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colbystephens' build and wheelin' thread! Post 289: my NEW truck body!!!

it *should* be back on the road tomorrow. just gotta hook up the steering shaft and install the starter. i'm kind of dreading the starter. it gave me trouble a while back, and i have never done shims before. i'm hoping it'll be a quick job. :) thanks for the compliments.
 
dont put the starter on.. make it a pull start! u know like push lawn mowers have?? pull start.. that'll be reliable! damn im a dork!:haha: :haha:
 
Xtremegmc80 said:
dont put the starter on.. make it a pull start! u know like push lawn mowers have?? pull start.. that'll be reliable! damn im a dork!:haha: :haha:
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I dont think anyone would figure out how to steal your truck that way.:haha:
 
Xtremegmc80 said:
dont put the starter on.. make it a pull start! u know like push lawn mowers have?? pull start.. that'll be reliable! damn im a dork!:haha: :haha:
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i'm not kidding when i say that i've thought about that. sure wish i could. i might get tired of pulling 21:1 compression tho!! :yikes:
 
colbystephens said:
i'm not kidding when i say that i've thought about that. sure wish i could. i might get tired of pulling 21:1 compression tho!! :yikes:
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thats true!:haha:
 
maybe i'll just build a ramp that i can take everywhere with me, and when i park on flat ground, i can set the ramp down, back up onto it and then just roll off and bump start it that way! now there's a good idear! :wink1:
 
colbystephens said:
maybe i'll just build a ramp that i can take everywhere with me, and when i park on flat ground, i can set the ramp down, back up onto it and then just roll off and bump start it that way! now there's a good idear! :wink1:
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that works. i used to park on the hill with my old 77 gmc cause i was too poor to get the new starter, so when schools out, and no one park behind me i just pop the gear vroom vroom it works! its alive! until my dad got it fixed.. i was in highschool.. i think the starter option looks better! :p: easier to turn the key by ur hand.. hey ur tooth looks good on ur flywheel??
 
Hmmm I havent ever had to shim a starter on ANY of my 6.2's. Make sure you got the correct starter. Checker here claimed it was the same as any BBC starter and it isnt. Now I only deal with a local starter and alt. rebuild company.

Balzer
 
ok. i'm fed up with this truck - i'm about to have a breakdown. i've had to borrow a vehicle for 2 weeks and i absolutely have to have it running tomorrow (tuesday). i got all the wiring swapped in and everything hooked up. turned the key to start the rig, and got nothing from the starter.

so, here's absolutely everything i did to try to make the starter work, as well as all the things/details i noticed. i hope this helps you diagnose my problem.

  • truck is an '83 6.2 diesel, stock with auto trans, but now has a 465.
  • steering column is from an '85(?) suburban, gas with auto trans.
  • wiring harness is from an '86(?) 3/4 suburban.
  • starter is for a '95 6.5L diesel.
ok, so i swapped in the wiring harness and everything looks to be the same on this harness as my last one. everything hooks up properly and so on.

the wiring on the column has 2 wires more than my wiring harness. it has a beige color and a green one, which don't connect to anything on my current wiring harness. these wires are also not found on my '83 steering column. in addition, this column has the wipers on the blinker lever, so there's an extra set of wires that do not connect to anything, as the current wiring harness has the connections for a dash-driven wiper system.

when i turn the key to the "on" position, my guages work, as do my headlights. my left blinker blinks at a normal rate, the right one blinks slowly. 3 of my 4 headlights work, but they're always on and dim. no real difference between brights and lows.

when i wiggle the shifter for the auto trans on the column, i can see it affecting my power, as the volt meter drops significantly. this was when it went through reverse and the lights in the back came on. when i unplugged that switch, this did not continue to happen.

when i turn the key forward to hit the starter, the "brake" light on the dash comes on, dropping the voltage very slightly, but only enough to make you think it's the light - not an attempt to turn the solenoid on.

