1947 Panel Truck Frame swap with ’88 k2500

[Second Series]

That heater hose coupler fragment came out with little effort and the right tool. Now I need to get a replacement fitting and hose, and coolant.
I asked about getting hoses made at the local Flaps, they said they only do hydraulic. I went to a hose business, they only do hydraulic, but recommended a rubber business down the road. I went there and they came up with a solution for the oil cooler lines using Air Brake hose. I put that in and it looks like I got the lengths right. Now I need to come up with a bracket for the oil radiator, and the power steering radiator.
I re-assembled the steering shaft with the custom dd shaft, and put it in place. I like it.

[dsraven]

What I have done in the past is use the end of the existing line and the use hydraulic hose with a compression style fitting to clamp over the metal line. Oil cooler lines, p/s lines etc. For the heater hose look on the dorman site for something that may work or simply install a barbed fitting and regular heater hose with clamps like the old days. The engine end is regular pipe threads.

[dsraven]

If you want a hard line for the heater hose just use a flared fitting with pipe threads on the other end, like a bug brake line. Hydraulic shops should be able to fix you up with some steel braided chromed look hose that is teflon or whatever on the inside, like a braided flex line. If they say nope, check another shop or online.

[Second Series]

I haven’t put in much time now that it is cold and wet. I purchased the hose fitting for the heater hose, 7’ of heater hose, and a valve. I installed the fitting and started routing the hose. That required putting in the old fresh air heater. The original valve started leaking years ago and I had replaced it with a valve with a thumb screw, that was always hard to operate. I got a new valve for cable operation that I will figure out how to use. I’m not sure if it will be with the original control knob and some custom linkage, or something else. I never did like how I had to reach over to the passenger side to operate it, so I might locate it closer to the driver side. Once I get the fluids topped up, it’s on to wiring so I can fire it up. I have been poring over the wiring diagrams for the ’88. I removed the harness from under dash from the donor cab and started ohming out connectors. I’ll modify it some. The ’88 harness has a bulkhead connector on the driver side that goes to a convenience center, a fuse panel, the gage cluster, and some connectors in the dash, it also goes over to the passenger side to connect to wires from another bulkhead passthrough, wiring for the ECM. I’d like to eliminate the bulkhead connector, and reduce the size of the bulkhead passthrough.
It wasn’t raining and I had some time, so I opened up the bulkhead passthrough. It had a chunk of glue inside. I was able to shatter it with pliers. I stuffed the end through the heater valve hole. It’s a tight fit with the split loom tubing protecting the wires from the sheet metal, I might add a grommet.
The bulkhead connector on the driver side is a nasty mess. I will eliminate it. Still going over the schematics. I had colorized one set of wiring diagrams awhile ago, but they had the wrong connectors. I found the correct wiring diagram and have just finished adding color to the wires. Now I’ll use that to go through the harness to determine what gets cut, and how to connect the DRAC, and how to use the original gauges.

[olcarguy]

You are doing well my friend keep at it you will get it on the road soon.

Roy

[Second Series]

The weather was nicer for a couple weeks and I put some time in on this project. I noticed that the cowl vent handle conflicted with the Brake pedal bracket. I spent 4 hours and moved the brake pedal bracket over an inch. The starter foot button was near the edge of the hole, so I moved that over a half inch. It’s action is tight with the bolts tightened, so I’ll work out the bind later. With that done I started to look at the gas pedal. The original pedal bracket had been removed. I thought about getting a replacement original bracket. I have a pedal linkage for converting from 6 to v8, but that’s for ’55 to ’59. I’d have to figure out where to position that on the outside firewall. My truck will use a cable in sheath linkage. The cable sheath mounts to a bracket on the engine on one end, the other end mounted to a hole in the firewall. I would need a bracket hanging off the outside firewall to make it work with the original pedal. The ’88 GMC pedal is an odd fit, I decided to use it. I measured the distance from firewall to pedal arm at the cable on my ’90 k1500. ~4” at rest to ~6” full throttle. I then held the donor pedal in place in the ’47 and imagined a bracket. I rough cut a cardboard bracket and carved it to fit. I wanted a better contour, I thought if I had some clay I cound make an exact template, but I got it close enough. I taped the cardboard template in place and checked the movement of the pedal. I proceeded to fab up a bracket with hand tools. I used the hf sheet metal brake for the first time. Metal is .080 so it was pushing the limits.

