72 C10 for my 25th wedding anniversary

[sfont66]

Originally Posted by 1972CheyenneSuper

Great build! Read through it, alot of great info with the ls swap, appreciate the part numbers in the photos too!

Thanks for the compliment
Thanks for taking the time to read through it!

Hopefully any information or part numbers can help others, I try to show the numbers in my pics , (if I remember) both for my own reference and it helps with accuracy in case i type the numbers wrong.

[sfont66]

The passengers head went on next
I chased the threads in the block, vacuumed and blew out the threads just to be certain there wasn’t anything that could cause a disruption. Lifters came out of the oil bath and drained a bit while in the lifter trays . Then assembly lube on the lifters and lifter bores. The ARP washers and bolts were cleaned as well as the head where the washer will sit. Then lubed( it is a small packet of lube but it’s enough)the washers need to stay dry on the waffle pattern that sits on the head to achieve proper torque. Then a Final wipe on the head, block deck, placed a new gasket, lowered the head on the block and torqued everything down again.

Before ordering pushrods I wanted to confirm my numbers on the passenger side cylinders.
Using the Comp Cams adjustable pushrod I checked a couple different cylinders and found I had lash at 7.3060, 7.3115, and still just very slight at 7.3150
Zero lash was found at 7.3170 and 7.3180. So if I add the recommended.080 lifter preload, I am very close again to a 7.4 pushrod.
I also used the method of counting the turns of the rocker bolt before it reached proper torque of 22ft#
With the lifter on the base circle of the cam and
Using the stock pushrod with a length of 7.397 I placed it in the lifter cup and adjusted for zero lash. Then I carefully turned the wrench to see how far it would turn. After trying both intake and exhaust I came up with just short of 1 turn, more like 7/8 of a turn on average. I did have a 3/4 turn and 1 full turn, but I performed the test 6 or 7 times and 7/8 was the most common. I attribute the variable due to possibly not getting the lash exactly the same a couple times.
This is also well within range for these lifters and required preload.

Now I will get 7.4 pushrods ordered.

[sfont66]

After installing the oil pump a couple weeks ago, I got to thinking that maybe I hadn’t installed it the best way possible in this particular case. The first time I installed this oil pump, I did it on a engine stand, and used the suggestion from the video from Melling. In the video it shows to install the pump with bolts finger tight and to rotate the crank 1 revolution to center the gears and then torque to spec. Then continue to install the pickup tube.
In my case this time, I couldn’t drop the oil pan far enough to remove the pickup tube, so I had to install the oil pump to the tube first, then rotate the crank and torque the bolts.
I couldn’t help but think after I had the front cover and balancer back on that perhaps the pickup tube would somehow hold the oil pump off center enough when torquing the bolts that it could cause the pump to fail prematurely.
So…..
I pulled the balancer and cover back off to shim the outer gear in the pump like the YouTube video from “That Engine Guy” shows. I like his videos they are very clear and understandable.
What I found when I removed the oil pump cover was that I could not fit a .002 feeler gauge around the outer gear in all areas, so it must have been slightly off.
I loosened the pump bolts and inserted two .002 feeler gauges lengthwise around the outer gear top and bottom curving up and down the sides, (the pic shows the feeler gauges pulled out slightly for the photo, but they were slid in further)and then torqued the pump to spec.
After the bolts were tightened I pulled the feeler gauges out and inserted them back in a couple times and a couple different ways/areas to double check. Then I gave the gears a few pumps of oil and rotated the crank to make sure the gears did not bind. Then again after I put the oil pump cover back on. I used just a drop of blue loctite on the pump cover bolts, torqued those bolts. Then the front engine cover went back on with bolts finger tight, then the harmonic balancer was installed to center the cover, then cover bolts torqued again to spec

It may have been fine the way it was, but doing it this way, in this particular situation seems like a better way. I will say that the inside of the pump and gears did not have any sign of wear, this pump has several thousand miles on it now, so the way Melling showed must be perfectly acceptable as well, if done on a engine stand.
Hopefully tomorrow I can make some more progress towards reassembling some more of the Engine

[raggedjim]

Great thread, you have done some good work on this truck.

Good luck, Rg

[sfont66]

Originally Posted by raggedjim

Great thread, you have done some good work on this truck.

Good luck, Rg

Thanks
And thanks for taking the time to check it out

[sfont66]

When ordering pushrods, I found that most of the time if the cam and springs come in a kit, the pushrod supplied is 5/16 x .080 wall.
I wanted just a bit extra …. My first choice would have been a set of Manton 502’s 11/32 x .120 wall but they are close to $400 and I still needed to upgrade the lifter trunions, so not right now, but an easy change later.

I did check out Trend and Smith Bros, but couldn’t find that they currently sell 11/32 pushrods . They must have a few years ago because I found articles from 2020 saying guys were running Trend 11/32 pushrods and liked them. Smith had 7/16 but I don’t think they fit without a little work to the heads. I know the stock 243’s and 799’s need the pushrod holes opened up a bit to fit 3/8, but that would likely be overkill for this little engine at this point.

