Author Topic: Project GoJo  (Read 18010 times)

Offline ken4444

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Project GoJo
« on: April 16, 2018, 12:53:02 PM »
Hello everyone. I've been looking for a C10 for a couple of years and finally jumped in. I'm calling this "project GoJo" after the orange bottle used by GoJo hand cleaner.

I wasn't able to find a '67 to '72 that wasn't a gigantic frame off project, so I switched to square bodies so I could find something that would run and drive on day 1.

This truck is a bit of a Frankenstein's monster.   It's an unfinished project from the previous owner.  It's titled as a '76 and the frame is a '76.  The front clip, motor, trans, dash pad, seat, and wiring harness are from an '88 Suburban. The cab and bed are '83.  I don't know what the tailgate is. The front suspension has cut springs and control arms from a Pontiac something or other.  The rear is spring under axle. 

The truck runs and drives OK, but it needs work all around. Off the top of my head, it needs: Aftermarket speedo quit working this morning, muffler (unknown make) is too loud, AC needs to be charged and tested, AC/heat air vent control not working, rear creaks when truck flexes at an angle,  battery was relocated to under cab but strapped in using ratchet strap, bed not painted, bed has cutout above gas tank, need sheet metal cover in bed over fuel tank filler, no radio, the thing is a bit too low for daily driving, power steering pulley is not 100% positioned correctly, manual crank windows are super stiff, tailgate won't open,  windshield cracked, fuel gauge flakey/ground problem, no side mirrors, has racing-style wheel studs and nuts, orange paint needs to be replaced with white or silver.

On the good side, the engine (454) is strong, the 700r4 does fine and has an aftermarket valve body, TV cable is in place, brakes are good, the interior is clean and has Dynamat and new flooring, no rust except for one small area that's easy to fix, frame is powder coated, heater works.

I can turn wrenches, but am no expert and will be relying on this forum for help and information. I will post updates to this as I knock out the work.  I have a new muffler, bed mat, and a driver's side mirror on order, and will open up a door tonight to see what's wrong with the window cranking.




Offline ken4444

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Re: Project GoJo
« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2018, 10:40:06 AM »
The first problem I have encountered was that the engine wasn't dropping back down to idle when I let off the gas pedal.  When it was stuck at a high idle, I could tap the gas and then make the engine drop back to idle. I first suspected a mis-adjusted choke and high idle cam, but after looking at the carburetor it was obvious what the problem was:  The  throttle return springs were not pulling hard enough.  I replaced the rusty ones with a new set and adjusted the slider where they attach.  This gives me a good feeling gas pedal (not too stiff) but it also returns to idle correctly.

I found a spare hazard flasher "relay" in the glove box and found the empty socket where it goes.  I got that installed and that fixed the hazard lights not working.

The manual crank windows are super hard to roll up and down.  I examined the driver's door last night and there were no obvious problems other than an accumulation of old grease, but cleaning and lubricating things didn't help much.  I'm going to order new windows regulators and learn how to swap those in.  I know it's not a super easy job but I'll figure it out.

The new muffler (hopefully quieter) came in yesterday but I need to get a short length of 3" pipe to connect it, because this muffler is shorter than the current muffler.  I'll get some photos of the work so you'll have something to look at here :)   I can do MIG welding so I should be able to get the new muffler in OK.  I'll try to get before and after video so you can compare the sounds.

The 454 is sucking gas as expected. My best estimate is about 8 MPG. I posted this question http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=36355.0 to ask if anyone has first hand experience with aftermarket EFI systems providing better MPG.  The carburetor looks like a double pumper and has no vacuum secondary which isn't going to help the fuel economy, but I don't want to dump $300 or $400 into a new carb if I end up going EFI in the future.

The battery was located to under the cab on the frame rail, but the previous owner didn't install the metal bracket/clamp but instead used a motorcycle strap.  I cut that off and had to make newer, longer all-thread rods to correctly clamp the battery in.  It's in securely now. I also noticed that the previous owner installed a super thick, heavy duty ground wire from one side of the truck to the other, along the frame.  It is disconnected at  both ends.  I'm not sure what it was for.  I will have to call the guy and ask.

I had to fiddle with the tailgate a long time to get it open.  I greased all of the linkages I could get to, but the thing is still flakey.  I'm not sure the best way to proceed to make it work reliably, short of replacing the whole handle mechanism.

Another problem I hear daily is that the truck creaks loudly when it flexes at an angle, such as if I drive up a driveway at an angle.  I'm not sure what is creaking yet. 
« Last Edit: April 18, 2018, 10:42:13 AM by ken4444 »

Offline mattevandavis

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Re: Project GoJo
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2018, 10:36:28 AM »
Sounds like a fun project.  I'd love to see some photos!

