Author Topic: 1978 Chevy K20 Custom Deluxe (Old Yeller)  (Read 3963 times)

Offline EntryLevelEmployment

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1978 Chevy K20 Custom Deluxe (Old Yeller)
« on: July 15, 2018, 11:45:21 PM »
Hey guys!

I bought this truck earlier this month, from my uncle. I asked him if he would be willing to sell it to me and he did for the price of $100! He didn't use it anymore, so had no use for it. It had sat for 3+ years beforehand so he gave it to me for cheap! ;D I'm not a mechanic by any means, but I am excited to learn! The only other car I've owned is a red 2003 VW golf gl. A fun car, but frustrating when it comes to maintenance. I am constantly sending it into the shop because I don't have the time or the expertise to deal with it's problems. But anywho, I'm stoked for this truck!

It'll be a daily winter car for me and my wife (we live in Montana) so most of the work I do to it in the coming months will be pertinent to getting it ready for that. Presently the things on the list are quite numerous: the heater core is bypassed cause it leaks, the blinkers don't work (but the hazards do :o), the temp sensor is fried, the fuel gauge is bouncy, one tank needs flushed, the floor has a hole, the brakes are soft, the tires are dry-rotted, it leaks coolant, oil, and power steering, and it burns oil on cold start. Oh, and the key doesn't match the doors. But hey, it runs and drives!

So far I've done the following:
-fluids
-belts
-starter
-battery
-seat (rescued from a junkyard Sierra Grande)
-cleaned it

All pretty simple stuff. In the end, I'd like to squeeze a little power out of the dog. I'll probably build it up next summer, if the oil leak isn't terminal. Maybe. (meaning if the wife allows it)

Thanks guys.
1978 Chevy K20 Custom Deluxe Regular Cab 350ci

Offline EntryLevelEmployment

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Re: 1978 Chevy K20 Custom Deluxe (Old Yeller)
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2018, 01:16:04 AM »
Man, pics are tricky... resizing to less than 500..... :D

These pics were taken before it left the field it sat in for 3+. Thankfully the sprayer is out of the bed now! :o
« Last Edit: July 16, 2018, 01:17:40 AM by EntryLevelEmployment »
1978 Chevy K20 Custom Deluxe Regular Cab 350ci

Offline EntryLevelEmployment

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Re: 1978 Chevy K20 Custom Deluxe (Old Yeller)
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2018, 01:18:46 AM »
Well I attempted to rotate them... but i guess it's fruitless ???
1978 Chevy K20 Custom Deluxe Regular Cab 350ci

Offline EntryLevelEmployment

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Re: 1978 Chevy K20 Custom Deluxe (Old Yeller)
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2018, 01:23:06 AM »
I tore the seat out of the old thing, and soaked the interior in Pine-sol. Here's how it looked after that:

(p.s. extra pic of the bolt in the donating junker gmc that gave me a run for my money >:()
1978 Chevy K20 Custom Deluxe Regular Cab 350ci

Offline EntryLevelEmployment

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Re: 1978 Chevy K20 Custom Deluxe (Old Yeller)
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2018, 06:43:33 PM »
I went and bought a temp sensor, heater core, and extra coolant. Luckily, Old Yeller is non-ac so getting to the bolts on the firewall for the core should be cake, but when I was looking at the bolts this morning, I did notice that one of them was loose... hopefully it's not spun :o

Also, I was wondering if any of you might know if there's a way to source the plastic joint for the glove box? Old yeller's is splitting on one end.
1978 Chevy K20 Custom Deluxe Regular Cab 350ci

Offline Rapid Roy

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Re: 1978 Chevy K20 Custom Deluxe (Old Yeller)
« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2018, 06:49:25 PM »
Welcome to the site.
1974 Cheyenne 10 LWB STOCK 350 W HEI /TH350/AC/4 BBL Quadrajet
Mopar by Birth
Chevy by Choice

Offline 77 Scottsdale

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Re: 1978 Chevy K20 Custom Deluxe (Old Yeller)
« Reply #6 on: July 17, 2018, 01:53:39 AM »
ayyyy welcome fellow Colonial yellow truck owner!

Offline EntryLevelEmployment

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Re: 1978 Chevy K20 Custom Deluxe (Old Yeller)
« Reply #7 on: December 11, 2018, 07:57:31 PM »
Alright. So, It's been a crazy fall, and i am just about done with school for this semester. But hey, the truck is still running! I haven't done too much, mostly just normal things. Looking at the list I made before though, I haven't made a ton of progress. :-\ Still should flush the other tank, but that's hard to commit too when it works fine without it.  ;D Anyways, things are looking bleak for the old 350. I go through about 2 quarts in 4 weeks, and it has started smoking while shifting from one gear to the next. (Still burns on cold start too) I also have oil in my coolant... I am fairly certain it needs new gaskets and possibly rings or valve seals... The odd part about this is that it seems to start and run fine! It rarely misses and still pulls just fine, and no major changes in the way it vibrates at higher speeds. So, I am in need of some advice, should I start looking for a new engine to swap in? Or delve into the 350 and rebuild it? If it needs rings, it's probably not worth it right? My local shop quoted me $1700 to straight up rebuild the whole thing, which I think is ridiculous when I could find a junker for about 500! Is there a way for me with simple tools and my eyes to know if the engine needs rings or just a gasket or seals? I only have basic hand tools... I will probably repost this question in a different section later, but i figured I would start here. Love my truck!

Thanks guys.
1978 Chevy K20 Custom Deluxe Regular Cab 350ci

Offline Ozark

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Re: 1978 Chevy K20 Custom Deluxe (Old Yeller)
« Reply #8 on: December 11, 2018, 09:11:00 PM »
That is a great lookin' truck!

It sounds like some of the same symptoms I've been working through with mine. I had good luck tracing my oil leak with the dye and UV kit, and maybe your vibration is due to tie rods too?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DNZVRZ1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008I2VPC4

Love this little kit, the flashlight has a dual mode to function as a standard flashlight and it's rechargeable to boot.