wetoolowdingbangow
1/2 ton status
Yeah man! I know a lot of guys who dont bring tools with them...there time will come where they are SOL. I had a good selection with me but not enough.
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73 K20....crossmember time
- Thread starter wetoolowdingbangow
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Yeah man! I know a lot of guys who dont bring tools with them...there time will come where they are SOL. I had a good selection with me but not enough.
So fill us in on things you didn't bring but wish you did including food,tools,parts etc.
wetoolowdingbangow
1/2 ton status
Will do!
Forgot torx bits. Makes taking a carb apart very difficult, thus I didn't try.
Forgot my 1/2" socket set and 5/8 open end wrench.
I had a selection of tools but I had some things that were missing.
I know I need to step my spare part game up. I need to get a spare coil, distributor cap,tons of fuses. I need to get an electric fuel pump as well.
Electrical stuff such as lugs, connectors and so on. Carrying extra multi strand wire is good too.
I have a bin of food and it's related items for the truck. I have mre's and other long lasting food in there. I usually go shopping just before a trip for ice and fresh things like milk. I a actually shopped for this trip and forgot one of the bags at home. Doh.
Spares and the ability to make trail repairs is really important. I think having a overboard dialed truck is perhaps more important. The ability to reach out to others via radio communication is super important. I blew off putting in my cb this last week and it may have saved me some time out there.
I see the importance of having a dual battery setup. Same thing with the alternator. You have to stay way ahead of what you're using. With my fans on my headlights are dim now.
I had a decent amount of food and I had things that I could cook and eat but I wanted to remain in a state of quick movement. If someone came along to offer help I didn't want to have a tent popped up and Coleman stove with chicken cordeon bleu going. Haha
I can't stress how important water is. I bring way too much, which is just right. In fact I've caught a few people that have ran out or dint have any. Water makes me think of the rule of 3's, which states you can live 3 seconds without oxygen, 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food.
I have the ability to boil water if need be but apparently they make straws that filter river water. Need one.
I found myself making small mistakes with not much food in me so food is very important also. I began feeling sick to my stomach because of the situation out there, which I had nausea pills. Took them and had an appetite again. Just little things like that can make you or break you. I need to make better lists of what I need. I'm sure I'll add more.
wetoolowdingbangow
1/2 ton status
So im going to start making lists of things that must be done to this truck in order for it to be more reliable/better trail truck.
Ill probably add more to this as i get caught up on sleep and figure out what i need.
- add toolbox/fill with all tools needed
- remove back seat
- redo the slider
- remove smog equipment
- possibly pick up extra carb
- buy another tow strap, maybe 2
- build front bumper/at least start something with tow points
- maybe go electronic fuel pump with spare
- onboard air
- rewire truck/new fuse block
- dual batterys
- bigger alternator of some sort
Ill probably add more to this as i get caught up on sleep and figure out what i need.
Just go EFI if you are serious about the underlined above
. I messed with carb for a really long time, but you will keep finding the limits of it as long as you keep building everything else around it. Either go TBI or just put it a LS....just my $0.02
Where are the carnage pictures. 
wetoolowdingbangow
1/2 ton status
Just go EFI if you are serious about the underlined above
Thats the plan! Just want to wheel it at some less remote locations with the carb until its down for the winter. Then ill do TBI. Im very unfamiliar with tbi so i need to read up on it. LS could happen. Im going to do a leakdown and compression check on the motor i have now. Not sure though...its very cheap to build a 383 now so i may go that route.
Where are the carnage pictures.
Coming right up lol! turn away...itll hurt!
So call this advice or suggestions or whatever from a guy who has gone from carrying everything to almost nothing to somewhere in between.
First suggestion. Do all of your preventative mantianence with your trail tools. Once you have your rig for a while and not much has changed you can do without this.
Leave the notion that everything has to be fixed quickly. I carry very few sockets. Almost everything can be taken apart with wrenches. This leads back to doing all mantianence with your trail tools. I got my tool kit from about 100 lbs to less than 20.
When your in a rush to get on the trails your gonna forget something. I love the idea of having g completely seperate tools but it's just not feasible for me. I'm getting closer though. I have been unprepared alot because I rushed to get on the trail.
Another bit of advice the most reliable rigs out there have very close to stock compononts. I would do a 5.3 over a 383 any day of the week. A 5.3 is dead reliable. My stock tbi 350 has only let me down a few times but I have wheeled the truck hard for a long time.