Offline ken4444

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Re: Project GoJo
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2018, 10:57:06 AM »
I swapped the old muffler last night for a Flowmaster Super 40 and put together a good "before" video only to determine that the new muffler makes about the same volume as the old one.  Then it hit me:  The tailpipe that's only about 2 and a half feet long is contributing to the volume.  So I ordered  a "universal" 4 piece tailpipe kit and will get that installed in the future. It's going to have to go over the rear axle which,  being on top of the springs, doesn't give me a ton of clearance. It may be a tricky install.

One time the tailpipe on my '85 Jeep CJ came loose from the muffler while I was driving across town.   That completely changed the sound of the exhaust system and it was a whole lot louder.  So hopefully installing a longer tailpipe will cut down the sound volume. 

Offline ken4444

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Re: Project GoJo
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2018, 09:29:36 PM »
My C10 has the wrong bumpers and there's a gap between the bumper and body.  This doesn't bother me too much, but the previous owner did not clean and paint the bumper brackets, so their rusty surfaces were easily visible. I pulled them off and went to work on them with a big a** steel wire wheel.









At the end my arms got tired and the grinder got away from me:



The final product is not quite as good as sand blasting, but it's good enough. I will coat them in phosphoric acid tomorrow and paint them black.

Ironically, the underside of this truck is really great with a powder coated frame, zinc plated body mount hardware, new paint under the cab, neatly done wiring, stainless steel brake lines, no rust, and more.  But clearly the last owner ran out of time or money and cut corners on things like the bumper brackets which would have been cheap and easy to get powder coated when the frame was being done.

Offline ken4444

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Re: Project GoJo
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2018, 09:46:53 PM »
A ton of parts showed up today.  Here's the Flowmaster 3 inch "universal tailpipe" kit.  I did a crude test fitup while I had the truck up on ramps and I think it will work really well.  Of course it'll take half the day Saturday for me to do it :)



I went with a Flowmaster Super 40 series, although I don't remember why. I think I ran out of interest trying to figure out the differences between the 40, 44, Super, and Deltaflow combinations.





I was recording the casting numbers on the axle so I can look it up to see what it is, and they're upside down.  Does this mean the axle is in upside down, possibly due to the spring-under conversion?







Finally, the truck makes huge creaking sounds when the frame flexes at an angle.  I have no idea what's causing it, but I thought I'd hit the easy stuff.  So I removed, cleaned, and greased the four cab mount bushings. They do appear to be rubber, not poly, so I used a silicone grease that won't destroy the rubber.  Probably this will not fix the creaking but I can cross it off the list.  As I always like to do, I used anti-seize on the bolts.







In that last pic (above), you can see the pitting on the cup washer.  The previous owner must have had the original hardware zinc plated.  The bolts also had some pitting but were shiny.  I would have used new bolts but hey, no one asked me :)

Finally (really), the bed was only attached to the frame with 2 nuts.   The two forward nuts/bolts were in place, but the 2 rear nuts were not.  My gas tank makes it tough to get to those, which is probably why they were missing.  Luckily the bolts were in place, just the nuts were missing.   I had 2 correct sized nuts and washers so I managed to get those installed but it took a while.
« Last Edit: April 20, 2018, 09:50:40 PM by ken4444 »

Offline ken4444

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Re: Project GoJo
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2018, 10:01:35 PM »
Jumping back to the muffler that was on the truck when I got it (which I probably should have just left installed), here are some photos.  The whole setup was instaled using V-band clamps which I've never worked with.   I had to re-use one of the flanges to attach the new muffler to the y-pipe.  I didn't want to cut the flange off the y-pipe because it would have been more work to try to weld to the y-pipe.

flange at the y-pipe:



Old muffler. No idea what brand it is:





Looking into the muffler:



comparison to the Flowmaster:



Flange cut off old muffler:



v-band clamps:



Recycled flange to be welded on to the new muffler:



I was 75% done with the welding and the dang wire quit feeding.  I opened up the welder and finally realized the problem:  I had gotten to the end of a 10 pound spool of wire.  I knew I was low, but man, this was a lousy time to run out.   I had a small roll of flux core wire so I had to run with that for the remaining work.

Tomorrow is Saturday so I want to get the exhaust system work knocked out.  Luckily my teenage son is pretty handy and will be helping me out as long as he stays interested.

I also got 2 new window regulators in today, so if there's time I will try to get one of those installed but I don't anticipate it will be quick work.  My neighbor has offered to evac and charge my AC system Sunday so we'll see how that goes.

Online VileZambonie

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Re: Project GoJo
« Reply #7 on: April 21, 2018, 06:41:04 AM »
Not familiar with that muffler but looks like these are them spintech

https://spintechmufflers.com/
,                           ___ 
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              ⌠ŻŻŻŻŻ'   [☼===☼]
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74 GMC, 75 K5, 84 GMC, 85 K20, 86 k20, 79 K10

Offline ken4444

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Re: Project GoJo
« Reply #8 on: April 21, 2018, 08:24:06 AM »
Not familiar with that muffler but looks like these are them spintech

https://spintechmufflers.com/

Yes, I think you're right.  Thanks for digging that up.  I have to hit the Lowe's and Harbor Freight and then get to work.

