Big John: 1972 C30 2WD dually w/ 11' dump bed

While working on the wiring over the weekend, I started troubleshooting some issues...
brake light circuit: there's a short somewhere that kills the engine when you put on brakes
speedometer: its missing the inner wire...no wonder it doesn't work

I also met up with the guy that gave me the fuel tank and I gifted him some home made adult beverages as a thank you. Also checked out his viper red '67 C10 since its finished (if you can ever call a project car that!). We traded ideas and he reminded me of The Truck Shop off Derita Rd in Concord which will probably be where I get the last few things I want for the C30's interior. Still have to find some wheels/tires & I'd like to put a 4.10/3.73 14 bolt with 13" drums under it. Also want to get a remote hood latch before I mount/wire the LED bar & make a grill for it.

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Been a little bit since I've updated this:
New alternator fixed the shutting off when braking issue...I'm guessing the old alternator didn't have enough juice to run everything & I didn't have the battery hooked up.
Wiring is coming along and hopefully should be finished this weekend.
Picking up single piece wheels this weekend & most likely ordering tires.
Picking up underbody toolboxes this weekend and hoping to get at least one mounted.

Two questions:
Does anyone have any experience with Deestone D503 tires? Since this is a budget build and I like the looks & price I'm leaning that way, but don't want to buy junk.
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What the heck is this wire/sensor for? Its on the splitter/proportioning valve for the brakes and the wiring connector looks like a mini spark plug boot. I haven't traced it into the cab yet, but I know the new wiring harness doesn't have anything for it.
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The wire off the prop valve is for the brake light - if one side of the hydraulics goes out, the valve shifts & shorts the pin to ground, activating the brake lamp in the cluster.
 
Well the C30 has been parked in the hangar with the recent crummy weather & I didn't see the point of driving it only ~120 yards to Thanksgiving supper since it was at grandpa's house (not to mention parking beside 8 other vehicles). Traded the stock wheels with @Junkyard Dog for some single piece wheels & gave them a quick paint job. While the wheels are off, I'm gonna go through the brakes one more time and then it'll be road worthy!

Next will be:
Priming/painting more rust spots & the wheel wells
Under body tool boxes mounted
LED bar & DIY grill
Remote hood latch
Rifle rack & center console/cup holder
Redo the exhaust
Go through the hydraulics
Possibly install a tach?
 
Took a little break on "Big John" since everything was working & I saw two decent bucks before Christmas and put some hours in trying to put one or both in the freezer, but never saw either of them again! With my grandpa & dad telling me that they both remembered something wrong with one of the rear brakes (no fluid leaking & a good pedal), I went through the rear brakes over Christmas and the passenger side wheel cylinder was barely seeping fluid so I ordered 2 wheel cylinders, new hardware kits & new parking brake kits. Those came in while I was in SC visiting family during the end of the year & I got the crud from some family member(s) that hasn't figured out to STAY THE HELL HOME WHEN YOU'RE SICK!! Last weekend I was recovering from that instead of working on it so I didn't get anyone else sick.

This past weekend I put on the new hardware & wheel cylinders and one of the nuts was seized on to the steel line & the other nut was rounded off so I ordered new steel lines. Went by the parts store & the guy said he ordered them, but couldn't find a record of it. So I opted for the universal lines and made them work (passenger side looks decent, driver side doesn't...6" too long). Bled the front brakes without any problems & put the single piece wheels/tires on. The studs are too short to put the chrome 'hub cap' & plate on...figured lugnut engagement is more importanter than putting chrome on a 50 year old truck! Went to bleed the rears & couldn't get air or fluid out of either side. Some troubleshooting later & I think the rubber hose that goes from the frame to the rear axle is collapsed/clogged/FUBAR'd somehow since I'm getting fluid before it, but nothing after it. So that has now been ordered & will be installed this coming weekend along with finishing up the wiring/LED bulbs in the dash & hopefully working on the under body tool boxes.
 
Rain & cold does not make outside mechanic work any fun, so I didn't do much...got the new rear rubber line installed, rear brakes bled (2 small leaks...easily fixed), inner/outer axle nuts torqued, axles installed & rear wheels/tires installed (studs too short for chrome 'hub cap' & plate) over the weekend. Brakes are much better with 4 corners vs 2...even if 2 are drums!
 
Most of rewiring up to this point has been planning where/how to run the new wire harness and figuring out all the lights/sensors since several use switched grounds and some stuff is missing/melted due to the fire.
Over the weekend I got the wiring harness for the bed/headache rack/reverse camera/trailer pigtail made & pulled in to the cab. Probably going to add an 8 position terminal block to the firewall beside the master cylinder for all the lights to make future troubleshooting easier. Not a big fan of putting outside the cab & semi-exposed, but can't find a spot I like in the cab.
Also removed the dash pad (falling apart), instrument panel & glove box liner (falling apart) to make rewiring/replacing easier & swapped the dash lights to LED. Need to decide if I want to add a tach in the dash ($200-$250), opt for a universal one mounted to the steering column ($50-$75) or just let it ride as is.
 
