Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Got a late start this morning after going out to have the propane tanks filled so I have can some heat in the garage. Connected all the remaining wires to the engine, which includes the tachometer, fast idle solenoid, water temp sender, and an 8 gauge ground wire for the cab. I’ve used 10 gauge in the past, but 8 gauge is what I had on hand this time. Overkill certainly won’t hurt anything.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/560/3zy6.jpg

The ground bus was attached just to the left of the fuse panel, and the engine ground wire hooked up:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/194/knfe.jpg

As the day went on most of the ground wires for the gauges and dash lights were also connected.

The next several hours were spent crimping terminals for each wire inserted in the gang connectors for the gauges and indicators. (The indicator coupler isn’t shown):

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/30/y3lr.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/844/8hns.jpg

I finally reached an impasse when I started working on the switches and realized I need to identify which terminal and fuse size will feed each of the different circuits (exhaust cutouts, idle solenoid, fuel pump, etc). That and I think the propane fumes finally got to me, so I decided that was enough for today.

At least I feel like I’m finally making some actual progress.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

WOW!!! :metal:

The bar continues to be raised! ;)

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

The day started out a little slow. I needed to scan the wiring diagram so I could have a master to mark up for wire/terminal assignments and fuse details. I’m using an old Epson Perfection 3200 Photo which has always been a great scanner, but the Epson software has been a nightmare since day one (over 10 years). Long story short I couldn’t use the scanner on the new 64 bit computer, so I was retaining my old computer just to run the scanner. This morning the Epson software failed again. An hour later after 3 downloads it still didn’t work.

So I found a recommendation for VueScan software from Hamrick. $39 later and my scanner was sailing along connected to my new computer! What a difference. Having a surplus flat panel monitor, I offered to hook it up to my wife’s computer so she would have two screens. An hour later that task was also completed. Now she can play games on one and watch TV on the other (or whatever else she wants to do).

So I set about creating a master list of all the terminals on the fuse panel, and finally established where to connect all the accessories that aren’t part of the main instructions. That consumed another hour!

The last few days sure do seem tedious and slow, but almost every circuit I address needs some type of special attention. I’m marginally frustrated I’m not farther along (I miss driving the truck), but I attend to each circuit/item as if it’s the only one I have to deal with. This keeps me from attempting to rush the project and create a mistake.

So tonight the fast idle solenoid is completely wired up:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/849/dro0.jpg

The fuel pump switch is done except for connecting to the main lead heading to the pump. I previously wired the pump with a relay. I’ve decided it’s really overkill as the pump is only run 5-10 seconds at a time, and only when it’s been sitting for long periods. It will never be used continuously for primary fuel supply. Eliminating the relay will also remove about 8 feet of unnecessary wire.

The 3 speed heater harness was rebuilt and installed and wired up. Since the heater harness grounds through the motor, I decided to add another ground. Instead of just grounding the motor, I decided to add another 8 gauge wire from the left end of the ground bus to the bolt shown on the firewall, which is inches away from the heater mounting bolts. This bolt previously served as the mounting bolt for the cruise control module. With this addition the entire cab is grounded to the engine in case I miss some other specific ground:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/163/l3ax.jpg


Next up was the toggle switch that allows hot water into the heater. I have a vacuum valve on the heater hose out by the lower radiator hose. This is activated by an electrically operated vacuum solenoid that has been located on the upper part of the firewall behind the distributor. When first installed it supported a completely inefficient street rod heater that had no defroster provisions. Over time I ended up with a recirculating heater with defrosters, which essentially buried the solenoid behind the defroster ducting. Being completely inaccessible to me, my squeeze volunteered to dive it and remove it. Now it is mounted on the left end of the ground bus, providing super easy access should it ever need attention in the future:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/833/lfu8.jpg

As a note – yes all this wiring will make it difficult to easily remove the heater motor should the need arise. Everything is high enough and far enough away however to simply remove the entire heater should the motor need to be changed.

Also the glove box will either be shortened with a removable back, or eliminated completely. At my age avoiding further back injuries is far more important than having a full size glove box.

