barry G's 1996 gmc 4x4 5spd

barry G · September 5, 2016

tinkering with camber

I found an interesting read on the camber options, 88-98 gmt400.

my passenger side top arm is about ready for a fresh one... but noticed it had camber cams installed and no one utilized them.

I guess many less than not had them.. usually a straight center bolt up by GM.

great candidate for adjusting..new sway bar end links, cv joint, upper and lower balljoint and new tires.

Now was the time to play with camber cams.

So I nearly maxxed the negative setting with ease, and gained some years on the old stretched arm.

These trucks pick one or both to lose their bend. My locale beats up the passenger side.. it takes quite awhile, but does.

So, I'll plan on a new one some day. I did this to save money on tires. Not much other reason. I did notice handling is different on my backroad angles, and the truck is more like 5000 pounds being a little more flat footed up front.

I also got a new battery, not for needing one.. I put my old one in my subaru as a side post conversion.

850cca, duracell. Sam's club.

that is the small one for this truck today. I simply went with it.

this manual truck calls for 600cca. I won't find one. My subaru did this too..it called for 450cca. That is a motorcycle battery today.

Times change.

Needless to say, engine is even bigger.

Now my subaru is getting a 725cca..

I had not got a sight from far enough away until today.. the camber set right. quite noticable on 10.5 inch wide tread..32 inches tall.

I like the thought of making things tougher. when you go to negative degrees, the upper arm sinks deeper into the ears that hold it, closer to welds and frame. Just an extra thought.. it is obviously quite an engineered setup already. Nothing weak to take note of.

An update on the battery swapping in the subaru next to my truck..

did not need it.

So now I have a spare for my truck.

the humidity of the tropics is outside, I have always found this to be an amazing time when it comes through. Not all that often. I think of the southern places I have been to, like florida etc.

within days, my locale will be looking at frosty mornings and dry as a bone for months.

in fact, in this giant building I live in, I have those floor mats you get at harbor freight on one wall I call a bulkhead, just for killing dangerous sound. Acoustics of resonant frequency gets violent, when the changes come through.

Now to ponder two steel rails with a v8 in the middle..

That is my fun of steel. Maine teaches well. This one don't grumble much.

Edited September 7, 2016 by barry G

barry G · September 26, 2016

the next big idea

this truck needs nothing... I might dig at the rear shafts, but learned it is not necessary until factory bearing race makes noises.

Finding a new diff set as previous owner stated.. I'll leave it alone.

So..

not for me, as I have had my fun. My dad remembers me for having fun. I have built my own motors. Iron gm if you must know. I have shaken mobile home parks and gone faster than a cop car.

Not my style, that is where me and my friends nerdiness ended up in the 90s.

My dad is approaching 70 yrs old. The epiphany that he says things more than once has opened my eyes.

"This would sound incredible with dual exhaust."

I keep saying no.

I was looking for factory headers, the rest will be my custom build.. he knows i do my own exhaust right in his driveway.

Found these, allowing to stay factory EGR, o2 sensors.

I have a question on the final trim o2 sensor and the one aft of catalyst.

where to put them on full duals, and should I make a merge?

if so H or X pipe?

I go stainless, and will piece all parts before doing. Cold weather is here now, taking my time.

I have been in trouble for my noise making..nothing serious.

I am finding the LS generation the past 5 years or so is making noise like the old days.

The final temptation is showing you kids iron makes the real stuff.

At 21 years old for 2017, it is expected locally.. older truck making some classic sounds. I'll go ahead with it.

Adding that tranny rowing the gears is quite historic. Simply so.

edit:

changed my mind. I'll keep factory headers if to play full dual as I found some bad news.

the final trim and cat code sensor..that is as simple as I thought.

here is an example of my subaru, I have built my own exhaust from the heads back some years ago.

thick flanges, shedule 40 stainless and madrel are already at the head..all stainless.

I made this the past weekend. Had to. I melted some more iron header on my dainty subaru.

I have had an ea82 series subaru since 1997. Built 4 engines. Blew one to smitherines..and thermite exploded a head on another. Carbed, injected, and a turbo motor.

Wanted to finish with sarcasm, and 100% stainless 304. I now run a rochester custom on a dual port rarity.

the square makes a rocket quench (just google square angle pipe), I have flowed this subaru to the point of 18mpg and still showing lean on a 1.8 liter. My first equal header was too good. Insane. The pipes must have been glowing red.

The square keeps a controller for the dual port carbed engine...creates a hot spot at the scavenge timer (merge). This photo shows some of the purple stainless 2 feet in back of the engine.

