Author Topic: My '77 K-30/V3500 Monster Truck Build  (Read 252239 times)

Offline 1967KaiserM715

  • Junior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 914
  • 1985 GMC K1500 w/ 6.5 TD
Re: My '77 K-30/V3500 Monster Truck Build
« Reply #345 on: March 22, 2017, 07:17:34 PM »
Looking forward to the update!

Sent from my Lenovo TAB 2 A10-70F using Tapatalk

Current Vehicles:1985 GMC K10(Daily) 1991 GMC K2500(Daily) 1975 Beetle(not running) 1985 Mercedes 300D(not running) 1952 M35    1967 M715(not running)
 1986 Chevy K30(under repair)

Offline Engineer

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1402
Re: My '77 K-30/V3500 Monster Truck Build
« Reply #346 on: March 28, 2017, 08:16:12 PM »
Ok, so pastor has asked me to bring the message Sunday evening during his absentia, and because of this I am finally at my desk where I can put together this update.

So here goes.........

Recently my family, and I attended a monster truck show in DuQuoin, IL. I had to share this because, well, you'll see..........

This is of course Bigfoot. You will notice the Ford Raptor-ish body........





Now, observe the blown and injected Chevrolet big block engine:



And some other points of interest from the pit party:





I finally have time to report some progress on my wheels so I'll detail that here tonight.

The original ag wheels are 25"x36". I wanted a 25"x32" with a 12" back spacing. Here is how I accomplished that.

Wheel build phase 1, the inside half:

In this first photograph you will see the wheel centers I had made for the foundation of my wheels.



As I posted earlier I will be building a two piece wheel similar to the 3D line drawing below. For those familiar with Honda ATC wheels of the early 1980s, I wanted to make mounting my tires easier and eliminate the leak prone o-ring that seals the outer rim flange to the inner wheel. And as a side benefit I have a much cleaner final product. Observe the final product and see if you agree.

The 3D drawing:



This view shows the plates after I drilled them. In the first photograph you can see Xs laser etched to show drill centers. There are 8 of these plates in total, 2 for each wheel. The lug stud holes were drilled to 13/16", the outer ring of bolts are 1/2". As you will see later this is not the end of my drilling. -Ugh.... To get to this point required 320 3/16" pilot holes to be drilled. Each set of plates were paired and 160 1/2' holes were drilled. The lug holes were stepped through to the 13/16" final bore. The 13/16" holes were then bored for a total of 40 of those. In all there were 520 drilling operations performed.......and this, as I aforementioned, will not be the end of the drilling.



Then I had a local shop roll some 1/4" x 8" flat bar into these round barrels. These form the basis for the inside wheel tube.



I then bolted the wheel center pairs together including a spare wheel hub in anticipation of preventing warpage from the welding operations.





I then, using home made brackets, clamped and welded the wheel barrels onto the inner wheel center plate.





Added angle reinforcements:



And then I added the old ag wheel's outer rim flange to make the new wheel's inner bead:



And this is what the inner wheel half looks like after the fabrication process:



Wheel build phase 2, the outside half:

I started by cutting the old ag wheel to the proper size + a smidge for the purpose of truing. The piece on the left will form the outer wheel barrel:



Mocked up:



Prior to paint stripping:



Set in place, trued, leveled, and tack welded:





And the finished product.....or so I thought:





When I took the hub loose I discovered the slightest of gaps in between the two plates that form the wheel center. Not good. While the seal will be around the outer ring of 1/2" bolts I couldn't allow dirt to intrude the area between the plates where the wheel mounted. A build up of dirt and foreign matter in the wheel mounting area would eventually cause the wheel to become out of true.



The solution as seen here in the centers for the 2nd wheel was to through drill the outer wheel center, and drill and tap the inner wheel center. Thus the wheel could be clamped at the center preventing dirt intrusion into the wheel's mounting area.



When this action was deemed to be the proper fix it was applied to the first wheel.



And finally one wheel is done and ready for the sandblaster:



This is where I set at the moment. One wheel done, and one more wheel 50% done. There is an epic amount of work involved in building just one wheel. The first wheel took approximately 85 1/8" 7018 welding rods. Just for curiosity's sake I put all of my rod stubs from wheel #2 in a metal soup can. Wheel #2 is up to 50 rods and is only half way done.



One reason for the slow progress on the wheels is, well, life. I took on this project these last two weekends. a week ago I pulled this cargo box, and hydraulic lift gate from the junker F-450:





Then on this most recent Friday I was presented with the Ram 5500. With the help of my oldest son we were able to lengthen the frame, and install the cargo box and lift gate by Sunday evening. I was up against the clock because the truck was scheduled to have its graphics replaced starting today. Whew. But we got-er-dun.





