66 GMC Long to Short LS Swap

[Duncan K]

Haven't done much on the truck in the last 4 months. Really frustrated with the doors and hood so I decided to try and wrap up all of the mechanical stuff. I'd like to have the truck moving under its own power before the snow comes.

Finished the lines running out to the trans cooler built into the rad. Machined a bracket out of aluminum to hold them to the block.



Made bracket to mount the brake booster/master cylinder. I ditched the CPP partitioning valve and replaced it with an adjustable one from Wilwood. Plumbed the rest of the brake lines. I used mild steel tig filler wire to mock them up and the copied them with the brake line.



Moved on to the cooling system. Made a couple brackets to hold the bottom of the rad. The factory outlet for the lower rad hose pointed the wrong way so I switched it out for a Mr. Gasket outlet that swivels to any direction you need. This made finding a lower hose much easier. I mocked up the bend of hose I would need with tig filler wire again and took that to my auto parts store. I compared it to the hoses on their wall until I found one that would work. Ended up cutting the middle section out of a Gates 20380, fits perfect.



I picked up a new steering column so the truck is now column shift. Also got a Lokar linkage kit.

[Duncan K]

Couldn't find an upper rad hose to work so I modified the outlet on the rad. Now just a short straight piece of hose connects the two.



I didn't like the extreme angle of the rear shocks, and I needed more space to run the exhaust out the back. I relocated the rear shocks outboard of the frame.
I recycled the upper mounts and made lower mounts off the back of the trailing arms. Shocks sit vertical, and should work better now. This opens up more space for the exhaust to run through as well



Changed my plan for the exhaust, was going to go over the rear axle but decided now to go under. I moved the mufflers back and finished welding everything that was previously just tacked up. My stainless welds have improved a lot after getting a Furick Fupa 12 cup

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Mounted the new steering column only to find that it was binding and would only move about 1/8 of a turn. Took it apart and found the plastic ball that the tilt steering swivels on was broken. A big chunk of it was hanging out causing it to bind. I just love getting "brand new" parts that come broken. I managed to get the broken junk out and it turns freely now. I bought it from a seller off Ebay, hopefully they will warranty it.



Was really cool to sit in the truck holding the steering wheel, even if it was sitting on a milk crate! Really pushing to drive it before the snow comes

[Duncan K]

Installed the Lokar shift linkage kit. Had to add a little 90 degree bracket to the lever coming off the column. Looks like I will have to make some changes to the exhaust. The shift lever attached to the shaft on the trans is going to run right into the v band coming off the header.



I picked up a bracket to mount the drive by wire gas pedal from Animal Speed Shop. Pretty impressed with it, bolts right up using factory bolt locations. Puts the pedal in a decent location. I may trim the bracket a bit to put the pedal a little further back.

[Duncan K]

Finally finished the exhaust system, to the rear axle anyway. I didn't like that it was rigid all the way from the headers back so I added some flex couplers. Also welded some stainless tabs to mount it to the frame with rubber isolators.



Got a steering shaft built. I machined some double d shaft out of some round bar. I used a coupler to go from DD to round, welded both ends up and drilled for a roll pin just to be safe.



Last thing I needed to tackle before I could drive it was the brakes. I bled the master and went to bleed the lines. Leaks everywhere!! spent the better part of 2 days tightening, redoing flares and lines, vacuum bleeding. What a disaster! In the end I managed to get the brakes working but still don't have a very firm pedal. Its enough to stop the truck on a test drive though.

Unfortunately I didn't manage to beat the snow but I was able to take it for a cruise up and down the driveway a couple times. It was a chilly test drive with no doors or windshield and I was sitting on milk crate, but I got to finally get behind the wheel after 3 years. Having it drivable will give me the motivation to get back on the metal work this winter. Still need to finish rust repair on the hood, inner fenders, doors and box.

[Duncan K]

Back on the rust repair and body work again. I removed the braces from the hood. I had 5 or 6 rusty holes to cut out and replace in the hood and braces. I cut up the other hood that I had blasted to use for patch panels.

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Got the hood and braces blasted along with the inner fenders. Did a bit of hammer and dolly work on the hood. Learned a cool new technique to shrink a dented area with a torch and a wet rag. Shot the bottom of the hood and the braces with epoxy primer.



Started working on one of the inner fenders

[88Stanger]

Gotta love Rust repair I feel like all I have done for the last 3 months is Rust Repair.... I am almost sick of it. lol
Yours is coming along and looks great! Good Job.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by 88Stanger

Gotta love Rust repair I feel like all I have done for the last 3 months is Rust Repair.... I am almost sick of it. lol
Yours is coming along and looks great! Good Job.

Agreed!

[Duncan K]

Originally Posted by 88Stanger

Gotta love Rust repair I feel like all I have done for the last 3 months is Rust Repair.... I am almost sick of it. lol
Yours is coming along and looks great! Good Job.

I agree, feels like its never ending. Was nice to take a break from it and do something else for a while. I wish I had the budget to just buy replacement panels. Looks like your is coming along nicely as well!

[88Stanger]

Originally Posted by Duncan K

I agree, feels like its never ending. Was nice to take a break from it and do something else for a while. I wish I had the budget to just buy replacement panels. Looks like your is coming along nicely as well!

It is, slowly but surely. Due to my skill lacking in body work, I had to wait and save some for new panels, i just do not trust myself with the extensive body work. Although it feels like i am doing alot of in now even with new panels. With that said though, i have all new from fenders inner and outer and the bed, well it did not come with one, so the bed will be all new panels, yet to be purchased.

