"New" '78 LWB

[nlped]

Well, I acquired another truck yesterday. It's a relatively straight '78 lwb (minus the really bent hood) with a 305 4 Barrel, TH350 and a 12 bolt rearend.

It doesn't run...yet...but it had a new battery in it that was just run down, so I charged it up last night and put it in this morning and it does turn over. I put a spark tester in the #1 plug and it has a spark, but it is VERY weak, so I am going to assume that is the primary issue. I'll work on it some this week as I have a chance, but I don't really know what I am going to do with it if I get it running.

I couldn't pass it up though, the price was right. Other than the hood and it not running it's not a bad lookin truck. I don't know if I will fix it or part it out . I don't really have the time to spare on it.

I'll keep ya'll posted

[Scootin 81 C20]

Looks like a solid old workhorse. It looks to be mostly stock too. If the price was right on it and it needs very little work to it, I say keep.

[dan76]

Get it running and then make a decision.....

[Driveway Dreams]

See what you find after it is running, we all know that alone could open your eyes to a whole bag of issues. Then you decide to keep, sell, or part out.

[nlped]

I worked on it some this morning, and it definitely has a weak spark. Now my issue is do I look at the HEI coil or the cap/button/module first?

And now the carb is leaking at the "pump hickey" on the top driver's front corner. I'm not much on rebuilding carbs...especially if I don't even know if it's worth fixin'. I'll keep playin' with it...

[nlped]

OOHHHH OOOOHHHHHH! I may have found it. The little "nubbin" that is spring loaded in the top of the distibutor cap is broken off, so the coil isn't making any contact with the rotor button. And the cap and button look like HELL, so I am off to town to purchase a new cap & rotor button. The wires look good, so for now I am just gonna replace them.

Here's hopin'

[KQQL IT]

edited by moderator

[old Rusty C10]

Looks like a nice enough work truck.. if you can get it running with a cap and rotor, id prolly try to sell it whole, as im sure you didnt pay what you could get for a solid running truck.. its a shame to part out things that are still decent when there are so many CRC trucks and wrecks that are being parted...

Please bear in mind that you need to be a subscribing member to post a for sale ad and if you decide to part it you will need a subscription to list it here. Once you post an ad then people can get in line and make lines for specific parts.

[nlped]

Thanks Bob.

I'm not sure I want to part it out either. I put the new cap and rotor button on it, eyeballed the timing, and pulled the carb off and cleaned the dirt dobber nests out of it. I got it all back together and it has a good spark now, and with starter fluid it will hit, but won't crank. I going to try and drain the gas out of the tank via gravity and pull all the plugs and clean them up and try it with fresh gas and clean plugs.

'Til tomorrow!

[thump16]

short bed conversion.

[nlped]

Welp, I finally got a chance to play with "Blue" some more this afternoon. I finally put a new set of AC Delco plugs in it and just ran some fuel line from the intake side of the fuel pump into a gas can set clear of the truck. I then shot some starter fluid into the old Quadra Bog, and VVVRRRRRROOOOOOMMMMM!

It cranked AND ran. It runs pretty good considering I just eyeballed the timing and just blew the carb out with some air to get the dirt dobber nest out of it (I did take it off the truck though).

I'm going to get it off the trailer and change the oil (4 years old...at least, and no aircleaner on the carb with a hood that wouldn't close...might be a bit broken down), drop the gas tank and clean it out, and then try some more.

It's decided...it won't be parted out.

[dbmx66]

good project!

[78 Big10 454]

Keep the whitewalls!

[nlped]

Originally Posted by 78 Big10 454

Keep the whitewalls!

Oh, absolutely! There paid for

[Mr.Scary]

Lol!!!

[77shortstep]

wow that looks like a really solid project.

[joe231]

Cool truck!
That will make a nice parts runner

[dan76]

Way to go..........now it's running....use it.

[nlped]

Welp, I dropped the tank and drained about 3 gallons of orange yuck out of the tank and rinsed it out with some paint thinner. The inside of the tank looks really good...now. I replaced all of the rubber gas lines between the tank and the carb too.

I changed the oil. The oil that was in it was so broken down that I'm suprised I didn't wash the bearings out of it. But with the new oil, the clean gas and the timing set it runs really smooth. It needed some transmission fluid before I could try to drive it. I added the only 2 quarts that I had in the garage and it showed on the stick, so I tried it again...and now it moves under its own power.

My new issue is that when it shifts into 2nd, it falls on its face. It actually drags the truck to a stop if I let it, and it won't shift into drive to bypass this issue. It drives great in 1st, and I can shift it back into 1st when it does the 2nd gear mess. It seems to still be a bit low on fluid, but would that cause this bizarre issue?

Thanks.

[nlped]

Well, until someone who know something about automatic transmissions chimes in, I'm at a standstill. Other than the trans. issue it runs out...in first and reverse...really well. It charges at just over 14 volts, the brakes work great, and the p/s works like a champ.

I did get a wild hair and washed the green lichen covering off of it. I am rather amazed at how straight the old boy is. Other than some surface rust here and there, and the obvious blue paint that is coming off, it's really in pretty good shape. I'm going to weld some bracing to the nearly straight hood and put it back on in the next day or two. I gotta come up with some more functional hood hinges...on a budget, and I should be good there.

Once I remedy these issues, I have to decide what I am going to do with it. Keep it, or sell it? It would make someone a great project or a good Farm truck. HHhhhmmmmm?

[KQQL IT]

Originally Posted by KQQL IT

edited by moderator

^really^

[joe231]

what transmission does it have?

[Jonboy]

Put a pint of trans X in it. I have had good luck with it bringing a trans back from the dead, but it won't fix a hard part failure. If it is a sticking valve in the valve body or something like that, it will usually fix it.

[nlped]

th350

[nlped]

Swapped out the rotted vacuum line to the modulator and did a couple of neutral to drive slips and now it goes in all gears. COOL!!!