Can it be saved

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J-Bob

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Apr 19, 2020
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12
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17
Location
*******, La.
First Name
Jim
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
C/10
Engine Size
350
My 79 sat in a field with 3 freeze plugs pushed out for 3 years. Replaced them and went to a fuel cell (gas tank rust) and I was rolling. Rebuilt carb a few months later and now it purrs like a kitten. Just finished installing 3.73’s and an Eaton Detroit TruTrac yesterday. No whine, howl, clunks, or leaks so far! Go for it.
 

1983 k20

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Location
Wildwood alberta
First Name
Hayden
Truck Year
1983
Truck Model
K20
Engine Size
350
I started a 89 6.2 diesel after 15 years of sitting. I put fresh batteries in it and it started . Put fresh gas in it so there is something new in it . And of course fresh batts and tru
 

B1075

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Joined
Dec 17, 2020
Posts
13
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25
Location
California
First Name
Brandon
Truck Year
1977
Truck Model
C10 Scottsdale
Engine Size
350
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Sorry it’s been a while. Finally dug it out of the garage and cleaned it up. Try to starry it this week.
 

B1075

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Location
California
First Name
Brandon
Truck Year
1977
Truck Model
C10 Scottsdale
Engine Size
350
*start
 

BRetty

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Location
Los Angeles
First Name
Franklin
Truck Year
1973
Truck Model
c10
Engine Size
350
You do the old-school blue flames?
 

idahovette

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Location
Weiser Idaho
First Name
Perry
Truck Year
1975-1979
Truck Model
K20-K10
Engine Size
350
@B1075 after reading your post, I go to thinking about the paint on my cars....Nova was painted in 1998 by my son just before our Hot August Night trip to Reno and the Chevelle is about 8 or 9 years older......Wow time flies, but indoor storage helps A LOT!!!!!
 

B1075

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Location
California
First Name
Brandon
Truck Year
1977
Truck Model
C10 Scottsdale
Engine Size
350
Time dose fly. Kinda shocked me when I realized it was 20 years ago
 

scenic760

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Jan 12, 2021
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198
Location
SoCal
First Name
Chris
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
Suburban K10
Engine Size
350
Hey All!

Happened upon upon this thread as I too am trying to get a sitting square on the road. And yes, you will RARELY see a square on the road in Socal..someone said that when China was completely booming scrap metal was at $200 per ton and quite a few squares met their fate. Ironic that China's infrastructure is being supplied by US cars..haha

I just bought a 1981 Suburban K1500 (I had to drive 200 miles to find it!) that sat for 4 years outside. I'm having a hard time getting it to turn over and I have pulled the plugs, oiled the cylinders with Deep Creep and am trying to rock the balancer with the bolt on tool they sell. I've gotten it to move maybe 1-2 degrees back and forth but it doesn't seem to be moving much more than that. I did take off the valve covers and it looks like some rust had gotten on the rockers/pushrods on top so I yanked those off and they don't appear to be rusted the length of the pushrods. I put a camera in each cylinder and they actually look pretty good (no rust) with a bit a carbon in a couple...my next guess was to pull the starter as thought it may be binding?

OP- did you get yours going?!
 

Salty Crusty

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Joined
Apr 10, 2020
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211
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230
Location
Texas
First Name
Gary
Truck Year
1986
Truck Model
c1500
Engine Size
565
Get a flexplate tool and use it, you can go both ways and get good leverage on it. You take a chance of snapping the balancer bolt or screwing the threads up when trying to turn a partially seized engine over. Once you have the tool, you will wonder how you ever got by without it. Beats hell out of moving 2 teeth at a time with a screwdriver. Chances are that once you get it to move a little bit, it'll roll through the entire 360 degrees. Back and forth and unless you have some major rust, you'll get 'er broke loose.
 

Powerhouse Ranch

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Location
PA
First Name
Luke
Truck Year
1980 & 1988
Truck Model
C25 & V15
Engine Size
454 & 350
I started a 89 6.2 diesel after 15 years of sitting. I put fresh batteries in it and it started . Put fresh gas in it so there is something new in it . And of course fresh batts and tru

i do hope you mean diesel fuel rather than gas, in that case it wouldn't have started XD i've seen it happen though
 

Powerhouse Ranch

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Joined
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Location
PA
First Name
Luke
Truck Year
1980 & 1988
Truck Model
C25 & V15
Engine Size
454 & 350
Hey All!

Happened upon upon this thread as I too am trying to get a sitting square on the road. And yes, you will RARELY see a square on the road in Socal..someone said that when China was completely booming scrap metal was at $200 per ton and quite a few squares met their fate. Ironic that China's infrastructure is being supplied by US cars..haha

I just bought a 1981 Suburban K1500 (I had to drive 200 miles to find it!) that sat for 4 years outside. I'm having a hard time getting it to turn over and I have pulled the plugs, oiled the cylinders with Deep Creep and am trying to rock the balancer with the bolt on tool they sell. I've gotten it to move maybe 1-2 degrees back and forth but it doesn't seem to be moving much more than that. I did take off the valve covers and it looks like some rust had gotten on the rockers/pushrods on top so I yanked those off and they don't appear to be rusted the length of the pushrods. I put a camera in each cylinder and they actually look pretty good (no rust) with a bit a carbon in a couple...my next guess was to pull the starter as thought it may be binding?

OP- did you get yours going?!

let me know how it goes, i'm in a similar situation. truck is at original owners house, still working through official titling to then get it towed to my house to actually start on it. been sitting for 4-5 years
 

C10MixMaster

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Dec 6, 2016
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756
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Location
Kingman AZ
First Name
Ben
Truck Year
1977
Truck Model
C10 BIG10
Engine Size
ZZ4 350
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Sorry it’s been a while. Finally dug it out of the garage and cleaned it up. Try to starry it this week.


I've been thinking about doing flames on mine. Seems like a good look for a 70's pickup.
 

78C10BigTen

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Location
pennsylvannia
First Name
Ted
Truck Year
1978
Truck Model
C10 BIG TEN
Engine Size
350
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Sorry it’s been a while. Finally dug it out of the garage and cleaned it up. Try to starry it this week.
Damn!
 

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