Job well done.

this is my first idea for the full duals. I have a manual tranny so the back half below bellhousing wil be much skinnier width in the pair of them. The hard 90 is to stop perfection, keep some heat.

the merge will be my art.. a half circle mandrel would be very cool to start with..get what I want out of it.

the old iron v8 and I have had it all, the truck will not need rocket science.

the new thoughts for me is injected engine and the three o2 sensors. I'll have fun with it.

Edited September 27, 2016 by barry G

barry G · September 27, 2016

dual exhaust continued

I guess I had to come back down a few notches.

analyzing this and getting advice..it was given some time ago.

the cheap split at the awesome flowmaster for the win. I don't need to do anything more.

I then have options to go back to a single pipe, or even run just 1 over to the left with a y-cap.

not like the old days, this 96 year onward.

Not even the cast manifold is a restriction. Far from restricted..this whole setup was confused for diesel sizing more than once.

the hefty vortec 305.

ready to go for the most part.. I'll just add dual exhaust the cheap way for sounds only.

The factory tune is incredible.

I have never had anything keep the same mpg as the sticker n the window for 20 years...while gaining in my own way.

barry G · October 13, 2016

idle through a dealership

had some time, stopped by a dealer on hogan road , bangor maine.

full of brandy new GMC.

I had spotted a duramax canyon with extra trim while there with my father some time ago. My father is a nut and digs a hole into every sale. I knew not to wander form his side...

So anyway. I am climbing their lot, and the salesmen are outside. I waved and idled by with the supercharger sound of the nv3500 in first.

it almost wobbles an idle like a supercharger, I keep my foot on the throttle just in case.

I waved and thumped through looking for the duramax.

one sales guy caught up to me, and I told him what I was doing.

they sell all they get, but he said he can order easy enough.

So , I am off back to the real world, engine braking now down the hill by the salesmen listening to my iron oxide squeak on the water pump pulley and a supercharger sound of the nv3500 taking it easy.

I look both ways and see all four lanes of hogan road are empty.

Feeling as if I interrupted something, blippity blip over the bump at the end of the driveway and calmly hit second.

To the floor it went, as it echoed to 90mph long before the redlight...at 6500 rpm and a vortec pop to third.

I wonder how many salesmen remember older gmc.

I am a fan enough to not forget.

in one day, the same day.. the truck was an ambulance, an engineering workbench, parts getter.

there is no chores left...you know what this means to everyone that knows it?

found another GMC in the same state as the one in this thread..needing same chores. This one is white and a 1997 and it has the 5.7 instead of the 5.0.. I'd take it in and change throttle etc..a to do list quickly accrued in my head.

stay tuned.

I learned of the different models of the nv3500. there is an HD version and straight cut and oh my...I'd take in any if gm built it behind a v8. Those are all special somehow, someway.

my dad and I went back together, and he got into a lease.

2016 double cab. Brand new.

5.3L

the newer engine.. divorced water pump, etc.

A real handle for the 4x4..

I'll get photos of 20 years apart. About the age difference between me and my dad.

looks a lot like this one in photo.

Edited October 15, 2016 by barry G

barry G · October 16, 2016

dads new 2016

of course, I was an influence .. inadvertantly. but hey, I am sure the GMC dealer likes that too.

25 miles on the odometer,.

beautiful truck. Drove it for a little while. The most silent 355 horses I have ever had my throttle foot on.

Varney GMC, good people. A man named Jeff stayed very real to us..and ross..I got names mixed up. It was a quick 2 partial day interaction.

we have been trucks trucks and trucks my whole life anyway. Sales people know that.. especially me and my dad together.

my own with the hurst shifter had him asking some questions. Not a common model apparently.

My dad mentioned 355k miles...

it was a joke to be the king of the lot.

As if we became natural sales promoters by being who we are suffering in nature.

that must say a lot for american trucks in general.

GMC is just a choice, I built my own smallblock when I was young.

I made the 305 a champ, before this first vortec came out...mid 90s.

I then felt a vibe that never let go...

gmc is for me.

A funny history unfolded for me. I took in a subaru as a hobby (I am a disabled vet).. the alloy is very troublesome. 1980s nightmares.

I then read technical details on this new L83 in the 2016... they conquered every measure I was missing.

I'd swear this prophetic stuff just keeps going on like dominoes.

I will take in the all aluminum eventually, even in a maine ice fog. GM got it nailed.

I also gave my dad a heads up, as carbon-dum-dum (forgive my words, I made it up from one of my subaru builds) builds up in the right places as a protector of the aluminum under fire, the engine will get louder... and of course inspiring to add performance exhaust follows.

