New project! The "Red Herring"

[lower50's]

I'm working on the front lights right now. Good job !! It may look like a modern truck under the hood but you have great access to everything.

[JJorgensen52]

Originally Posted by lower50's

I'm working on the front lights right now. Good job !! It may look like a modern truck under the hood but you have great access to everything.

Thanks! Access and serviceability is one of my primary goals on this truck, so I'm glad somebody thinks I'm getting it right

Got my ground bus bar mounted up tonight. Once I get the grounds terminated, the underhood wiring will be 100% complete (though I'm not going to loom anything until I've had a chance to test it all ).


Comes with this nice little water shield. Just like the General did it!

Sadly, there's really no way to hide the mess of wires under the fuse panel. I may end up making a sheetmetal shield just so it's not so obvious when you open the hood.

Tomorrow, with any luck, I'll get this mess laid back into the truck and get the DTC port hooked up so I can run a scan tool on the PCM and TCM and see if everything is playing nice together. Then just finish the fuel fill & lines and I can make explosions!

[lower50's]

Maybe try a piece of rubber instead of steel, then you don't have to worry about shorts. I'm hoping controlled explosions.

[JJorgensen52]

Originally Posted by lower50's

Maybe try a piece of rubber instead of steel, then you don't have to worry about shorts. I'm hoping controlled explosions.

Mmm, yes that's a thought. I guess we'll see how much it bothers me once everything else is loomed up.

And yes!!! An uncontrolled explosion would put me in a foul mood, indeed

[Advanced Design]

That is nice work on the grounding block JJ. Hopefully the TCM and PCM will all communicate well together!

[JJorgensen52]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

That is nice work on the grounding block JJ. Hopefully the TCM and PCM will all communicate well together!

Thanks Doug! I've got fingers and toes crossed on that one for sure

Harness is back in, OBDII port is wired, got a few other bits hooked up and validated some of the underhood wiring. Also, my turn signal problem with the rear lights seems to have resolved itself?? No idea.

Got the wipers hooked up:


I'm using a Newport wiper setup (which is really just a Marinco standard motor with a powder-coated bracket), but with the switch and delay box from a 80's F*rd Bronco. Any positive trigger wiper motor can use this setup, I picked up the switch and controller from the junkyard for $12. Gives you high, low, and "infinitely variable" delay - the longest delay you see in the video is 9/10ths the length of the max setting.

[lower50's]

Right on I love having super long delay wipers.

[JJorgensen52]

Well, loooong weekend in the shop and I feel like the truck looks exactly the same ... most of my time spent running wires and looming things so the underdash area doesn't look like a ball of spaghetti.

Was at the junkyard Friday and finally found a solution to my dome lamp problem:

It's the base of the dome lamp from a regular cab 88-98 Chevy truck ... a little creative trimming and it fits inside the stock lamp housing, and the lens just fits on and holds it in place. Came with enough wire to reach all the way down to under the dash, too!
I had to change it because my dome requires a ground trigger, and the stock one was positive triggered ... oops.

Spent a good day fighting the Vintage Air system into the truck ... still not happy with it, but at least it fits.


I COMPLETELY hacked up the harness that came with it - I wanted the circuit breaker and relay out in my fuse block, and I wanted to be able to unplug this stuff easily when I take it apart for paint - all of the connections are right here behind the glove box now:


And a parting shot: my keyless entry works now! The main takeaway here (since the door solenoids aren't in yet) is that I got the lock relays and the delayed lighting system working.


It's all parts from 95-96 GM trucks, I might have $60 in the system with two key fobs (and one of those is a NOS one ). Gives about 90 seconds entry lighting when you unlock/open a door with the ignition off, and about 5 seconds on lock to acknowledge. You could replicate what I've got here for about $20 if your junkyard is nice to you. Now if only I could find a GMC Trucks keyfob from a pickup that only has two buttons...

Also, I went to fit up my radio (it's from Retrosound) and it didn't work, I'm thinking some pieces are missing?? The wiring is all there, but I need to call tech support tomorrow. The good news is, everything else in the cab is wired except the door jamb switches, door solenoids, power seats and the gauges. The gauges and the rest of my integrity checks will be done this week, I'm going to get battery cables made up tomorrow I hope, and get back to finishing up the fuel fill.

[Advanced Design]

JJ, the rke and lighting is a great addition to your truck. Good work! I liked the video.

What was the fight with the VA unit? Just the wiring or something else?

[lower50's]

Coming along nicely. Your key fob lights gave me a great idea for my 3rd button on my key fobs. Thanks

[JJorgensen52]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

JJ, the rke and lighting is a great addition to your truck. Good work! I liked the video.

What was the fight with the VA unit? Just the wiring or something else?

