Double Dingo's 1965 3/4 Ton "Crusty Biscuit"

[MadOgre]

After reading this, I found this online. I never new they used anything other than orange, blue, or black either. Kind of interesting.


http://www.cs.siena.edu/~lederman/truck/Documents/danroyEngineColors/danroyVCCAcolor.html

That's pretty interesting!


I dunno whats in that thing though ?

 

[MadOgre]

That's a cool manual Ogre. I think these trucks came with the engines painted GM Corporate Blue. On the overdrive there is a dark blue paint and the engine I took out of the parts truck is that color blue. I saw something where they actually didn't paint the transmission but painted the engine with the bellhousing bolted up so there is overspray on the bellhousing. I won't do that, I want it to painted even though it won't be seen under the truck.

The engine in this truck is orange. So it may have been replaced at some point or someone decided to paint it orange. I read where a guy was 5 when his dad had to replace the engine in their truck and he had to watch while it was done. He recalled the engine removed due to a broken cam was grey and the replacement engine was chevy orange. Perhaps that was Chevy's way of telling if an engine was original or not. From the factory painted a specific color, and a replacement engine painted chevy orange.

327's got a certain color, 283's got a certain color, 292's their own color, etc., etc.

I would print it off and bind it

 

[HotRodPC]

Curiosity got the better of me so I did a little research. Apparently freewheeling was popular a very long time ago. I found a site about Marmon's, and there was some discussion about overdrives and freewheeling. I find freewheeling in a 3/4 ton truck to be frightening, so from now on when I drive it, as soon as I get rolling the unit is getting engaged. I definitely need to change some things on this truck so I don't need to get rolling, flick a switch, shift into 2nd then 3rd, and when coming to a stop downshift and then flick the switch again to be able to get going from a stop. Glad I was able to find some info on it because it was driving me crazy freewheeling to a stop relying on drum brakes to stop a heavy truck in traffic and try not to rearend someone in the process.

Yes, I was going to say, the no engine braking is the OD unit and it is engaged. Shut that thing off, and you'll see what it's like to drive with 4.56's.

 

[HotRodPC]

In fact, I think I'd leave the OD unit off unless I was on the freeway. It's not going to drive like an old truck with that OD unit active. I'd be leaving it off most of the time if it were me.

 

[DoubleDingo]

In fact, I think I'd leave the OD unit off unless I was on the freeway. It's not going to drive like an old truck with that OD unit active. I'd be leaving it off most of the time if it were me.

I had a detailed response typed out Saturday night and fell asleep and lost it.

I found the lockout knob so now it's just a regular 3 speed manual. That's all I need for around town. Yesterday I took it up to surprise mom for mother's day, and cruising around 70 the engine is turning about 1,700 rpm's. They removed the kickdown switch that mounts to the carburetor, so to engage the OD I have to push in the knob and flick the switch. To disengage it I can simply flick the switch, but that doesn't lock it out so it freewheels. The only way it doesn't freewheel is with the solenoid activated on the OD unit so it's in OD, or to have the OD locked out so it is just like a regular transmission. Now I understand the system and I like it. But it was scary the first few days with not knowing why the truck was freewheeling.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Saturday I finally got around to switching over the tires from the 81 to the 65, and to me it looks a lot better. They had some of the lug nuts way too tight, and luckily none of the studs broke because of that. I need a breaker bar to get them loose and a couple a cheater bar was needed but couldn't find it so I wrestled them loose.

This is after the tires were switched over...and the 81 got the stockers put back on. The 65 rides so much better now with the bigger tires on it, and for some reason it is easier to turn now too. And these tires are wider, taller, more aggressive tread than the tires they had on the truck. I think they were just passenger car tires because I couldn't find any load rating on the sidewall. At least the tires I put on it are Load Range E.

 

[DoubleDingo]

I have an effing coworker that will not stop bugging me right now with his stupid conspiracy theories and other bs...shut the f*** up dude!!! Son of a bitch!!!!

Okay, now the dip is gone I can get back on topic...and he's back...

Okay, let's try this again...

