Reinstalling Factory Radio

[Liberty]

Hello all!
I have a 1982 C10 Silverado that has an aftermarket dual shaft radio installed. I'm slowly returning this truck to stock, so I purchased a Delco AM/FM Cassette Radio like the truck originally came with.

I haven't taken the old aftermarket radio out yet and I have no idea how to remove it or how to put the factory radio back in.

I was wondering if anyone here had experience reinstalling a factory radio and what I may need to look out for.
Thank you!

[ray_mcavoy]

Installing the factory radio is fairly simple as long as the dash opening hasn't been cut ... and since there's a 2-shaft style aftermarket radio in there now, chances are the opening is still stock. The factory radio attaches to the dash with a couple of nuts on the threaded collars at the base of each shaft. And there is a support bracket that runs from a stud on the radio case down to the lower edge of the dash. The knobs on the factory radio (as well as most aftermarket 2-shaft ones) can be removed by simply pulling them straight off the shafts (and installed by pushing them back on).

With any luck at all, the factory radio plugs are still there and the wiring for the aftermarket radio was simply spliced in or plugged in using an adapter.
But if the factory plugs have been cut off, you'll need to find a set that looks like this:


They were commonly used in lots of GM vehicles from 1978 up into the early 90's (on some models). The blue plug at the top of the photo is only used on applications that have rear speakers. The white plug is for the front speakers. The larger black plug is for power, ground, and dial light connections. And the smaller black plug at the bottom of the photo is only used with factory digital radios. Finally, the antenna lead-in should simply unplug from the aftermarket radio and plug right into the stock radio (in some cases you might have to remove an adapter if one was used).

[Liberty]

Fortunatly for me the delco has the original plugs included just in case my originals are gone. I could've purchased a digital one, but I have my doubts on my truck having that final plug. The optional equipment list for the truck indicates it originally only had an AM/FM stereo unit. (It actually doesn't list a radio type, so I assume the silverado package included that as base)

Now I've had my bezel off many times, and the opening is still stock, but that hole is kinda small, will the radio fit through that or will I have to go through the glovebox?

[ray_mcavoy]

Sounds like you're all set with the plugs.

Yes, the radio is way too large to fit out through the opening in the dash. It has to be pulled back far enough for the shafts to clear and then lowered down from under the dash. The regular AM & AM/FM radios aren't too bad but the factory ones with tape players have a larger case that's often a tight fit.

[motornut]

Yes it's a tight fit coming up from the bottom.
I really have to pull on the dash,out from the bottom
I also had to open up the hole a bit.
It seemed notched/marked out (bottom 1/4 inch or so)
make sure you support it from behind,factory has a bar there.
I used the lighter and the tail light/marker for the last plug

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by Liberty

Fortunatly for me the delco has the original plugs included just in case my originals are gone. I could've purchased a digital one, but I have my doubts on my truck having that final plug. The optional equipment list for the truck indicates it originally only had an AM/FM stereo unit. (It actually doesn't list a radio type, so I assume the silverado package included that as base)

Now I've had my bezel off many times, and the opening is still stock, but that hole is kinda small, will the radio fit through that or will I have to go through the glovebox?

I found that removing the air duct that runs along the lower dash on the drivers side gave me the most room to get the radio in and out. And if you remove the AC/Heater control unit, that would help too.

[Liberty]

So far this radio has been a huge pain in the butt.
The factory wiring was just butchered, ruined. if there was a way to install a radio wrong, the previous owner did it above and beyond comprehension. Every speaker wire was replaced with varying gauges, they didn't even use factory ground for the radio.

That being said, after i sorted out the rats nest of wiring, I had to remove the AC duct and the gas pedal bracket. I then found the hole is too small, now I wish I would've checked the bezel as it is likely too small as well.

The radio is mounted, but I did figure the faceplate isn't supposed to be held at the bottom by the metal opening.

The bar that should be there to support the radio is missing.

[ray_mcavoy]

Originally Posted by Liberty

So far this radio has been a huge pain in the butt.
The factory wiring was just butchered, ruined. if there was a way to install a radio wrong, the previous owner did it above and beyond comprehension. Every speaker wire was replaced with varying gauges, they didn't even use factory ground for the radio.

Sorry to hear that it was such a pain and that the wiring was hacked. Unfortunately butchered wiring seems to be common with many aftermarket radio installations.

The original radios from this time all use un-grounded speaker systems. So it might not be a bad idea to check all of the speaker wires to make sure none of them are grounded before plugging in your factory radio.

Originally Posted by Liberty

I had to remove the AC duct and the gas pedal bracket. I then found the hole is too small, now I wish I would've checked the bezel as it is likely too small as well.

