72 K30 Build

[7dee2]

Front clip wiring will also be wrapped up shortly!

[7dee2]

Here’s some more dash progress, also the little AAW bulk head deal got completed. Really good thing it got hooked up correctly first time, cuz it’s not coming apart without a fight!

[7dee2]

It’s time to have at this beauty!

[rgunlock]

Looks like a lot of effort going into keeping the wire and ducts running in an organized fashion under the dash. Not easy to do - looks real nice. Will you be running the engine bay wiring in conduit? I got too much assembled before starting that so now some of mine running center of firewall area will be really tough on this old back to get into conduit.

[7dee2]

Thanks Rick, it is just factory wire/duct routing and making our modified wiring look mostly stock, but thank you. Some areas will get conduit (mainly rubber ps/hb & tc lines) but mostly taped harnesses trying to keep the old 67-72 look, really glad to be making some progress.

Flatbed update; Ugh oh, heard back from our vendor yesterday, he thinks we’re 2 weeks out and yup, I’m way behind!

Ended up pulling the booster 3 times before I was satisfied I’d gotten the nut tight enough! Here’s a trick we’ve used several times, the ol’ stick fender maneuver! Great for supporting the core support while leaving lots of room to finish assembly work under the hood and save your fenders from damage.

[Dieselwrencher]

Looking very nice!

[7dee2]

Thanks Ryan!


Back to the evaporator box, decided to take a short cut (?) and not remove the factory rivets. Flapper door works great and all the metal is in really good shape, the only area with surface rust showing can be accessed with a wire wheel. After a little disassembly, wire wheel, some stripper to get old overspray off the fiberglass, a bath too clean out the inside and neutralize the stripper. 2nd quick round of the wire wheel and some paint for this side.

[webfoot]

SEM landau black vinyl dye works great on that old plastic for the blower box and radiator shroud. (though maybe that is the color it is supposed to be.)

[7dee2]

Pretty sure it’s supposed to be the natural fiberglass/plastic gray color, at least for a factory look.


More paint and satin cleared everything, noticed this half is a bit lighter than the other half though.

[7dee2]

Blue gets jealous sometimes when the new truck gets all the luv! Tried to strand me twice the other day with a fuel starvation problem.

The sock and possibly 45 years of crap (?) in the bottom of the tank has to be my problem. Already did a new fuel pump when we bought it, carb rebuild and inline filters a year or so later. Yep, sock was the problem if not for the tear it probably couldn’t have moved fuel at all. New OER sending unit arrived and all was good an hour or so later.

[7dee2]

Wow, it definitely does have some 2-tone going on, but over all I’m happy with how it’s turning out. Not quite as noticeable installed and pretty sure once we start putting miles on it even less so. Last pic is with my cell and no flash.

[Dieselwrencher]

I bet not many notice it after it's together and you use it a bit. It looks nice. I wish I would have used better clear on mine when I did it. You can't tell I did it now. Haha

[7dee2]

Thanks Ryan!


Oops, was there a line there? The new power steering reservoir hose was so tight to the pump (how tight was it?), had to use the heat gun a little and my soft man hand blistered instantly! Double oops!

[rgunlock]

If there weren't a few oops along the way, it wouldn't be a real build! At least I know its not just me making them

[7dee2]

Oh yeah, that’s half the fun!

[7dee2]

Really need to get the steering and brakes functional as soon as possible, haven’t heard anymore from the flatbed vendor but it could be any time (we’ve only gotten “in 2 weeks” once so far so who knows)!

Plumbing is done (except for the AC refrigerant lines) including the heater core, cluster is installed (1st time) and column mounted. No issues with the heater core, steering/hydroboost, was concerned about the old power steering pump but it seems to be doing great. Started gravity bleeding the brakes and chasing any leaks found.

[7dee2]

Cluster take 2, bonehead mistakes:
#1; Plugged the aftermarket cluster in backwards and yes you really can do that, the tin is extra thin it was easy! I do know better!
#2; Hooked up the vacuum gauge before making sure the cluster worked properly. Had a heck of a time getting the vac hose back off the barbed adaptor for that gauge. 2nd time was the charm all the gauges are working. All the vacuum operated stuff is working correctly as well. Ha, thinking I’ll wait a bit this time before hooking the vac gauge back up!

Shot some paint on the speaker bracket that’s getting our cargo/tool box light switch. Really glad we made up some paint in rattle cans it has been coming in handy...

[7dee2]

Misses 7dee2 says the headlights look droopy with the park lights hanging there. Moving the truck under the lift for the next phase of our brake bleed. Nice to have power steering but looking forward to brakes so we can stop pushing and pulling it around the shop! Pulled the carpet set back out of the ½ ton and sat it in here for now, should start fitting it soon.

[flashed]

Looking great .

[rgunlock]

The whole dash is looking fantastic!

[7dee2]

Originally Posted by flashed

Looking great .

Thanks flashed, kinda have a buggy thing going!

Originally Posted by rgunlock

The whole dash is looking fantastic!

Thanks Rick!



Jim (JJorgensen52) warned me bleeding the narrow cab & chassis diff is a real treat due to the spring packs being so close to the bleeder screws!
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...&postcount=240

Hoping this works?

Flatbed update; Our salesman checked in with the factory rep, she said it would be finishing this week. He also added it's slated for shipment with some dump trailers to their location soon after.

[7dee2]

Booyah, the frame elevator idea worked great on the rear!

Into a 2nd front left caliper now being plagued with sticking problems on this corner. Ha, you can’t hardly tell them apart except the first one has a smaller bleed screw compared to the second one. At least this one does match the larger bleeder style on the right side.

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice work. But there is something wrong with the Booya pic.

[7dee2]

Yeah, that kid looks like he’s got some serious Elvis moves!


Back to the AC system, got it sealed up and holding vacuum pic #3. That is all the rented vacuum pump could muster after running an hour. Last pic #4 is 24 hours later and it didn't budge.

Haven’t installed the tacky tape on the probe yet, want to make sure our old expansion valve works correctly first. We've got a new one but I read somewhere that they don’t really work as well?

[7dee2]

The K30 is moving around the shop under its own power and has racked up a tenth on the reset odometer already!

As a friend (quoting Roseanne Roseannadanna) likes to say “it’s always something”!

Pretty sure there is to much oil in the AC system after the initial charge, pressures were off a little bit and it does blow cold just not as cold as I’d like.

For some reason the brake safety switch was not plugged in while getting the brakes up. Yep, the brake light is lit up on the dash every time you apply the brakes. Thinking the combination/proportioning valve is closing off to the rear brakes as they seemed kind of weak.

The 205 shifter’s having trouble going into 4Lo, doesn’t like the carpet/shift boot? location? In addition, the shifter gets all loosie goosy immediately and that just won’t cut it.

For this and the other issues we have to chop you! Ha, been watching to many cooking shows with Mrs. 7dee2.