October Update
Well let's see what's new. I had to install a new radiator, about a week prior to schedule. Cruising to work one morning (of course Monday!) look in the mirror and notice a fog trailing from behind me. Got over on the shoulder (Of course no one wants to let you over when you need to get over, but no one is around when everything is fine). Found a fan blade in the radiator. Well least I don't have to go in to the shop, bad thing was I had to wait on a wrecker. Got home, got parts on the way here, pulled the old stuff out, installed the largest transmission cooler I could find. Installed the radiator, started to bolt the thing in so I could fab up brackets for the e fan. Well ****! The radiator was 2 inches shorter then the bracket for the top. Those pot heads, damn and they didn't even offer to share! Called them back got the correct one for the brackets headed my way. So I went back to fabing the brackets. Maybe an hour go by and the driver shows up. 'I didn't have the right one in stock, we have to order it so I just brought this, it matches the dimensions you gave us'. Thought to myself 1. what is this going to cost me and 2. Well at least I won't have to beat myself to death driving the ramcharger to work. I pulled the box open and immediatelygrabbed the tape and looked at the parts guy. 'What's this going to cost me?'. He told me that the 4 core radiator is going to be $3.00 cheaper then the 2 core since we don't have it in stock. I asked why, and he told me that the parts store across the street carries the same manufacturer and that is the price that they charge for it. Score new 4 core radiator for $95.00 with a lifetime warranty. So I finished the brackets pulled out the short radiator, boxed it up, and handed it to the autozone driver. Had everything installed and working about an hour later.
I did run into a problem when I wired both fans on the same relay. Grabbed my mac tester from work since I didn't have anything at home that would test amp load of a circuit. clamped it on and hooked up some jumper wires to turn the fans on. Yea now I see why I'm going through a relay a day now. Pulling 36 amps at start up through a '30 amp' relay. Would handle the load in the morning on the way in to work, but on the way home I would always pop the relay just before I hit the interstate just a few miles from the shop. Rewired every thing so that each fan had a relay. 18 amps at start up, 12.5 amps at work speed, much better. Decided that while I was installing the second relay, that I would pop a little extra coin for the relay bases and relays for the headlight mod. I have as of yet done that.
I did find some time to fab up a second battery box for the driver's side, nothing fancy, just 3/32" sheet metal formed brackets with massive spacers that act as supports as well. Took the washer fluid tank and mounted it on the rearward side of the new battery box. Works good, almost looks like it belong there from the factory. I must admit that I never have looked at or taken measurements of the factory model, nor have I as of yet seen one!
Of course with a new battery box, I needed to get new batteries, matching set 800cca top and side post. Matching so I don't have to worry about one battery decharging the other because that don't match i.e. 800 cca and a 650 cca. Yea leave that truck sit for a week with out a battery isolator, may not be dead, but I doubt it will start without a jumper pack on it!
Grand daughter was born out at Pendleton, first week of Oct. The wife and I took a weekend flight out to see her and the kid. Man that base has changed from 20 years ago. Left Indy at 4pm and arrived at 8pm our time, I think we two hours. Leave home in the middle of rush hour, and go from LAX to Pendleton in rush hour! Only ****ing me, I hate you Murphy, I really do! Got to see where Sarah's duty station is, where Zack's duty station is, then I showed them were I was stationed at. The whole time my wife was looking for green grass. I had to drive her over to the officer's quarters for her to see green grass on a USMC base in Calif. Got to find a few buddies that were still 'alive'. (Man I am getting old!) We happened to get in town the night before she was released from medical, so I got to carry her in her new home, on base housing. Hung out with the kids Sunday, took a nap then Mon morning we were on a flight home left LAX at 1am landed in Indianapolis at a quarter after 5, dropped my wife off at home and I went to the shop.
Of course she is beautiful, mom is doing great goes to light duty the end of Oct. returns to full duty mid december. Her hubby, goes overseas in Feb. She will find out when she returns to full duty if she is ineligible for overseas duty while he is deployed, then again if she does go that would mean Elizabeth is going to live with Grandma and Grandpa while Mom is on float. I don't know if I have more faith in Uncle Sam holding up on his end of the bargain or for Murphy to screw things up!
Finally we got some rain, so we got to get started on the septic system at the cabin. My wife is getting her way with the cabin, a fully functional kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room. I think this will be the only cabin built in 1938 that has indoor plumbing plus an up to date kitchen that I know of! Christ, Murphy you got me again!
Well I guess she's happy with the progress with the cabin so she offered a buy one get one free deal on tires for my truck. Not bad, but I inquired about attached strings, she said that there are none. Immediately called the east washington street 4 wheel parts shop and put them on notice that I will be coming in (this past Saturday) and picking up 4 TSL tires 33x12.50x15. Boy did they blow that deal, didn't have any, don't carry any in that size, they are special order only WTF? are you kidding?. Then I started to think realistically, found that they don't even have any KO in stock, since that is their biggest seller. Well I called old reliable, tire barn, and they had 3 in stock, what the hell I bought this truck for $25.00, and the tires are 8 years old. Let's see what the inside of two of the look like. One hour later I was at home using the chemicals to clean the rims up. I'm not super crazy about this style of the rims (fake beadlocks) but damn they really look stupid with out the ring on the outboard side. Think I'm going to add real beadlocks to the list! No no thinking about it I AM!
I have decided to add some guages on the a-pillar and the center of the dash, god knows there more then enough real estate there. I don't want to even think about pulling the guage set out of the Dodge to put in the Suburban. That was a real PITA to install!
Talked to a buddy at work about the spring situation that I have on the rear of the truck, and he suggestied that I call and get in to 4 wheel parts and get it squared away double time quick, since he doesn't want to get stuck going down to the cabin to pull my trailer home with 3 cords of wood on it at 10pm Sunday night. So I called and made an appt. for tomorrow, just going to drop it off and see what the set me up with. Hopefully I can get the to go with the '88 3500 setup has like 9 damn springs capacity of like 5000 lbs, I know that is way to much for the axle, but I'm not going to let the springs limit me and I know that I'm not doing an axle in the near future, but I will be doing an axle when I find the one I want to build. Anyone ever built a suburban with dual rear wheels?
Anyways enough of the bull**** story here's the good ****. This time I'll have to post up with two sets and a partial number three. Slow but sure, slow but sure.
