79' GMC C15 - Spruce Caboose

[bix]

Wow so much room for activities between the engine and firewall!

I was definitely stoked! a buddy of mines is super close to the firewall and it was a pain for a few good reasons. I have the clamshell mount on the 3rd furthest forward location. The last location on the mounts is about half an inch more forward. I was temped but i was happy to drill 2 less holes in my frame with where they are now.

 

[max 02]

Haha! you forgot to paint the firewall.
Good! I like the green!
Nice work on the install. Looks nice sitting in the frame!

 

[bix]

Haha! you forgot to paint the firewall.
Good! I like the green!
Nice work on the install. Looks nice sitting in the frame!

haha it was way too tipy with the cab leaned on its back, and the back of the frame on the highest notch of my jackstands. I decided i will go up to where the firewall goes verticle with the por 15. and leave the firewall green.

i still have to patch that hole in the floor also.

 

[Truckman4life]

This is gonna be a sweet daily driver come spring time hopefully.

 

[bix]

This is gonna be a sweet daily driver come spring time hopefully.

that's the plan.. spring time is do able I think. Main ticket items left are wheels and tires, and holley ecm. So nothing too cheap but one part at a time should work. I have lots of restoration on the box to keep me busy in-between.



This rear end is whooping my butt, but it's good tuition to learn. I have measure 3-4 times and then set the inner pinion bearing, when I measure now I get between 2.826 and 2.8330 for depth from the cap mounting surface. The specs say 2.825 +.003. So the pinion ended up being very heavy towards the rings gear. The tooth pattern on the teeth is very toe heavy. So I'm thinking I have to take a 5-10 thou shim off my pinion. It's set with 3 10-12 thou shims.
I guess my question is if .005 .008 is really gonna move the whole pattern quite a bit or if something else might be wrong also. I'm gonna go buy some more marking compound because the kit came with a tiiiiny amount and I want to re check everything and the pattern. The coast side seemed good and even and it's just the drive side.. I'll get some more marking compound and take some photos. Phone was dead while I did this.


I did manage to get my booster, master cylinder, and wiper motor mounted. Leaf springs cut out, ordered up some new bushings for the springs. Once this rear end up is happy I'll take the leafs apart , both need new centre pins and some paint. Then I can start removing the factory forward hanger for the belltech one I have.

 

[bix]

Found a good write up about installing differential gears if anyone is also ever thinking about tackling it for the first ( or few, id imagine ) time.

After reading this a few more times I'm going to try this again.



https://www.pirate4x4.com/threads/gettin-the-gears-done.2704422/

 

[GWeakland620]

Nice work man! Keep at it!

 

[bix]

Nice work man! Keep at it!

Thanks man. The rear end is a little over my head but i love learning new things, and very stubborn..Should have done more research first, but ya either pay for school.. or pay tuition by messing up. As long as the result is the same im okay with either ha.

 

[bix]

Nice new tank showed up today. Thanks to @mrk5 for the p/n.

Fuel pump is on the way from summit and then I can hang the tank and plumb out some fuel lines/regulator. Headers are also on the way so I can see where my exhaust set up is gonna land, and they also finally shipped the set of SS brake lines I ordered so I can plumb all that as well. I have alot on my plate so I should be busy for awhile. So tempting to buy a ECM now and firing it up. The greenhouse needs a new roof so that will be cash priority, but as it makes me money unlike my c10, it will create more truck parts in the end!

 

[Chevy305]

For setting up gears I start with what the factory had for shims, set backlash, and then read the pattern and adjust from there.

 

[bix]

For setting up gears I start with what the factory had for shims, set backlash, and then read the pattern and adjust from there.

That seems to be the way to do it. I made the mistake of focusing in on one way I saw it done. And that is setting the pinion depth first and it's a good method for sure and he got the results he wanted, but I don't think I have the pinion shims correct. There is .030 in there now but my pattern is very heavy on the drive side to the toe , nd then the coast side is a bit further up but still hugging the inside diameter of the gear.

I wish I would have set backlash, and checked before swapping the set up bearings for the new ones. I also didn't stop to think the carrier bearings can have shims for bearing preload. So my plans are to fully disassemble , I purchased a new rebuild kit, as I don't want to mix match bearings and races. I also didn't like how the shim packages were put together. I think I got a better one this time.

 

[mrk5]

I really like having the nice new silver tank too.

 

[bix]

I really like having the nice new silver tank too.

It seems to be well coated too

 

[bix]

Few little tid bits started the other day. Brake lines came in so I started plumbing those. Headers are a super tight fit.. not sure if I should get a different set or not. The collector is almost touching the behousing of the trans. I'll mock up where my y pipe is going to land and see if it's gonna be more trouble than it's worth. Maybe a new trans cross member would be a better solution but I'd rather keep this one since I'm doing a 3 inch single.




The brake lines seem well made. I must say the inline tube ones were pretty exact and these classic tube ones need some fine tuning at the terminal bends, but maybe it's meant to be that way?

 

[mrk5]

The factory plastic cover looks really tall from that angle. Like maybe you have a supercharger hidden under there.

 

[bix]

@mrk5

Yea it's nice from the top because it hides the ugly intake, but from a few angles it looks like an airplane wing.. An aluminum Holley tunnel ram would look alot nicer

 

[bix]

Not much new here. I'm currently going through drilling out the old gm bushings on the leaf springs. I got some new polyurethane bushings. Will be buying greaseable bolts for them,but for now I just got some basic grade 8 9/16 bolts. Also got 4 new 1/2 inch grade 8 bolts, and got the cab bolted back on.

Knocked the rivets off the rear mounts and drilled out the holes to 7/16 for the beltech hardware, and mounts.


Also got the aeromotive fuel pump mocked up. I'll have find the pigtail from a stock pump so I can use the factory connector. The one on the pump is huge..

Now that I got a new roof on the greenhouse I can hopefully get back into the shop. Come summer time I'll be re doing the exterior and hanging hardy plank to match the house.

 

[Truckman4life]

Cool greenhouse! I've thought about trying one to start plants for spring. Might just set up a place to do starts in my basement.

 

[max 02]

That is a cool greenhouse!
Your “Tomatoes” should grow good in that!

 

[bix]

Cool greenhouse! I've thought about trying one to start plants for spring. Might just set up a place to do starts in my basement.

My father in law is going to do the same thing with this one. I don't have a green thumb being raised in a city my whole life but no time like now to learn. Could you set up some small lights and start them inside that way?

That is a cool greenhouse!
Your “Tomatoes” should grow good in that!

haha yea... I think it'll do just fiiiine