Huck's daily - 2005 Z71 crewcab

[Drauka99]

you're going to mess around and have a great running engine when you're done.

 

[TotalyHucked]

Don't give me too much credit, I still have plenty of time to screw something up lol

 

[TotalyHucked]

Piddled some more after work today. Started with re-cleaning and re-oiling the cylinders

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Then started fitting rings. Thankfully, all these Hastings “Drop-In” rings are pretty darn close to being “Drop-In”. I think I might have to file a couple just a smidge

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Then a helluva storm started (60mph gusts, a crazy lightning storm, small hail) so I stayed longer than planned. Made some thread chasers out of old head bolts and cleaned out all the head bolt holes

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Assembled one ring just to see how it would all go. No issues, everything went together smoothly.

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So tomorrow I’ll turn the block over, wash and blow out the head bolt holes real good, wash and re-oil the block one more time, drop the crank in for the final time and throw the pistons in (without rings) to check rod bearing clearance. If that checks out, I’ll assemble all the pistons/rings and install the rods/pistons for the final time.

 

[TotalyHucked]

So yesterday I did what I planned, cleaned everything again and dropped the crank in. Torqued it, set the thrust, finished the torque sequence. Spun like butter.

So today I got up to the shop, re-cleaned everything and started checking rod bearing clearance. All 8 checked out perfectly in spec at .002” so it was time to assemble the rings and throw everything in for good

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And done! All 8 in!

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Then hung it back on the hoist to do the rear main and barbell

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I only got stabbed 3 times. The old one’s o-ring was definitely flat

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[TotalyHucked]

I sure hope I got it lined up properly. I do not wanna have to do this again anytime soon. I carefully coaxed the rear main plate over the crank flange and slowly sucked it all the way down with 4 of the bolts.

Then backed the bolts back out a tad and rotated the crank to let it find a natural center. Checked where it mated to the oil pan rails with a straight edge and had to make a small adjustment and then tightened it down. We’ll see

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Then re-cleaned, re-slick’d the camshaft and slid it in the block. Threw on the cam gear and timing chain, torqued the cam gear bolts down with a bit of blue locktite. Then put the oil pump on and torqued those bolts. Then oiled the timing chain and pump down real heavy.

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So now we have an assembled short block!

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Called it quits there cuz I had a dinner date with the GF and some friends, celebrated with some beer

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[TotalyHucked]

Started with just an assembled bottom end from yesterday…

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Then added the windage tray and pickup tube with a fresh o-ring

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Took extra time to make sure the rear main plate was aligned properly, made a small adjustment from yesterday

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Same for the front, used the special tool and the balancer

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[TotalyHucked]

I’m taking no chances lol

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Pretty darn happy with that alignment

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Set it out in the sun to warm up for painting while I ate lunch

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[TotalyHucked]

Prime…

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Paint…

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More prime…

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Paint…

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Got the old converter out while waiting for the paint to dry

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So then a guy shows up to buy my camper shell I had on the C10 for a short time. And that MF’r stays for 3 hours. So I got distracted. I’d put the lifters in their trays, put the head on, gone through the WHOLE F-ING torque sequence, was happy with it and walked around to look over the other side to get ready to do it. Looked down and THERE’S NO F-ING BOLTS IN THE GODDAMNED LIFTER TRAYS. ****

I was so mad I started throwing tools. Had to take a walk. Took the head back off, put it on the table and called it a night.

 

[TotalyHucked]

Went to fire up the C10 and it was charging at 19 volts so I had to take Goldie home. Add that to the list

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[Drauka99]

lol makes me think of, did the transmission swap in mine and about a dozen other issues with my daily vehicles popped up, got those sorted out and take the C10 out and pop the hood to show a friend the swap and realize that the slight angle change caused by the new transmission causes the clutch fan to hit the shroud just enough that I have no fan, luckily enough its an easy drive home and didn't even get warm, as you said, add it to the list. Currently mine doesn't have a battery because I had to steal it for the daily and I haven't replaced it yet.

 

[TotalyHucked]

I was so mad, I drove the whole way home in silence. No radio, just thinking. Calmed way down by the time I got home. It's not the end of the world, thankful I caught it and didn't put it all together just to have problems once it's in the truck. Plus, I couldn't drop it in the truck yesterday even if I'd finished it cuz the frame bracket for the motor mount has to be replaced, 2 of the 3 bolts snapped off when I was trying to get the motor out and I have not been able to get their pieces out yet. So I ordered some ARP head bolts off Amazon, they'll be here today and the motor mount frame bracket should be here tomorrow.

So today after work I'll get the Circle D converter installed and do a little more cleaning in the bay. Still have a couple wires I need to reloom too. So then tomorrow we'll pick back up on the engine assembly, should be able to button up the top end tomorrow and then maybe drop it in the truck Wednesday. Gonna pick up a fresh water pump too and might paint it to match

 

[Old77]

Some times, that's about the only thing you can do is to leave it, walk away, get some peace and quiet and get back to it later when the dust settles. I've been there many times. You go this, man

 

[TotalyHucked]

Thankfully I have learned when to walk away over the years. I've screwed many a thing up trying to push through after I got mad. It's not worth it

 

[Old77]

Thankfully I have learned when to walk away over the years. I've screwed many a thing up trying to push through after I got mad. It's not worth it

ditto LOL

 

[TotalyHucked]

Ended up not working on this yesterday, I remembered I'd bought the alternator for the C10 at the Orielly's by my house, so I left work at the normal time. They warrantied it, so that truck's back in business now.

Wasn't happy with the paint on the engine/VCs, was supposed to be "Chevy Red-Orange" and that's what I'd used on the C10 (different brand of paint though), well it turned out too peach/salmon colored. So I stopped by the parts store and grabbed straight Red this morning and resprayed everything at lunch. I'm much happier now

You can better see here, the motor's not orange or red, it's too pinkish

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This should match the truck pretty well

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Top is before, bottom is after

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Left is red, right is the peach. Muchhh better

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