Like a big block project Dean.
It`s funny how excited Colby is about it!
Even Kate is calling it Ratbag already.
CK5
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'74 K5 build: Smurf
- Thread starter dremu
- Start date
It`s funny how excited Colby is about it!
Even Kate is calling it Ratbag already.
We often talk about a previous-owner seeking missile, to hunt down and maim the fools who have done god-knows-what to our trucks. This seems to occur especially often with regards to wiring under the dash or under the hood.
Sadly, in the case of Tankie, the only person I could blame was myself. I'd been adding relays and fuses and wiring ad hoc, ending up with a bloody great mess. I finally broke down this week and organized it all, with central fuse block and relay mounts.
Here's the obligatory "before" pic:
The relays have different pinouts, random wire colors, and often a foot or so extra wire -- you know, just in case
First up was to get some identical relays, with the metal tabs as the plastic ones break at the most inopportune times. These were mounted to a copper bar, which I drilled and tapped for the relays, and then drilled on the ends to mount into the truck:
Connections are crimped and soldered, and I musta been out of heatshrink that day -- see below about the new liquid tape
I only needed four circuits, actually, but the fuse panel had five, so I figured I'd add an extra for future expansion, backup, whatever. (Yes, there were five originally, but one was for an auxiliary horn that was removed ... but the wiring was left. Doh.) The four circuits are then for the bumper lights, the grille lights, the light bar, and the York clutch.
Here's the panel mount and most of the wiring done:
Still gotta go in with the zip ties and fasten everything down, maybe use a bit more loom to organize stuff. Oh, and I am starting to love liquid electrical tape, maybe more than heatshrink, and lordie knows I love me my heatshrink. It comes in a jar with a brush inside, like rubber cement, and you just brush it on ... stinks to high heaven and a while later, voila! Insulated, flexible coating. You can just see a bit of it at the bottom right of the fuse panel; I've since done the top connectors as well, so they're safe from corrosion and short circuits.
The end result is that it's infinitely better than it was in terms of reliability, safety and function. It's still not show quality, but it's definitely serviceable.
-- A
Sadly, in the case of Tankie, the only person I could blame was myself. I'd been adding relays and fuses and wiring ad hoc, ending up with a bloody great mess. I finally broke down this week and organized it all, with central fuse block and relay mounts.
Here's the obligatory "before" pic:
The relays have different pinouts, random wire colors, and often a foot or so extra wire -- you know, just in case
First up was to get some identical relays, with the metal tabs as the plastic ones break at the most inopportune times. These were mounted to a copper bar, which I drilled and tapped for the relays, and then drilled on the ends to mount into the truck:
Connections are crimped and soldered, and I musta been out of heatshrink that day -- see below about the new liquid tape
I only needed four circuits, actually, but the fuse panel had five, so I figured I'd add an extra for future expansion, backup, whatever. (Yes, there were five originally, but one was for an auxiliary horn that was removed ... but the wiring was left. Doh.) The four circuits are then for the bumper lights, the grille lights, the light bar, and the York clutch.
Here's the panel mount and most of the wiring done:
Still gotta go in with the zip ties and fasten everything down, maybe use a bit more loom to organize stuff. Oh, and I am starting to love liquid electrical tape, maybe more than heatshrink, and lordie knows I love me my heatshrink. It comes in a jar with a brush inside, like rubber cement, and you just brush it on ... stinks to high heaven and a while later, voila! Insulated, flexible coating. You can just see a bit of it at the bottom right of the fuse panel; I've since done the top connectors as well, so they're safe from corrosion and short circuits.
The end result is that it's infinitely better than it was in terms of reliability, safety and function. It's still not show quality, but it's definitely serviceable.
-- A
And finally, unrelated to the electrical, my next project. Martin, as I promised you ... floor!
LMC now sells the full line of ACC stuff, including rubber floor matting in four colors, so I got a set of the blue
It's sitting on the living room floor to unkink the folds. Then I'll have to figure out how to weasel the thing into place without tearing it. The cage feet and the triple stick will be challenges.
