New from Austin. Trying to fix my wife's truck.

[Raffles]

Hey everyone. I got here from a recommendation on Reddit. My wife recently bought her granddad's 87' R20, so we're trying to get it back to being (at least) reliable. I have some basic mechanic experience, but I'm typically one of those "learn as you do" types, so be patient if I ask a dumb question.

Unfortunately for us, her granddad apparently didn't do any maintenance on this thing, so we have a long road ahead - muffler's blown open, exhaust system's rusted out, driver side gas tank leaks when in use. The list just goes on.

So, yeah, we have our work cut out for us.

Edit: Photo of Maureen (that's the name the wife gave her) added, for those interested.

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[82sbshortbed]

Welcome fellow Texan. There's a lot of experienced guys on here that are glad to help. Think you'll find this site and it's members very helpful.

 

[animal]

 

[Charlie]

 

[Snoots]

Welcome from Georgia!

Glad to have you, your wife, and Maureen here.

First things first...fix the leaky gas tank or Maureen may become a HOT redhead.

 

[RetroC10Sport]

Hey, hey there's a few of us here in Austin. @foamypirate has your truck's near twin but with a later 6.0 and 5 speed.

 

[WFO]

Welcome from up in the Panhandle.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

I second fixing the fuel leak! Welcome from a state over!

 

[Paladin]

Welcome from Wichita Falls!!!

 

[HotRodPC]

Welcome !!! Yep, you might even be able to find some hands on help in Austin.

On that fuel leak while in use, it's probably the rubber fuel lines on TOP of the tank. I've done it before without, but the best way beleive it or not is to lift the bed, then while there, just replace all the those rubber lines. It's past time to have been done. Just use standard fuel hose and use the correct size and you'll be good for another humpteen years. If you intend to burn Ethanol fuels which we are going to someday, you might even consider some upgraded fuel hose. Ethanol is not nice to rubber.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

Hell, if the bed's coming off, I'd freshen the whole fuel system back there. I know my tank was a rust bucket on the inside (probably from siting a lot). The baffling was on its way out, too. That'd be worth checking. Then you've got the senders that rust, and you also have the pumps. It's up to you because that's a lot of preventative maintenance, and if the bed wasn't coming off, I'd shelve it, but if it was, might as well kill every bird under there with one stone.

 

[Old77]

 

[Craig 85]

 

[hatzie]

Welcome !!! Yep, you might even be able to find some hands on help in Austin.

On that fuel leak while in use, it's probably the rubber fuel lines on TOP of the tank. I've done it before without, but the best way beleive it or not is to lift the bed, then while there, just replace all the those rubber lines. It's past time to have been done. Just use standard fuel hose and use the correct size and you'll be good for another humpteen years. If you intend to burn Ethanol fuels which we are going to someday, you might even consider some upgraded fuel hose. Ethanol is not nice to rubber.

Any new fuel hose marked SAE J30R9 will put up with Ethanol. SAE J30R9 is for use on the fuel valve, senders, and engine fuel line connections.
When you swap the tank I'd replace the inside-the-tank fuel pump hose with SAE J30R10 submersible hose. SAE J30R9 will not work in the tank and SAE J30R10 will not work outside the tank.
Check the vent tube on the fuel selector valve. If it's leaking get a new 65PSI Pollack 42-159 valve. Pollack made the original lower pressure valve GM installed at the factory. Pollack makes the valves right here in the USA. If it says made in China or Hecho en Mexico or made in Canada or India or Korea or ... it ain't a real Pollack valve.
I also recommend using Constant Tension Spring Band Clamps or German Fuel Injection clamps on the fuel hoses rather than the "Ideal" worm clamps the parts counter goon will try to sell you. Worm clamps are designed for 1" to 2-1/2" hoses. The spring band and German Fuel Injection clamps don't loosen up or damage small fuel and oil cooler hoses like small worm clamps and they don't cost much, if any, more.

I did a tech writeup on SAE hose types and hose clamps and what to use where and why. I don't remember if I copied it over here from my original on the 67-72 board or not. It's some hard-earned information I compiled from experience over the last 40 years along with some research when stuff that was recommended by folks that should've known better didn't work well.
****EDIT**** I did copy it over here. http://www.gmsquarebody.com/threads/writeup-hoses-and-clamps-to-use-by-sae-j-spec.15026/

 

[1973c10]

Welcome aboard