Jim's 1969 Custom/20

[bollybib]

Originally Posted by oldman3

Jim, I enjoy each and everyone of your post, they are very informative with lots of pics and the cost. By the time your done we can all print your post and have a great assembly/cost book....Jim

Over my working career, I had to write hundreds (if not thousands) of engineering papers. My writing style is a lot looser than that here, but I'm glad I can share those skills in this forum on subjects vintage truck lovers enjoy.

Printing up a copy as a keepsake to go with this truck is a good idea. I wonder if it will ever be done though.

[bollybib]

Originally Posted by 67chevy1series

wow im so glad i have a service manual. because a/c stuff is tightly put in these dashes and theres alot of crapola in there that has to be correct to function... ad i also want the a/c to work lol. jim thats a really nice write up... alll of them! it is helpful for me.

I didn't know much about this system before I started on it, either. I just went one step at a time and looked up stuff here in the board and read the Service Manual and little by little got it all fixed. The hard part on these things is the AC circuit but I doubt I'll tackle that for a long time.

Thanks & Have Fun, Rick !

[bollybib]

Originally Posted by VA72C10

Thanks again for the detailed posts and writeup!!! Have you kept a running total? These fix-ups certainly add up!

Being nickel and dimed to death is another way of putting it haha. I keep a running total but I figure I'd post it at an opportune time when it arrives (how's that for being vague?). Thanks for checking in now and again.

[treveiger]

Hey Jim I want to say thanks, your truck is pretty much like mine(except for ac an stuff) and being able to see how you do the breaks and the rear end help me a lot for when I do those next summer. I've had to learn a lot of this myself an your build sheets help a lot when I'm trying to figure it out! I'm still nervous though lol.
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[camrycurt]

Jim,

I just found your thread and have read almost all the way through it. I love your detailed write-ups and all the pictures, and really appreciate the explanations of your trouble-shooting steps - this is a great help to me, especially as I need to replace the carrier bearing, ujoints, and exhaust on my little C/10 and am not sure where to start. I hope you don't mind a few questions from me as I plan to tackle those projects.

By the way, as a 30-something with two young kids eventually headed for college and another 30 years of work ahead of me, I'm particularly jealous of statements like this:

Originally Posted by bollybib

Retirement is such a luxury, I enjoy the stress-free aspect of it immensely.

I'm counting the days until I can say the same thing.

But on the driveshaft work, do you mind explaining how to remove and install the ujoints? I saw this in your post:

Originally Posted by bollybib

It’s been many years since I worked on UJs, so I fiddled around a while until I got a method worked out. I ended up using a 6" C-clamp and a 1 5/8" socket for a press to remove and install them which worked reasonably well.

but could use a little more instruction if you don't mind.

Also, how did you install the new carrier bearing? Is this something I can do without specialized tools, or did you use your shop press?

And finally, I don't understand how you used the caps to help remove the driveshaft yoke:

Originally Posted by bollybib

Instead of pulling directly on the yoke, I inserted a pair of old trunnion bearing caps with their openings outward and pulled against them, not the yoke.

How does this help take the excess stress off of the yoke? I'm sure you didn't take any pictures, but would you mind providing a little more detail on how this is done?

Anyway, sorry to hit you with so many questions out of the block. I hope you don't mind (no good deed goes unpunished, you know!).

Thanks for the help!

[treveiger]

Make sure you take out the ring clips that hold the u joints in. Then grab a big C clamp(this is where it gets confusing an hell be able to describe it better) an on the end of the c clamp put a short pipe or a big socket that goes on the drive shaft knuckle so you can press the u joint out into. I'm sure this is confusing an if you want a drawing ill be happy to make one. But after you got it set up with the pipe or big socket on the end of the c clamp and on the drive shaft knuckle just slowly tighten the c clamp until you press the u joint to the point where it won't go out anymore then take the lose cap off. After the caps off just reverse the direction you were pressing to get the u joint off and it should come off. I'm sorry if this is so confusing but I'm sure Jim could do a much better at explaining it then me .
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[bollybib]

I'll try to clarify a few things you guys have questioned and post them. I'm a "don't do today what you can put off until tomorrow" kinda guy but I'll try not to procrastinate on this one.

[litew8]

Love the look of your truck Jim!
Great job on getting it up to snuff for a daily driver!
Awesome attention to detail and I can tell you have lots of patients! Nice job!

[camrycurt]

Originally Posted by bollybib

I'll try to clarify a few things you guys have questioned and post them. I'm a "don't do today what you can put off until tomorrow" kinda guy but I'll try not to procrastinate on this one.

Jim, treveiger did a good job explaining how to remove the ujoints (thanks treveiger!) so I think I've got a handle on that, but I'd still be interested in your thoughts on removing the yoke and installing the new carrier bearing.

How did you determine that your old bearing might have been reusable? I know my rubber support is totally gone and needs to be replaced and so I was thinking about replacing the bearing at the same time, but if I can leave it alone and just replace the rubber support that would make it a lot easier.

Anyway, I don't mean to hijack your awesome build thread with driveshaft talk, so feel free to provide whatever level of clarification you want.

Thanks again for the help.