Got my list of interior parts to order ready as well as some advice on the C30 heater since it is apparently not the same as a C10.
Terminal strip mounted on the firewall beside the master cylinder, bed lights terminated & tested.
Holes drilled for the door switches & hood switch...need to figure out how I want to mount them for the underbody boxes.
Old fuse block removed, new fuse block mocked up, new headlight & dimmer switches installed.
Steering wheel disassembled, but I couldn't get it to budge with a hammer so I'll have to use a puller.
The brake switch had a cross threaded nut and no room for tool access, so a long handled screwdriver and hammer made quick work since it was broken anyway.
 
Could use some advice/help on adding some aux light switches...
I need to add 2 switches for the front LED bar & the light(s) on the headache rack for the bed. I want to keep it retro/period correct, but don't want to cut up the dash on the off chance I ever decide to restore it. Thought about adding a switch panel and using bat toggle switches, but can't find anywhere I like easily within reach. When I pulled the instrument panel, I noticed two more switch locations just below the headlight & windshield wiper switches...thinking about adding another headlight switch below the existing one and using it for the aux lights, but I need to check to make sure it'd clear the headlight wiring. If I do decide to drill through the dash, they'd probably go above the PTO cable or choke cable. Thoughts? Suggestions?
 
That generation truck came with ash tray and radio delete plates, you could grab one of those and use it as a base for your switch panel, if you put it back to stock, pull the plate and wiring abd you are back to stock.
 
Since the weather cooperated this past weekend, I worked on the wiring, mocked up the underbody boxes and spent more time trying to get the steering wheel off than I'd care to admit. At least I got to witness a steering wheel puller rapidly disassemble itself! If the next session doesn't pay off, I'm at the point of BFH & sawzall and I'll just put in a new tilt column & steering wheel.

shelby27604 said:
That generation truck came with ash tray and radio delete plates, you could grab one of those and use it as a base for your switch panel, if you put it back to stock, pull the plate and wiring abd you are back to stock.
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Get out of my head! I was looking at it this weekend and felt dumb for not thinking of that earlier, but with the dash gutted my mind defaulted to keeping stuff away from the openings (instrument panel, glove box, ash tray & radio delete plate). I did find out there is not enough room to add another headlight switch under the existing one without modifying the wiring harness/connector.
 
Got a little bit of time to work on it over the weekend and picked up a 2/3 jaw gear puller to try and pull the steering wheel. It didn't budge it & I had to pull/disassemble the steering column and beat it off (that's what she said), but I'll be damned if I was going to let it beat me! There's a lot more room now which will make the wiring easier and I'll replace it with a tilt column & new wheel. Crazy what all had to be done just to get to the turn signal/hazard switches/harness. Switches didn't work, the bearings in the column were shot & the padding on the steering wheel was rough and what was left fell off when I tried the hammer method, so its all for the best.
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I also realized the wiring kit I bought is universal instead of year specific like I thought (possible blessing in disguise since its a C30 & the harness is for a C10), so there will be a lot more crimping/soldering involved. Already added the cab clearance lights, bed courtesy light & 40" LED relays to the new harness, but haven't tested them yet. I also figured out what I'm going to do with the reverse camera monitor & bed/grill lights...if I can find some switches for a 1-1/16" hole, I won't even have to cut up the radio delete plate.
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Probably will not make much more progress until May due to COVID-19...
Discovered the tool box brackets that Mid-State Truck Beds fabbed up are not square, so they'll be put under the grinder/welder to get them that way.
Cut out the circuits I need from the old wiring harness (wipers, ignition switch, accessories, heater power) and started adding them to the new wiring harness. Brake switch harness is done & routed...just need a brake switch.
Realized several things I did to keep the charging system stock shouldn't have been done because it'll be simpler/better in the long run to swap to an internal regulated SI alternator...so I'll be shelving the new OEM alternator for a square body ~80amp one, scrapping the regulator and replacing the ammeter with a square body voltmeter.
Started doing a final clean-up/routing of the wiring...only wires I'm missing (I think) are the temp warning light wire, the battery wire to the starter & the switched ground that connects the door jamb switches to the courtesy/dome light circuit.
Made up the SI alternator connections, removed the regulator, mounted the main fuse and made a jumper to the OEM junction block.
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Grandpa made the suggestion to use fender washers & standard bat switches instead using odd sized switches and/or drilling the radio delete plate & 7/16" flat washers fit like a glove. Scuffed them up and hit them with some black paint after this pic.
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Made brackets for the LED bar that'll mount to the radiator support...just need to sand, prime & paint.
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Added a battery 'locator' & tie downs in the passenger side tool box. Once the brackets are squared up, I'll weld in a cross brace to help support/protect the battery.
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Had to go to Huntersville last Friday and stopped by The Truck Shop to pick up some parts & then had to work in Albemarle and was only 15 minutes from grandpa's hangar. Being so close I got a few things done over the weekend:
Removed the grill brace & mounted the LED bar on the radiator support
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Installed a 5k tach & a square body voltmeter, painted the faded gauge needles & tested the lights & gauges
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Installed the new internally regulated alternator and got all of the engine & light wiring done & pretty-fied

No good deed goes unpunished, so working on a Holiday came back to bite me!
A family member offered to square up the toolbox brackets last week and help mount the LED bar since I needed more hands. I told them to use my welder, but they opted for their stick welder with old rods so I had to grind out their porosity and reweld. While doing this, I discovered they dropped one of the boxes, so I had to pry and hammer the frame to get the door to open...fun times! Then after mounting the LED bar, the same family member leaned over the truck to look at the wiring and knocked all my tools off the radiator support/grill puncturing the radiator in 2-3 places. So now I've got to patch or replace the radiator.
 
