80 Tear Down

[LiftedK10]

Hello everybody...new guy here. I could use some help. I am mechanically inclined but i was wondering if any of you guys know where i could get some tear down pictures from. I am about to start dismantling my truck and wanted to know where all the body bolts are exactly. Internet isnt a option at my house so as soon as i get a chance ill get y'all some pics of her. Im working on a 80 K10 4x4. And while im at it what do you all recommend to use for sand blasting? Coal slag or something else?

 

[bucket]

Howdy! Your best bet is to look for a factory service manual and/or assembly manual for the '80 model year. Really though, the body is put together really simple and you shouldn't have any trouble finding the bolts for what you're wanting to remove.

 

[LiftedK10]

yeah i found the bolts for the body and the bed but im thinking I'm going to have to go get a Chilton cuz i cant for the life of me figure out who to remove the front clip

 

[HotRodPC]

Welcome to GMSB Ralph. Plenty of help here. bucket can tell you exactly where those front clip bolts are. He told me too, and I now forget as far as giving a description. I'm sure he'll be back.

 

[bucket]

At the rear of the fender...
1 bolt up high in the door jamb
1 bolt at the bottom, comes in from the backside
1 bolt up top, close to the hood hinge
1 bolt (maybe 2, it's not fresh in my mind) in the rear of the wheelwell, threads into the firewall

Then you can remove the frame/radiator support bolts, remove the hood release cable if equipped (and remove the latch so it doesn't get stuck closed), and disconnect the light harness from the firewall. The connector is two halves, just unscrew the connector and unclip both halves.

Then you can lift the whole shebang off of there, it's heavy and awkward. It also helps to remove the front wheels.

 

[LiftedK10]

Greatly appreciated bucket........will def start looking there this weekend. While im on here might as well ask......do you all recommend any kind of media to sand blast with? I'm thinking about going with coal slag but wanted to get some more opinions on what could possibly be used for both the body and frame.

 

[bucket]

I've never messed with blasting much, but I'm not fond of using any type of blasting on body panels.

 

[Irishman999]

And while im at it what do you all recommend to use for sand blasting? Coal slag or something else?

I would call around shops that specialize in sand blasting and get some prices. Reason I saw call a shop is they can save you years of work if you are planning on doing the whole truck. I sand blasted the inside of a bed on a small truck once and it took all damn day, that was using a bigger sandblaster that the average joe would own and it was powered by a big ass tow behind Ingersoll rand air compressor. The setup was a little more overkill than normal and it was still agonizingly slow.

If you wanna go for it yourself head to home depot and get some bags of play sand, grab about 5 or so. Find a clean concrete section and erect a tent out of plastic sheeting so you can re use the sand without having a bunch of **** mixed in with it that will clog the sand blaster. I sandblasted in a paint booth so I could scoup up the piles of sand and pour it directly back into the sand blaster. You could even use river sand if you sift it.

Dont use the sand on body panels, it will warp them. I have herd you can buy crushed walnut shells and blast body panels without ruining them.

While we are on this subject I should share this thing:

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=bolt+tumbler

Mine works great, I have run some rusty bolts through mine and they come out looking brand new. I have been running glass bead but its a little too abrasive, I will be trying river sand in the near future.

 

[LiftedK10]

Irish i just may call a few shops an see what im at....cuz i was thinking about buying the blaster and all and doing my frame and repainting it myself but idk now. So i was just unbolting my bed and found its rusted out in the middle about the size of a basketball hoop. I can get that whole bed panel for 599 from lmc or i can start searching for a new bed. What do you guys think? The wife says get a new bed lol and thats what im thinking.