After I switched over the tires I decided I needed to address the cooling issue. It had a 2 core radiator in it that was plugged up. I was going to do the CLR cleaning treatment to get the crud out but decided to use the 4 core I had in the back shed. So during the week I pulled out the 4 core radiator that came out of my old 65. I went to install it and it wouldn't fit. The holding brackets weren't wide enough for the bigger radiator, but I wasn't thrown off track, all I did was go get the new-still-in-the-box 3 core I had in the back shed and install it. It barely fit, it's a hair too tall but doesn't interfere with the hood. Got it all back together and didn't have enough coolant to fill it. So I went to AZ for coolant and the grocery store for distilled water. I didn't tighten the lower radiator hose clamp and it was leaking, so I had to loosen the new shroud I put on to gain access to the lower clamp and tighten it. Topped off the radiator and burped the system. No more cooling issues. It stays down by the "C" now. I do need to get some small pvc tubing or maybe some clear tubing for overflow reservoir. The new hose that came with the radiator is too big for the opening in the reservoir cap so I need to drill it out.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Last night after getting back from mom and pop's, I got the number off the front of the block because I wanted to check to see if the engine is really a 283. I doubted it was because it has more low end grunt than I recall a 283 having. And then when I opened the passenger door, an old for sale sign slid out from under the seat and onto the ground. It says it has a 350 v8 in it. This is the number from the front of the block: V1005CDD. There is no partial VIN there, just that number, and the top of block in the back is covered in gunk. And this is a pic of the old for sale sign that was under the seat....

I had a feeling it was not a 283 just by the valve covers not having the scripted Chevrolet on them, but figured someone could have easily put different valve covers on it. If it's a 350 I am going to spruce it up in the future and make it a vortec 350 by getting some fresh vortec heads from GM Performance and a new intake as well.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Next on the to do list is to switch out the mounts. I found some motor mounts from my old 65 that are in really good condition and guaranteed to be of better quality used than anything I can buy new nowadays. And I have some new bellhousing mounts, so that will stiffen up the rotating assembly in the frame.

And I need to get some pieces to get my manual choke working so I can swap in the new-still-in-the-box-rebuilt-quadrajet. It has the manual choke setup, and the intake doesn't have provisions for a divorced choke. So manual choke it is, but that's not a big deal because he left the choke cable installed in the dash.

I have some brake lines that go in the engine compartment from Classic Performance on their way so I can switch it over to front disc brakes. After years of driving cars with disc brakes, I am quick to realize just how bad the big drum brakes are on these trucks. They stop okay, but not like disc. It's funny because when I daily drove my old 65 from high school into my 30's, I never really noticed how bad the brakes were and I got into some hairy situations with that truck. Oh well, no biggie, I have the stuff to make it disc brakes, and it will get them.

And a new clutch kit is waiting in the queue too.

Little by little this truck is getting upgraded!!!

 

[DoubleDingo]

Well I did a little digging around to see what that stamped engine code "V1005" and the three-letter "CDD" suffix code might conjure up, and the engine was built in Flint, Michigan on October 5th, and it is either a:

1972 350 L48 with 200hp from a Camaro/Impala;
1972 350 4bbl with 175hp from a Chevelle;
1972 350 2bbl with 165hp from a Monte Carlo;
1982 267 2bbl E2ME with ???hp from B/G Omega
1982 305 4bbl E4ME with 150hp from B G F.

My guess is a 1972 350 because the valve covers look like the 1972 350 photos I did a search on, and until I can get the casting number I have to keep guessing. I don't know what B/G Omega means or B G F. Now that I know it's not a 283, I can just get some vortec heads and intake and the same cam that I put in the 81. That engine runs plenty strong with that setup. I will basically pull the engine and do a complete reseal of it, but while the heads are off I can check to see if there is a ridge on the top of the cylinders. If there is I can plastigauge the crank and rods, and if all checks out fine do a rering of it it too.

In the future I will make sure to take photos with the camera sitting horizontal (landscape) so they won't load to where you have to kink your neck to look at them.

 

[DoubleDingo]

I didn't take any photos of this because it didn't change the appearance of anything visible on the truck.

Yesterday was a lazy day, but I did get out and got the motor mounts and bell housing mounts replaced. It turned out to be a bigger project than expected but they are replaced. I have never had an engine not raise up when jacked from under the pan. This engine would not lift off the mounts no matter what I tried when jacking from under the oil pan. I didn't want the pan to crumble under the load, so I found a block of 4x4 about 12 inches long and used that to lift under the side of the engine where the oil pan bolts up to. I was able then, to lift it high enough to get the frame brackets unbolted and out of the way, which afforded me access to the last bolt that held the mount to the block. I was hoping the new mounts would correct the angle of the engine so the fan is not so dangerously close to the the shroud, but it actually made it worse. So I need to either slot the holes on the shroud, or drill a new set of holes to correct the position of the shroud in relation to the fan. I would hate for this new shroud and the flex fan to get damaged because of the fan being too close.

I got my new brake lines from Classic Performance, so now I need to get rotors and wheels bearings, and then I can convert the truck to front disc. I have a feeling the front coil springs are not doing their job because the front end sits lower than I want it to, so when I convert the front brakes, I will swap in the newer coil springs I have.

That's it for now, next swap is going to be my 4MV quadrajet in hopes to get a little better mileage than the Carter is providing. The Carter really sucks down the fuel.