I have no dreams of this getting easier with subsequent steps. It’s just going to take however long it takes. I’m just hopeful that when it’s all done I’m pleased with how it turned out and all the little details actually made a difference.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

well done mark, and well thought out. you continue to amaze.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Man, that's nice work. Please continue.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Keep going Mark you are doing an amazing job. I can't wait to rewire mine. Your pictures and wire organization are top notch.

Bret

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Thanks for the comments and checking in guys.

Not much production today. It was be kind to your back day, and I was seriously overdue. A month ago my brand name prescription drug was changed to generic, sending my misery level into overdrive. It finally got switched back to brand name, but it will be a few more days before functionality fully recovers.

I did take some time to think through a few issues which helped get a couple of things accomplished this evening. I remembered the wiper motor wiring was a problem years ago because the plug on the wiper motor can be installed in either direction, and only one orientation allows the self-parking feature to work. I’m not sure but I think hooking it up backward burned out the parking circuit on my original motor. So I pulled my old motor out of the basement, looking for markings (there weren’t any). I then went through the wiring diagram and tech info in the Chevy Shop Manual and discovered the terminals in the diagram actually had markings. I finally determined the power wire from the fuse panel goes on the terminal nearest the driver side. Since the connector is white nylon, I marked it with felt marker on both sides. One side identifies “Power” & “Switch”, and the other side says “Firewall side”. If it ever needs to come apart in the future it will be simple to put it back together correctly.

All this information allowed me to wire up the wiper switch and get it installed:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/59/u86r.jpg

I was also holding up on the washer switch because there isn’t any harness heading to the front of the truck yet (I haven’t started on the headlight harness). So the obvious finally occurred to me and I simply added a couple of white tie wraps to act as hangers and completed the wiring for the washer pump, which is located under the washer bottle on the driver’s side of the radiator. Here’s the beginning of the driver side harness. The black tube is washer hose:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/855/uqof.jpg

This finalized the two switches/circuits to the left of the column. I was also somewhat stumped on moving forward on the indicator wires (high beam, left/right blinkers) because they connect to wiring that has yet to be started. Taking time out to think away from the freezing temperatures and propane fumes must have cleared my head. Since I’m running all these wires to quick disconnects (not actual gauges & lights) I simply added the correct terminals to the wires and inserted each one into the correct position in the connector. I left the wires coiled up to remain out of the way until needed:
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/17/dwjx.jpg

The last task of the day was assembling another 8 gauge ground wire to connect the passenger side battery cable ground to the driver’s side. I’m not sure where all of the relays are going to end up yet, so this way I have an anchor grounding bolt on both sides to pick from:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/401/rs7t.jpg

The only things remaining to complete in this phase are the lighting circuits for the column mounted vacuum gauge, and the dash mounted tach. The tach and camera also need the operational wiring completed, after which I can finally move to the next phase which is Turn Signal/Brake Light & Horn Switch. The last phase involves the headlight and dimmer switches, and connecting the dash lights. That should go a bit easier since so much of the prep has already been completed.

FYI – The fuse panel includes two relays, one for the horn and the other for the fan. I don’t want to use the fan relay for the fan as it would create a long run back and forth to the fan. I’m going to install a separate relay as close to the fan as possible. So I’m going to repurpose the fan relay on the fuse panel to control the spotlights. I don’t know the specific amperage draw of each lamp, but both use halogen bulbs that are more than twice as bright as sealed beam headlights. A relay seems prudent, and it’s in an optimum location for connection to the lamps.

More to follow.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Meticulous doesn't begin to describe your attention to detail...:clap:

I can relate about the medicine situation, my wife has a bad back and when the pharmacy decides to change manufacturers it can be nerve-wracking, excuse the pun... Praying all gets better for your back sooner than later...

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Thanks Don. Good thoughts are always appreciated!

Some decent progress to log today. I had a brainstorm last night thinking perhaps I could run the camera and dome light wires over the door jambs and eliminate all wiring under the rocker sills. I tried several times with a fish tape and my finger sticking in the sun visor hole. As best I could determine there isn’t an opening at the top of the A post, or the structure blocks access to a passage if there is one. It might be possible on a 64-66 if there is in fact an opening through, but with the reverse slant of the A post I just couldn’t put a bend in the tape that would go any further. So I gave up on that and reinstalled the visor.

