Project Cannonball C10

[mikentosh]

Found some more photos from the weekend over on lateral-g: http://lateral-g.net/hot-in-fontana-...kis-autocross/

[SKT]

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That in-cab video is

Truck looks amazing and as others have said, job well done driving it like it should be!

Here are some of the click-free pics:

[rusty76]

The truck looks awesome. Dig the interior.

[mikentosh]

Found another one from last weekend:

[mikentosh]

Another thing we found during the runs last weekend was the power steering system isn't keeping up during heavy use. Not really a surprise with 13" front tires and a quick ratio fox body steering rack. First thing to do is put in a steering cooler. I happen to have a nice Setrab unit that matches the oil and trans ones, but we skipped putting it in when we did the initial build last November.

The other issue I have discovered, which doesn't seem to be talked about much, is cast iron GM type 2 power steering pumps max out at 5000rpm. Above that and they really cavitate the fluid and mess things up. I've got a 5.5" pulley on the pump, and a 7.48" crank pulley which works out to > 5000rpm at the pump when engine rpm is at 4000. One option is to put a bigger pulley on there, but not a lot of space between that and the oil thermostat. Other option is to move to an aluminum pump like the KRC ones, which maxes out at 9000rpm instead. The nice thing about those pumps is their reservoirs have AN fittings so no worry about crappy power steering leaks. Unfortunately they are really, really expensive pumps We might get it out to Crows Landing next month for another round of autocross and will see if the steering holds up again...then maybe an upgrade over the winter.

[SkinnyG]

I had a car whose power steering couldn't keep up as well. Running synthetic helped a little bit, but a larger reservoir worked too - it seemed the fluid didn't get back to the pump fast enough. No idea if this is the issue with yours or not. Just more data.

[NewType72]

Not only does she look great but she performs great as well!

[mikentosh]

Finally got around to troubleshooting the major front end squeaking we've had for a few months. Became convinced it was the Delrin bushings in the lower control arms causing the troubles. Had to pull apart most of the suspension to get at the bushings and did find that the bushings were wider than the steel sleeve by three hundreds of an inch on both the front and back. There was also wear marks on the edges. So I took the dremel to a spare set I had and shaved off a generous amount, then liberally lubricated and reassembled. Took it out in the heat today and it's silent up front now.

Unfortunately the 90F heat now uncovered a potential cooling system issue. First time I've driven it in stop and go with the A/C on and saw temps creep up over 220, when it never tops 210 normally. I checked the fluid level and it's all topped up so perhaps I need to rethink the fan strategy, or even move to a larger rad. Always the moment you solve one thing, another pops up.


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[OutlawDrifter]

Sometimes the LS platform can give you fits with cooling side, is the system properly "burped".

[mikentosh]

Originally Posted by OutlawDrifter

Sometimes the LS platform can give you fits with cooling side, is the system properly "burped".

Yeah this is something I've also been thinking. I'll have to look into LS burping techniques. It's got all the proper steam vents installed so nothing out of the ordinary for plumbing.
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[mikentosh]

Originally Posted by mikentosh

Yeah this is something I've also been thinking. I'll have to look into LS burping techniques. It's got all the proper steam vents installed so nothing out of the ordinary for plumbing.
Posted via Mobile Device

Got some time to try burping the system. Followed instructions I saw on ls1tech, which is basically leaving the rad cap off and bring it up to temp until thermostat opens, wait for it to suck more fluid in and top off the rad. I did this but didn't find it dropped, though I think it might have pulled additional fluid in from overflow tank. The lower rad hose never got hot...not sure if that's good or bad. But after doing this it wouldn't move above 190F, and even taking it for a few miles around in the afternoon I didn't see more than 193F. I think that might have fixed it, but won't call it success until I try it in some stop and go traffic.

[SKT]

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Saw this awesome interior shot:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BK3STqohko3/

Any plans to get a professional photographer to take some pics of this one?

