what was available to me at the time. If it ever comes to that I'll weld a couple pieces of the correct diameter steel tube/pipe together to make an adapter.

The fuel fill vent line is about 5/8" compared to 1/2" of the old one. I was able to weld a 5/8" diameter fitting onto the steel tube used on the blazer fill vent line and a piece of 5/8" hose I had around.

The wiring wasn't really a problem other than I was short of the correct size butt connectors which meant another trip to the store. I'm 9 miles from town and 20 miles from any major big box stores. The wiring from the sending unit has a single connector for the fuel pump and gas level gage. I cut the connector off because those wires on the truck are on opposite frame rails and I don't have those connectors anyway. I did test that the pump spun before putting the tank in the truck. I had to extend the fuel pump wire a couple feet to reach the wire from the throttle body but that's all that was required. Connected the ground wire and was ready to install the tank.

The only hassle I had getting the new tank mounted was that I didn't realize the new tank was the larger one available. The GM 15A is about 10" deep. The newer style 14B is a 31 gallon tank and about 3" deeper. The straps didn't wrap around the tank and reach the cross brace. I dropped the tank and loosened the front end of the straps as far as I could and tried again. They just barely reached through enough to get the nuts on. But they were long enough, thankfully.


The new tank hangs down more and I'm not thrilled about that. It's about the same look as if you use the 69-72 blazer tank which is deeper but shorter front to back. The square body blazer tank is about 28"x29" so it can be flatter for the same volume. But I do like having the higher volume. I think the 15C tank would have been the same dimensions as my old tank (25 gallon) and had the pump sump because it was for the 87 blazer/suburban. Something to consider if you go this route. Also, this tank probably wouldn't fit well under a short bed truck. I think it can be done but you have to move a crossmember and I think the track bar gets in the way, so if you have a GMC with leaf springs in the rear it might work.

So it's back on the road! I would still like to get the dash pad fixed this summer because the cover peeled up on the passenger side. We'll see.

[Palf70Step]

Glad to hear you got that fixed. 31 gal is a nice capasity for cruising fer sure!

[Ol Blue K20]

Looks like it'll be a ways between fill ups

[Low Elco]

Glad it's back together!

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice new tank! I finally got around to putting a tank under the rear of my bed so I feel your pain man!

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Glad to hear you got that fixed. 31 gal is a nice capasity for cruising fer sure!

Now I need time to drive it! Going to the street machine summer nationals Saturday.

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

Looks like it'll be a ways between fill ups

The 350 gets worse mileage than my old 283. Haha

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Glad it's back together!

No one more than me!

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Nice new tank! I finally got around to putting a tank under the rear of my bed so I feel your pain man!

A couple hour job turned into an all day affair. Come up to St Paul Saturday and bring your truck!

[hgs_notes]

I've wanted to bring my truck to the Street Machine Summer Nationals in St Paul for many years. This was the year it happened...

[Ol Blue K20]

Looks like fun!