Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Not exactly sure on how to answer the question

I’m just a backyard mechanic trying to share my build with others and also have a place for all the information about this build to be in one place for me. I’ve worked on aircraft, cars and trucks for many years and being retired now it gives me time to put this build together on this forum.

In the past for me the most enjoyable time was when some one stopped over or I went to their place to see what their doing or to show off what I’m doing. There was the working together, sharing experiences, solving problems, trying something new or sometimes just sitting around talking about what to do down the road. As the years pass things change, I’m just trying to recreate those enjoyable times again in this forum for me. That has been my attempt in this build thread, the problem is trying to represent you actually being hear. The questions of where did you get that, how did you do that, this might be a better solution, or something you might see that doesn’t even need to be talked about.

So for my political statement (smile), to the question (Bruce who are you) I’m just me, and as far as running for public office (NO). I think I’m more of a hands on type and prefer doing.

Maybe I should change the build thread name to (thank you for stopping by) Input and thoughts are appreciated.

Enjoy your build

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Bruce over the last 12 to 14 months I have enjoyed stoppoing in to see what has been sone in Bruce's Garage that day. Hey that sounds like a really good place to startup here on this forum I do not know but I bet even the most experienced and long time members would think the knowledge you could share would be most valueable to everyone even making the membership to this forum more valuable to the members and potential members.
Just Say No To Politics, when you finish your build I hope you will open a new section in the forum called "Bruce's Garage" "all Input and thoughts are appreciated and even some dumb questions".
and that is just my thought thank you FLDBRED for your post that got Bruce to give us this insight.
Good day!!!
West

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Bruce,
I hope my post didn't make you feel uncomfortable! You have an unique ability to make both the most experienced and novice feel like they are part of your build,friends you could say! Your attention to detail is second to none,yet at the same time the first time builder can relate! I would bet that you have been successful in any thing you put your mind to! Anyway thanks for being...just you!

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Nice work on the seatbelt installation. Great idea. Couple of questions, did your cab come with shoulder belts? If not, how did you do the upper anchor points? is there a re-inforcement welded in? I can't tell from the pictures. thanks

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Thanks for the write up. I already used your template for installing the mirrors on my 68.

When I installed seatbelts in mine, I did extend the receivers. Without doing so, they worked, but always seemed just a bit too short. I welded up some mounts out of 1/4" angle iron gusseted on the sides. I could probably lift the truck with them, but didn't think it was a place to scrimp and you can't see them in mine.

To the last post, my 68 even had the upper mounts threaded from the factory- just had to pull the plugs out and install a factory bolt.

Thanks again Bruce.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

From what I’ve seen in the Factory Assembly Instruction Manual all of our truck cabs have a reinforced 7/16 – 20 nut plate in the upper corner. Trucks without the shoulder belt option just have a plastic cap covering the nut.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

What’s with the confusion some have
Some of it is understandable and some is just a lack of information

The electrical wiring of the windshield washer & wiper motor seem to cause problems for some. When their trying to troubleshoot why it’s not working or how to hook it up with stock wiring and sometimes wiring it from scratch.

The electrical circuit is basic but with a twist, normal on other circuits the power is controlled thru the switches but on the wiper circuit the ground is controlled thru the switches. You need to keep this in mind when understanding or troubleshooting the system.

There’s a good how to (Testing Windshield Wiper Motors) by LockDoc on this forum http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=413551 . I did run into a word that I was not familiar with concerning wiper motors (Non-depressed park motor or depressed park motor). What’s that mean and how does it apply to my installation? Well hears a definition that might help, on a non-depressed park motor when the wiper is turned off the motor will park the wiper blade at the bottom of the window. With a depressed park motor when the wiper is turned off the wiper blade is moved below the window into a stowed position under the cowl or hood (normally found on newer cars and trucks). Our 67 – 72 trucks only use a non-depressed park motor.