Thanks! The main impetus for this (originally) was that I didn't like the idea of not being able to lock the driver's door from outside. It snowballed a bit

On the VA unit, the wiring is pretty generic and messy because it's a universal fit, I can't really complain about that. It did all plug in and function as it was supposed to, no problems there.

The brackets, on the other hand ... So far, only one of them has fit without me having to modify it, either re-bending or re-drilling, and even with them all installed it's still pretty floppy in there. And the control panel doesn't really contour to the dash as well as I would like, the angles are off so it has a gap around the curve near the left end of the glove box.

As I said, it's in and it fits, I just am not happy with the way it fits. That, and trying to get all the ducting to fit with the cowl vent still operational is proving to be a bit of a challenge

Originally Posted by lower50's

Coming along nicely. Your key fob lights gave me a great idea for my 3rd button on my key fobs. Thanks

Curious minds want to know?? I'm not planning to use that fob, I have the two button version for the final install, but I do have the functionality to use the third button for something if I wanted to.

[JJorgensen52]

Well I've been involved in a few other projects this week, and a few other life things keeping me out of the shop. Got the radio in and wired up yesterday!
And the RDS is working ... don't blame me for the song choice

[lower50's]

I was thinking to use my third button to turn on my inter-er lights with a timer.
Your stereo looks good.

[JJorgensen52]

Wow! It's been too long since I made any progress. Did the dome lamp switches this afternoon.

Here's the switch, it's the one they use for the rear hatch on a 1995-2005 S10 Blazer, and also on some vans and such until about 2014. I picked this one over the other common style because the retainer is made so that the switch can be removed without breaking it.


This is the plate I used to mount it, about 2" diameter, stamped from 20ga - originally designed for mounting a 1/4" stereo jack on a Fender amp


The original center hole was 7/16", needed it to be nearly 5/8". Filed/dremeled it to size; drilled a hole in the pillar and spotted in:


All welded and ground:


Switch installed and depth set (happens automatically when you shut the door the first time) - the switch and plate combo is such that the plunger could actually be flush with the jamb if need be.


And here's a shot in the jamb with the door shut ... not much room in there!


Hoping for big things tomorrow!

[Advanced Design]

JJ, that was a really creative and resourceful way to get a door switch. Where did you get the little plate?

Ok, I found one..... http://www.amprepairparts.com/jackpanel.htm

[JJorgensen52]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

JJ, that was a really creative and resourceful way to get a door switch. Where did you get the little plate?

Ok, I found one..... http://www.amprepairparts.com/jackpanel.htm

Thanks Doug!

I got them here - I ordered four, figured if I didn't I'd end up messing one up, so I have a couple spares!

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by JJorgensen52

Thanks Doug!

I got them here - I ordered four, figured if I didn't I'd end up messing one up, so I have a couple spares!

Better price!...I paid $1.39...ordered like 10 to keep them around. Oh and two of the switches from Amazon. Rock auto was a little cheaper but not much and Amazon has free Prime shipping on them.

[JJorgensen52]

Well, everything I planned to do in the last weekend and week pretty much didn't happen, but I've gotten a few things done when I have a minute!

Mirror wired up and functioning - self dimming, includes a map light and Homelink door openers


And gauges are now wired up!




I finally got the right laptop here to run EFI Live so on Sunday I will be checking the engine harness out, and then on to the fuel fill and trial starts!

[DeanTX]

Impressive gauges!

[lower50's]

I forgot how nice your gauges are Trial starts are exciting.

[7dee2]

Very cool Jim!

[JJorgensen52]

Originally Posted by DeanTX

Impressive gauges!

Originally Posted by lower50's

I forgot how nice your gauges are Trial starts are exciting.

Originally Posted by 7dee2

Very cool Jim!

Thanks fellas!

Well I've not had more than a minute edgewise to get out in the shop the last week or so, but tonight I got a chance to power up the ECM and TCM ... all looks to be good, no codes

Now I just need to hook up those pesky fuel lines and put on the starter and I can see if she'll run

[lower50's]

My fingers are crossed for you.

[JJorgensen52]

Originally Posted by lower50's

My fingers are crossed for you.

Thanks!

Spent most of the weekend out of doors doing warm weather chores - also had to put a new muffler on the '71... more on that in a minute.

Started in on the fuel fill tonight! This was probably the hardest part, getting motivated to drill the hole:


And test fitting pieces ... that fuel filler hose is TOUGH to bend around corners ... no problem once it's in, though.


Also fixed the fuel pump wiring (turns out, LS motors use a 12v trigger, not ground. D'oh!)

So the '71 had to get a new muffler, partly because it exploded the other day , but mostly because I'm going to be selling it here shortly - picked up a new truck, too many toys in the shed

[7dee2]

Hate to see Merle go but wow the new truck looks pretty clean sir!