• Welcome to The Truck Stop! We see you haven't REGISTERED yet.

    Your truck knowledge is missing!
    • Registration is FREE , all we need is your birthday and email. (We don't share ANY data with ANYONE)
    • We have tons of knowledge here for your diesel truck!
    • Post your own topics and reply to existing threads to help others out!
    • NO ADS! The site is fully functional and ad free!
    CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

    Problems registering? Click here to contact us!

    Already registered, but need a PASSWORD RESET? CLICK HERE TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD!

1982 k30, sticking around

Ah. For now yes it's exposed. Eventually will make it better protected and more refined.

Fired up the Isuzu again today with the oil fill cap removed. Dumped out smoke through the exhaust again which confirms the injector issue. Nothing noticeable coming out through the oil fill so I'm going to stick with saying that it was misdiagnosed before with blowby issues. So going to order up the adapter, injectors, and start getting ready for the engine swap.
 
Nice surprise today. New injector tips from the manufacturer are only $34 each. Ordered those along with new rubber Isuzu engine mounts.

Getting about time to mount the engine accessories and all that good stuff. Isuzu has a gear driven power steering pump available for these engines that I was wanting to use but it doesn't move the same volume as the one in these trucks which have hydroboost. Both make about 1400psi just more flow from the pump GM used. Engine accessories will be the GM power steering pump, 12v alt, and the AC compressor that came with the engine.
 
Going to be about 2-3 weeks before the engine adapter should get here which gives some time to work on other things. Spent today greasing the drivetrain/front axle along with any other grease zerks. Rotated the tires again, typical stuff like that. Looks like I'll get about 30-35k miles out of these tires which I'm alright with. Just over $100 each for mud terrain tires that have given great traction offroad and good road manners, works well for me.

While greasing up the front end started inspecting things and noticed that the driver side bump stop bracket is bent. Nothing else has made contact but the front springs are in dire need of replacement. Planning to do the suspension lift kit after the engine swap but in the meantime I'm considering taking the helper airbags that were on the rear springs and mounting them up front. It's an Airlift 5000 setup, each bag is rated for a max of 2500 lbs. The factory bumpstop brackets will need to be removed but looks like that might be it. Maybe the swaybar as well but that is coming off anyways.


Once the service stuff was done decided to make some progress on the wiring. Found a good spot on the frame at the front of the bed for the junction box. Used 2 holes that were already drilled to mount it. Provides a cleaner way to wire up the tail lights, bumper mounted trailer plug, and gooseneck plug. Same box that is used on trailers. Ran the new tail light wiring alongside the old wires and installed the bulkhead fitting on the bed as well. Junction box is making it easy to take my time with the rear wiring to make sure the new stuff is right.

IMG_20181018_142748608.jpgIMG_20181018_142921980.jpg
 
Not gonna lie, getting the brackets modified/repainted/mounted took a hell of a lot longer than I had planned today. Installed but not plumbed in yet. Worst case scenario if these don't help then I'll pull them out. It's not meant to replace the bumpstops, this idea is to give a better ride and raise the front end to where there is roughly even up/down travel of the suspension available. Unlike the current setup with basically all down travel and nothing up.

First pic is with the front of the truck airborne as just a measurement reference. Driver side has been riding at 3/4" off the bump stop, passenger side at about 1 1/2" so it's been nearly bottomed out at ride height for awhile. The airbags collapse to a minimum of just under 3" at full compression so I aimed to set the mounts where the bags would have 1 extra inch of compression left at the point where the bumpstops would usually make contact.

Left the swaybar attached. Had to raise the lower airbag mount up 1 1/2" to clear the drag link, and move out 1" away from the frame. The upper bracket just had to be flipped upside down to give the bag enough room. And yes, the upper bracket is bent. Dunno what the BLM hauled with this truck but it certainly wasn't lightweight haha.

IMG_20180916_192047364.jpgIMG_20181021_171034241.jpgIMG_20181021_171052868.jpg
 
Talk about a whole new driving experience, I should have set these up when I got the truck hahahaha. For now it's plumbed in with valves at each bag but ordering up the parts to adjust the air pressure from inside the cab. Raised up the front end about 1 1/2-2" and leveled it out side/side so it still has a slight front/rear lean like stock. No longer has noticeable body roll through the turns, small bumps/holes in the road are not felt, and bumps that used to make the truck bottom out hard don't even touch now.

IMG_20181022_140031079_HDR.jpg
 
Yea it's been a night and day difference, even with absolutely worn out front springs hahaha. It takes 20-25psi for the passenger side, and 80-85psi to get the driver side up to stock ride height. Which isn't the smoothest ride on the driver side being at that high of pressure but it is still a massive improvement. I think when the new springs go in and am able to run at 20-25psi on each side it will be even better.

Waiting for a few more of the air system parts to come in sometime next week. Bought the Isuzu engine adapter today which are expected at the end of next week as well. Spent time today getting the engine ready for install. Built/modified the brackets on the driver side of the engine to install the alternator up high, and the AC compressor down low. Both will have double V belt pulley's. AC compressor is getting a fixed mount while the alternator will provide the adjustable mount up top. The crankshaft has 3 available pulley slots, water pump has 2 so with the AC/Alt using 2 that makes for a simple setup. Still leaves the front most slot on the crankshaft pulley available if needed. Swapped out the stock tiny turbo for the hx35 as well. It is a large turbo for this engine so might be swapping out the compressor wheel to help it spool earlier. Has a 9cm exhaust housing, smaller than the 12 and 14cm models.

