Hey everyone.I’m hoping tomorrow to continue onward with the injector installation,etc and get the engine prelubed before I tighten down the valve covers.I did install the 29/32 rear gallery plug today with some “the right stuff” applied to it.Its hammered in place and flush with the block.More pictures on the way.

 

Tonight I figured I’d get the ball rolling and get the engine prelubed rather than wait for tomorrow to do it.All the rocker arms are receiving oil so all that turned out great after rotating the engine 90 degrees every minute or so.I have the oil filter adapter from a olds 307 on there for now until I get the diesel adapter in place.It needs to be cleaned up internally since it has a lot of gunk inside and out.

I used arp fasteners to hold the adapter in place and vacuum pump also.An Acdelco oil filter was used along with a filter-mag assembly for peace of mind to keep metal particles,etc in the filter.Looking forward in getting the injectors in place tomorrow with the lines and glow plug harness.More pictures on the way.

 

Excellent!

Does the diesel oil filter adapter have threaded ports for an oil cooler? How are you installing the injectors? On my 6.9l IDI in my Ford truck there are copper washers between the injectors and the head. Did Olds use similar washers?

 

You are right.The diesel oil filter adapter has two ports for the inlet and outlet for the oil cooler lines.I’m still trying to clean it up.It has a lot of brown varnish inside it that I’m trying to remove.

This engine uses the pencil injectors which are held down by a retaining clamp.Each injector has a plastic Teflon type washer that’s heat resistant and that seals the compression from escaping.The washers are black in Color.

The 5.7 diesels in the sedans from 1980 had the poppet nozzles with a copper washer similar to what your 6.9 uses.

Today I bolted down the valve covers permanently and put the injectors and return hoses on along with a new glow plug harness and temperature switch at the rear section of the intake manifold.

One more thing I did install was a new stanadyne fuel heater.Hoping tomorrow to get the injector lines on followed by the intake crossover and pcv system in place.More pictures on the way.

 

Here’s how it currently looks.I put some of the injector line hold down clamps upside down so under the clamp would not dig into the valve covers.I think it looks decent.I just need to get the flexplate installed with some milodon bolts and it’ll be just about ready.

I think at this point I’ll just put this engine back into the K20 chassis and get it running so I can move that truck out and clean things up here in the garage a little.Then I can start getting the C20 chassis ready and just take the cab,bed,etc from the K20 and put onto the 2wd chassis.Thats what I have in mind anyway.









I installed a nos vacuum regulator valve that’s fastened to the injection pump to control the shift points rather than just apply full vacuum to the modulator from the vacuum pump.More pictures on the way…..

 

Tonight I added a couple more injector line hold down clamps I got from eBay a year or so ago.It looks pretty good.Now I plan to retrofit this engine with a second generation pcv system used on late 1981 onward engines.I placed the pcv parts on a piece of cardboard showing how it goes together.Hoping to get at that on Monday.I’ll have to make a custom bracket of some sort to mount the crankcase regulator valve.

 

Hey guys.Today I did make some progress.I was hoping to get more done but overall it’s a step in the right direction.I did get the new engine mounts on and did make one custom bracket for the serpentine conversion.I was able to avoid countersinking any bolts in the steel plate and I think it looks pretty good overall.I also did not need to cut off the lower section of the bracket to allow installation of the radiator hose.

My plan was to install the 2nd gen pcv system but I did not have a 1/2npt tap like I thought I did so I could install the 5/8 barb 1/2npt fittings so for now I just went back to the original pcv system.I have a npt pipe tap set on the way from Amazon and a drill bit so I can install that setup at a later date.

The bracket I made isn’t pretty but it’s good enough for me as it won’t be seen anyway.I did weld on two M10 nuts to the back side of the bracket so that seemed to work out well.

I just have a few more things to do and the engine is ready for install.Arp bolts were used to fasten the steel plate to the cylinder head and again arp bolts were used to hold the pulley to the harmonic balancer.

I will add a lower brace going from the passenger side engine mount to the lower hole in the aluminum bracket just to sturdy things up even more.I’ll do the same for the top side as well.

New Continental radiator hoses will be installed as well.I’m hoping tomorrow or Wednesday to get the other steel bracket made and continue on from there.I have a new block heater to install also.Ultra power brand a/c bypass pulley,tensioner and idler pulley were used and bought from Rock auto.More pictures on the way.

 

Just a few more pictures to add….

 

This evening I made up a new cardboard template to incorporate a lifting tab in allowing me to lift the engine into place safely in the next few days.I also plan to make a lifting bracket for the rear passenger side section of the cylinder head too.I’m hoping tomorrow to have the brackets made and get the alternator and power steering pump mounted.

