Resurrection of a K10 - need help!

Chingon619

Chingon619

Well-known member
Joined
May 6, 2021
Messages
1,014
Reaction score
858
Guys, I need a little guidance to bring back this ol' race truck to it's ol'glory. Long story short I was volunteered by my lovely wife (again) to help a friend bring this truck back from hibernation. It's for a good cause and I'm all about that. Owner passed some years back and now the kid is soon to start driving and is uberly excited knowing this truck is his.

I got it running tonight after going through the usual cleaning out fuel lines, filters, pump, putting some fresh fuel and a fresh battery. Fired right up! Wasn't expecting such a loud cammy throaty rumble. The thing is beast. But I have some questions....

If this is a high compression engine, could it run on 91? I don't know if it was ran on race fuel or alcohol or any of that stuff, that is beyond my scope. It's pretty performance equipped but looking up the fuel pump max it puts out for N/A Is 740hp so can't be that crazy right?

It has all this MSD crap that I know nothing about other than the fuel lines look to be -10AN seems.

It seems to have ran ok, I just don't want to hurt anything. It also has only a 5 gal race tank that I may need to go back to a stock size tank since the kid will daily it around town. Not my choice, but hey... why not. Here's some pics...20250425_161524.jpg20250425_163341.jpg20250425_162605.jpg20250425_162611.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sandkist said:
700 hp first truck? Lucky kid!! Looks to be a K5 Blazer.
Click to expand...
I mean I don't know if its really pushing 700hp but that's what the fuel pump is rated for. It was in reverse because I still couldn't figure out my first B&M slap shifter LOL the damn thing was nearly scratching the tires with my foot on the brake each time the cam loped 😬
 
One thing I learned building a 1984 C10 that I try to share with people - Painless has a PDF installation manual / file that come with their wiring kits, but what's helpful is those files can also be used to troubleshoot existing / old wiring as the new kits are the same colors as factory.

The manual is a ton of pages, but you'll learn a lot if you take the time to read through it...would be good for the kid to know too. From A/C, power windows, fuel gauge, RPM signal,, etc. - it's all in there.

I'd assume the K and C modes are the same.

Hope it helps.

 
If it is a kid....I'd pull that motor and sell it, and/or trade it for a 4.3, a 305, or a stock 350 (and cash). That kid will kill himself, or wrap it around a tree....can you say speeding tickets?

I agree, taint a K10. Right where it says "Engine Pro" on the side, if it was a PU, there'd be a gas cap there, on both sides. If there is a filler between the rear wheel and the bumper...K5 for suresy.

It has valve covers that enable high valve lift. A high(er) rpm intake manifold and what appears to be a big Holley on it. The fuel system is designed to flow some gas....as in a lot of gas (which that Holley will need). It might have "Double-Hump" heads on it (old-school heads what were considered to be the best, "back in the day"). You can only partially see the Casting Marks on it. It might have Hooker Headers on it...it has a tab welded on to them.

Your guess as good as anybody's as to what kind of gas that it would run on. BTW, do you know how to say, "I want to see gas." in Spanish? Quiero Ver-Gas (which translates to, I want dicks (verga in Spanish).

It may have a serpentine belt system on it. That alternator doesn't have a cooling fan on it....it may need it....badly.

No AC.

It has an external coil on it. I can't see the distributor. A logical assumption would be that it has a small-cap HEI on it. A deficiency of a standard HEI is the coil being inside the dizzy as the heat is trapped in there. An HEI is one of the best dizzys out there. They put them on Fords and VWs for that reason. Everything is in the dizzy. Give it 12V and as Jackie Gleason used to say..."Away we go"....nothing else is needed.

To the left of the alternator is the ground strap, from the battery....going down from that...There are 2 bolts on the side of the block. They are holding a plate down that has a blue gasket. On a motor from 1973-1986, that is where the fuel pump would be at. An '87 or newer block would pretty much be the same, but there were TBI and they therefore may not be mechanical FP compatible. Sooooo, that block may be newer as a mechanical pump will flow some gas (like 400HP in stock form)

I do not see a PCV system. But, I can't see the other valve cover.
 
Last edited:
Pretty cool, but being that loud will get annoying pretty quickly . . .
 
All the potential for an amazing Off Road toy....this kid into the desert? By a beater to drive to school and build this back up to it's desert glory as a project.

Hard to see this as a Daily Driver as is or close to as currently/was built.
 
Rorschach....good catch. You are correct.

Rorschach....additionally, the Intake Manifold bolts go straight down.

Chingon....Based on the above, the heads are '87 are newer and there are several newer heads out there that are better than the Double-Hump/Fuelie heads....flow wise....not cracking wise.

Things sorta point to it being a newer, not original, block.
 
Last edited:
If you like the kid sell the motor and replace it with a straight / slant six cylinder and stuff a bigger fuel tank in there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top