What did you do to your truck today??

[pjmoreland]

Originally Posted by Boog

It's pretty busy down inside those columns. I didn't have to completely disassemble my 91 but went far enough for me. Those 4 screws in the center holding the upper part together had backed out. I put them back in with Loctite too! The little tool I had to buy just to pull the pivot pin out wasn't expensive but I'll likely never use it again.

There isn't much left to take apart past those four infamous screws. You got to experience the joy of getting the tilt mechanism reinstalled while juggling the high beam and ignition switch rods and trying to keep the shaft ball bearings from falling out. I put loctite on those screws as well. I really don't want to be back in there anytime soon.

I made a mistake by not removing the neutral safety switch. I ended up breaking off the plastic finger while working on removing the shift arm housing from the top of the shift tube.

[Boog]

It needed replacing anyway right?
Call it preventive maintenance.

[pjmoreland]

Installed a cruise control system from a '92 on my '89 this evening, and it's working. Drilled a 1-1/4" hole in the firewall for the harness right above the bulkhead connector. There were dimples in the firewall for the hole and screw locations. Replaced the throttle/TV cable bracket with one that has a provision for the cruise module throttle cable. Everything under the dash plugged right in. Had to adjust the brake switch a little closer to the end to get the cruise system to power on.

[special-K]

That seems too simple . Good to know it can be done that easily

[pjmoreland]

Originally Posted by special-K

That seems too simple . Good to know it can be done that easily

I agree. I was expecting to run into a problem with the vehicle speed signal, but it was already pre-wired to the bulkhead panel where the cruise control harness orange connector plugs in for that signal as well as power. The brake switch already had a connector for the cruise harness. Cost me $38 at Pick-n-Pull for the entire system. Installing the cruise turn signal lever would have been a bit of a pain if I hadn't pre-installed it while I had my steering column torn apart previously.

[special-K]

It seems with most trucks in this era having higher options, GM started building them for the options, so wiring provisions are there for options not on the truck. To add is plug and play. They started that on squarebodies. I was told they all have the intermittent wiper module. One w/o intermittent only needs the intermittent stalk to be swapped in on the column.

That truck is shaping right up

[hatzie]

Originally Posted by special-K

It seems with most trucks in this era having higher options, GM started building them for the options, so wiring provisions are there for options not on the truck. To add is plug and play. They started that on squarebodies. I was told they all have the intermittent wiper module. One w/o intermittent only needs the intermittent stalk to be swapped in on the column.

That truck is shaping right up

You needed two parts to get intermittent wipers in the squares after 1978. The switch and the pulse module.
The module plugs into the regular cab harness and the intermittent switch. 73-77 was a bit more involved.

I thought the T400 trucks just came with pulse wipers. Never drove one without em... including my base model 2000 GMC WT package with roll up windows and no airbags.

[special-K]

I'm pretty sure you're right about all these trucks getting intermittent wipers. I was just using that as an example on the Squarebodies. I never followed through on adding intermittent wipers on one, but remembered my friend said it was just pop the parts in, same as this cruise control

[pjmoreland]

I replaced the rear brake hose this evening. The previous owner replaced the front hoses recently but not the rear one for some reason. I'm guessing it was because the fittings were super difficult to get loose. I ended up clamping the line wrench onto the fittings with Vise Grips, which made the wrench fit very tight so I could break the fittings free. That was after spraying them with PB Blaster and heating them with a little torch.

My wife helped me with the bleeding. When I was topping off the reservoir for the last time, I said to her, "ok, we're done." She thought I said "down", so she pressed the pedal down while I had the reservoir lid off. It made a geyser of brake fluid all over the place in the engine compartment. That was a fun way to end the evening.

[special-K]

Got your signals crossed, ey? What a muckin' fess

Looks like cosmetic damage to me

[Just call me Sean]

Today the mason offered me $3000 for my 93. I've never had anyone offer to buy one of my vehicles before.

