ArcticFoxCJ

Speaking of the tailgate, I got rid of the flimsy LMC one after I transferred the internal parts over to the replacement and got that all squared away. Next, replacing the external door handles. Oh, and my daughter now loves riding in the truck.

Yeah I'm waiting for my tax refund to pick up a transmission for it. I'll go over the brake system at the same time. Will update when that happens!

That's what I'm thinking. Hopefully on Saturday I'll get some time to dig into it.

No. It isn't that the pedal is spongy, it's that it's very, very low to the point where I'm pushing it against the firewall.

In a case like that if the reservoir gets too low then you'll start pushing air into the hydraulic system, which causes a soft, spongy pedal.

It's a ZR5, so I don't know if that's just an upgrade or if it was common on 2002 or crew cab models.

Low brake pads don't cause a low pedal. As you said, as the pads wear, the calipers fill with fluid so the pedal travel isn't affected. A low pedal where the brakes engage firmly is typically an out-of-adjustment rear brake system when there are drum brakes. In this case, the truck is 4-wheel disc so it isn't likely to be that. I should have been more clear, the pedal is not only low but incredibly soft, and the brakes never firmly engage. So the first thing I need to confirm is that there isn't air in the brake lines. (One way that can happen is if the previous owner had let the fluid get too low and topped it off too late, after some air had gotten into the hydraulic system.) If after I bleed them the pedal remains soft, then the master cylinder is the most likely culprit.

Will do, thanks. I used to be an auto tech before I was a computer nerd so I understand all this stuff. I just spent most of my career as a Nissan tech so I didn't have a ton of familiarity with the gotchas and nuances of Chevy or anything else. That's why I'm very comfortable with my 280Z project but I'm being very cautious with this. My K2500 has a 350 and a 4L80e and everything's pretty easy to work on and get to, so that hasn't been a problem at all. Even when I had to pull the transfer case to R&R the transmission output shaft seal it was much easier than I anticipated. But this S-10... I feel both enthusiastic and intimidated at the same time.

This the site, and they referred me to a local shop. https://www.twiwarehouse.com/rebuilt-transmissions#REMANUFACTUREDCHEVYGMCTRANSMISSIONS They were very clear in pointing out the transmission is rebuilt, not remanufactured, and it does come with a new torque converter. I haven't looked yet at the condition of the pads/shoes but the pedal is extremely low, even though the brake fluid is full. I'm suspecting the master cylinder but I won't buy anything until I've looked over the whole system. Just haven't made the time yet. The engine seems to run pretty smoothly, so it may have already been through the head gasket fun. My only complaint there is it's a bit exhaust noisy, so I will also need to look for an exhaust leak. I've looked at the KBB good cost and it's around 3k, so at this point if that transmission source works out and the brakes don't need much beyond the master cylinder, I can make a reasonable amount back. But that also means not doing anything about the body damage, and cosmetic stuff hurts price, so that's a hurdle and part of why I may just keep it in the family fleet. I don't have room to part it out with my other project already taking up the "dead" slot in my driveway

She's got about 240k miles. Was a farm truck for a while but doesn't seem to have been beaten up too badly. The engine runs pretty well and the transmission is slipping, not completely out and struggles to get into reverse. I have found a company nearby that sells rebuilt units for $975 with a 1 year warranty, so I'm going to go that route. I know how to rebuild automatic transmissions but I don't have the equipment nor enough experience to feel confident about it! It is the W engine code so it has the fuel rails, not the TBI. The 4x4 does work, we tested that under actual field conditions. The interior is in surprisingly good shape, other than the missing stereo. So far the only work I've done to it is to replace the battery. (And frankly I'm tempted to swap it with the older battery in my K2500) so I'm not committed, but I'd really like to save it. Other than the transmission it doesn't have any serious issues I've discovered yet.

Haven't posted any updates in a while because I've been focusing on an engine rebuild for my other project, a 1977 280Z. This truck is still kicking though, and has been solid. Looking to add some more new parts and upgrades this year. One big thing I did was to remove that tailgate. LMC Truck is great but that tailgate was just as flimsy as a Pepsi can. Got a used original tailgate instead that just needs to be cleaned up.

Got this puppy for 400 bucks. 2002, 4.3L A/T 4x4. Needs a transmission and stereo, and the brakes don't work so well. That dent is the only significant body damage. Other than that it seems reasonably solid and I'm thinking it would be a good candidate for a flip. That said, part of me wants to hold onto it as I have family that could possibly use it. Anybody know of any gotchas or pitfalls I should be preparing myself for?

I'm skipping a lot of repairs in this thread, like new tie rods, new rear transmission seal, new power steering cooler, etc. Also skipping some interior work like a new rearview mirror, sun visors, etc. That's mainly because it's repair, not modification. I probably will ad more of those details in the future. She also got a new set of halogen headlights with hardware, as it had become impossible to aim the lights because of missing bits and bobs on the adjustment screws. As of yesterday, I have a new bumper in place. That was a pain...

Also cleaned up all the rust streaks.

Did a few items of mechanical work, and we removed the dump and added a new tailgate and bedliner... (And my daughter likes to be in the bed of the truck but she refuses to go for a ride in the cab... go figure.)