project drivabeater: GMT400

[dusterbd13]

this is a little odd way of doing things, but I want to add this forum to my build/adventure threads. I truly appreciate getting feedback from completely different segments of the hobby, and like to learn from new people. additionally, since I'm going for something different than my normal autocross/race car on the street style, I figure its time to branch back out on my forums.

this started as a fly and drive/adventure thread over on Grassrootsmotorsports.com (also where I bought the truck), that has evolved into the build thread as well. I'm going to link to the thread over there, but today is the first full 24 hours that I have owned the truck. so if you want to read the adventure/precursor stuff, click the link. if not, just go through below.

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/fo.../136993/page1/


Alright. I've slept, eaten, and spent a bit of time with the truck.




Budget first:

previously was 35.99

add in 48.99 fpr the starter I ordered.




Now: 84.98




We already discussed the starter. Mailman will have it here at some point. After its failure this morning, its continued to work without hammer beating it. I also started on the general cleaning this morning. Superclean and a garden hose. This truck is NASTY. But, we can make it better. In the process of cleaning and diagnosing the no start, I cleaned and tightened the battery terminals. Now that gauge reads a solid 14 volts, unlike the 10-12 I saw the whole trip home. I also found the batter hold down and bolt, laying in the tray. Battery wasn't actually fastened. But battery is a duralast gold with 10/16 manufacture date, so good and recent. This led me to hunt and see what all new parts this thing has received recently. (new is determined by eyeball, not by receipts or records.)

the list so far:

drivers door and cabcorner

bed

flip kit

c-notch kit

front and rear shocks

front spindles and springs

both front calipers and pads

both front outer tie rods

plugs and wires

oil and filter

radiator

emergency brake cables

battery

ac compressor, dryer, and switches. Possibly condenser, but not certain

front bumper

master cylinder and booster

stereo (me)




pictures:

20180217_091913 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20180217_091924 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20180217_091853 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20180217_091831 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20180217_091836 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20180217_122238 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20180217_121550 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20180217_121153 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20180216_172304 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr




I dind't find rear shock re-locators, so that will need to be fabricated. I also confirmed Jeremy diagnosis of worn pitman and idler arms. The box also has not insignificant play, as does the rag joint. So new parts are in order in the near future.




I also found out why the exhaust got progressively louder and more drone-ey throughout the trip:

20180217_121447 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr




got a call out to the my friends to see what they have laying around in 2.5-3 inch mufflers. Bound to be something handy taking up space. Worst case I have to buy one. Id just rather not.




I then went, with dad and his lifts help, to see about making the brakes not scary as ****. We started with trying to adjust the drums. Which apparently, you cant do with the wheels on, and the drum on. There is no access hole to the adjuster. Serious party foul on GM's part. But at lease we found no surprises. Shoes are plenty thick, no ridge in the drum, and no leaks. Jeremy never had the drums apart, so they were a total unknown.

20180217_131907 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

after significant bleeding and adjustments, I can conclusively say that the brakes on this are scary as ****. And they're better than when I drove it back from Florida last night. There's at least 3 inches of pedal travel before the truck starts slowing down, no feel, and I cant get the ABS to kick on. Something is very wrong here. Ideas? My only thought is a different master (GMT800 swap is popular per research), new hoses, and make sure all the calipers/wheel cylenders are correct brake system bores.




After brakes, I moved onto lighting. Yesterday, I tried to install the LED bulbs. Backstory in bulbs: drivabeater 2.0 used 1989 bmw 525 projector headlights. Low beam was a 9006. after having far too many HID issues, I ordered all 4 bulbs in LED. The low beam LEDs did not play well with the hella projectors. For whatever reason, the patterns didn't line up and there was very minimal output. However, the high beams were awesome. So I put standard bulbs back in the low beams, and threw the LED 9006 in a box. I grabbed them from the box when packing for Florida, figuring that they would probably be better than whatever was in there. When stampie, asa and I tried to put them in in the parking lot in the hood, they wouldn't light off. Not wanting to waste time, I put the supplied bulbs back in and drove home. Today I figured out that the connectors have the polarity backwards of the GM harness. Dunno why, but they do. So I put them in. shop wall testing says they're a hell of a lot better than what I drove home with.




20180217_155237 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20180217_155111 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20180217_155056 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr




last couple if things (no pictures) I did was get the tailgate functional, start scrubbing some corrosion on electrical connectors, and ditch the bed rails. The bed has a full diamond plate liner (except the tailgate) that is pop riveted in. im thinking of trimming the bed rail caps off for when I got with a tonneau cover. It also needs some d-rings installed for hook points. Don't think I have any left from the elky though.







tomorrows goal will be to build a sub box for the downfiring under seat 8 inch polk sub, and figure out what I want to do about the brakes.

Also, start figuring out how to get the plastidip off. My mom said it looks like a fat and irritated salmon due to the color. Cant have that. Maybe clean the interior, or go to the junkyard if the weather clears.