[Just call me Sean]

This is what the taillight board looks like taken apart. The bulb sockets pull out and there are little metal tabs for the bulb connections as well as tabs for the plug. They press against the metal backside of the board. I thought both filaments lit up for the reverse lights but they don't. I think I can make them both light up pretty easily, and I'm still trying to figure out how to make the upper bulb also act as a brake light. I'll need another board to take out some bulb tabs to add, which should make both reverse light filaments light up as the metal plate is there to make the second filament functional. The brake light is more complicated, the metal plate as is would make both filaments parking lights when the tabs are added. I'll need to cut a slice in the plate to isolate one tab from the parking light circuit, and add a wire to connect that portion of the plate to the brake light circuit.

[Just call me Sean]

First pic left and right boards. Not quite mirror images of each other, slightly different layout. Second pic boards modified and holes drilled for the wire. I was a little too aggressive with the one on the left and cut all the way through the board some. Third and fourth pics show the wire soldered in front and back. I'm not sure what kind of glue or epoxy to use to glue the pieces back together, I have some RTV I was thinking of using.

[Just call me Sean]

I tested the drivers side first. The upper bulb was working backwards, brake was parking and parking was brake. I made another slice on the board and changed the wiring. Works correct now. Passenger side works correct. That little difference in the board matters.

[special-K]

That's an interesting mod

[Just call me Sean]

Yea, I've been wanting to do it for a while. A little custom touch that probably nobody will even notice.

First pic, passenger side stock, drivers side changed. Second pic both changed.

[pjmoreland]

Had some surface rust along the top edge of the windshield, and the windshield was leaking in that area. I cut off the weatherstripping from around the windshield so I could clean the metal behind it. Painted the roof and got the windshield replaced.

[Just call me Sean]

Tensioner pulley failed on the 99 and threw the belt. Wife called me and said the power steering wasn't working, I told her to pull over. I heard a funny noise when she left so that's when I put two and two together and figured what happened before I got there, I just didn't know which pulley failed. Had to drive a bit to an open parts store, put on new pulley and added water, was hoping it didn't get too hot. It started overheating so pulled over and added water twice to get it home. Broke the radiator cap in the process. At home found the rubber cap on the optional heater hose hookup on the radiator had ruptured, didn't notice because it's right by the radiator cap so I thought it was water I spilled. I had a new rubber cap and a used radiator cap I had laying around, it seems to be fine now.

[MiniD]

I can now replace the interior door handle on my 1995 Tahoe in 20 minutes. I shouldn't be this good at it.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by Just call me Sean

Yea, I've been wanting to do it for a while. A little custom touch that probably nobody will even notice.

First pic, passenger side stock, drivers side changed. Second pic both changed.

What did you do? I can't tell I think the more you give to look at the better chance someone will run into you. Kinda tongue n cheek but a bit of truth. I've hear people who ran into someone from behind when braking "I was focused on the third brake light"... many feet forward of the rear of the vehicle. My friend built a big rear bumper out of 4 x 6 tube with a drop down for the 2" receiver. First week someone rear ended him. He painted red chevron stripes on it and right away someone rear ended him again!

Originally Posted by MiniD

I can now replace the interior door handle on my 1995 Tahoe in 20 minutes. I shouldn't be this good at it.

How many times is this now?

[Just call me Sean]

I did it for me, probably won't make a difference to most everyone else. Been checking them out every time my wife goes to work. Admiring them, making sure they're still working. The passenger side didn't work today momentarily, I'm pretty sure the board is separating from the back like they do. My melting them together held about as well as the old one. So I'm working on the next version, eliminating the board so the connections are solid instead of friction. Then that should be the end of my brake light problems finally, which is what started this whole thing.

[special-K]

It's a cool mod or even upgrade. I'm the same with what I do. I do it for myself. But you might have started a trend where everyone does it and it won't matter to the mass that you were first

Safer is better (usually )

[MiniD]

Originally Posted by special-K

How many times is this now?

3 times. In all fairness, I did some radio/speaker work that had me removing the door panel a bunch more times. I've replaced the driver's side once and the passenger side twice in 3 years.

[MiniD]

I've found that the best way to save on the light housings/wiring is to go with LED.

[Just call me Sean]

LED bulbs don't really help when they don't make contact with the board.

So I finished soldering both sides, put them together, tested them, and filled them with boat resin to keep everything together. Unfortunately, the resin refuses to dry. I've had enough with it for now, I ordered two new boards.