Updates on the beater!
Found a clean GMC tailgate from a 98 RCSB that was wrecked in the front, what a pain to get off since the passenger side bed was smashed in. I got it on the truck but now I can't open it and the reason being the tab on the pass side is not collapsing as far as it should so that's why it's locked in place. Should be an easy fix when I get the tailgate handle cover off. Fun fact: The 98 trucks said just GMC on the tailgate, pre-97 says "GMCTruck" also installed a new passenger mirror after I took this photo.
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Next was a huge hassle. I was sick of the steering column, so I went out to a different 98, pulled out a steering column to find out the shifter linkage piece on the column is broken so I just wasted half an hour pulling it for no reason. So I go over to a clean 99 Tahoe, yank the steering column, and pull my truck into the shop.
I'm thinking this will be an easy job, which it would have been if I didn't make mistakes! So this is where I ruin my entire night and spent over four hours on this, leaving the shop just after 1am.
Pulled the steering column which was easy enough, then start installing the new one. So far so good, so I button the dash back up, it starts and runs fine, everything on the column works with no issues.
Well, when the truck is in a non-running state with the key on, you can select between PRND321, but when the truck is actually running the shifter was locked in P. Which really started pissing me off. So I reach out on a facebook page, one guy told me to check the brake safety switch, which I did with no problems. Then another tells me about the shifter lock thing, but that's all he said and didn't elaborate. I tried doing my own research on my phone and didn't find anything helpful.
So I pull the plastic cover off the column, and see this black cable thing from the ignition to the shifter, thinking it's what is locking the shifter when the truck is in "running state" so I try to pop off the side on the shifter (should have tried the single clip holding it in on the other side first), and break it. I'm thinking cool, now I can get it into gear when it runs, so I try that and no luck.
Now starting to get pretty pissed, I learned that the cable I just broke made it so you can't select gears unless the key is in the ignition so I felt stupid. I look back at the other column and see this purple and green/white wire with a little connector thinking where does this go. It goes to the shifter lock thing on the old column which the PO removed. At this point I climb under the dash and disconnect the wires to that lock thing, and go figure I can select gears when it's running.
But now I want to fix the shifter without a key, so I had to rip the shifter thing off the other column and swap them, and at the same time removed the rod for the stupid lock thing so I would never have to deal with that stupid **** ever again. Got them swapped, and it's all good.
When I was messing with the shifter, I hit a tab on the lock cylinder and it broke (someone put in a lock cylinder for a manual truck with the push button to release the key) off a tab and also took the release button with it. So now I'm even more pissed off, manage to remove that ignition cylinder and go out to the 454 suburban and yank out the new ignition cylinder I put in it and then installed it into my truck. Now we are all good, key works like it should I have gears, and the truck is running.
So next I figured I'd check to see if the check engine light works because they check that at smog (deterrent to see if the bulb is burned out or bulb is removed, they will refuse to smog it if the check engine light doesnt come on when the key is on). Removed my cluster and the bulb looked okay, but I went out to the same chevy tahoe I yanked the steering column from and took it's cluster. Installed the cluster in my truck, and the check engine light worked, started the truck and it didn't come on so that gives me hope that it will pass smog!
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Tomorrow's plan is to get this thing smogged, we have 4 vehicles at the junkyard to get smogged tomorrow. Then it can be licensed and I can start driving it legally next week after I get a windshield in it. Also going to check all the fluids and do an oil change before I go smog it on it's voyage to Chico.
As long as it passes, I have a clean GMC SL grille I'll throw on since now the tailgate and steering wheel say GMC so I figured I'd make it all match. This truck I think I'll just run the W/T grille for once since I don't on anything else that I currently drive. Then I'm getting a nicer radio in it as well as grey buckets. After that a bedliner, diamond plate toolbox, and a small fuel transfer tank in the bed. Also probably going to install either a overhead console with the fuel economy and everything or just install a compass/temp mirror. Dunno yet but I want this thing to be nice since it'll be what I drive pretty often when it's ready to go.
What a hell of a night. At least now it has a proper steering column, and I'm glad the 98 column bolted right in because I've never swapped one on these later year trucks. And I also like how it looks compared to the 97 steering wheel. So as far as any "obs specialist" thinks, it's now a 98 appearing truck!