Ended up back in town last weekend to plant food plots and worked on the C30 again:
Primed/painted the toolbox brackets (added a support for the ~120# battery) and mocked up the toolboxes/brackets
Dash pad installed and started figuring out what to buy/how to run the defrost hoses (still need to test heater)
Added another ground circuit to the ignition switch to test the temp light bulb while cranking and an accessory circuit to power the added aux lights
Wired up the ignition switch to the new wiring harness before running out of heat shrink
 
shelby27604 said:
@Lurch830 , sent you a link to a 5 speed with a PTO the other day, any luck with that one?
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Thank you for that link & I did call him. It came off an '87 1.5 ton with a 396, but he didn't think it has PTO cover even though it looks like it does. The guy's going to check tomorrow/Friday on the PTO and then I'll just have to plan a trip to VA.
I have no idea what transmission it is, but from what I understand the bellhousing bolt pattern is the same from sbc to bbc. So I think I'd just have to figure out the flywheel/clutch/starter?
 
If you already have a SM465, you might not need to figure out any of these. You would need to confirm input shaft spline count and diameter, along with bellhousing depth (side by side, a straight edge and a set of calipers or a tape measure will give you a pretty good idea if you are in the ball park).

There is bound to be a tag on there somewhere, it is probably a spicer or a new process unit. If he can get you a picture of the tag and the shifter knob/handle (different models had different gear location patterns), I bet someone on here can tell you some specifics.
 
shelby27604 said:
If you already have a SM465, you might not need to figure out any of these. You would need to confirm input shaft spline count and diameter, along with bellhousing depth (side by side, a straight edge and a set of calipers or a tape measure will give you a pretty good idea if you are in the ball park).

There is bound to be a tag on there somewhere, it is probably a spicer or a new process unit. If he can get you a picture of the tag and the shifter knob/handle (different models had different gear location patterns), I bet someone on here can tell you some specifics.
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Fingers crossed that its a bolt-in swap! The guy actually called me back today and now can't remember what engine it was behind. He did confirm it has a PTO cover, but its on the wrong side (driver). I'm going to look how hard it would be to move the pump over since I probably need new hoses anyway and try to get some more pictures.
 
Lurch830 said:
Fingers crossed that its a bolt-in swap! The guy actually called me back today and now can't remember what engine it was behind. He did confirm it has a PTO cover, but its on the wrong side (driver). I'm going to look how hard it would be to move the pump over since I probably need new hoses anyway and try to get some more pictures.
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In looking at the ad, I see a pto cover on the pass. side.

The bellhousing does not look like a standard sbc bellhousing (round with inspection cover at the top) but it almost looks like there is an adapter to get the bell on there. Looks like an SAE bell to me. If there is an adapter, maybe your sbc bell will bolt up to it.
 
shelby27604 said:
In looking at the ad, I see a pto cover on the pass. side.

The bellhousing does not look like a standard sbc bellhousing (round with inspection cover at the top) but it almost looks like there is an adapter to get the bell on there. Looks like an SAE bell to me. If there is an adapter, maybe your sbc bell will bolt up to it.
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I did think the bellhousing in the ad looked odd, but I'm not a transmission expert and I do think you're right, it does look like there is a PTO cover on the passenger side.
I may give you a call if/when I get more pictures or make the trip if you're cool with that?
 
@Lurch830 that is fine, see if you can get a picture from the input side, that way you can tell if it is setup to accept the standard bell/trans pattern.

If you do go look at it, tip it on its side and pull a pto cover, just to make sure there isn't any water in there. might need to drain the oil, or rtv the pto cover to keep from it leaking all over your truck.
 
Waiting on the guy to send more pics of the transmission, but I'm most likely going to pick it up.

Had cabin fever last week so my cure was to get stuff crossed off the list:
Radiator dropped off to have the pin holes repaired
Mocked up an Evan Williams bottle as an overflow reservoir instead of just dumping on the ground
Wiring for the instrument cluster is complete, loomed & pretty-fied
Started over with the toolboxes since I had settled on what I liked and then realized both sides aren't the same

Next weekend should include:
Picking up/installing the radiator & overflow
Install cluster, steering column & steering wheel
Test all electric circuits and hope I don't blow fuses or burn the thing down
Run up & down the driveway multiple times, check for leaks and double check everything works before heading to town for gas and hitting the scales
 
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