Wamego: 1949 GMC 150

[joedoh]

did a little rural scouting on a bed a friend spotted in a field. its a 47-53 shortbed, good eye. this was also behind the barn/workshop. picture taken from the road but I am reasonably certain its a 36 ford truck. methinks its worth an ask.

Image 10-26-18 at 3.47 PM by Joe Doh, on Flickr

worked on the HVAC, and what it all comes down to is that everythings gonna be fine fine fine.

IMG_1975 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_1977 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_1979 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_1983 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

I am going to trim the blower so that it mounts closer to the fresh air inlet in case thats something I want to do in the future.

IMG_1984 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

the blower wheel is broken but I have another.

IMG_1987 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

tires came in, no wheels yet, maybe this week! they said 2 weeks and its been two weeks. the sizes arent as impressive in pictures, but these things are some healthy rollers, I went with a 245/40 on the front and a 275/40 on the rear, to give me a little sidewall. I could have gone shorter but without bags small tires look like small tires. this will give a nice ride and plenty of sidewall (3.25" on the front!).
IMG_2062 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_2063 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

went with an all season tire instead of a hyper performance tire.


we also found a property with an existing 30x50 shop, so if I am scarce again that might be the reason. lots of hoops to jump.

 

[Torchie]

Moving forward!
Good luck on the property.
Torchie

 

[Burgerman]

Moving forward!
Good luck on the property.
Torchie[/QUOTE

Agree with Torchie. A 30x50 be nice. Keep us in the loop as you jump through da hoops. May need to bring that field find home.

 

[forbigpicture]

New shop?????

 

[lowbudget50]

Looking good!!!

Good luck on the property!!

 

[Old Iron]

Property ah, 30 x 50 shop Mmmmmmm

[P[P[P

 

[smallfoot]

30x50? Man, you could work on 3 or 4 projects at one time in something that big...oh wait, you already do that! [P

 

[joedoh]

there are a LOT of hoops to jump through so right now its less than a 50% chance, but its a chance. I will know more tomorrow.

 

[joedoh]

started laying in the harnesses finally. I am glad I built this "petite" pedal/column holder, there is so much room for activities now!

IMG_2074 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_2076 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_2077 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

on the s10 half the harness runs below the pedals, half above. I used to just put it all above but using the factory location for the BCM I needed to have it as close to stock location as possible so I didnt need to extend a million wires.

IMG_2079 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

half tucked, looking much much cleaner!

IMG_2080 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

the cluster connector is sticking out the radio hole. I am ordering CON2R gauges to work with the stock senders but there is a problem, the factory cluster has a serial connection to the PCM, and if you remove it, among other problems, it will set a trouble code for no communication and the alternator will not charge. My solution is to install the cluster behind the factory speaker. however since that requires that the senders stay hooked to the PCM (another trouble code if the fuel gauge has a open circuit for example) I am planning on taking the truck to someone with HP Tuner and have the gauge outputs mimicked/copied to three empty pins on the PCM (coolant temp, oil pressure, and fuel level, dont need volts). does that sound possible? if not, my back up plan is to disconnect the oil pressure wire from the gauges (it is not a serial output from the PCM, just a throughput), add a three wire coolant temp sender (third wire to new gauge) and simply disconnect the fuel level sender to the PCM and replace it with a 100 ohm resistor. It will always see a 1/4 tank that way.

after I had it all zip tied up and routed, I went ahead and took the dash harness back out. see, it helps if you pay attention and dont pick up the 98 blazer dash harness you had left over on the shelf, and use the 03 S10 harness instead.

IMG_2082 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

and this is a moment in history, this is the actual brake pedal clip that CAME OFF THE TRUCK WHEN I started. thats a first for me, usually I lose it and borrow the clip from the next truck.

IMG_2075 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

I was at the hutch swap meet last weekend and couldnt resist this bunch of stainless window trim, got one inside and three outside. I am ambivalent to shiny stuff so I dont know if I will use it, but if I decide to its nice to have.

IMG_2078 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

more to come!

 

[joedoh]

after thinking about it all night I decided that having a carpet snake and the BCM hanging out just wasnt worth it, so I cut all my zip ties again and ran the lower harness up top.

this is where the BCM would normally mount, for reference

IMG_2093 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

and this is after moving everything
IMG_2091 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

dont mind the end of the harness hanging out of the glovebox hole just yet, I have to mount the blower first. The BCM will fit behind the gauges, really doing the small brake pedal/column mount was the key, before those areas behind the gauges and under the very left of the dash were inaccessible.

