New member - New Truck - some advice wanted. (76' K10)

[minitrail]

Advance apologies for the long first post...

Hi all..New to the forum but not old cars/trucks/bikes. Now I guess I should come right out and admit that I am a classic guy first but am pretty much a Mopar loyalist. Now I am not blindly loyal (have had many others in the past) but its usually where I look first. So for a while I having been looking for a nice old truck, and by a while I mean probably 2 or so years. My requirements were pretty basic - Must be a manual transmission and must be a shortbed (non stepside). The Mopars are essentially non existent in that combo. Add to it the fact that I live in southern CT and the likelihood of trucks surviving in reasonably repairable shape its slim. I was hesitant to buy a truck long distance for fear of getting burned.

So I am out on my bike on a Sunday and I see an old Chevy short box parked in a local service station. I of course pull in to have a look. So I peek in and its a manual. I start to look it over and under and notice very little rust and rot on the truck. I know immediately this is not a Northeast truck. So very long story shortened the truck was brought o CT from the west coast about 2 years ago. Aside from various small problems the latest was a small carb fire which was the straw that broke the camels back for the last owner. I gave it a more thorough inspection and it did not look like anything I could not fix so after a short negotiation I had the truck towed to my place. As expected I was able to get it running relatively easily which brings me to where I am now.

It is a relatively well optioned truck in a very nice color combo.
- 1976 K10 fleetside
- Spring Green Solid (a recent low quality respray by last owner added the white stripe which I like)
- Cheyenne
- Heavy Duty front and read springs
- Sliding rear window
- Green vinyl interior
- 350/4bbl/4sp
- Dual Tank
- Tilt Wheel
- Power Steering
- Chrome Bumper
- Chrome Grill
- Custom Steering Wheel

And a few others

The Good:
- Overall solid rust and dent free body and bed (frame)
- Runs and drives well
- Relatively unmolested (stock radio no door speakers etc)


The Bad:
- Bottom of doors starting to rust through
- There is a cowl leak that has rusted the firewall above the blower motor and surface rusted the passenger floor (looks like failed seam sealer in cowl)
- Small rust through spot on passenger rear wheel tub
- Door panels ( as well as most plastic interior) shot
- Cab Corners look like they will need attention soon


I am kind of undecided what I want to do just yet. I am not the kind of person who can just kind of leave things alone and just drive it as is. If I fix it I want to do it right and put it back all stock. I am already noticing that some of these parts are not easy to come by. I especially see almost anything for the interior in green is almost impossible to find!!

If I start a proper restoration is this thing going to eat me alive?

Thanks all and have enjoyed reading all the posts on the forum for the past few weeks learning about the truck

[landy]

Depends on what you mean by "restoration". A full resto will cost a lot of $s. Sounds like a nice truck and is in pretty good shape wrt rust, which is typically one of the more expensive and time consuming things to repair. The firewall rust repair might take some work, but other than that cost expenditures will likely be affordable.

[minitrail]

Thank you for the reply. I see the pic link did not work so well let me try again).

UGH..I guess the pic is too big..Maybe I need to read up how to post from Google photos

As for the restoration I guess I would be looking to fix all the rust correctly..respray the truck, bed line, new interior (stock), the motor and mechanicals I have a contact that can help me with.

I guess the link to the photo is

https://goo.gl/photos/B7G9L2RH2ge1XYz26

[68Timber]

That's a nice looking truck. Looks like someone already added part-time hubs. For interior parts, most of us take whatever color we find new or used, then dye it with SEM products to the color we need. Your truck shouldn't cost a fortune to fix, but like anything else it'll depend on how much you do yourself and how crazy you get with it. Welcome to 67-72.

[landy]

Nice looking truck! Hubs look like the factory Spicers which would have been stock on a 4x4 with 4 speed and NP205 part-time transfer case. Good setup! I've got a '76 GMC shortbed stepside with 350 and manual trans.

[minitrail]

Hey Timber looks like we have a similar interest. Beware of that z50 bug!! I am interested if any of the savvy readers spot anything not stock. I know there are some bits in the interior definitely added but some I have already removed (old cb wiring and speaker).

So I think I have the pic thing sorted. This is a shot of the engine bay post fire. They were lucky they caught it very early. Just a reminder it is always a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher in your car. Cheap insurance and can be the difference in watching it burn or a simple fix. When I inspected it I could see that the electric choke hot lead was burnt up pretty badly so I immediately suspected that. It would make sense...the wire shorted closed the choke and there was a backfire and some excess gas...boom. Either way with minimal effort I had it up and running again with the choke disconnected for now. If you look to the left side of the firewall you can see the damage I was talking about. I am a bit worried what it looks like under that black paint. Also the truck seems to be running a bit rich. It has headers added and the Edelbrock carb and intake as you can see. I think the pressure I am seeing is a bit high at 8-9. Does anyone know for sure? Are the original 4bbl that bad? I am tempted to go back to stock but would like anyone's feedback.



