1989 K5 - Gradual Learning

[shima]

It has been about 24 hours and I took another voltage reading with the truck off/everything off. The max I can get on the voltmeter is 10.5V.

Maybe should dig into that parasitic draw test?

 

[Wes Harden]

you need to try the draw test, door closed. Then disconnect battery ground and charge battery over night. If battery doesn't have 12.7 in the morning then get a new battery.

 

[shima]

Charged my battery up overnight + some extra time. It was on the charger for a long time. The charger showed it will wasn't fully charged somehow. Pulled the charger off and checked with a voltmeter, 11.4V. Looks like it's time for a new one.

 

[imiceman44]

Charged my battery up overnight + some extra time. It was on the charger for a long time. The charger showed it will wasn't fully charged somehow. Pulled the charger off and checked with a voltmeter, 11.4V. Looks like it's time for a new one.

That is usually the sign when the charger can't get it fully charged.
I have recovered a few batteries using a desulfating charger but when the problem is a bad cell it can't fix that.
At 11.4 it still might be just sulfates, you could try.
Anything below 10 after a good charge, it's a bad cell in my experience.

 

[shima]

I ended up putting a new battery in it.

I had checked out my maintenance spreadsheet, which goes back to May 2017... I have never replaced the battery from what I can tell. It's honestly pretty incredible that I got 7+ years out of the last one.

I put a nice 800 CCA in there for the hell of it (matches my K30). It fired right up and has been running fine. Gonna just keep driving it and see whether anything comes up electrical-wise in the near future.

Next I want to fix the EGR for once and for all...

 

[shima]

Looks like the EGR on the Blazer is gonna have to wait a lil bit...

I went out to drive it a little while ago and smelled gas. Sure enough my tank is leaking again.

Tonight I got the gas tank shield off so that I could take a look. The J-B Weld TankWeld putty that I put on a couple of years ago is leaking.

View attachment PXL_20240905_001444018.TS.mp4

So now I gotta decide whether I want to get a new gas tank or put on some more putty.

I guess if I replace the tank right now... may as well do a shackle flip while the tank is off, right?!

 

[Wes Harden]

Make it easy to the flip. Though removing and installing a tank when empty isn't that difficult

 

[ZooMad75]

Dude the tank drop is no sweat. If I can do it on mine in a dirt campground in the middle of nowhere Utah, doing it in your garage is a snap. Get the fuel level as low as you can to make it easier.

If you do get a new tank, save yourself a future problem and replace the pump while you are there. Even more so if the history of the pump isn’t known.

 

[imiceman44]

Dude the tank drop is no sweat. If I can do it on mine in a dirt campground in the middle of nowhere Utah, doing it in your garage is a snap. Get the fuel level as low as you can to make it easier.

If you do get a new tank, save yourself a future problem and replace the pump while you are there. Even more so if the history of the pump isn’t known.

Better yet, get the loaded tank from rock auto, comes with the pump pre-installed

 

[ZooMad75]

Better yet, get the loaded tank from rock auto, comes with the pump pre-installed

I didn’t know that was a thing. That would be awesome.

 

[imiceman44]

I didn’t know that was a thing. That would be awesome.

I didn't until my neighbor bought one like that

 

[shima]

I was on the fence about the shackle flip because I am wary of:

• Removing the factory shackle rivets...
• Maybe having to make changes to the exhaust...
• Maybe having to mess with the rear driveshaft angles...

I reached out to @mrk5 to ask whether I could get his help with it. We are going to get together at some point in the fall and take a stab at it. He's got the tools and the know-how that I am missing. Thanks again Scott!

Now comes the time where I start collecting parts... here is the shopping list so far:

• Fuel Tank
• Fuel Pump
• Shackle Flip Kit
• Greaseable Spring Bushings
• U-Bolts

I am pretty excited to get rid of the blocks in the back. In the meantime I am going to patch the gas tank hole again and I am going to try fixing the EGR.

 

[Wes Harden]

You'll want a new fuel fill hose, fuel fill vent hose 1/2", hose and clamps
I know Mrk5 has a good jiffy gun that will make short work of the rivets.
Are you going to do new bushings?
Any time the lift changes the pinion angle can be effected.
Easiest would be to adjust the purchase, as opposed to shims, if you want it done in a weekend. Other wise once together and angles measured you can get the correct shims to adjust the angle.

 

[cheavyk10]

I wouldn't be too worried about the rivets, I've ground all mine off and never had a problem. No air chisel needed.

 

[Wes Harden]

Grinding is totally an option, but a good air hammer, bit and compressor will do 12 rivets in less than 8 minutes.

 

[6872xtc]

Grinding is totally an option, but a good air hammer, bit and compressor will do 12 rivets in less than 8 minutes.

Yes, so true!
I shot one rivet head across the garage!

 

[shima]

Tonight I got the tank patched again. This time I really tried to dig into the tank with some coarse sandpaper before putting on the putty.

Also, I siphoned the remaining gas out beforehand to make sure that the putty wouldn't come into contact with gas when I put it on. The HF pump pictured did the job great, although I did have to "chain" some small hoses together to reach into the tank through the drill hole.

Here are some pics:



Time to start buying parts for the shackle flip!

 

[Blue85]

What's the backstory here? A previous owner drilled a hole in the tank? A fuel thief? I would think the patch would be more effective with something filling the hole, like a self-tapping bolt or a well nut.

 

[imiceman44]

What's the backstory here? A previous owner drilled a hole in the tank? A fuel thief? I would think the patch would be more effective with something filling the hole, like a self-tapping bolt or a well nut.

I am going to make a guess that it was a rust hole and he drilled it to clean the rust or to siphon the fuel.
I had a few pinholes in my wagoneer tank and I put small screws in the hole then patches over.
15 years nothing leaked then I sold it

 

[HankScorpio]

What's the backstory here? A previous owner drilled a hole in the tank? A fuel thief? I would think the patch would be more effective with something filling the hole, like a self-tapping bolt or a well nut.

Pretty sure it was a thief. Someone had fuel stolen back when the price was real high, without going back through all the pages, I think it was this thread.