Here we go... 1969/70 Chevy C10/K20 projects

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
Some killer parts have showed up, if you know much about me, you know I'm an engine guy. LS engines and old school SBC's are favorites! Having worked in a Speed Shop when I was in high school, I learned to love building engines and making valuable mods. I'm pretty picky about the parts I use and want to do it right the first time, so the 350 in the C10 is getting some upgrades!

In addition to the HEI distributor that's already installed on the 350, it'll be getting a 650 Holley vacuum secondary carb, an aluminum dual plane intake for Vortec heads, then a set of matching Vortec heads and a pair of ceramic coated headers. I'll build the exhaust eventually, probably with a set of two chambered Flowmaster mufflers... I absolutely LOVE the sound of a SBC breathing thru headers and a pair of Flowmasters!!

I'll probably add a decent cam to the engine, once it's up and running and making sure the compression numbers come back up. With the Vortec heads, intake, HEI, cam and Holley carb, it should bump this sad little 255 HP 350 to a nice, healthy 350 HP or so! I HP per cubic inch is perfect, it should make the C10 scoot down the road!

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I also picked up a beautiful set of door mirrors, I think the chrome and small, round mirror are going to look perfect on the lowered truck... the shiny chrome matching the grill and wheels.

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DAA

Well-Known Member
Earlier today, I was looking at a '72 C10 a friend is building (after he let me take his Panamera up to 120 on Redwood...). Made me think of you Greg. He's spending a lot more on it, but he's keeping it for himself, too. But what made me think of you, the motor is done. A Dart 383 with Edelbrock E Street heads, Holley Sniper and all the goodies. I just thought how much I knew you'd love that motor! I should have taken some pics...

- DAA
 

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
Earlier today, I was looking at a '72 C10 a friend is building (after he let me take his Panamera up to 120 on Redwood...). Made me think of you Greg. He's spending a lot more on it, but he's keeping it for himself, too. But what made me think of you, the motor is done. A Dart 383 with Edelbrock E Street heads, Holley Sniper and all the goodies. I just thought how much I knew you'd love that motor! I should have taken some pics...

- DAA

Ohhh yeah, I'd love to build a 383 with a good set of heads some day! I was looking at rotating assembly's the other day, wondering if I dare... :D I don't think it would be too difficult to get 500+ HP out of a 383, with the right combo of heads, compression, etc.
 

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
Not as fun as shiny new parts, but I spent the day working on the interior. After pulling the gas tank, there was still some crud that didn't get washed out previously, so I mixed up some hot water with soap and de-greaser and started scrubbing. I didn't want the funk of sitting 40 years to remain, so the final wash was hot water and a bit of bleach.

Once the interior was clean, I went to working on the rust on the floor. It's pretty thin with some holes right along the seam where the floor meets the rocker. I prepped the rust with Loctite Naval Jelly Rust Remover, then once it was cleaned off and dry, I sprayed the steel with a couple layers of primer. It's not ideal, but hopefully will slow the decay until it can be properly repaired. It's going to need some patch panels in the future, the cab corners are shot too and the roof has some, uhhh... additional air circulation.

I still need a new seat, carpet kit and insulation, but need to get the gas tank back in, mounted and plumbed first.

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Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
Swapped the 2" drop front springs for 3" drop and it looks 10x better.... now it's sitting on 3" front & 4" rear drop, has a perfect amount of rake and the front tire is just tucked up in the fender!

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Then I went ahead and pulled the interior door panels off, to install the cute, little mirrors...
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Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
Yesterday I picked up a pair of good Vortec heads from a '96-98 Chevy 5.7 from a local wrecking yard for a measly $175! Vortec heads are a huge upgrade for a older SBC, they're the best production cylinder head, beating out the popular 202 and Camel Back heads with their flow, quick burn combustion chambers and small 62cc chamber, bumping up compression.

I took advantage of the Hotsy steam cleaner at work, blasted the heads with degreaser and prepped them best I could. I hit them with some Chevy Orange high temp engine paint and while it was drying, went about tearing apart the top end of the stock 350.

It's been 25+ years since I cracked open those books. I need a refresher on torque sequence and specs for the 350!

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I cleaned up the deck of the block best I could, using the air compressor, shop vac, degreaser, etc... then masked off the cylinders, lifter valley and hit the block and front end with a rattle-can rebuild! I'm not trying to make this look like a rebuilt engine, just clean it up while I'm there. I could have done more scraping & degreasing around the fuel pump, but I just painted over it. :oops:


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DaveB

Long Jeep Fan
Location
Holladay, Utah
I was at the TearAPart in Salt Lake yesterday and they had a 68 pickup that someone was fixing up and gave up on it. It had a new alternator, new HEI distributor, Edelbrock intake and a brand new gas tank. The hole in side of your cab made me think about the tank.
 

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
I cleaned up the old head bolts using my impact and Scotch Brite, spinning the bolt in my hand while gripping it with the Scotch Brite. They had grime and silicone on them and I wanted clean threads for the important job of keeping the head gasket in place. The head bolts extend into water jackets, so I slathered the bottom 3/4" of thread with fresh silicone.

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I decided to spray the engine compartment with this MASSIVE can of Rustoleum Turbo Gloss Black. I've seen these and wanted to try it out, the nozzle is shaped to create a vertical pattern that is a good 10-12" tall and covers a lot in one pass! Also, in my hand.... it makes me feel....uhh... inadequate. And I have big hands! :oops:X-D

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I got the Vortec heads bolted down and torqued, installed the intake, then the carb and dropped the distributor back into its home. Got the passenger side header bolted on too. Started working on other small things, new battery cable, radiator hoses, fuel line, etc. It's way easier & quicker to tear down a engine versus putting it back together. I was really hoping to have it running today, but it didn't happen. Still need to install the rocker arms & set the valve lash, which is quite a project in itself. There's enough left to do that I'll be lucky to have it running mid-week.


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Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
I’d say hit the underside of the hood with some of that gloss black too yeah?

Looks great. Makes me want to fly back and help my dad finish his ‘71 Blazer.

We will see, it will need quite a bit of cleanup first as it has Marvel Mystery oil splattered all over it, from a backfire early on. 😆
 

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
It's so close.... another 30 min and I could have it running, but without gauges, which isn't smart. It would be running with open headers and my neighbors wouldn't appreciate that, at 9 PM. X-D The headers are both on now on, rockers are on and valve lash is set, I finished connecting the fuel pump lines, etc. Both headers were a PITA to get in place, they both hit the frame in multiple places and had to be clearanced.

I still need to;
  • Install the new gauges
  • Bolt on the water pump pulley
  • Buy new alternator & install
  • Install fan belt
  • Install spark plugs
  • Get vacuum hose for distributor
  • Install spark plug wires
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I finally got my POR15 Gas Tank sealer, this stuff is EXPENSIVE!! - https://amzn.to/3ld81lk

I rinsed the gas tank several more times, using my pressure washer, then Degreaser and finally Muratic acid to etch the surface inside the tank. I added 2 quarts of the Gas Tank sealer and flipped it around every 30 min so everything was covered. The sealer needs 96 hours to cure!! I want to have it running before that, so I may run a line from the fuel pump right to my 5 gallon gas can. X-D

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Hickey

Burn-barrel enthusiast
Supporting Member
Definitely let it seal for the full 96 hours. I wouldn't ever want to redo a tank. A gas can is probably a more appropriate way to start an old truck that you dragged out of a field a few weeks ago. 😎
 
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