barry G's 1996 gmc 4x4 5spd

barry G · June 8, 2016

a/c refilled

got the pump and gauges to evacuate a/c in the mail today, drove off into the woods and started my 63cc generator from harbor freight...

let the pump run off that, gas escaping to wherever (not much in there) .

Running pump on generator has a nifty trick. Like pet hairs on a carpet. when the power source of vacuum is away from a worldwide connected 120v or the trucks own 12.. it breaks bonds. Not that there is hairs inside an a/c system, this is for ion bonds of another kind. Viscosity of oil works on those bonds too. The goal is to break them and evacuate system.

Just thought I'd throw that nerdy nasa stuff in this post too. (I was a crew chief on old military airplanes)

very healthy system, the bung was stagnation to an air pocket, its like hydro locking but air fighting r134.

believe it or not, there is no evidence of this system being dead completely..all 20 years.

lucky factor.

came right to life, by the book.

hence the vacuum pull and refill to be sure. This shreds everything.

took it to 29 inches on the gauge and a hot pump, twice.

maybe 15 minutes in all.

this years of truck runs at 47F to know you are cold. Right on the money.

I measured with a longacre racing pyrometer (silly expensive pyrometer outdone by infrared today)

cycles at 62F for 7 seconds on 4 seconds off. somewhere near 65+ it stays on.

that is the way this truck rolls. reminds me of the 80s, but upgraded in a few ways.

the upgrades for this is the brand new not rebuilt pump with better seals, tolerances (very quiet), ability to accept synthetic pag, and the nasa invented qwik boost version of r134 was added.This truck never had those things in 1996.

I stopped at 26 ounces or so, reserving the high pressure reading for a 90F day to be sure I do not over do it. I will add a few more ounces, gas only this time, if it should read as needing it.

Away it goes.

I declared this impossible on a 90F day to drive.. I meant it.

at its full charge now, it is 30minutes to 68F on secondary roads, highway is quicker to cool down...on the hottest days.

A must have for this truck.. the a/c exactly correct and upgraded.

came out very good. I wanted the a/c tools for future use, as condensors seem to break often in my locale.

for summary of DIY air conditioning repairs.. I am in about $300.

100 of it was spending on too many cans of r134a. The first time, I forgot I did not torque the pump connection, lost most of it.

50 bucks in 10 minutes.

anyway, the next use with a/c tools pays for this whole a/c mission, pays for itself.

100 for 3cfm pump and gauges...ebay.

100 for r134a since 2015.

the other 100 is the brand new pump, also ebay. Got that in 2015. the cheap price requires stuff from the old pump. A switch on the back if I recall. (that saved 50)

Edited June 8, 2016 by barry G

barry G · June 9, 2016

third brake, third time

I am one for diving into piles of ebay LED.

it has not gone first try yet, but I keep trying.

the third brake was a bargain. Found the wiring plan was so simple it found a short circuit in my factory setup.

Now I can turn on the cargo light whenever. It is not mixed up with the interior roof light anymore.

the only error for the new light was too much bling. it looked like it was on in the sunshine. I gave it some heatshrink tube, large diameter to cover the whole light..still not enough. I went a couple of months trying to ignore the bling.

I then looked over the factory lense and realized it would fit over the new LED with some trimming on the ribs of the factory lense. As this will never have a factory light board again.. I let it have it with the new seal that came with LED.

Into the spare bin is the new lense cover and factory gasket..

good compromise.

this was 20 bucks I think. Cheap third brake led. I have it in previous posts.

I dropped so many amps with the light project, the alternator seized the back bearing (in previous posts).

Alternators like to be wound up, they do not like to come down.

This concludes the light project.

the whole truck is LED, but some ECM related things, and the high beam indicator.

headlamps are still the hotties. I like those warm.

The remaining tungsten stay for other reasons besides amp usage.

Edited June 9, 2016 by barry G

barry G · June 15, 2016

gas tank strap

I don't know as I have seen one last this long.

I inspected that area when bed was off, did not like it.

it still made it another year.. found doubts last year.

Hidden area.

with cross sills tougher than the factory crossmember, these are the things i needed to watch for.

signal changes, brittling.