Anyway, a bit of blue rubber parts pron
-- A
LMC now sells the full line of ACC stuff, including rubber floor matting in four colors, so I got a set of the blue
It's sitting on the living room floor to unkink the folds. Then I'll have to figure out how to weasel the thing into place without tearing it. The cage feet and the triple stick will be challenges.Anyway, a bit of blue rubber parts pron
-- A
Lovely!
Martin
Martin
454Sub
5/8 ton status
Not sure how your weather is, but I found the sun to be your best friend when installing flooring. Let it get nice and hot and then its sooooo much easier.
Yep. I've done the rubber floor once before, on my CUCV. That was with black, too, so it soaked up the sun real easy
And this is California! We have two seasons, one mildly cold and one hot (and we're just starting this latter)
-- A
454Sub
5/8 ton status
Ahhhh, my carpet was black and it worked real fast to massage the kinks out. And you will deff enjoy driving it much more with the heat/noise reduction the padding and rubber will provide.
TheBeast_88K5
Banned
You gotta link, or PN, Arron?
I couldn't find those on their site.
I couldn't find those on their site.
That's 'cuz you're not looking in the right place. They have a bunch of sites, including their gig with ACC:
https://www.lmcautocarpet.com/
for the vinyl, specifically https://www.lmcautocarpet.com/vinyl-flooring/
Note that the order ships from ACC direct, though it says "LMC Auto Carpet", so I donno if they just have a partnership going or the one bought the other, but anyway, it's separate from the regular LMC site/shipping/etc.
-- A
You must be really amped getting that wiring fixed.
Sorry, I couldn't "resist".
....such easy comedic fodder.
If you wanted to indulge your CDO tendencies, I'm sure there is a way to pre-wrap the wire with a small piece of blue 3M tape, then paint on the liquid electrical tape..... And remove the tape before it sets permanently to reveal a nice crisp edge.
Of course you can still indulge other neurotic behaviors like measuring precise intervals between the zip ties that bundle the wires together (with machinists calipers).....making sure that the zip ties all face the same way (zip tie passes through either facing you or away from you, but always the same way), and try to line up all the slots on the screws to face the same direction on your buss bars...... You know, fun stuff like that.
Just be sure to leave enough of a "service loop" in your wiring. It's great to keep everything super tight and neat looking, but it can make it a nightmare to service later on when there are more parts in the way and it's not quite so easy to get your hands and tools into the area.
-G
Sorry, I couldn't "resist".
....such easy comedic fodder.
If you wanted to indulge your CDO tendencies, I'm sure there is a way to pre-wrap the wire with a small piece of blue 3M tape, then paint on the liquid electrical tape..... And remove the tape before it sets permanently to reveal a nice crisp edge.
Of course you can still indulge other neurotic behaviors like measuring precise intervals between the zip ties that bundle the wires together (with machinists calipers).....making sure that the zip ties all face the same way (zip tie passes through either facing you or away from you, but always the same way), and try to line up all the slots on the screws to face the same direction on your buss bars...... You know, fun stuff like that.
Just be sure to leave enough of a "service loop" in your wiring. It's great to keep everything super tight and neat looking, but it can make it a nightmare to service later on when there are more parts in the way and it's not quite so easy to get your hands and tools into the area.
-G
You must be really amped getting that wiring fixed.
Sorry, I couldn't "resist".
....such easy comedic fodder.
If you wanted to indulge your CDO tendencies, I'm sure there is a way to pre-wrap the wire with a small piece of blue 3M tape, then paint on the liquid electrical tape..... And remove the tape before it sets permanently to reveal a nice crisp edge.
Of course you can still indulge other neurotic behaviors like measuring precise intervals between the zip ties that bundle the wires together (with machinists calipers).....making sure that the zip ties all face the same way (zip tie passes through either facing you or away from you, but always the same way), and try to line up all the slots on the screws to face the same direction on your buss bars...... You know, fun stuff like that.