 

Today I was able to make the driver side bracket and rear lifting bracket which turned out pretty good.I only had to countersink one hole and I just notched the Chevy bracket to allow me to install some arp bolts I had left over.I was able to tack weld two M10 nuts on the back side of the bracket and that turned out okay.

I just need to make a few stabilizer brackets to make this serpentine setup nice and rigid.I’ll tie the lower ends of each bracket to the engine mount area.I’ll brace the top section also.

A new acdelco alternator is in place from rockauto and a reman acdelco power steering pump is installed from a 6.5 diesel that I had on my 96 K1500 a few years ago.

I’m using the standard rotation water pump as the new gates pump I installed has a huge impeller vs the impeller on the 4.3 diesel water pump.The larger impeller doesn’t mean anything maybe…,,I dunno but it’s much larger than what the 4.3 pump has that I planned to use.

I watched a YouTube video by Randy Norris who has passed away in 2024 regarding an extra pulley he installed so he could keep using the standard rotation pump so I’ll have to make another bracket so I can mount the pulley I need unless you guys know of a better way I could do it maybe.RIP Mr.Norris.

I’m hoping by Saturday to have this engine installed and running.More pictures on the way.

 

Here are a couple pictures courtesy of Mr.Norris.The part circled in red is where he put the extra idler pulley.

 

This build is cool.

You obviously know what you're doing and have your ducks in a row. I only bring this up because it burned me once in my younger days swapping accessories around- is that water pump a reverse rotation unit?

 

I appreciate the kind word.Thank you.Its a standard rotation gates pump and has the larger impeller on the back vs the 4.3 pump.I looked at a couple pictures that Randy Norris had taken in the US of his serpentine setup on his olds engine and by adding an extra pulley he was able to keep using his standard rotation pump.

I’m hoping that’ll work out for me.The passenger side Chevy bracket I used does not have that extra casting so I can add the additional idler pulley like he did.Here are the couple pictures I got from Randy Norris YouTube page.I’ll have to make a steel bracket and bolt it to the existing Chevy bracket so I can install the idler pulley I need to pick up from Napa.Its a grooved pulley for gm trucks with the 5.3.More pictures on the way.

 

Could you disassemble the water pumps and use the impeller from the OE pump? I guess that would defeat the purpose of using the standard rotation water pump with the larger impeller. Have you checked water pumps at the auto parts store? Maybe a water pump for an Olds 455 or other engine has an oversized impeller and standard rotation.

 

Interesting, I used Larry's billet adapter brackets on my Olds 358 gas with the sbc 350 serpentine set up with a redrilled 351W crank pulley. A whole bunch needs trimmed to fit the mechanical fuel pu, I got the second to last, literally Flowkooler reverse rotation water pump with their big billet impeller. I have an open impeller spare, just incase. Interesting just one idler allows an easy to get standard water pump.

 

I haven’t checked any auto parts stores but I bought the water pump I have from rockauto and I have the extra pulley from Napa today so I can keep the standard rotation pump in use.I made up a couple support brackets today and will post pictures later tonight.I’m also thinking of making a bracket to mount a secondary fuel filter just next to the ac bypass pulley area.More pictures on the way.

 

I was pretty surprised by this as well.Only one extra idler allows you to keep the standard rotation pump.Looking forward in getting back at this engine this evening.I’m hoping on Saturday I’ll have it up and running.

 

Not alot of contact between the belt waterpump.. is this working out ok for the other guy?

 

Supposedly it was working okay but then the bolts sheared off holding the driver side custom bracket to the cylinder head.I watched one of his YouTube videos and that’s what he stated.Maybe a vibration problem.I’m not sure but I don’t think it was long after that he passed away.

 

Oooof. There's very little contact with the crank, water pump and A/C pulleys with that routing. It'll work fine for cruising but it'll slip.
The reverse rotation pumps have gotten extremely rare. The casting is very different and it's a different gasket. I selfishly stock-piled two extras when they started dying out a few years ago.
Good thing is if you ever find a reverse pump then you can easily switch from this routing to that routing.

 

That is true.I do have two 4.3 water pumps here so that’s a bonus.I finally finished up with the brackets to stabilize the serpentine setup.I also made one for a secondary fuel filter to be mounted.I mounted the extra Napa idler pulley so I could use the standard rotation pump but like you said it’s easy to go back to the reverse rotation if I ever need to change it.I’ll try it to see how things go but I’ll certainly go with a 4.3 water pump if I have to.The bracket holding the Napa pulley isn’t pretty but it does the job for now.