70000 psi welds.

new life into the truck lets old things go.

the fix for this is super simple, will post photos.

On there now is a nylon strap, winch hidden under fuel pump lid I cutout last year.

that came in very handy today.

took all of 5 minutes.

it is much more than once I have seen that back half of a gm tank dangling.

since I was a kid anyway...

the 70s onward.

some of them were far from rusty.

5 years or less sometimes.. a wrong kick could unhook them. Offroad adventures, or even a driveway with as strange angle.

Today trucks are prettier than ever on the flat roads claiming to be a rock.

they've probably never climbed one to get home.

this is doing great otherwise, a/c is right on, can go about just driving.

the lower half of engine got a big cooldown, the a/c lower half of condensor goes down low..

a gm engineering tactic for sure.

will swap oil out, reduce drainbacks to cold rods and mains.

I like drainback on my 2 bolt SBC.. its an old routine for me. This assures the crank journals and oil galleys are not a pile of goo on top of a wood chip paper oil filter.

I had learned the biggest car/suv air conditioners are at 36 ounces. r134 can't go much bigger. I found the sticker that labeled this at 32 ounces, that is huge.

I then knew GM was cooling the engine and heater core as part of the air conditioning.

Another tip for those not in the know.. if you got high miles and add a/c. you really can lose a sloppy bearing.

drainback noises happen at 60k and beyond for these old ones.

this one is somewhere in there 60k -80k. It will get past this change easy, but it is good to pay attention to oils and levels..

I first learned this on a rare 1984 monte carlo ss. the genune 305HO.

made me nervous after the a/c was recharged. rod noises on startup. I got a lesson from those in the know on the engineering.

the truck does much better, must be the big air gap underneath it. Less focus of a cold blast on the pan.

anyway, that steel area was part of the sale. No bad taste in my mouth at all. Someone really cared to get this far, and stayed honest. I am most likely the most animal with it.

23 mile trip in the woods not long ago.. that must have been the biggest agitator for that ever weird hookup on the strap.

as of now, all items work. Not a single error. That is rather freakish.

I opted to keep the lights in the doors out, and use as reflectors..only. The only thing I have shut off. Two 194 bulbs.

Edited June 15, 2016 by barry G

barry G · June 20, 2016

added a few more hours to welding.

gas strap, shock mount, a bolt tire crossmember and frame.. and added plate to lower edge (laminate - solid seam).. last 30 inches or so up to shock mount from bottom bumper bolt.

within 30 minutes my dad has the boat hooked up and we are headed to the maine coast.

always the ultimate torture test.

welds were still warm.

41 feet to my surprise, trailer hooked up. Still light.. but enough for this old 305 v8.

This hauled for the past year, not even completed my way as a finale. Just basics like cross sills etc and repairs for inspecting.I also made that boat trailer in photo to haul something heavier. Ode to welding and setting the path...

...and of course real steel.

about 29 hours in all, 60 pounds of steel.

a/c is incredible.. we even had to turn it down.

oil pressure gained some pounds. I knew the a/c was part of the gm "engine"- eering (strange pun)

the runtime makes some interesting sounds. This truck is as entertaining as it is just a plain old truck.

sounds more a modern engine, no doubt in the 300+/- hp with the whine of straight cut gear type sounds.

little towns like rockland maine know its passing through.

Gurus know these years, every where I welded was always a need..

hence usually overlooked per mainstream fan club as a favorite truck.

mainstream gathers naysayers, strap on parts to be a man and other things.

I know better, I love welding.

this one went a crazy long time.

quite bizarre.

the only unique thing is the manual tranny. It is 100 pounds lighter.

All else lays it down like a cat powered kenworth... more than lucky.

something is different in the steel for this 96. This should have crumpled up like a wimpy 87 subaru a long time ago.

into the science of this, it was my life as a career choice..

the alternator really changed to loads. precisely.

narrowing longevity down...

no auto tranny fluid to turn into hydro something acid, this also gave it a bigger radiator (no tranny lines).

an alternator that always changes to load

the manual tranny

the last chance for poisonous is power steering neglected. this one isn't... another lucky thing.

