Aussie GMC C3500

[Clinton]

Cute dog!

I took your advice and purchased a VY Commodore coolant tank - it's plastic and has similar dimensions and connections. I'll fab a bracket for it. That's one clean looking truck interior you have.

 

[Moparmat2000]

Thank you. I bought my truck new in 1994. Was a special order. Sat down with em and picked out exactly what i wanted. C1500 RCLB silverado, teal green, charcoal interior, 60-40 split seats, gage pack w tach, PW,PL, tilt, cruise, A/C, 350, 5 speed manual O/D, 3.55 gears, locker, chrome step bumper.

That pic there i was removing the kenwood under seat 10 disc CD changer i installed when it was new. After 20 plus years that kenwood finally died. Had to update to a new kenwood that would take a memory stick, and use an aux cord for my phone lol. Fantastic trucks. Looking at the styling of them never gets old, and i'm a mopar guy at that lol. Only one other GM truck i love the look of just as much is the 67-72 Chevy-GMC pickups. I got a steel cowl induction hood i will be putting on in the spring.

I have a thread for using a 50 cal ammo box for an under hood storage box. Cant remember if yours is a diesel or not. If not, my thread i installed the second batt tray for a diesel, and am in the process of making a mount for an ammo box to use for storage. Set a buddys ammo box in there for the initial pic, and to see how it would look and work. Going to bolt it down, and remove the carry handle. Prob paint it semigloss black. .

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Clinton]

Man that would be great to design and custom make a truck, over here its pick paint and transmission and that's about it. I took out a battery and tray today to clean it up a little. I don't think I need dual batteries but maybe someone can chime in, the diesel might be different not sure.

I moved an AC line today and it blew up on me, well sprayed gas everywhere. Not great, but I think it must have been getting loose as I hardly touched it. Not only that but another AC line was touching sharp plastic and nearly worn through so it needs looking at.

Today was bloody hot, like 40c. My motivation was lacking but got a few things done. The seal was done the other day, the old black one seemed to be weeping at the bottom. Cut the hole out of the floor today, but wondering if the rubber pad thing goes half in like shown or underneath the cut out?

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Moparmat2000]

I believe diesels need 2 batteries. The amount of ooomph required to start one prob requires this. Not sure if they are wired in series or parallel. Not a diesel guy so i dunno. I bet the alternator is pretty big to get the batteries to recover from a start up. Not sure on the diesel manual trans shifter boot like that one. Mine is a manual, but theres no thick piece of rubber like that. Only a shift boot for the floor, and a boot underneath that that keeps dirt and water out of the shifter. The back of your crank, did you install a pilot bushing for the input shaft? My 94 had a needle bearing cup input shaft bearing pressed in the crank. Over time the grease dried out, and it locked down on the input shaft. Was a ***** getting the trans loose and out to change it out. You may be better off with a bronse bushing instead.

40° C.dang thats 104° F !! You must be in your summer months over there. Its currently 35°F here in Texas or 1.7°C if my conversion is correct. We had some snow about 2 weeks ago. The kids loved it. I know what 104°F feels like it sucks the life outta you. Last summer i went on a junkyard run, took a gallon of water with me, drank the whole gallon when i was there pissed none of it out, because i sweat it all out. My overhead console i installed years ago out of a FWD Chrysler turbo New Yorker read 110° F before the display went to reading OC (out of calibration) i am guessing it couldent read any higher than 110° F or 43.3° C lol. Had to keep the tools inside the cab and wear cotton gloves because the tools got hot enough to burn my hands from the sun heating them up.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[skylark]

You need 2 batteries because of the high compression of the diesel. You'll kill a single battery working it that hard.

 

[Clinton]

How do you fit two batteries under the hood? I mean mine had two but it wasn't standard and so damn messy. If anyone has a photo it would be much appreciated.

The back of your crank, did you install a pilot bushing for the input shaft? My 94 had a needle bearing cup input shaft bearing pressed in the crank. Over time the grease dried out, and it locked down on the input shaft. Was a ***** getting the trans loose and out to change it out. You may be better off with a bronse bushing instead.

You must be registered for see images attach

I pushed in a new needle bearing with grease. I have a mechanic coming over tomorrow to help me with getting the gearbox in so I'll get him to check Ive done things right. I've heard of the bronze ones but the needle bearing came with the kit so I'll see how it goes.

I'm reattempting the engine mounts today now that I killed off what I hope is the last of the redback spiders living in the engine bay. Killed 3 yesterday, then decided to fumigate those whole lot.

 

[Moparmat2000]

Redback, is that kinda like what we call a black widow? I found this one at work. Kept it for a day or 2 to freak people out then spray painted it with green paint. Last fall we opened one of the hangar doors and the door track ran over a rattlesnake lol.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Moparmat2000]

As far as dual batteries go, i have that 50 cal ammo box getting mounted to a diesel battery tray on the left side behind the rad support in post #352 of this thread. The dual battery setup used 2 battery trays that were mirror images of one another, one on the left behind the rad support, and one on the eight side behind the rad support. Where is the batt located on your truck? Post pix.

 

[Clinton]

Redbacks have the red stripe on the back but they looks similar. Rattlesnake would freak me out, actually most snakes do. I've seen a few red belly black snakes here but not much else - they seem to mind their own business. We did have a party and a red belly wanted to join in, it was shot with a 12ga pretty quick.

I'd post up a pic tomorrow of the engine bay, I have the battery tray on the US drivers side next to rad support, and another next to it. on the firewall side. A second battery on the other side would make more sense, maybe I buy a battery tray.

Today I got both engine mounts swapped over but what a PITA! The turbo side was painfully awkward, made much worse by a thick metal spacer they used when converting RHD I'm guessing. Prob to give some extra clearance for the steering shaft.

I couldn't get the spacer back in but easy enough when I gave up on the spacer. So I'll try it out for a while once the gearbox is in and if clearance is an issue full lock to full lock then I'll chuck it back in.

The mount on the spacer side was fine, and the other side was squashed - typical I guess as it was sitting 1/2 inch lower. Speaking of squashing, the oil pan is bent up as the jack moved.

 

[Clinton]

If anyone has a part number for that passenger side battery tray it would be much appreciated.