1st off hello to everyone. This is my 1st technical post on this site & what an excellent site from the posts I have read so far! I purchased this truck this week & I am going to pick it up this Sunday. http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...-GMC-LONG-BOX-MUST-GO-ASAP-W0QQAdIdZ104456689 Just rolling ideas around right now. The current plan is to replace the clutch (if it actually needs it) repair anything else I find & drive it this spring. But come summer I would like to put a SB 350 into it as well as more modern brakes. I have been reading that I can swap the spindles & brakes over from a 73+ chev truck, as well as the power steerinb box (with 3/4" spacers) just wondering what is involved in that. How about converting the rear over to 5 bolt? Am I going to need to replace the diff or can I just transfer out the axles? I know the 3 speed is probably not the best tranny to put a 350 in front of, but will it work? Will the bell housing match up & can I use the flywheel from the 6cyl or am I going to need to locate another one? What about engine mounts? Sorry for all the questions, just excited to pick this old girl up & get started! Greg <!-- / message -->
Get the driver side motor mount from 8 cylinder truck; its a bolt in. You'll need side mounts for your V-8 for a '63-66 chebby truck. The 6 cylinder bellhouseing should bolt up but I don't recall that the 6 cylinder flywheel is the same. If I was keeping 3 peddles I'd probably loose the 3 gear myself. If I wanted a hauler I'd put a granny 4 speed in it, they are pretty cheap as a rule, or if i wanted a hot rod there is a Saginaw 4 speed for sale in the classifieds right now. The Sag would be most period. Otherwise you can spend way more money than I want to spend and find a Muncie, I've run both in a multitude of rods I've always had good luck with the Sag. But most of the fellas will tell you that the Muncie is the only way to go. I run a Turbo 400 in my '65. A lot of guys run Turbo 350s in 'em with good luck. I'm not a big overdrive fan but I guess a 700R4 would also work. Of you run a slush box you'll need to fab a tranny mount, its pretty simple just a piece of 1x3 box tubbing bolted to the chassis works like a champ. I'd leave it 6 lug myself, but that's just a matter of what you want to do. There are tons of neat wheels out there for 6 lug chebbies. Never the less converting to 5 lug on the rear is just a matter of finding the correct axles. Teh Cross member from an '84 truck is alomst a bolt in that gives you later suspension and the option for later motor mounts. Oh hey its a Jimmy I didn't pay enough attention to your post I guess. Waaaaayyyy cool
Get the front spindles/rotors off of a 71-72 C-10. They are a bolt on with just using the later ball joints on your a-arms. Swapping the whole front crossmember is way too much work. (I'm getting old...you might not need joints unless you use the 73-up spindles) can't find 71-72?.. The 73-up spindles can work, but the tierod hole is too big for your tierod. Ok, but if you have luck and find the 64-66 3/4 ton centerlink and tierods, THEY will fit that 73-up spindle tapered hole. Now you have 5 lug up front with that disc swap, so kill two birds with one more swap. Use a donor 5 lug rear from around later 70s to 87 C-10. Yes, older ones will work, but there is a better chance of the later ones having a good hiway gear. U-joint is the same. P/S boxes from C-10s-30s will need a new pattern drilled on the frame. One hole stays the same. Yes, you need at least a 9/16" spacers on the frame due to the bulge on the box. I use a 1/2" nut and one flat washer per hole.
We left Edmonton at 7 this morning to get the truck. Got out to the abandoned farm where it was at, he forgot to leave the keys! Grr Hooked up the battery that was in it, ran a jumper from the battery to the + side of the coil, stroked the throttle linkage a few times & jumped the started with a screw driver. She fired up after a little convincing! Runs rough, but it does run! There is absolutely NO clutch, does not even try to grab. Adjusted the linkage & there was still nothing. Used the come along to pull it up on the trailer. Made our way back home & off loaded the truck at work right outside one of the bay doors. Ready for me push onto the hoist in the morning & check that clutch out properly. I will post pictures as soon as I can if anyone is interested. Greg
Last night I removed the ball of grease that resembled a tranny & pulled the clutch out. The disc & pressure plate were done. Every spring in the disc was broken, disc was right to the rivits. Pressure plate diaphram was bent, surface was badly heat checked & scored. Flywheel was good, just a little glazed. Found the truck has new u-joints & steady bearing underneath, newer looking shocks as well. Cleaned the flywheel up with a cookie tonight. Installed the new disc & pressure plate. Pressure washed the tranny & bell housing off & installed everything again. Fired her up & went for the 1st road test tonight! Felt good to drive around the block. Tomorrow night will be to set the clutch pedal free play, repair the exhaust, then after that I have a lot of wiring to sort out. Not the best picture, but here she is:
Pretty nice out today. Sunny & above zero. I know it won't last though! Repairing the heater is certainly on my list of things to do! This morning I fabbed up an alternator bracket (we're a little slow today) Put the bracket on at lunch, much better than the 2x4 that was in there. Draining the oil for the rest of the day now, after work I'll spin a new filter on & put some fresh dino oil in there. Tonight will be new exhaust donut, used muffler & a turn down. The exhaust won't be pretty, but it will be functional.
The Jalopy Journal