I should be able to get this engine in place tomorrow after the dipstick and flexplate are installed.More pictures on the way…

 

 

I figured I’d get this engine installed today but that didn’t happen because other things popped up that I had to do.I made a cover to make the idler pulley bracket look a little better.Tonight I also drilled and tapped the intake crossover for the 2nd gen pcv system with two 5/8 barb 1/2npt fittings.It looks pretty good.I just need to make a bracket to mount the cdr valve and go from there.

 

Here are some pictures of the 2nd style gen pcv system I’m trying to make that was used on





the early 80s 5.7 diesel up until 1985.After the Cdr valve is connected that part will be completed.I’ll just need to make another bracket to mount the 6.2 diesel glow plug controller.

 

Where did you get the 6.2l glow plug controller? I ask because I bought a 6.9l IDI glow plug controller from Classic Diesel Designs online. The price and customer service were good, but it died a few weeks after I installed it. Imported electronics were at fault I imagine. My IDI truck uses a push button now that I installed to activate the glow plug relay. It works much better than a faulty glow plug controller.

 

Its a gm nos controller for 1985-1993 engines.It has 4 pins on top with two large posts.You can pretty much apply it to any diesel that needs preglow time of 4-7 seconds.I have to say it’s a pretty good setup.You can easily put the 6.2 controller upon the 6.9 engine.Its very easy to do.EBay or rockauto will have the 6.2 controller.

 

Hey guys.Hoping to get back at this engine install in about 2 weeks.Heading back to work today.

I just purchased some 5/8 stainless steel tubing from Amazon to reach the ventilation filters from the Cdr valve along with some gates heater hose and clamps.The steel brackets to mount the Cdr valve and glow plug controller still need to be made.

 

Heading home in a couple days so hoping to dive right back into getting this engine up and running.I’m planning to buy a couple Mobil 1 oil filters from a local store near me.Its the first time I’ve ever used Mobil oil filters.All I’ve ever used before were wix or acdelco.

 

Hey everyone.Hoping after tomorrow to get back at this project.I’ve been working on my fathers Perkins tractor engine the past few days.This morning though I decided to install a Delphi dual fuel filter setup I bought about 15yrs ago but back then it had the two glass bowls that were known to leak.

So I bought a conversion kit on Amazon to convert to the spin on filter instead.I’m using an acdelco tp1069 primary which is a 14 micron and then going through a Napa 3472 that’s a 5 micron.I think it looks pretty good.I have some 6an-5/16 barb fittings on the way from Amazon to get this working correctly.The threads in the filter housing are 1/2-20 unf.More pictures on the way…..

 

The bracket for the Cdr valve and glow plug controller is now in place followed by some 6an 5/16 barb fittings.Overall I think it looks pretty good.I used a couple threaded spacers under the cdr valve to give it some additional height so when the ventilation filter piping go into place they won’t hit the glow plug controller studs sticking up.

 

Here are some of the fittings I used in relation to the injection pump inlet and the filter housing.I also have some stainless steel tubing on the way to connect the valve cover ventilation filters to the Cdr valve.

 

This is a cool build - something different that you only see every couple of years.
My small suggestion is maybe put lock washers and a nuts on the back of these studs (or weld nuts to the back of the bracket).

Keep up the good work!

 

Thank you.I’ll certainly do what you suggested.I drilled and tapped the plate but it should have nuts on the back side.👍

I also wanted to add that some of the Lucas cav Delphi filter housings can also use M14 fittings instead of the 1/2-20 like mine uses so if anyone decides to use this type of filter housing be sure to find out what fittings it accepts.

 

Tonight I put the new block heater in place so all that turned out okay.I should be good to go on Monday morning to get this engine installed back into the 79 K20 for now until the 1980 C20 chassis is ready.

 

Just a couple more pictures to add showing another view of the bracket made this morning followed by another view of the glow plug controller.

 

Hey folks.This is the latest belt routing I came up with so at least now the belt has more contact with the water pump pulley.I added another idler pulley but overall I think it looks pretty good.

Hoping to install this engine in a couple of days.The stainless steel tubing I plan to use is too short for one side going from the cdr valve to the ventilation filter so I’ll have to install a small section of hose to give it the extra length it does need.More pictures on the way.

 

Very nice, we’re looking forward to the start..

 

Thank you.👍

 

Just a suggestion but I think you're belt is more apt to slip on the crank pulley. Bring the belt from the crank pulley up to your new idler and put the water pump back the way it was. You increase the belt wrap around the crank pulley a lot. Maybe you could make the same kind of idler to go between the water and power steering pump to push the belt down? I just don't see enough wrap around the crank. The rest of the build looks fantastic, i would hate to see this haunt you.

 

Your definitely right about the crank pulley.I will do what you suggested and see if I can possibly make more contact there also.I certainly appreciate everyone’s suggestions.I have a few different belt lengths here in the garage that might just work.