The Green Grendel

[campfire]

The speedo cable is working, though the gearing is further off than my numbers had predicted. Keeping up with 55MPH traffic pegs the dial, it was only supposed to be reading ~70MPH, not 85.

I'll get an actual reading someday. But for now I'll be blowing through 35 zones at 55MPH.

 

[campfire]

One of those wheels don't match!

Lol!


Looks like you're having fun with it!

Aww...Shuddit. I gave you fair warning that I only had 4 matching wheels instead of 5.

Besides, when the snow cakes on the rim it gets harder to tell them apart. You guys should just be happy that the truck is matching more now than it used to be...

And, yes, drift-punching is heaps of fun.

 

[campfire]

So what's your recommendation on a quick start glow plug? Since they are computer controlled, or whatever.

Your answer is different than mine, as you're still using the stock controller. Which, FYI, changed several times after the first trucks rolled off the line in 1982. Your controller should be set up for a long cycle (8-ish seconds) at the beginning, and then a thermostatically-controlled cycle after the first burst. Being a long-cycle controller, you want to be running long-cycle plugs, or you run a serious risk of burning them out quickly. Given that you have a turbo-charged engine, I personally would greatly prefer having the buried plugs never, ever burn out (because it's kindof a pain to change them). So I would stick with either the 60G plugs that GM called out for that application, or the Bosch Duraterm plugs that are said to last longer while producing equal heat. Somewhere around here there is a link to a slightly scientific bench test of the two plugs side-by-side.

If you use a quick-starting glow plug, recognize that they typically burn out when subjected to a long cycle time. It's not for the sake of inconvenience that GM abandoned the 2-second cycle in favor of an 8-second cycle. The plugs last longer. It's a good thing. If you want to use such, you can modify your controller cycle times with a resister mod (like you did with your PMD), and you'll be rocking it 1982-style.

 

[campfire]

P.S. - I abandoned my '83, '84, and '86 controllers in favor of more modern long-cycle plugs on a manual switch. If you want me to mail you one of my old ones I can do that. Or you can mod yours. Or you can join the push button club.

 

[GWeakland620]

Thanks Ethan.

 

[max 02]

Aww...Shuddit. I gave you fair warning that I only had 4 matching wheels instead of 5.

Besides, when the snow cakes on the rim it gets harder to tell them apart. You guys should just be happy that the truck is matching more now that it used to be...

And, yes, drift-punching is heaps of fun.

OK...were is the fourth one then!?

I see three!

 

[campfire]

OK...were is the fourth one then!?

I see three!

It's on spare duty.

You guys should have figured this out by now...I use whatever rubber makes sense regardless of what styling the rim has. I've pretty much run out of crummy tires now (selling them all off one by one), but that does not mean I magically have a matching spare rim for this set.

Maybe someday...

 

[max 02]

It's on spare duty.

You guys should have figured this out by now...I use whatever rubber makes sense regardless of what styling the rim has. I've pretty much run out of crummy tires now (selling them all off one by one), but that does not mean I magically have a matching spare rim for this set.

Maybe someday...

I`m just giving you a hard time. I get it.
Everything comes in time.

 

[campfire]

Merry Christmas to all. Shortly before the holidays I sold my TinyCar. So this rig is officially on DD duty. Even on the cold grumpy days.

We've had a warm snap during this holiday traveling period (35 degrees! WOOHOO!). But now that we're back home the temps are heading South again. Time to figure out if this block heater works.

 

[campfire]

I still need a heater blower switch, and I need to retorque all the suspension fasteners (now ~150 miles on this thing). But otherwise things are working well. I have temporarily borrowed the stock NV4500 shifter from the FarmTruck for the time being. When I get my welder set up I will finish modding the SM465 shifter to fit this truck. So for now I won't get to see the final form of my modified shifter boot setup. Maybe when things thaw.

I will also be looking for the source of my steering looseness. I'm still slightly scared of hitting ice with this thing, I don't have the locker steering down to an art form yet.

 

[campfire]

At @GWeakland620's request, I filmed some cold starts today.

First up, here is my 10* cold start after work today. The Grendel clearly knew I was filming, I've never had such a miserable start from that truck, even at -2*. Not sure why it wouldn't start, nor why it stalled. TWICE! I'll be playing with the block heater tonight, we'll see how tomorrow's start goes. 10* was the high temp today, the engine may not have been as warm as the air temp yet.

