Nice write up! When you said in the snow run thread that you had your winch wired up, I didn't realize what it really meant! Smitty built winches are using them too.
CK5
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'89 R3500 Crew Cab 2wd to 4wd conversion & beyond
- Thread starter mrk5
- Start date
Started out with 2wd TBI350 with SM465 to current 4wd with 454, 700r4, NP241
Yeah I have a habit of turning what would be a routine job into something more elaborate and time consuming. 
Yeah I have a habit of turning what would be a routine job into something more elaborate and time consuming.
But better!
Funny you mention that. I was just putting the nuts back on the original solenoid pack and one of the little studs broke off with a piece of the solenoid.
Was thinking about selling it. Now I'll just have to sell the 3 good solenoids.
Finally got the crew cab out in the snow. It was deep and provided plenty of opportunity to test out the new new winch wiring. Everything worked just fine.
Looks like fun!
y5mgisi
1 ton status
Good times!
Yes it was deep. Deepest I've tackled. Usually it's a mix of drifts with bare dirt. This was a consistent 12" to 18" with several deep spots to swap me in.
DickeysK5
1/2 ton status
What is that white stuff??? New Mexico just had its driest January on record.
I would say we're pretty much opposite of that. Snowpack is well over 100%
Dry as could be here. Lots of fires.
Martin
Martin
It would be nice if this keeps up and we can have campfires again.
On Friday I did a few "fun" things to the truck. I mounted by 12" light bar from Trail Worthy Fab and light pods from SideTracked Offroad.
The light bar has feet on each side that I mounted to an aluminum bracket that spans across behind the light. Forgot to take pictures of it. Below is a picture of the mount for the light pod.
One thing I found was easier on the light pods was to snug up the allen head bolts on the sides before installing. It was easier to keep the lock nut lined up in its slot.
Here's where I mounted them:
They aren't wired up yet. Hopefully soon tho.
I also mounted my duck. Convoy was my favorite movie as a kid and I still watch it from time to time. I was excited when I saw you could buy the duck hood ornament, but man they are expensive. Luckily metrodps had one that he was willing to make a deal on. We did a little bartering and I because the proud owner of my own angry duck.
i made the base for it from a scrap piece of 3" aluminum channel.
The other thing I did was to install my Powermaster alternator. The alternator that was in the truck was a 22si someone had put in. They modified the top bracket apparently by cutting and welding.
This is the distinctive feature of the 22si, the 2 mounting ears on the bottom.
The used a spacer between the ears and a lug nut between the rearmost ear and engine block. I guess it worked.
I wanted more power so I went with a 12si Powermaster 140A unit. The 12si is what should have been in the truck. I went to the junkyard to get an unmodified top bracket.
I had to get a chrome unit because I needed serpentine pulley and that was the only option I could find. This truck has the 5-groove serpentine belt for the alternator. The pulley is 6-groove, but works just fine in this application. Powermaster's FAQ page addresses this concern.
Oh and I fixed a leaky fitting on the power steering gear box. It wasn't a bad leak. I had let it go since before Blazer Bash. The leak is enough the "wet" the gear box and create an occasional drip, but not a puddle at all. I've only needed to add a splash of fluid in 2000 miles. But I was enough to annoy me whenever I saw the fluid covered gear box.
I used -8 AN on the steering gear return through the cooler so I could get improved flow. Typical is -6 AN. The adapter for the steering box was leaking. I had an adapter I used in the K5 that was for a -6 AN fitting. I picked up a -6 AN female to -8 AN male adapter to join things together.
The interesting thing I found is that the -6 AN fitting has the same inside diameter as the -8 AN. Just the latter has a thicker wall.
I suppose they are the same ID because they are both for the same steering box port. I found the oring on the adapter that was i the box pretty chewed up. After the drive home it seems to be leak free.
The light bar has feet on each side that I mounted to an aluminum bracket that spans across behind the light. Forgot to take pictures of it. Below is a picture of the mount for the light pod.
One thing I found was easier on the light pods was to snug up the allen head bolts on the sides before installing. It was easier to keep the lock nut lined up in its slot.
Here's where I mounted them:
They aren't wired up yet. Hopefully soon tho.
I also mounted my duck. Convoy was my favorite movie as a kid and I still watch it from time to time. I was excited when I saw you could buy the duck hood ornament, but man they are expensive. Luckily metrodps had one that he was willing to make a deal on. We did a little bartering and I because the proud owner of my own angry duck.
i made the base for it from a scrap piece of 3" aluminum channel.
The other thing I did was to install my Powermaster alternator. The alternator that was in the truck was a 22si someone had put in. They modified the top bracket apparently by cutting and welding.
This is the distinctive feature of the 22si, the 2 mounting ears on the bottom.
The used a spacer between the ears and a lug nut between the rearmost ear and engine block. I guess it worked.
I wanted more power so I went with a 12si Powermaster 140A unit. The 12si is what should have been in the truck. I went to the junkyard to get an unmodified top bracket.
I had to get a chrome unit because I needed serpentine pulley and that was the only option I could find. This truck has the 5-groove serpentine belt for the alternator. The pulley is 6-groove, but works just fine in this application. Powermaster's FAQ page addresses this concern.
Oh and I fixed a leaky fitting on the power steering gear box. It wasn't a bad leak. I had let it go since before Blazer Bash. The leak is enough the "wet" the gear box and create an occasional drip, but not a puddle at all. I've only needed to add a splash of fluid in 2000 miles. But I was enough to annoy me whenever I saw the fluid covered gear box.
I used -8 AN on the steering gear return through the cooler so I could get improved flow. Typical is -6 AN. The adapter for the steering box was leaking. I had an adapter I used in the K5 that was for a -6 AN fitting. I picked up a -6 AN female to -8 AN male adapter to join things together.
The interesting thing I found is that the -6 AN fitting has the same inside diameter as the -8 AN. Just the latter has a thicker wall.
I suppose they are the same ID because they are both for the same steering box port. I found the oring on the adapter that was i the box pretty chewed up. After the drive home it seems to be leak free.
Arrover
Registered Member
Cool mods! Ryoken has the same duck on his crew cab: http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=296466&page=31 around post 1533 +/- .
Yeah, I've been eyeballing his for a while. He has the Death Proof version used in that movie in a black motif. The angry duck as appeared at least twice in the movies.
I saw the duck and was going to ask what it was from, got distracted by that ticking noise in the motor though! Looks good though, I like it:thumbup:
A little late to the party I guess...but I got a Q about the winch dealio. What is the advantage of the new set-up over the old style solenoid packs? More reliable? or?
My reasons were size and ease of wiring. I would say it's nearly 1/2 the size of the solenoid pack. Which is why a lot of what I read related to putting these in the engine bay of newer Toyota's and Jeep's.
I don't really remember reading anything claiming better reliability. Just guys saying they have been running them X years with no problems.
I suppose in all honesty a third reason is sometimes I like to do things just to do them, if you know what I mean.