So to boil it down always think about weight. It makes a difference. Actually use your trail tools on your truck before you get out on the trail. Attempt not to be in a rush to get out on the trail.
Finally go wheeling this will teach you what you actually need and what you dont.
First suggestion. Do all of your preventative mantianence with your trail tools. Once you have your rig for a while and not much has changed you can do without this.
Leave the notion that everything has to be fixed quickly. I carry very few sockets. Almost everything can be taken apart with wrenches. This leads back to doing all mantianence with your trail tools. I got my tool kit from about 100 lbs to less than 20.
When your in a rush to get on the trails your gonna forget something. I love the idea of having g completely seperate tools but it's just not feasible for me. I'm getting closer though. I have been unprepared alot because I rushed to get on the trail.
Another bit of advice the most reliable rigs out there have very close to stock compononts. I would do a 5.3 over a 383 any day of the week. A 5.3 is dead reliable. My stock tbi 350 has only let me down a few times but I have wheeled the truck hard for a long time.
So to boil it down always think about weight. It makes a difference. Actually use your trail tools on your truck before you get out on the trail. Attempt not to be in a rush to get out on the trail.
Finally go wheeling this will teach you what you actually need and what you dont.
wetoolowdingbangow
1/2 ton status
Excellent advice. This is why this site is so great. I never thought about performing jobs with the tools in the truck. Hunting for a toolbox right now.
Im gonna start swooping up harbor freight tools, since thats most of what i use anyways. Shouldn't cost me much to put some decent stuff together.
I wont be able to do anything motor wise other than alternator and so on until the beginning of next year. All my registration fees seem to hit at the worst times.
I hear you on the rushing. Its the same way with dirt biking...youll end up doing no riding without a helmet.
wetoolowdingbangow
1/2 ton status
Heres the carnage...
Got the truck back on the small tires in the garage. Time to really go over this thing in some of the areas that drove me crazy. Im reluctant to try to get it going again before i address each and every issue. It may take some time but its the right thing to do. Im trying to drum up some money for a gear swap on the 13 bolt, that way i can learn how to change gears out of the truck, then ill do the dana 60 and throw the locker in at that time along with ORDs double seals. Still hunting around for a tool box. Found a few but im picky. I also found a 32 spline tranny so i may snatch that up next weekend. Ive been looking for over a month for one and this is the first so i need to jump on it. Comes with a np208 attached as well. Maybe i can swap input shafts and give my current one new life...
Got the truck back on the small tires in the garage. Time to really go over this thing in some of the areas that drove me crazy. Im reluctant to try to get it going again before i address each and every issue. It may take some time but its the right thing to do. Im trying to drum up some money for a gear swap on the 13 bolt, that way i can learn how to change gears out of the truck, then ill do the dana 60 and throw the locker in at that time along with ORDs double seals. Still hunting around for a tool box. Found a few but im picky. I also found a 32 spline tranny so i may snatch that up next weekend. Ive been looking for over a month for one and this is the first so i need to jump on it. Comes with a np208 attached as well. Maybe i can swap input shafts and give my current one new life...
I might have missed it, and maybe someone else asked the question so if they did, tell me to shut up...but I am a little confused as to why you didn't just hop in the first rig that passed you when your rig broke down and leave your rig overnight? Then just come back the next day with proper tools and another rig to get it out of there? From my understanding of your story, you did have a tow rig sitting at the trail head. Doesn't really make sense why you sat there all night with no food/enough water when there was an easier out 
I have left rigs on the trail overnight before all the time. It happens. This is a big reason why I don't like to wheel on Sundays. I like to know that if I do have to leave a rig on the trail, that I have time the next day to go get it out. If that happens on Sunday, I still have to be to work on Monday morning.
Just my observation from reading this whole story. Also, that body damage doesn't look that bad. Looks like a normal full size chevy that gets used
I have left rigs on the trail overnight before all the time. It happens. This is a big reason why I don't like to wheel on Sundays. I like to know that if I do have to leave a rig on the trail, that I have time the next day to go get it out. If that happens on Sunday, I still have to be to work on Monday morning.
