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1973-79 1 ton truck questions

GreenieK30

GreenieK30

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What was the first year of the K30?

Was a big block engine a factory option in 4x4s from 1973-79?

What was the first year for the TH400-NP205?

Searching has found mixed answers. :dunno:
 
1981 was the first year for the 454 in a K30.

I believe the 205 was being used n the very late 70's, I think it's 1980 that has the odd ball slip yoke 205. Seems like a recall that both the 203 and and 205 was used in the late 70's under K30's.:thinking:
 
'77 first year.

205's have been under all the trucks but the '77, '78 and '79 K30's I've only seen and heard of had 203's when running automatics. The 205's were available in these years but behind a 465.

'80 marked the definite year that 205's were behind every tranny setup.

BBC's I'm not sure on an exact year when they started. I'm leaning towards '81 as mentioned before but I don't want to be quoted on it.
 
K30's definitely started in '77 -- they aren't listed for '76:

http://brochures.slosh.com/1976/pickups12.jpg

but are for '77:

http://brochures.slosh.com/1977chevy/pickups14.jpg

I do not believe the 454 was available on K30's in 1981 -- see

http://brochures.slosh.com/1981/pickups20.jpg

which shows the 454 only available on C20 and -30 pickups and sixpacks.

Unfortunately, I either don't have paperwork for later years' pickups or it's illegible and I have to dig the originals out of my attic to see, so I can't tell you when the BBC *was* available, or if at all.

And while they don't go into enough technical detail that you can reliably determine the transfer case model, say, the brochures do have a ton of info -- linkie below.

-- A
 
rjfguitar said:
My '81 K30 3+3 has a 454 and I'm nearly positive it's original.
Click to expand...

Dead giveaway would be the VIN -- you can run it through the decoder on the Brochures site.

Might be that they were introduced partway through '81, or the paperwork could just be wrong, no argument from me.

-- A
 
I had an '82 K30 once and the RPO sticker listed the 7.4 liter so at least we know they were available in '82 for sure.
 
Has anyone here owned a 1977 or 78 K30? I have owned a bunch of K30s 79 and newer, but I dont recall ever seeing an older one. All the Chev Dana 60 BOM numbers I can find are 1979-91.
:doah:
 
got one right now .

has cast iron pass side king pin cap and also was th400/203 truck from factory.

and i think it was a 2wd to start life as it had 2 peice drive shaft rear on std cab long bed. 1st part was mabye 12" long :dunno:

and it has 3" blocks in the rear with bump stop ear's to make up the diffrence in the front hangers being 3" shorter from the true 4wd hangers on the rear springs.
 
thats a 203 shifter handle in the pic and he has it listed as 205 tcase.

also its got nerer style 81-up gm/warn 1/4 turn lockouts on the axle not drive flanges with caps for the 203 tcase . so its prob been converted to part time.

if you realy want it as for pic of pass side knuckle / king pin cap. should be cast NOT tin like all the rest are. and rear spring hangers front hanger.

and dont forget dana 60 in that time were neck down inner shafts.

you editied before i finished post on info . good catch buddy .
 
sweetk30 said:
if you realy want it as for pic of pass side knuckle / king pin cap. should be cast NOT tin like all the rest are. and rear spring hangers front hanger.

and dont forget dana 60 in that time were neck down inner shafts.

you editied before i finished post on info . good catch buddy .
Click to expand...


I have one of those cast kingpin caps, Dana must have put those on the early Dana 60s?

Off to find more info, 30 years, its hard to figure out what is original and what has been changed.
 
sweetk30 said:
got one right now .

has cast iron pass side king pin cap and also was th400/203 truck from factory.

and i think it was a 2wd to start life as it had 2 peice drive shaft rear on std cab long bed. 1st part was mabye 12" long :dunno:

and it has 3" blocks in the rear with bump stop ear's to make up the diffrence in the front hangers being 3" shorter from the true 4wd hangers on the rear springs.
Click to expand...

My 79 k30 has a factory 2 piece driveshaft with a reg cab long box.
 
Interesting fact about 77-80 crew cabs is that they are factory 2WD frames converted to 4WD. They come with a factory block in the rear (2"?) and use the 2WD rear spring hanger.
 
38377k5 said:
Interesting fact about 77-80 crew cabs is that they are factory 2WD frames converted to 4WD. They come with a factory block in the rear (2"?) and use the 2WD rear spring hanger.
Click to expand...

My '79 K30 crew cab has 3 inch blocks in the rear and 4 inch front lift springs. The rear spring packs are stock. Truck sits level.
 
38377k5 said:
Interesting fact about 77-80 crew cabs is that they are factory 2WD frames converted to 4WD. They come with a factory block in the rear (2"?) and use the 2WD rear spring hanger.
Click to expand...

The sixpacks are all weird. The "3/4" tons still have the taller frames and the narrower spring perch spacing of the 1-tons.

-- A
 
GreenieK30 said:
Has anyone here owned a 1977 or 78 K30? I have owned a bunch of K30s 79 and newer, but I dont recall ever seeing an older one. All the Chev Dana 60 BOM numbers I can find are 1979-91.
:doah:
Click to expand...

There was a guy around here that hauled crushed rock out of the quarry I work at for a couple years with a 1978 Chevy K30 dually standard tranny, remember it quite well. It was an ex wrecker truck, still had the big wrecker bumper up front. The owner at the time had a flat bed with side boards and a hoist. It was for sale a year ago for 2k without flat bed and hoist, it did sell.
 
I parted a 78 2 years ago it did have the d60.
The funny thing it had K20 badges on it so when I saw the truck and for sale sign $750 I jumped under it, confirmed a D60, then called the seller and paid for it on the spot and hauled it home.
The title was a K30 and the owner said it was a K30 but had a bad fender so he got one from the junk yard.
No one called on it because they passed and saw the K20 badge.
I even had the original SPICER locking hubs.
 
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