New to board: C-30 questions

tgdiver · September 22, 2003

I am assuming this question belongs in this forum.

I have just purchased an 87 Chevy C-30 Crew Cab 4x4, with a 350 motor and auto trans. Believe it or not, this truck only has 77,000 miles on it. The truck is in excellent shape.

I found this site through many searches, and appears to have a very broad community.

For starters, I am wondering what axle ratio and what model trans I have. I am pretty darn sure it is a 3 spd, because the motor revs high at 70 mph, and I do not feel any shifts after 30 mph.

Thanks,

TJ

k1500chevy97 · September 22, 2003

Welcome sounds like a great find .

Be sure to use the site to your full advantage

As for the rear end theres a trick you can use by jacking the rear end of the truck up so that the tires are off the ground and turning the driveshaft and seeing how many times you need to turn it for the tires to make one revolution .

Im not quite sure how to do that but i know that works if the truck does not have any stickers or codes saying what the rear or trans is

mjsmith1223 · September 23, 2003

Welcome. Sounds pretty cool.

In the glovebox, is there a sticker with codes on it? If so, they can be decoded to tell you what your truck came from the factory with.

Go here for codes going way back: http://www.73-87.com/chevy_ids/rpomenu2.htm

If the rear-end is a "peg-leg" or non-posi, then jack up one side, put a mark on the driveshaft and on the tire. Turn the tire twice and count how many times the driveshaft went by. A little more than three, and it's probably a 3.08, 3-1/2 times and it's probably a 3.42, 3-3/4 times and it's probably a 3.73 and so on. If it's a posi rear-end then you only have to turn the tire once.

For ID-ing the transmission, you can look here to match the shape of the pan: http://www.73-87.com/photos/tech/transpan.gif

Post some pics when you can. We'd love to see it!

Mike

Grand Haven, MI

tgdiver · September 23, 2003

Finally figured out the pics issue.

Thanks for the suggestions and links.

Hopefully I will try and check it out this evening.

TJ

Kansas Kid · September 23, 2003

Your transmission is a TH400, which is a 3-speed automatic. Hopefully your truck still has the codes in the glove box as that is the best (simplest) way to figure out what rear gear you have.

Welcome to the site.

mjsmith1223 · September 24, 2003

That is a clean looking '87! Very nice. I want to find something like that someday for my long-distance trailer puller. I like the non-dually setup. Gives the truck nice clean lines.

Mike

Grand Haven, MI

DuckhunterInTN · October 6, 2003

Very nice truck...I'd love to have one like that.

Just for reference, your truck is a "K" not "C" 30. The K prefix denotes 4wd...

tgdiver · October 7, 2003

Yeah, I knew I messed up with the C. What is funny, according to the title, it is a V30 (so the C was still wrong). I still haven't figured that one out yet. Oh well. My 72 chevy was a C-10 - 4x2. Another horrible gas mileage truck, but it was tuff!

The code sheet in the glove box is completly worn out. You can only make out a character or two on the very corners of the label.

Everyone ... thanks for the truck comments.