New guy from Arizona

[1979C20]

Well, kind of new. I just hadnt gotten around to actually posting. Whats going on everyone? The forum has been really helpful already and I wanted to share my story with someone who would probably listen. Bought a 1979 C20 for $300. It has a 350, 4spd mantrans, qjet carb. It had been sitting for ten years, the owner said it needed a fuel pump and a starter and it would run, but when I started her up it had a spun bearing. So I pulled the engine and tore it down and took it to the machine shop. When I got it back, I rented a hone from Checker and went to town on the cylinders. Got them all honed out to get rid of the slight taper and started with the crank torquing. Bought the biggest cam I could use with stock springs and continued on with the building. Sadly, after I got the engine in the truck, I spun the oil pump with a drill and I got no oil pressure. I ended up having to pull my engine out again, pull my driver head off, and plug an oil passage underneath the edge of the head that I had missed when building. I looped my oil cooler lines with hose and spun the pump again, still no pressure. I called the machine shop and the guys came down to my house and took a look. They ended up putting a metric sized plug into the oil passage and it went too far and block my oil flow. So, they gave me more break in oil and oil pan gaskets and I put it back together and put her back in the truck, with oil pressure. Started her up to make sure everything was in working order, shut it off and checked my oil. Water in it. I ended up reusing the same head gasket when I pulled it off. So, I drained all of the oil-water and I pulled everything apart again and replaced the head gasket. Put it back together and flushed 15 quarts of oil through my engine and put break in oil back in it. Started it, shut it off, water in my oil again! Intake gaskets. So I pulled my intake off and resealed it. I had ended up not putting enough silicone around the water ports. So I finally got it all sealed and flushed another 15 quarts of oil through it. Couldn't start it. I ended up putting my distributor in with the crank 180deg off. Finally got it all figured out and started it and everything was fine. After that, I fought with vacuum leaks, exhaust leaks, and my transmission front seal was leaking BAD. So I had to unbolt my trans from my bell housing and pull it out. replaced the side plate gaskets, input shaft seal, front plate seal, and top plate gasket. I want sure how to pull the plate off, so I just lifted it up and slipped the gasket under. I had to pull my carpet up and pull my transmission doghouse off to get the tranny back in. The side plates and the top plate leaked like a siv. My oil cooler leaks, my oil pressure sending unit line leaks, my carb leaks fuel into the vacuum lines, and my pinion seal leaks. I took my truck down to my friends dads shop and put it on the lift and resealed my side plates with silicone this time and they stopped leaking. I then went home and pulled my carpet up again and actually pulled my top plate off this time. The gasket had torn a couple of times, but I had all of the pieces. So I cleaned everything up with break cleaner and siliconed the gasket in place. I had to fight the top plate for like 2 hours to get it back in. Amidst the fighting, a chunk of gasket fell off and it leaked worse than before. So I went to checker and bought a roll of cork gasket maker and cut it out to shape and siliconed it in place and put the top plate back on. No more leaks!! But, all of the gear oil destroyed my tranny mount. And, then my power steering started leaking BAD. So I replaced the gear box and it leaks, but no where near as bad. Now all that is left if the pinion seal and the oil pressure sending unit line. Theres a lot more issues I've fixed and a few mods Ive done, but Ill get to the pictures now.

[zieg85]

Welcome from NW Indiana, sorry you had to go through all of that hassle but when it is all said and done there is a lot of satisfaction in getting it going.

[1982 Daily Driver]

Welcome from South Carolina.

[1979C20]

Welcome from NW Indiana, sorry you had to go through all of that hassle but when it is all said and done there is a lot of satisfaction in getting it going.

Yeah, I can agree totally. I love this truck now. And having the locker in the rear, she does awesome off road. Shes got quite a bit of torque and I out performed my buddies 4x4 grand wagoneer on the spider hill out at butcher jones to cove one. It a gnarly hill. And I popped right up it first try(3rd time taking my truck to cove 1) and he was fartin around trying to.show off up one of the harder spots and full of mud spots (the weekend it rained and snowed at sycamore creek and butcher jones) and he ended up slamming his front fender into the wall of the hill.

[Tazman]

Welcome from Surprise,Arizona.

[slammed79]

Welcome from Tempe. We've got a small posse runnin around here now. 

[Tazman]

Yes we do there several 73 to 87 Chevy's in my area alone.Often thought about forming a club if there was enough interest.

[thirsty]

Still sounds like you got a good deal. Welcome from NH.
Looks like you had plenty of liquid enthusiasm to get it to this point....

[Grim 82]

It's good to finally see the truck. All of those been there/done that issues you had will make you an expert on the subject. I really dig the roof rack too.

[1979C20]

Thanks guys. Us az members oughta meet up sometime haha! Grim, the ladder rack is off of a vehichle me and my dad snagged that was up for repo when he was running a few months back. While my truck was sittong, we threw the rack on it for storage and it ended up staying. Its 350 retail.

[slammed79]

Ya know, the guy in the first pic standing next to the truck looks like my sisters ex. His name isn't Ron is it?

[1979C20]

No sir, thats my dad, Duke. Hes been married for almost 24 years. Haha.

[bake74]

     Welcome from California.

[1979C20]

Oh, and ive got just over 3000 invested in her since the end of march last year. Oh, and it has 61k original, documented miles.

[Gilby959798]

glad you got her going... Welcome from OH...