Yeah, I forgot to mention that bracket on the gas pedal. I've usually been able to get stock radios in & out past that bracket. But that's on non-AC trucks where there's a bit more room to work under there.

The rectangular portion of the stock radio doesn't stick out into the center hole. It simply fits up behind ... so it's normal for the hole in the dash & bezel to be a little smaller than the radio itself.

Originally Posted by Liberty

The bar that should be there to support the radio is missing.

If you can't find a good used one, you can probably make one fairly easily from a piece of flat bar. Here's a pic of what it looks like and where it attaches to the radio:

[motornut]

the case may be stamped with the wire code
but it goes like this
I only had to cut the metal part
gotta support the radio,any kind of strap will work

[Liberty]

Well the radio is installed, looks good in the dash so I'll worry about the metal holding the bottom of the face later. It seems to hold fine without that bracket, but I will be securing it this weekend.

Radio sounds fantastic, the reception is amazing too!
The only oddity is if you use the preset button, the tuning knob will slip at first.

[Liberty]

Oh yea, my illumination wire is completely missing as well.
Some other noted oddities since the aftermarket was removed,
My dome light and horn no longer work. At all.

[motornut]

Originally Posted by Liberty

Oh yea, my illumination wire is completely missing as well.
Some other noted oddities since the aftermarket was removed,
My dome light and horn no longer work. At all.

It looks stock to me
If the radio an't a sub thumper i find these stock work great.
If you can find the yellow/black wired plug you may find the grey
did you find the brown orange plug (2)wires.
the orange could have run the aftermarkets station mem.
the orange would run the mem if it was digital(prob horn and dome light,maybe lighter too)
brown (from running lights)tells the display the headlights are on,for night dimming
some radios stay real bright with out the brown working.

[Liberty]

Originally Posted by motornut

It looks stock to me
If the radio an't a sub thumper i find these stock work great.
If you can find the yellow/black wired plug you may find the grey
did you find the brown orange plug (2)wires.
the orange could have run the aftermarkets station mem.
the orange would run the mem if it was digital(prob horn and dome light,maybe lighter too)
brown (from running lights)tells the display the headlights are on,for night dimming
some radios stay real bright with out the brown working.

Oh yea, this radio looks and sounds great! Way better than the AudioVox that was in there.
Unfortunatly the factory wiring is simply gone. Completely replaced with non color coordinated wire. The other radio's digital display was powered by a green wire running to the fusebox and a makeshift ground on the dash.

[Liberty]

Ok I think removing the audiovox exposed a grounding issue. My horn, dome light, cigarrette lighter, and CB radio no longer function. I have power at the fusebox for the horn, and the CB turns on but doesn't do anything. The ACC fuse has power on both sides, the horn has power on one side and I assume if it were sounding it would have power on both sides.

However, the radio itself works just fine.

[motornut]

the grounds work down to one behind the cluster about a foot from the plug.
could run your own...
here have a look at mine you can see the grounds down to one with the cluster out
post 194
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=421767&page=4

the ground may have been feeding threw the antenna too
horns can rot out,have you found the relay for it?
would usally be above/around the fusebox

[ray_mcavoy]

Originally Posted by Liberty

The ACC fuse has power on both sides, the horn has power on one side ...

Do you mean the horn itself or the horn fuse only has power on one side? If it's the fuse that only has power on one side, that means it's blown. And in many of these trucks, the dome light is also on the same fuse as the horn.

I'm guessing the old radio may have been tied into the horn/dome circuit for a constant +12V to it's clock/station memory. Once disconnected, that wire may have shorted to ground and blown the fuse while you were removing the old radio.

[Liberty]

Man do I feel dumb
I'm so used to things being hard with this truck I completely forgot the fuse could be at fault!

Replaced the fuse and all is good again. Thank you guys very much for the help!

[Harley03joe]

Originally Posted by motornut

the case may be stamped with the wire code
but it goes like this
I only had to cut the metal part
gotta support the radio,any kind of strap will work

Thank You For The Radio Wiring schematic It's Great To See Helpful Folks
Thanks
Harley03joe

[Harley03joe]

Originally Posted by Liberty

Ok I think removing the audiovox exposed a grounding issue. My horn, dome light, cigarrette lighter, and CB radio no longer function. I have power at the fusebox for the horn, and the CB turns on but doesn't do anything. The ACC fuse has power on both sides, the horn has power on one side and I assume if it were sounding it would have power on both sides.

However, the radio itself works just fine.

Folks Still USE CB Radios ????
Harley03joe