1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

i have thread about my truck already going,"1972 Cheyenne Super on it's way home" telling the story about this truck,how it almost went for scrap,buying it in Utah and all the struggles to get it home with covid and closed borders going on,having it trucked home and on and on.i didn't plan on doing all i'm doing to this truck but it needs the TLC after sitting in storage in Idaho for 25 years,so i thought i'd start this new thread about the repairs required and what i'm up to now with the truck.i should be spending the winter building a floor for another project i have going on,a 1939 Chrysler but it'll have to wait.i already had replaced the front and rear brakes,repaired a pinion seal leak,hanger bearing,turned around a backwards installed u-joint,threw away a junk incorrect carb and built a correct 7042206 carb from a member in Ohio,thanks Jeff,installed 4 new 16'5 radial Firestone tires on the correct original rims,a new windshield,serviced the transmission and on and on.everytime i took the truck out,it seemed to grown a new oil leak from the engine or the turbo 400 transmission,so today with some help from a buddy with a gorgeous bronze and white 72 truck,we yanked out the engine and trans.tomorrow i'll send the trans out for rebuild.i wasn't planning on that,the truck has 75,400 miles on it but there's lots of junk in the pan that looks like clutch material so 25 years of hibernation didn't help although it saved the truck.best truck i've ever had.i'll pull the motor down and see what i see,then i'll know how far i'm going with that.i did finally have it running very well so i'm hoping to repair the oil leaks,change the valve seals and timing chain set,then i have a tilt column that i did some work on to install,then i plan to repair the bed sides and make the auxillary gas doors disappear and paint the white on the bedsides and repaint the green from the upper narrow moldings,up to the roof,all the way around the truck,not touching the roof or the rest of the paint but the hood is burned bad.lots of folks like the patina look but it's not for me.we'll see what tomorrow brings?

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

a few more pictures.

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

Nice Save...Beautiful Truck!

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

yes sir,it's a great truck and i'm glad it's mine.i was at an auction yesterday so no work on the truck but back at it today.take care,all the best.Greg

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

well i have the motor/transmission out and didn't plan on having it completely apart but i do.this was supposed to be,fix the oil leaks in the engine and the trans leaks in the turbo 400,put it back together and re-install.as is sometimes the case,plans fall to pieces when you get in there and have a look.there is almost no wear in the cylinders or on the piston skirts and there are no stuck rings but every cylinder is marked by the rings where they sat and didn't move for 25 years.the valve seals are dried up and the valves that were open during that long hibernation have ugly faces and as well,the seats in the heads.all the rockers are galled and marked up,probably from the first startup,dry and sitting all those years?the bearings didn't look bad although the crank is stained,again where the bearing sat in one spot and they almost look like they were on the way to grabbing the crank,if it had sat for a few more years.sitting in a dry spot in Idaho for 25 years certainly saved the truck but didn't do the powertrain much good.i was curious to find .001 underside GM rod bearings and the main bearings are also GM but marked .0012 ??i'd love to know what happened,did the motor have trouble before it left the plant or what. i've got it all by the door for a trip to my machine shop,sometime tomorrow,Friday or early next week.i did check all the casting dates,the intake has a aug 3 71 date,one head is june 23 71,the other is june 25 71,the crankshaft is may 3 71,the block is may 25 71.it's a Tonawanda motor of course,built aug 31 71 and the truck was built in Fremont,Ca sept 71.the dates tell me it likely has all it's original castings?once i get all this to the machine shop,we'll do something with the transmission,maybe next week.maybe Santa will bring me some parts?

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

That is the luckiest truck in North America. I hope it treats you well considering what you saved it from =)

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

hi,thanks.i don't know if it's the luckiest truck or not but i'm glad it's mine and i'll be happy in the spring when it's all back together and out of it's latest hibernation.

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

today i spent the day cleaning parts,not very exciting but has to be done.nobody tell my wife but i swiped her Tucson,loaded the castings and crankshaft in and tomorrow bright and early,i'm off for a 3 hour run to the machine shop i use.there are other shops closer but i've used these guys for a 40 years,they know me and more importantly,i know them.several of the guys there are drag racers,car & truck nuts,so we're in good hands.i didn't plan on having this thing this far apart,just fix some oil leaks i thought but it's not in good shape,only way to do it is right,so off i go.i discovered today while cleaning parts,the plastic collar that holds the oil pump drive to the oil pump,cracked.i'm glad it's apart.as soon as i get a report from the machine shop,i'll start ordering parts and get this on the mend.more news to come,i have no doubt.