The wiring diagram has a small error that could cause a problem especially when wiring with a non-stock wiring harness. The diagrams show the power wire going to the center terminal of the three terminals on the motor, this is the wrong terminal (see picture below)

Attachment 708776

The factory prevented wiring the wiper motor wrong with a special connector and terminals on the motor. The connector has a open slot on one side so that when it’s put on the terminals the small bent tab on the terminals will allow the connector to go on in one way only. If you try to put it on wrong you will probably break the connector or bend the terminal, but we all know some people will try (smile)

You’re not going to see a bent tab on the #3 low ground terminal or slot it’s just a single wire connection. On the washer pump connection the connector has the open slots but the pump terminals (not shown) may or may not have the bent tabs on the terminals. It doesn’t mater how you connect the pump, it’s a electro magnetic solenoid and will work as long as it has power to one terminal and a ground on the other regardless how it’s hooked up.

As you go down to the parts store to get a wiper motor, the first question the parts man asks is what do you need a 3 terminal or 4 terminal wiper motor, (he doesn’t know) both wiper motors can be used and the only difference is a extra terminal not used on your installation. So the answer is what one do you have in stock and do they mind if the one you turn in (Core charge) doesn’t have the same number of terminals. Why the extra terminal I don’t know, possibly the 4 terminal motor is also used on another car or truck. The extra terminal is a jumper terminal to the #2 power terminal.

Attachment 708777

The gasket that goes between the wiper motor and the wiper mount, I picked up from LMC. To give some more sealing in this area I put some glass ribbon sealer on the edge of the wiper mount and after the motor was in smoothed the seal out with my finger on the outside area. Maybe this will help prevent any leaking, the installation drawing doesn’t show any seal being used.

Attachment 708778

A couple of pictures from a view point that you normally can’t see. As I was loading up the dash with some of the parts that go in there and before the steering column was installed or wiring harness. It definitely gets tight in there fast (smile).

Attachment 708779

May your wipers always work well when you need them, in my state I need them a lot (smile).

Enjoy your build

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

As always, yours thread is very informative. Thanks Bruce!

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Awesome pics keep them coming

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

WOW!! just found your thread! subscribed!!

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

any pics of the headliner done ??

never mind found them what do you think of it?? I just wish it was a compartment instead of a cb mount

heres a link to the head liner for those interested
http://www.ioffer.com/i/67-72-chevro...shell-62810236

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Hi Hottrucks

My headliner did come with a cover for that area of the headliner (see below picture). You could cut a hole and make it a small compartment to put things but I think it was with the thought to put the radio in the headliner and it would be covered by the cover and give a place to drill the holes for the radio mounting (see installation picture below).

Attachment 712703

Attachment 712704

I know that a CB seams out of date today by many but I wanted one and this was where it worked for me. There was two problems with using the cover with the CB. (1) The CB is longer than a radio and mounts differently. (2) The speaker for this CB is in the bottom of the CB case and the cover would cover it.

I did modify the headliner a small amount to be able to use the CB in that area. I did place a 3 inch x 8 inch peace of sheet metal on top of the plastic headliner to spread the load of the CB mount, CB’s are generally heaver than a radios and with two screws going up into the plastic I didn’t want the CB falling down. On both sides of the area I drilled some holes to be able to install the screws from the CB mount to the CB case and then covered the holes with some plastic caps. I also put a hook between the speakers to hold the mike cable out of the way. Ref back to the install post #500 on this build thread http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...318544&page=20

Another one of those modification I didn’t talk about or show, sorry about that I just didn’t think (smile). For me I liked the way it turned out everything is up and out of the way.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

thanx I'm Oh to familair with CB's hanging from the ceiling I drive a BIG truck everyday ...they now make a zip cord that pulls back in for the cb cord check your local truck stop they work well to keep the cord from slapping you around

thanx for the info
Jeff

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Subscribed. The best built on the forum:metal:
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Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

any updates Bruce?

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Not really Trey unless you want to see some pictures of my yard (smile). Been mainly doing spring yard cleanup and those outside jobs around the house after coming out of winter.

Did find some time to run a few of the wires under the dash but not done with them yet.

There is one little thing, I didn’t like how the stock speedometer cable was routed it seemed to me that it needed to be a little bit longer. Was unable to find a speedometer cable the desired length so I plan on using a Lokar (SP-1500U) U-Cut-To-Fit speedometer cable kit. I found a problem with the Lokar instructions and sent them an e-mail with a possible correction to the instructions. (Hear is the e-mail and pictures posted below)

A possible problem that might exist for some with your U-Cut-To Fit GM & Chrysler Speedometer Cable Kit Installation Instructions.

