Hello, I recently inherited my dad's '76 Chevy K20 pickup. It has 4WD a 350 and a 4 speed manual. The engine needs rebuilt, but I don't know where to look for a good kit. Some friends told me Summit Racing would have what I need, but I've heard they use some pretty low grade stuff. I want to get a good engine rebuild kit that will let me put another couple hundred thousand miles on it(I eventually want beef it up a bit). anybody know a good place to look?

 

A few more minor things:Since the truck has been used as a severe duty work truck, it is in rough shape. I would also like to replace the bench seat, fix the VERY loose steering, and take all the slop out of the shifter. the carburetor needs replaced or rebuilt and I've never done any work on a carb before.
where is a good place to buy an OEM seat?
what needs fixed/replaced to tighten up the steering?
what needs fixed/replaced to tighten up the shifter?
do they make carb rebuild kits?
is it hard to do at home?
is it even possible with basic mechanics tools?

 

http://www.lmctruck.com/ they SHOULD have your seat..go to advanced auto for the rebuild carb kit you have to know what the name on the carb is..and maybe a serial #
as for the other stuff someone else is gonna have to answer. im not sure about them lol

 

You should find everything you need at Classic Industries. They seem to have the best prices on restoration stuff than anyone around. You can check them out at www.classicindustries.com and order an extensive catalog for about 5 bucks. Good Luck!

 

I've never done any solo engine work before. The only real automotive experience I have is wrenching on my friends cars and working in a driveline shop. I've never done any serious engine work and never messed with a carburetor before. A friend told me it should be a quadrajet(?).
how would I find out if this is correct or not?
do i need numbers off of it, or can i just look it up somewhere?
would it be more worthwhile to rebuild this one, or slap on a new/rebuilt one?

thanks a bunch for the sites so far, they had a bunch of stuff I was looking for.

 

if you'v never messed with a carb..i'v let somebody else do it and of course..watch them..you might learn stuff..i hate messing with carbs.. you can easly make it too lean or rich..or better yet make it so it wont run.. lol

 

Alright, the carb is rebuilt and she purrs like a kitten! we didn't touch the mixture adjustment screws or even remove the pressed in caps over top of them, so my mix should be just the same right?

 

well, The truck is still running great, now I'm looking at the body work...*sigh* There's a lot to do... I managed to find some fenders and a hood that were still in great shape off a JY truck. so i've got those in my garage all sanded and primed(they'll look sweet). I was looking at the cab a little later, and upon removing the seat, i found that the entire floor piece under it os nothing but rust flakes! there are rust spots all over the cab, and a few spots with pretty severe damage(the previous owner dropped a tree on it and crumpled the upper rear corner. I really don't feel like trying to pound all that crap out strait, and even then, it'll never look quite right. Does anybody know where I could get a replacement cab? I am fully prepared to pay whatever ridiculous price they charge, but I just can't find one anywhere. thanks for everything so far everyone! I've been taking a bunch of pictures thus far, so Maybe I'll be able to turn it into a project page someday!