Smooth idle - CHECK, Headlights working - CHECK, AC working - CHECK

[bnoon]

Finally got done hauling demolition debris to the dump and hauling new landscaping stuff to the house and actually had a little bit of time to tinker instead of just treating the truck like a big ol beater. Gave her a little bit o love instead.

First thing was trying to undo some of the crap from the previous owner. He "fixed" the idle by bending the choke linkage and tying it open with riggin wire instead of replacing all of the broken/cracked hoses causing vacuum leaks. I'm not sure what I'll do about the linkage yet, if I'm going to bend it back, or just rebuild a core carb, but the idle is nice and smooth now with all new hoses and barbs. I can't believe it's not more cold blooded than it is. Probably have to make a move on that choke when fall/winter hits though.

Second was to get the headlights working. No voltage to the headlights but the parking lights worked, so I knew the main switch was getting power from the fuse block. Traced a few wires up to the high/low/turn signal/cruise stalk and found power in, but not out. I made a few attempts at flicking high/low just to see if it improved the situation and saw one flicker of hope as the lows came on for a brief second. Got a can of electrical connector cleaner (CRC brand) from the garage and gave everything a couple of shots, then started flicking away high to low. After about 20 times everything started working. Gave it a few more quick shots and also gave the cruise connections a few hits too (cruise would set, but you had to wriggle it to get it to work). Everything working good as new now.

Third, get AC working. Someone before the previous owner had actually converted to the 134, so I hoped that everything was still in operating order. Put the gauges on and it had a bit of pressure still in the system, but just not enough to kick the compressor over. I jumpered the pressure switch with the low side opened up and it started drawing more in. SUCCESS!!! Or so I thought. Tested the pressure switch and it still wasn't closing the connection. I thought I'd have to leak out all of the 134 I had put in to swap it out, but then I noticed there was an adjustment screw on the back of the switch. Couple of turns in and no change, couple turns back out and WAHOOOO! It worked. I dropped pressure to just below the "low" mark on my gauges and set the pressure switch to go off at that level, then went to add back in more 134 and the can was just about out so it's still just on the very low side of normal. DRAT! Not enough to top it off but enough to get cool inside and prove the system works. Also found one leak at the 134 adapter on the high side and tightened that up and now no leaks. Going to top it off today.

After the success of last night, I can almost start driving it regularly if I want to. Next in line is new tires as the old ones are rather checked from being flat and out in a field before I bought it. CAN'T WAIT!!!

[bowtiemanchevyman]

post some pic of it so when can see what you did, and what it look like befor u fix it.

[bnoon]

I posted the picture of the truck the first day I drove it here, but it still looks the same.