I understand that this kit is a universal kit for GM & Chrysler speedometers with a 5/8 – 18 threaded ends and a transmission with a 7/8 – 18 threaded ends. But not all speedometers with a 5/8 – 18 threaded ends have the same end configuration.

I’m installing the Lokar SP-1500U speedometer cable kit on a stock 1972 Chevy C10 truck speedometer with a 5/8 – 18 threaded end. The Speedo cable tip does not sit flush with the Speedo end fitting. If I fallow your instruction (step 4) and mark the inner cable at the end of the fitting and not subtract the additional end that sticks out past this surface the cable will be binding inside the outer cable, if I could get it on (see attached picture).

I plan on subtracting .321 from the mark made per step 4 and cutting the inner cable there (not flush with the end). Per my calculations this should give me 1/16 to 1/8 inch free play to move back and forth and prevent any binding condition.

Not all speedometers are made the same and the .321 dimension above is just on my installation, other cars and trucks may have different dimensions. But if there is an area that extends out past where the surface that the Speedo end fitting will sit it needs to be taken into consideration before cutting and crimping the inner cable.

Possibly a note on step 4 that this condition might exist and needs to be checked and calculated into where to cut the inner cable. After the cable is cut and crimped it’s too late.

Hope you find this information a benefit to installing your speedometer cable kit for others.

Bruce

Attachment 718084

I should be able to post some updates on the build within a week or two. Hope this tidbit of information wets your appetite (smile)

Enjoy your build

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Bending and twisting
Then looking for a comfortable position to see and do the work

All the wiring and parts are installed under the dash except the speedometer cable.
Glad to be out from under the dash and the wiring around the fuse block might not
look the best but it’s functional. I think that I just about maxed out the stock fuse
block with the added circuits and rerouting of some of the wires. I did put some
small labels on the added wires down at the fuse block to help identify the new
circuits. This should help in the future in remembering where all the wires run if I
ever have to figure out a problem (Hope not, but you never know) (smile).

Possibly a let down on documenting this post with all the new parts used. There
are plenty of small parts like little rubber bumpers, fire wall insulation, air ducks
and so on that where used. More than I feel like listing.

For those interested in the added wires and rerouting of some you need to look back
thru this build thread and you can see the wiring drawings that I made to help me
figure out how I was going to do it.

There’s so much going on behind this basic looking dash and the pictures probably
don’t show all the work that went into it, but hears some pictures I hope you find of
interest.

Attachment 721361Attachment 721362

Attachment 721363Attachment 721364

Attachment 721365

There’s plenty of wiring to do outside the dash area all the wires and lines added are
just run thru the firewall and still need to be hooked up. Onto the speedometer cable,
floor shifter, and floor covering. I better get to work (smile).

Enjoy your build

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Mr. Clean aint got nothing on this truck. OUTSTANDING!

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

:agree: nice work as usual!

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

looks like new Bruce! keep up the great work! your posts are very informative!

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Nice job the wiring looks great.. Did I miss it or is there a reason the needles are different colors?

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Good eye for detail, the speedometer is a very light/faded orange from age and the fuel gage is new. Give the fuel gage 30 years and they should look the same (LOL). One of those little details I didn’t take care of when I rebuilt the instrument cluster. I’m just going to live with it for now.

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

I imagine we'll live with it too then...

As always, great clean build and perfect documentation!

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Your builds and attention to detail always amazes me!!!

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Awww Bruce....with all this detail and you forget to do this:lol: it's a quick fix...I say go ahead and paint it bright:D

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Hey Bruce, nice build and excellent documentation!

What length did you end up with for your speedo cable?

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Hi DesertCat

I haven’t installed or cut the speedo cable at this time but when I do I will post the length I ended up with.

I did contact Lokar concerning cutting the cable (see post #536) and their response from the tech department was that they had never run into the problem noted and was sending the information to their research and development department to take a look at it.

I think that my approach that I will use as stated in post #536 will work and plan on using it when I cut the cable.

Hopefully I will have that information for you in a week or two. I’m just slow some times, OK a lot of times (smile), and there’s some small little problems that have cropped up that I’m taking a look at (not associated with the speedo cable), that I like to take care of at the time they crop up. Sometimes in a build minor tweaking of a plan as you put it together is needed for my self satisfaction with the end results.

