1991 RCLB Driver

[Dylan1991_1500]

So I cleaned up and bench bled the master. Currently gravity bleeding the system. Still too much air in the system to report any serious good news. Waiting for the wife unit to come home so she can press the pedal.

 

[Dylan1991_1500]

So I believe it's because the fluid must make a longer journey to the caliper on the right side as well as make some rather drastic bends that I am still waiting for fluid to show up at the bleeder. Nothing. I do know that it's not a master problem, I have fluid at both rear bleeders and the left front caliper. The master isn't smart enough to discriminate left or right. So my problem lies somewhere after the tee. I'd hate to think I have a defective caliper but it's possible. The slack on the pads has been taken up so the piston moved a little bit. I am still waiting for the wife to arrive so she can pump up the pedal while I crack bleeders.

Had a couple minor leaks but they were cleaned up by tightening the lines nuts again.

So while bored I removed and painted the bowtie on the front grille. It's now charcoal gray. I'll post a pic once it's installed.

Hooked up the battery and the engine fired right up.

I am starting to think I am going to have to replace the fuel lines next. They are not as bad as the brake lines but someone has been in there hacking things like everything else on this truck. It's a crying shame that they repaired things the way they did. So once again I have to postpone the fun stuff to go repair dumb **** the PO did.

 

[Dylan1991_1500]

One and a half hours later the fluid began dripping from the bleeder. I will say it had a longer line to follow than the left front. The good thing is the fluid is now up at each bleeder screw. Tomorrow I will have an extra foot to pump the brakes, wife got home late and I had to leave. Hoping for a short test run tomorrow evening.


I had a bonfire to attend to so I had the wrap this project up early.

 

[Dylan1991_1500]

Brakes bled, found a couple minor leaks that were handled and after all this the brake pedal feels AWESOME!!! It's right there at the top. It has great pressure and feedback. The truck stops evenly and much quicker than the garbage on it before. No more 3" of pedal movement before anything happens, it's right there. Feels soooo good! I put about 15 miles on it seating the pads and rotors, the pedal felt amazing by the time I got back in the driveway.

On another good note I used the new Blue Point laser guided temp gauge I bought from Snap-on to check the actual coolant temp when the needle on the dash gets really high and much to my surprise the engine temp was at 200*F. This is great! When I got back home I checked the temp again and it was at 198*F. So now I can rest my mind about any overheating issues I was having. The OEM gauge is off badly. Time for an aftermarket gauge.

The shake was still there but not as bad. I am running the original 'Batman' wheels on the rear while I wait to get a replacement for the flat I had 2 weeks ago.

Felt so good to drive this truck again! And now that I know I can stop I like it even more!

Next task is re-seal the transmission output housing but for now I am going to drive it and enjoy it!

 

[dave_erald]

Right on! Good to know about the gmt800 M/C working better. Had heard its good never actual results just how to do it basically.

Good stuff

 

[Dylan1991_1500]

Totally worth the effort. Deleting the RWAL is also something that should be done while you are in there. I am very pleased with how it all came out. Also quite proud of myself because I plumbed my first Chevy with all custom lines.

Here's the bowtie in charcoal as well...

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[Dylan1991_1500]

2 new tires for Bob1500 to replace both on the rear axle after my flat 2 weeks ago. $35 delivered.

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[LoneCynic]

Dylan, I just read through the entire thread. I am very glad you're enjoying your pickup, and working on it. Mine was the first vehicle I ever purchased, so I've continued to work on it and update/upgrade things on it little by little over the years as desired/needed. Despite my friends not understanding why I keep and work on a 25 year old pickup when I own two other newer model vehicles, I simply still love my chevy. This was one of the best looking body styles GM ever put on their trucks. There's just something special about this 1988-1998 series, ya know?

I enjoyed reading each post and what you've been doing along the way. On more than a few of them, I smiled while thinking to myself, "Yeah, I know all about that one, been there done that with mine too."

You're still working on many of the higher priority things right now (obviously), but when you get to cosmetics and other replacement parts, I'd be happy to share links with where I found certain parts for good prices if you need it. Also, there is one thing that almost universally goes bad on these trucks (1991 models), or at the very least, the handful of people I know that have this same model year inevitably ran into it sooner or later the same as I did. That one thing is the windshield wipers will up and sporadically work or not work one day. Then, within a month from that happening, they'll just stop working altogether.

It will be the wiper motor failing. Just save yourself the hassle of trying fuses, checking wires, and everything else the rest of us tried when it happens. You'll have to source a refurbished one somewhere, as I don't think there are any new ones left anywhere that I could find. Took me close to a year to figure this out after searching, and I became very versed in driving in rain with no wipers. (I got so used to it, that I sometimes now forget to turn the wipers on when it rains in my newer vehicles, and if someone is riding with me, they start to freak out after a while, hah hah.)

But yeah, if it's a 1991 Chevy Truck, the wiper motor isn't a matter of "if" but "when" it will happen to you. Unless the previous owner already replaced it in the past eight years sometime, you will need to at some point. They aren't terribly expensive, so keep your eyes open for one and go ahead and set it aside.

Hopefully I'm wrong, but maybe it will happen, and you'll have the replacement ready to go sitting on a shelf in the garage, and you smile thinking to yourself, "Ah, that one guy online actually was right about this thing."

Anyway, love what you're doing with your truck, when I look at it, I see many things (rusted fenders, cracked grille, etc) that mine had when I bought it. When I see yours, I see past those things to the goal you're working towards and the potential there for a great ride. (You already replaced the grille, I only just finally replaced mine last year!) I'll continue to check this thread out from time to time, I'm getting some good ideas from you too on some things that I haven't done to mine yet.

 

[Justin S]

bout time its on the road again!

 

[Dylan1991_1500]

Nothing made me smile more than taking it down the street and back. I love checking things off the list.