I know aluminum alloy engines, from brand new to nuclear. My 20th year this year.

I'd much rather iron, but so would grandpa. I suppose I can take a dynamical leap one more time. First chance though: back to iron blocks for me.

Edited October 16, 2016 by barry G

barry G · October 23, 2016

playing with fuses

after all the LED swapping.. i forgot i could downsize one more preload..

the fuse box.

courtesy lights (interior..maybe cargo?) by factory was freakishly at 20A.. that is now a 5A

the parking is getting dropped to 15A from 20.

..and illuminations is going to get a 3A mini fuse if I can find one, that is a 5A for now. Dropped that from a 10A.

All battery side chores waiting to work affect cold starts...keeping that down is a direct impact on a more fabulous runtime.

barry G · October 26, 2016

lost keys

was at a lumber mill 115 miles form home.

keys fell out while working a load.

20 years onward..

I went to a dealer, gave my VIN, and proof of owning..

new key from a database in minutes.

that made my day.

I learned I can even replicate the exact origin to stay in ties with the original database..

whole new ignition, setup like day one.

This one is like new already, snug, no sloppiness. No record of it being swapped ever. I found that amazing given the problems of recent years.

20 years and 355k miles.

No end in sight.

A bit like that nv3500 I was "supposed" to be worried about.

barry G · October 30, 2016

gathering the pieces

brought my dads old exhaust from the dealer for him.

he went with dealer installed borla catback. stainless.

I drove it around, made a little video.

a truck this young only happens once.

The old iron block does have something to say.. I will always take one in. The new alloys is a new realm...future coming on.

Will see how it does.

Noticable things are.. a lot more moisture. the iron dries right up in any weather, very fast. The alloy also needs a good warmup to be full power, it is only obvious to the throttle man.

will see how it goes in coming months and years.

I am still learning my old truck, as the same approach to an old jet to a crew chief. This 1996 must have been a custom order.

I did remove the DRL fuse, as it did nothing. this truck has no implementation of any kind. I am searching through RPO codes for a delete number.. but I don't think it has it.

did you know the cold starts on these 96-98 has a 1500rpm increment for 2 seconds, a sudden switch down to 1000 rpm..and then the slow drop to full warm idle as it earns it?

if not..

time to start dropping the pig called amps every where you can. The ECM is not getting enough.

the automatic trucks, with DRL..the suburbans..

those will be quite a chore to get done. I'd still tackle one.

this '96 is more robust than the brand new trucks.. the cold starts. Kaboom like start with confidence. The 1500 rpm cold start increment was found after swapping CTSY fuse down to a 5A (my interior is 100% LED).

quite a mystery...

Edited October 30, 2016 by barry G

barry G · November 2, 2016

ladder bars

I admit being a real builder makes people run away.

Run.

I don't care.

40 years of these trucks could not get past 300hp without chassis addons. That is also a way to know if an owner was boasting about false numbers.

my own teeters at 300hp..

S-walking the diff has been a concern. P-rated tires are no longer an option.

Not even factory gauge cross sills are a safe thing.

I found ladder bars by tuff country, and may install those with modified frame side ends. Welded instead of tiny bolts. On short wheel base trucks this could make or break the hips, but being at 12feet I won't second guess strong and undoubtable.

I may do this as a winter project, if I can fit the back end in the garage..

will see how this goes.

Edited November 2, 2016 by barry G

barry G · November 3, 2016

222 miles

I have not gone on a longer road trip yet... until today.

odometer hit 356k a few days ago.

I brought a neighbor to the V.A. Togus, the oldest vet hospital in america.

100 miles of it was cruise set to 80 or so.

shifting easy, my passenger is a 75 yr old viet nam vet.

No problems at all. The fuel turned into the gas sticker on the window 20 years ago.

22mpg. Used no oil.

pouring rain revealed passenger wiper was no good, stopped and got one.

sailed by rigs with their clouds of water, sailed by a lot of vehicles. Like a rock.

Being a vet myself, seemed a mission today.

Truck is ready to go anywhere, rides smooth.

Back end is stiff in the 40-50 range.. expected something from a half ton anyway in the range of speeds and rpms.

the ladder bars have more than my imagination. Am making it a to do list, going ahead with it.

barry G · November 14, 2016

rare moon

238, 855 miles away average of the time.

221,524 miles in this photo.

Edited November 14, 2016 by barry G

barry G · November 28, 2016

lights and things

I broke my new headlamps due to a frigid install, no thoughts on expansion. We only hit 18 below last year, but that is all it needed.

