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  1. GTX63

    Burning Oil At Start Ups

    Valve seals are the most likely cause. They can be changed out in an afternoon with typical hand tools and a spring compressor. There are some products on the market that will swell seals, but at 199k, it is probably time.
  2. GTX63

    Has anyone bought the LMC dash?

    The Chinese use a very precise piece of equipment to make Squarebody dash pads. It is called the eyeball micrometer. I have found the best method for installing the dash pads from Coverlay is to heat the old pad up with a heat gun and remove all of the padding. The new cover won't stick out as...
  3. GTX63

    Wheel bearing problems… please help!

    If you want to know whether you have a wheel bearing that is failing, and from where, drive your truck down the road and listen as you make turns. If you hear noise when you make a hard right turn, the bearing(s) on the left wheel are failing, and vice versa. They tend to growl when weight is...
  4. GTX63

    4.1 mpg?

    Back to basics. At 4.1 mpg, either your app is wrong or there is a very basic, mechanical issue, ie a fuel leak. Or someone is in your driveway at 2am siphoning your gas. A stock 350 cannot burn that much fuel under normal driving conditions without symptoms. There would be at the very least, an...
  5. GTX63

    Frame welded, dangerous?

    That weld is fine. If you are hauling rock for a living and bouncing down a cratered, washboard road everyday on 37s, you are the exception. Before that frame gives out you will likely have other suspension issues first. If you are just driving the truck like a normal human being, paint it black...
  6. GTX63

    Ford Trash Talk Thread lol

  7. GTX63

    79 c10 engine upgrade help.

    Well, that leaves the knocking noise. For an old truck that has been sitting, I use 20W50 diesel oil, with a can of Berrymens and some mystery oil in the tank. I have had a lot of old small blocks that sat for long periods, and then knocked or ticked on start up. Once they are road worthy I...
  8. GTX63

    305 Weight ?

    Fully dressed, with brackets, pulleys, intake and carb, etc, about 650 lbs.
  9. GTX63

    Rochester 4-bbl quadrajet idle on 1978 Chevy 1/2 ton

    650 or 700 rpm is a general rule of thumb. That can vary however, depending on whether the engine is stock, altitude, etc. Without more details, it sounds moreso like a choke problem than an idle speed problem.
  10. GTX63

    Elementary question, spark plugs.

    Assuming your 400 is in good condition, and the plugs aren't oil or gas fouling, check the tip/electrode for wearing or rounding. Ultimately, buy a replacement set now, and your engine will tell you when it is time.
  11. GTX63

    How do YOU set timing?

    I'm not ancient, but I still grew up in a time when the old timers could build and tune an engine without a book, spec sheet, or proper terminology. These were guys with street cars running 11s and 12s on a 1/4 mile drag strip. They could work their magic on 427s with open headers, multiple...
  12. GTX63

    How do YOU set timing?

    I knew an old timer, years ago, he set the timing on his Chevies by ear and by start. What I mean is, he ran them to operating temp (190-200F), moved his distributor until the motor smoothed out, then advanced it a little more, and shut it off. He would restart them about 60 seconds later and if...
  13. GTX63

    How do YOU set timing?

    Most everyone of my sbc distributors vacuum advance is pointing somewhere between the #4&#6 plug. So if I was on the road with no tools when the distributor spun around, I know where to rotate it close enough to get me home. I also set total timing and rarely ever use a timing light. That has...
  14. GTX63

    Brake pad issue

    Use new retaining clips for the inside pad. They should be included with every set but they aren't. Also, tap down the little fingers at end of the pad, against the calipers. If you don't, they will rattle.
  15. GTX63

    Door panel resto- backyard style

    For every squarebody on marketplace with prime top shelf parts and a 45k selling price, there are 100 poor slobs like me that repurpose, and scrounge and pick the bones off the parts truck behind my pole barn. My shop has a dirt floor with no lift. I paint under a carport draped with plastic and...
  16. GTX63

    83 C20 Crew torque converter replacement

    I'd spend a little time tonight on Babel and write up a list of questions that he can read tomorrow morning. Then put them into Babel so you know what he is talking about. Diagnosing what you have described could go in 36 different directions, and I would not put a torque converter at the top...
  17. GTX63

    One piece window conversion??

    I met a guy with an 84 C10 that installed one, and honestly, I just didn't like it. I usually drive around whatever truck I am currently rehabbing for 3-6 months. The one I currently am in is a 1980 GMC K15 with no factory air. No dash vents, just the kick panel pull knobs and the vent windows...
  18. GTX63

    Stripped crankshaft hole with new harmonic balancer bolt.

    It gives you an additional option/chance. First, retap for the same size bolt. You have nothing to lose. If that fails then tap for metric; that gives you a second option and leaves a BB bolt for your safety net.
  19. GTX63

    O'Reilly sux balls !!!

    Auto parts houses have always had tier pricing. 35 years ago the NAPA guy could quote me the walk in price, the buddy price, the *******'s price, commercial account price and maybe a few others. Apply for a business tax ID in your state and set up an account with O Reillys. Or if you have a farm...
  20. GTX63

    K10 Air Conditioning Condensation Leak to Interior

    Yes, there should be a drain hole near the firewall that allows condensation to empty out. It is likely plugged and causing it to back up into the passenger compartment. The unit shown in the photo is from a 1978 C10. Go at it from below with a small pick. It should come out pretty fast when you...
  21. GTX63

    New guy from Central Illinois

    Welcome. Hard to believe a beauty as clean as that came from Illinois. I drove a 77 GMC Sierra K15 in 1986 from Illinois that was about rusted to the upper fender trim strips, lol. I loved that truck but there was no point in locking the doors.
  22. GTX63

    Trading 74 C20 for 73 C30 Dually

    Nobody can tell you what is best for you, we can only tell you what we like. I like the looks of both. A guy with a tackle box of tools can change out a small block chevy in a squarebody between breakfast and lunch. I replaced some metal around the rockers and wheel arches of a 74 C10 this week...
  23. GTX63

    Anyone have a LS swapped 3+3?

    Yes, many of the buyers for those systems are looking for the reliability of late model injection. The problem is, and maybe it is due to marketing, is that they are generally not bolt on and walk away set ups. I have known several guys who tired of the 6 pumps and goose the gas for 2 minutes...
  24. GTX63

    Is this a good deal?

    Yes, location makes a big difference when it comes to price. It looks like there is a lot of potential from the exterior pics. Here is the southeast, a good condition, 2wd hovers around $5500. More money for 4wd. "Runs and drives" for a 35 year old truck still means you will likely have a lot of...
  25. GTX63

    1983 454 vs 5.3 LS for towing

    The 454 would be my choice based on power and simplicity. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do the 5.3, it just means I probably wouldn't. There are also very few overdrive transmissions that I pull over 5k loads with in overdrive. I meant to say zero. But I'm in Tennessee.

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