I also deciphered the needs being associated with somebodies untagged limited diff.

a limited diff challenges the rails.

will get a look under the diff cover, see what it is made out of.

I checked fluid and there is a color of almost purple.

clutch oil.

Edited June 22, 2016 by barry G

barry G · June 23, 2016

some paint

cat yellow engine paint, genuine..

almost forgot this chore. once past 3/16ths steel, paint doesn't seem much of a purpose.

the alternator likes it.

on cold start alternator is always high to charge battery.. the guage comes down much quicker with bare steel painted.

I retorqued some cross sill bolts, and added paint to the first 3 sills. Those are all knew.

bare bones to the world.

it took almost a year for torques needed to be done again. I was looking last year for weeks maybe a month..

tough old truck.

new cross sills will not stay in their original bolt tightening. there is a finale to wait for...especially the front one.

come to think of it, I must have killed the original alternator on my own... too much bare steel at the sills. the frame rails and alternators.. doesn't seem to matter. the sills are dramatic, anything spanning a connection between the two frame rails. Must be in the physics of alternators.

Edited June 23, 2016 by barry G

barry G · July 17, 2016

cab corner

had a few hours, snipped up some stainless, sealed in the cab corner. I need to leave one opening, as all repair work prior to my owning seems to explode it at the seams. No odors, and where exfoliation was going to have its way, it came right back together.. 70000 psi.

The last opening is going to stay, will find some mesh screen weldable. Tidy it up for a final. Left side can stay tight, someone did great weld work there.

Not sure if that is maine doing that to the corner (temperature is greater than -25 to 100 ambient). the pressures must be beyond specs. I also resealed all doors, etc.. that must have really got the old problems going.

my subaru did the same thing, only to rear left instead of right. Forced itself a vent 3 times before working with it, not against.

I played safe and welded rockers only, last year.. I knew this would be good to go this year.

I waited a whole year after rockers, not feeling it was safe enough for welding.

A surprise to me was realizing the truck dwarfed the sheer size of the two foot long seam at the cab corner.

The drama of static pressure gained, the silence, air conditioning...

I am glad to get the bulk of it done.

The corner was all there and still malleable, made easy work to go over it.

my way. The welded way.

One day later, it seethed into the real shape, like a mobile home made of steel.

I regret delaying this chore, as it may have even been my alternators demise.

This open was amazing.. like a breeze could steal power.

Crazy power in them there hollow channels we take for granted.

static keepers.

Welding or nothing for me. Keep the rivets and screws and 3m tapes and oh my the gayness of miraculous glue chemistry.

I also got the fender for bed washer'd with stainless.

I went and got 35 dollars in stuff to make it look better. some stone guard texture to simulate factory lower panels, self etching primer, and cheap gloss black...

and one little tube of hardener for my fiber type bondo for welded seams.

Today, just before a rare front with a tornado warning.. mid 80s, high humidity, and the stench of the whole east coast trying to condense and drop over my locale..

sticky, too warm and nasty. A/C is not a commodity.

I was driving back from the mentioned paint supply run.

The a/c was miraculous, did not know it until opening the door. Nasty world outside the windows.

This is aced.

Being my own project.. I cannot remember being this comfortable with DIY. Surprised the heck out of me to feel that disgusting weather after getting out.

A hot day is easier to contend with, the dry sun..

I am planning a long trip for this one. Smooth as glass, no shakes until challenging the weirdo rear diff in certain scenarios (same as all trucks)..cruise and a/c.

mind boggling, the return for what I have given.

will add photos of my backyard paint job.

You won't need to tell me its good. done this stuff for decades.

edit:

the photo of the beautiness.

glad to get this done.

I think of these areas as monsters.

gimme welded steel and whatever else is extra.

The way I go about this, it must be tell tale signs of going near insane.

I banged the corner after it was done, Good bass drum. I do that to everything.

I joked to add some flat stock and a jacking point. Get one whole side off the grouns in one spot.

That is a great frame test for the wimpy tail c-rails BTW...find the balance point with a 3 ton jack. Will reveal backbone strength (the gap between the cab and bed) Get both wheels of one side right off the ground. I tried this not long ago, I did indeed make a brick.

