Matt's 1970 C10 Thread

[matt.quest21]

I posted in the new member forum a few days ago. I figured I better start a thread to document the rebuild of my 1970 C10.



Here she is in all her glory! This was my first vehicle when I turned 16. It was in great shape when my Dad bought it for me, but I let it deteriorate. I am motivated now to get the truck looking better than it did before.



Here's a picture of the engine. It's a 400 Small Block. I sent the carb off to be rebuilt and plan on throwing it back on later this week to try to start the truck.

I checked cranking compression the other day on all cylinders and they were all between 137 to 150 PSI. I think the motor is still sound, but we will see soon.

I want to get this truck down to frame and work my way through it slowly.



The interior isn't in too bad of shape. I'm still undecided on if the cab will need to be pulled off, but I will cross that bridge when I get there.

This is how I plan on starting my rebuild. You guys let me know if this sounds logical.

1. Prep Engine so I can try to start it (New Oil, Spark Plugs, Carb Rebuilt, etc.)
2. Once Engine is prepped, try to start it to see if there are any leaks, i.e. block cracked, freeze plugs blown, etc.
3. Once I am satisified with "Test Run" pull Engine to begin teardown of truck.
4. Pull Bed off of frame and possibly cab.
5. Begin having fun!

I look forward to hearing from you guys and learning more about these beautiful vehicles!

[yuccales]

"Begin having fun!"

You have the right idea! Good looking truck you got there. Always fun turning a wrench on these old trucks. Welcome to a great site here.

[hamjet]

I would get fresh gas and a new fuel filter on before trying to start it. nothing worse than getting a fresh built carb full of rust and crud. welcome to a very informative and friendly site.... nice looking ride, interesting wheels.

[matt.quest21]

Originally Posted by hamjet

I would get fresh gas and a new fuel filter on before trying to start it. nothing worse than getting a fresh built carb full of rust and crud. welcome to a very informative and friendly site....

Good point. I picked up a new filter yesterday and will run it straight into a gas can with Ethanol Free gas.

[TXgearhead67]

Nice truck! I really enjoy working on mine I know you will too.

[matt.quest21]

Originally Posted by TXgearhead67

Nice truck! I really enjoy working on mine I know you will too.

Yes sir! Thanks!

[RedRider]

Hey Matt, awesome truck! I'm in the same boat with my 70 C-10: it was my first truck when I was 16, but has been sitting for some time since. I pulled the plugs and squirted some Marvels Mystery oil into the cylinders, then pulled the valve covers and poured some more over the valvetrain. After some new plugs/wires and a rebuilt carb, she fired right up!
I plan to go a similar route as you: first mechanical (engine, brakes, etc.) then aesthetic (interior, shortbed conversion and paint).

Good luck!

[thedudeabides86]

Hey, nice truck there man! Welcome to the site. This place is awesome! I learned so much from all the guys and gals out here when I was getting my '72 C20 back up and running. These trucks are always needing something somewhere, but I love the challenge of getting the job done. Good luck with the project. It'll be a great feeling once you're rolling down the road.

[Ol Blue K20]

Nice truck and welcome to the site.

[matt.quest21]

What kind of thread sealant do y’all use for fuel lines? I’ve read a few boards and the recommendations range from Teflon tape to yellow Teflon tape or pipe dope. Just curious to see what y’all are using.

[rockyrivermark]

'70 is a cool truck.. that's the year I got.
love it.
yours in good shape!
enjoy the rebuild.
Mark

[matt.quest21]

So I picked up my carb from the shop today. It looks nice and shiny! It's an Edelbrock 600CFM. Part number is 1400.

The mechanic made a suggestion that I run a fuel pressure regulator. I though this was odd since I have a mechanical fuel pump, and the pressure shouldn't be too high. He said that these carbs are notorious for running poorly even with a slightly higher pressure than nominal.

I took his advice, considering when I move the tank to under the bed I will upgrade to an electric fuel pump and will definitely need the regulator then. I also went ahead and bought a cheap fuel gauge to see what pressure it is running.

Hopefully I can get the carb on and tinker some this weekend.

Yall have a good day!

[rockyrivermark]

Originally Posted by matt.quest21

So I picked up my carb from the shop today. It looks nice and shiny! It's an Edelbrock 600CFM. Part number is 1400.

The mechanic made a suggestion that I run a fuel pressure regulator. I though this was odd since I have a mechanical fuel pump, and the pressure shouldn't be too high. He said that these carbs are notorious for running poorly even with a slightly higher pressure than nominal.

I took his advice, considering when I move the tank to under the bed I will upgrade to an electric fuel pump and will definitely need the regulator then. I also went ahead and bought a cheap fuel gauge to see what pressure it is running.