Just my observation from reading this whole story. Also, that body damage doesn't look that bad. Looks like a normal full size chevy that gets used
wetoolowdingbangow
1/2 ton status
I might have missed it, and maybe someone else asked the question so if they did, tell me to shut up...but I am a little confused as to why you didn't just hop in the first rig that passed you when your rig broke down and leave your rig overnight? Then just come back the next day with proper tools and another rig to get it out of there? From my understanding of your story, you did have a tow rig sitting at the trail head. Doesn't really make sense why you sat there all night with no food/enough water when there was an easier out
I have left rigs on the trail overnight before all the time. It happens. This is a big reason why I don't like to wheel on Sundays. I like to know that if I do have to leave a rig on the trail, that I have time the next day to go get it out. If that happens on Sunday, I still have to be to work on Monday morning.
Just my observation from reading this whole story. Also, that body damage doesn't look that bad. Looks like a normal full size chevy that gets used
It was one of those deals where it was a perfect storm. Everyone who passed me had no open seats/buggy. Partly my fault by waiting for my group to come back. That was before i spent the night out there. I had a ton of water, as i normally do. Decent amount of food...i was more worried about monday coming and no one being on the trail at all. It was early saturday when trouble began and i knew i would get off the trail ASAP but couldnt make it to the exit trail. I was also worried that if i walked out would i be able to get across the river crossing on foot. I think i could have done it but you could drown just the same.
I guess you could say i had hoped that my group was gearing up to pull me out the next morning as there wasnt a ton of spots to turn around on the trail. I placed too much faith...my fault no doubt.
I was also unaware of what was going on with the truck. I likely would have came back with fuel pump and distributor, which i would still be out there because that wasn't the problem. I wouldnt imagine the carb being pumped with the charcoal in the cannister...
It was about a 4 hour journey to the tow rig, in a non buggy vehicle.
If i knew it was the carb i would have hitched out as soon as possible but like i said no one had an open seat. The next problem is finding someone with an open seat to get back to the k5.
This trail simply isnt populated enough to pick up a ride. Everyone told me it was an off weekend and the turnout was low. Also didnt seem like people ran the trail all the way through. They either came in one side or the other and about faced, which niether would make it to me to turn around. Like i said...perfect storm.
Things would have happened drastically different if i didnt have food or water, luckily im smart enough to pack more then enough on those items.
How did the contents of the charcoal canister get into your carburetor?
Martin
Martin
If it were me, I wouldn't care if it was a 4 hr trip back and if there wasn't an "open seat" I would just find some place to sit, stand, or hang on and just jump out when you get to a hard obstacle. Especially as night time started coming (I think you said you saw a couple vehicles roll by in the middle of the night).
The way I look at it, it doesn't matter if you know what the problem is but just don't have the means to fix it, or if you don't have a clue what the problem is, either way you need help and more tools/parts to get moving. So sitting in your truck by yourself isn't going to do you a damn bit of good. Get back to your parts truck (however you need to) and get the job freaking done.
Once again....that's just me and my $0.02....which I know nobody cares about but me, but felt like it was wroth saying
Oh, and you so called "wheeling group" sounds like a bunch of freaking retards. Should probably take a look at who you are gonna go wheeling with before you head out to the woods with them
The way I look at it, it doesn't matter if you know what the problem is but just don't have the means to fix it, or if you don't have a clue what the problem is, either way you need help and more tools/parts to get moving. So sitting in your truck by yourself isn't going to do you a damn bit of good. Get back to your parts truck (however you need to) and get the job freaking done.
Once again....that's just me and my $0.02....which I know nobody cares about but me, but felt like it was wroth saying
Oh, and you so called "wheeling group" sounds like a bunch of freaking retards. Should probably take a look at who you are gonna go wheeling with before you head out to the woods with them
wetoolowdingbangow
1/2 ton status
Theres a vent line that goes to the cannister. When the fuel tank was pressurized from the bent up exhaust...it pushed it into the carb. Confirmed this also by noting there was no charcoal in the fuel filter.
If it were me, I wouldn't care if it was a 4 hr trip back and if there wasn't an "open seat" I would just find some place to sit, stand, or hang on and just jump out when you get to a hard obstacle. Especially as night time started coming (I think you said you saw a couple vehicles roll by in the middle of the night).
The way I look at it, it doesn't matter if you know what the problem is but just don't have the means to fix it, or if you don't have a clue what the problem is, either way you need help and more tools/parts to get moving. So sitting in your truck by yourself isn't going to do you a damn bit of good. Get back to your parts truck (however you need to) and get the job freaking done.