[Duncan K]

Well I was all set to weld the hood braces back in when I realized that you can see the back side of the front brace through the openings in the hood. I decided to shoot some colour on the back of the brace and underside of the hood before welding the brace back in.



Welded the braces back in, ground everything flat and did some rough body work before shooting epoxy primer.



I am really happy with how the colour turned out. I cut a piece off my old door skin and took it to the body shop supply place to get scanned. I thought it might take a few tries to get the colour just right but they nailed it first try! It will be quite a while before the rest of the truck sees colour so at least I can see it under the hood.

[SkinnyG]

Oooof. I don't think I want to do that.

Is this going to be hard removing the inner structure, and welding it all back in again?

I'm a little frightened.

[Duncan K]

Originally Posted by SkinnyG

Oooof. I don't think I want to do that.

Is this going to be hard removing the inner structure, and welding it all back in again?

I'm a little frightened.

Its not so bad, shouldn't be a problem with your skills.

Mine was quite rusty behind the front brace and really needed to be blasted

[Duncan K]

Got the body work done on the top of the hood and got it shot with epoxy.



I picked up another passenger door and started over. I hung it and made sure it fit right. Pulled a few dents from it being opened too far in the past. I cut the door skin off below the upper body line this time because the repo door skins aren't made right and the upper body line is too low. Got the door blasted inside and out. Fixed a rusted out corner on the inner door bottom and shot the inside with epoxy. I managed to cut and remove the door skin from the first door attempt. This was really hard to do without wrecking it. I laid it over the new door to find that this door is wider than the last and the door skin is too narrow. I fit and welded the skin on and ground the welds down. To widen the door skin out to match the rest of the door I bent 1/8 tig filler rod and welded it to the edge.



Feeling really good about being able to save and reuse the door skin. I hung the door on the truck.

Mother #&^%$&^%$!!!!!!!!

Door is warped, it sticks out about 3/4 inch at the top. I guess I got a little aggressive and welded it to quickly. The edge where I welded the tig filler rod is warped pretty bad too.



Pulled the cover over the truck and walked away, that was mid December

[SkinnyG]

Oh no!

[88Stanger]

Damn... sorry to hear this. I have been close to that frustrated... I had to go do something else on the truck for a while, so i spent a few weeks working with wood and building the stereo system that will go in the truck. This made me feel alot better and now i am ready to tackle the rest of the cab. Hang in there, it will come back to you.... the want to get her done....

[SCOTI]

That sucks. Good decision to take a step back to ease the frustrations.

A block of wood placed lower down in the jamb & some gentle pulling/pushing @ the door frame top should help w/that warpage hopefully.

[joesscamaro]

I had a very similar issue with one of my doors sticking out at the top like that. I did as SCOTI mentioned and used a piece of wood between the door and the jam. That got most of the warpage out. To get the rest of it out, I put my knee on the inside of the door...about level with the door handle...and pulled the top of the door the rest of the way in. Worked like a charm. Taking some time off is a good idea when you get too stressed out with it all...just don't give up completely. It's looking good.

[bigmoe]

If that doesn't work I wonder if you could make a relief cut along the inside and pull it in a bit and re-weld it?

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by joesscamaro

I had a very similar issue with one of my doors sticking out at the top like that. I did as SCOTI mentioned and used a piece of wood between the door and the jam. That got most of the warpage out. To get the rest of it out, I put my knee on the inside of the door...about level with the door handle...and pulled the top of the door the rest of the way in. Worked like a charm. Taking some time off is a good idea when you get too stressed out with it all...just don't give up completely. It's looking good.

Naw..... He's just recharging.

[SkinnyG]

Originally Posted by bigmoe

If that doesn't work I wonder if you could make a relief cut along the inside and pull it in a bit and re-weld it?

Just run beads/tacks on the inside edge - it will shrink and pull in. Then grind the beads off.

[Duncan K]

Definitely not giving up. Took some time to do a few other projects around the shop that I haven't made time for. I did a rebuild/refresh on my Bridgeport milling machine, and built a squat rack for the basement.

I am really hoping I can salvage this door. Lots of time and money invested in blasting, epoxy, door skin, Kilmat on the inside. I will try these suggestions when I get back to working on doors. Right now I am working on the box. The one I have is pretty rough like the rest of the truck was. Going to have to do a lot of work to save it. I'd love to go the new box side route but that just isn't in the budget right now.

[Duncan K]

Brought the box into the shop and got it taken apart. Box sides are pretty rough, rear sill is rotted out, the rest of the sills have plenty of rust holes, wheel arches are pretty much rusted out as well.



I've never liked how the wheel isn't centred in the opening on these trucks. So instead of removing the standard 12" and 8" I mocked up the bedside in front of the wheel at ride height and centred the wheel and marked the centre on the box side. Then measured from the centre of the axle to the back of the cab and applied this measurement to the box side. Ended up removing around 14" in front of the wheel opening, and 6" behind it.



Made some cardboard templates and then cut some wooden bucks to help work the sides back into shape. I used the inner buck as a hammer form, and the outer to clamp against the side. I heated up stretched areas with a torch and then rapidly cooled then with a wet rag while the buck was clamped on the outside. I used the hammer and dolly until my arm nearly fell off. First side came out ok.

[Duncan K]

Picked up this truck box trailer for a case of beer! Was hoping to use it for some patch panels but it is pretty rough in all the same areas. All the sills are in better shape than my original ones, and the wheel arches are repairable.

[SCOTI]

Kudos to you guys putting in all the rust rehab efforts. Amazing amount of effort.

[SkinnyG]

It'd be cool to pull a C10 trailer behind the C10 pickup that's the same C10 pickup as the C10 pickup the C10 trailer was made from.

Just sayin.