Just be sure to leave enough of a "service loop" in your wiring. It's great to keep everything super tight and neat looking, but it can make it a nightmare to service later on when there are more parts in the way and it's not quite so easy to get your hands and tools into the area.
-G
Your jokes have me all charged up
I did actually do the painter's tape thing in a few places, not so much to get a good edge but to keep the goop from going EVERYWHERE.
I like the term "service loop". The problem is when I leave 18" extra for a 6" run
But yes, the relay assembly comes out and away from the fender for servicing easily enough.Facing your zipties all the same way has a use, it means that you only cut your hand on the sharp edges in ONE direction, not both.
Oh, and Philips head screws are easier to line up, 90* instead of 180* options. The screws on the electrical switch and outlet faceplates in my house all face vertical and I have to be careful not to crack anything doing so
-- A
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A good set of flush-cut snips will make it impossible to cut yourself on zipties from any direction... worth a look, and compared to the cost of BandAids, the ROI is quite rapid.
Service Loop was a term I first heard from the Seagate 2GB Barracuda days (circa ~ 1993?) back then they still hand soldered the wires to the heads on HDDs and they would leave just a little "extra" wire there in case they needed to rework the drive and replace a faulty head in the manufacturing process. Of course, what actually happened was the loop was long enough to touch the magnetic media and ended up causing all sorts of drive failures and field issues....
I've cracked my share of wall plates trying for that last little bit of screw alignment, though I'm more of a "horizontal screwhead" guy...
-G
Service Loop was a term I first heard from the Seagate 2GB Barracuda days (circa ~ 1993?) back then they still hand soldered the wires to the heads on HDDs and they would leave just a little "extra" wire there in case they needed to rework the drive and replace a faulty head in the manufacturing process. Of course, what actually happened was the loop was long enough to touch the magnetic media and ended up causing all sorts of drive failures and field issues....
I've cracked my share of wall plates trying for that last little bit of screw alignment, though I'm more of a "horizontal screwhead" guy...
-G
Not really a current owner seeking missile.
Bit more like this.
Bit more like this.
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By "Emu's moving and stowage", no, I don't mean I'm getting a new house, not for some time yet. Of those two things, first up, for those guys talking about the weight of a 14-bolt, note that they do change your center of gravity.
This weekend I brought home a C&C 14BFF for the sixpack (which is in pieces or else, like a sensible person, I would have used said sixpack.) The front of the Blazer wasn't exactly floating, more sort of semi-floating but it was definitely more exciting than usual on the highway.
And yes, that's one of those steel cargo trays that hook to the receiver, but the axle is chained and strapped down and the tray is then strapped to the truck to keep it from wiggling. It actually rode very nicely, save the fact that I had five or six hundred pounds that far back.
-- A
This weekend I brought home a C&C 14BFF for the sixpack (which is in pieces or else, like a sensible person, I would have used said sixpack.) The front of the Blazer wasn't exactly floating, more sort of semi-floating
but it was definitely more exciting than usual on the highway.And yes, that's one of those steel cargo trays that hook to the receiver, but the axle is chained and strapped down and the tray is then strapped to the truck to keep it from wiggling. It actually rode very nicely, save the fact that I had five or six hundred pounds that far back.
-- A
Now the stowage part. I have that big honkin toolbox in the back, but it's so big that stuff kinda gets piled up inside and I wanted to organize the contents. The racer types have lots of options for fluid storage; I ended up with a big one from Artec:
http://www.artecindustries.com/Quart-Crates_c_137.html
Specifically the "Ultimate Trail", which safely mounts a variety of containers (oil-type quarts, brake fluid, gear oil, coolant.) And it has the snazzy latch-on top to protect against spills or damage from nearby tools, etc.
and without the top
It's like Tupperware, but for your truck ... manly Painted and bolted in place:
The ammo box next to it, which I need to bolt down, conveniently fits jumper cables or the tire inflator squid. I gotta decide what stuff I want to keep inside the cab area for ease of access, as getting in here requires dropping the tire carrier and opening the tailgate and toolbox. I have a pile of ammo boxes in a couple different sizes, so I'm hoping that with some fiddling I can stow the really important stuff inside where it's easy to get to.