My test today was realizing the a/c needs the corners somewhat closed to keep some flapper door open that works in hills and high speed. I forget what they call it, some type of natural regulator, keeps ears from popping, or rain sucking in like a mad vacuum cleaner is at work.. stuff like that.

All vehicles should have this, even my 87 subaru does. They all work beyond our controls. Maine does have some spots to trigger it, on the way from the hills to the coast.

The trucks is very large, makes a whoosh noise when it is in action...very rare to hear it.

Within 5 seconds, you know the a/c is on now.

Real pleasure to drive.

Edited July 20, 2016 by barry G

barry G · July 21, 2016

a thought on 20 years.

we do not know what getting old is, if something never dies.

we do not know the wisdom we share, if we lived it.

This truck is the longest lasting pile in a place that kills everything I have ever seen.

First year obd2...

could not wait to tackle one.

It occurred to me, as I was coming back from my couple of mile walk in the woods.. the '96-98 is setting a pace because it is the first of something.

I am inspired to stay very factory with this.

Nearly done with strengthening and simple repairs..

half a day left.

there is some spots in left floor driver side that will need something in a few years.

Else, it already passes inspections, this is headed for well done.

color match and real extreme 2 urethane for the roof and a vandal scratch..

I still refuse to part with the perfectly dented front bumper.

a rear one, just for being new,and wanting to haul a boat. I may get that in before autumn.

A chore that I forgot is rotating tires, been 5k miles already.

barry G · July 25, 2016

tire crossmember

Good hot day, I gave it a few minutes to finish off all 12 connections. I thought I was at ten, but one was welded from topside.. simply forgot I did that. I figured I did something after melting a titanium nitride something drill bit (they usually pummel right through this gm frame).

Sure enough, I shoulda checked with my fingers.

quite welded.

Added some more.

anyway, this thing is a brick.

will try to get better photos..not enough light for this one.

Exhaust note got noticably larger after wrapping the tail lights lead, took me a minute to figure that out, as welding adds ground looping, and that crazy looking tire crossmember is some kinda GM engineered something. I was not sure how i did that to the engine at first...

but it turned out to be the extra insulation on 18 inches of wires.

wanting it to be exactly gm by appearance, but all steel repairs my way can actually delete some things. I always double or more. I am glad i did not alter it. I will never use the tire crossmember for a tire again, but someone has that option. I even left the little rod spinner hole bar in tact.

just the cross sills alone are over a factory double. Not sure what I made, I like it feeling light like a toy. All 5000 pounds.

A fact to take note of..the manual tranny really lays it down. No forgiveness. The factory in more than one way was not strong enough, just for the torque curve of the factory engine.

a racing curiosity does gain my thoughts. This one does 121 in fourth.. does not back down in fifth.

Reeling it in to a .25 time needs some skills, the Hurst shift helps.

On a todo list, same as my other home built projects. Going to epping for regular people day to find out what I have got.

This is a truck with a different sound. you know it's a vortec something, until letting off throttle. Sounds like a large volume blow off valve between the gears. This is just a natural engine.

back to steel, got some better photos. Looking over left side floor runs... one more year out of it, no problems. Stainless steel reserved just for the left side driver floor.. outer area. Beamage and structures are very stronged. simple chores left.

in fact, making left outer floor tidy is the last chore. Nothing else needs anything.

Seeing how this years of truck decay with peoples feet is very clever. All underneath does not respond to sheet loss. On the old trucks, the whole darn thing used to come apart. Taking a cab mount or something important with it. I like that about this truck. they finally got it out of the worst mishaps..replce sheet with sheet and panels to panels. Connections all in tact.

except for tire crossmember, that stayed the same for more than 20 years of these trucks.

so that is this trucks devil. Not even bad.

no need to say it. of course its beautiful.

some interesting notes..any lamination with solid seam is nearly 3/8ths or beyond. The left lower has a 3 foot run...and 2 of the 5 cross sills are doubled over factory versions that were still working.

the front one is a 26 pound full hot rolled masterpiece.

Steel has no imagination. None.

and this photo, it should be the most intimidating.

It is the part of rail that threatened junk yard. The previous owner and honesty in 2 directions saved it. I love welding.