[bollybib]

Originally Posted by camrycurt

Jim, treveiger did a good job explaining how to remove the ujoints (thanks treveiger!) so I think I've got a handle on that, but I'd still be interested in your thoughts on removing the yoke and installing the new carrier bearing.

How did you determine that your old bearing might have been reusable? I know my rubber support is totally gone and needs to be replaced and so I was thinking about replacing the bearing at the same time, but if I can leave it alone and just replace the rubber support that would make it a lot easier.

Anyway, I don't mean to hijack your awesome build thread with driveshaft talk, so feel free to provide whatever level of clarification you want.

Thanks again for the help.

After I cut off the old bearing and inspected it, it looked fine, no scoring or burns or evidence of wear. This is a sealed bearing and they usually last a long time. I don't know if this is the original bearing or not.


If you can find some pipe or steel tube that has a slightly larger ID than the spline end of the driveshaft, you can drive the new bearing home with that. I couldn't find anything lying around with that diameter so I drove it home little by little with a punch against the inner race and tapping around the circumference until it was seated. Once all the surfaces are clean it should go on with minimal effort.

In hindsight, I should have just replaced the rubber support and then see how that worked out before replacing the bearing. The real problem is that one is always tempted to replace everything (the "might as well" syndrome) once it is apart.

With plenty of time on my hands, I'm working on a picture story to show more clearly about what I did on the Ujoints and yoke (treveiger asked me for this some time ago,..,.,but I procrastinated until now). It takes me a while to write these things up because I like to be as clear and thorough as I can. I always learn something when I review this sort of thing, no matter how many times I've done it.

No worries on hijacking and thanks for your remarks.

[treveiger]

Hey Jim my trucks hibernating for the winter so noo rush. You do a great job explaining things here I understand its a lot of work to do what you do. Thanks!
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[bollybib]

Originally Posted by litew8

Love the look of your truck Jim!
Great job on getting it up to snuff for a daily driver!
Awesome attention to detail and I can tell you have lots of patients! Nice job!

Thanks. I enjoy reading about your "happy mess", too.

[bollybib]

ABOUT MY POSTS

When I write up my posts, I do almost all the writing and editing using word processing software long before I ever bring up the "Reply to Thread" window. This allows me to assemble everything (words and pictures), work on the "story line", and make corrections and adjustments many times before I ever publish a post.

You may have noticed that I don’t post on an action-by-action basis. I wait until the project I was working on is complete (or nearly so), and then write it up. Hopefully that makes each project post independent and complete in itself and makes for a better narrative.

It isn’t my intent to make this a how-to thread. Most of the technical details and repair procedures for these trucks have been around for a long time and are easily found online or in traditional books like the Service Manuals or from board members with far more automotive experience than I. I leave out details and sometimes alter the timeline to make each post interesting to read and logical in its structure. And, like all of us, I make mistakes.

I have no professional automotive repair experience. But I’ve done most of the work on my own cars since I was 16, and I’ve taken many automotive, welding, and machining vocational courses at my local community college over the years. I’m a retired engineer and that influences how I write these posts and how I approach a project, too. Mostly I do this because I enjoy sharing my truck with the members of this board. It’s a lot of fun.

Thanks to everyone.

[bollybib]

VIDEOS

Having nothing better to do today, I collected four videos that I made, starring my truck. Three of them were taken on the day I bought it and had it transported home (one year ago this month). The fourth is me driving around without the bed on. Enjoy.

Click on the link to see them --->

http://jims1969chevroletcustom20.shu...om/pictures/10

Audio isn't all that great but you aren't missing anything.

[Bardahl]

Love the tire squeel in Vid #4 that was great, also love the color combo of you truck !, I have a 68 GMC that is that color ! Nice Rig !!

[Rich1972C20]

great build jim. Got a question for you. Do all C20s have a rear step type bumper or could you get a chrome bumper. I have a 72 thats missing a bumper and like to put a chrome one on.

[bollybib]

Originally Posted by Bardahl

Love the tire squeel in Vid #4 that was great, also love the color combo of you truck !, I have a 68 GMC that is that color ! Nice Rig !!

Thanks. It was easy to get scratch when the bed was off.

Originally Posted by Rich1972C20

great build jim. Got a question for you. Do all C20s have a rear step type bumper or could you get a chrome bumper. I have a 72 thats missing a bumper and like to put a chrome one on.

Factory rear bumpers were optional. Many step bumpers were added by dealers or aftermarket installers. I think you will find chrome rear bumpers are readily available in the aftermarket, check the numerous online vendor catalogs for these trucks. You'll also need all the hardware and the bumper and license plate brackets (around $300 or so for everything). Roll pans look good, too. Either way its better looking than a step bumper.

[oldblue1968chevy]

unless its a show truck id look for used brackets and maybe used bumper too

i bought it all with a sweet hitch at the junkyard for 20 bucks-but spent 3 days after school laying in the mud/snow getting it off lol

[bollybib]

Originally Posted by oldblue1968chevy

unless its a show truck id look for used brackets and maybe used bumper too

i bought it all with a sweet hitch at the junkyard for 20 bucks-but spent 3 days after school laying in the mud/snow getting it off lol

That's a good option if you have ready access to a salvage yard. Sometimes people sell them in the Parts Board, too.

