Restoring Rusty

[MikeB]

Originally Posted by Gregski

And this my friends is why these vehicles were / are so easy to steal, and I speak from experience... no I do not steal cars, I had one stolen. You see all you have to do is get ahold of that metal rod maybe cut it and push it down and whalla vroom vroom vroom truck is running

[/SIZE]

I'm pretty sure my 82 GM service manual states the ignition switch is hidden way down on top of the steering column as an anti-theft measure! But even if a thief cuts the rod and starts the truck, he's still got the locking column to deal with so he can turn the steering wheel. However, there's probably a brute force tool for doing that.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by MikeB

...But even if a thief cuts the rod and starts the truck, he's still got the locking column to deal with so he can turn the steering wheel. However, there's probably a brute force tool for doing that.

Yup, it's called a large flat screw driver, found one on the floor of my Blazer when the cops recovered it. Funny thing is they said yeah, come on down it's driveable, and had me drive it home with the steering column in shreds.

[rusty76]

Nice break down of the column.

[Chaplain]

More to come I hope.

[Gregski]

huge thanks to SkinnyG for pointing out a big mistake I made by mounting both front facing shoes on the driver side and both rear facing shoes on the passenger side

the shoe on the left in the first pic goes closer to the front of the truck the shoe on the right goes closer to the rear of the truck

so today I think I finally got it right

[Gregski]

guys lets talk headlight for a minute, I like to understand how to test them when there is a problem and not just run out and buy a replacement, but I don't get how they work

here is how they are wired, they each have three prongs so if we look at them from the back the left most vertical prong has black wires going to it, so we assume that is negative, opposite that prong is another vertical prong on the right this one has light green wires going to it, and then there is a horizontal prong above with light brown wires going to it

when I took a test light to the wiring harness here were my test results even on the working side (cause only driver side low beam does not work)

Black & Green = light on

Black & Brown = no light

So do they work such that when Black and Green is on then that's low beams and when Black and Brown is on then that's high beams for example? Or is high beams when all three are on?

[Gregski]

after trying to do all the headlight math I decided to do what I always do, stare and compare, or swap/replace and compare, so I plugged the working headlight from the passenger side to the driver side harness and tested it, and both low beam and high beam worked, so I took off for the parts house

now being The Greg and already dealing with a Wagner beam on one side and an Atlas brand on the other, neither of which I could find today, I decided to splurge $10 bucks a piece on two brand new [literally shinny] SYLVANIA beauties

but the Truck Gods would not smile upon us today!

you see these new beamers have shorter nipples, or no nipples at all if you ask me, see last pic (old on left, new on right), so I was unable to plug the stock harness on to them, and cutting it to make it work I was not willing to do, so tomorrow I return these headlights and I bet I will have to pay double for ones that actually work

as my college roommate used to say... "It Aint Easy!"

[enaberif]

Headlight wiring is split

The reason for 2 wires off each one is that it goes to the opposing light. 1 green in and 1 green out to the opposite light. Same with the brown and and black.

Oh and good luck finding bulbs that work with the connector on these trucks. Many people end up cutting the plastic piece to fit properly or completely switch over to a H4 setup.

I have the same issue with my connector and it keeps falling off :\

Looks like PHILIPS Part # H6024 will work.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by enaberif

Looks like PHILIPS Part # H6024 will work.

1,000 thanks, I picked one up at Pep Boys today $13 bucks, they only had one, darn, my OCD is going to be tested

[Gregski]

in related news The Greg noticed the retaining ring was broken on the passenger side, so I see a junkyard trip in my near future

gotta love old cars, fix one thing another one breaks

[Gregski]

1. fix rear brakes - DONE

2. replace or fix left headlight - DONE

3. fix left rear turn signal

4. check out the lifter / rocker arm ticking noise

5. refresh the power steering

6. fix hazard signals

7. get the AM radio working

8. fix reverse lights

[greg64]

Good stuff Greg. I've got a headlight retainer ring with the same problem. I was going to buy two new ones from LMC. Anybody used them before? I really want to change the headlight buckets too, due to rust and the fasteners being pretty much peckered.

[enaberif]

Originally Posted by Gregski

1. fix rear brakes - DONE

2. replace or fix left headlight - DONE

3. fix left rear turn signal

4. check out the lifter / rocker arm ticking noise

5. refresh the power steering

6. fix hazard signals

7. get the AM radio working

8. fix reverse lights

Well you have a short list LOL. Wish mine was that short.

[Gregski]

Any tips on fixin' #8 above?

[enaberif]

Originally Posted by Gregski

Any tips on fixin' #8 above?

What is wrong with them? Not coming on?

[Titomars]

Originally Posted by Gregski

Any tips on fixin' #8 above?

First let me state the obvious because it has bitten many a pro too (me included) check the bulbs! Now for yours the first check I would do is pull the connector off the switch at the trans and jump the wires. With the key on the lights should light up at that point. If not take a volt meter and see if you get power at that connector. if not the problem is towards the dash or fuse panel. If there is power there but bulbs are not lighting look to the rear. Check sockets, grounds, also look for bad wiring along the frame.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by enaberif

What is wrong with them? Not coming on?

yes

[rusty76]

Glad I pulled some headlights a few years back....lol.

[Gregski]

Captain's Log Day 274

Drove the truck to work today, birds were chirpin and the sun was shining, truck started good, ran good, drove good, stopped good, and turned OK, (see #5 above)

[Guilty-by-Design]

Originally Posted by Gregski

Any tips on fixin' #8 above?

assuming you have tested both sockets with a voltmeter i would try probing the wires directly behind the sockets as i have seen many that have failed internally at the solder point.

the next place i would look is the splice for the trailer lights.

[Gregski]

Thank you Titomars, le me step through these one by one

Originally Posted by Titomars

check the bulbs!

checked, first of all they are new, and second I took them out and touched them with two wired directly to the battery and they went on

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Titomars

... pull the connector off the switch at the trans and jump the wires. With the key on the lights should light up at that point.

negative, did that and the lights did not turn on, even started the truck to make sure it was running etc. still no reverse lights

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Titomars

... take a volt meter and see if you get power at that connector.

Forgive me for being dumb, but how do I do that? Do I just hook up the black pointy lead from the volt meter to the dark green wire and the red pointy lead from my volt meter to the light green wire? ... and hope for 12 volts or there abouts?

Or do I touch the ground somewhere with the black lead from the volt meter and then use the red lead to first touch the dark green wire inside the connector and then try the light green wire inside the connector?

I honestly don't know, and my daddy was an electrician by trade you think he would have taught me somethin' LOL, jk

[greg64]

Greg, use a jumper cable to tie the black meter lead to a good ground. Now, probe those spots with the red meter lead. You'll either get 12V or 0. The power for the backup lights comes from the ignition switch when in the run position. So you should get 12v on one of those two wires at the transmission connector. If you have 12, work towards the backup lights. If you have 0, work backwards towards the ignition switch.

[rusty76]

Hopefully you'll get it fixed soon. I despise electrical gremlins. Just like any new tech whizz bang when it doesn't work.