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1973 C10 "The Purple Truck"

Basic build
Overview Gallery Discussion
I’m a big fan of the dual crimp terminals.
I always use the cut to length kits. Allows routing just right. Definitely more time consuming, but worth it.
 
Fastereddie said:
I’m a big fan of the dual crimp terminals.
I always use the cut to length kits. Allows routing just right. Definitely more time consuming, but worth it.
Click to expand...
I was thinking in the future I would prefer the dual crimp for making my own wires. That really is the way to go if you do it.
 
The 4l80e I pulled from the parts truck was cable shifted. It sounds tricky to make a 4spd trans work with the column shifter anyway so it seemed like a good time to install a floor shifter. Only catch is I didn't want mine mounted to the floor. The bench seat in this truck doesn't have a folding back so you have to slide it forward to access the storage behind the seat. I decided to make a bracket bolted to the seat frame.

The frame is a tube so I used rivet nuts:

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I was searching for something else and happened to see they sell rosewood grips for the shifter. I got a good deal on them from a seller on eBay using the "make an offer". I think this is the first time I've had an offer accepted on the first attempt.

Incidentally the handle would make a handy place to hide a USB drive if I ever get involved in some clandestine operation.

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I love the way the wood slabs look awesome with the black shifter. Even thought it's not the same color of wood, it still fits with the wood trim and the wood steering wheel.

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The hardest part was drilling the hole in the floor. I always hate having to drill a big hole in virgin sheetmetal. I found nice firewall grommets on Amazon.


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Originally in my head I had pictured the grommet projecting down below the floor but then I realized it would make a huge dirt trap. So I installed it more like a shifter boot.

I had ordered a new cup holder for the tuffy console in my crew cab, but then I realized it would work perfect for this.

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Below is a better image showing the cubby I made behind the cupholders. I used some scrap 2x3 steel tube and cut a slot in the 2" side and capped it.

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You can also see the pencil holder. I found that on Amazon with the magnetic backing.

The last thing I did was to put braided nylon wire loom over the bright red shifter cable. I will also use that to hold the wires for the backup lights.

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One problem I have with the tuffy cup holders is that I tend to drop my coffee mugs on occasion and that leads to the bottoms not being perfectly flat. Then they like to rattle in the metal cup holder. I found adhesive backed cork and stuck it to a piece of mag sheeting. The cork comes in a pack of 30 so with the mag sheet I can easily change them out if they get nasty.

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Don't mind all of the dog stuff. My pup rides with me to and from work every day. :D

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Not yet. Don't have much free time these days so it's getting done a little bit at a time. This weekend I'm going to get the trans controller installed and wired up. Next weekend will be the shift kit. Then the following weekend will be the install.

I wish I could pre-measure for the driveshaft so I could be able to drive it right away. I guess I could take some difference measurements between the 2 transmissions and have one made but that could be risky.
 
Had a bit of 2 steps forward, 1 step back. I was prepping to install the transmission controller and came up with a plan to mount the ECU and controller together on a plate. I used existing threaded holes for the factory jack.

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The ecu harness just reaches with a little slack. It then occurred to me I should see if the trans controller harness will reach. Well..... I don't think it will. At least I have the ecu mounted a little nicer. I have 3 options:

1) Relocate the ecu to the driver side. Not ideal because I'll need to move the coil so the ecu harness isn't running right past the coil and risk picking up rfi. Also a lot more stuff in the way on the drive side making ecu mounting more difficult.

2) Extend the controller harness by either splicing in more wire or get an 4l60 to 4l80 adapter harness. I hate the idea of splicing into a brand new harness. The adapter harness should work because the controller harness will work with either the 4l60 or 4l80 but all the adapter harnesses I've found are only 18" and I think I need at least 24".

3) Get an extension harness for the can bus connection. The trans controller connects to the ecu via the can bus for power and tps input. The included harness won't quite be long enough to reach from where the trans controller will be and the ecu location.

I should probably go with option 1 since it would be free and relatively straight forward.

I also finished up the reverse light connection for the shifter. One thing to be aware of with the B&M Pro Stick is that it only comes with 1 micro switch and that can only be used with the park/neutral switch. You have to buy the reverse light switch separately and I found out the #4 bolts that come with the kit I bought specifically for the Pro Stick aren't long enough to pass thru both micro switches. I should have read the reviews and I'd have known. Luckily I had some #6 bolts long enough and they just barely threaded thru.

I extracted the terminals from the factory plug and they work in the packard 56 series plugs.

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Friday was the first day since the start of winter that I drove around town long enough for the cooling fans to run for awhile. Sure enough I experienced the efi cutting out intermittently. I had moved the ground for the fan controller from the battery to the core support but the fan motors were still ground direct to the battery. I moved that ground to the frame. Hopefully not having the fan system grounds stacked on the ecu ground will buffer any rfi. If that doesn't do it, I'll just have to remove the controller.

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Since I was messing with wiring under the dash, I decided to get rid of the last wire nut connection from the previous owner. I had already removed the hydraulic line from the master cylinder.

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Is it interference from the fans or could your voltage be dropping causing the hiccups?
 
imiceman44 said:
It could be either one.
He could find out out when he turns on wipers or heater.
Should put a similar load
Click to expand...
Fastereddie said:
Is it interference from the fans or could your voltage be dropping causing the hiccups?
Click to expand...
It has a soft start feature so there's no spike, which is one of the reasons I hate to get rid of it. It's a PWM controller so the fan speed is only as high as needed based on coolant temp. The PWM does make the fans whine, especially at lower speeds. I'm thinking that PWM is what makes the RFI.

I'm using Windstar fans but I think they technically make fans for PWM use. Another reason I think the Windstar fans may run "dirty".

The fans running is the one common element. They have to have been running for a little while which means the fans have been varying speed.

82355 said:
Might wear the throwout bearing.

Martin
Click to expand...
One our service trucks was going thru clutches. Finally figured out one of the guys was driving with his foot always on the clutch pedal.
 
My new pup is one of those dogs that likes to sniff out the door window. I need to put in electric windows so I can roll the passenger window down for her. Fortunately I have a power window passenger door courtesy of @Capt Ron. I'm assuming I can just wire up my own harness as my plan is to just electrify the passenger window. I'm hoping I can just swap the regulators, put the switch in the door, and add another switch at the center of the dash. I would just need power from the battery and a relay for the switches.

Are there any pitfalls with putting a power window regulator in a non-power door?
 
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