I think I might have misread the specs on the pumps that GM used earlier.

Isuzu:
Model: ISUZU 4BD1T/4BC2OLD
Description: POWER STEERING PUMP
Refer Parts Number:44306-1160QA
Norminal displacement12.0ml/r
Maximum pressure100bar (1450psi)
Highest rotational speed500-3200r/min
Controlled flow rate10.0L/min
Fuel feed hole18mm
Fuel discharge holeG3/8
Direction of rotation Right

Saginaw P pump that GM used on 80's trucks:
900-1300psi (stock, max modified 1400)
3.1-3.5gpm

Saginaw P pump that Dodge used with the Cummins:
1350-1450psi
2.4-2.8gpm

So I'm going to try using the Isuzu pump. The higher pressure will mean that it has more 'strength' to turn the wheels, just not as fast as the pump GM used when at full throttle. But I don't think that will be an issue. Reading up on threads in other forums here's some info that I'm finding. Those running higher flow demanding steering systems (full hydraulic on over 40" tires) usually have no issues with the 3.1-3.5gpm Saginaw pump, so it's flowing an excess for my needs. Also, most of the rebuilt replacement pumps are built using the lower flow/pressure components that the cars and small trucks used (2.4-2.8gpm and 1100-1200psi) which works for the fullsize trucks in most applications.



IMG_20181026_155550882.jpgIMG_20181026_155559928.jpgIMG_20181026_155609753.jpg
 
Hahahaha sometimes yep. Really funny thing is I went up there just to help out a friend grab a trailer. While we were there I got to looking around, saw the wrecker, and figured I'd check it out for ideas because I didn't think a wrecker would work well with towing a gooseneck. Then realized it was a split boom and wouldn't be too difficult to make the bed flat so the booms could be laid down, opening up the way for a gooseneck.

It's a k30 cab/chassis with a v8 gas that's locked up. SM465, 4x4 with a PTO off the trans (didn't verify if np203 or np205 tcase), Dana 60 front with narrow 14 bold dually rear. Has a tach in the gauge cluster. Figure I'll use the bed, front bumper, wheels, and maybe the back window/doors if they are in better shape. Then sell/scrap the rest.

Just realized I could go nuts with levers in the cab hahaha. Sm465 with 2 PTO's, np205 with a PTO, make it like the old m816 wrecker with shifters everywhere hahahahaha.
 
Got the wrecker donor loaded up today. Front bumper and most of the bed are 1/8" thick plate steel so it's got some weight to it.

45215925_10209972799157013_4061840048880877568_o.jpg45224288_10209972798276991_5659840295588593664_o.jpg45246002_10209972798877006_773756139539005440_o.jpg45247851_10209972798797004_822458654904025088_o.jpg45286402_10209972799797029_4210436146271879168_o.jpgIMG_20181102_143339436_HDR.jpgIMG_20181102_143404854_HDR.jpgIMG_20181102_145210541.jpgIMG_20181102_145230285.jpg
IMG_20181102_145238231.jpg




6.2 maintained 60mph well enough for most of the trips but could smell a hill from a mile away hahaha.

One thing that's I've been thinking about was whether to convert the wrecker bed to hydraulics, or just run the single tcase PTO to the bed and forget about other systems. When I got a closer look at the PTO drive for the wrecker I found out that it won't be a problem to power both the hydraulic pump and the wrecker bed. Without having to change the bed drive components.

Considering using it's front springs as well.
 
Well Red, seems every project you start diverts into multiple paths... But you DO stay busy. That's a good find there.

yea, learn the lessons of what works best for me as I go. If I'd learned them earlier I would have finished that first crew cab and probably be done by now. Things I've learned:
Do the projects in steps, not the whole truck at 1 time since it burns me out.
Seating for 4 is needed.
A stock truck bed can't survive my uses.
Just a flatbed isn't versatile enough.
No lighter than a 1 ton. Have repeatedly killed the little vehicles just puttin along on the highway.
Heavier than 1 ton is more versatile, but lack of fuel economy hurts too much.
Try to keep weight off the truck (excess tools, equipment, etc).
Move as much stuff to trailers as realistically possible.
A crane of some type is a necessity for things I do.
Prep the mods as much as possible before installing on the truck.
Drivetrain swaps need to be a significant upgrade to be worth it.

That regular cab is purely a parts donor, which saves me alot of labor with the bed and bumper.
 
Whys it haftta beee so far way ? I could use up almost that entire cab and its components on My 78 K20.
I`ll call dibs on the heater control if it aint vacuum. Delay wipers to if its gottum, unless they is in the TS stalk.
 
That single cab wrecker is my dream truck minus the wrecker body.

If you want the truck or any parts from it let me know. If it sits here long enough I might get a wild hair up my ass and turn it into the rock crawler/winter beater haha.


Redneck paint booth assembled and used today. Yes there is overspray on the axle/front suspension, and it's not really a concern right now. Think the 'hammered copper' paint is going to turn out well. Frame went to the usual black after the pic was taken.

IMG_20181120_140626552.jpg

IMG_20181120_164543797.jpg
 
Back
Top