And the finished product:





Now I have to give a shout out to somebody on these froums!

WAAAY back I bought a set of Kenworth gauges like these in this picture. They consisted of an engine water temp gauge, an engine oil temp gauge, an engine oil pressure gauge, and a voltmeter.



In this thread, linked below, from a LONG time ago....I asked for help finding a suitable VIN from which to order the correct sending units to make these gauges operate.

http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=21355.0

Well forum member "ehjorten" stepped up big time! He gave me all the pertinent poop right from his desk at Kenworth engineering. I have since annoyed him relentlessly for help in finding the values for the fuel gauge sender that I bought in the gauge set below:



I also plan on using the duplex air pressure gauge. The green (primary) needle will indicate my reservior level, and the red (secondary) needle will indicate when I have air to the cylinder that will tilt my bed.

Also with ehjorten's help I bought this recently. This is the coolant temperature sender I first asked for help about.





Thanks again Erik! Your information has been of great value. And don't forget I want to know about the W900's successor as soon as you can release that information. (wink, wink)

While I am on the Kenworth subject, the Kenworth T-370 in the following photo uses the SAME Signal Stat cab lights our 73~87(91) trucks use......hmmm.



Now let me see......what else do I need to talk about tonight........ho hum......OH YEAH! I 'bout furgots......

That's just a pile of junk you say? Well let me explain. I started collecting pieces recently for an evolution to this build. I am thinking about taking my serpentine belt assembly back off at some point to install a short water pump. Oh, and I'll need the services of a smaller distributor. HEI wont work. My 454's original distriutor with an electronic conversion to eliminate the breaker points should fill the bill. Why would I do that you ask? Patience, I'll get to that in a moment.



We have another good friend on this forum who helped out recently with a request that I had in this thread:

http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=34652.0

As part of my evolving monster truck build vision I decided I may need extra the cooling capacity of a diesel radiator. These radiators take a special bracket to mount them to the radiator supports. Our good friend and fellow forum member "fitz" stepped up an sallied forth the most precious brackets. A big thanks to you as well, fitz.

Now you are asking yourself "Why, Eng, you have the big 454 radiator already. Why do you need the diesel radiator?". Well, reliability is paramount with EVERYTHING I do. More engine = more heat. So, continue on in this post..............



Recently the big brown truck of love made a stop in my driveway and showered me with affection aplenty:



Yup, that's an old school 6-71 GMC blower sharing shop space with the ol' munster twuck. Hehe.

25 years ago I bought a blower core EXACTLY like this one. I bought aftermarket bearing plates, race bearings, seals, and many other accutrements for making a 454 breathe. But truck pulling had no welcome for such wickedness so I sold it. Now, I have a chance to get the period correct blower for my monster truck with the GMC case and I jumped on it.

I know what you are thinking......"Eng, why did you buy a 6-71 blower already built when you have the skills to rebuild one yourself?" Well since you asked, it has mainly to do with time. It's been almost 9 years on this build. I want it done this summer.......



Well when the neighbors noticed the big brown truck in my driveway it wasn't long before word got out and I had a crowd..........





Of course, the topic of conversation turned to bench racing........



My full time security guard Hershel stopped by on his rounds and Jimmy was telling him how nitro fuel injected, supercharged, big block Chevys with open headers cost him his hearing......



And of couse somebody had to break out the suds and it all went down hill from there.............



Been doing alot of research. I really, really, really want a Birdcatcher on top of my 6-71 blower. Based on early assumptions I should be able to make the constant flow fuel injection work with E85 in my application and not have to revert to the way more expensive EFI.



auf wiedersehen
-Eng
2002 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 8.1/ZF6sp RC/LB
2001 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 6.0/4L85E EC/SB
1997 Chevy Blazer 4x4
1994 Chevy K-2500 4x4 C6P 5.7/4L80E
1979 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10
1977 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10 454

Dad of an Eagle Scout, and a Life Scout

Offline Irish_Alley

  • Tim
  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13319
  • Family is not an important thing. It's everything.
Re: My '77 K-30/V3500 Monster Truck Build
« Reply #347 on: March 29, 2017, 05:57:08 PM »
 :o oh gosh, i think hes lost it
« Last Edit: March 29, 2017, 05:58:55 PM by Irish_Alley »
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 Engineer

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1402
Re: My '77 K-30/V3500 Monster Truck Build
« Reply #348 on: March 30, 2017, 09:43:06 PM »
I am afraid I owe someone an apology. When I was giving shoutouts in my last post I looked back through this thread and realized I never gave credit to "zieg85" for helping me with finding the wheel opening molding over my rear tires.