I've mucked around in junk yards getting parts off like that (but not for many years now). It's great fun isn't it ?

[bollybib]

LEAKS (1 of 7)

After driving around for a few months now, I became familiar with various leaks around the engine and transmission. This narrative describes the work I did to eliminate them and keep the areas in and under my truck dry.

* Oil Pan and Timing Cover *

There was a lot of oil leaking out from somewhere underneath the engine. It was hard to tell exactly what was leaking since the oil was blown back over everything and had been doing so for quite a while. I had a nice drip from the drain plug, so I replaced the oil pan plug gasket, but that didn’t help. Upon closer inspection, it appeared that most of the leak was at the oil pan gasket where it meets the timing cover. I removed the torque convertor cover plate to check the main seal area and it looked pretty dry up there (lucky on that one). So I decided to remove the oil pan and timing cover, and install new gaskets and seals.

The procedure for removing the oil pan and timing cover is straightforward (page 6-31 in the Service Manual), but it does take a while to do. The engine mount bolts must be removed, and the engine jacked up enough to insert a piece of 2x4 wood at the mounts. This will give enough clearance between the engine and the crossmember to remove the oil pan.

Wood Block at Engine Mount

Access to the engine mount bolts is awkward and there isn’t much room to swing a ratchet, but it can be done. Same can be said about removing the 18 pan bolts. I was able to do all this work with the truck on the ground in my garage. I never had to jack it up and set it on stands. Even on a creeper I had OK room to work.

Old Four Piece Oil Pan Gasket



Paint on Gasket Surface

Every time that I have exposed a gasket surface on the engine, the surface had been painted. Makes me wonder what else was done sloppily when this motor was rebuilt.

After the pan was out, I removed the water pump/fan assembly, the pulleys, and the harmonic balancer. Once exposed, out came the timing cover. Then I cleaned everything and straightened the pan and cover flanges as needed. I decided to just clean the pan, not paint it. There was a lot of baked on crud and black paint that I removed. I also found the oil pickup tube had been installed cocked upward slightly. After making a few dimensional checks, I decided to leave it alone, too. It isn’t where it should be so I shouldn’t ever let the oil level drop below a stick reading (note to self).

[bollybib]

LEAKS (2 of 7)

I obtained the following parts to reseal everything:

Oil pan gasket kit………….…….......Felpro OS34509T
Timing cover seal………………........National 9845
Harmonic balancer repair sleeve…Timken 88176

I had the timing cover and water pump gaskets on hand so I was good to go on those. The balancer repair sleeve that I ordered from Summit went on backorder and it took several weeks for it to arrive. I used this time to thoroughly clean the engine mating surfaces and the oily mess at the crossmember, paint the timing cover, work on my bench seat, and go surfing. When the repair sleeve finally arrived, I began the reassembly.

I Cleaned the Gasket Surface Close to Perfection

I really like the one-piece Felpro oil pan kit. The kit contains all new bolts and washers, and four plastic installation studs to hold things in place temporarily. It went in real easy, even working underneath the vehicle like I was doing. One piece and no gooey sealers to deal with (except for small dabs at the corners). What a pleasure ! So in it all went and I torqued it up.

Plastic Installation Studs Holding the Gasket in Place


Too Bad Felpro Doesn't Offer Chevy Orange Gaskets !

[bollybib]

LEAKS (3 of 7)

I decided to paint the cover because the black paint that the PO had applied was a mess. I also wanted to make the timing marks more visible. When the paint was dry, I pressed a new seal into the cover (I’m so glad I bought a shop press last year), oiled the seal lips, and installed the cover on the engine.

[bollybib]

LEAKS (4 of 7)

Next I cleaned the balancer sealing surface and pressed the repair sleeve on over a thin coat of JB Weld. After letting it set overnight, I oiled the sleeve and installed the balancer. On the balancer’s circumference, I painted on timing marks at the 90 degree points and at 36 BTDC for future tuning reference.

I put all the accessories back on, filled it with oil and water, started it up, and let it run a bit. I saw some oil weeping from the location of the timing cover seal but it turned out to be residue from the prelube.

[bollybib]

LEAKS (5 of 7)

* Lower Radiator Hose *

The lower radiator hose was ballooned at the water pump end, so I replaced it. I used a molded Gates hose. I had to trim about four inches off the radiator end of the hose for proper fit.

* Fuel Pump *

The fuel pump had been problematic for some time. At various times it had leaked at the inlet, outlet and possibly the diaphragm. So I replaced it with a Napa M6624.

[bollybib]

LEAKS (6 of 7)

* Transmission Filter and Gasket *

I replaced the speedometer housing gasket not long ago and that stopped the main gusher at the transmission. However, the pan was always wet and it looked like it leaked at the front bolts. So I got a kit, removed and cleaned the pan, and installed a new filter and gasket. Looks dry now but I think I may have a small leak at the shifter shaft so I’ll keep an eye on that one.

Before Cleaning


After Cleaning

They say that the TH400 cover looks like the map of Texas…you decide.