1947 Panel Truck Frame swap with ’88 k2500

[Second Series]

With the warmer weather I’m getting back at this. I’m using the original steering wheel on an ‘80’s column. When I tighten the nut, the steering wheel gets tight and hard to turn. I trimmed it to fit. The pass-through spring contact is at the 12 o’clock position on the ’47 steering wheel, so I installed the cancel cam in that position. The ‘80’s steering wheel has the spring contact at the 10:30 position. So now the left turn cancel cam is shifted. My plan is to build up a new cam in the correct location so it will work here. I’m getting continuity when I press the horn button. I have the ‘47 light switch connected and working. The brake and clutch switch mounts have the switch operating opposite of the ‘80’s such that when the pedal is at rest, the switch is depressed, and when the pedal is stepped on, the switch is released. I found some four pin switches that work where 2 pins are normally open and two are normally closed. The brake switch uses the normally closed contacts for the lights, and the normally open contacts for the 4x4 circuit(or could be used for the automatic transmission application). The clutch switch uses the normally closed contacts for the start circuit. Turn signals work. I’ve removed the cluster connector, and am in the process of extending the wires for gauges and dummy lights. I did wire up the volts light and resistor temporarily. I dismantled the donor gauges. The plan is to use the dummy lenses mounted in a box below the dash. I test fit the A/C unit, and then decided to fit the heater controls and dummy lights between the dash and A/C, test fit picture attached. I’m not thrilled with the A/C brackets. I’ll make one hanger.

[Second Series]

I’ve got the lights working as they should. There was a 50/50 chance I wired up the rear lights correctly, I lost that bet. I had to remove the rear interior panels to swap the wires. Now the brake and signal lights are brighter than the running lights. While I had the interior panels out, I replaced one that was under cut. The spray adhesive that I used had failed so I re-did all the panels. I think I needed a longer setup time before applying the two surfaces, this time I waited two minutes after spraying the adhesive. I just re-used the panels and tolex, it was difficult to line up the two pieces, but it came out o.k. The first time around I had glued the cut panels to uncut tolex and then trimmed after for a perfect fit.
The light switch is wired to keyed power so the battery won’t drain if I forget to turn off the lights. I modified the profile of the steering wheel so it transitions to the ‘80’s column, and painted it and the horns with some single stage black paint. Steering wheel is mounted, and the horns are too. I have the original horn relay in place but just as a mounting lug for the two horn wires and the wire from the donor relay. Horn works with the button on the steering wheel. All the lights work as they should. The final light is the single rear light above the license plate. I mixed up 4oz of the Windsor Blue and painted the rear light housing. I’ve also removed the car tent and the panel truck is out in the open from now on.

[Second Series]

I drove the truck! A short trip to the auto parts store. The first attempt I pulled onto the street and the steering wheel didn’t feel right, so I backed uphill and turned back into my drive. The steering wheel seemed to be re-clocked 45 degrees off. I checked all the connections on the steering column/shaft and underneath after the steering gear. Everything looked good. I re-clocked the steering wheel, still eyeballing the front tires pointing forward. On the drive to and from the store the steering seemed loose, but not uncontrollable. The tires are LT215\85R16 at 38psi, and the steering wheel is big for the setup. The other issue was the gear shifter didn’t feel right. It’s not grinding, but it feels shallow when shifting into a gear, that’s the only way I know how to describe it. I have adjusted the clutch pedal linkage so I’ll feel how it is next drive. This has the 5LM60 transmission, so it’s not going to feel like a rock crusher while shifting.
Some of the things I have been doing since my last post. I installed the inside sun visors.
I found a plate on the donor truck under the dash that has some resistors for the heater motor speed switch. This was mounted to the duct. I got an electrical box and mounted it so I can use the original heater motor, now with 3 speeds.
I finally got the speedometer motor driver working good enough. I had previously made a video of the first version, this one has smooth operation. I need to troubleshoot a signal that is causing the speedometer needle to move, some kind of line filter needed.
The trip to the auto parts store was to get a longer serpentine belt for when I add A/C. This truck has a 4-Rib belt. With the smog pump and power steering I’m using the longest 4-rib belt readily available. The trucks with A/C appear to use the 6-Rib serpentine belts. I did find a 101-9/16” 4-Rib belt on-line that would work, but I’m thinking it would slip. It looks easy enough to replace all the 4-Rib pulleys on the front of the engine with 6-Rib. Does the project ever get done?