1971 K10 Stepside - Getting a Roller Roadworthy

[57taskforce]

That shifter bracket is awesome, nice work!!

[pjmoreland]

Originally Posted by 57taskforce

That shifter bracket is awesome, nice work!!

Thanks! I'm nervous about how the stick is going to align with the hole in the floor hump front-to-back. That will be the first thing I check once the engine, transmission and transfer case are mounted in the truck.

[loudchevy]

That bracket turned out great! You were right, that shipping is fast.

[pjmoreland]

Originally Posted by loudchevy

That bracket turned out great! You were right, that shipping is fast.

Thank you. Yep. One day

[pjmoreland]

The shifter tower on my NV4500 is worn down where the shifter stub sits against it. That surface is aluminum, so it's not surprising. The bottom end of the shifter stub was rubbing and snagging on the selectors when moving the stick side to side. Instead of spending many hundreds of dollars on a new top cover assembly, I copied the repair from this thread:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=742499

Instead of hunting for a measuring cup the right size, I bought a second stub retainer cup (part number NV93444) and modified it. I left four ears protruding off the bottom to help retain it in the opening. There were two spots on the original conical surface that I had to smooth out with a burr. The shifter is smooth, quiet and tight now.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Not my Art Project, Pat, but I'm curious as to how you're going to paint your Transmission and Adapter, or if you're leaving the components natural metal?

[pjmoreland]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

Not my Art Project, Pat, but I'm curious as to how you're going to paint your Transmission and Adapter, or if you're leaving the components natural metal?

I'm leaving them unpainted. The bellhousing is aluminum, so it doesn't need any paint. The transmission would benefit from some paint, but it has been fine without it for the last 31 years, so I'm gonna ignore it.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by pjmoreland

I'm leaving them unpainted. The bellhousing is aluminum, so it doesn't need any paint. The transmission would benefit from some paint, but it has been fine without it for the last 31 years, so I'm gonna ignore it.

You might clear coat the cast iron so it won't rust.

But I do appreciate the multiple metal aesthetic. The Consolidated B-36 had both aluminum and magnesium skin, in different sections of the fuselage. It gave it interesting detail.

[pjmoreland]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

You might clear coat the cast iron so it won't rust.

But I do appreciate the multiple metal aesthetic. The Consolidated B-36 had both aluminum and magnesium skin, in different sections of the fuselage. It gave it interesting detail.

It's mostly the cleaning of the transmission that I don't want to do. It would need to be cleaned thoroughly for paint or clear.

[Ol Blue K20]

Everything is looking great, especially the tach!....lol

[pjmoreland]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

Everything is looking great, especially the tach!....lol

The tach looks a little too good for this truck

[pjmoreland]

Started working on replacing the rear main seal this evening. The seal housing to block gasket was a nightmare to remove.

[pjmoreland]

Finished replacing the rear main seal. Used a PVC pipe cap to press it into place. Reinstalled the oil pan with a one-piece gasket.

[pjmoreland]

Then I moved on to installing the flywheel and clutch. I couldn't find my alignment tool, so I used the transmission to set the alignment and then checked it after installing the bellhousing.

Also installed motor mounts, and placed the engine crossmember loosely in place. The NV4500 is going to require the engine to be mounted an inch or two forward of the stock position.

[pjmoreland]

Put the transmission on the jack sideways for clearance, rolled it under the truck, and then flipped it upright.

[pjmoreland]

Removed one fender and the radiator support to make room for installing the engine without having to remove the hood. Set the engine in place and attached it loosely to the crossmember.

[pjmoreland]

Crawled back underneath and mated the transmission to the bellhousing.

[pjmoreland]

Installed the transmission crossmember and transfer case frame bracket loosely. Then I attached the transfer case to the transmission and frame bracket.

The next step will be to drill holes for the engine crossmember and then fabricate an adapter to allow the transmission to be attached to its crossmember.