I did decide however there will on be one or two wires per side under the rocker sills. The camera wire on the passenger side, and the dome light and 3rd brake light wires on the driver’s side. All of rear wires (gas/license/back up/tail/brakes) will be going out through the firewall. I hate dealing with all the cruddy wires squished into a channel too small for the mission. It will also greatly simplify wiring the back half of the truck.

I rerouted the fuel pump wire and connected it to the switch under the “prime” safety cover, so that’s one more hook up completed. Next came the camera circuits. The camera functions off a double pole double throw switch that allows me to choose whether it shuts off with the ignition switch (normal selection) or runs continuously when the truck is parked. This requires a feed line running from the Hotronics Quick Flip battery disconnect switch. Here’s what a new one looks like before all the clutter sets in:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/571/ljxn.jpg

Here’s what mine looked like before the smoke out. The radiator is on the left and the battery tray is directly above:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/839/3zk6.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/545/1zma.jpg

It was completely functional, but hardly worthy of street rod cosmetic attention. I will never find what caused the short, but I did discover what caused the problem. The first photo above shows a fuse at the upper left. There is a bare wire coming from the far fuse terminal that connects to the stud on the left (it can be seen above the inner nut). This feeds the fuse. The other side of the fuse connects to the power side of the hidden operating switch harness.

I “assumed” this protected the wire being used to operate a clock or other electronic accessory. It doesn’t, it only protects the switch harness. So the constant power wire fried because I didn’t realize it wasn’t fused. Had it been, there would have been no issue, just a blown fuse and a dead circuit to diagnose.

So here’s what the same area looks like tonight:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/138/tpym.jpg

Although it is still isn’t pretty, I made several improvements in the layout. The built in fuse in the housing could no longer be used as the power wire was damaged and couldn’t be replaced. So one of the inline/weatherproof fuse holders protects the off/on harness (like before). The other inline fuse holder protects the constant power on wire to the camera. The cable marked 1 gage on the left connects to the positive battery post. The one in the middle printed 4 gage connects the engine block to the stud on the front sheet metal next to the radiator. The zip loom on the right side post protects the 1 gauge cable running to the starter. The red wire (barely seen at the top right) is the new cable that leads to an insulated power stud under the driver side radiator apron that will supply all of the relays:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/69/ixnw.jpg

This should simplify and clean up the connections. So as of tonight all of the camera connections are complete, the battery disconnect switch is completed along with the off/on harness.

I wrapped up the evening by reinstalling the cowl vent. Getting close to having all the accessories back in order. Tachometer comes next.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

More top notch work Mark. Where did you find the stud? I find these to be very useful and have made mine own but this one looks to be of good quality.

Bret

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Bret it was included with the wiring kit. It's Ron Francis part number JB-47:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/rfw-jb47

I've done a few Google searches and turned up a few marine/boat power studs that look similar, but haven't found any that are substantially cheaper.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Got a reasonably early start this morning and pulled the tach first thing. I’ve never been particularly happy where the wires pass into the dash as there is no grommet for protection. I decided to add one. The gasket is really stuck well to the dash, so I didn’t want to disturb it. The center hole was and remains ½”, so I cut a square hole in it with an Xacto knife big enough to fit the selected grommet:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/198/tuwz.jpg

Next I opened up the small oblong hole in the bracket to just fit around the outside of the new grommet.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/197/eh25.jpg

Since holding it by hand would be impossible, and clamping it in the vise would trash the finish, I screwed it to a piece of wood and clamped that in the vise. I started with a 1/8” pilot drill to center the hole, and then bored it out with a step drill. This eliminated any snagging going from oblong to round. Here it is in a terrible flash photo showing the grommet is nearly flush with the top of the bracket:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/854/2vmz.jpg

And here it is reassembled with all new wiring;

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/35/6zpv.jpg

I had previously used duplex headlight wires and later separate wires with shrink tubing, and both options made it difficult to leave enough slack in the wiring to easily remove and disconnect the head. This time I just went with individual wires and no external covering, which allows plenty of slack for attachment and still fits easily into the rear of the cup. All four wires were connected so the tach is now ready to run.