Offline ken4444

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Re: Project GoJo
« Reply #9 on: April 21, 2018, 07:19:17 PM »
Plenty of accomplishments today.  My son treated the bumper brackets with a metal prep liquid that contains phosphoric acid to stabilize any remaining rust, washed them, then primed and painted them:



It was forecast to rain today, so I worked in the garage.  I backed the truck up on ramps:



Here's the previous owner's passenger side tail pipe, the only one, which will be removed:



V-ring flange stitched to the new catalytic converter:



Muffler tacked to the cat:



I put my folding workbench outside for the cutting and grinding work because it makes a mess:



From the whole Flowmaster "universal tailpipe" kit, I only ended up needing two pieces:  The one from the muffler to the hump, and the hump over the axle.  So now I have all kinds of extra 3" exhaust pipes and pieces. Here we see the two tacked together:



I spent most of the time figuring out where and how to locate the brackets to hang the pipes.  Here's the bracket just behind the muffler:



Cat and muffler:



The hump over the axle.  This took a long time to fit up and fiddle with.  The pipe goes higher than the frame, so I think it should be OK.  Remember my truck has the axles over the springs, and the frame is not notched.



Finally, here's the exit:



The basic design is that the cat and muffler are welded together, but attach to the Y pipe with a v-ring clamp so they can be removed.  The tailpipe is attached to the muffler/cat with a standard stainless steel exhaust clamp, so it it be removed in the future if needed.  The supporting brackets all connect to the exhaust pipe with rubber hangars which can be pulled off.

I didn't do any photos, but the bumper license plate frame needed some TLC so I cleaned it, ground off some rough edges and rust, and painted it.  I reinstalled the bumper, polished it twice with Brasso polish, and it looks  great.  I'll get photos later.

Finally, the great news is that the new exhaust system sounds great.  I need to road test it, but idling and light revving show it to be quieter than the old setup, but it still has a great sound.  I will shoot some video/audio of the new system tomorrow if it's not raining.

The next project will probably trying to install a new window regulator.  Maybe tomorrow.

Online VileZambonie

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Re: Project GoJo
« Reply #10 on: April 21, 2018, 09:10:52 PM »
Good job!
,                           ___ 
                         /  _ _ _\_
              ⌠ŻŻŻŻŻ'   [☼===☼]
              `()_);-;()_)--o--)_)

74 GMC, 75 K5, 84 GMC, 85 K20, 86 k20, 79 K10

Offline Ol Blue

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Re: Project GoJo
« Reply #11 on: April 22, 2018, 08:48:33 AM »
I am looking forward to listening to the new muffler if you post a video. Nice work!

Offline ken4444

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Re: Project GoJo
« Reply #12 on: April 22, 2018, 09:47:32 AM »
Good job!
I am looking forward to listening to the new muffler if you post a video. Nice work!

Thanks very much!  The video is half done, so am driven to finish it. I'll try to shoot the rest today.

Offline ken4444

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Re: Project GoJo
« Reply #13 on: April 22, 2018, 09:44:57 PM »
Good progress today. My neighbor charged up the AC with 134a.  He put the vacuum on it for about 45 minutes and the system held vacuum. The 134a went in OK and the AC was blowing 55 to 60 degree air which is not great but I'll take it.  The weather here in Houston is mild right now so it'll be a few weeks before we have a 95 degree stress test.  The real test is if the thing keeps the refrigerant in overnight :)

I was able to figure out the window regulators just fine.  The old ones came out and the new ones went in.  The big problem on the passenger side door was that the window kept jumping out of one of the tracks, but I think I found a fix which involved enlarging the bolt hole on the lower end of the track.   This enabled me to push the track closer to the glass to hopefully keep the glass in it.  This video shows some details and has some other commentary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljDHtfCiK3I

The exhaust comparison video is uploading now. I'll post the link shortly.




Offline ken4444

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Re: Project GoJo
« Reply #14 on: April 22, 2018, 10:08:34 PM »
Summary: The previous owner's Spin Tech muffler with side dump exhaust was a bit too loud and obnoxious. I replaced that with a Flowmaster Super 40, catalytic converter, and a tail pipe that goes over the axle and dumps under the truck.  This video compares both setups:

https://youtu.be/OUvbiPH2Y6s

The new setup is quieter at idle, low speeds, and when accelerating but still has a good sound.   I haven't heard it at freeway speeds yet.  The catalytic converter definitely kills the raw exhaust smell, but without some kind of air injection I don't think the truck with have totally neutral smelling exhaust.  It's a big improvement though.