Grendel Cold Start (10*)

• campfire
• Jan 4, 2017

Worst Cold Start Yet. Not sure what went wrong.

A few minutes later I warm-started it like this:

Grendel Warm Start (10*)

• campfire
• Jan 4, 2017

Same day as cold start

Here is how Big Blue handled the cold. Dead batteries. Again.

Big Blue Cold Start (10*)

• campfire
• Jan 4, 2017

Fail. Batteries are too low.

I put the 6-amp charger on it before cranking, and it was drawing 3 amps. After the cranking the meter pegged. Ruining the (already weak) batteries is a real possibility this winter.

The Suburban fired up fairly promptly (considering how long it's been since it was last started). But the throttle stuck open, so I killed it pretty promptly. Bizarre. I do have the dash half-way torn apart, and the cruise control system is disconnected from its actuator on the IP. Maybe CC fails in the VROOM direction?

Suburban Cold Start (10*)

• campfire
• Jan 4, 2017

Throttle stuck open.

(I did cycle the plugs before shooting this film).

 

[campfire]

Also, here is a clip from the drive home today. This thing is loud and wiggles all over the road, but somehow it still manages to be fun.

Driving along the River.

• campfire
• Jan 4, 2017

 

[campfire]

Over the holidays I picked up a cache of pictures from my brother. Among them were these that he shot of the Grendel back in the summer of 2013. In its original ATF-spewing, anti-shifting, mismatched-gearing mismatched-lug-pattern FWD-only configuration.







Actually, I take back one thing...the unpainted pinion tells me that this is after I swapped the 3.73s in. But everything else still looks disconnected.




Upside down?

 

[campfire]

Giving the nieces & nephews a ride around the Farm. They loved this thing, it was like a super-cool form of tractor ride for them. It was a hit each time I fired it up.








I would drive it around the block, bouncing all the way, in 1st and 2nd gear. I don't think we ever got up to 3rd gear on the 3.08s, it was just putzing around the farm.

The front Mud King tires looked kinda cool, but I don't regret selling them (they were cracked all to pieces and on 15" rims). The rear 16.5" rims I was unable to give away, they're still hanging around looking for a purpose in life.

And that flat crossmember hangs down waaaaaay too far. GM should have run that differently, IMO (as they eventually did).

 

[campfire]

And that second picture just might be my favorite shot yet. It just looks cool to me.

 

[beags86]

Do the black out lights still work?
If they do maybe you could post up a night pic?

 

[campfire]

Do the black out lights still work?
If they do maybe you could post up a night pic?

3 of the 4 lights do.

I have the right equipment to photograph it, but I don't have the skill to get the pictures to come out right. I like pictures, but I am not a photographer. At least, not yet.

Here's what the front of the truck looks like. The front blackout lights are a green led and an amber led in a pod. The passenger-side pod is dim, it didn't really show up on film. The higher spot is the drive light reflecting off of the winter blanket I have in front of the grille. When this is gone there is very little to see except the 4 leds marking the width of the vehicle. It projects a very faint amount of light on the ground in front of the vehicle. Not enough to drive by, but if you were desperate, a guide on foot in front of the vehicle could walk you through a pathway. But it's nothing like what you'd want for night wheeling.



Looking up from the ground, here is the slit of light that is projected from the drive light.



And here is the pattern that the back projects. The wires tore off going to the other rear light, so I only have 1. Though they all worked when I bought the truck. 4 red leds, there is a 5th amber led in the center that acts as a brake light.

 

[82355]

The later crossmember is no better.

Martin

 

[campfire]

The later crossmember is no better.

Martin

Really? It should eliminate the ~3" of spacer that I had to add to the middle, and the later ones hump upward on the driver side, so the T-case skid plate should be the only part hanging down. Right? Seems like it's better for 2 of the 3 segments.

 

[campfire]

And today Wifey spotted a pile of black engine oil underneath this truck. All under the hood is covered in oil, it looks like the fan has been flinging it everywhere. I'm down 1/2 a quart (which doesn't seem even close to reasonable given how much oil is all over the engine compartment). My guess is that the oil cooler line is leaking in front of the fan, but I had guests show up and I don't feel like heading out there to check into it at 0 degrees tonight. I'll look it over in the daylight.

Not sure what the severity is yet, but this counts as my official first mechanical issue.