[Second Series]

I welded the gas pedal bracket in place and cut a square hole for the cable. It’s nice to feel the pedal working and in place. I’m doing a bunch of smaller tasks simultaneously. I replaced a captive nut on the passenger cowl vent, drilled holes to mount the power bus and relays, made a list of fasteners needed, fastened the steering column to firewall bracket, checked and topped off the synchromesh transmission fluid.

[Dan Bowles]

Nice work on the pedal fab. I've got to do the same thing in my '54 Suburban soon. I'll follow your lead!

[Second Series]

Thanks Dan, I’ll be looking for an update on your build thread! I have been searching for gas pedal solutions for awhile without finding many examples. Adding a flat bracket seemed like the cleanest solution.
I’m not completely satisfied with the position of the gas pedal, it seems a bit high. I’ll see if that changes when I install padding and a mat on the floor. I had some time and decided to work on the oil cooler bracket. I had purchased some random metal from the hardware store so I held some angle in place and visualized and started cutting and welding. I finally made a weld that I can be proud of, the rest is just blobs and grinding. The power steering radiator will hang off the oil radiator. That should be simply Two pieces of flat stock with holes drilled. After that is fabbed, I’ll paint the brackets.

[olcarguy]

The thing about welding is that the more mistakes you make the better welder you become. I can see the improvement...

[Second Series]

I get a little work in and go to the hardware store to buy a handful of fasteners, work some more and go get a few more bolts, etc..
I got the power steering radiator mounted. There were a couple places where the inner fenders conflict with something. I started to hammer and found it easy to manipulate the sheet metal. I made a bowl to clear the power steering lines on one side, and smog pump valve on the other side. I had purchased a firewall pad/panel, maybe not the best idea here. I’m trying to make it work. I need to install the panel before wiring, but after everything that bolts to the firewall is in place. I made a cardboard template, and marked the location of the brake and clutch pedal brackets. Cut, and test fit, and then cut the plastic panel. The holes for the heater motor and lines were not cut, just marked. I started to cut those out with a utility knife, that is hard so I’ll have to get back at that later. Thinking about wiring, I received the starter button and solenoid. They offered a free catalog, so I got that too. It is full of neat stuff, but I don’t think I’ll order anything else. I just like looking through parts catalogs.

[heartattack]

Originally Posted by Second Series

I get a little work in and go to the hardware store to buy a handful of fasteners, work some more and go get a few more bolts, etc..
I got the power steering radiator mounted. There were a couple places where the inner fenders conflict with something. I started to hammer and found it easy to manipulate the sheet metal. I made a bowl to clear the power steering lines on one side, and smog pump valve on the other side. I had purchased a firewall pad/panel, maybe not the best idea here. I’m trying to make it work. I need to install the panel before wiring, but after everything that bolts to the firewall is in place. I made a cardboard template, and marked the location of the brake and clutch pedal brackets. Cut, and test fit, and then cut the plastic panel. The holes for the heater motor and lines were not cut, just marked. I started to cut those out with a utility knife, that is hard so I’ll have to get back at that later. Thinking about wiring, I received the starter button and solenoid. They offered a free catalog, so I got that too. It is full of neat stuff, but I don’t think I’ll order anything else. I just like looking through parts catalogs.

Where did you purchase your firewall pad?

[6DoF]

starter pedal still? i like it!

[olcarguy]

I am going to borrow that idea of the floor starter button. Were you able to incorporate the old pedal to activate the button?

[Second Series]

6Dof, Thanks!

Originally Posted by olcarguy

I am going to borrow that idea of the floor starter button. Were you able to incorporate the old pedal to activate the button?

When the rain lets up and I have time I'll make a bracket for the starter button located near the foot button linkage. It's just the curved bar that the foot pedal is connected to, originally bolted to the bell housing, now bolted to the firewall. So there really is no linkage there other than the curved bar.
One of the first things I figured out on this project is how it will be wired up. Starting at post 19 and on, with a wiring diagram on post 27. Now the final piece to this puzzle will be the button bracket. The way the bar is mounted to the firewall puts some resistance on the action. I should try to fix that, maybe with an extra washer on one or two bolts.
I'll locate the switch so there will be about a half inch gap before the foot pedal actuates it. That way it will feel close to original. The original setup had about that much movement to engage with the flywheel, and then push down more to activate the switch.

