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Project Snow Bear K20!

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Have I mentioned elsewhere that I hate quadrajets? Well I do, with a passion. So the stock motor is the last iteration of the q-jet with all the smog legal, California compliant nonsense on it. It's in pretty bad shape but I cranked the truck today to move it around and let it idle for a bit. It's surging. For those that don't know what that means with a q-jet, it's when something magical happens and the carb gives up the ghost....LOL I pulled the air cleaner to have a look knowing what was wrong. Shined my flashlight down into the carb and yep, it's leaking fuel from the upper gasket causing the idle to be screwy. Revving the engine makes it really pronounced. Mind you it's still "running" but I can't stand this nonsense. I had planned to do the 5.3L swap in the spring but it's either get started on it or buy a carb, I wouldn't dare rebuild this piece of crap.
 
tRustyK5 said:
It creates a huge amount of torsional bind which makes the ride worse. The springs are clearly stiff enough that body roll isn't a real concern...this is something hundreds of guys here have done, myself included. If you're doubtful still, just unbolt the sway bar at the axle end, rotate it up and out of the way and bungie cord it. Then go for a drive. My money says you unbolt it completely after the test drive.
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For years I never believed the guys on here saying to ditch the sway bar. One day I decided to test it holy crap what a difference. I never knew that it was causing the suspension to bind after so many years of convincing myself that I needed it. Without it the springs can actually move freely and I gained quite a bit of flex in the front suspension. While the truck now has some body roll, I only really notice it when going around an exit ramp and even then it's no worse than my stock Tahoe was.
 
Chevy305 said:
For years I never believed the guys on here saying to ditch the sway bar. One day I decided to test it holy crap what a difference. I never knew that it was causing the suspension to bind after so many years of convincing myself that I needed it. Without it the springs can actually move freely and I gained quite a bit of flex in the front suspension. While the truck now has some body roll, I only really notice it when going around an exit ramp and even then it's no worse than my stock Tahoe was.
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I wasn't doubting it, I have only ever removed the sway bar on trucks that would be wheeled more than street driven. I guess with a softer suspension it makes more of a difference but these rough country springs are ROUGH!
 
Here's the door panel. The power door panel actually worked out pretty well, the window crank fell into one of the power holes...LOL. I'll make nice little trim pieces to cover and make it look correct. I still need to add the pull straps as well but those will go on after the trim has been made. Old door panel, new door panel. This is the passenger side old one and it looks decent but the drivers side was brittle junk. Quick picture of the rust in the drivers side floor. Not bad, especially since it's the only rust in the cab. I'll deal with it this spring when I paint the cab CARC green. Might pour some seam sealer in there for now. Just to fill the hole.

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Out with the old and in with the....not quite as old. Drivers Captain's chair is in and man what a difference. Just for notable notes, the captains chair sits about 2" taller off of the floor than the bench seat. To me it's exactly what I was looking for. Two bolt holes lined up, one had to be drilled in the rear passenger side of the drivers seat and I used the standoff from the suburban for the right front. It was really easy, took about 45 minutes dirt to done with all the parts removed and sitting there. When I get all this stuff installed I will order new seat covers to rejuvenate the seats. Look at all the CRAP you find underneath a farm truck seat. There was probably a pound of wheat seed mixed with dust bunnies, grease and various tools....YAY! I needed a whatever that is.

Next up is the little light control panel I bought on Amazon to run a few things in the cab. Two USB ports, a 12v power port and enough waterproof rocker switches to run the external lights I need. It even came with a sheet of 3M stickers...LOL. I haven't make my mind up if this will go in the center console somewhere or in the factory ashtray position. I have some Thin sheet plastic that I can make a filler to complete the installation if I decide to replace the ashtray. I need to take a pic of the big hole in the center of the dash they cut for the double din head unit. If I can afford a double din to go in it, I guess it will work out. At least it's in a convenient spot.

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Contemplating a center console build. Shouldn't take long to get it together. Last one I built was made from 3/4" MDF, glued and screwed together the covered with vinyl. Padded arm rest over a larger center for general purpose. This one will need at least a CB location up front that is in easy reach. My only issue is the shop is cold as hell right now....LOL Guess I will pick up some materials tomorrow in town to get one going. I do plan to Bed liner the floor in the truck as it's already stripped now. Just needs to be cleaned up and roughed up for it to grab. I wonder if that Bed liner will stick to MDF? Might be kind of cool to have the center console coated in it. Then I wonder about the resonate on of the subwoofer inside cracking the stuff off....who knows.
 
OK so I've mentioned the carb woes with this truck and today I took steps to correct that. This truck has the latest quadrapuke with all the emissions crab and it just sucks. I made a trip into town and stopped by a good friends shop to see if he has a Holley I could rebuild to stick on there until the 5.3L swap. Well, it just so happened that he has a BRAND NEW 670 Holley Truck avenger sitting on the shelf.....customer wanted it and never paid for it so now it belongs to me. LMAO Screw that other guy.