Since I have all of the stylings of a 1991 V-series, these include the body side molding, the series model badging (Bow-Tie 3500 on the BSM vs. "Silverado 30" on the fender), the V22 horizontal headlight grille, black windshield lock strip, etc. I had to have the matching wheel opening molding to complete the ensemble. I found nos items for the front at a dealership in Mississippi. Then somehow, I don't remember exactly how but zieg said he had some for the rear that I needed to finish the trim out. zieg even went as far as to personally bring them to their new home.

Carl, I thought I mentioned this in the post about the painting of the bed but obviously I had not. So, my apologies and don't forget to stop by when you're in the area and check out the progress.


Let's see now, ehjorten out west, fitz in the east, and zieg85 in the middle, man this build has become a nationwide effort.

Thanks again everyone. Hopefully I'll have this ole crate done soon.
2002 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 8.1/ZF6sp RC/LB
2001 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 6.0/4L85E EC/SB
1997 Chevy Blazer 4x4
1994 Chevy K-2500 4x4 C6P 5.7/4L80E
1979 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10
1977 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10 454

Dad of an Eagle Scout, and a Life Scout

Offline Engineer

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1402
Re: My '77 K-30/V3500 Monster Truck Build
« Reply #349 on: April 01, 2017, 09:06:27 PM »
I'm going to drop back in for a few more shares.

Here is an actual photograph of my first set of Kenworth gauges. I ordered the sending unit last week to make the fuel gauge work. Now I just need the guy to call me back that is going to build my fuel cell.



I bought this yesterday. It is a short water pump for a big block Chevy. This is necessary to run the cogged blower drive belt. I am probably going to build some of my drive parts myself. I can save a ton of money that way.



This is one of the parts I'm thinking of building. Maybe not exactly like this but similar. Or I may order this one. It is a water pump mount for the idler pulley. The big determining factor is using it with the water pump. This type of bracket isn't typically used with a water pump. However, I think this bracket gives the blower set up a cleaner look than using the blower mounted unit, or the swingarm that clamps to the blower snout.



Here is a picture of the intake manifold I intend on using. It is a name brand intake only without the name brand's name on it.



I found this on a google search. Not sure who this engine belongs to, but this is very close to what I am looking to build for the monster. The major difference being that I'll have a water pump, and instead of the cam driven constant flow fuel pump I'm looking to use a belt driven type.

2002 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 8.1/ZF6sp RC/LB
2001 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 6.0/4L85E EC/SB
1997 Chevy Blazer 4x4
1994 Chevy K-2500 4x4 C6P 5.7/4L80E
1979 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10
1977 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10 454

Dad of an Eagle Scout, and a Life Scout

Offline Engineer

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1402
Re: My '77 K-30/V3500 Monster Truck Build
« Reply #350 on: May 02, 2017, 08:54:43 PM »
New Page! lol


Well, I have my exhaust finished. Added the tail pipes recently:







Cleaned up the water pump pulley for the blower install:



This next picture requires a little bit of explaining. These two carbs are 600cfm AFBs that I plan on putting on the blower. They are both carbs that my son aquired through truck swaps. He never could get them to run so I rebuilt a Quadrajet for him to use in their place.

Well I have done some reading and it appears the AFBs lend themselves very kindly to a roots blower. According to one source I found they are more resistant to the brraaap brraaap brraaap brraaap lopey style of idle that is the sign of a bad tune. They don't need the power valve referencing that a Holley does, and since they are free I will only be out the cost of the rebuild kits, jets, floats, and primary needles.

For all out street performance I would select Holleys over the AFBs. The AFBs come up a little short on feeding a blower in a race application but this will be a engine built around looks, and the wow factor, not go-fast. Eventually I will get the Enderle Bird Catcher, but these AFBs will allow me to get the 6-71 blower on sooner rather than later.



Here is a picture of 2 AFBs on a 6-71 Jimmy blower.



As time allows I have been working on the wheels. I have two completely finished and a 3rd 50% finished. The 3rd is a little more work. The outside of the wheel is from a Dayton (spoke) wheel application. In order for me to use it I need to remove the old spoke clamp rings.





And with the rings removed, I cut the outside wheel to length:





2 wheels done, and a 3rd well on the way:



I have the frame for the bed done and the bed has been permantently installed. I forgot to take pictures so I'll add them to a later update. Also bought a new aluminum 20 gallon fuel cell, pics to come as well.

