Starting over Maritime !994 Chev C1500

[Mysteriphys]

Starting over Maritime 1994 Chev C1500

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Short Intro because I don't have anything to post just now. I came here a few months ago with a 91 chev k1500 that I really wanted to build on, but after fighting with money, family, and rust, I gave up on it and sold it to a local who uses the motors for dirt track racing.

Today I was passed the keys for a 1994 Chev C1500 Ext cab with the 5.7L

So far I know it needs:
Front of rear Leaf Spring hanger (fricking impossible to find)
floor pan on both sides welded.
front end sway bar link.

the body is a little spotty here and there, but I can source 1/4's and anything I need from neighbors.

as for the engine, it hitches on acceleration from low rpms, chirp the tires and it doesn't do it. I'll have a look around for a solve to that, as well as I'll be doing some of the gas saving/hp adding mods I saw on this site the last time I was here. If all goes well, I'll be driving her before the snow drops!

 

[Mysteriphys]

update:

So far I replaced the hanger, after 3 tries from the local salvage to get the right part, got it and bolted it on.
put the link in
found out I just need a chunk of metal to cover the hole in the heat shield, and there's no damage to the floor, (thank goodness)

things found out:

I need to start replacing bushings asap
build a new upper shock mount for the passenger side

figure out how to wire aux audio into the factory stereo, since I'm broke now that it's on the road and I hate the local radio stations

definately still needs some body work, but so far it's working for what I need it for.
engine has issues but it's too cold to work on it at night right now, I'll keep researching and see what i can figure out.

 

[Mysteriphys]

couple pics i forgot I took of the progress of the spring hanger fix, I'll take an after when I get a chance.
Mangled and sheared origional stock hanger

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crosscut and drilled, couple taps with a punch and ballpeen and they popped right out.

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I used grade 8 7/16 with locking nuts to put the new to me hanger on, I will need to press new bushings in once I get everything else sorted.

 

[Mysteriphys]

Started playing around with the current stereo, waiting for checks to come in and such over the Holidays so I can't upgrade, so I pulled the wiring to the External Tape deck in the console, and with the help of one of the Schematics in the audio subforum, wired this up..(An Audio Aux input) without a separate, and as it happens unnecessary pre-amp.
Audio wires red white and ground, I just chopped a 3.5mm extension cable and tossed the female end, soldered in red to red white to white and ground, at the top, I soldered a 2 wire extension of similar sized wire to go to the open switch plate under the heater controls, I still need to buy a switch for it but for now I just shorted them together it's the plain light blue wire, and the light blue with a black line (which is apparently powered by the courtesy lights, and will blow the ctsy fuse if you accidentally touch ground with your clippers while clipping it

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And a neat trick for running the wires without ripping your dash apart

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Stock sound, but at least now I don't have to listen to the crappy radio stations around here! I just plug into my phone and hit play!

Next step is to see if I can wire this:

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into the existing rear speaker wiring without having to use the high level input, which will screw up the bass :/

 

[Mysteriphys]

Decided since I had some speakers and wires laying around I'd try to get a little more low end out of the stock system until my Xmas present to myself shows up, I tried to make it look nice.

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[Mysteriphys]

Cold outside but I pulled the cap and rotor, cleaned everything up, running slightly better but still shaking, going to buy new stock plugs, not sure what's in it, But I'll be able to tell if everything is OK with the cylinders, if not I'll get a top end kit, and i've been told I can have a set of freshly rebiult heads. Updates when funds allow

 

[Mysteriphys]

Got the plugs and put them in, so far the acceleration issue seems to have gone down 80%, but now the entire front end is shaking like crazy, need to seal up the exhaust now. Crazyness, tracking down issues and all that. More later.

 

[Mysteriphys]

Rad is burst in the front, I'll be getting one from a local scrapper I'm hoping it's not over pressurizing through the head but the way it's running i can't be sure.

 

[Mysteriphys]

Radiator seems to have mysteriously stopped leaking, sprayed the tbi out today, seems to be running a little better now, but the engine seems to shake a lot more than i would think is normal, throttle response is lacking too, plug wires seem to be a little long, I'm thinking I should probably get a new set just to rule it out, crawled under today to spray down the fuel filter for removal, looks like someone thought it was a smart idea to put nuts as spacers on the exhaust studs, instead of the springs... I'm hoping they'll come off so i can fix that, also need a rubber hanger or 2, the exhaust sits awfully low to the point that the cat outlet is almost hitting the trans cross-member, and actually rattles on it when it's in gear. trans output seal seems sloppy too... wish i could wait till spring to fix this stuff, but i have time now and won't then, only problem is, I don't have the money now, probably will in the spring >.<

 

[Mysteriphys]

Rad started again, looks like the seal on the plastic tank is deteriorating or shrinking, it's also still running like crap, so I dumped some copper rad/coolant system seal in it from Rislone, I used it on my 98 Saturn and got an extra year our of the cracked original. I did try to put the new fuel filter in, but it looks like I'm going to have to chop it out and get some clamps/hose and anti-seize or something to that effect. seriously considering just pulling all of the metal fuel lines and going to rubber. I can see not using rubber lines somewhere like cali/arizona etc. but in this climate, metal fuel lines have to be replaced at a max interval of 5 years if you drive in the winter. anyway... updates when I can.