Spotlights were next. I started to wire them up to utilize the fan relay on the fuse panel. I decided to look up the connections to see the preferred method of wiring a relay for use with Unity spotlights. I couldn’t find any input indicating a relay was required or even recommended. The most I came up with in any vintage or modern installation instructions was they required a 20 amp fuse, regardless if they were 20 watt or 50 watt bulbs. So I selected a 20 amp circuit on the fuse panel and connected them conventionally.

After that I tracked down and removed any remaining surplus wires that no longer served a purpose. After some effort I managed to peel back the floor mat and removed the remains of the old dimmer switch harness. Except for the wires from the transmission for the electric speedometer, today’s achievements complete bags 1-4 in the kit. I left the speedo wires for last as it requires getting the truck back up on jack stands.

Here’s a quick progress summary:

Completed:

Bag 1 – Alternator
Bag 2 – Starter/Distributor
Bag 3 – Ignition/Neutral Safety Switch
Bag 4 – Dash Gauges

Three more bags remain:

Bag 5 – Turn signal/Brake Light & Horn Switch (basically the steering column).
Bag 6 – Head Light Switch/Head, Tail, Parking, and Dash Lights/Dimmer Switch.
Bag 7 – Is the optional upgrade headlight harness with relays, which will be installed at the same time as bag 6.

Back up lights and the 3rd brake lights on the back of the cab will be worked in there somewhere.

Looking forward to another day of progress tomorrow.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

:metal:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I managed to knock out another few hours on the wiring this evening, all in the comfort of the living room. Reading through tomorrow’s instructions, I realized the harness was terminated for an Ididit or Flaming River column. For us guys running GM columns, all the terminals needed to be changed from the type on the left to the type on the right (8 in all):

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/24/3v7p.jpg

These are very time consuming if you don’t have the special tool needed. They can be made just as secure without the tool, but it adds several minutes per connection. So after an hour or so finishing the terminals, I realized Ron Francis changed the indicator connections. Previously they were joined at the steering column connector – as shown in this photo (the upper left and right sockets with two wires each):

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/842/z8at.jpg

The new instructions don’t address the indicator wires until later, and state to splice them into the front turn signal wires somewhere convenient. I thought that idea sucked, so I pulled the left and right turn signal terminals back out of the connector, and added the indicator wires shown (turn and indicator wires on the same terminals). The photo above is after I added the indicator wires.

Since the two couplers are inches away from each other in the truck, I went ahead and joined the two. It will be a simple plug and play when it comes time to hook this up.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/716/63qv.jpg

Once the wiring project was done, I started comparing differences between the old and new headlight switches. First thing I noticed was a defect in the new switch. The triangular pull rod is too big, which immobilized the switch. With great effort (and no damage) I was finally able to extract the rod. I plugged in my old rod/knob and the switch now works perfectly.

It’s quickly obvious the new mounting bezel is much thicker than the OEM version which I initially wanted to keep:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/713/qk3w.jpg

Either will fit the new switch, but the internal mechanism was moved forward to allow for the extra bezel thickness without needing to change the rod length.

Here are comparisons showing the knob pushed all the way in with the OEM bezel, and the new thicker version:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/844/djza.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/19/tj11.jpg

I don’t really care for the rubber o-rings, but the new bezel is beautiful – either highly polished or chrome plated. My original looks like crap next to the new one. Also the new one is very easy to install since it doesn’t need any tools. So I’ll be using the new version:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/703/sb6u.jpg

More to follow.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Nice catch on the 'indicator wires' situation.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

This morning started out by attaching the two halves of the steering column connector. The brake switch wiring was completed, and appropriate connections were made to the fuse panel. Later in the day the headlight switch & harness was mounted. A few more wires in this harness were also connected to the fuse panel. The dimmer switch was wired up and all the external light wires were fed through the driver side of the firewall.

Fuse panel is really filling up:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/600/5hay.jpg

I haven’t attached #8 yet as I’m not sure I’m happy with the size wire provided for the horn connection. I’m running old school 1956 Dodge horns and they draw more amps than modern beepers. There may be a couple of random items left like the backup lights, but I believe just about everything in the kit designed to be connected to the fuse panel is completed.

