Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

Hiya all, I just bought an old chev pick up, I really have no idea what it is yet. The registration book says its a 1972 Chevrolet C10.:hiya:

Firstly this looks like a great site I've learnt more in 10 minutes here than I have in he last month of owning this truck. I'm in South Africa so I've no idea what type of spares I'll be able to get to fix her up. What I need is a reliable work horse so this ain't going to be no show gal.

It had no wiring loom no electrics, and has a small amount of rust, the upolstry is shot and the paint work is RO5 grey. I've managed to get it running and all the spark plugs are now burning a a healthy colour, I've wired up some electics so that I have Lights indicators and brake lights I've tightened the gear selectors up so she goes into gear, and I'll let you Know how I get on.

I'll post some pics soon so some one can tell me what it is that I have bought.

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

:welcome2: to the board

theres loads of info here for you pick at all you want, cant wait to see pics of your truck

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

:welcome2: To the board from Central, Pa, USA

You will love this place it rocks:metal:

Can't wait ta see pic's!

RJ22 :)

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

When I bought the truck in the paper work was an old photocopied spec sheet from a Chevrolet 3800 1972-1978 with the tech specs, such as the points setting, the cylinder firing order, and after weeks of banging my head thinking that this related to my engine I had, I finally gave up and threw it away.

I'm not a mechanic, but I have owned and loved Honda 750 fours all my life, I remarried a few years a go and with the new wife the bikes have all gone. So this truck is going to be my next project and as I sold my car to help my wife get the car she wanted, this truck is just going to have to keep running.

So I'm appling some basic motor cycle maintenance to a Chev truck and crossing my fingers.

The engine would only fire on No. three so I started from there putting leads to the spark plugs one by one, listening by ear until I had it running on all six . I then used a dwell meter to set the points gap. The points were set at about 1mm now its a lot less than that but the dwell angle is now at 32 degrees which feels about right. The carburetor by this time had blown all its gaskets from the back fires and the pre ignitions and lord knows what so I took it apart cleaned it out polished the inlet and stuck it back together, using a paper clip to hold the float in position. Once back on the manifold, I turned the fuel air mix screw in fully, and backed it out one and a half turns.

I started her up and she came to life eventually, I then backed out the air screw on the carburetor another one turn to get it to stay running while I cranked the idle down by 2500 rpm, and then with a home made rev counter from a Morris I turned up the fuel air screw until the engine revs started to die a bit then backed it out a quarter turn. Still using the rev counter, I then loosened off the distributor mounts and turned the whole body of the distributor clock wise then anti clock wise until I had the highest rpm.

I then went back and adjusted the carburetors fuel air mix and idle speed, and repeated the whole operation with the distributor. The vacuum advance retard doesn't seem to be working although I replaced the vacuum tube, so I have advanced the distributor about 5 degrees from where I had it at best set and locked it down at that. I'm hoping that the small advance will give me an easier start when cold, and take out any dead patches where the advance retard vacuum is not working. I have the engine now idling at around 850 rpm, and if i put my hand over the exhaust pipe it bumps against it very nicely with the occasional hick up about every 10 seconds, my hand is coming away clean and wet and smells hot and wet with a small hint of petrol, so its running a little rich which at this stage is OK. I'll get the garage to fine tune it with all their gizmo's when I have the money :crazy:

I've taken the truck for a Test drive and wow! Its running very nicely thank you, the speedo goes up to 80 miles an hour and on the flat it goes up to about 72 of those miles an hour. Up hill the truck is showing its age and slows a little, but for normal use it seems to sit at 50 mph very comfortably and has loads of power left. There was a bit of smoke to begin with but that cleared up after it did about twenty miles. Back home all four spark plugs are burning a nice brown colour. There is some black oil in the threads of the lower end of the spark pugs and my guess is that the rings are on their way out or just well worn for its age.

I'm guessing that some of the oil sweeper rings on the pistons are a little worn, and hence the small amount of smoke and the loss of a little power up Hill. I'm wondering if its worth at a latter date having new rings fitted or having an oversize re bore. I'd really like some feed back on that.:fb:

The next job is to repalce the exhaust gasket if I can find one out here, as I did the last one some perminant damage trying to get the engine working when I was using the photocopied spec sheets. the firing order is not 1,5,3,6,2,4 Its 1,4,2,6,3,5 Can some one tell me is the timing 180 degrees out on the cam shaft or something, or is this anouther type of engine all together?

Thanks
 

Thanks for the welcom Guys, I'm learning new stuff already. I'll take some pics later when my wife gets back with the camera, and learn how to post them then.

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

All four, all six ! never had a six before !

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

I was gonna ask about the 4 but I see you stated 6 know :lol:

Sounds to me like ya got a good head on your shoulder there. Engines are engines and what ya know about one kind CAN be transfered over to most of the others.

I'm mostly into SBC's so I'm not much help on the inliners but, I do like em"

RJ22

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

Welcome to the board from Western Kentucky.

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

:welcome2: :welcome2: :welcome2:

welcome to the board from chicago :hi2:

your pal mark :)


:welcome2: :welcome2: :welcome2:

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

Welcome to the board from New zealand

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

:welcome2: from South Texas.

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

Welcome to the board from South Mississippi!:D

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

Welcome from FT Worth TX.

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

Welcome to the board from Texas

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

Welcome!!!!

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

Okay just took a few pics this is what I bought

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

That's a GMC grille in the US, someone might have added the bowtie to the hood.... nice short bed...
welcome

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

Thanks Thats cleared a few things up

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

nice rig welcome from jersey.

i actually have relatives in the cape of good hope.

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

Welcome to the board from Maryland!!

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

Welcome to the board from West Tennessee.

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

Welcome to the board from central California! :metal:

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

Welcome To The Boards From The Great White North!

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

:welcome2: From West TN :hi2:

Re: Hi I Just bought an old chev pick up in SA
 

Nice truck Padget, wherebout in South Africa are you? We could maybe network as I recently purchased a 1970 C10.