But its not all bad. The body is actually very good. The mirrors were on the order sheet. I really dig them.


Another good is the condition of the bed. My guess is the last owner did the crummy lining but there had to be a topper on the bed. Virtually no dents at all, not even the tailgate. Super clean.


Added the pic of the truck that is on the link above:

[bhc41051]

Awesome truck! I had the same Edelbrock carb/intake on my 75 K10. I bought a factory intake off craigslist and a Quadrajet off of eBay. I had the carb rebuilt by Sean Murphy Induction https://www.smicarburetor.com/ I really didn't experience any change in performance or fuel economy.

[68Timber]

That doesn't look too bad at all, good they got to it quick. Edelbrock says their carbs should see more than 6.5 psi max but I don't know how it affects it to run more than that.

[minitrail]

well I had it on the road for its maiden voyage today and lets just say it is a lot more like a tractor than a truck to me (no offense of course). I definitely think it is getting too much pressure because I still feel its running rich and the other thing I noticed is the motor was dieseling pretty bad when I parked it..maybe that is a contributing factor?

Yeah I dont see much point in putting a "performance" carb on a vehicle with this gearing. Going to do a bit of research on presure and maybe sourcing some original parts. Were the rochesters bad?

A few more questions if I may,

- I have the electric choke disconnected..does it do anything once warmed up?
- I have never had a vehicle with a Low gear. When do you use it?
- It looks like it has a pretty good tailshaft leak. How do you fill it (did not see a dipstick but honestly did not look hard for it either was getting dark).
- What fluid is recommended

[landy]

Rochesters are good carbs if they're in good condition and maintained. I have original Rochesters on a '72 Blazer and '76 GMC pickup and they work just fine.

If the e-choke is disconnected, it won't do anything at all whether it's cold or warmed up. Make sure that the choke blade is completely open as a partilally closed choke can result in engine running rich.

Low gear is used for pulling heavy loads from a stop, or for slow speed 4x4 driving. Don't need it for normal taking off.

Tailshaft leak- is it leaking from transfer case or rear diff? If transfer case, there's a square plug on back of case to check and add fluid. If rear diff, there's a square plug (use a 3/8 in extension or ratchet to remove plug) on side of housing. 90w gear oil is ok.

[DKSpringer]

I have similar rust in the cowl on my truck, I think I'm going to plasma cut out the worst, sandblast the seam (where I can get to it) with a borrowed harbor freight special, weld a patch for whatever I cut out, epoxy paint the bare metal, and use a large amount of epoxy seam sealer over the top.

[minitrail]

Landy its definitely the transfer case like you suspected. I guess I have to degrime this thing first so I can see whats what. Is pressure washing the preferred method or will I do more harm than good?





Its so dirty its hard for me to tell much but its certainly coming from there

On the carb front I think like what was mentioned above the choke was sticking closed at times. I made a mistake which I should know better (I troubleshoot stuf for my job) and I changed more than one thing before testing. I zip tied the choke open and I reduced the fuel pressure before driving. It is definitely not running as rich which is good but I now have a stumble that was not there before. My guess is its from tie wrapping the choke open? As for the pressure it seemed it went down fairly steadily to 6.5 psi but then it did not seem to be moving any longer. I didnt want to keep backing it out. More to come...

I have this nice little vintage touch thought I would share.

[landy]

I'd just scrape the grease/dirt off and use some degreaser around areas of potential leakage.

If the stumble occurs when engine is cold, it's likely due to the choke being open all the way. If occurs when warm and upon acceleration, it may be faulty accelerator pump inside carb.

[minitrail]

Will take another look at the choke today.

I think the leak in the transfer case (at least one of the leaks) is at the speedometer cable connection. From a search it seems its a fairly common problem which should be an easy fix..that is assuming I can find the $20 part.

If anyone has one or knows where I can order one would appreciate it.

It is GM Speedometer Driven Gear Sleeve ACDelco Part#326561. I guess there are some O rings in there that go bad.

My list of stuff to fix is growing!

[bhc41051]

Little pricey, I think I gave $44 for mine..

http://www.oldsobsolete.com/products...ve-nos-326561/

[minitrail]

Thanks BHC. I may have no choice I suppose thanks for the lead. btw your engine compartment looks great. Thats exactly how I would like mine to look!!

[minitrail]

Well I guess I found the reason for the hesitation.



Incredibly enough the tiny s linkage was buried in the back of the manifold. A little fishing with a magnet got it out. Ordered a new accelerator pump $15...another issue I cant tell from the pic on the replacement but I am guessing there was some sort of plastic cap on the carb. I guess...something to keep the dirt out around the pump arm that connects to the linkage. Its an Edelbrock 1406 I think a pretty common carb.

