Author Topic: 85 k10 - new to me, new to forum  (Read 1953 times)

Offline Latech15

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 4
  • Newbie
85 k10 - new to me, new to forum
« on: March 20, 2019, 05:03:27 PM »
Hello all -

First off, I have been an admirer of the square body for many years. A few buddies had them in high school and I’m finally at the stage where I can buy one as a toy. I found this one with some help and it is rust free. Paint is nice, not great, but nice. I’m not a mechanic at all, but I am good with my hands.

I took the truck to a shop that specializes in classics to address a clutch issue - manual trans. It shook violently when shifting from a stop. They pulled the engine to get at the clutch easier and to replace leaky seals and gaskets. I’m 5k in at the shop at this point and I will have a new : radiator, all hoses and belts, a/c, water and oil pumps, all seals, clutch, motor mounts, timing chain, front drive shaft. That’s all I can think of at this point. I went to leave the shop with it today and it won’t even shift into 2nd gear, or any gear without stopping. They say that the pedals are from some other model and the clutch isn’t fully engaging, (or disengaging as it were) before the pedal hits the floor. They are doing some modification to make it adjustable so that it will work within the travel of the pedal.

I’m terribly disappointed that they did all that work and didn’t even bother to drive it down the road.

I plan to add a radio, has none now, 2.5” lift, exhaust, and replace the seat.

The exhaust is a factory manifold into duals that were chopped off behind the mufflers and are hanging by coat hanger wire.

Any suggestions on a nice bench seat would be gladly accepted and if anybody has dealt with a clutch issue like this, I’d love to hear it.

Offline Irish_Alley

  • Tim
  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13319
  • Family is not an important thing. It's everything.
Re: 85 k10 - new to me, new to forum
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2019, 05:58:28 PM »
5k and they didnt even get it to shift right? but it shifted fine before they touched it? sounds like an issue they should be working on for free if it worked fine before they touched it
If you can’t tell yourself the truth, who can you tell it to?~Irish_Alley

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth ~Sherlock Holmes

Offline Rapid Roy

  • Junior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 635
  • Euless, Texas
Re: 85 k10 - new to me, new to forum
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2019, 06:29:46 PM »
Welcome.
1974 Cheyenne 10 LWB STOCK 350 W HEI /TH350/AC/4 BBL Quadrajet
Mopar by Birth
Chevy by Choice

Offline Latech15

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 4
  • Newbie
Re: 85 k10 - new to me, new to forum
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2019, 07:56:27 PM »
It didn’t shift fine before. The clutch definitely had issues. But no, they couldn’t have driven it after the work.

Offline fitz

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2084
Re: 85 k10 - new to me, new to forum
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2019, 11:56:02 AM »
$5k is a steep repair bill. I would expect that price tag for a crate motor install, not for the work you mentioned. Did they completely replace the a/c system?

Offline MIKE S

  • Registered Users
  • *
  • Posts: 224
  • Member
Re: 85 k10 - new to me, new to forum
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2019, 03:29:05 PM »
This should be a hydraulic type clutch. They can be a bear to bleed. Does the pedal feel like it has the right amount of play? Should be about an inch of play then major resistance the rest of the way to the floor. If not, the problem may be air. If it feels normal it could be anywhere from an inferior clutch to a mis machined flywheel to a frozen pilot bushing to the wrong fluid in the transmission.

Offline JohnnyPopper

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2526
  • Old Goof
Re: 85 k10 - new to me, new to forum
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2019, 07:16:35 PM »
I'll bet they put the clutch disc in backward...
1957 Apache 3100 235 Inline 6, 3 on the tree
1973 C-20, 3+3 454 4BBL TH400  Water Injection
1978 K-10, 350 4BBL TH350 NP203 M.M. Part time Kit/Hubs
1980 C-10 under construction

Offline Latech15

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 4
  • Newbie
Re: 85 k10 - new to me, new to forum
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2019, 08:15:19 AM »
The a/c was done before this repair bill. I just noted that it would be new as well.

They bled the clutch system again and it is working correctly now. The front drive shaft should be ready today and I’ll get it back home.

I didn’t think we would be this deep from the beginning and they did call me before adding to the bill, but like the frog in the pot, I didn’t realize it was boiling and we were beyond the cost of a new engine until it was all over. Hopefully I can do the rest of the work myself.