TA_C10: Stage 1

[cornerstone]

Is there any reason besides weight transfer and aesthetics to mount your battery down on the frame rail? Which drop out tray did you get if you don’t mind sharing. I’m debating wether or not to do this also.

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by cornerstone

Is there any reason besides weight transfer and aesthetics to mount your battery down on the frame rail? Which drop out tray did you get if you don’t mind sharing. I’m debating wether or not to do this also.

Well I guess I am relocating the battery for a couple reasons. 1. Since I'm doing a frame off it would be a good time to do so. 2. Weight transfer to back passenger side is good. 3. Cleaning up the engine bay.

I like the idea of it relocated too, I can re-route the battery cables the way I want. I plan to route them pretty close to this idea:






And the battery box came from Amazon store. It's a drop box. It's SS and seems well built. Here is the link and some pics:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[TA_C10]

Update - Driveshaft and Wiring Harness

Driveshaft is now shortened and all new u-joints installed. I had a local driveline shop do it from a LS shop recommendation. Cost me $220 for all.







And I sent back my wire harness to brothers and they swapped it out for me to the classic version. There is quite a bit more in this box. Very nice and I am anxious to get started installing.

[MDPotter]

I'm glad to see that you exchanged your harness for the classic update, you'll be glad you did. Installing mine has been pretty easy.

[cornerstone]

That really does look like a well built box plus it's a nice bonus to be cheaper than most. Thanks for the awesome detailed pics. I'm still on the fence about it for my situation. This will be the first truck I've ever had air ride on and I'm thinking, worst case scenario here, would be able to have access to the battery if catastrophic failure were to occur and the truck is flat on the bump stops?

In regard to the rewire, both you and Potter are making me want to keep up with the Jones'. My Uncle bought this truck new and was an electrician by trade so the original harness looks very good, but its still almost half a century old. Then there is always the argument "might as well since I'm this deep in it". I think the best price I've found on the AAW kit is $539., unless you know better?

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by cornerstone

That really does look like a well built box plus it's a nice bonus to be cheaper than most. Thanks for the awesome detailed pics. I'm still on the fence about it for my situation. This will be the first truck I've ever had air ride on and I'm thinking, worst case scenario here, would be able to have access to the battery if catastrophic failure were to occur and the truck is flat on the bump stops?

In regard to the rewire, both you and Potter are making me want to keep up with the Jones'. My Uncle bought this truck new and was an electrician by trade so the original harness looks very good, but its still almost half a century old. Then there is always the argument "might as well since I'm this deep in it". I think the best price I've found on the AAW kit is $539., unless you know better?

You want a remote mounted jumper junction block. You find a spot that's easy enough to access for connecting to & put terminals there. Some do small covered boxes w/the POS/NEG terminals tucked in side while others might just tuck them out of sight somewhere while still being partially exposed.

[MDPotter]

Originally Posted by cornerstone

That really does look like a well built box plus it's a nice bonus to be cheaper than most. Thanks for the awesome detailed pics. I'm still on the fence about it for my situation. This will be the first truck I've ever had air ride on and I'm thinking, worst case scenario here, would be able to have access to the battery if catastrophic failure were to occur and the truck is flat on the bump stops?

In regard to the rewire, both you and Potter are making me want to keep up with the Jones'. My Uncle bought this truck new and was an electrician by trade so the original harness looks very good, but its still almost half a century old. Then there is always the argument "might as well since I'm this deep in it". I think the best price I've found on the AAW kit is $539., unless you know better?

$539 is the best price I could find, it seems to be price controlled. I bought mine from Summit because they're so fast.

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by MDPotter

I'm glad to see that you exchanged your harness for the classic update, you'll be glad you did. Installing mine has been pretty easy.

Yeah me too, thanks for helping me out with that, I thought I had what I needed before but having the bulkhead is gonna make my life so much easier rather than re-doing my firewall with body work and etc. And yeah cornerstone, it's same price for me too at brotherstrucks.

Originally Posted by SCOTI

You want a remote mounted jumper junction block. You find a spot that's easy enough to access for connecting to & put terminals there. Some do small covered boxes w/the POS/NEG terminals tucked in side while others might just tuck them out of sight somewhere while still being partially exposed.

Ditto. What SCOTI says. I was planning to install mine on the core support where the original battery tray would be. And I was planning on using something like the following:

[siggyfreud]

I used that on my last build. Seemed like a quality piece too. It was on up the firewall near the passenger side so I could run straight down to the starter. Core support is a good idea to and easier if you need a jump.

[TA_C10]

Update - Vintage Air - Front Drive Accessories

Well I spent most the weekend on drugs trying not to get sick, lot's of vitamin c, shots of flonase and 24 hour zyrtec everyday for last 5 days and it worked. I never got real sick just mainly felt like i was gonna be and hardly any energy. So I just cleaned the garage out last couple days and organized all my stuff better. That is a big task let me tell ya, sucked.

So tonight after finishing rest of that, I decided to install my 2010 camaro mid-mount A/C bracket for Sanden 709 compressor from vintage air. Wasn't too hard. Follow instructions and study the diagrams is all there is to it. It's cool how they figured out you buy a certain tensioner pully and swap its pulley for another pulley they provide(VA) and boom, it all works together just right. I mounted the compressor 90 degree left, didn't think I was going to want my a/c lines on the top but maybe I do, we will see how it looks another time, might switch that.