so we connected a secondary key cylinder to the solenoid and when i turn the key in that one, it turns the engine over like it normally should. infact, we even got the engine fired up, but it needs to be shimmed because the starter wouldn't disengage from the flywheel. HOWEVER, i DO NOT want to have to use this to start the truck on a permanent basis.

i am nearly certain that the fusible links on the two wires that go to the positive (large) peg on the starter solenoid are good because when you put power to that connection (those 2 wires go to one connection) the dash guages work. now i don't understand how that wiring works, so the following statement may be pointless: i suppose if the one that sends power from the ignition key to the solenoid has a burned out fusible link, it could ruin the starting circuit.

what could be my problem that the ignition in the column isn't starting my truck??? :frown1: :frown1: :frown1:

please please please tell me how to fix my truck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :bow::bow::bow:
 
Sounds like you need to check your "park-neutral safty switch" or the "clutch saftey switch" witchever you have. You didnt say what trans the 86 3/4t suburban had, but if everything was auto and now your running a standard, you need to make sure it is hooked up or bypassed. Fuzeable links are a huge pain in the ole pooper. IIRC some trucks had as many as 7 of them somewhere. My oppinion is you need to check those 2 switches and all fuzeable links. I check fuzeable links by cutting them out and useing a butt connector with the heat shrink stuff to connect the wires back together. I have never found a BAD one this way.

Balzer
 
I have no idea on how to fix your oil burning blazer but I do think it would look cooler if it was camo pattern like my burb . I suck at the wiring stuff so no input from me . Good luck though .
 
So which harness is in the cab ? The 83 ? You say your harness has dash driven wipers , that sounds 83 to me ( 84 went to column wipers )

You need to get the diagrams for all 3 years of trucks you have parts from and sit down for a few minutes . Some things will interchange for many years , some won't .
 
Do ya have a test light & a volt meter?
Start from the switch and see what pin is the signal wire for the solinoid.
From there trace the circuit out to each connection.

The harness you have should be wired for a nuetral safety switch.
Most likely you have overlooked it and you will have to bypass it.
 
Muddytazz said:
Colby, that column is from an 86 burb with auto tranny.
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So it should start everytime if the column is left in the park or neutral position . But he already said he moved the shifter threw different positions and the backup lights came on .

So I thought about it a little , and think the switch is fubar . He can always take those two wires and run them to momentary switch either the factory clutch pedal style , or to a simple switch added under the carpet next to the dimmer area ( which aids in anti-theft ) :D
 
thank you SOOO much for all the input guys! i'm pretty damn newb to wiring, so treating me as dumb as possible will be helpful!

school me on the "park-neutral saftey switch". i've never heard of such a thing. the wiring harness is from an 84 burb w/ a 454. i got it from chopped&bobbed... it's wiring connections don't hook up to my column.

pauly, tell me more about this "anti theft" switch idea you've got.
 
The N/S switch is a safty feature, on an auto it will only be in the closed position in park & nuetral. On a 3 pedal rig it is mounted near the clutch pedal and is open until the clutch is released.

Since you have a mix n match thing going on you will have to isolate the signal wire. This is where a test light & volt meter comes in handy.

As you have chosen to give up your slushbox ways you can now delete the switch.

Either jump the conenction, repin the connection or as pauly suggested wire your own switch in.
 
What he is saying is that in all automatic trucks there is a nuetral safety switch that prevents the starter from engaging when in any gear but neutral or park. We believe in your column this is bad. So what you would do is find the two wires that engage the starter and wire them to a switch that you could flip on when you get into the truck. This would prevent a theif from stealing your truck because they wouldn't know where it is. However you would have to remember to flip the switch off when you get out.

The other way of doing it is to use a momentary switch like the newer trucks use on their clutch pedals that requires the clutch pedal to be pressed all the way in to engage the starter. By doing this you would put your truck into neutral and mount the switch down by the dimmer on the floor, and just press the switch when you want to start the truck. This would really prevent a thief from stealing the truck, because they wouldn't know about it. But when you are wheeling it could make it pretty hard to start in an inclined position.

As far as which two wires are involved, I don't have the wiring diagram here with me at the moment.
 
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