 

[flyboy1100]

Well I did a little digging around to see what that stamped engine code "V1005" and the three-letter "CDD" suffix code might conjure up, and the engine was built in Flint, Michigan on October 5th, and it is either a:

1972 350 L48 with 200hp from a Camaro/Impala;
1972 350 4bbl with 175hp from a Chevelle;
1972 350 2bbl with 165hp from a Monte Carlo;
1982 267 2bbl E2ME with ???hp from B/G Omega
1982 305 4bbl E4ME with 150hp from B G F.

My guess is a 1972 350 because the valve covers look like the 1972 350 photos I did a search on, and until I can get the casting number I have to keep guessing. I don't know what B/G Omega means or B G F. Now that I know it's not a 283, I can just get some vortec heads and intake and the same cam that I put in the 81. That engine runs plenty strong with that setup. I will basically pull the engine and do a complete reseal of it, but while the heads are off I can check to see if there is a ridge on the top of the cylinders. If there is I can plastigauge the crank and rods, and if all checks out fine do a rering of it it too.[emoji14]arty36:

In the future I will make sure to take photos with the camera sitting horizontal (landscape) so they won't load to where you have to kink your neck to look at them.

B body, g body, f body

 

[HotRodPC]

Flyboy is correct is on the b g and f bodies on the engine designations, and the other is b and g bodies as well as Olds Omega.

I'd actually have preferred the 283 myself. Before I even got to the part of the thread, I seen the pics and already questioned the heads. Those for sure are NOT Power Pak 283/327 heads. Though you can't really expect anything that old to have the original engine. Since that part is already spoiled, keep your eyes open for a small journal 327 or 283 for it. I'd say LS is but, that will take away to much from the 60's truck feel. That truck looks real nice as it is. I really don't think I'd do to much to it. Just keep it clean. Leave it's rust spots and small dings for the charachter and history it provides. Just kill the rust somehow so it doesn't continue to spread.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Thanks Flyboy and Hotrod, I never would have guessed that.

Flyboy is correct is on the b g and f bodies on the engine designations, and the other is b and g bodies as well as Olds Omega.

I'd actually have preferred the 283 myself. Before I even got to the part of the thread, I seen the pics and already questioned the heads. Those for sure are NOT Power Pak 283/327 heads. Though you can't really expect anything that old to have the original engine. Since that part is already spoiled, keep your eyes open for a small journal 327 or 283 for it. I'd say LS is but, that will take away to much from the 60's truck feel. That truck looks real nice as it is. I really don't think I'd do to much to it. Just keep it clean. Leave it's rust spots and small dings for the charachter and history it provides. Just kill the rust somehow so it doesn't continue to spread.

Yeah I was actually quite disappointed to find out it was a 350, but it's installed so I will run it. When I went to look at it the first time I doubted it was a 283 because of the oil fill hole on the driver's side and the fact that the valve covers didn't have the scripted Chevrolet stamped in them. I don't like how the exhaust on this thing is mismatched from one side to the other. According to the PO the passenger side exhaust manifold is from a corvette so the output flange is larger than the driver's side exhaust manifold output flange. He showed me the exhaust manifold he replaced and it has a very small output flange and a huge hole where it blew out the side of it. Without pulling the exhaust and physically looking at the two, I have to take his word for it. I do know the exhaust pipes are very small for a 350 and you can tell it is not breathing properly. Some of that is due to someone jumping the truck. The exhaust pipes behind the axle are crushed from the panhard bar. Luckily I have two separate exhaust systems I can install on it. The one on the parts truck has glass packs and a crossover pipe to help with the scavenging, and it exits in front of the back tires. I am certain that one is pretty loud, but I bet it flows well. The other one is one I paid way too much to have installed on my old 65 and it has a dual in-dual out Borla muffler. I know this one is for a 350 because I had a 350 in my old 65, and I know it's loud too. I really don't want a loud truck, but may have to for a while. The one with the glass packs would be much easier to install so I will most likely go with that one.

I have a 283/327 sitting on my driveway, it came from my parts truck. I hope I have everything covered well enough over the years so it's not rusted. I left the exhaust manifolds bolted up and the spark plugs installed, and I put an inverted bowl over the carb mount and it's been covered with a tarp too. I never thought of pouring oil or atf in the cylinders back then, but I should now to help get things moving in case there is minor surface rust. It had a 2 barrell rochester on it. I will be getting the stamped number and casting number off it to see what it truly is. I would like a 283 in this truck.

 

[foamypirate]

I'd say LS is but, that will take away to much from the 60's truck feel.

Not necessarily! This is a 67-72, but the idea is there. Oh, and yes, it's a 4.8L LS, so it really is 292 cubic inches.

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