I was actually counting on snipping a section out, but it passed a punch awl, hammer and shiny grind test for lamination.

Even the original shock mount is now a 70k psi monster.

off to enjoying other things, this truck can take me there.

Edited July 25, 2016 by barry G

barry G · August 1, 2016

summer rolling along

got the diff cover installed, the old one may have been a lightning at my building. It was so close the fire dept came by to inspect.. but I could not help notice it was low quality. There is a many holes, all at once. Vent was clogged, hot weather, and low quality..bound to happen. This photo shows I put a claw hammer through it, first swing.

diff gears in great shape. the PO was good on his word,

new one installed, with a fill cap. Twice as thick and noticably heavier

Painted frame with KBS frame paint. Freakish strong, my dad got it for his boat trailer.

The first go with a paint gun, the paint attacked me with an iron cloud attached. Blew my mind.. it defied wind to come back at me.

Detox showers, and lots of fruit juice.. I even coughed up blood. I am assuming the frame had a bowel disease, even after all the welding. It launched like the devil to its last food apparently, like a cloud with a brain..

My subaru was many times worse...but did not expect this from the truck.

Dead as can be, I waited a day for dry paint and noticed hardly anything. I know this is good for grounding, and keeping roadkill bowels off.. rust is never an issue. Rust is like a thief, if it wants the steel, its gonna get it. Painted or not.

I did the chore to stay nice to reworked stuff.

doing great. off to other chores.

Edited August 1, 2016 by barry G

barry G · August 2, 2016

playing with caranuba

garage to myself, had a 1998 rally buggy looking subaru in the yard that I invited to come over and fix thunderstruck struts (never seen anything like it.. until my 1987), and me making a mess with my truck.

Got into the pile of buffering and wax tools for my dads rigs, painted framing..

the wax was black caranuba, claiming to help black vehicles. I wanted to see what this deep carbon black looked like next to the black jeep in the yard. Sure enough, the gmc is a blacker black. Imperfections, still in place.. little dents, some scratches. A glimpse of this truck in its hay day.

Not sure what I made going this strong with the steel.. it does like it. This truck knows I am the owner, only making sense to long term owners anyway.. my peculiar findings.

Edited August 2, 2016 by barry G

barry G · August 8, 2016

wrapping it up

february 2015, to early aug 2016.

Truck all done. Could flip it for a double.

Real desire to wander.

a relative is in north dakota on a recent move. I joke to surprise him..

drive my truck from maine to minot.

the old shocks were too big for the 1420 pound springs. I was surprised at the downsizing upon getting monroe part# for 1/2 ton.

that is a mistake for these ... big shocks pouncy springs. Shocks take on too much if the damper is for a monster truck on a little one.. this hurts mounts, connections, and adds weird geometry.

Very nice ride now.

also rotated tires. 6000 miles already on the kumho. Very impressive treads. Painting on frame done..rear diff cover.

saw it climbed to 93F where I was at. Never been this hot since I have owned it..

kicked on the a/c and took rte 1 to some touristy places.

this one is harpswell.

graveyard point, etc.

will be diving into little things, hardly worth a mention.

the truck does not smell old, act old..and everything works, better than 1996.

The sleeper factor is th lightweight with a 300hp vortec.

All factory.

I have been doing that for years with my GM choices.

As hard as I have worked mechanically...call it a reward. A selfish one.

Else , not sure how I do it. I have had more specials by gm without intention than I cannot remember offhand.

a funny event:

this truck is faster than the late 2000s ford f150 v8. I won't reveal details.

the bronze star in his veteran plate sure gives confidence.

that was quite a hill from a redlight on route 1. I remember climbing it in my dads rigs. for some odd reason, there was nuts even trying to surpass my 90hp subaru when I travelled through. It is like a natural drag race.. just the way it is. Get to the top of the damn hill. 2 lanes of course, one a slow lane.

Anyway, more than several vehicles and I chugged up the steep slope. This recent gmc/ford battle is my most memorable..and that vet plate being honorable. My own is the same.

my anonymous 3 digit veteran plate won't say anything at all as I go by at 70mph on the 7-10% grade...