There are a few more wires to connect in the cab like the 3rd brake lights, the dome & courtesy lights, and the high beam indicator light. None of these connect to the fuse panel. After that it’s a matter of routing and connecting the exterior lights.

This is how it sits tonight:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/838/8h5h.jpg

Much of the wiring shown will go to the back of the truck, down the firewall and along the frame. None of it will be routed along the driver side rocker sill. The hood/parking/turn lights will stop near the firewall (at the factory disconnect location). That leaves only the headlight wires.

I’m anxious to reinstall the grille, but I’m not convinced yet that I like the Ron Francis relay arrangement better than my own. That will probably be the first priority tomorrow, deciding what I want to do with the headlight harness. I really feel like I’ve turned the corner into the home stretch.

And here’s a random thought - pretty much every wiring kit on the market today imprints their wire every few inches, but I just realized they are not all the same. I bought a close out kit from another lesser known brand name off EBay a few years ago just for the surplus wire. About 20 percent of that kit remains new other than shelf wear. In rummaging around in the tote, something jumped off the page at me. The old Ron Francis wire (used or new) is clear and easy to read without taking my glasses off. The lesser brand wire is printed so small I need a magnifying glass to read it, and in many places much if not all of the printing has been rubbed off, just from handling. The difference is so dramatic I just wanted to suggest this might be something to consider when shopping for a kit.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Spent most of the day in the house working on the headlight wiring. I was very pleased with my old harness, until I compared it to what the new one offered. I never quite figured out what the kit expected for mounting, but from the length of some short wires it appeared they expected the relays to be mounted in the cab. I didn’t like that idea at all, so once I understood the relay circuits, I mounted it out front like before and eliminated some of the extras.

I had purchased a replacement stock harness several years ago and it remained in great shape when I upgraded to relays. At that time I upgraded all the wires to 14 gauge, but since I couldn’t locate any headlight terminals, I had to keep the headlight receptacles from the old harness and splice in the new wires with waterproof boat connectors. I wired it up much like the stock harness with one low beam wire connecting both low beam bulbs, and one high beam wire connecting all four bulbs. Everything was joined with shrink type boat connectors.

The first task today was making sure the new relays would fit in the area I wanted to mount them. I cut out a new ABS mounting plate, and attached the headlight relays, the fan relay, and a circuit breaker for the fan right next to each other:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/10/9bvl.jpg

It fits perfectly under the driver side radiator apron, and keeps the big wires as short as possible.

The new harness provides 4 individual wires long enough to reach each bulb, and the special large terminal ends that fit the headlight bulbs. On both the old and new harness, all of my grounds are on a common black wire harness that connects to the front end grounding bolt back to the engine block. Nothing grounds to the grille or other sheet metal, so those need the special terminal ends as well.

The kit doesn’t provide sufficient ground wire for the whole system, so I used other high quality fire resistant wire from the surplus kit I have left over. The kit did include enough of the special large female spade terminals for everything. The photos aren’t all that interesting, but they show there are no splices anywhere in the headlight harness. Any circuits that needed to jump to the next lamp, were joined at the lamp terminals.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/208/fnqu.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/198/tw3n.jpg

And finally I installed the power stud on the passenger side. This receives power from the cold side of the battery disconnect switch. The unfinished red wire will be powering the fan relay tomorrow. The headlight relays will also hook up to this post:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/62/cjf0.jpg

Creating the harness this way added one more step to unhook the electrical for grille removal, but I was glad to pay that price for having no two piece connectors after the relays. There is a three wire coupler just before the relays that disconnects the high and low beam wires coming from the dimmer switch, and the ground circuit. It’s all ready to go back on the truck in the morning. I’m looking forward to having the grille back in. It makes it appear the truck is nearing completion.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Amazing Work!!! Great thinking on the disconnects...:metal:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Tonight the grille is installed and the headlight circuits are completed back through the dimmer to the headlight switch. The horn is connected and the fan, fan relay, and circuit breaker are also completed. Fitting the panel and routing the wires to look tidy took several hours. All wiring in front of the radiator is now checked off.

Driver’s side:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/802/hx4o.jpg

Test fitting the radiator apron for clearance:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/690/zdcj.jpg

The headlight and fan relays are powered by this stud, and all the grounds go from the battery cable on the right back to the engine block:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/607/ysnd.jpg

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

My ohhh my..... That looks good Mark.

