Rebuild - But not Restore, K3500 Farm Truck

TreeGeared said:

Donkey

Click to expand...

hummm, adding to the short list

fancyTBI said:

they typically earn a name over time.

Click to expand...

time. yes, plenty of time before she emerges from the shed cocoon.

So “The Factory “ wire colors are supposed to correlate to something specific like sensor return or sensor supply or ground and because you use a computer on your truck you need grounds from the cab to the frame the frame to the engine the engine to the battery and battery to the front clip and there’s several on the engine. If you eliminate these you chance things not working or burning out. My trucks a/c started acting weird and I couldn’t find anything wrong with it. It turned out that the ground from the cab to the frame broke. GM uses braided copper which has quite a bit carrying capacity. So I got online and ordered some put that back on and like magic everything in the cab went back to normal. I understand your reasoning to eliminate connections as they can corrode and the pins can stretch and make poor contact but the way the wires go into the cab I don’t think you’ll be able to pull them out through. If you’re in need of connectors or pins even crimping tools custom connectors carriers about everything the OEMS used and all but 1 kind of connector the pins pull out the other style you can get replacement pigtails. Time is tough on everything and what you are doing is really what should be done. Also painless makes wiring harnesses for a lot of stuff these days because more and more people are fixing the old stuff. My truck I had to make a fuel tank bottom as 6 aftermarket tanks all cracked right about where the sending is. It’s too bad GM doesn’t release the prints so a company could make the aftermarket parts to gm specs. Kinda like front wheel bearing assemblies and now brake parts. I’m converting my rear to disc brakes and am finding 2010 and back parts are discontinued and hard to get

The Tear Down has started!



Used a rope to pull the hood.




Yup. That's a hot tub on the flat bed.





I need a 1/2" 18mm socket to pull the rest - bought the breaker bar and forgot the socket set.

Alternator is on the wrong side:



Power Steering Pump is the wrong one:

I noticed odd wear on the power steering pump belt. Turns out the radiator hose was rubbing on it:




So, all the belts and pullies are wrong, missing the air pump and belt tensioner and the pump is wrong. Good start.

That belt drive setup , mixing serpentine and V belts is certainly odd, is that a big block setup? Never seen that on a 305/350.

HotWheelsBurban said:

That belt drive setup , mixing serpentine and V belts is certainly odd, is that a big block setup? Never seen that on a 305/350.

Click to expand...

I’ve never seen that in anything… definitely strange

Orpedcrow said:

I’ve never seen that in anything… definitely strange

Click to expand...

I wonder if this truck spent any time south of the border? Or if it wasn't built there?

HotWheelsBurban said:

I wonder if this truck spent any time south of the border? Or if it wasn't built there?

Click to expand...

Hmmm maybe… I was thinking big block out of another GM platform. Of course with it being an early HD it might have some square body carry-over stuff on it