Enjoy your build
Bruce

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

if you arent writing "HOW TO" manuals for a living i think you are missing your calling ....SUPER NICE WORK as always

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

I agree with 67cheby! Reading your thread is like going to school to learn how to rebuild these trucks! Thanks and keep up the awesome work!

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Not necessarily speeding along with the build (smile)
But hears the info on one small part, the speedo cable

Breaking out the tape measure, the stock speedo cable that came with my truck measured out at 63 inches with a 7/8 – 18 threaded end on the transmission end and a 5/8 – 18 threaded end on the speedometer end.

I looked at how the stock cable was routed from the factory and the stock 63 inch cable could be used even with the 700R4 trans that I’m using. But I didn’t like the shaper bend that is needed at the fire wall grommet, this area is normally a sharper bend on the stock installation than the rest of the run. I’m of the opinion that the speedo cable should have a consistent curve/bend to the run, with this thought in mind I would need a little longer speedo cable.

Then the disappointment at finding one that fit my needs set in. After going around to a number of different parts stores in my area (no I’m not going to list them), I found that a number of different length speedo cables where listed for our trucks (this can be found on the web stores too). Things I didn’t like about the cables that I looked at, I found that some didn’t measure out in length as what was on the box or per part number specks, some shorter and some longer by inches and even feet. All the cables looked to be a cheaper version than the stock cable, smaller outside DIA and made outside of the US and none of them came with the fire wall grommet install on them. Maybe my standards/expectations are to high and the cables, if I could find the right length would work just fine, but didn’t find one that was close. With this experience I didn’t want to order one over the web, not knowing what I would be receiving, maybe some of the same problems.

Decided to go with a Lokar SP-1500U U-Cut-To-Fit Speedometer Cable. This cable has a high cost about $70 but is of very high quality exceeding a stock factory cable and I can get the exact length that I want by cutting it to that length. See previous posts #536 & #547 concerning the minor problems I ran into regarding cutting this cable.

One of the problems that I’ve run into in the past concerning installing a new speedometer cable is finding or installing a fire wall grommet on the assembled cable, getting the grommet over the cable end fitting. A trick that I’ve used before and works for me is to use a electrical grommet and a short length of tube. (See below picture)

Attachment 724560

Hear are some pictures of the cable installation. Normally the speedo cable is held in place by two clamps, one on the cab body and one on the frame. Decided not to use the attach point on the cab body because it held the cable to close to the body causing a sharper bend in the cable at the fire wall grommet. I might add a small bracket and clamp to the brake booster brace for added support. You might not find this brace on all of our trucks. As to what length of speedometer cable did I ended up with, it is 66 ½ inches long.

Attachment 724561

Attachment 724562

As I hang my head down in shame (smile) Ill be pulling the instrument panel and painting the speedometer needle. Thanks guys for seeing that detail I should have done when I cleaned up and rebuilt the instrument panel such a long time ago. Keep an eye on me and make sure I don’t miss anything.

Enjoy your build

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Thanks for the update on the speedo cable! That helps a lot.

This is one of the great things about a good forum with quality threads and pictures... I can sort out what I need and plan how I'm going to do it while being 9000 miles away from home.

BTW... there's some dust on that hood hinge, might wanna take care of that :-)

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Close but not an exact match
Matching colors is an art (smile) hears my attempt

I took the instrument panel down to the hobby store to find a color for the needles on my instrument panel. And the paint listed in the picture below seemed to be the best choice I had with the paints available to me.

There’s plenty of problems with evaluating color, the light that you are trying to compare it in, how old or new/faded from time, or is the color you’re trying to match an original factory color. I didn’t have a factory new needle to compare to and used a new fuel gauge needle from LMC (hopefully it’s a close match to the factory color).

I painted both needles to eliminate any minor color difference between the new and old refinished needle that might occur. The inserts in the first two pictures was just a way for me to evaluate the end results and represents the colors in a numerical value.

Attachment 732415

This paint manufacture might not be available everywhere and if you decide to refinish your needles the same color as mine don’t be disappointed. Head on down to your local hobby store and find a color that you like (it might be a close match or something different). I just tried to get as close to a factory color as I could with what was available to me.

Enjoy your build

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

looks much better! another detail done right :D

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Much better nice job on the color match..