Looking at your wiring, reading about peoples burn outs, I know I need to look at redoing my whole trucks wiring before it turns to tears once I have done the bodywork.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Mark, great work as usual, I know you just about have it finished but one thing you might consider is grounding the front ground spot to the frame instead of the radiator support. Here is what we used front and back. this ground block used #1 welding wire to ground to the frame and has multiple ground points. Yours wiring looks great......Kieth

http://kieth.smugmug.com/Trucks/66-GMC/i-Jt3SQkP/A
hard to see but we installed on at the front of the truck and one at the rear, tied all light housing ground wires and anything else that needed a ground.

here is a link to see a better picture of the grounding block:
Master Ground Block
http://www.electricalconnection.com/...ution-main.htm

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Thanks for the great input Kieth. I actually have yet another battery cable to ground the block to the frame. The one to the radiator support isn’t to ground the front of the truck, it specifically provides a wired path directly back to the battery for all the lighting grounds. I also have a RF wired grounding kit for the rear of the truck, but haven’t installed it yet.

Yesterday morning started out connecting the low amperage 12 volt wires to the fan and headlight relays. The horn wire was also connected to the fuse panel.

Next up was the 3rd brake light circuit. Previously all the tail, turn, and brake light wires ran along the driver’s door jamb and exited at the rear corner of the cab. This routing has been abandoned in the new layout, with all rear wires going through the firewall. In the old layout the 3rd (&4th) brake lights on the back of the cab acted as turn signals, tail lights and brake lights. Now they only function as brake lights, the tail and turn features have been eliminated. This greatly simplified the wiring.

Gaining access required removal of the upholstery panels behind the seats. As long as they were out I went ahead and got to work on the dome light, which was still operating on the original 54 year old wiring. With the fuse panel on the passenger side, I wanted the power wire to run along that rocker sill, while the ground wire remains on the driver side for connection to the headlight switch. I fished the power wire through with relative ease. The problem was I didn’t want any splices in the system, and don’t have any new connectors for the dome light bulb to clip into. So I had to pull the old ones out of the wooden harness and reuse them. First step was to open the terminal clamps on the insulated part of the wires:

The wires were very brittle so they were easy to break up and chip away:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/585/siz5.jpg

Eventually I pushed the remnants out and opened the terminal to its nearly original shape:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/835/pe4q.jpg

One more apology on behalf of Imageshack. It seems impossible for them to load photos without messing them up in some manner, in this case unwanted rotation.

When I crimped the new wire in place, the large fingers gripped the insulation just fine, but the little ones meant for the bare wire snapped off, so soldering was the only handy solution:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/208/9fgm.jpg

It would have been a lot easier to just buy a new dome lamp/harness, but I’m getting so close to completion I don’t want any more delays waiting for parts.

Today started out cleaning up the garage. Both benches were out of control and I couldn’t find anything. Time to take a break, put everything away and begin again:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/855/5oup.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/811/ynsd.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/35/vshq.jpg

Once that was done, I routed the wires for the gas tank sender, speed generator, and back up light power. Each was connected and routed through the firewall grommet on the driver’s side. Ground wires for the dome and courtesy lights were completed next, and finally the dash light circuit was assembled to the main gauge disconnect, the under dash panel disconnect, the tachometer and the column mounted vacuum gauge.

That completes all the wiring in the cab. So the wires were clustered and tie wrapped or zip loomed as needed. Here’s what the instrument cluster cavity looks like before the gauge panel was reinstalled. The 4 pin connector on the left is for the indicator lights. The 8 pin connector is power, ground, and dash lights for the gauges:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/31/4ev5.jpg

Here the couplers are joined:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/163/921t.jpg

And the gauge panel reinstalled:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/690/owc4.jpg

Here most of the wire is bundled. The final portion in the center of the dash will be done after the under dash gauge panel is reinstalled and any slack needed in the harness will have been determined:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/838/wcc6.jpg

Tomorrow the under dash panel goes in, and the glove box door. The steering wheel will go in last just because it’s so much easier to move around in the cab without one. Wiring up the hood is next, leaving only three remaining connections under the truck and the rear lighting.

