What I can afford, when I can afford it... 70 Chevy LWB

[KSWes]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Thank you for this! Wonder if they make a kit to integrate an LS factory compressor.

Happy to do the write up, I'm trying to be extra diligent with the camera on this part of the process. I know sometimes I don't get pictures taken until after I've done all the work for the day.

I do believe factory LS compressors are compatible right out of the box with either Old Air or Vintage Air. I know they don't recommend the older GM compressors R4 and A6's with their systems though.

So I'm sure they can put together whatever you want, they offer adapters for LS compressors if I remember correctly from snooping around on their site, and if you don't need the compressor and brackets that should save you a couple hundred bucks, I would think.

I looked at my set up about as many ways as I could imagine, trying to figure out how to squeeze out a dime or two, by getting different parts from different sources and Frankensteining something together but at the end of the day I decided to just go with a full kit because I know it will function properly when I'm done.

[KSWes]

Got side tracked from the AC over the weekend. I got my fan and fan clutch installed over the weekend since I had to order different parts. Worked like a charm I have a cracked fan shroud and it's kinda irritating to see a beat up cracked shroud in an engine bay that is mostly refurbished. But the nickle and dime stuff has been a challenge so from this point on, if it's functional I'm going to use it and worry about replacing it down the road when I don't have big ticket stuff still left to cover.

Put the AC on the back burner for a little bit once I got the fan done. I wanted to make some progress on the wiring harness install over the weekend. I'm using the American Autowire Power Plus 20 Series. Comes with pretty much everything you need other than an open barrel crimping tool. I picked one up on Amazon for pretty reasonable that seems to be working pretty well so far.

I drilled a hole into the firewall and inserted one of these boots.

The wires run into the vent cowl area that is no longer a vent so it makes a good hidden wire chase.

The convoluted tube you see there won't be permanent just there during install to keep the wires from chaffing. When done it'll have tubing covering all the wires up to the firewall.

Wires will come from the drivers side and go across to the firewall and also run up to core support along the drivers side fender.

Looks like a rats nest at the moment but I can see it in my head done and it looks great!

[mcbassin]

Awesome work on that A/C install and my least favorite truck subject.....wiring.

[KSWes]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

Awesome work on that A/C install and my least favorite truck subject.....wiring.

Thanks Mike gotta get back on it. Yard work and house stuff has had me tied up.

[Low Elco]

Great work!

[KSWes]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Great work!

Thanks Chip, I'm enjoying the wiring puzzle. I only have one issue with this wiring harness so far. It comes with a circuit for a CB Radio but not one for backup lights. Gonna have to use an aux. Makes me scratch my head.

[KSWes]

In the middle of wiring and it's a slow process. The wiring harness I have is a great harness, however I am having to add on a lot of things and incorporate other things into the system. Like power door locks, car alarm, headlight controller. Some gauges that aren't included in the wiring harness. I've been enjoying the work, because it's not dirty and I can pick up where I left off easily. So a few pics of the progress but nothing much that's pretty to look at, still looks like multi colored spaghetti everywhere.

Relay and power distribution under the hood.

Dash coming together a little at a time.

Needed a small fuse block under the hood for a few things. (Windshield washer pump, fuel pump, under hood lights, and one extra fuse position for expansion later if needed.)

And one that looks like a bomb went off. This will be the Before of the before and after picture of the interior.

And a new favorite pic of the baby.

[mcbassin]

You are doing some really clean work on the wiring. I'm glad somebody enjoys it. I think I'd prefer to grind and weld on something
Nice shot of the baby. Start them off young.

[KSWes]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

You are doing some really clean work on the wiring. I'm glad somebody enjoys it. I think I'd prefer to grind and weld on something
Nice shot of the baby. Start them off young.

Thanks Mike!

The baby will be with us on the trucks maiden voyage. I'm betting she'll be into the classic cars and trucks. My wife and I love antiques and other old stuff so she's going to grow up around it whether she likes it or not.

It's been getting a little harry a couple different times with about 4 different schematics trying to figure out how everything will tie together. Sometimes I just gotta step back and stare at it for a while before it clicks. I'll bet you when I'm done and I connect the battery I'll have a few bugs but hopefully no fires.

[Low Elco]

Awwww.....Baby! Too cute!

Keep the smoke in! Fought the wiring demon myself last night. You're doin' the Lord's work!

[KSWes]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Awwww.....Baby! Too cute!

Keep the smoke in! Fought the wiring demon myself last night. You're doin' the Lord's work!

It's quiet work that is best done sober (so you might be right about the Lord's Work). Got everything terminated for the door locks and for the headlight retained acc. controller. Alarm system, and other than the gauge cluster and connecting the radio stuff. I'm just about done inside the cab other than tidying up everything with tubing and wrap to make it look like a monkey didn't install it. After that it should be a pretty quick process to finish up the engine compartment and rear chassis wiring. Hoping I can get it done this weekend, and maybe if I'm lucky hook up the battery and see if it will fire up. Fingers crossed.

[Low Elco]

Originally Posted by KSWes

It's quiet work that is best done sober (so you might be right about the Lord's Work).

Well, now you've just killed my enthusiasm!

Work looks nice!

[KSWes]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Well, now you've just killed my enthusiasm!

I reward myself with a night cap when I'm done, tends to help in the motivation department.

