'89 R3500 Crew Cab 2wd to 4wd conversion & beyond

[mrk5]

I think it might be related to the 2wd frame. Looking at my L29 in the K10 frame it’s not as close. Still plenty of clearance so I’m sure you’re fine but I thought it was worth a mention.
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Interesting, definitely differences in the frame there.

I learned about something neat on a YouTube video, shrink tube that can run thru a Brother label maker. We have an older label maker that uses the correct cartridges but when I first installed it, it wouldn't recognize it was installed. Did some internet searching and found out how the label maker recognizes the cartridge, there are square holes on one end. Below you can see the middle cartridge is a regular label roll, the right one is heat shrink, and the left one is heat shrink that I stuck tape over the bottom square holes to make it match the middle one. After the tape, it worked just fine. You do have to print the label in "mirror" orientation to read properly because of how it normally prints on the adhesive labels.




I had to find the right size text to use. My first thought was to use as big as would fit , but then it's hard to read on the wire. Below are 2 examples, the first one is the smallest text it will print. The second image is the "medium" size text. Both examples are 16ga wires.





This is the shrink tube: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WJ4Q1WM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 The examples above are the smallest size they offer. I'm not sure the small size would fit over 14ga wire, 16ga is pretty close. I have the next size up on order to try out. From there I'll see if I need/want the the biggest size.

 

[centexk5]

Well that’s freaking handy. Gonna have to order me up some of those.

 

[mrk5]

Anyone know how the heck you de-pin the firewall connector.





I'm familiar with de-pinning Packard and Weatherpack but I can't get these out. I've stuck a pin thru everywhere I can manage around the terminal and it just won't come free. Damn black goop packed around them doesn't help with seeing anything.

 

[Fastereddie]

You squeeze them

Anyone know how the heck you de-pin the firewall connector.

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I'm familiar with de-pinning Packard and Weatherpack but I can't get these out. I've stuck a pin thru everywhere I can manage around the terminal and it just won't come free. Damn black goop packed around them doesn't help with seeing anything.

You squeeze them along the side

 

[Fastereddie]

They look like the lower right one

 

[mrk5]

That helps. I was trying to at least get one out so I could see what I was dealing with. I just managed to smash the shit out of the terminal so that it came out in pieces; not helpful. I ordered a de-pinning pick tool from Amazon that might work better for pushing that tab over.

Without TBI, I have nearly half a dozen wires coming out of there I don't need.

 

[Fastereddie]

That helps. I was trying to at least get one out so I could see what I was dealing with. I just managed to smash the shit out of the terminal so that it came out in pieces; not helpful. I ordered a de-pinning pick tool from Amazon that might work better for pushing that tab over.

Without TBI, I have nearly half a dozen wires coming out of there I don't need.

I just give them a little squeeze with needle nose pliers.

 

[folkenheath]

That helps. I was trying to at least get one out so I could see what I was dealing with. I just managed to smash the shit out of the terminal so that it came out in pieces; not helpful. I ordered a de-pinning pick tool from Amazon that might work better for pushing that tab over.

Without TBI, I have nearly half a dozen wires coming out of there I don't need.

I use those as factory pass throughs for other stuff when I do that if possible.

 

[mrk5]

I just give them a little squeeze with needle nose pliers.

Finally got one out. It is a different type.





I should be able to get them out by pushing down on the center tab, but I swear they were still holding on. I got this one out pulling it through instead of pushing down. I'm hoping I can salvage at least a couple so I could reuse them like @folkenheath mentioned.

 

[Fastereddie]

Finally got one out. It is a different type.

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I should be able to get them out by pushing down on the center tab, but I swear they were still holding on. I got this one out pulling it through instead of pushing down. I'm hoping I can salvage at least a couple so I could reuse them like @folkenheath mentioned.

Dang, sorry for the misinformation, I’ve not come across that type in the fuseblock before.

 

[Truckman4life]

Yep definitely the center tab.
Get one or several of these.

 

[nvrenuf]

There are 2 different sizes of that style terminal in the plug. I know you are removing extra terminals but if you find you need to add any during the project I have a few new terminals of the bigger size.

 

[mrk5]

Yep definitely the center tab.
Get one or several of these.
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I do have a couple of those I just ordered but there is something else holding the terminal in. I can feel the pick push the tab in, but it still doesn't want to release the terminal from the housing. I noticed this special tool in the wiring diagram manual. That's probably what I need, but can't find any available.

 

[mrk5]

I mapped out the bulkhead connector by going through the wiring diagrams page by page and looking for any connections on that plug. Figured I'd post it up in case it might help someone else with an 89 TBI truck. The WW are washer/wiper wires. There are only 2 spots I couldn't tag, but I don't have any wires there anyway. You can see there are 10 circuits I can eliminate. I'm keeping the pink wire for ignition power to the Terminator like it was for the Sniper. I pulled the brown alternator wire because I have a 1-wire alternator.

 

[mrk5]

I got the next size larger shrink tube. I did not have to make any modifications for it to work in the label maker.

 

[Wes Harden]

I do have a couple of those I just ordered but there is something else holding the terminal in. I can feel the pick push the tab in, but it still doesn't want to release the terminal from the housing. I noticed this special tool in the wiring diagram manual. That's probably what I need, but can't find any available.

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I find that I need to push the terminal into the block(direction of install) and hold it there as use the tool to depress the tab, then pull. The tabs get hung up on the plastic lock shelf in the connector.

 

[rderosier]

I mapped out the bulkhead connector by going through the wiring diagrams page by page and looking for any connections on that plug. Figured I'd post it up in case it might help someone else with an 89 TBI truck. The WW are washer/wiper wires. There are only 2 spots I couldn't tag, but I don't have any wires there anyway. You can see there are 10 circuits I can eliminate. I'm keeping the pink wire for ignition power to the Terminator like it was for the Sniper. I pulled the brown alternator wire because I have a 1-wire alternator.


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Super useful, thank you!

 

[mrk5]

The AC bracket makes a nice place for mounting the p/s reservoir.



I had the bright idea I could quick swap the fittings without losing much fluid. Of course everyone already knows the end to this story. It all ended up on the floor!

 

[Tnsejed]

The AC bracket makes a nice place for mounting the p/s reservoir.



I had the bright idea I could quick swap the fittings without losing much fluid. Of course everyone already knows the end to this story. It all ended up on the floor!

Not ALL of it ended up on the floor. The only reason we keep continuing to do that is because reality says, some can be saved, and its worth it no matter how minuscule.

 

[mrk5]

I mapped out the bulkhead connector by going through the wiring diagrams page by page and looking for any connections on that plug. Figured I'd post it up in case it might help someone else with an 89 TBI truck. The WW are washer/wiper wires. There are only 2 spots I couldn't tag, but I don't have any wires there anyway. You can see there are 10 circuits I can eliminate. I'm keeping the pink wire for ignition power to the Terminator like it was for the Sniper. I pulled the brown alternator wire because I have a 1-wire alternator.


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I finished pulling wires. I kept the bottom right pink/black wire for possible future use. It's an ignition source I thought might could be used to trigger something some day.