69 K10 From the Field

[landarts]

Originally Posted by Richard

Like the GMC. Looks like you are making steady progress on your truck.

Richard, thanks the GMC will be a nice truck and yes I have been putting in a couple hours everyday. Goal that I set once Idaho has a stay at home order tile end of month, trying to get the cab done and painted by end of lockdown. Also bought three other K20's this month, two are now here waiting on the last from Washington once the lockdown in both states are over.

[landarts]

Worked on getting the bulk of the cab dings filled and a once over on the trim holes. Need to grind down one spot on rear window where it is pitted and spot weld. Then need to pull out windshield and check the metal for the same. Still need to address the rear cab corner aprons are both bent out a little bit so will need some hammer and dolly work then more filler. Should be ready for primer by end of weekend after a bunch of DA sanding.

[Richard]

Looking good! Sneaking over to the body shop myself tomorrow to check on progress and help out a bit.

[landarts]

Cleaned up the rear window bottom channel where there was a little surface pitting with a twisted wire wheel on the grinder. Then hit it for a Passover with the flap disc attached. Drilled four spots that looked like they were close to be a rust through spot to get to good metal. Welded everything up and just used a file to knock down the spot welds. Then laid down a small bead of Rage Extreme across the bottom channel. Knocked it down with a file and a long thin Durablock with 120 grit. Will be putting a layer of etching primer next.

While the back was setting up I grabbed a razor knife and started cutting around the seam of the windshield so it can removed and inspected. Once out the channel looked great only a little of surface rust in both of the top corner locations where the metal is sorta does an overlap and where it is seam sealed. Heated up the seam sealer with a little map gas on the torch and used a pick and flat blade screw driver to get it out.

[landarts]

Had a few side projects to get wrapped up on Saturday morning. I had purchased a LS motor a couple of months ago and needed a stand for storage so I built a set from some 1x2 thick wall tubing and some 1/4" plate. Also bought another K20 a few days ago it is a 68 GMC long bed stepside. The drivers side step and bottom front corner of fender have been crushed in at some point. Trying to find a used one for a long bed stepside is difficult, so I decide to give it a shot a trying to fix. This is where I got after about 2 hours working on the step and fender. Used map gas on a small torch and two different body hammers along with an assortment of dollies. Pretty surprised what I was able to pound out and will still have a challenge to get the small body seam that goes around the entire wheel well. The step will also need a little more work fabricating the back part that wraps around the fender, that small piece was not fixable. I will need to make a reverse template off the passenger side step in order to fabricate the part.

[72 tigger]

Impressive sheet metal work

[landarts]

Originally Posted by 72 tigger

Impressive sheet metal work

Thanks, still has a ways to go on the fender. On the step I decided to go out to the trucks passenger side and remove the bolts between the fender and the step and see if I could get a piece of card stock between the two to trace a template for the remainder of the step that is missing. I was able to get it traced out then in the shop then will flip the template over since it is for the drivers side and cut out the metal and start to work that into shape.

[Greg58]

Love following your work.

Greg

[landarts]

Originally Posted by Greg58

Love following your work.

Greg

Thanks Greg, not a lot happening to post except for a bunch of sanding right now on cab trying to get it ready for primer and paint.

[Ol Blue K20]

Nice job on the fender and step.

[landarts]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

Nice job on the fender and step.

Thanks I appreciate it!

[68Gold/white]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

Nice job on the fender and step.

X2, good job of getting it de-smashed!!!

[landarts]

Originally Posted by 68Gold/white

X2, good job of getting it de-smashed!!!

Thanks, really like the term de-smashed.

Spent the weekend doing K20 related items. In order to work on trucks at my house because of CCR rules, all vehicles must be in operable order. I have the 68 K20 long bed step side truck that I picked up over Easter weekend. It does not run or drive yet. Motor needs some work on it and the center tie rod link is bent so you can not turn to the left. So when I looked into what it would take to make it run I pulled plugs and squirted a little transmission fluid in each hole and when I got to plug in the 5 hole it looked really bad so I to pull the valve cover on that side to take a look see. The number five piston was missing the exhaust port pushrod. So instead of dumping money into this motor right now and chase down all the issues I decided it would be faster to drop in another motor that runs and deal with this at another time. So I spent about two hours getting all the bolts, wires, hoses, radiator and linkages disconnected or removed so it can come out.