After 15 days of working until the point of collapse, I’m beginning to think I might actually live through this!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Just a brief note – I believe I may have found the source of the original short circuit that led to this whole project. There has been a diode in the heater circuit from the days when the truck had air conditioning. Without the diode, after switching the engine off it would continue to run if the heater fan was on high speed. The diode prevented this from happening, so after the A/C went away I just left the diode in place.

Going through all the electrical stuff I’m tossing out, I took a glance at the diode assembly and noticed that it appears to have popped and burned (charred) through the shrink wrap. I’ll never know for sure if this was the culprit, but I haven’t found anything else odd except for the other charred wire.

Yesterday I started out installing the under dash panel. Any remaining wires needing attention were tie wrapped. The clock was reinstalled, wound, and the time set. The glove box door went back on next.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/703/f35w.jpg

As a side note, the fancy custom fender emblem Mike McMurphy had made up got me thinking – if I could have something custom made, what would I want? I wanted something classy that would also add some sparkle. The more I thought about it I really wanted a miniature GMC emblem like the one on the tailgate. It seems this is known as the “Flying M” emblem amongst GMC guys. Looking at a 57 GMC big truck in the new Stovebolt calendar, I spotted the side fender emblem which my calculating eye suggested would be the perfect size for the glove box door. I started searching Ebay and found that all the chrome emblems are pitted, rusty, and way more expensive than their value. So I bought a painted version in mint condition that is destined to become the first item I’ve ever had chrome plated.

Here’s what it looks like in relationship to the glove box door:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/208/1x6u.jpg

With all under dash work completed, the kick panels and steering wheel were reinstalled. All the debris was cleared out of the truck and attention moved to the engine compartment. I realized I was leaving the white tie wraps in place until everything was complete, which had actually been done for several days. So all the wires from the alternator to the back of the intake manifold were zip loomed. Another single piece covered from the firewall to the starter. With that out of the way I loomed the headlight wires which are tucked up inside the inner fender channel. I was leaving the radiator aprons off for possible trouble shooting, but realized that was unnecessary so they were also reinstalled:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/801/e869.jpg

After detangling a few of the wires heading to the rear of the truck, the front parking and turn signal wires were connected.

The battery was reinstalled, and only the ground cable connected so I could test the lights to determine which wire went to which filament, and on which side.

In the stock wiring harness, there’s a 3 wire connector for 4 wires (the parking lights are connected together). The Ron Francis kit provides 4 separate wires, so I decided to keep it that way. Since I didn’t have any 4 wire connectors, I used two sets of connectors (2 wires each) and reversed the male/female orientation of each pair so they cannot be hooked up incorrectly.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/37/5lgh.jpg

After a few more hours cleaning up the garage again and returning all the electrical connectors to the master kit, I decided to take a look at the glove box. I’ve tried this twice before on different cars over the years, and ended up both times failing and throwing everything away. The downfall was trying to move the back forward to create a shorter box. This time, I decided to cut the front end off, and move the back forward intact. It was much easier. I trimmed down the right side, and attached it to the narrowed main portion with spray on headliner adhesive.

Then just to see how clever I could be, I removed all the speed nuts pressed into the portion of glove box I had cut off. I got them out, and successfully reattached them to the revised assembly. I punched the main screw holes with a hollow punch, started the retaining screws into the clips, and them pressed the locking tangs through cardboard by backing up the pierced side of the pliers with a chunk of flat pencil eraser. This allowed the piercing tip to come through undamaged, and they were then bent over as in the original glove box. The end result is a miniature glove compartment that actually looks pretty authentic, and is big enough for the registration and insurance papers:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/845/tjif.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/593/982r.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/194/xw9l.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/401/xk80.jpg

I even managed to keep the glove box light!

Here it is installed:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/706/5euz.jpg

With easy access to the fuse panel, seated and sitting upright!

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/827/qn89.jpg

At this point everything from the back of the cab to the front of the hood is completed. I’m taking today off, and tomorrow the truck will go up on stands and I’ll tackle the final transmission and rear lighting connections.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Nice Mod to the Glove box, and the Emblem idea...:metal: