86 chevy crew cab 12 valve swap

[Dieselwrencher]

That is a very nice truck! It's a Longhorn too but GMC ones weren't badged as Longhorns. Thanks for sharing the pics and the link above. How are things out your way anyhow?

[84chevyguyid]

Well Thanksgiving week was an emotional week for our family. My dad passed away on Nov 21st and his funeral was last saturday. I had his tractor all ready to go but had to paint the little trailer the week of. It was a nice service and was good to see him not have to suffer anymore. It was hard on him to be wheelchair bound and not be able to come out and get on a tractor or his loader. I felt bad driving anything past the house as he would just be sitting there watching out the window. During the summer I could get him on his 4 wheeler and he could putt around the yard but as time went on his arms got so weak that he couldnt turn the handle bars anymore. He bought an electric cart a few years back and he could still operate that but as it started cooling off this fall he couldnt come outside anymore or he would just freeze. We were stacking third crop hay in sept and he was out on his electric cart and him not wanting to give up said if you can get me in the loader I believe I could help you stack hay. I knew he wasnt up to the task and I also knew I couldnt get him in the loader so I tried telling him that. I turned my back on him for a few minutes and he drove over to the loader and attempted to get up the stairs. When I turned back he had started to get on and was stuck, he couldnt go up or get back on the cart. I thought, I have to take a pic of this. That was the last excursion outside for him. I am really missing him, its tough to lose your best friend in the whole world...

http://www.bidwellfuneralhome.com/20...cock-obit.html

[ryanroo]

Sorry to hear that my friend.

[Zane M]

I'm sorry for your loss.

[Chevy_mud_truck]

Sorry for your loss

[1985-GMC]

Sorry to hear that bud. He sounds like an awesome dad

[Dieselwrencher]

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss! It sure sounds like he wasn't giving up either!

[COS399]

Sorry to hear about your loss. The final ride was fitting and a nice touch.

[84chevyguyid]

Thanks for the kind words guys! Been working on wiring stuff the past little while. Pretty much got the right side of the engine compartment wiring done and been working on the left side wiring. Got all the relays wired in for lights, fuel, wiper/washer. Got the group that goes to the rear of the pickup roughed in. I added a 12 gauge wire for brakes and another 12 gauge wire for batt that will go to the trailer connector. Still need to hook up the air dryer heater wire, fuel gauge wires, and the fuel transfer pump wire then the rest goes back to the trailer connector and tail lights. About ready to start on the transmission controller wiring. I built a bracket to hold the 4 relays, a big selenoid for the fuel shutoff, and the TCM. I wired the TCM plug previously so its ready to start hooking up now. On the inside of the cab I have the key switch, light switch, dimmer switch, wiper/washer switch, heater control panel all hooked up. Almost time to start thinking about the dash wiring. I did a little modification to the bezel and added 2 extra gauges where the right side vent was and will have a boost and pyrometer gauge in them. Trying to make it look factory. I moved the vent down to where the radio used to reside and I am hoping I can get a duct down there to it.

[84chevyguyid]

Heater

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice work! It sounds like you have been busy!

[odee]

any info on cluster cover mod? start with non-ac cluster cover? thanks

[84chevyguyid]

Here is a thread where I started on it. As I remember it was an a/c bezel to start with.

http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/sm...3426#msg203426

[84chevyguyid]

I been plugging away at wiring in the new Painless harness and finally got it far enough along to put some power in it and see if a few things work. It took 4 or 5 attempts to get the fuel system bled out but all of a sudden it started firing and took off. Also got the Webasto bled out and fired up, that thing is going to be awesome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hlISY0AXPY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlnU9lK_rHs

[COS399]

Nice work. Glad to see that she is up and running. You will be driving it soon.

[Dieselwrencher]

How has things been going for you? Very nice! That is a big milestone to have it running in the truck! That webasto will be really nice. I know a guy that has some in dodges and he has had to replace the blower motor squirrel cages in them because they were melted when the blower motor crapped out. I'd like to get one some day.

[84chevyguyid]

I wish I would be driving it soon, still lots to do unfortunately. I really lucked into the Webastos, there was a guy in the area that is working in the oil fields in the Dakotas and he had a few cummins parts listed on craigslist for sale that I picked up from him. He was building a hot rod p pumped 24 valve motor, cam swap, head studs, bla, bla, bla, that he had to show me. He said the company he worked for bought these 2 heaters and tried to use them to heat a big oil tank and they were too small so they were going to just throw them away so he snatched them up. I gave him 50 bucks each for them and they are almost brand new.I need to get the other one on my suburban one day, make the old 6.5 happier on cold days like today.

[Dieselwrencher]

I feel ya on all the other things to do. I bet I have a list of 20 things to do on the Longhorn and there is probably 20 beyond that as well. Sheesh.

[84chevyguyid]

If only we could build them as fast as the factory did...

[Dieselwrencher]

Originally Posted by 84chevyguyid

If only we could build them as fast as the factory did...

We could but then they would be stock and who wants that?

[84chevyguyid]

Been working on the instrument cluster, got it about ready to install. Got all the wiring done on the engine compartment except for putting the plastic loom on things. Behind the cab I put new terminal ends on the four position connector that the bed harness plugs in to and got the trailer plug in wired up. Just need to go down the frame and fasten all the lines, wiring ect to the frame now that I'm through running things down it and then it should be ready for the bed to go on. Inside the cab I still have half a dozen wires to find a home for then I can finish putting the heater ducts in and install the cluster. I got the transmission harness all hooked up, after something major like that, you just touch the batt cable to the terminal on the battery and cringe, hoping you dont have what might look like an arc welder going on and what a relief it was to see nothing! With the trans, TCM, BCM, TPS, OBDII connector, duramax shifter handle, brake switch, and a few other power feeds and grounds there is 40 wires going into the TCM. Now I need to have my buddy come plug into the OBDII port with his scanner and see if its communicating properly then that part is ready to take to the dealer and get the TCM and BCM flashed. Then I get to purchase an efi live setup and have a guy from Missouri email a tune to me to load in and see if the trans will work. Got the brakes all bled and the power steering and brakes seem to work good. I need to stick a seat in and see if it will idle around the yard, bad part there is we still have a mess from the partially melted snow and I dont want to make a mess of it just yet. lol

[COS399]

sounds like you will be driving it to the dunes soon.

[84chevyguyid]

Friday I was at work and I hear this helicopter flying around, I thought what the hell?? I look out the front door of the bus garage and see a helicopter sitting across the road at the edge of the field. I thought, wow theres something you dont see every day. Turns out the guy is a farmer (one of the poor, struggling ones apparently) and was on a parts run to the implement dealer next door. As I was driving out of the yard a little later, two guys had just gotten in and were ready to leave so I had to video that too. Pretty cool parts chaser!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS2w...ature=youtu.be

[Dieselwrencher]

Very nice on getting most of your wiring finished up! Yeah, poor broke farmer that guy is. That is a sweet way to chase parts for sure!

[84chevyguyid]

Been working on my dash some more. Used led lights for all the bulbs in it. Looks pretty nice, the pics dont look as nice as the real thing. I have a bad spot on the printed circuit though, small gauges light up but not the speedo and tach. Is this repairable? its so small I can see me ruining more stuff trying to solder a wire to it.
Using the brake warning light for the low air warning, cant decide if I want to have a beeper to go with it or not. Those lights also look nice in person but dont photograph well either.