[KSWes]

Air Conditioner Install Part 2

My brother came down and picked up where he left off. And primarily this part is just installing the condenser and the dryer. The kit uses existing holes to mount everything. You will also need to make sure your battery box is for a truck with AC because you will use that mount with this kit.

Pretty self explanatory, when you look at it and when you read the instructions.

As we were preparing the hose routing we had to make a couple decisions to make, where were the hoses going to come through.

We'd either come in right on top of the inner fender under the lip of the vent cowl. Or option number two was to drill holes in the firewall on the far right (passenger) side of the engine compartment. We decided that would be the way to go however there is some inner structure that was in there that had to be dealt with. It would have been better to have some of this stuff worked out before it had paint on it. We were careful and it turned out fine, If I had it to do over again I would have just bought the standard kit and not worried about a few holes in the smoothed firewall what would have come through the firewall is very minimal. But it will look good the way we're doing it also. Just more time and a little more creative cutting. Coming through the far right on the firewall required more grommets so I had to order two more from Old Air. The sent a liquid line that was too short for the run I have so I had more than one reason to call.

Last pictures of the AC Wires Routed.

I have to find somewhere that will crimp the fittings for the AC lines since they are cut to fit. It's on my list of things to do.

The next AC Update will be the vents and hose connections etc. and installing the glove box.

[Low Elco]

Work looks great! I like the ground bar idea, Might have to whip a couple up myself. Hope you get the first firedone with no problems. don't forget to check your oil pressure line in and out of the cab, it's easy to forget, ask me how I know!

[KSWes]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Work looks great! I like the ground bar idea, Might have to whip a couple up myself. Hope you get the first firedone with no problems. don't forget to check your oil pressure line in and out of the cab, it's easy to forget, ask me how I know!

Thanks Chip! I picked up the stick of brass bar at "Nuts and Bolts" They pretty much have everything, and I'm going to all electric gauges so there shouldn't be any oil squirting in the cab. I had that happen before I tore this thing down when I had the gauge cluster out for some reason or another. It makes a hell of a mess.

I know I've been saying for the past three weekends that I felt like I'd be able to fire up the truck. My list of things that need to get done keeps growing when I remember 5-6 more things that need to be done before I can fire it up. Wiring inside the cab is done except for a little more work to tidy up with loom and tie up loose wires. Instrument cluster is all done except for the speedo which is on back order at Summit.

Had to get the drive shaft shortened and re balanced for the 700R4 had that done at Inland Truck picked that up last week so it'll go in this week. So when I do get it started it'll move.

[Low Elco]

Inching...steadily.....closer..... Can't wait!

[KSWes]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Inching...steadily.....closer..... Can't wait!

Soon...

[KSWes]

Loose ends.

In an effort to recycle and reuse as much as I can I re-purposed the the power steering lines from my truck and also from the donor truck I pulled the engine out of. Had to do a double flair splice since the power steering pump is for a newer truck and has a O ring style fitting. The double flair should be able to handle the pressure.

Also reusing the trans cooler from the donor truck. Had to bend up some new lines for the cooler. I'm not great at bending lines but with the green lines you can get from the parts store it's pretty easy to do. Ran it from the trans, to the radiator then the external cooler and back to the trans. That's how the factory does it on newer trucks so I thought I'd do the same.

Got the rear wiring terminated in the junction box I'm using.

I did connect the battery over the weekend and no popped fuses and most importantly no fires. The Alarm works and it uses the horn not a siren, Scared me a little when I hooked up the battery for the first time cause the alarm started going off, I guess it's designed to do that in case someone is trying to cut the power. Then I unhooked the horns for the rest of the testing. I don't like alarm sirens I don't think anyone pays attention to them other than considering them an annoyance, they probably don't pay attention to horns either, but something is better than nothing, and gives me a little peace of mind. Also using the starter kill on it.

I did have a bug to sort out with the power locks. I used a LMC kit and the door actuators are a little weak for the heavy pull of the lock linkage it has enough umph to pull it about half the time. Also the wires I connected from the alarm to the control box are not doing what I thought they would, and I'm not positive the control box from LMC will work correctly with my alarm. And the LMC schematic leaves a lot to be desired (it's a pretty cheap kit, I think I paid 40 dollars or something, I should have just waited until I had the alarm, but it's one of those parts I bought and sat on. So I decided I'm going to replace the actuators with high power ones and I'll replace the brain box with one that is designed to work with the alarm. I can't say I would recommend the LMC kit, just doesn't seem like a quality product. And not trying to trash LMC, I buy a lot from them, but I don't think these are heavy duty enough for our trucks.

The next post from me will be a video of the truck running. Saturday is the day. Everything is done except fluids so there should be nothing holding me back.

[Low Elco]

Congrats! Can't wait to see it.

[KSWes]

She Lives!!!

70 Chevy fire up - YouTube

Quick start up, runs good needs some exhaust. A good days work today... Exhaust goes on this week if I can get an appointment.

[mcbassin]

Congrats on getting her running! Sounds great!

[Low Elco]

Hey hey! Congrats Wes! On the road soon!

[Bomp]

Sounds great

[KSWes]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

Congrats on getting her running! Sounds great!

Thanks Mike!!

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Hey hey! Congrats Wes! On the road soon!

Thanks Chip!!

Originally Posted by Bomp

Sounds great

Thanks Bomp!!

Does on a trailer count as back on the road? Headed to the muffler shop tomorrow