I was driving home the other evening.. 34F rain, sleet, ice, thick fog.

the brown shade of iron sucking incandescent is on its last legs.

going to make an all LED setup for the lamps. Especially low beam. high beam blasts its way at 55w aready. Low beam is terrible. I am going with the DRL halo stuff wired to low beam only, and not parking circuit. Just my choice. Wiring into Parking seems to be the popular vote.

I also ordered two hub centric spacers. My GMC is fat in the back after making cross sills my way. I had noticed this from day one of putting the fresh bed back on. The rear wheels are way inside the wells to me.

my big booty GMC.

I also found an old 305 chevy sticker that goes on air cleaners from the 70s. I put that on my back window. I have many many miles with the 305. The L30 is not the same as the old, being metric and injected (obd2) , it is actually a 306... but who is paying attention anyway.

barry G · December 2, 2016

hub centric spacer

got the spacers in the mail today, slapped 'em on.

24 bolts is probably not slapping something on to some of you..

it is easy anyway.

a backroad ride to millinocket, maine, avoided a moose, and back on the highway home.

Very nice extra. Water flies right out with the sipes. Truck feels a bit heavier..steering, brakes.

a real sweet spot.

This could do 2 inch and still be in the wells.. 1.5 inch spacer is very good anyway. Nothing to notice...except may be if your a little car approaching from the back, you can see as a whole it is a little wider than the norm. Nothing out of proportion.

hub centric is a very important factor.. else it is a crazy ride if they wobble. The hub centric is a snug fit per factory specs.

I got the idea from a you tube guy named "streetspeed 717". not sure what his purpose in you tube land, but he had an episode about spacers for his duramax.

my install is a legal version, truly correcting an anomaly. His truck must be legal in his own state anyway.

back is 80 inches outside measure.(six foot 8)

front is 77.

I would swear the newer they get, they may be in at 82 by factory, maybe more.

Aftermarket really sends 'em out there.

7 feet or more.

Took it to 105mph or so, incredible. More like a super car than a truck. At 17F calm and clear..one could hear the wind and iron v8 for quite a ways.

Been doing this for years in the middle of nowhere.

Edited December 5, 2016 by barry G

barry G · December 9, 2016

more light stuff

got some weird weather, yet again.. we are in for one of those forgotten maine legends again, I am trying to be ready.

26F and fog. Unusual.

terrible. my first reason for the big LED swap.

this weather is havoc on amp sucking.

I got some broview LED 9600 (that is lo-beam) in the mail, and knew they would not fit the H1 conversion to low beam of the new lenses. I had these ordered before I bought the new lenses. For the heck of it, tried the 9006 in the 9005 spot and they snugly fit right in with rubber grommet removed. And the plugins are universal, no tabs to cut off. That was a very smart design of them.

lucky me. Go either plug with them. 9006 side needs the rubber grommet back on...take it off for the 9005 hi beam side.

I can use the lights I thought would have to stay in a closet. The low beam I purchased are 4000 lumens... 800 beyond the normal standard for low beams. Great for the high beam.

so now I am waiting for the H1 LED low beam, and will put this together on a cold day. I may skip past the DRL halo hookup, as I will be in a hurry.

Getting all LED is the goal.

the entire truck is LED after these headlamps are done.

fun fact:

I test the new LED headlamps with a 12v 750mA in house cigarette lighter plugin you plug into a wall.

That is less than 1 amp at 12v.

The future of lighting.. incredible.

I have had the LED on my subaru for a few years now. Too bright, I get people flashing at me all the time.

3200 lumens low beam is safe, 4000 is great for high beam.

some interesting history I found..

the 9004,5 and 6 are among the first of the new design bulbs, they began in the 80s.

the brightest version of 9000 series is 1850 lumens. That was at a plastic altering 65w.

So, for all those in the 88-02 years, it is not your imagination about dim lights. It is not about a bad ground, it is simply a first generation all done.

The most outrageous recovery I had seen yet is my own 1987 subaru. The 9004 casings are all real chrome, glass and steel, weighing in at 15 pounds a piece. I can see an entire mile or more on the highway. Too bright, and learned my lesson.. courtesy for others, and reading up on laws.

the 3200 lumens number comes from the "D" series HID. the brightest allowed by law that I know of, to stay ethical to others. Those have been out for quite some time now. They first appeared on a lincoln for america...late 90s.

Today LED chops power down by 8 times or more, and you gain an exact lumens number. Future coming on..

Edited December 10, 2016 by barry G