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Ahhhh Bruce, I knew you would cave to peer pressure.....Nice job!!!:lol:

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

It shouldn’t be that hard to install
Or maybe it’s just my low self motivation of late that I need to work thru

I’m installing a LMC 38-2936 MIP Floor Mat W/Column Shift (1/8 inch thick molded polyvinyl mat). The mat is not just a drop in and it fits, there’s plenty of trimming and fitting.

The mat came with jute padding and it didn’t require any trimming except where I cut out a square section on the hump around where my floor shifter will be. I had some ¼ inch thick bed mat left over and made the black square (seen in the picture below) to seal the area around the shifter hole from water/dirt and the floor mat will sit on this seal at the same height as the pad. I did use some 2 inch double backed outdoor carpet tape in a few areas under the padding to help hold it in place, some would use spray adhesive for this.

Attachment 736248

The mat came folded up in a box, I laid it out inside the house for two days to get out the fold lines/creases and any deformity from being folded and boxed. That didn’t work to well there where still plenty of unwanted deformities that would prevent it from laying flat. Possibly if you could lay the mat out in a temp of 80 deg plus it might work better, but at 70 deg or lower the mat is still relatively stiff to work with.

The mat is molded to fit over the hump and the raised center area left to right on the floor. The mat has extra material on all the edges that will need to be trimmed to fit. I decided to start by positioning the mat to line up with the hump molded lines for left to right position and the raised center area molded area for the forward and aft starting points. Then I secured the mat in this place with fender washers and bolts at the seat mount locations on the raised center area, didn’t want the mat moving around from this position as I work at making it fit in other areas.

I used a heat gun and blocks of wood with bricks for weights to work out all the deformities from packing, working from the center aft and outboard. Found that I could only heat up about one square foot area at a time, then use the block of wood and bricks to hold it down and get it to lay flat then letting it cool and move on to the next area. Didn’t want to over heat it, just enough to get it to lay right.

I’m not going to be using all the seat mounting holes or the fuel tank mounting holes and I prefer not to leave any open holes to the outside. I’m installing some stainless steel alien head bolts with fender washers in theses open holes with a little grease on the threads to prevent corrosion. This helps to hold the mat in place and if in the future I decided to mount something there, the holes and threaded nut plates are there to use.

Working forward from the center point was a little more complicated. I only wanted the mat to go over the fire wall insulation mat by about 1 to 2 inches and not wanting to over trim it and end up short. There’s defiantly extra material on the front edge of the mat, for example I needed to cut about a 9 inch x 9 inch area out of the front edge at the center hump area just to get it under the heater. Working from the center forward and outboard the same as I did in the aft section and getting everything to lay right before final trimming was the objective. One area that I didn’t like how the mat was sitting was around the gas pedal, it was interfering with the gas pedal from going all the way to the floor. I installed a bolt and washer just above the gas pedal to hold the mat down in that area, if you look close in the picture below you can see the bolt and washer.

Attachment 736249

Attachment 736250

This mat installation is not the simplest and easiest and not wanting to wait for a hot day to aid in fitting. Plus not wanting to wait for that hot day and hoping that all the deformities from packing would work there way out and it would lay right after installing it. I definitely spent a lot of time working it into position for final trimming.

The other day as I was sitting around trying to get motivated to go out and work on the mat installation, I was just roaming around this forum and found a question in the general area that I thought I could help with. The question was about seat mounting bolt spacing. With the seat not installed, it was easy just to step out to the garage and take the measurements and a quick picture. Hears a link to throes that might be interested in that information http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=459208 . I can’t say thank you enough to all that have shown interest in this build thread and to the rest of the forum. As with all builds there will be some high spots and some low spots where things need a little inspiration and this forum helps overcome the low spots for me. Thank you

Enjoy your build

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

An amazing build and a beautiful truck! Not sure how I missed this thread all this time! Subscribed now though!

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

I a always impressed with your quality and attention to detail, keep up good work Eric
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Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

I recently re-did my gauge cluster as well, and testors model paint, 1231 gloss bright red was the closest match I found to the portion of a needle that never saw the sun. I found it at Michaels craft store for anyone who has a hard time finding it. Great job on the build and the amount of detail you put into this thread. I'm enjoying it

Re: It’s Just A Pickup
 

Looks great Bruce, better than it came from the factory I bet, glad you fought through the process