Assembly and Engine Start | 1968 C10 Build Episode 8
With the clock ticking on our SEMA deadline, (only about a week from the above video being shot) we hit a major milestone on our 1968 C10 project. The junkyard 5.3 LS that we tuned up in Episode 4 took its first breath in the truck. It runs, it lives. It was a big moment for us to actually have a running truck for the first time.
We had already figured out mounting and hoses for our universal double-pass radiator, using a neat trick to adapt the budget friendly radiator. The Holley Terminator still had a tune in it from the dyno run. Big pieces were in place, but the elephant in the room was the wiring. We had to figure out how to install our Universal 22-Circuit Wiring Harness and get the necessary wires routed to bring our engine to life. While we’re hurrying to meet our deadline, this is not a step that can be rushed. The best advice that we can offer when you’re looking at the inevitable spaghetti explosion is to take your time, break the big job down into small pieces, and pay attention to the excellent instructions that come with the kit.
We also needed to sort out the power steering. We had previously installed a pump, largely to make things look complete when the rolling chassis was displayed at SEMA last year, but we were lacking the rest of the plumbing and a reservoir. The neat fabricated reservoir mounted right up to our accessory drive setup, and after suffering the near-death by a thousand stings from cutting the braided pressure line, we were in business.
When it came time to turn the key for the first time, we were a little nervous. It’s normal to feel some nerves and excitement when this big moment comes in any project, but we were extra tense. After all, if a major problem were to come up, the hours required to chase any gremlins were hours that we didn’t have. It was do or die, and this was the moment where we would know if we would have a real, running truck at SEMA, or the dreaded “SEMA push toy.” To our great relief, it fired right up and settled down into a cool, lumpy idle as the BTR cam struggled against the tight converter. The cool new Speedway Motors chamber mufflers with cutouts add to the neat sound. The gnarly idle was addictive, and we found ourselves coming up with excuses to start it up, just to hear it run.
Running engine; check. Now a million little things to complete our truck by the deadline that gets scarier by the second.