[bhc41051]

Hey Thanks! I feel your pain on the green interior. I couldn't find anything in a spray can so I had some mixed up at the local PPG dealer. The can says "Mack Boxwood" It's really close.I'm pretty sure 73-74 and 75-76 green interiors are a different shade. SMS auto fabrics has the correct seat fabric. I ordered some a few days ago. They seem easy to deal with. If you give them a call they will send you a sample. http://www.smsautofabrics.com/

[minitrail]

Dammit that looks great! I have never met you and I hate you! Maybe when you are done I would love to see some pics of the interior. Pm me or put them up here. I can't believe those are the same panels. Fine work. I am guessing that was a pretty clean canvas based on the doors and the engine compartment. And thanks for the interior advice.

[68Timber]

If you have the pressure washer may as well get it out, right? Real effective way to clean it up, but about a zero on the fun scale. I haven't owned an Edelbrock carb in a long time but if I remember right a rebuild kit is a lot cheaper than getting the parts individually - if you want to pry it open and see what you have.

[minitrail]

Not sure this post belongs here of the projects space. If a mod wants to move it thats cool, I dont want to clog up the page but thought maybe someone would get something from the incremental changes.

So I go this morning and pick up the pump, check at the parts counter looks good, go home to crack open the carb and get it done.

For anyone with the same carb this is what it is..I have a feeling it may not be a bad idea to swap this as a maintenance item after a few years considering what it does and how relatively simple the swap is (if you are not me).


One problem though...I dont see how it connects to the linkage arm. Back to the phone and google it and sure enough there is a tiny S shaped piece of metal that connects the two. The stem of the pump is melted to oblivion. I start digging out the melted plastic hoping to find it embedded there but I can see the piece is not there. Now I have vacuumed the motor before starting it and it this point I have even driven it. I figure for sure its gone. So on a whim I climb into the engine bay and get my head way in the back and there it was...jammed in a crack in the back manifold. Get the trust magnet and voila (I never have this luck)>



So I start looking at how to take the top off..The 10 or so torx screws are easy right off but you have 3 linkages and the fuel line. I thought it best to just unscrew the fuel line (little gas came out) then I unscrewed the Accelerator pup one because I was trying to minimize how many of the teeeny clips I would have to take off and subsequently lose. I got out my locking hemostat and pulled both of the clips (one on the back drivers side and one on the back passenger side. Into a ziplock then good to go. For splitting the top I definitely recommend removing the air filter stud as it catches the gasket. Straight up and off easy. At this point you have to be kind of careful not to tilt the carb top because the float pins can fall out. Not the end of the world just annoying. Now I had to dig out the remnants of the pump which was mushroomed on the top without destroying the little gasket. Not easy. I finally got it out but it was no easy chore

You can see all the tools I had to use in the background


Once that was done reinstall was pretty straightforward. I did have a heck of a time getting the top of that carb to seat right but repeated efforts and it finally lined up..I have no idea what was holding me up.

New accelerator pump installed (with sacred link)


The truck is running perfectly now. I do believe what the PO told me that the motor was rebuilt recently. It runs very well.

I also decided to bite the bullet and see what was behind that cheap plastic dash cover..

Yikes!!!


I knew it was going to be bad but....

Another high dollar part needed.

[bhc41051]

Wow that dash is in rough shape. I sent you a link to one on Craigslist, I've bought a few things from him. he's a straight up guy. Can you post some photos of your seat-belts? I could be wrong but I think they were a one year only design. My 75 only has lap belts, I made a panic stop on the freeway in the rain the other day. My less than manly Michelin's stopped like a champ but I'm thinking shoulder belts might be the way to go.

[minitrail]

Yeah the dash is sun hit hard. The door panels are beat up from the sun good as well and I am sure not salvageable.

Thank you for the lead on the dash I left a message. If anyone else has a lead or has one they would like to sell I would appreciate it. I know finding a 76 green one will be like finding a hens tooth. I would be happy just to be able to get the exact match on the colors which seems challenging enough. The Dash is a darker green and the panels are much lighter.

I took some pic of the passenger belts. If you want or need anything more specific just PM me and I will get you whatever you need.

This is the top part


This is the recoil part



This is the bottom part


I had a look at the seat for the first time under the cover and while it is also cracked I believe it is the original one which is good for color matching.

Another question is about the parking brake. It seems whatever stops the pedal from hitting the dash on release is either missing or broken. Can anyone comment?

Also If what I read is correct my truck would have come with a headliner. I would be interested in seeing what a stock one would look like all the better if its a green one. Thanks

[bhc41051]

Here's a photo of my parking brake, maybe you're missing the rubber bumper? I looked for the part number but I didn't see it. My Scottsdale didn't have a headliner.

[minitrail]

Thanks yet again BHC. If you are ever in CT I will buy you a beer or two!

I will check but my guess is thats it. The crappy part is it kind of damaged the dash where they kept smashing it into it. I never understand how people live with stuff not working like that for so long. It would drive me crazy I would not be able to sleep!