Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

I haven't been working on this lately. I'm just about ready to do the engine swap in my 71 and I'm building a porch onto my house. There are updates on the other threads in my signature below. Once the 71 is back on the road I'll get back on this project. I'm busier than a one legged man at an ass kicking contest. ;) An oldie but a goodie.
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Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Ha! No doubt. Thanks for hollering back HG you've been a big help!

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Its been over 3 years since the last update. Anybody that was following along probably thought it was abandoned like so many projects on the board but basically I just got distracted by too many other things. Work, family, house, motorcycles, cars, etc. It's true that this sat a long time without much getting done. In 2019 I was motivated to get going on it again. One of the big problems was the truck wiring. It's hard to describe how bad it really was. I finally bit the bullet and ordered a new harness for under the dash and front lighting. Not the engine harness though because very little of that gets used after the LS swap. That was ordered in August and the guy building it said a few weeks lead time. A few months later I actually got it. It was winter and that garage isn't heated and I was done until it warmed up. I had other things to take up my time.

Anyway, summer 2020 comes along. I'm stuck at home like so many are and you would think I would jump back on this, but that didn't happen. Anyone that knows me knows I have several irons in the fire at all times. This particular iron was not one of them. Towards late summer I was looking at this one and the guilt of letting it sit so long finally overcame the reluctance to get the wiring fixed. Working under the dash of any vehicle is the work I enjoy the least of any project. I detest it. It's uncomfortable and frustrating.

Now that I've provided a fairly complete list of reasons for dragging my feet I'll get on with the update. The short story is it runs and drives. Very happy with it. The long story will follow.

I started by pulling out the old fuse block and dash harness and getting the new one installed. Wasn't too difficult. The harness was supposedly custom made for a 79 using a gage cluster from a 91. I'm not sure yet if that's what I got. Anyway, once that was in I sorted out the engine harness, eliminating the unneeded wires. Then put the new lighting harness in. Then I went back to the LS swap harness install instructions to find where I left off and recheck everything done before. I needed to fix ground wires and connect a few wires into the cab wiring. I sorted out the starter wiring that had been hanging there for a few years, crossed my fingers and cranked the engine over for the first time since I bought it.

I spent a couple of days working under the truck getting the exhaust Jerry rigged together, wiring the fuel pump, pulling even more old wires out, getting the transmission wiring and tranny cooler hooked up. Basically just rechecking everything and trying to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything.

I had built an ECU mount last year for the driver side inner fender. Everything seemed to be powered up and ready to rock. So I turned the key and heard the fuel pump run. Did that a few times and then started cranking the engine. It fired for about 1/10th of a second. Multiple times. And never more than that. Dammit.

I talked to the local mechanic who helps me out occasionally. I borrowed his fuel pressure test setup and found that I had fuel pressure but it fell off as soon as the pump stopped. So it was getting fuel to the rails at least. And he suggested spraying ether in the intake. That allowed it to run for a few seconds. Long enough to know the ignition side of the equation was good. He also said that it was common for the junkyard engines that sat for awhile to get stuck injectors. I borrowed his injector signal tester and they were getting the signal to open so it wasn't a problem with the ECU. I pulled the injectors out and soaked them in cleaner and rigged up a battery pack to fire them but couldn't get them to open.

So off to the injector cleaning place in Mankato they went. Picked them up a couple days later and reinstalled. Time to hold my breath and give it another shot.

Success!! It fired up and idled along. Revved it a couple times and shut it down. No driveshaft. That was August 20th.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

In all its glory on 8/20/20

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Two big things to do next, driveshaft and cooling system. The driveshaft was too long because of the additional length of the 4L80. No matter how far forward I put the engine it wasn't enough. In hindsight I should have put the engine back about an inch or more to have more room for radiator fans but I was attempting to save a buck by not having the driveshaft shortened. It didn't work and it's for the better anyway because the driveshaft needed new u joints and hanger bearing anyway. A shop in Mankato did the work and a fantastic job of it for a good price. And I picked it up the next day with fresh paint and rebalanced.

That went in and it was ready for its maiden voyage. Forward and back. It moved under its own power!! That was 8/21/20.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

The driveshaft.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Nice, it always is a nice feeling when they run. A major hurdle overcome!

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

The cooling system was going to be the stock radiator and electric fans. While shopping for the electric fans and shroud I found it was about the same price to buy an aluminum radiator with the fans and shroud included. I have a spare radiator for the plow truck now. It was supposed to be a direct replacement fit but wasn't. Of course not. The new radiator was a couple inches shorter in height. So I made some mounts to lift it up and installed it. I bought it on eBay from a Minnesota seller. A few bucks more than the sellers working out of a cargo container in NJ.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Pics

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

After the cooling system was in I went for a drive. I had to know if the transmission would work. I bought it used and had no idea if it was good or if the ECU was going to control it properly because it came out of a Silverado 4x4 with the 4L60. My good fortune held up and my trip down the quarter mile long driveway was enough to get it through all the gears, both manually and in drive.