This truck delivers in every way - job well done w/ it for sure!

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[mikentosh]

Originally Posted by SKT

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Saw this awesome interior shot:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BK3STqohko3/

Any plans to get a professional photographer to take some pics of this one?

This truck delivers in every way - job well done w/ it for sure!

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Check out the Cannonball feature on C10source: http://c10source.com/cannonball-c10/

[SKT]

Originally Posted by mikentosh

Check out the Cannonball feature on C10source:

http://c10source.com/cannonball-c10/

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Thanks - hadn't seen those great pics yet!

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[OutlawDrifter]

It seems like it doesn't take much to create issues! Hopefully it solves your problem.

[mikentosh]

Finally got around to filling the radio hole in the dash. In the blue truck we put a RetroSound unit which does look nice, but 99% of the time I'm listening to satellite radio or something from my phone so a full head unit isn't required. Since I'm running an amplifier for the speakers anyway I decided to set everything up hidden away. That left the dash hole, so I searched eBay to find an original radio delete plate. Since there were a bunch of dash styles and finishes over the years, there is a corresponding number of different delete plates made for these trucks, so make sure you get one that matches your dash grain. This one was labelled 73-77 and matches quite nicely.

Now I just need something to fill the tank switch hole...kill switch, taillight cutout...

[SKT]

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Wow, that interior looks so fresh!

Are you planning on keeping the current wrap on the outside or do you have plans for a full paint job in ge future?

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[mikentosh]

Originally Posted by SKT

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Wow, that interior looks so fresh!

Are you planning on keeping the current wrap on the outside or do you have plans for a full paint job in ge future?

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Yeah I think I'll keep it wrapped for a while. It really removes a lot of the worry about having a nicely painted truck. I've had a couple of incidents already and it just requires a bit of heat and most scratches disappear. Rock chips haven't got through the paint underneath either.

I'm even thinking when I want to go back to the original blue/white scheme I'll do it in a wrap. 3M makes a blue that comes very close to Hawaiian Blue.
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[SKT]

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I agree 100% w/ a previous comment you made about vinyl wrap catching on, even w/ classic trucks. Too many pros for it not to. Stress free, low maintenance, durable, easier to completely change the entire look compared to paint.

Also love the Sport Edition theme you decided for this one - fits the build perfectly!

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[mikentosh]

Haven't posted in a while. It's been sitting in the garage collecting dust while we've been out of town. Thought I'd post a little detail picture:

[SKT]

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^

It's the small details that sets builds apart, and you nailed it w/ this one!

Always look forward to seeing updates in this thread.

Was hoping to see some pics of it at SEMA!

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[mikentosh]

Originally Posted by SKT

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It's the small details that sets builds apart, and you nailed it w/ this one!

Always look forward to seeing updates in this thread.

Was hoping to see some pics of it at SEMA!

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No, didn't make SEMA. We've spent the last few weeks in Tokyo so didn't get a chance to go. Besides, we've got Dino's Git Down coming up in a couple of weeks...

And this year I've been thinking how nice it will be to just cruise down to Scottsdale without any last minute wrenching beforehand. Well that must of jinxed me, cause I went to take Cannonball out this afternoon and found a giant puddle of power steering fluid underneath the truck Looks like its coming from the fittings entering into the rack. Hope to address that this week.

[mikentosh]

We got it out to Goodguys November Get Together in Pleasanton over the weekend. Originally just planned to head up for Saturday morning and turn a few runs on the autocross course. Before we even got out on the track we were notified that Cannonball was selected as the Gazette Pick for the show, so I was to bring it back for Sunday morning to do a photo shoot. On Sunday I also got to park it in the winner's circle and did a parade through to pick up an award It was really cool to meet everybody in person who had seen this thing come together online. Looking forward to next weekend when I can meet more peeps in Phoenix.

[aggie91]

Congrats on the award!

[carboncrew]

So cool!