Alaska to Sconnie - 72K10 Rebuild 2012

[AK72K10]

Been 3 long years...
Bought my 72K10, noticed transmission leak, and the rest is history. That seal replacement started me on this rollercoaster ride of repairs that is culminating in a 3,000+ mile trip from Anchorage Alaska to Wisconsin. Packing my things, flying my kids out, and taking a one way road trip this summer. Removed the plumbers tape and sheet metal screws that a previous owner used for "repairs" and am now about 95% back online. Biggest mistake I have made to date (Aside from letting it sit so long) is buying a set of headers without first researching everything that they would effect upon install. That leads me to this post, the shifter linkage (350 - TH350) is in conflict with my headers, and since I can't (Won't) take them off because I am stubborn, that leaves me with only one option: Make it work. Tried bending, coaxing and cussing, but have now ended up approximately 2 inches too short. Any suggestions? Longer linkage, adapters, or custom brackets? If you have resources, please link them, I am all ears.
Will post pics of truck & trip if interested.
Thanks,
AK72K10

[AK72K10]

Day 1

Found Transmission Leak

AK72K10

[AK72K10]

Pulled inside the garage and after a 37 point turn I was able to park it in a corner (Who says it HAS to be a 2 stall garage??) and dropped the transmission.

Holy cow, 40 years of road grime and who-knows-what covered everything.

Had a real close-up view of the transfer case (Almost squished myself) when I noticed a chewed up seal in the front adapter. I was able to replace the seals and drop in a B&M shift kit in the TH350 but had to take the other to a machine shop to have it pressed in. Thats when I decided to start looking for other things to "fix".
First things first, had to clean underneath and that engine compartment...

AK72K10

[AK72K10]

Day...? (ugh, 3 yrs later)

Problem was, it took me 3 years to get to this point...but at least I had help!

[Tinkermc]

well maybe it's time to get back 2 work. We are all watching

[AK72K10]

No doubt Tinkermc, it took a while but now I am back on a schedule and MUST have this complete by June. Period. More to come...

AK72K10

[AK72K10]

Finally got the engine compartment cleaned. Had half inch lugs on the bottom of my boots when I started, now they look like dirt slippers, but at least I feel better about dropping in my new accessories.

Took off the tires to check the brakes...good thing I did.
(er, what brakes? We don't need no stinkin brakes!)

That is going to help in more ways than one, found my ceiling is to short for me to drop in the block without having the front tires off.

AK72K10

[AK72K10]

The new "Heart"

OEM 350 Long Block purchased at Alaska Sales & Service in Anchorage, Alaska.

Thanks guys, I know a couple of you are members here, really appreciate your help and looking forward to driving the rig over once complete!

AK72K10

[AK72K10]

Big thanks out to Simon @ Summit Racing, for great customer service while answering my many questions and getting my accessories shipped out in a timely manner...all the way up North to Alaska in 3 days or less!

Much appreciated, I may have to drive through Ohio someday and buy you a cold one!

AK72K10

[AK72K10]

Prep'n the 350 with my "Pops" Mike

AK72K10

[mcbassin]

Looks like a nice project. On the shifter, you could do a few things that come to mind, a lokar cable shifter HERE or HERE.
Subsrcibed

[AK72K10]

Thanks mcbassin, I am definitely going to look into this option!

Just can't get over how clean everything looks...!

When I get this thing back to WI and in the shop, I am going to strip everything down and do it right from the ground up.

AK72K10

[AK72K10]

Got the block on the cherry picker.

Had a couple issues when one of my friends (Whos a Ford fan , but I won't hold that against him), told me to hook up the headers and transmission, then drop it all in at once. Well, I am not a miracle worker...and it didn't work.

Removed the headers and tried again...

AK72K10

[VA72C10]

Glad to see you working on it again! It's a nice truck!

[AK72K10]

VA72C10 - Yeah, I like it & thankfully so does my wife (The Accountant)! Spent some serious coin on it the last couple months, but fortunately her father (Mike, aka Pops) had a beautiful black 72K10 (And a black 68 Camaro) back in the day, so you might say it runs in the family.

Nice seeing kids raised up right, haha!

Oh, and did you notice the tires were back on? Long story, for another time, but lets just say my point was proven when the cherry picker gouged out a nice sized chunk of drywall from the ceiling...

AK72K10

[AK72K10]

Captured the engine/transmission/header attempt with my camera, guess I had to try it at least once, but those things eventually came off and were reinstalled after it was dropped in.

AK72K10

[AK72K10]

But not before the chains on the balance had to be shortened up to give additional clearance...

AK72K10

[AK72K10]

My good friend Aaron stopped over to assist with the install.

Has a sweet 78 Elco, still trying to talk him into pickin up a 67-72 p/u...

AK72K10

[AK72K10]

The drop

AK72K10

[AK72K10]

Settling into place

AK72K10

[Odaroloc]

Nice work!

[AK72K10]

Thanks Odaroloc! This has been an adventure up to this point, but I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

[hgs_notes]

Good luck with your trip back to sconnie. The cable shifter should work, another option is this one from lokar.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/LOK-ACA-1800/

I used it on my C-10 and just needed to put one small bend in the rod to release some binding. You can sell the original linkage in the classifieds here.

[quadzero]

Very cool project and nicely done wip, keep up the good work.

[AK72K10]

hgs_notes - I just purchased a Lokar shifter linkage, now I have to suffer through the next 2 days waiting for it to arrive...

quadzero - Thanks for the encouragement q! I just hope someday I am able to get the body work and paint touched up enough to do this rig justice.