WL: Crusty 1985 K20.

[82355]

82355 submitted a new Build:

WL: Crusty 1985 K20.

So Chris bought this crusty 1985 K20, as seen here:

https://ck5.com/forums/threads/87-v20-build.324313/

...but he really wanted a V20 (or better yet, a V30, but who doesn't???)

So I made him the trade of a less crusty, but non running 1987 V20 that I had. That way I still had a hydraulic four speed setup if I cut the truck up.

Here is my crusty V20 I traded



Here is my new (to me) 1985 K20 on the hoist.



Chris wanted to keep the 4.10 geared full floater that had been installed under the '85 K20 at some time. So we spent this Sunday swapping the full floater from the K20 under the V20 (and vice versa).

When it was all said and done, I am not sure who got the better deal, but I think we were both happy.

He left with this:



I was left with this:



Martin

 

[wetoolowdingbangow]

Any plans for crusty?

 

[82355]

The first thing I had to address was the mismatched gears. When Chris got the truck, it had 4.10's in the rear, and 3.42's in the front. I had heard of 3/4 ton trucks with 3.23's and 3.42's, but I had never actually seen one before. Well there is a first time for everything, as this particular K20 was a factory 3.42 truck.

I figured with as many axles as I had, it shouldn't be too hard. The first one I looked at was an 8 lug GM 10 bolt I had bought from a kid a long time ago for parts. (I only gave him $50, figured I could use the brakes for a rear disc swap). I opened it up to check what gears it had. Crazy enough, it was a 3.23 geared axle. Never seen either one before, now I had seen both due to one truck.



No big deal, I had a 4.10 geared Dana 44 out of a 1979 K20 that wasn't under a truck. Well it was sitting under a truck, but it wasn't bolted in. So I pulled it out of the snow and loaded it in the box of the truck.



The 3.42 geared axle out of the truck.





Ready to put the 4.10 geared axle under the front.



While I had the axle out, I removed the factory two pack of front springs, and replaced them with a three pack of front springs and a 1" zero rate.



I then pulled the cover, to clean out the axle, and refill it with some fresh gear oil. While I was cleaning it, I glanced at the numbers on the ring gear.

41 - 11

Wait a minute......

That is the second time I have gotten burned by believing people when they tell me what gears are in a set of axles they are trying to sell me. I have got to quit believing people......



So after a day of fooling around. I went from a truck with 3.42's/4.10's to a truck with 3.73's/4.10's. Great.....

For a slight feeling of satisfaction, I did toss a glass pack under it. That was the single best mod I have done so far. Stupid thing was obnoxiously loud.



Martin

 

[blazinzuk]

Yah I have had a couple sets that were not what the guy selling em said they were

 

[wetoolowdingbangow]

Very nice. so technically you would have seen 37-9 for 4.10?

 

[82355]

The other thing that needed addressing was the fact that it had no heat. Someone had done some work to the AC recently-ish, as it had been converted to R134A, and had a new compressor and accumulator. The first thing I noticed was that the wire to the blower motor was unhooked. I hooked it up, and turned the key switch on. It made an awful howl. I removed the blower motor to see what was going on. It was full of ripped up cardboard. So I cleaned out the fan, and hooked it up directly to the battery. It ran smooth.

Then I grabbed the shop vac to clean the mess out of the housing. That is when I saw the hole in the housing, just past the fan. Some one had installed a new heater hose, and had managed to break the housing while doing so. I didn't feel like replacing the entire evaporator housing, so I did what any cheap redneck would do. I cleaned up the area around the break, cut the side of a plastic oil bottle out, and JB welded it in place.







Heat works like a champ now.

Martin

 

[blazinzuk]

41-10 is for a 4.10

 

[82355]

I still had to address the mismatched gears.

I had a 4.10 geared external hub Dana 44 with broken spider gears, that wasn't in a truck, but I had given the lockouts away. I don't even remember who I gave them too. I also didn't feel like buying spider gears, and I couldn't remember if the carrier was still good.

Then I had another 4.10 geared external hub Dana 44 under a 1974 K20, but it was buried in a snow drift, and had drive slugs. The front of the truck was under snow, and up against a fence. I didn't feel like digging that out.

The third option was a 3.73 geared 14bff I had under a 1985 K20. It was out in the open, and I blew the engine up right after I put the axle in, so it should come out pretty easy.

I never have liked semi floater rear axles, so the 3.73 rear axle was the winner.



I got it lifted onto the tail gate, and after a couple unsuccessful attempts to get it loaded up by myself, I threw in the towel, and called the old man to come help me load it up. I remember them not weighing that much.......

Martin

 

[82355]

I had bought a blemished 36x12.50x16.5" TSL from INTERCO awhile back, to complete a set I had. Well it turned out, that two of the other 36's I already had, were just worn out (didn't want to hold air), so I never did much with the tires. Then the other day I had noticed that INTERCO had two more 36x12.50x16.5" TSL's listed on their blem page. I couldn't resist, so I bought them.



Took them home and mounted them up.







Took them and the 3.73 geared full floater over to my buddy's shop in Lindsay. Got the old semi floater back out. Seems like I just did this....



It was a lot easier to move it around this way.



Much better. Even though I would prefer to have 4.10's.



Of course then I could not resist the temptation.







Martin

 

[wetoolowdingbangow]

41-10 is for a 4.10

That's what I thought. Perhaps with a smaller ring gear they can't fit 41? Jegs listed a 10 bolt 4.10 as 37 and 9.

 

[82355]

I trimmed the rear of the front fenders slightly, and tossed on a set of hub caps.





Martin

 

[82355]

Any plans for crusty?

Not really. Make it a decent driver? Cut it up?

Martin

 

[max 02]

Amazing the difference a set of wheels and tires make.

 

[Kay86K5]

I say pull that crusty bed off and put a flat bed on there.

Then put another door on (from the many other trucks you have sitting there) and paint the cab/front clip a rattle can camo job....just sayin, haha

 

[82355]

Yeah, not going to do either of those things.

Swapping doors may be a possibility, but doubtful as well.

Martin

 

[Kay86K5]

It was worth a shot

 

[80' 427]

He thinks flat beds are ugly.

 

[GWeakland620]

You should see if you can actually wheel still, and bring it down to Tuttle some time.

 

[Kay86K5]

He thinks flat beds are ugly.

Uglier than that crusty bed?

 

[80' 427]

He would say all flatbeds are uglier than all beds.