Dmulally's Chev C20

[dmulally]

So still waiting for the cert man to come out and advise on the mounts but there has been a bit of tinkering/head scratching. 

The loom should be in a state that it can run. I'll take my time and start running the wires in a way that the engine can be unplugged cleanly and lifted out without having to pull wires back out of places. The ecu I carefully tapped some slots in the back and screwed it to the firewall. The label maker has been pulling a double shift. Also the shifter is wrong but I think the only wires that matter plug in. I need to do a bit of faffing about if I want sports/manual mode. Which I'm not sure I do. 

One thing I'm confused about are the two wires for the fuel pump. One is constant positive to a relay and the other is relay trigger ground. That's on the open end of the wiring loom. There is a plug that goes directly to the pump which is pre wired on the other end of the loom. 

I might have to do some googling on that one. 

[dmulally]

So this project just got a whole lot harderer. 

I collect it next week but following me home on the trailer will be a 1963 K10 4x4. It has dana diffs and a remote transfer case. I'll be able to steal a bunch of parts from it too which will be handy. If anybody is looking for 60-66 chev parts I'll have a shit load for sale too. Including a swb chassis and rusty body. 

Here is the remote transfer case. The SM420 box it has is tiny but there is enough room for the bmw box to go in front of it still. 

Looks like it has already had a bit of a lift in it but can't say for sure as have never seen one in the flesh. Lucky the cert man hasn't come out yet to prescribe the engine mounts as I dare say swapping from a crossmember to leafs will mean an entirely different way to mount it. Likely will involve boxing the chassis but I'll let him decide on that. 

 

[dmulally]

I have only done one with hearing protection and my head is already splitting. Going to have to put on my big boy pants for this one as I have about 50 more to go. 

And so I remember where things go, this is what I'm taking out:

[dmulally]

Rear end finally out. Some rivets took 2 minutes and others took 45 minutes. Filthy and disgusting work which you can see by the floor under the chassis. Whilst in the air I did some wheel spinning and it's a 4.10:1 ratio diff. Should be ok with 31" tyres for around 2000rpm at 60mph. No idea if the transfer case changes ratios or not. 

After work today I'll start on the front end. A little bit more tricky as I have to sort out the steering box. Speaking of I have to make some decisions on that sooner rather than later. The box it has is flogged and an exchange rebuild is around $650 plus shipping to and from the US. 

I have options though. I can get a bracket to put on a power steering unit. Then I'd need the BMW pump and no idea if that would fit in my bay or even work. I could also just get mine rebuilt and if I'm feeling frisky enough, put a prius electric power steering column under the dash. A common mod for classic chev owners in the states. I would have to run any of that by the cert man however and I'm worried he'll hear the word Prius and slap me with a white glove. 

Unless anybody has any better ideas? Answers on a postcard here. I haven't ever played with 4wd stuff before so I have no idea what works and being LHD it puts me at a disadvantage in God's country. 

[dmulally]

On the front diff now and this aint good. Open to ideas on this one although will need to run it by the cert man. Perhaps some weld on hangers and boxing in the chassis on the inside? 

K10 front hanger

C20 front hanger location

K10 rear hanger

C20 rear hanger

And for a laugh check out the rear spacer. Looks like something thrown at Road Runner off a cliff. 

[dmulally]

Right. Cert man visited and I'm just making notes before I forget/lose the piece of paper. 

Convert turbo to high mount

Centre engine between rails

Box in chassis (with a radius) at the front

Replicate spring hangers from K10 to C20

Find evidence of anvil spring spacer being used anywhere else in the globe

If converting to power steer - no welds or fabric spacers

Engine mounts to cover from top to bottom of boxed in chassis rail

Man this project is going to kill me. I need to print out some pics to keep me focused. 

 

[dmulally]

Lol they are factory spacers. Blimey. I'm going to park the evidence here but it's one less thing to worry about. 

 

 

[dmulally]

Still punching rivets. Fuck me the absolute worst job in a long line of shit jobs on this thing. 

Both diffs out and just the transfer case left. Going to book in the vapour blaster bloke for the next couple of weeks so at least I dont have to look at it all rusted and shitty. 

There has to be a better way of getting out rivets from triple layered chassis plates than an air punch. 

 

[dmulally]

Still waiting on the blaster man to call me off the bench. In the meantime I dragged the transfer case out. Holy shit it weighs a tonne. 

@cubastreet tell Megumi to bring her lifting skills tomorrow as I need to lug this shit into a trailer. 👌

[dmulally]

Spoke to a cool chap in Queenstown who is also having his life ruined by a K series uterus. He is much further along however. 

This is his ute below. Normally Im a fan of steelies on all of my vehicles but these jelly beans look pretty fucken rad. 

[dmulally]

Got the suspension blasted. So much easier to stomach now. I'll have to sell the Imp to be able to pay for the uni joints, brake components, and transfer case rebuild kit. 

Really happy with how they turned out. I'm sure you'd get sick of it but the blaster has a pretty cool job. In the queue after my junk were parts from an MGTC, Camaro and a Matchless. 

 

[dmulally]

Still chugging away on this project very slowly as fuel prices and work nonsense have drained my care factor. Managed to get the front brackets off the K10 chassis but there have been complications. Namely that the K10 steering box is rooted and is a rare type, so requires sending off to the states to repair rather than replace off the shelf. The transfer case needs rebuilding. Not a big deal as they have the kits on the shelf but it will be time/money. I haven't made my mind up yet but I'm considering just keeping it 2wd and getting a winch on the front for when I get stuck as well as an LSD or locker (if I'm feeling rich) for the boat ramp. The 14 bolt diff has a whine in it now owing to it being full of water when I rescued it from a 1980's square body so eventually it will have to be considered. Haven't made my mind up yet but if I stay 2wd, I can put the diffs under something else I have in the barn awaiting it's turn. 

In other news, I have ordered a new cast manifold (the factory ones all crack) and adapter kit in order to move the turbo to the top side. Should make piping a lot easier up that high too. 

I painted the transfer case so it at least doesn't look like a bag of shit. 

[dmulally]

Right then. Mind made up and sticking with 2wd. It should save me 6-12 months and $6-12k. Looks like Ill need an air locker and a big fuck off winch however. 

Spoke with the engineer again and it's pretty simple and will modify the old V8 brackets.