Second choice was a set of Summit Racing 11/32 x.120 wall pushrods, and I did read in multiple articles they are made by Trend. But they are out of stock until 4/10/24
Third choice and final choice was a set from BTR . They are 11/32 x.080 chromoly, not quite what I wanted but still a bit stronger than 5/16 and a fair compromise on price and they were in stock.
I also ordered a trunion upgrade kit from CHE precision, they have very good reviews and do not require any special tools to remove the old or install the new trunions.
Both items should arrive by 2/20/24, looking forward to getting the rest of the engine back together.
Next I would like to do something with the coils, I would like to hide them with coil covers, but have found very few covers that look like they fit well for use with the round “heat sink” truck coils (D585 coils).
I also think I want to make the remaining portion of my exhaust 3” if I have the room
Still a bit of time before good spring weather, hopefully spring comes early this year. Can’t wait to get out and drive the truck again

[sfont66]

Pushrods arrived today, but the Trunions are delayed, looks like they won’t be here until Friday or Saturday now.
I thought since I had a bit of time, I would press the old trunions out of the rockers and get them ready for the new trunions and bushings.

First I gave them a quick rinse in the parts washer to get rid of the old oil residue
Next since I don’t have a press yet, I made due with the vise and a couple of sockets. I removed the teeth from the jaws of the vise, so I wouldn’t damage or chew up the socket. I turned one around to the smooth side and left the other off, as it provided a lip on the bottom to hold the larger socket in position. I used a 7/8 socket on the side of the rocker that has two small flat spots( the larger socket just fit better there) this side receives the trunion. On the opposite side I used a 9/16 socket to push the trunion through. After making sure the sockets were centered, it took just a couple of turns to press the trunion out, releasing the bearings. I kept one hand under the rocker ready to catch the parts as the trunion came loose from the rocker. They just fall apart in your hands really. I had a small container to toss the unwanted parts in, otherwise there would likely be hundreds of needle bearings scattered everywhere.

[sfont66]

Few more pics

[sfont66]

One thing I forgot to add in , is the need to shorten ( or buy new) rocker arm bolts for the rockers that will be used for the intake valve.
This is needed only on aftermarket heads, or heads that have been ported. When the heads are ported , and material is ground/removed from the intake runners, it is common for the area around the rocker arm bolts that protrudes into the intake runners to be opened up. This tends to leave the tips of the stock rocker arm bolts exposed and protruding into the intake runner, and potentially obstructing air flow.Research shows Comp cams and Edelbrock sell shorter bolts, but I just chose to shorten the stock bolts. The stock bolts needed almost 3/8th” removed to keep them from protruding into the intake runners, and the tip of the bolt isn’t threaded for the first 1/4”, so I cut off the tips plus 1 full thread.
When installing the rockers, the intake bolt needs to be sealed so that oil can’t be sucked past the threads and into the intake runners. I used ultra black RTV silicone.
The exhaust side is still a blind hole so it doesn’t need to be shortened and can use just a small amount of blue loctite, or nothing at all.

I didn’t want to wait any longer, and needed to get something done on a day off , so I installed the pushrods and rockers, making sure to use assembly lube on the tips of the pushrods and rockers.

[sfont66]

Small progress while waiting on parts……

I had been putting off torquing the HB bolt , it can be difficult to achieve the necessary torque without a big torque wrench. To make certain the HB is installed completely, it needs to be torqued to 240 ft pounds. Then the old bolt is removed and a new bolt is installed and torqued to 37ft pounds +140 degrees. I made a mark on the bolt and a impact socket. I then taped up the face of the Harmonic balancer and marked it out from the 12 O’clock position , 3 O’clock , 4 O’clock, 5 & 6 . This way if the balancer moves a bit I could still tell where 140 degrees was, which is just before 5 O’clock if starting at 12 O’clock.

With the transmission in gear and the initial 37ft pounds torqued, I started with the line on the bolt and socket lined up at 12 on the balancer an turned the bolt to just before 5 o’clock. This takes considerable effort, the final torque ended up at 245 ft pounds, but is kind of irrelevant for this TTY bolt as the degrees are more important in this case to achieve proper bolt stretch and final torque. My 1/2” torque wrench only goes to 250 Ft pounds, I may look for one that goes a bit higher and is longer for better leverage, possibly stepping up to a 3/4 drive ? Not completely necessary, but would make the job easier.
If/when I take the balancer off again for any reason I think I will just go with an ARP balancer bolt, they are reusable, and just get a torque spec. This time I had a new GM TTY bolt on hand because I ordered 2 a few years ago .

I also added a Sneek peek of the valve covers, my son sent me a pic a couple days ago. He’s not quite done yet, he is very busy at work and has side work he does in the evening at home, that plus a 10 month old baby boy makes for a challenging schedule. I do appreciate him taking time to help with my projects.

[sfont66]

The original coil harnesses were getting hard and brittle, I didn’t think I could modify them or move the big main connector back towards the firewall more out of sight.
The Holley coil harnesses are made so that the connector is towards the rear, so that was a plus. Summit had them on sale, so they weren’t that much more than others. They still were kind of expensive for what they are, but new harnesses were necessary.
More in a bit……

[sfont66]

Since the radiator was empty it was a good time to add a zinc anode, just as a precaution /cheap insurance. I have never had any sign of electrolysis, and always use distilled water in a 50/50 antifreeze solution, but the anode was only $12 on sale,so why not. It just replaces the drain petcock

I’m not sure if I like the new look of the coils and harnesses on the valve covers, in time it may grow on me. My son offered to have them powdered coated for me, but I chose to leave them raw for now, because I may weld on a AN fitting to loop in a catch can. But I would rather pull PCV from the valley I think. I have been trying to buy a Ls6 valley plate so I can pull Pcv from the valley rather than the valve cover but every place I have tried has been sold out for almost a year now.
I still think a nice set of coil covers would look good.
I can’t afford a new FAST intake or throttle body yet to complete the mods, I’ll have to wait a bit longer.
Next up is to fill all the fluids and fire it up.

[cornerstone]

I think it looks