IMG_2092 by Joe Doh, on Flickr


I moved the cruise actuator to the drivers side so I wouldnt need to lengthen the harness.

IMG_2094 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

doing that freed up the center of the firewall. I can either mount the PCM there and the battery on the inner fender, or vice versa. I am thinking of putting the battery over the engine in the center. it was that way on the 47 GMC I did, easy to access and out of the way.

IMG_2095 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

I needed some closed cell foam to seal the new blower pass through on both sides of the firewall, the commercial says "they've got it at the yard!" and it only took a minute to find something suitable.

IMG_2096 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

they also had universal door seals with double sided tape on them, 6 bucks for 2 8ft lengths. I may try them on the next truck, looks like 2 8ft sections would do one door.

 

[Burgerman]

I would have grabbed the 98 Blazer harness on the shelf. Good choice not having the carpet snake. They are annoying. Nice to have all that room to work. I like the battery plan.
[P

 

[joedoh]

things are popping, havent heard from mobsteel but the back and forth with con2r is about over so I am excited to see the gauges. I finished everything I needed to with the front end off so I put the front end on.

IMG_2111 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

then I realized I kinked a brake line putting it on so I pulled it off. 4 hours later after buying a new flaring tool I put it back on and mocked up the condenser/rad to see what kind of room I had.

IMG_2114 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

built the stand for the underhood distribution box.

IMG_2115 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_2116 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_2122 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_2124 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_2126 by Joe Doh, on Flickr


I was out of tin so I stopped at the yard. here is just a sample of the view out the back door.

IMG_2127 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

picked up the bolts for the cab mounts and front end while I was there and now all thats done. got some strap for the rad and condenser mounts. tomorrow I will build the air directors and route the wiring to each side, maybe put the grille on. for sure put the battery mount in and maybe even try for a start.

IMG_2129 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

the joedoh rule has snapped on me. I ordered that steering wheel and for whatever reason didnt pay attention, I got one of the original type so the horn ring stub is in the wrong spot. already painted, cant return.

 

[Torchie]

WOW! Lots of progress but a bummer about the steering wheel.
[P [P [P
Torchie

 

[DozerII]

Shouldn't be long and you will be on a test drive.[P[P

 

[Bamamav]

What do you mean by, “The horn ring stub is in the wrong spot”?

 

[joedoh]

the older gm columns have the cancelling cam/horn stub that rides on the slip ring at about 2 oclock, the later columns ~63 or so moved it to about 10:30 on the clock face. its because the old turn signal systems put the two contacts/switch assemblies in a symmetry line with the lever, so left at 2 and right at 4, lever at 9. the newer columns needed that space between 2 and 4 for the key, so the contacts moved to 10 and 2 roughly.

so I could take the lock plate off, turn the cam to the right spot to match the wheel, drill the lock plate, and install the wheel. but the turn signal cam will be out that almost 90 degrees (so one way the turn signal will not set and the other will take almost a full revolution to unset). I could take the column loose at the steering box and turn the column that 90 degrees, but that is the same problem as the first option.

my solution? I will just drill the hole in the wheel for the plastic stud to pass through correctly. there is a threaded hole for a steering wheel puller close to that spot, I will just enlarge it.





I wanted to work on the battery but the power steering line was dripping and while I was under there (o-ring) I saw how easy access was to the lower rad hose. in the past I would slightly stretch the hose onto the rad but on this truck the auto trans cooler lines were in the way. I hit up the auto parts store and asked for a couple hoses for the same engine. I usually go in the back and look for one the right SHAPE, longer here or there, but I decided that something with the same or similar motor/rad layout might have something I could use.

the 4.3 fullsize hose was a bust, smaller water pump side for some reason? and much too long. the parts guy surmised the relationship would be closer on the 5.7 fullsize of the same era, he brought it out and I was dismayed that it seemed to curve the opposite way. but then I held it in 3D space, roughly in the same way it would be installed. it LOOKED like it had the same starting and ending points, but with a different set of bends to get there. I brought it home and I'll be dipped.