I picked up an adapter plate from spread to square bore and I'm sitting here staring at my new little toy. Now to get her on there and give it a test drive. I've heard a lot about these carbs but never owned one.
 
Got the old nonsense removed and the new Holley installed Last night. Man that certainly de-cluttered the top of the engine. That friggin quadrajet had more ten pounds of tubes, hoses and solenoids. Like a five gallon bucket full of crap. Then set the one little Holley in it's place. Got my vaccum guage on it last night and that was as far as I got. I'll get out there shortly and get her tuned.
 
Man it feels good to hit the key and hear it purrrrrr....

I swear dialing in timing and carb tuning on an unknown cam is a little frustrating. This engine has a decent little rumbly cam in it but the engine wasn't built by the guy I bought the truck from so he had no idea. I also didn't get the impression he was much of a gear head. Sort of looked "Metro-sexual" to me or what's that new one "lumber sexual" where they grow a beard with skinny pants and a flannel shirt? Anyway. It's certainly close enough for government work but I'm only seeing about 12-14" of vaccum at idle, which is pretty broken so it's a little bouncy on the guage. I gotta get a tach on it to finish tuning but for now.....SOOOO much better than it was. Throttle response is crisp, idle is decent, it's about all I can hope for until I can get a timing light and tach on it. So far I am tickled with it. Even with the adapter plate on the q-jet intake, which I'm not sure I will worry with the impending 5.3 swap. I just need to drive it occasionally and use it for ranch work. Although if the tires were better suited to the ice I would be OK with getting out for a few burn outs on the highway. Moral of the story....Holley Truck Avenger 670 carb. Thumbs way up.
 
Just got my float bowls and jets adjusted. Man this carb has an adjustment for just damn near everything under the sun! I like it. A lot. Now all that's left is to go climb a mountain with it and see if it was worth the money.
 
Cool project! I think you are going to like that carb even more after you log some miles with it. I have had great luck with mine.

Digging the captain chairs, I might try to find a clean set of those for mine.
 
LNielson said:
Cool project! I think you are going to like that carb even more after you log some miles with it. I have had great luck with mine.

Digging the captain chairs, I might try to find a clean set of those for mine.
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In the winter I have limited time to mess with things, so I'm sort of installing things, getting things to work when I can. I will recover the captains chairs in mine this spring. Actually I'll most likely gut the interior completely again and bed liner the floor and sort of start there putting it back together new.
 
Got a little more work this morning in the snow. Sway bar is gone now. Pulled some more parts from the parts truck to use on the K-20. Driveline spacer came in today as well so I will try to get that in. It isn't a permenantly fix but it will keep the driveshaft from pulling out on the ride down the mountain.
 
The tires on the K-20 are good but a close pattern AT tire just doesn't work worth a crap in the snow. I learned that with the mountain truck build. It has 33-12.50-15's on it and they just suck on the ice. This truck with the 4" lift will certainly take a 36" tire and I am thinking of going with something like a 9.00-16 or a 325/85/16 military tire. Both are tall and skinny. My guess is that either would be much better in the ice with a little added siping (I bought a tire Groover). The 4.10 gears would like the taller tires too I'll bet. Military take off 325's are cheaper but shipping will kill me. The 9.00-16's would be new with free shipping but half again more per tire at about 200 each plus a spare.

Making some arrangements today to go get the Stepside tool bed picked up. Just not sure I can pull a trailer up my mountain with it as ICY as it has been. Might need to strip the bed off here and drive over to his place with a Nekid back and just set it on there. At least that would be instant gratification to see what it looks like on the truck. I got a sneaking suspicion it's going to be "TITTIES". I wish I knew someone that was good with photo-chop that could merge the two pictures for me before I fully commit to the tool bed. I already purchased it but I have a feeling it would sell quickly if I so desired.
 
So I didn't get anything done today but I have been messing with the electric choke in the cold weather. Still don't have it adjusted where it needs to be and I am thinking I need to adjust the cold idle cam. I've been making it a little richer at a time and so far it still isn't enough. I've got it cranked almost all the way closed so, not sure where I go from there. Gotta be something I'm missing. The idle isn't moving up like I thought it would. On the bright side if I sit there with my foot on the pedal it warms up in a minute or two and idles fine. In retrospect I may have the idle slightly too low but I just love to hear that "grump...grump...grump" rumble idle...LOL
 
Here's the new power plant for the snow bear. 20k mile 5.3L with a ticking lifter.....LOL Moved it from the shop up to the house. I'm on the search for parts to finish it. Intake, fuel rails, flywheel, exhaust manifolds or headers, and pretty much all of the accessories. Wiring harness, ecm. You name it, I kinda need it..BUT for the price I picked it up, It was totally worth it.
 
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