-- A
http://www.artecindustries.com/Quart-Crates_c_137.html
Specifically the "Ultimate Trail", which safely mounts a variety of containers (oil-type quarts, brake fluid, gear oil, coolant.) And it has the snazzy latch-on top to protect against spills or damage from nearby tools, etc.
and without the top
It's like Tupperware, but for your truck ... manly
Painted and bolted in place:
The ammo box next to it, which I need to bolt down, conveniently fits jumper cables or the tire inflator squid. I gotta decide what stuff I want to keep inside the cab area for ease of access, as getting in here requires dropping the tire carrier and opening the tailgate and toolbox. I have a pile of ammo boxes in a couple different sizes, so I'm hoping that with some fiddling I can stow the really important stuff inside where it's easy to get to.
-- A
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What did you need to axle for?
By "Emu's moving and stowage", no, I don't mean I'm getting a new house, not for some time yet. Of those two things, first up, for those guys talking about the weight of a 14-bolt, note that they do change your center of gravity.
This weekend I brought home a C&C 14BFF for the sixpack (which is in pieces or else, like a sensible person, I would have used said sixpack.) The front of the Blazer wasn't exactly floating, more sort of semi-floating
And yes, that's one of those steel cargo trays that hook to the receiver, but the axle is chained and strapped down and the tray is then strapped to the truck to keep it from wiggling. It actually rode very nicely, save the fact that I had five or six hundred pounds that far back.
-- A
Un-disc-ing the sixpack, the stealth dually, as it's ... messed up. I am not a fan of Caddy calipers, so I am reverting to drum. Turns out one of the spindles leaked bad enough to soak right through the pads, so I left it torn down. I figured I could either sleeve the thing and fiddle with the brake flanges, or just replace the whole axle.
-- A
Ah gotcha. Seems like the caddy disc brake calipers just aren't what they are cracked up to be.
Random factoid:
-I read in an article a good dozen or so years ago that one of those axles combined with SRW hubs and brake parts would make for a Jeep/small truck width 14FF. Mentioned that in passing to a guy I knew with a pretty big Ranger that was blowing up axles pretty frequently.
Next thing I know (literally within a month) he's found the only C&C dually 14FF in the state of Ohio, has it converted to SRW, and has it under his Ranger on 38's. He had no more rear axle breakage.
Random factoid:
-I read in an article a good dozen or so years ago that one of those axles combined with SRW hubs and brake parts would make for a Jeep/small truck width 14FF. Mentioned that in passing to a guy I knew with a pretty big Ranger that was blowing up axles pretty frequently.
Next thing I know (literally within a month) he's found the only C&C dually 14FF in the state of Ohio, has it converted to SRW, and has it under his Ranger on 38's. He had no more rear axle breakage.
I would imagine. The 14BFF is stupidly strong for a full-size, so for a mid-size like that it would be like Rockies on our trucks =))
Now, for those reading, note that changing the brakes and/or hubs from SRW to DRW is only really easy if you're also switching to disc, in which case you just offset the caliper mount plate as appropriate for a specific combination of axle and hub. Or you can just put SRW wheels on the existing, monster drums (they're like 8" deep, so they'd stick out of most any wheel.)
And yeah, I am not happy with the Eldo calipers. The dually is worse as I couldn't quite make the rotor fit inside the wheel, so I'm looking forward to going back to drum.
-- A
Yeah. He ended up finding a narrow D60 for the front and his rig was about bomb proof.
Shame no one has ever made an aftermarket kit like or a kit to adapt the later GM drum in hat disc with parking brake setup. That seems to work fairly well.
I just cringe thinking how big and heavy those drums were on Big Ugly. Yours are even more gimundic.
Shame no one has ever made an aftermarket kit like or a kit to adapt the later GM drum in hat disc with parking brake setup. That seems to work fairly well.
I just cringe thinking how big and heavy those drums were on Big Ugly. Yours are even more gimundic.