The truck also has a bent center link tie rod so i also removed that so it can be replaced. So this week I will remove the motor and install another on Monday afternoon. Make all final connections and have it running by Tuesday afternoon. Deal with the tie rod issue on Wednesday and take it over to DMV to get registration and plates. This will resolve the inoperable vehicle issue.

Was able to get more sanding done on the 69 cab and a few touchups on the drivers door. Ordered all new steel bed strips and hardware to redo the long bed step side bed. Then went down to the local hardwood supplier and picked up my order of Ash wood for the bed that I placed on Friday. I will need to plan the wood down a 1/4 inch and cut to length and dado cut the grooves before I can put the finish on it and install.

Also had another 71 K20 delivered by my two sons that went up to Pullman Washington area to pickup a truck I purchased a month ago. Spent the day Sunday just joy riding the truck and in the afternoon took my 16 year old son over to the foothills and taught him how to drive a stick shift. He got the hang of it pretty fast, should have got a photo of the grin on his face when he was able to shift through all gears and actually drive it with a stick shift.

Pict 1 - 68 K20 getting everything ready to remove motor
Pict 2 - 68 K20 getting the center tie rod removed
Pict 3 - 71 K20 being towed back to the stable for a little cosmetic restoration

[landarts]

Most of you already probably know all this stuff but thought it might be good information for reference. I pulled the 327 V8 motor out of the 68 K20 since the motor was bad. To replace with a 292 6 cylinder. There are a few items that are unique when switching from a V8 to inline 6 into a 4x4 truck. I will post the pictures of the different items in comparison as they go in.

• crossmembers are different
• shifter zbar are different
• linkage to the carb is different
• oil pressure line hookup is different
• radiator hoses are different
• fan shroud different I think, not sure on this one????
• exhaust system

Picture 1 - shows the V8 crossmember
Picture 2 - shows the 292 6 cylinder crossmember
Picture 3 - shows zbar linkage , one on top is from V8, bottom one 292 6 cylinder
Picture 4 - 292 going in
Picture 5 - 292 in a bolted down

[57taskforce]

Looks like it’s been a pretty productive few weeks! Nice work!

[landarts]

Originally Posted by 57taskforce

Looks like it’s been a pretty productive few weeks! Nice work!

Thanks 57 taskforce , Yes I have been busy getting this 68 long bed stepper running and driving so I can get it out of shop and start spraying the cab and interior on the 69 K10 from the Field. Excited to start getting the drive train back together on the 69. I have a few surprises coming for the 69.

[landarts]

After I got the motor bolted in on the 68 Long Stepper I decided I would do a test with two different degreaser products I had in the shop. So I put a large piece of painters plastic drop cloth under the truck to catch any of the oil drippings and muck from the motor.

One side I sprayed with Gunk degreaser from a spray bottle with a trigger and the other side sprayed with a Walmart brand foaming degreaser. Both of them said wait 10 minutes before wiping or spraying off. The side that I put the Gunk degreaser only did a little bit of good while the other side was really working well. In the areas that were heavily baked on oil I used a brush to help clean it up. I eventually sprayed the Gunk side down with the Walmart brand item since it was doing a much better job. Let it all run down and drip on the plastic on the garage floor for about another 15 minutes.

After a bit I rolled up the painters plastic with all the residue and muck and tossed it into a small box and into the garbage. Push the truck out of the garage and fired up the power washer to do the final wash off. I was a little surprised how well it did cleaning the motor.

Here are the before and after pictures. The dark spots on the clean motor are not grease or oil it is where the paint did not stick from previous painting of motor.

[DeadheadNM]

I've had good results with oven cleaner

[landarts]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

I've had good results with oven cleaner

Yes I agree the oven cleaner works also very good. I thought this was worth a try since it says right on can says to was off with water. This was a little more friendly when it comes to burning skin and the fumes oven cleaner causes. I did this in the garage since I did not want the sun to be a factor out in the driveway.

[Richard]

Cleaned up nicely.

[68Gold/white]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

I've had good results with oven cleaner

I have too, and the inability to breath while using it!!!

[lil hoodlum]

Read through the whole build, awesome work!

Any new updates?