Bought $400.00 worth of paint recently to paint the roll/light bar and the wheels. As soon as the last wheel is done I am going to paint these 5 items. Then I can mount the tires. (YIPPPEEE!!!!) After that the truck will at least look done even if there are small things left to do.
2002 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 8.1/ZF6sp RC/LB
2001 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 6.0/4L85E EC/SB
1997 Chevy Blazer 4x4
1994 Chevy K-2500 4x4 C6P 5.7/4L80E
1979 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10
1977 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10 454

Dad of an Eagle Scout, and a Life Scout

Offline Engineer

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1402
Re: My '77 K-30/V3500 Monster Truck Build
« Reply #351 on: August 11, 2017, 07:28:52 PM »
Well, this thread keeps getting looks but no comments. I guess everyone is still interested in a monster truck build. Hmmmm....... or maybe the views are spam bots. LOL

Anyhow, I added the rollbar recently:





Sorry for the poor lighting.

Before I installed the rollbar I finished up the mechanism that will allow the bed to tilt. And then I tested it for function:



I have the last tire off of the wheel. This is my best tire. It is almost brand new. Hopefully someday I'll find three more to match. Atleast I have a full set of 4 Goodyears that match in spite of their tread depth.



Sandblasted the rollbar:



Primer:



Paint:



Added the off road lights:





Finished the wheels:



A little test sandblast:





Primer:



Paint:





I bought the most luminescent silver I could find for the rollbar and wheels. It's not polished aluminum but it should be acceptable in the sunlight. WWAAAAYYYY cheaper than trying to get this junk all chromed.





Spent a wad of cash for the gaskets to seal the 2 wheel halves:





Bought a bumper for the rear:



And a 20 gallon fuel cell. I need to modify the tank to take the sending unit. The sending unit should be the correct value to work with my Kenworth fuel gauge.






And where would we be if I didn't add my off-topic bonus postings?

Would somebody feel sorry for me and set up a go-fund-me account in my name so I can buy this sweet W9?



Hehe, just kidding.                           Or maybe not.

But since we are on the subject of big rigs, I found this Chevrolet 18-wheeler from times gone by. I'm glad I never had to do a west coast turn in this. It's pretty cute and all, but........



And I took this photo recently of an awesome B model Transtar. I can remember seeing these as a kid brand new on the dealer's lots. Ugh. Does that make me old?



I'm out
2002 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 8.1/ZF6sp RC/LB
2001 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 6.0/4L85E EC/SB
1997 Chevy Blazer 4x4
1994 Chevy K-2500 4x4 C6P 5.7/4L80E
1979 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10
1977 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10 454

Dad of an Eagle Scout, and a Life Scout

Offline bd

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6438
Re: My '77 K-30/V3500 Monster Truck Build
« Reply #352 on: August 11, 2017, 08:12:42 PM »
NEVER OLD!!!  Just experienced!   8)

I worked on those, new....   Maybe I should have kept that to myself....   :o


Engineer, you are in a league of your own.  It's always a pleasure to stop by and gawk at the innovation and quality of creativity I observe in this thread.  It will be a solemn day when you finish, if not quietly plaintive... unless, of course, you begin and are willing to share a new project!   :)
Rich
It's difficult to know just how much you don't know until you know it.
In other words... if people learn by making mistakes, by now I should know just about everything!!!
87 R10 Silverado Fleetside 355 MPFI 700R4 3.42 Locker (aka Rusty, aka Mater)

Offline Engineer

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1402
Re: My '77 K-30/V3500 Monster Truck Build
« Reply #353 on: August 11, 2017, 08:34:12 PM »
........been searching Craigslist for square body ('82~'93) S-10s. Wife wants hers in red. I have another set of 5-tons spoken for, and I know where the remains of a Terra-Gator is that has 3 66x43-25 Firestones to match the one spare I already have.

I can't stop glaring at a picture of Little Bearfoot that I have.

Can I build an S-10 on this board?

