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

[6872xtc]

I use dielectric grease. It isn't a permanent answer, though. Dealing with the mixer trucks getting water on them every single load and then acid at times, it has been the best help.
On ground cables, I smear it onto the terminal before assembly.
Battery terminals get spray protectant, but that's difficult to get good coverage.

If you found a spray sealer, make sure that it doesn't harden when cured. It would be suseptible to flexing and cracking later, which would let in moisture.

 

[Wes Harden]

personally never been a fan of the spray sealer. It can sometimes interfere with connection. Hides the beginning of corrosion form easy inspection.
Dialectic grease is good.

 

[centexk5]

I just tighten the lug down and then spray over it with spray paint. Best idea? Probably not but have never had any issues either.

 

[fourwheelerjeff]

anybody use this?

 

[sweetk30]

this stuff is great for all my trailer light plugs and sockets . been around for years and made by a light company .

Amazon.com

 

[imiceman44]

You guys have helped a lot. I felt like I was victim to some false concept that a frame was a good current carrier. I kept thinking I had read somewhere the frame didn't carry much current. Something about surface area of the frame versus all those strands of copper in the large cable. But then I kept thinking it seemed like the frame should be plenty good enough. As I mentioned, over thinking...

I think my plan is good then. I'll sketch it all out and post up so you all can see, but mostly I'll post it for future Scott that won't remember what I did.... I've searched back thru this thread several times in the process of this recent work trying to find what I did before.


I always clean/grind grounds anytime I have to touch them. I noticed pulling some off yesterday there was corrosion under the terminal on the frame and thought I need something to protect them. I found an aerosol spray can coating to spray over electrical connections. Anything in particular people would recommend?


The Terminator comes with a very long power/ground lead that I think will reach one of the batteries. Do you ever add to the leads? I'm assuming it would be a good case for soldered butt connections.

That's why I said I can't confirm that the frame is enough because of what you mentioned about the surface being the carrier of current but the frame does have a lot of surface but metal is not as conductive as copper so I didn't want to confirm

 

[Wes Harden]

this stuff is great for all my trailer light plugs and sockets . been around for years and made by a light company .

Amazon.com

This is the same goop that the factory uses in the bulkhead connector.

 

[sweetk30]

if welders can ground there tables and weld all day why cant our truck frames do the tiny amount of amps compared to a welder . ?

 

[mrk5]

this stuff is great for all my trailer light plugs and sockets . been around for years and made by a light company .

Amazon.com

I have a tube of that in my tool box that I use on terminals. I've had it so long I don't remember buying it.

I just tighten the lug down and then spray over it with spray paint. Best idea? Probably not but have never had any issues either.

Probably works a lot like the spray sealer stuff.

anybody use this?

View attachment 476292

That's similar to what I found but I haven't used any myself.

 

[kennyw]

That's why I said I can't confirm that the frame is enough because of what you mentioned about the surface being the carrier of current but the frame does have a lot of surface but metal is not as conductive as copper so I didn't want to confirm

Copper is metal.

 

[imiceman44]

Copper is metal.

I correct myself, steel vs copper.
I meant the conductivity of copper is a lot better but I know you had to say this I offered it on a silver platter.

 

[mrk5]

Had a bunch of graduation stuff to attend and other family obligations so about all I managed over the long weekend is to get the oil cooler plumbed. I added a union to the rear most cooler fitting on the block so the lines routed a little better.





That union has an 1/8" npt port I was thinking I might add add an oil temperature gauge in the future.

This little Mushimoto cooler is a really nice piece.



I grabbed a picture of the shortened oil fill tube. It should work well without sticking up there 10 feet.

 

[Truckman4life]

If you really want some good but messy stuff for battery terminals and such. Fuchs Lubricants makes a black grease looking stuff that International Trucks uses on their battery connections. It's a black nasty mess when first put on but then it gets a dry crust over it after some time. Real good stuff til you have to take that connection apart again. I have a few tubes of it at home. I can get the number off it for you if you want.

 

[mrk5]

If you really want some good but messy stuff for battery terminals and such. Fuchs Lubricants makes a black grease looking stuff that International Trucks uses on their battery connections. It's a black nasty mess when first put on but then it gets a dry crust over it after some time. Real good stuff til you have to take that connection apart again. I have a few tubes of it at home. I can get the number off it for you if you want.

That sounds like the stuff that was in the factory bulkhead connector. I don't think I would use that because I do tend to change things up, I'd hate to have to clean that stuff up all the time!

 

[Babaganoosh]

You guys are wild, I never use anything. I still have stuff on my truck that is a year and a half old not even painted... Living in AZ is a blessing at times...

 

[mrk5]

The problem I have is driving to the trails in the winter. All the shit they spray on the highways has an effect. Really irritates me.

 

[Babaganoosh]

The problem I have is driving to the trails in the winter. All the shit they spray on the highways has an effect. Really irritates me.

Definitely, It would drive me nuts as well. I'm spoiled with my weather until it gets blazing hot.

 

[mrk5]

Couple more things done.

Since the radiator and engine come from the 1998 c3500 application I bought rad hoses for the same and they fit perfect, especially the bottom hose around the frame.



That's better than the previous hose that was specific to the crew cab.

The power steering cooler is mounted on the narrowed core support.



It didn't change due to the narrowing in reality. I wanted it moved out into the big opening for better air flow. Previously it was mounted over the holes in the core support just to the right of where it is now.

I also noticed a spot you can see in the top hose off the cooler that was getting pinched in the old layout.

And for anyone looking really close, the straps around the cooler are angled like they are because I was trying to use holes I already had in the core support.

The list to have it ready to start is getting smaller. Maybe it'll happen this weekend!

 

[folkenheath]

The only thing I've noticed is if you have the cooler lines higher than the steering reservoir fill cap, it can kind of run out and overflow when it sits if you have it at the correct height when it's running, depending on how much volume the cooler holds. I think this is why the factory keeps them low on the frame.

 

[mrk5]

That's a good point. I do end up with the reservoir pretty high. I try to get it near the height of the hydroboost which ends up being the high point in the system.



Now that I'm looking at it, I may have to drop the reservoir down for the hood. Or punch a hole.