klarster
Junior Member
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2022
- Posts
- 18
- Reaction score
- 21
- Location
- Nebraska
- First Name
- Zac
- Truck Year
- 1985
- Truck Model
- K20
- Engine Size
- 350
Howdy, folks! been dreaming for about 20 years of having my own square body and finally made it happen! Local college kid near me was selling his for an absolute steal and I had to pull the trigger.
The Good: '85 K20 with factory 350, 4-speed, new Holley 650 carb, true dual stainless with Thrush 2s. Previous owner put on a fresh set of Buckshot II tires which is the same ones my dad had on our farm truck when I was a little twerp. Transfer case engages seamlessly.
The Bad: Previous owner wired up a ugly-ass tach and hose-clamped it to the steering column, transplanted some aluminum 8-bolt Silverado wheels from a 2005 3/4 ton, painted the thing some weird non-factory gray color and put a CD player in the thing. Only gauge in instrument cluster that works is the speedo. Oil press, coolant temp, voltage, etc. on an ongoing basis are all a mystery.
The Ugly: There is a LOUD howl from a bearing, gets noticeable around 30mph and is deafening on the highway. Currently experiencing a fuel delivery issue (already posted a thread about that so I won't bore anyone). Engine has a good amount of blow-by. Still formulating on whether I'll rebuild the factory one or look for a 454ci to swap in. If I do that I'll probably swap in a NV3500 at the same time so I can have a 5-speed. Not knocking the factory trans by any means, just might work better for me is all.
If any of y'all have experience with fuel delivery issues involving these trucks with the mechanical fuel pumps please review my thread and give input! I'll do my best to update the thread as I go through and eliminate culprits. Thanks for having me!
The Good: '85 K20 with factory 350, 4-speed, new Holley 650 carb, true dual stainless with Thrush 2s. Previous owner put on a fresh set of Buckshot II tires which is the same ones my dad had on our farm truck when I was a little twerp. Transfer case engages seamlessly.
The Bad: Previous owner wired up a ugly-ass tach and hose-clamped it to the steering column, transplanted some aluminum 8-bolt Silverado wheels from a 2005 3/4 ton, painted the thing some weird non-factory gray color and put a CD player in the thing. Only gauge in instrument cluster that works is the speedo. Oil press, coolant temp, voltage, etc. on an ongoing basis are all a mystery.
The Ugly: There is a LOUD howl from a bearing, gets noticeable around 30mph and is deafening on the highway. Currently experiencing a fuel delivery issue (already posted a thread about that so I won't bore anyone). Engine has a good amount of blow-by. Still formulating on whether I'll rebuild the factory one or look for a 454ci to swap in. If I do that I'll probably swap in a NV3500 at the same time so I can have a 5-speed. Not knocking the factory trans by any means, just might work better for me is all.
If any of y'all have experience with fuel delivery issues involving these trucks with the mechanical fuel pumps please review my thread and give input! I'll do my best to update the thread as I go through and eliminate culprits. Thanks for having me!