As far as this project goes bd, I plan on taking this truck to shows. There is one of the smaller promoters of monster truck shows that is interested in having me show my truck in the pit party. And I could probably get it to Bigfoot when they have their open house every year. I want to get it done before I start shopping it around. If that ever happens I'll post about it in here.
2002 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 8.1/ZF6sp RC/LB
2001 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 6.0/4L85E EC/SB
1997 Chevy Blazer 4x4
1994 Chevy K-2500 4x4 C6P 5.7/4L80E
1979 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10
1977 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10 454

Dad of an Eagle Scout, and a Life Scout

Offline zieg85

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 7543
    • 73-87 GM squarebody extended cab and conversions up to 91 R/V series
Re: My '77 K-30/V3500 Monster Truck Build
« Reply #354 on: August 11, 2017, 08:57:27 PM »
I saw it in person, work of art!!!  Always see the updates, keep em coming
Carl 
1985 C20 Scottsdale 7.4L 4 speed 3.21
1986 C10 under construction
https://www.facebook.com/groups/248658382003506/

Offline VileZambonie

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 18979
Re: My '77 K-30/V3500 Monster Truck Build
« Reply #355 on: August 12, 2017, 07:04:57 AM »
Looks awesome! What did you use for the wheel opening moldings the 89-91 Suburban trim? That's what I am using on mine for the smooth style.
,                           ___ 
                         /  _ _ _\_
              ⌠¯¯¯¯¯'   [☼===☼]
              `()_);-;()_)--o--)_)

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

Offline zieg85

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 7543
    • 73-87 GM squarebody extended cab and conversions up to 91 R/V series
Re: My '77 K-30/V3500 Monster Truck Build
« Reply #356 on: August 12, 2017, 07:59:26 AM »
Looks awesome! What did you use for the wheel opening moldings the 89-91 Suburban trim? That's what I am using on mine for the smooth style.

I know the answer.... Yes
Carl 
1985 C20 Scottsdale 7.4L 4 speed 3.21
1986 C10 under construction
https://www.facebook.com/groups/248658382003506/

Offline LTZ C20

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 3795
  • "I'm here for a good time" -George Strait
Re: My '77 K-30/V3500 Monster Truck Build
« Reply #357 on: August 14, 2017, 11:58:40 AM »
We are still interested, I just red the last 3 pages I haven't seen in awhile. Life has been crazy this summer, haven't been on the site much. Truck looks awesome tho, part of the reason I come back on is to check this build progress.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

LTZ Cheyenne C20

Offline Engineer

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1402
Re: My '77 K-30/V3500 Monster Truck Build
« Reply #358 on: August 14, 2017, 08:19:15 PM »
This weekend I filled all of the gearboxes with 90W. 1 gallon in the granny low 4-sp., 1.5 gallons in the Rockwell 2.5 ton transfer case, and 3 gallons in each axle. For a total of 8.5 gallons.........not quarts, gallons.

The 5-ton hubs run on wheel bearings packed in grease. Not sure why but I assume it has to do with the ability to ford deep water without contaminating the oil that lubes the differentials. There is a seal that is sandwiched behind the wheel bearing nuts that seals against the outer race of the outer wheel bearing to keep the oil and grease separated. I plan on tossing this seal so as to have a normal oil bath hub like our trucks use in the 10.5" 14-bolt FF. After adding the oil to the hubs this should require an additional 2 quarts and that will have me at the 9 gallon threshold.

A couple other projects this weekend was to install the plastic reservoir on my go-fast type brake master cylinder. I originally bought this as a weight saving measure when I was building the truck as a puller. If I had not already gone this route I probably would have used the standard GM master cylinder and the dual circuit system to separate the front from the rear.

And I started punching out the holes for the wheel gaskets. My wheels are a semi-untested design. I use the word semi because the racer monster trucks use a 2 piece wheel but they don't clamp together at the wheel mounting flange as mine do. I need to be real careful clamping these together. If I have a leak repair will not be easy.
2002 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 8.1/ZF6sp RC/LB
2001 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 6.0/4L85E EC/SB
1997 Chevy Blazer 4x4
1994 Chevy K-2500 4x4 C6P 5.7/4L80E
1979 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10
1977 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10 454

Dad of an Eagle Scout, and a Life Scout

Offline Engineer

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1402
Re: My '77 K-30/V3500 Monster Truck Build
« Reply #359 on: August 14, 2017, 08:28:56 PM »
I forgot to say the reason for the master cylinder reservoir install was so I could fill the brake system with fluid. The steering system is completely finished, it needs filled with hydraulic oil. The cooling system is complete but needs anti-freeze. All of this so as soon as I get the carburetor rebuilt, and the wiring finished, I can start up the engine for the first time in many, many moons.........and potentially take it for a drive.
2002 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 8.1/ZF6sp RC/LB
2001 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 6.0/4L85E EC/SB
1997 Chevy Blazer 4x4
1994 Chevy K-2500 4x4 C6P 5.7/4L80E
1979 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10
1977 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10 454

Dad of an Eagle Scout, and a Life Scout