[olcarguy]

Awesome thank you

[Second Series]

It’s been cold and wet out, but I have been doing several small tasks simultaneously. It wasn’t raining one day so I made a bracket for the starter button, and am working on the bracket for the transfercase shifter. Started to paint the cooler brackets. I put in a stronger spring for the starter pedal, now it feels right and functions well. The next day I had time it started to rain so I decided to work on the wiring. I’m eliminating the bulkhead connector. I’ve gone over the wiring diagrams and have a few print outs. I started to cut wires from the connector, one by one. Each wire gets a label covered in clear heatshrink tubing. I wanted to see what it will look like, so I stuffed the wire loom through the original wire hole with new grommet. There are about 4 wires for the windshield wiper that wont be used that are just hanging out in the picture. There were a few unused pins on the connector, so it was taking up more space than needed. I still need to run the wires for the front lights/horn, and the wires for the rear lights/fuel tank. Those might go through another existing hole, it was a tight squeeze to get the wires in the split loom tubing through the grommet. I could get more wires through without the tubing. I’ll pull it out when I connect to the inside wires. My plan is to use crimp connectors, staggered at various positions. I’ll cut the wires at different lengths so all the connectors won’t be next to each other. When I started driving this truck 30 years ago I thought I could solder the wiring to make it better. I soldered a connector for the brake light switch. The brake light switch was sometimes not turning off. One day at work my co-worker told me my rear lights were on at lunch time. I ran out and frantically tried to stop the drain on the battery. I tried to pull the connector off the switch. The current from the brake lights being on for hours had heated and melted the solder. The wire pulled out of the connector. Lesson learned. Since then I have worked on airplane wiring and learned about crimping vs. soldering. My day job is a solder tech, I’ll be crimping the wires on the truck.

[dsraven]

Sometimes I will insert a short length of hose into the grommet ant run just the wires through that rather than try to get the split loom to fit. That leaves somewhere for the split loom to be taped to as well. It also allows for the wires to be sealed so water doesn't come through into the cab if you happen to wash the engine or something.

[Second Series]

Originally Posted by dsraven

Sometimes I will insert a short length of hose into the grommet ant run just the wires through that rather than try to get the split loom to fit. That leaves somewhere for the split loom to be taped to as well. It also allows for the wires to be sealed so water doesn't come through into the cab if you happen to wash the engine or something.

I like that suggestion, Thanks.

Originally Posted by heartattack

Where did you purchase your firewall pad?

I got the firewall pad from Jim Carter, I only saw the plastic one in their catalog. I didn't spend a lot of time looking before ordering thinking I needed it right away. Later I found the fiber one like original from I think Chevy Duty. The original one was in pretty good shape before the restoration shop ripped it in half.

[Second Series]

I spent about three hours mounting the starter button bracket. I liked the way it felt when I pressed with my foot. I didn’t like how close the terminals were to the bell housing. I found a random bolt and added it as an extension to the linkage. I made a shorter button bracket and mounted that under the extension. That part only took an hour. The foot pedal throw didn’t feel right, wasn’t long enough. I was ready to call it quits for the day, but it was warm and there were a few hours of daylight left. I had given up on finding a solution that day, but I enjoy working on my truck so I continued with no expectation of results. I decided to try the first bracket in the new location. It worked well. I added a length of hose to the bolt to pad the button. I’ll need to get some ¼” lockwashers for the final mount.
I’ve been practicing the Oxy-Acetylene welding, 1,000 more hours and I’ll be ready for body work… I welded on the transfer case shifter bracket.
The inner fenders could use some rework. The fab shop left them in questionable shape, one has some thinner metal scabbed on, and the welding looks bad(pictures attached). I was able to repair some random cuts, but the rough spots with pin holes are giving me grief. None of this started as rusted through, it was all modified and poorly welded. The inner fenders were in otherwise good shape. I tried filling in pin holes with little success. I tried to cut out a small square, and patch in but that didn’t go so well. I watched some videos and have changed my technique. I’ll get on that next time I have some time.