Once again....that's just me and my $0.02....which I know nobody cares about but me, but felt like it was wroth saying
Oh, and you so called "wheeling group" sounds like a bunch of freaking retards. Should probably take a look at who you are gonna go wheeling with before you head out to the woods with them
i think its very hard to understand the situation. If you jumped out when there was a hard obstacle you would never get back in as the whole trail is a hard obstacle.
The two guys who came by in the middle of the night were full of people. They were all jeeps or fj40s so it wasnt like there was a bed to jump into.
Im fairly confident anyone in my shoes would have gone through the same thing. If the opportunity opened up to get out i would have taken it.
I think you missed the part where i said i would have likely came back with the wrong parts. I never would have imagined that the carb was full of junk. Furthermore if it wasnt electronic i could get it apart myself and look but the carb i have is not a 1 man job to put the top back on.
Until someone has gone through the same scenario at the same place its pretty hard to understand. Having the experience of being stranded definitely moves you closer to the actual happening but as i mentioned this was a perfect storm.
If i could get out and i knew what the problem was id be out and at napa within 6 hours of leaving the truck. Running around like an idiot grabbing parts that dont include a whole new carb would have been a waste of time and resources. I thought of trying. Trust me it was on my mind. It wasnt apparent to me until sunday that the thing was over fueling, i mistook that as under fueling or a vacuum leak, so thats what i worked towards finding.
As far as the people i went with i never knew that was something that would happen. What am i supposed to look at their resumes before we go? Sure i should have known them better before i went but im new to this and it seemed like a good group of guys....one was a coworker. You can rag on me all you like for my mistakes. Probably more acceptable on pirate but what the hell.
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I didn't want to mention this cause it sounds like I am one upping you which I am not.
I have been in worse situations. Most guys who have been wheeling a long time ( for me about 20 years) who did not grow up doing this have.
I could have died easily in my situation. Pure luck saved me.
Did some of the stuff you do sound kind of dumb, sure. But you learned stuff. Man I have done alot of dumb things in my life, unprepared, unequipped, just bad ideas.
I learned from em.
I'm not gonna point out the dumb things you did. Just try to help ya figure out how to prevent it.
BTW good start on the body damage
now this will be easier
I have been in worse situations. Most guys who have been wheeling a long time ( for me about 20 years) who did not grow up doing this have.
I could have died easily in my situation. Pure luck saved me.
Did some of the stuff you do sound kind of dumb, sure. But you learned stuff. Man I have done alot of dumb things in my life, unprepared, unequipped, just bad ideas.
I learned from em.
I'm not gonna point out the dumb things you did. Just try to help ya figure out how to prevent it.
BTW good start on the body damage
now this will be easier
wetoolowdingbangow
1/2 ton status
I didn't want to mention this cause it sounds like I am one upping you which I am not.
I have been in worse situations. Most guys who have been wheeling a long time ( for me about 20 years) who did not grow up doing this have.
I could have died easily in my situation. Pure luck saved me.
Did some of the stuff you do sound kind of dumb, sure. But you learned stuff. Man I have done alot of dumb things in my life, unprepared, unequipped, just bad ideas.
I learned from em.
I'm not gonna point out the dumb things you did. Just try to help ya figure out how to prevent it.
BTW good start on the body damage
I appreciate you weighing in. we all do dumb stuff. Most of us learn from it, which is what I try to do.
I think it's very hard to understand what happened out there. From others perspective it probably seems easy but there were many factors in my decisions. I truly feel given the circumstances I did exactly what I needed to. It certainly didn't go as planned but I made the correct decisions after the break down with little sleep.
I have seen a few times an easy way to get killed wheeling. Even spotting can be spooky. I can only imagine 20 years experience!
One thing I forgot to outline is that after my pirate thread was started one of the high up trail organization members texted me stay with the truck, help is coming. So it may appear I was just hanging out all day taking in the scenery on sunday.
I think the experience and wheeling is new enough to me that I may not have seen other options.
The majority of the dumb decisions were made before I got on the trail, I'm sure most will agree.
She's a little hammered. I'm thinking dove tails will come.
THIS
Haha just watching me destroy my k5 that's all!!
I know this, I still don't understand how that caused it to get into your carburetor, what was the entry point?
Martin
