Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

My dad's old "parts truck". He cannibalized the rearend about 30 years ago but otherwise this C10 is complete. Will be mating the body to a K20 chassis. I will probably leave the running gear stock at this time unless I can find a wrecked late 1990's Suburban/K2500. Paint is all original, in great shape other than being faded and virtually NO rust anywhere. About 67,000 miles on the A/C equipped body. It's been sitting in the Nevada desert for about 35 years. Can't wait to start.

Missing a few parts such as brake/clutch pedals, brake booster, etc..I will keep everyone updated as I move forward.





https://photos-3.dropbox.com/t/2/AAA...&size=1280x960

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

will be looking forward to your progress

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Picked up a titled chassis in Yakima...I wish it already had 3/4 ton axles. We will see once I get the differential covers off. Clean and straight...



https://photos-5.dropbox.com/t/2/AAC...60&size_mode=3

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Linked to photobucket.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2016.38.55.jpg

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2010.53.01.jpg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Frame almost ready to head to the sandblaster. All brake and fuel lines removed. Just need to wank the motor and its off. I will probably leave the axles on with the shackles broken loose to make it easier to haul. I will pull the last eight bolts at the blaster...may have to wait until we get a break in the weather...Going to be hard to paint when it's snowy and cold outside.

Good chance I will be replacing the rear axle with a 14 bolt and replace the Dana 44 hubs with 8 lug units.


[IMG]http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2016.51.45.jpg[/IMG]

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

good choice on a new rear end, the 14 bolt out of a 73 or newer truck will fit, you just have to move the spring perches and shock mounts, a 3/4 ton dana 44 front end out of a 73-76 will bolt right in,, ,,,,,,,. I think the ones out of a 71-72 would be pretty hard to find, and I think most of the 3/4 ton rear ends from the early 70's were Eaton, stay away from those....stay away from drum brake front ends on '70 and older trucks..if you change to 3/4 ton axles, you will need the larger brake booster/master cylinder setup from a 71-72 3/4 ton 2 or 4 wheel drive truck,get brackets and firewall brace and rod from brake pedal to booster from a donor truck also has the proportioning valve at the master cylinder....don't try and use your 1/2 ton stuff, won't work!!!!!I have done two of these conversions......keep us updated!

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Jim,
Thanks for the advice. I found a front end locally with 8 lug hubs. My brother thinks he has a couple of donor 14 bolts "laying around". Sometimes nice to have excess junk around. I will be on the lookout for the correct brake master and proportioning valve.

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Well, I've "located" drivetrain and need to make a decision on engine. My brother happens to be some kind of "prepper". I wasn't looking to go the EFI route but when someone has a complete engine it makes the decisions for you:

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...27_203556.jpeg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Also, I've located a Dana 60 out of a Longhorn and my brother suddenly "remembered" that he had an 8-lug Dana 44 with a bad ring gear.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1..._203530_1.jpeg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Due to the weather this winter I haven't been able to blast the frame yet, but here are some updated pictures. The SM465 and NP 205 cleaned up and ready to go back in.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2017.50.49.jpg

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2017.50.32.jpg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Started prepping the body. Front clip removed and bed is ready to pull off. Once the new frame is complete, I will roll out the C10 chassis and roll under the new K20 chassis.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2007.52.07.jpg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

My big brother polished a test spot on the front end!

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2016.05.29.jpg

The hood will have to be clayed to remove the tree sap, but the paint looks like it is going to polish ok!!!

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Interior cleaning up ok.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2008.12.11.jpg

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2016.06.08.jpg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

SM465 and NP205 inspected, cleaned up and ready to run...

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2017.58.26.jpg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Cab separated from the C10 frame and ready to by cribbed up to roll the old frame out.

Not sure if I stated this earlier. I am working on this truck "remotely". I live in Washington state where I am working on the chassis and the donor truck is in Nevada. I am working on the donor about one weekend a month. Once I get the chassis complete, I will haul it to Nevada to marry the two...

Makes it a little slow going, but hopefully have a driver before the fall...

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2017.30.23.jpg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Frame blasted and ready for paint.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2008.21.26.jpg

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2018.57.32.jpg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Primered...

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2013.42.59.jpg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Poorman's rotisserie...

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2015.10.56.jpg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

On the way from Washington to Nevada to join the chassis to the body...


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2009.40.38.jpg

Notice the Dana 60 axle not installed yet. Didn't have eight lug rims in Washington. Will install the axle once it's mated to the cab.