[6DoF]

i really like keeping the foot switch!

[Second Series]

Originally Posted by 6DoF

i really like keeping the foot switch!

Thanks!

I think I’m getting better at welding. I decided the Left inner fender was good enough after welding and grinding multiple times. It’s no show winner, but it will be mostly out of sight. I applied Ospho, and some paint. I reworked some of the Right inner fender to eliminate the pin holes. I have watched a few videos, and read on a few welding forums. I read that there are three reasons for popping: Dirty tip, tips too big, or too much oxygen. Adjust the bigger flame to just before matching the smaller flame, adjust too far and it’s an oxidizing flame. With this info I got smaller welding rod, lowered the oxy pressure, and dialed the flame down to where I could just hear it. This combination worked with what I have to work with. I could use a smaller tip, but I’m happy with the results.
The battery has to go somewhere, as does the coolant reservoir. I put the Right inner fender back on the truck and used a cardboard template for the battery to determine placement. Some cutting and metal forming in the rain, a 4x4 was handy at the time. I’ll use the donor battery tray, it has a screw down block that grips the bottom edge of the battery. The test fit looks good, and the battery clears the hood spring.
After the inner fenders are installed, I can put in the inner firewall pad. I wirebrushed the dash and floor, applied Ospho, primered, and started paint.

[Second Series]

The weather is getting nicer, so I’m getting stuff done. I picked up some sheet metal from the local hardware store for the battery box. I cut out and pieced together the box overlapping the new 22Ga onto the rusty 18Ga. By the time it was done I was feeling more confident in my welding that I considered just making the whole box instead of piecing it together. I won’t get any welding certifications from this, but it will be functional.
Between welds, I worked on fitting the inner firewall cover. Set it in place, check for fit, mark, remove, cut and repeat many times. I realized that I do not have to have the inner fenders installed before installing the inner firewall cover since the fenders bolt to the kick panel. Progress is progress. The dash paint came out nice. It’s never too late to organize fasteners. I got tired of looking through the pile of bags of screws trying to figure out what was what.

[dsraven]

Looks good.
Tip: when welding clean the metal si its shiny on both sides. The weld draws in contaminants which cam make porosity, popping, etc. If mig welding cut the wire before each weld so the wire will chisel a clean arc spot and also not add contaminants from the little ball stuck to the end if the wire from the last weld. Angle the torch forward so the gas from the mig cleans the area forward of the weld before the puddle gets there.

[Second Series]

Thanks, This was Oxy-Acetylene. I’ll use O-A to repair the cracks on the rear door.
I installed the inner fenders, put in fresh oil and changed fluid in the transfer case. I got an economy squeeze bulb and spent probably and hour moving 2 ½ quarts, at least it was a nice day.
I started to thin the interior wiring harness by cutting off the bulkhead connector, and then the convenience center. I cut the buzzer module and relay sockets from the convenience center. Next I cut the e-tape, and bundled the wiring trying to isolate the extra wires from the convenience center that won’t be used. I tried to reshape the harness some. I made a box to mount the fuse panel and relays.
I re-used most of the clips from the original inner firewall pad, all the mounting holes lined up between the original firewall and the new firewall cover. One hole near the passenger side firewall stiffener was not working with the original clip. I could not find a modern body panel clip that would work. I ended up using an elevator bolt at that position.
The gasket on the top of the transmission was in rough shape. When I got the donor truck, the shifter was really loose, I would hit my knuckles on the dash. I tried to tighten the bolts but they were stripped, Two longer bolts worked, but the other Two didn’t so I used self tapping sheet metal screws. I didn’t drive the truck much and a couple years later the shifter was loose again. After much hemming and hawing I finally put a couple helicoils in. I was not looking forward to working on the top end of an aluminum transmission case, but in the end it was a solid fix that I felt good about. The original top gasket consists of a rubber gasket stuck to a metal plate. This is a 5LM60 transmission. I didn’t locate a replacement top gasket for this one, but I did find one for a NV3500, same case different guts. It is a thick rubber gasket. I tightened the screws down pretty good but there is some play in the top plate while shifting. I don’t feel comfortable over tightening the bolts and risking stripping the other two, so I might just go back with the original gasket.