"The Ayatollah of Rusty Hole'a 1987 SWB 6.0 4L80E

[Gordonr1973]

Well, here's a bit of an update.

I've been in a bit of a funk like everybody else the past two days so I spent most of today in the garage just working on the truck.

I had to cut, adjust and reweld a bit on my driver's side rocker because I had welded it a bit too far forward when I replaced it last summer.

So I did that & finished my bracing for the GM airbox I bought second-hand a few months ago.

Seems to fit okay, I will probably buy a K&N filter for it and junk the one that came with it as it looks pretty old.

Most of the rest of the engine bay wiring is done execpt the washer fluid tub and the battery terminal wires.

Not sure how I will clean those up, maybe I will run them all to the auxiliary terminal by the engine block.

We also are getting a little blizzard today....very weird as it was pouring rain all day yesterday. I'm definitely ready for spring though!

[my4by2]

Lookin' good man! Like that air cleaner set-up too!!!

[noonzor]

Wicked progress dude. I hear you on the funk, this weather is getting annoying. my plan today is a full on garage day.

[Gordonr1973]

Thanks guys, nice to hear!

Sometimes I wonder why the thread gets a 1,000 views and no one says anything....at least say it's a POS so I know if I'm on the wrong track!

Not much done today, cleaned the garage first...it was a mess!

Then just wired & installed the windshield washer tub and my hi-fi stereo system.

[foamypirate]

I love that you didn't cut the dash for an aftermarket stereo system. Looks great! It's really starting to come together!

[Gordonr1973]

Thanks!

When this deck craters I will look at a RetroSound deck...but until then I have a kinda cool looking stereo that isn't all that common anymore.

Plus, I'll have a truck that I can listen to my tapes in.

Finally got the oil pressure gauge to work.

Was a combination of two things:

1) I needed to ground the sender better as I try to show in the pic

2) the first gauge I bought didn't work so I needed to buy a new one

So if you are trouble-shooting the same issue where the gauge does not read anything at all either with key-on or while it is running, here's what I did:

- check the resistance on the sender, should be about 240 ohm

- check that the gauge actually works but having the intion wire (12V) wire hot and touching the sender tab with a ground. The gauge needle should go way past the maximum reading. (My first gauge's needle did not move at all when I did this, that's how I knew it was faulty)

- check that you have a good ground connection to the sender, even if you have to connect a dedicated ground from the sender to the chassis. I found many threads of LS swappers have problems with this if they just relied on the sender making its own ground connection through the block.

- check that your ground connection to the battery is tight.

If none of these work for you, I can't help you!

Oil Pressure Gauge now working - YouTube

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BYqZ4HD4zWM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[96twodoor]

wow , thats a hell of a ground for the sender . Truck looks awsome , down here a truck that rusty would've went to the crusher . Glad you saved it

[Jonboy]

Looks like you are right on, Gordon. Do you happen to remember the thread size for teh sender? Also, did you hook one up on the top of the engine as well?

[Gordonr1973]

Thanks guys;

just go here to get the step-by-step and the thread sizes:

http://www.autometer.com/tech_faq_an...x?sid=1&qid=71

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...1.282128680586

[old yelr]

Hey Gordon, I've been watching in silent admiration since the beginning of your project. Just wanted to let you know that you have done (and are doing) an amazing job!! Keep up the great work and pictures!
From a fellow Canuck

[screaminchevypickup]

Cool project your doing a great job!!!
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[Greenlee]

Nice work Gordon! I'm jealous of that original radio. My dash was cut before I got the truck.
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[truckzilla]

I remember having one of those radio's in my '88 CC! I used the cassette adapter to play my CD's through. With some good speakers, it sounded good enough to me! Great job!

[Jonboy]

Thanks for the Auto Meter link. Exactly what I was looking for.

[trout]

looks good love that you kept the old styling radio

[justpball]

Great work bro!!
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[Devillusion]

Been keeping track as well.......I love what you've been doing. Just hope mine turns out as good in the end. Like the idea of the white fenderwells.....but not sure I could keep them nice over time....lol.

[355bullet]

truck is looking great!!

[Gordonr1973]

Thanks guys!

Just test-fitting the cluster and an old dash pad with the seat to see the angles...fixed some headlight wiring but one thing has me brain-farting today:

My high beam indicator goes on when just the low beams are engaged, then it turns off when the high beams are on...any ideas? I have that LMC "all four headlite harness" that uses relays to switch all four lights on when the high beams are engaged.

[Pop's C-10]

Shaping up nicely..

[owner 84]

looks awesome

[grayharville]

Hey Gordon just me thinking but i think you should have went with a bigger ground wire on your oil sender! looks great man

[68 Four on the Floor]

This trucks looks amazing considering what you started with if you dont mind me saying. Give me hope that i might be able to save a rusty squarebody as well. Keep at it!

[Gordonr1973]

Thanks guys....it's been alot of work that's for sure...mostly redo'ing things I screwed up! lol

Got my driveshaft back from the shop today, pics show the counterbore I needed for my yolk.

Also finished more or less my battery wiring for now....will make it prettier later.

[noonzor]

theres a driveshaft in the first picture..... but but i see no driveshaft in the 2nd or 3rd pic... hmm... haha. where did you have that thing made up?