Hopefully I can get the carb on and tinker some this weekend.

Yall have a good day!

I've hear that also. I have the same carb. Thing they want around 5 lbs of pressure.
I put a gauge inline. I doubt u need a regular though.
See what it's putting out first
Posted via Mobile Device

[truckster]

Originally Posted by matt.quest21

What kind of thread sealant do y’all use for fuel lines? I’ve read a few boards and the recommendations range from Teflon tape to yellow Teflon tape or pipe dope. Just curious to see what y’all are using.

Regular Teflon tape is not rated for petroleum environments. If you're going to use Teflon tape use the yellow tape.

And welcome to the board.

[matt.quest21]

Originally Posted by truckster

Regular Teflon tape is not rated for petroleum environments. If you're going to use Teflon tape use the yellow tape.

And welcome to the board.

Thanks Truckster!

[Ol Blue K20]

I don't use any sealer on fuel lines. If it's a flare fitting it sould seal. Where ya having problems.

[matt.quest21]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

I don't use any sealer on fuel lines. If it's a flare fitting it sould seal. Where ya having problems.

Not having problems, just opportunities.

So I went ahead and bought a fuel pressure regulator and gauge to check the fuel pressure being supplied to my carb and regulate it if need be. I used 3/8" NPT barb hose fittings on the in and out of the regulator. I used a 3/8" to 1/8" NPT reducer to mount the gauge. I ended up going with Permatex Pipe Sealant on all the hardware. I made sure not to put it on the first couple of threads so as not to get any in the fuel line.





I'll let you guys know if this causes any problems.

Here's a picture of the freshly rebuilt carb.

[matt.quest21]

Carb is on.



Ignore the fuel filter and regulator setup as this is just temporary.

Hopefully I'll have a chance to change the oil this weekend. I've seen some threads about Marvel Mystery Oil, so I think I'll be putting some of that in with my new oil.

Y'all have a great weekend!

[matt.quest21]

Past few days have been pretty busy, but I found time to fiddle today. I thought it would be a good idea to check the Ignition Coil to see if it is any good. I pulled it out and put a meter on it and came up with the following values:

1. Primary Resistance = 1.3 Ohms
2. Secondary Resistance = 7.6K Ohms

I can't find a part number on the coil, but it seems pretty old. I found specs on-line for similar coil and it states that the acceptable ranges are:

1. Primary = 1.0 - 1.7
2. Secondary = 7.5k - 14k

I fall within these ranges but on the lower side. Should I go ahead and get a new Coil? Keep in mind I only want to be able to start the engine to make sure there are no major issues. I plan on pulling the engine and upgrading to HEI in the future.

Any suggestions?

[matt.quest21]

Bought some stuff today.

1. Spark Plugs
2. Point Set
3. Distributor Cap and Rotor Button
4. Fuel Line
5. Marvel Mystery Oil

Also bought this Sears Engine Analyzer:


My dad had one years ago and I figured I would need something to set the dwell with on my point style distributor.. Found it for $29 on E-bay. We'll see what kind of shape it's in.

[matt.quest21]

Got a few things accomplished today.

Replaced the point set and set the gap to 0.019". Also replaced the rotor button and the cap.

I attempted to test my fuel pressure but ran into a problem. I ran directly from my fuel pump into a 5 gallon gas can. I ran the output line into an empty can. I turned the motor over several times and not a drop of gas came out. Unless I'm missing something, the fuel pump seems to be toast.

Did I miss something on testing the fuel pump. Does the gas can have to be fully sealed? I assume not, but I simply put the hose in the can with no cap.

Y'all have a good one!

[matt.quest21]

So I gravity fed the fuel pump and turned the motor over. It built pressure and seemed to function okay.

Before doing this, I installed new spark plugs and changed the oil and oil filter.

I attempted to crank the truck but had no success getting it to start. Determined there was no spark at the spark plugs. After a little investigating, I found that there was not a good negative at the coil. I ran a negative wire straight to the battery and connected to the coil negative. I then had a good 12 volts at the coil. Tried again and nothing. Taking the coil wire off of the distributor and grounding it while turning over produced no spark.

I think my final conclusion is the coil is bad. When I checked the resistance of the primary and secondary they were both within range but low. I'm going to pick up a cheap coil at Autozone tomorrow and try again.

[yuccales]

I wish I had a picture, but are you sure the condenser wire is not grounded out when you changed out the points?

[matt.quest21]

It's too dark to get a picture now, but what should the condenser be wired too? If I remember correctly, the condenser and the negative wire from the coil both attached to the backside of the points.

[RedRider]

I know hindsight is 2020, but have you considered an HEI system to swap in? I don't know what your restoration goals are but it might be something to think about at this point.