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

Heavy duty oil pump shafts can be bought with a steel sleeve attached, not expensive. Thats s all I’ve used....

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

yes sir,i'm aware of those shafts with the sleeve attached.i have used them before myself and likely will again.thanks.

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

You've made a lot of progress quickly. Of course you had a year of anticipation built up, or whatever the delay was. Sorry to hear that you had to go so far into the motor, but getting it back in top shape will make it more fun to drive and you will be able to have more confidence in it. I'm especially glad you found that oil pump collar. You may not want to let your wife see that picture of the greasy parts in the back of her vehicle. I wasn't aware that Hyundai offered two-tone paint on those. I like the maroon but I hadn't seen it with the white accents before...

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

i hear you.those accents are special Nova Scotia edition Hyundai Tucsons,the accents disappear in summer or right now while it's pouring rain.HA-HA. I went today to Maine to pick up a load of parts there and heard from the machine shop on the way home.that motor is in poor shape.the crank polished up fine,still going to able to use new .001 bearings.the heads are not too bad,i was worried about them but they honed the block hoping to keep it standard but there is too much wear and the marks in every cylinder from where the rings were stopped for 25 years,didn't come out,so looks like a new set of .020 over pistons and bore the block.i really didn't want to get in that far but what do you do?has to be fixed and i don't patch up anything,no sense starting now?i may not get the pieces back til after Christmas but that's ok,lots to do.take care.

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

not a whole lot to report,still waiting on word from the machine shop.i'm hopeful they will have the pistons on monday and finish up the boring and machine work,i might get it all back before Christmas but if not,i have lots to do to keep me busy.i have been cleaning bolts,cleaning parts,brackets and so on.i have the first load of bracketry painted black.i got finished up on my tilt column,new signal light switch and re-located the neutral safety switch,made a run yesterday to Maine to pick up parts.my new 2 1/4 tailpipes were there and mufflers,new fan clutch,some old style tower clamps,5 quadrajets,1 more hubcap,a new wiper motor for my 67 car and some other odds and ends.it's all progress.

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

a little more progress to report.a million or so it seems,bolts cleaned.i have the rest of the front clip off to inspect everything and clean off 50 years of oil and dirt,some repainting.i haven't been able to get a hold of the guys at the machine shop about my engine,they have been closed for a christmas break but i think they're open tomorrow,maybe i can find out the status.i spoke with them late last week,they had the new pistons in and the block bored .020,i dropped off the rods to have them checked on the big end for size and install the new pistons,the crank was polished,and the heads were almost done so i'm hoping tomorrow,they give me the go ahead to come get it all.we'll see.i am amazed at the condition of this old truck,sitting in a building in Idaho for 25 years sure did save it,everything is just as it left the factory,the cowl area,the body supports,the floor and rockers, where i'm used to seeing rust,is all like new.absolutely the best truck i've ever had.

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

well i had hoped for some black paint today on the front frame section but under estimated just how dirty everything was.all the brake lines had to removed and cleaned,the power steering lines,and the gas lines too but that's ok.they will get re-installed after the frame is painted.i heard from the machine shop today,my block,heads and crank are ready to pick up,so i will be putting the motor together next week,after the frame and inner fenders are painted.

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

Looking good, keep it coming!

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

I don't know how many engines you have rebuilt, but don't forget to tap out all of the bolt holes, even the little ones.

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

thanks,will do.

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

a little more progress.i heard back from the transmission guy with a report of what he found once he pulled the trans apart,it was in great shape,just old and he gave me a list of the parts he needs to freshen it up and back together,parts are ordered and will be here next week.a couple of the parts he needed were discontinued from GM,not available on Rock Auto or anyplace local,i did find them on Ebay but from sellers who wouldn't ship to Canada or would but more for shipping than the price of the parts so i'm sending them with free shipping to a member buddy in New Hampshire and he'll mail them to me,more than one way to skin a cat??my engine machine work is done and all the parts waiting for me at the machine shop.some day through the week,i'll run to Halifax and pick it all up and get going re-assembling my engine.today i reinstalled all the original brake lines,gas lines and power steering hoses after cleaning them all,i do have new power steering lines but didn't use them,nothing reproduction is going to be as nice as the originals.i did replace with new,front brake flex hoses,just because the old ones worked but were originals,50 years old.the new motor mounts painted and installed.tomorrow i think is an inner fender day,for some reason,both of them are bent around the inner flange parallel to the truck frame?