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Cab cribbed high enough to clear the frame and rear tires...about 32 inches off the ground to the beam carrying the cab...


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2017.59.26.jpg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Now have to lower the cab down. Amazing what you can do will cribbing and a hydraulic jack....


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2006.25.10.jpg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Cab's all the way down. Needed to lower the rear of the frame to the ground to get the timbers out....

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2011.31.36.jpg

Time for the Dana 60 to go under...

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Chassis and the cab mated together...

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2019.20.58.jpg

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2019.21.25.jpg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Well, I made a little progress this weekend. First time the cab has moved since 1980. Going to start the engine transplant process.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2009.06.25.jpg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Test fitting the TPI. I'm going to have to go with a small distributor and it looks like I will have to modify the engine cross member. Oil pan is about a half an inch deeper than pre-86 small block Chevy.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2015.42.01.jpg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Front clip temporarily installed. Starting to look like a truck. Punch list is pretty long still but at least I can start making a list now.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2017.27.32.jpg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Is that a Corvette sepentine setup? Do you also have a big cap HEI on there?

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Yep, Corvette TPI, all is going to fit really well. I need to remove the AIR pump still, but all the other accessories fit really nice. Even looks like the stock AC hose will bolt up.

I will be replacing the large HEI with a small cap HEI, it is just going to to be too tight I think.

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

I am used to seeing the f-body serp setup, the vette one is goofy to me. If you went with an f-body setup it would probably look cleaner. It has the Alt high on the LH, PS below R4 AC compressor high on the right with the air pump below, but the air pump is removable without really doing anything other than getting a shorter belt, but you can put the "delete" pulley in if you wanted. So from what you have there, it would delete the air pump and bring your alternator in some. You could probably just get away with the LH side bracket from an F-body and re-use the alt and PS pump you already have, that is if the vette depth of the brackets are the same

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Crossmember

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...2014.55.46.jpg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Well...sometimes plans get delayed. Finally getting to work on the truck again.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag..._155532(1).jpg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Progress update.

Well, I decided to go with an F-Body TBI serpentine setup. The Corvette alternator was just WAY to out there and the Corvette Power
Steering pump was not meant for a Saginaw Box. Lots of interesting things learned. NONE of the corvette belt drive pulleys or brackets swapped over. The Corvette TPI is a SHORT water pump with associated pulleys. That said, the local Pick n Pull had a 1992 TBI Camaro and I was able to get all the brackets with a PS pump minus the AC bracket for about $50. Got the AC bracket on Ebay for about $60. Had to get a new reverse rotation water pump.

...more to come.

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Glad you’re back on it

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Fuel delivery worked out really well. I'm doing this project on a budget and didn't want to replace the stock fuel tank. The 1986 corvette motor still has a fuel pump lobe on the camshaft even though the fuel pump plate was blocked off. Installed a stock fuel pump for a "lift" pump and plumbed in a fuel surge tank with a Bosch 044 pump inside. The truck had a return fuel line for the vapor canister that I am using as a fuel return line. Here is the fuel pump I used:

https://store.034motorsport.com/full...fuel-pump.html

I installed the surge tank underneath the battery box. You can hardly hear the pump run with the hood open and definitely quiet in the cab of the truck.

To make the newer "metric" power steering pump work with SAE fittings I used this adapter for the pump:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/clp-605sol

Contrary to what I initially thought I was able to use the large cap HEI distributor. On initial startup, I couldn't get the truck to fire. Went back home and re-read the directions. It seems that without power to the HEI it doesn't make any spark. Really helps to read the directions! Once the truck was properly timed and spark plug wires on the right terminals (it doesn't run well with #1 and #7 swapped), it runs and starts just like a FI modern engine should.

Truck is going to be a really nice drive. Should be on the road in a month or two.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...309_155733.jpg

Re: Project C10/K20 Transplant
 

Pretty good progress this weekend.

Sorted much of the cab wiring. The original owner had began troubleshooting the heater back in 1979. Wired a hotwire to the blower fan. Ended up tracing it out and found it was the fan blower relay (this is an AC truck).

Got all the dash lights working.

Need a new hazard switch, thus one has a broken knob.

Seat belts installed.

First pass at polishing the old paint.

Marker lights working.

Exhaust system complete.

Things to get done this week are to finish the brakes. Needs a new porportiining valve.