I was done enough with the drivetrain to move on with other problem areas. Rust. I had started the passenger side rocker replacement years ago and it was time to get that side done at least. Still needs cleaning up and body work but the rockers are in and passenger side doors also. I might change the front door again. The blue door was a clean reproduction set I found at a junkyard this summer. I think it's thinner metal and I'm not thrilled with the fit. I'll check if I have a better GM door to use even if I need to fix some rust in it.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Looking good!

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

More rust repair. I found some rattle can brown that's a close enough match.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

The right rear door was in decent condition. The bottom seam was bad from the factory. The door bottom was pushed up and the outer skin is folded over but the inner wasn't all the way in. I split the seam and pushed the bottom down where it's supposed to be. Cleaned up a tiny bit of rust then used some panel adhesive to close it back up properly. That will prevent rust starting back up in the seam.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

The right front door is solid. I just don't like the fit and it seems weak. But it's on until I find a better option. And that is pretty much how it sits now. I started it up yesterday for the first time in weeks. Popped right off. I might work on doors this winter but probably not the driver side rockers until spring. I have some parts to install to lower the rear a bit and will probably just cut the coils in front to level it out. Not doing an extreme drop.

Other plans are bucket seats and console in front, I have a new grill, and I have a camper to put in the bed. I'm hoping to do a road trip next summer with it.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Thanks for the update. You're doing some nice work on it.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Nice... Glad you got back to it.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

More nice work good sir! It's almost hard to say but finding decent front square body doors is a bit challenging in our area now. :lol:

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

I started it up yesterday and drove it up and down the driveway. I put the bench seat back in (not bolted down) because the old bucket seat was flopping around. No problem starting after sitting all winter. Still need to wire up the radiator fans.

The past few weeks I have been working on doors. Like I said last update, not happy with the front doors I had. They are an aftermarket one, no rust but just off a bit. So I dug out another pair I had in the parts stash and looked them over good. The driver side one is great, the passenger side had a dent across the bottom right above the pinch weld. I tried pushing it out but it wasn't cooperating. I used a patch on just the lower outside skin. The inside was great. I just need to change them over to manual windows from power. I like the idea of power windows but not the wiring lol. I really have no problem cranking a window once in a while. The driver side rear door was surprisingly good. Minimal rust in one corner. Took me about half an hour to clean up, tiny bit of weld, grind it smooth and spray it.

The driver side rockers on the other hand are not good. The rear one isn't real bad, just a couple small patches I think is all it needs. The front one is trashed. I need to pick up a new inner rocker as well. I got as far as cutting them up and stopped for the day. I might have to do the front cab support on this side also. I haven't dug into yet. I did get new cab mount bushings though. Fix the rust, replace the bushings and then get the doors to fit.

Time to post some pics...

The last one is the new husky, Crazy Ivan. We were going to the vet to get his shots and chip inserted.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

More pics...

Ivan with our other husky Svetlana. We got her last year. She needed a playmate. We were going to breed them but that isn't happening now. They are almost inseperable.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Nice work on the truck and beautiful Huskies! Is Ivan a red? That sure is a pretty color on a Husky. I'm not sure I've seen one of those before.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Yes, he's reddish brown. It's not uncommon really but most people are familiar with the more classic grey, black, white coloring. I'm working on my plow truck right now so no update until I finish the axle swap.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

I started a build thread for the plow truck too...

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...68#post8915468

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Thanks for the updates!

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Plow truck is back together. Not quite done but the rest can wait a while. Time for rust repair. Again. The inner rocker was really bad but I think I got the worst of it out. Gotta trim a little more at the bottom of the B pillar then I can start fitting new metal in. The regular cab inner rocker patch is different than the original on the rear portion where it meets the B pillar so I might have to change it up a bit. But it's still the best option since the reproduction parts for a crewcab or suburban are inadequate. I'll probably have to put the door on to get it in the right position since I had to hack so much out.

Hope to have this side done in the next week. Wish me luck.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Good luck!

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

I believe this front inner rocker is the worst of it and I have that done.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Looks good bud, keep at it!

