Hey, well since my 87 4x4 was stolen I've been looking around for a decent 1st gen. I thought it might be a good idea to ask the people who know a little more about these trucks what problem areas to look for. Rust isn't so much of a problem out here in socal. Are the 20rs much harder to find parts for? It kinda sounds like they share some parts with the 22rs. How is the mpg for the 20rs, and does the 4 speed get much worse mileage with either engine? Any advice is helpful.
Thanks, Pete

 

Sorry to hear about your rig...that really sucks. all depends on years and mods,tires,gearing,4sp and 5sp is a little different,but my truck is gettin about 20 to 21 mpg with a 22r weber and 5spd swap w/33s.

 

20rs I don't think are hard to find parts for. 20rs come with dual row timing chains and if you can put an early 22r bottom end under it and bump up the compression. My 20r doesn't have a catalytic converter. Supposedly it they bumped up to 22 to make up for having to add that. I haven't calculated my mpg but I am sure it isn't as good as someone with a 5spd. Some of the early 5 speeds were sort of weak though I think I heard.

 

I have a 1980, 20r engine, stock gearing/suspension and 31inch tires. it had a 4 speed when i bought it....the 4 was fine around town, gets a little wound up at hwy speeds, ive heard they are weak too, but it really depends on what else you have going on and what kind of abuse the truck has endured, my L43 was quiet and worked like a charm,
20r parts are almost all the same as early 22r parts either way they are plentiful,
my truck isnt fast,....and for a small motor mpg isnt fantastic, but it still starts right up and does its duty even after 33 years and 300k, cant complain about that.

 

Yeah every time I think I know how the years break down I get proven wrong...but the first couple years of first gens had 4 speeds and 20Rs. The last couple years had 5 speeds and 22Rs. So you can find a 5 speed 22R.

You can be somewhat sure that if it's got round headlights, ie 79-81, it probably has a 20R and 4 speed, if no one has swapped them out. Square headlights mean definitely 22R (unless it's been swapped out...), and 5 speed.

Personally I like the round headlights better, but you can swap out the grill from an earlier truck and put the round headlights in an 82 or 83, so no big deal.

If it's a 5 speed, listen for tranny noise. They had input bearing issues.

If you've never had a solid front axle and don't already know to check, see how much gear oil is leaking from the front axle seals. A little wetness around there is more or less normal. If it's starting to drip onto the back of the tire, it's getting towards time to replace them. This is a pretty major job, and if you can't do it yourself, will add $600 or so to what the truck will cost you.

Otherwise, all the same stuff you'd look for in any old truck. Screwy wiring jobs from previous owners, major leaks, etc.

I so wish I lived in an area where rust wasn't an issue. It's not too bad out here, in that these trucks are still around and not rotted out. But the late 70s and early 80s trucks are definitely showing their age from Montana winters, even without road salt and humidity.

 

I would take a look in Washington or Oregon. I know that's a drive but that's where you find pristine 1stgens to be had.

 

if you buy one in the NW, dont buy it impulsively...at night in the pouring down rain....you may end up missing the painted rust and body filler job from the PO, (dont ask me how i know this lol) If you are in ca and you want to drive it on the street you may want to peek under the air cleaner, webers are nice but ca is nosey when it comes to whats under the hood. make sure the egr is still there too

 

So I went and looked at an 83 today. It did need a rebuilt front axle, new bed, tires front leafs and the engine leaked oil pretty bad. Off the top of my head I'd say $1600-$2000 in repairs to get it good. There's another on craigslist that looks really strait but has 213,000 on it, ad doesn't say much else. I know there are several trucks running around with almost a million miles and nothing original, but in general, since im only 16, it sounds like these trucks go around 250-300000 miles, then need to be rebuilt. What else would go bad after the drivetrain and front axle are redone? Will the next hundred thousand miles be as trouble free as the last? Probably a stupid question but I'm new to working on cars.