1991 C1500 in Florida

[FLGS400]

When I snapped a few of my tabs off I just scuffed the plastic and used some 5min epoxy for plastic and smooshed it back on. Seems to be holding. If you don't have the broken bits, try and find some thin plastic and make some up. Or maybe some industrial strength velcro would do the trick?

I have some ideas that don't involve putting those awful clips back in. I may try a different clip too, that's not so aggressive on the truck body side... I had to pull the old ones out with channel locks!

 

[Drunkcanuk]

I have some ideas that don't involve putting those awful clips back in. I may try a different clip too, that's not so aggressive on the truck body side... I had to pull the old ones out with channel locks!

Me too!!! Lol
Well whatever you come up with, please share.

 

[Scooterwrench]

Not sure about the clips back there but I squeezed a little tension out of the kick panel clips so if I ever had to pull them back off the clips would pull out of the body rather than off the plastic tabs. A light film of antisieze on the both sides of the body side of the clips helps installation and later removal.

 

[GrimsterGMC]

Not sure about the clips back there but I squeezed a little tension out of the kick panel clips so if I ever had to pull them back off the clips would pull out of the body rather than off the plastic tabs. A light film of antisieze on the both sides of the body side of the clips helps installation and later removal.

That's a good idea. They work well but just have way too much grip.

 

[FLGS400]

It was a busy weekend, but I did get back out to the garage Saturday morning and last night. Sorry I didn't take any pictures, but I just straightened out a couple of those satanic clips (I bent the crap out of them trying to get them out) that go in the trim, around the windows. I only put 1 on each side near the lower part of the back window (bottom of the 3 locations). It'll do for now. I also squashed them in the vice a bit to take some tension off the body side. The only place I found replacement ones was on Amazon, and I'm not sure they are right. They come in 10-packs, so I ordered 1. We'll see...

On to the seat belt assemblies... all trashed. The passenger side retractors are stuck and won't extend (or move at all). The driver side has a huge tear where it connect to the buckle. The latch parts work, but the exterior blue plastic is broken off the driver side and cracked really bad on the passenger side. After an exhausting search, I found replacements in blue on eBay. Just for ***** and giggles I looked up after market replacements. I passed on Retrobelt as I had installed them before in my Malibu and they never seemed to work very well. I found a kit on seatbeltplanet.com that is put together specifically for the GMT400 standard cab trucks. It is much more expensive than I really wanted to spend. After adding up the used belts sections I found on eBay, it made more sense to just try the Seatbeltplanet kit... it was only around $50 more after shipping. So, I'll take pictures when I get them in.

Last night I wrapped up the speaker install and head unit wiring inspection, temporarily installed one of the 2 used dash clusters that I acquired, bled the front brakes, lubed all the front end parts, and made it half way through the oil change. Turns out it needs a new drain plug gasket and I didn't have any spares that fit properly. Ordered a pack of Dorman ones (yeah I know...) as they were the only local ones I could find. I'll pick them up on the way home from work. I don't like leaving it sit with no oil in it.

I did fire it up and turn lights on before I bled the front brakes and dropped the oil. Looks like all the gauges and most of the lights work (aside from the speedometer and odometer, which I have to take it for a drive to check). If the other 2 gauges check out fine, I'll pull the cluster back out lube the gears and reset the odometer to what my old one showed, replace all the bulbs with LEDs (I like the bright white ones), fix the shift indicator, (cable is busted) and put everything back together right.

When the seat belts and panel clips come in, I'll get the back panel back on and install the new seat belts. I still need to get a real alignment too.

 

[Scooterwrench]

It was a busy weekend, but I did get back out to the garage Saturday morning and last night. Sorry I didn't take any pictures, but I just straightened out a couple of those satanic clips (I bent the crap out of them trying to get them out) that go in the trim, around the windows. I only put 1 on each side near the lower part of the back window (bottom of the 3 locations). It'll do for now. I also squashed them in the vice a bit to take some tension off the body side. The only place I found replacement ones was on Amazon, and I'm not sure they are right. They come in 10-packs, so I ordered 1. We'll see...

On to the seat belt assemblies... all trashed. The passenger side retractors are stuck and won't extend (or move at all). The driver side has a huge tear where it connect to the buckle. The latch parts work, but the exterior blue plastic is broken off the driver side and cracked really bad on the passenger side. After an exhausting search, I found replacements in blue on eBay. Just for ***** and giggles I looked up after market replacements. I passed on Retrobelt as I had installed them before in my Malibu and they never seemed to work very well. I found a kit on seatbeltplanet.com that is put together specifically for the GMT400 standard cab trucks. It is much more expensive than I really wanted to spend. After adding up the used belts sections I found on eBay, it made more sense to just try the Seatbeltplanet kit... it was only around $50 more after shipping. So, I'll take pictures when I get them in.

Last night I wrapped up the speaker install and head unit wiring inspection, temporarily installed one of the 2 used dash clusters that I acquired, bled the front brakes, lubed all the front end parts, and made it half way through the oil change. Turns out it needs a new drain plug gasket and I didn't have any spares that fit properly. Ordered a pack of Dorman ones (yeah I know...) as they were the only local ones I could find. I'll pick them up on the way home from work. I don't like leaving it sit with no oil in it.

I did fire it up and turn lights on before I bled the front brakes and dropped the oil. Looks like all the gauges and most of the lights work (aside from the speedometer and odometer, which I have to take it for a drive to check). If the other 2 gauges check out fine, I'll pull the cluster back out lube the gears and reset the odometer to what my old one showed, replace all the bulbs with LEDs (I like the bright white ones), fix the shift indicator, (cable is busted) and put everything back together right.

When the seat belts and panel clips come in, I'll get the back panel back on and install the new seat belts. I still need to get a real alignment too.

You can set the rear on stands and put it in gear with the engine running to check your speedo.

 

[FLGS400]

You can set the rear on stands and put it in gear with the engine running to check your speedo.

I thought about doing that, but I need to take it for a drive anyway to bed in the front brake pads.

 

[FLGS400]

Alright, so I was too tired last night to post up. I got the oil change done, front wheels and tires on the truck, and it's back on all 4's. Let it run for a bit to make sure the temperature gauge works (it does). Now, the radiator cap is leaking... that's an easy fix, though. Hopefully I'll have time tonight to take it for a drive.

 

[sewlow]

Easier to swap the odometer from cluster to cluster rather than try to reset one.
2 screws & a plug.
These odometers are r-e-a-l-l-y delicate with little tiny plastic tabs inside which were finicky to begin with & are now 33 years old.
Not only that, but once the roller numbers counter thingies are separated from each other, it's difficult to get them all to align again with each other in a straight line. They always end up being just that little bit out of whack.

 

[FLGS400]

Easier to swap the odometer from cluster to cluster rather than try to reset one.
2 screws & a plug.
These odometers are r-e-a-l-l-y delicate with little tiny plastic tabs inside which were finicky to begin with & are now 33 years old.
Not only that, but once the roller numbers counter thingies are separated from each other, it's difficult to get them all to align again with each other in a straight line. They always end up being just that little bit out of whack.

That would be great, if the original one did not have broken parts in it. I would have to take the odometer assembly all apart, to fix what is broken and caused it to jam up the first time...

Thank you, though sewlow!