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

I thought the inner rocker was a PITA but getting the regular cab outer rocker to fit a crewcab B pillar is worse. Going to take some persuasion.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Eventually I got it close enough to satisfy my loose standards. I'm using adhesive on the gutter section and on the upper ends. The rest will get welded. That's why there's self tapping screws holding it. I'll finish the welding in the next couple days then make the little patches I need for the rear rocker, which isn't much and should be a snap.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Nice work on it! I've got a slue of rust repair ahead of me on a big blue beast. I should really get it done before it gets hot out! :lol:

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Front rocker almost done. Just need to put some plug welds on the bottom flange. Also got the top patch done on the rear rocker. Just one patch left then put the doors on!

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Looks good! You're making short work of it.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Last patch is in. My lesson learned from this was to not put the weld seam right on the bend because it's thinner there so welding and grinding causes holes, which need to be welded again. Also, believe it or not the patch steel is thicker than the OEM parts.

But it's done. I'll do a little cleaning and rattle can spray to preserve it then put the doors on this weekend. Get some insurance on it next week and take it out on the county road for a couple miles. It hasn't been out of the yard in about 5.75 years. I should probably get the fans powered up for the radiator too.

I still need to fix the driver side cab support and replace the body mount bushings but it can wait until after I put a few miles on it.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Brown

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Looks good..

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Thanks! It ain't pretty but it's a driver again! Got the doors on this morning, cleaned the windows and got the junk out of the bed and down the road we went. Runs good. The only issues I noticed on my very brief drive was the tranny hunts between first and second during take off and there's a whining noise from the rearend when coasting down from highway speeds. Oh and the seat is too soft, I sink down too far. Wasn't planning to use the original seat but for now it's better than a crate on the floor.

Before the engine swap we timed it to 60 mph with the 454 and 400 tranny. It was about 24 seconds. A real dog. But it rode nice for a 1 ton and the big crewcab was great. Today the 0-60 was around 10-11 seconds. Not really getting on it just like getting down a freeway on ramp. And it cruised at 70 like I was in my Yukon Denali. So smooth in fact I better check the tire pressure. Lol

Lots to do yet but this was a big step today.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Tonight I got the coolant fans hooked up. I wasn't 100% sure my fan relay was going to work. It came with a temp switch that goes on the engine but I wasn't going to use it. The engine harness has 2 wires for fans and the instructions say to connect to the relay ground. I took a chance that the relay ground and the temp switch wire were the same thing and it worked.

Next was using my cheap ass OBD2 code reader to finally find out why the check engine light is always on. Took a few tries to get an app that worked and make a connection with my phone but I got it. The only codes were for oxygen sensors not working. It's trying to read all 4. I only have 2 and no cats. So part of the problem is programming. The other problem is the sensors. When I was hooking them up the plugs were slightly different. I used a razor knife to get the 2 plugs to fit together knowing that they may not work but worth a try. Apparently they didn't connect. So I need to get the correct oxygen sensors and get some programming done.

Lastly I wanted to get the idle adjusted. There's a procedure in the manual for the harness and I followed it but no change. Maybe the oxygen sensors effect it? IDK but in gear it idles at 500. In park it's about 1400, way high.

So overall it's running decent and the fans work and it doesn't overheat. So insurance, get the hood on, make sure the lights all work and I'll put some miles on it. Oh and I have to get the driver door window swapped to the manual regulator. No AC so it's a must have.

Going in the right direction!!

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Got insurance on it. But it's not quite ready for a road trip. I got the driver door window regulator swapped so I have air conditioning. I bolted the seat down. Haven't done seat belts yet. And found my tailgate, which is in worse condition than I remember. And it doesn't fit. I don't remember what the deal was when I took it apart but it's an 80 and up tailgate which has different trunnions and I don't have the parts to mount it.

So I called my local parts supply, daburb, and he was out of new gates but had a decent used one for cheap. So I got that as a temporary one and will get a new one later, before paint.

Going to get the hood and grill parts on, probably tomorrow, then drive it to town and see how it goes. The new oxygen sensors will be here Tuesday. I'm still shocked that the only trouble codes were for the sensors. Junkyard engine that sat for several years before I got it running. Unknown condition other than the junkyard people saying it ran good before they pulled it.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck
 

Spent the day working on reassembly on the front end. Mismatched bolts, missing bolts, missing bulbs, broken bits, etc. Replaced the tail light lenses. The lights all seem to work but not the blinkers, the flasher isn't clicking I don't think. Got the hood on. Complete pain getting it lined up and it's still not right. Will probably have to replace the hinges. The hood release cable is broken so I can't put the grill in. Should have it next week. Went for a drive though and it rides and drives great. Brakes are a little uneven, probably from sitting so long. Got the gear noise from the rear I need to check out. A small tranny fluid leak by the radiator somewhere.

Re: HG's Bigass Farm Truck