77 K10 Build: The Tank

[semperfidoordie]

Yeah. Gives me something to do in my off time. Plus I still have a lot of work to do on the interior and with the AC.
Posted via Mobile Device

[propanemudtruck]

nice truck, right up my alley! sucks about the mill under the hood for the price you paid, but I bet it'll haul a couple fun times with the new rat.

[semperfidoordie]

Finally got a few parts today Got the cam/lifters, timing set and dipstick. More updates later

[semperfidoordie]

Definitely a little let down. I ordered from Jegs and Summit within minutes of each other. My cam/lifters came from a warehouse in OH and the other stuff from NV via UPS. For some reason it got here today as my tracking number said it would. Now the Jegs shipment also coming from OH although larger stated a delivery date of today. I checked the tracking number via FedEx to find out it would be here tomorrow which isn't a big deal however, when the tracking information was updated today my packages are in Phoenix (4 hours from my house) and won't be here until Tuesday...WTF!!! I understand there is a holiday on Monday but come on. So long story short I won't be purchasing from a company that utilizing FedEx unless I have no choice. After a few calls to FedEx with zero explanation as to why my delivery date changed I've had it. The only info I got was it will be in Palm Springs (an hour from my house) tomorrow but not delivered until after the long weekend....needless to say I'm impatient and F_CKING pissed. But oh well....on a lighter note I pulled the balancer and intake and must say the pushrods/intake runners and what not look GREAT! And they appear to be the larger pushrods which makes sense seeing as how it's a early 70s motorhome motor. Hope everyone else is having a better day than me.

[semperfidoordie]

Stocked up on beer and got a few buddies and got a TON done on the motor. Got the cam/lifters in, true roller timing set on, intake installed and a nice new set of freeze plugs in. Basically all that's left is valve covers, carb, water pump and pulleys then drop it in. Getting excited....probably will spend some family time so it will most likely get dropped in next weekend but a lot closer than yesterday.

[quadzero]

Very cool truck and project. Looking forward to seeing your engine completed.

[MTCK]

Looks good! Bummer about the motor it came with, but all will be well once you install that BBC.
Posted via Mobile Device

[67c10rustbuket]

Cool project, sucks how when every truck sells the engine magically transforms into something less desirable. I have had this happen too, my 283 was a built 327 before I bought the truck but then once I got it home it turned into a built (in the 70s) 283. The new BBC should be a lot of fun!

I dont get over to the 4x4 side much but after selling my Z71 I want another 4x but something older for hunting and good ol fun times Keep up the good work!

[semperfidoordie]

Funny how that works isn't it? Just slowly getting it together for now. Have a family so I don't like to spend all of my time on it either. Got the balancer on today...going to clean up the valve covers then get them on probably tomorrow. Try to finish what's left throughout this week and throw it in this weekend. Have our anniversary coming next week so that's out of the question. Wish me luck!

[semperfidoordie]

Figured I would update this...motor should be going in tomorrow hopefully. I will update with progress.

[semperfidoordie]

Well I didn't update the thread as I said I would but it's okay because the motor should get broken in today. Seeing as to it's my motor going in and I am one of those "if it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck" guys it's not surprising it has taken a week. From no store within 2 hours of here having a clutch pilot bearing to the motor/trans being stubborn to getting all the big block brackets and realizing my aftermarket tall valve covers don't work with AC and now I will be throwing the short ones back on once the hot months come...to last but not least the headers which are made for my truck/motor ending oddly close to the transmission crossmember. So I guess I will be running open headers until I can figure out a fix for that. Hopefully the last bit goes smoothly.

[Car'n'Guitars]

You can run open headers in California without getting in trouble?

[wwj75c30]

Originally Posted by Car'n'Guitars

You can run open headers in California without getting in trouble?

lol my old f250 with a 351 ran open headers for like a year in a town near mine befor it was mine he never got bugged by the cops

[semperfidoordie]

I don't know if a CA resident could but I'm in the military with all of my vehicles registered back home in Alaska so yeah I can...quick question for those of you with headers on a BBC in a 4wd. After triple checking the part number and calling Jegs to ensure it's correct my collector comes out directly in the center of the trans crossmember...if you don't know what I'm talking about I will post a picture shortly

[semperfidoordie]

Update: Truck is broken in properly...carb needs some tuning. Got the exhaust fixed with some clamps, flex tube and connectors. Need to wait for Autozone to send my $160 rewards card so I can get a nice AGM battery with enough CCA to turn that big block over and going to throw some better/bigger gauge neg/pos wires to the battery.

[semperfidoordie]

Well things ended up not going as well as planned. Truck still isn't running...can't get it to run right. So got the inital timing set to 12* advanced and that's where it wanted to start/idle with the rockers loose. The moment you get close to about 1/8" of play in the rockers as you slowly tighten them it first starts having blowby then starts sputtering and dies. Pulled a pushrod and checked and the lifters are hydraulic plus they still bleed off as they should. I'm just beyond frustrated and it's now interfering with my work...I need to have the truck driveable ASAP....whether that means getting this cam to work or dropping the stock cam back in it doesn't matter. I just can't seem to find reasonably priced lifters since I mixed up the stockers.

[BLAZERMAN]

I would check for weak valve springs

[semperfidoordie]

How would I do that?

[Zane M]

Sorry about the engine issues. I'll be watching your build as it progresses.

[semperfidoordie]

Thanks man. It's just never ending...haven't seen a motor this difficult ever

[BLAZERMAN]

There is a way you can test with a vacuum guage but I dont know how reliable that is. To test them right they have to be removed and in that case you might as well replace them anyway...good thing is you can do this without removing the heads. Did lunati suggest a stiffer spring? with a healthy cam you should always replace them anyway..espicially on a motor your not sure about. Did you hear this motor run before doing this work? Weak valve springs usually show up at higher RPMs but with a new high lift cam on an old motor they can show up right off idle. Hopefully someone else on here that know big blocks better than me will chime in.

[semperfidoordie]

Didn't hear it run before buying it. A number of Lunati techs have said that this cam with my setup does not need springs but would benefit at higher RPMs from them. Guess I may need to pick up lifters and go back to the stock cam since I can't have this truck not driveable any longer....three weeks is more than enough

[BLAZERMAN]

Thats the bad thing about working on a motor you dont really know the condition of, I hope it turns out to be a good one for ya. Before tearing into it try posting your problem on the main board..lots of big block gurus over there that might have the answer to get you going.

Hope all is well at 29 Palms, My brother was there in 67 before going to Vietnam, my son trained with bomb dogs not far from you in Yuma but is in Okinawa now.

[semperfidoordie]

I'll try posting it in the main engine section and see if that gets any better response. Thanks

[semperfidoordie]

We can close this thread...truck got burnt up today...had an engine fire and is a goner..