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

Job, Super well done!!!
That heavy original cast iron intake, is a great performing intake. My 68 396 had one on it, I plan to reuse it!!!

I am assuming you are hoping to use one of those Quadrajets?

In case you don’t know, www.cliffsperformance.com is the source for all things, Quadrajet!!!

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

hi,thanks.that bunch of 5 quadrajets are the latest i bought to rebuilt and sell,helps pay for my habit??i know about Cliff's performance but i have been building quadrajets for about 40 years,since back in my super stock drag racing days with a SS/IA 68 Camaro when we could run any intake but had to use a stock,correct number carb.in my case it was 7028212,i still remember the number.there was a screwed up incorrect carb on this truck,i tracked down the correct 7042206 quadrajet from a member in Ohio and rebuilt it and had the motor running very well before i pulled it out to repair some problems.the carb from Ohio runs well but the air horn is bent so i'm ok for a while but i'll continue to search for another carb with the correct number.take care.Greg

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

i don't have much to report today although i worked all day with not a lot to show for it.slow,tedious work cleaning brackets and pulleys but i have a pile ready to paint tomorrow,i never did get to my inner fenders today as planned?always tomorrow i guess?take care.

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

not too much to report today.i went for a drive this morning,3 hours to Halifax to my machine shop to pick up my block,bored .020 and new pistons,cylinder heads,crankshaft,intake and all the new parts.unloaded it all tonight and have the engine back on the stand.i have been cleaning and painting small parts,inner fenders and so on.i might have that stuff finished tomorrow or the next day and then start assembling the motor.i also stopped on the way home to check at the transmission guy and have a look at my transmission disassembled.he said it was in great shape and it was,it was just starting to get a little tired.the rebuild kit i ordered and shipped to him is there so i expect he'll start any day putting it back together.all good,full speed ahead.

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

Man, what a beautiful find for a truck! Impressive work in a short period of time that's for sure. Truck is in awesome shape and everything there seems to be very workable for rebuild especially the body. My original truck for project was a local (Ottawa) that in the end had very little salvageable "lift up the ashtray and slide a new truck under it" sort of thing. Just curious .... aside from the fun and satisfaction factor with engine rebuild did you weigh economics of new crate vs rebuild? Mine was in far worse shape than yours and marginally rebuildable (camshaft shot, crank iffy, cyl bores really iffy, etc) so crate was an easy call.

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

hi,thanks.this is an awesome truck,i've a bunch of them and never one this nice.i don't know if you saw the thread i started called 1972 Cheyenne Super on it's way home,after i bought in in Utah but couldn't go get it with covid.the story of the truck,how it was in storage for 25 years and almost went to the junk yard and how for a year or so,i was trying to get it home,finally coming by truck all the way.i never did consider at all,the possibility of a crate motor.i am a bit of stock fan but like modified stuff too,building a 39 Chrysler now that is modified from one end to the other,a thread about that in the Alternative Tinkering section.this truck was so original and such a story,i wouldn't consider altering it if i didn't have to.i am fortunate i guess cause i do all this stuff myself other than the machine shop work,if i had to pay someone,it might be a different story or not even have an old car?i have a 67 Impala wagon,i bought 22 years ago,from the original owner in Georgia after it sat for 10 years.i did the same thing with that car,it's absolutely as it left the factory with all it's original powertrain,paint colour,Interior colour,everything but the correct 4 piston caliper disc brakes i added.1967 was the first year for a disc brake option and if the car was ordered with disc's,it would've also come with 15 inch rally wheels which is just how i did it.maybe i cause myself some extra work and money but that's how i do it.take care.Greg

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

Hi Greg
Checked out your original thread and read start to end .... what a story getting this truck home to NS and what an amazing find. Just an amazing all original truck in pretty unbelievable original shape. Hard to believe that it was destined for a scrap pile at one point what a tragedy that would have been. Great work so far and subscribed to watch this as you go.
Cheers... Sean

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

yes sir,i'm glad it's here and glad it's mine.i am busy painting inner fenders and then the rad support,then clean up my mess and put an engine together.hopefully there will be an update maybe tomorrow night.take care.thanks.Greg