56323057188__2E4F99A4-A5D5-4E43-804C-242D6FC8D30C by Joe Doh, on Flickr

it looks like its touching everything but it touches nothing, room to spare under the rad, it doesnt even come close to the fan! here is the part number if it helps someone.

IMG_2148 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

after that I buttoned up most everything under the hood, including all the AC lines

56323343945__D2C10EB7-84C1-4D7B-80B8-1088AE07BCAC by Joe Doh, on Flickr

I used a different engine side evaporator box and pulled the screen in the bottom tube of the evaporator, it was a little dirty so I pulled the original. crud. the silver mud is a dead compressor, so new lines and compressor are on the agenda.

IMG_2139 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

after that I rearranged the pcm to the passenger fender, it will fit no matter where the battery goes.

56323498952__C02C9CF9-9F72-4383-8863-BB5B7CA02A3D by Joe Doh, on Flickr

I looked up the size of a group 78 battery and its a little smaller than a priority mail medium flat rate box. looks like its going on the firewall.

IMG_2142 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_2146 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

Looking at maybe a honda high capacity battery to keep it smaller, or maybe behind the seat?

I got a tracking number for mobsteels today! so maybe I can take them to powder coat this week. the seat was done today, did you see it? neither did I. but a battery is all that is needed for a start.

 

[Bamamav]

Thanks for the explanation on the steering wheel/column. I was wondering why the little plastic tube broke on my 67 Chevelle wheel when I put in on the 80's S10 column. I was thinking about just drilling a hole in the lock plate, or just leaving it off. Never thought about that plastic tube having anything to do with the turn signal, I thought it was just a conduit for the horn wire.

 

[joedoh]

yep! the s10 has the tube at 10:30 and the chevelle at 2. [S



I started out this morning with a group 75 batt (group 78 was wrong, thats what my 2500HD uses) and a plan to put it on the firewall. but more and more I wanted it on the fender and felt like a quitter. if I extended the cables to the firewall I might as well extend them to behind the seat. or under the bed.

so I wiggled and squinched and cajoled and if I moved the AC drier slightly, it fit! I had to lower it two inches because the negative terminal would have hit the drier.
IMG_2151 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_2155 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

a quick tray on the plasma and bobs your uncle.

IMG_2160 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_2165 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_2166 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

I think the expression is "ten pounds of shart in a five pound bag"
IMG_2168 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

I keep taking the intake off and on, I am really close to making my own intake hat from an elbow.

oh and I picked up the seat and carpet.
IMG_2167 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

I love love LOVE the color. my favorite so far. I will take a scrap of vinyl with me to the powdercoater, I think I have gone away from black wheels and want to match the interior like I usually do.

 

[joedoh]

I got the wheels and immediately dropped them off at the powdercoater. they look small in the boxes...

56338562025__615545A9-9C36-4B62-AC0B-E925DB0D2DB1 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
56338575061__903A0841-ACD6-45CB-88F1-455C59DC8A45 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

but when you put them on something you already know the size of, like a shopping cart, its easy to see their size.

IMG_2190 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

I wanted to put the windshield in but without the hood on, it would have been a chore. so I laid the hood on and did it.

IMG_2191 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
56348513909__ED971EA4-33A9-40A4-98BD-6AEF0EE65628 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

the rubber gasket is from precision, I used the LMC gasket last time and it had curious lumpy/loose spots I had to touch up with urethane. this one fit better, so well I almost went hoarse swearing at it sometimes. I used blunt screwdrivers to wiggle here and shove there till it was in correctly.

since the hood was on I decided to hook up the hood hinges and springs, the hinges went ok but the drivers hinge just would not compress enough to get the bolt in. I used my big crowbar to lever the firewall side up, but since only one spring was hooked I also used a broom to hold the hood open. you can probably guess. the hood slipped off the broom, the big crowbar shot out from the force of the spring. it chipped the floor and ricocheted off my shin, the broom gave out under the weight of the hood and took out one of the overhead lights. all total I got a nice dent in the hood, a nice dent in the floor, a nice dent in the fender, a nice dent in ME, and I sat there in almost darkness because the overhead lights were daisy chained together. I figured it was enough for one day haha.

 

[Burgerman]

Dang Joe

Agree about enough for one day. Glad you're ok., bummer about the dents. New wheel and windshield look'n good. [cl