...with 2 more gears to go.

the powerstroke on the other hand.. holy cow is that impressive. Phenomenal. That truly, literally, just might be the king of the hill.

Edited August 8, 2016 by barry G

barry G · August 11, 2016

tranny mount

in my only shift/gofast video, there is a metallic thud rowing the lower gears.

got a close look today.

a pile of mush.

the metal distance in the middle (unseen to us) must be near its bottom.

So, I ordered a plain black energy suspension version 3.1129G

Looking forward to installing this.

About a week since painting, finishing things for this year..

this truck has done remarkable. I could only give credit to previous owners.

The killer of the tranny mount.. in high heat, 4x4 usage, the output shaft spews a driblle of ATF ona full transfer.

it made a beeline to that damn rubber I hate so much.

it did take along time, only guessing this is 20 years old...

but I digress,

the rubber material is a fail in my locale. the motor mounts hang on the longest, as well as the upper side of radiator support.

All else is misery.

With that said..

all cab mounts are replaced with energy already (as in previous posts). the tranny mount itched my mind after my hurst install.

The manual is not heavy at 110 pounds..the power leverage it puts out is very heavy however. That helped kill it.

barry G · August 15, 2016

transmission mount

energy suspension 3.1129G

busted internal. strangely, it was opposite of torque load..hence tricky to decipher.

out with the old, in with the new.

simple chore, a tip would be to not stress the aluminum holes in the tranny to gain a shape on the new mount.

Check for retorques.

I pounced the heck out of it as a test. high speed inlcuded.

This changed steering geometry
the brakes feel different.
Amps dropped.
No more reverse shudder.
3 to 5 gear in hard throttle is smooth as can be

the old one is respectful. no odors, chemistry... just old.

20 years, 355k miles.

the only things not poly now are front end arms, and rear suspension...end engine mounts.

They are so encapsulated , I am in no hurry.

Not much for future plans. This is better than new mechanically/electrically and comforts. Everything works. NVH is something I had learned from the web.

The body is very good, and little dents of my doing leave me procrastinating.

I also noticed, this has no orange peel. These trucks do not ship like that from factory. Somewhere along the way, there was much more spent than the 14 year old maintenance record from a dealer this sold with. Maybe an auction tale or accident or something.

the motor for example..it is not possible to have the same miles as odometer. Way too precise, quiet. No consumption.. in fact I use synthetic because it is that good.

With what I have done, it does not sound like 1996, and it does not sound like new, rowing through the gears with a whine noise, and a whistle with large volume letting off throttle.

Not sure what I have done.. but it is beyond expectations. It sure is not slow either.

Edited August 16, 2016 by barry G

barry G · August 20, 2016

6000 miles (10months) oil change

swapped this out to a free offer from my dad for mobil 1.

5.25 quarts. no bearings or goops..the stainless mesh and billet housing in day one condition.

3rd oil change since owning..just the billet filter is like gaining a 5 quart jug from wal mart for free... don't need to buy filters.

using gas and a white bucket to clean mesh.. it only had carbon.. tiny amounts, very fine and the filter still did not let it back into engine. Job well done. A trick I do is look at the sun through the filter, tells you when its clean. put it back together, prime it..then back on the truck.

I mention 5.25 quarts as a lot of trucks used to only drain 4.25 when I worked at a quik lube.. this means oil cooler did not get past the relief to drain out oil filter housing..leaves a quart +/- stuck in the system.

a tip for those not in the know.

a 5+ quart drain is a good one.

cleaning off the oilpan with a rag revealed black like a goodwrench...no dents, scratches chips or dings... the whole length of it.

this engine was judged by my "ear ball" upon purchase. I simply had to have this truck right on the spot. It is proving to be younger than my first guesses.

As it is a quick truck, I got under it desired to gain some flat feet by adjusting front torsion down by a turn and a turn and half.

very noticable improvement.

this truck is "camber cammed" already, upper arms.. can go even further to adjust if I want. I like to have shops do this in their ten minutes and a machine instead.

about 100 bucks or so.

For now, what is done is very highway worthy, handles great. I do not really need jacked up as much I do a ferrari as a truck.

Edited August 20, 2016 by barry G