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

just a little to report,i spent a couple days this week driving a dump truck where we are hauling 700,maybe a 1000 loads to rock to a dyke being built 2 miles long being in a national wetlands area,i managed to get all the little parts,rad support and inner fenders painted,new front shocks installed and then the shop cleaned up,can't build a motor in a mess,so i was most of today cleaning up,organized and checked all the parts for my engine build,cleaned the deck of the block,the timing chain cover and fuel pump flanges and then tapped all the threaded holes,an important step.even though this thing just came back from the machine shop and the hot tank and the de-ruster tank,it still isn't clean as it could be.every threaded hole has to be tapped,some are full of sealant,rust and just dirt.i spent hours and hours cleaning bolts,can't forget about the threads in the block.the transmission is at the tranmission guys place.the rebuild kit i ordered him is there and the last couple of pieces needed for the transmission are on the way from a member in New Hampshire,thanks Dan.tomorrow i will start assembling the engine.

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

more pictures

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

a stormy day here today but not storming in the shop.i didn't get done what i planned on,never do but progress just the same.i spent some time cleaning up the bottom end of the block,installed the main bearings and verified the clearances and checked the thrust bearing clearance.all good,re-installed and lubed the crank.i checked all the ring gaps and then started fitting rings and installed 4 pistons,checking the rod bearing clearances.everything is fine,no issues,i guess that's why i drive 3 hours to my regular machine shop i've used for about 35 years,even though there are others closer?4 more pistons to install tomorrow along with whatever else i get done?

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

Hey Greg, the progress looks really good. The sheen of the paint on your cleaned up parts and those inner fenders looks so nice. And the clean engine, ready to go back together too. Were the pistons they pulled out of their dished? So will you have a bit more compression with those flat tops?

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

Thanks.it seems like all I have done for a couple weeks,is clean and paint parts?looking better now.i will have another update on here later tonight. The pistons i took out were domed just like the new ones.the new rebuilt will be just like it was from new.take care.

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

a little more progress today.i got the short block completed,pistons all in,oil pump,camshaft and timing chain set installed.oil pan and timing cover on.tomorrow we'll get cylinder heads and the valve train installed.we'll have an engine in no time.

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

today i was able to get both cylinder heads installed,the valve train assembled with all new rocker arms,valves adjusted and ran the pre-lube for a bit,long enough to see we have oil pressure up to the rockers arms.all good.tomorrow the intake is going on and then maybe start with some primer and orange paint.there are a couple of small parts in the mail that i'm waiting for to give to my transmission guy,but once they arrive,he's ready to go and re-assemble the transmission.he has a new rebuilt kit, everything is apart,cleaned and inspected. i have plans to change the steering column to a tilt while the engine is out.lots to do but making progress.

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

What head numbers are those???. My 396 has/had the small closed chambered heads on it (original). I'm looking for something open chambered, for a little less compression, like yours...

Look'n good in the N.S. neighborhood!!!

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

thank you sir,these heads are 3993820 with a cast date of june 25/71 and the other head is 820 with a cast of may 23/71.take care.Greg

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

a little more progress today,not happy with the paint.it looks better in person than it looks here,my phone doesn't take the greatest pictures,but it isn't right so some more paint tomorrow,remove the black parts and we'll do it again.i am going to install on the weekend,a tilt column i did for this truck and if the few transmission parts i'm waiting for,come tomorrow in the mail,i'll take them to my transmission guy for him to re-assemble the trans,then it'll all go back in where it belongs.i love it when a plan comes together.

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

What did you use for paint on your inner fenders and radiator support? It looks really nice. The engine paint looks nice on here too. Good work on your 402!

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

thank you sir,it's coming along although i seem to have to do things twice til it suits me?i painted the engine again last night after pounding around all day in an old dump truck.i haven't looked yet this morning but the paint looked like i was painting over oil??i can't imagine anything got on the orange paint,but you never know?so i'll be doing something with that today.all the black parts are rattle can painted with something we have here,called Tremclad semi-gloss black.i don't know if Tremclad is available in the states,it's made in Canada and i use it alot.it's oil based and seems to do well.i'm very happy with the engine.it was supposed to be out and apart along with the trans to repair the oil leaks but it wasn't in good shape once i pulled it down for a look,no good putting a band-aid on it,fix it right or don't bother.25 years in storage saved the truck but didn't do the powertrain any good,but that's fine.i'd much rather fix a motor and trans than rebuild a body.take care.Greg

Re: 1972 Cheyenne Super coming apart to go back together
 

Wished you were closer ...I have several cans of the original Chevy orange paint...