Also installed the LS alt/ps bracket. Cleaned up the alternator and PS pump that came with my engine and installed them too. Starting to look like a complete engine again

Pics for your viewing pleasure:

[TA_C10]

I also got my new parking brake cable retainer from GMCPauls! It's the little things like this bracket that I lost that really make a big difference. I think I threw my original one away still clamped to the old cable....

I started by prying the clamp open to get it over the cable.




Then I took a pair of channel locks and slowly pinched it back down over the cable. Installed the bolt and pin.




Then I got back under truck and adjusted the double nuts on the parking brake cables and all done. Works like OE

[TA_C10]

Quick update on my power steering too. So after installing I noticed the PS pump return line looked pretty twisted and bent. Figured I was gonna have to get a new one. Then I figure out if I bent it down just a little more the return line could route right through an existing frame hole! Before it was like 1/2 inch from the frame. Now I can get a hose on it no prob.








This is before I bent it down a bit.

[TA_C10]

And for the 4th post tonight...... I have started wiring

[MDPotter]

I'm right there with you! Wiring, plumbing, brake cables, etc.

Let us know how the Kwik brackets work out once you have it running - you're probably aware that some of us have had trouble with them squealing.

[1971Stepside]

Tons of time to do all that. Lookin good. You will be driving her before long.

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by MDPotter

I'm right there with you! Wiring, plumbing, brake cables, etc.

Let us know how the Kwik brackets work out once you have it running - you're probably aware that some of us have had trouble with them squealing.

No I didn't know about the squeal.... If you look at my pics you can see the tensioner pulley isn't centered and the belt looks like it will be rubbing on the edge/lip of pulley. Great, I may be re-engineering their engineering....

[cebra]

Looking good, I hope you have better luck with your VA AC bracket than I did (it looks quite similar). I have been battling squeals (4 belts, 2 tensioners, 3 alternators, 2 hours paid shop labor as I threw in the towel) for about 4 months now with mine without success. I just got a replacement bracket so I get to do it again for the ~15-20 time this weekend. Just a tad frustrating.

[MDPotter]

Whoops, didn't mean to be the bearer of bad news. cebra has had the worst luck of anyone I know with it. If you end up having trouble, look at his threads on it in the lsx swap section. My dad's had a squeal and through some shimming and just over time it's slowly gone away. My suggestion is to hold Kwik and Vintage Air to a standard of providing a product that works well and insist that they help you to reach an acceptable finished product (if you have issues). I'm considering using a low mount setup on mine if I have the clearance.

[TA_C10]

What do you think?

Here is what I have going fellas. Redesigning the power/ground system from scratch. I went ahead and am going to use a Ford Solenoid for extra protection from the starter. Using 1/0 awg all the way to the jump terminals. This makes a nice backbone so I don't have to worry about voltage drop or distance from battery. However now I realize I have the 150amp Circuit Breaker inline with the starter power feed.... How would you route this?

[SCOTI]

Where do you plan to physically mount the remote solenoid?

[TA_C10]

Ok, I looked closer at the way the circuit breaker works, so I added on the battery side(not protected) a direct link to the starter solenoid. Then I ran the protected side(another cable) up to the rest of system. I was trying to avoid that second 1/0 cable... This should work I guess.

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Where do you plan to physically mount the remote solenoid?

I was going to mount it on the frame up close to the starter. Should I mount it closer to the battery instead?


.

[TA_C10]

Putting this here for my reference:

4awg is good for 135amps
2awg is good for 181amps
1/0awg is good for 245amps

Power rating on my stock style alternator is 160amps

Power rating for my stock style starter is 1.35kW
Ohms law = 1000xpower(kw)/volts(12)=amps
1.35kW = 112 amps

starter could see 250amps under load

Thanks cuz.

[siggyfreud]

Where did you decide to put the solenoid? Given that you're doing a remote mount battery on the passenger frame, low, I'd probably put the solenoid close to it, assuming it would be more accessible there than on the frame or firewall close to the starter.

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by siggyfreud

Where did you decide to put the solenoid? Given that you're doing a remote mount battery on the passenger frame, low, I'd probably put the solenoid close to it, assuming it would be more accessible there than on the frame or firewall close to the starter.

Yeah man I moved it closer to the battery. I changed my diagram again, see below.

Changes made:
1. 4awg to 2awg for alt and PDU circuits
2. Slid the starter solenoid back towards battery
3. I might remove the fuseable links since I have a 150a CB in line at the battery. Those fuseable links came with the AA classic wire harness so I figured they would be beneficial since my routing/path from alt to battery is so long but I'm second guessing this.

So everything you see is basically going to be mounted/routed in the frame rail. The battery is on passenger side frame rail, right next to it mounted on frame rail will be the starter solenoid and 150a circuit breaker. I wanted to mention also that I'm not using the frame rails as much to ground a lot of circuits because the Alternator and LS ECM both require clean path's. So with that said, the battery relocated to passenger side behind cab, my PDU mount and ECM will all be together on driver side core support, I'm already running power and ground there anyways so I said screw it, going big all the way to the front