First build thread of the decade - '83 K10

[longbedder]

I've been messing around with this truck for some time now, and decided I might as well build a build thread...

I bought the truck exactly three years ago up in NorCal. I found it on 67-72chevytrucks.com and it grabbed my interest because it's a shortbed 4x4 half-ton diesel. The guy was selling it without an engine cheap...and while plans to get it were coming together I found a freshly rebuilt 6.2L in Sacramento with a complete Banks turbo setup (from imiceman44 here). I ran up to grab the truck and then stuck the engine in the bed on the return trip. The truck was in great condition - straight with no rust.


Funny side story: it was about a 6 hour trip one way, so after I got the truck I just unrolled a sleeping bag in the back of the Burb and slept there in the parking lot overnight. It was some suburb of Sacto, and I had no idea what kind of neighborhood it was - turns out it was upscale yuppie. I was in my grubbies from crawling around under the truck earlier, and hopped out to grab a cup of coffee at a Starbucks right there in the morning. I grabbed loose change out of the ashtray to pay and stood there cold and apparently looking rough. I ordered my small black coffee and went over to a table to wake/warm up in my own little zone. Then I noticed people were looking at me as I didn't fit the style there. A waitress eventually came over with a plate full of coffee cake, sized me up for a second, then slid it across the table and whispered, "It's OK...it's free." It took me a few seconds to realize that they thought I was homeless

 

[longbedder]

I got the truck running, but then didn't do much with the truck in the first few years, as I got married that spring and bought a house. I then found out in spring '07 that I was getting sent to the east coast for a couple years so I left the truck with a friend. I did take it to Baja to watch the 1000 in Nov '07. The few days I was home before heading to Mexico I spent stuffing a stage II Bowtie 700R4 in.

Here it is in Mexico. I had rattled the glowplug connector on washboard roads to the point that it fatigued and broke off...easy fix.

 

[longbedder]

Fast forward to summer 2009. I returned from the east coast with 2 D60 fronts ($300 for one, $400 for the other). It was worth it to tow them across the country. You can see 'em in front of the Pontiac...

Thanks to big94gmc for storing them in his garage until I left...

 

[KansasTwister]

thats funny man im rolling! I just told a girl if i grow my beard out anymore people might think im homeless.

Good luck on the truck should be a fun build.

 

[longbedder]

The truck made it into the garage and the impact gun came out. Time to get rid of the half-ton stuff and the factory engine crossmember...

Also note the '85 NOS grill and clear headlights. It made the front end look alot better (see the baja pic above).

 

[longbedder]

Next, in with the ORD crossmember & steering brace, and steering gear (no frame cracks ). I snagged a junkyard 2WD box and a rebuild kit from Autozone.

Then came the Alcan 4" springs and ORD greasable bushings and HD shackles.

That's Jake, my wrenching buddy hanging out under the truck...

 

[longbedder]

After the springs were in it was time to clean the barnacles off the east-coast D60. It got all new seals, bearings, rotors, kingpins (upper and lower), and Sky steering arms. I blasted the factory knuckles and caliper brackets and put a coat of paint on 'em...the diff cover is a new Ruffstuff unit.

The spindles were in pretty good shape, with the only problem being that the driver's side seal surface had a groove in it. I put a Speedi-Sleeve on it and all was well. The dust covers had also rusted away, so I got a new set from mnstrburbon while I happened to be down in LA.

 

[longbedder]

I ran into some issues with the inner axle seals, partially because it's really a two-man job IMO and I kept trying to do it myself. I kept getting them started crooked and chewed up a few of them, which was a beotch becauase they were special-order parts. I went with the Ford D50/60 seals (Spicer #52148) as they are reputed to seal and last much better then the OEM style. I do believe that they are a much better seal, and they also won't groove the axle (the Ford style is 2 piece - on the left in the pics).

I also had a problem initially because the rubber cone was interfering with the axle tube and the seal wouldn't turn as it was supposed to. Others have said they didn't have this problem but I definitely did. I turned down the rubber cone and outer steel flange its attached to to 2.040" and this seems to work well.

 

[longbedder]

The rear axle was the next order of business. The local junkyard guys have gone batsh!t crazy lately and wanted $400+ for a 14 bolt, so I hopped on CK5 and throttleissues gave me a good deal on one he had as well as some DIY4X perches because it's from a 1-ton truck. Same as the front axle, it got all new seals & bearings (carrier bearings also as one race was galled). It also got a Sky disc kit, Ruffstuff diff cover, and a Detroit locker. I set the backlash at .008"

 

[longbedder]

The rear suspension is pretty straightforward: ORD shackle flip and greasable bushings, and a MOO shock inboarding setup I had in the garage.

 

[longbedder]

This is pretty much where it sits today. The light at the end of the tunnel is on and it's mostly little stuff to get it running from here. I've got to re-route my turbo crossover pipe as the crossover/histeer bars interfere with it, which sucks only because I want to stick with mandrel bends so it's special-order. I've got to get the XJ steering shaft installed tomorrow...

 

[original balzer]

nice!

 

[Recon!]

This thing is awesome!

 

[longbedder]

I got the XJ shaft installed - buh-bye rag joint...

It required some light oxy-acetylene treatment to loosen it up and telescope out to the proper length.

 

[longbedder]

I wasn't happy with the MOO shockmounts, as they put the shock eye up on top of the axle. I was able to get much better shock position by ghetto-fabbing up my own mounts that put the eye below the centerline of the axle. I put them on the front side to combat axle wrap a bit. I'm using 12"-travel Bilsteins with 255/70 valving - alot of people on the 'net think these are too stiff, so my hope is that they'll soften out and be about right because of the inboarding geometry.

Note: My tinkertoy torch sucks on anything thicker than about 3/16"

 

[rdn2blazer]

Looks like you rig is coming along quite nicely. When is the deisel going in? I'm putting the 454 I got from you in the K5 now. Just can't resist. Burb will just have to wait.

 

[longbedder]

After the shocks were in I bled the brakes using a Dremu-style sprayer setup. I think I've got $15 of parts in it from Home Depot and it works fantastic.

Another note on brake hardware: I'll never buy a $100 stainless brake hose kit from a major supplier again. I'd done it in the past and they're OK, but I ordered individual hoses from Summit this time and not only are they much better pieces, they only cost about $20 each and the stainless braid is vinyl coated.

 

[longbedder]

When is the deisel going in?

Well, it's got a perfectly good 6.2L in it right now with a Banks turbo. Behind that is a BTO Stage II 700R4. I'll run it like that for a while until I get my Blazer built (not started yet) - then that setup is gonna get swapped to the Blazer as one unit.

In the meantime I'll be looking for a 4L80E - I'm going to couple that with my Optimizer 6.5L, turbo, and compushift controller and put that combo into this truck

 

[Teck]

nice work.

 

[Recon!]

Another note on brake hardware: I'll never buy a $100 stainless brake hose kit from a major supplier again. I'd done it in the past and they're OK, but I ordered individual hoses from Summit this time and not only are they much better pieces, they only cost about $20 each and the stainless braid is vinyl coated.

Part #'s!!!!! Where can I find them on summit?