Taking advantage of my free time!!

[Speddmon]

Today I started to take advantage of the free time I have waiting for my clutch disk to be delivered. I installed my poor-mans (Cheapskates...for you drgreg) low air pressure idiot light. I know that they are only like $6 and change new, but I snagged the parts from the scrap yard for nuttin and it took the same amount of time to install. The only thing I don't have is the cool little sticker for the dash...I made my own.

Also, I installed the brackets for the on-off switch and air controls for me heater that I snagged from the yard. After that I got to looking around and decided it would be much easier to install the air diverter box with the tunnels out and the transmission removed. This way I could get up in there from the ground and work without bending over backwards, and upside down to drill and mount it. I also installed the elbow through the firewall, and put the hose between them. I'm not installing the rest of the hoses I got from the yard because they are pretty sad looking. The main hose is 4" so I figure I can get some dryer vent for that one. The two going to the defroster channels, might be a little harder to track down, but I'm sure I can find something that will work.

After that I pulled the heater core out of the airbox and set it aside to have it flushed and checked, and possibly re-cored if needed. I hooked up the motor to some batteries I had in the garage and to my surprize it ran, nice and quite and smooth. So then I took it out to the truck and mounted the fan and airbox brackets. All that's left to mount up is the air intake scoop and hook up some hoses, then the major stuff is done.

I still need to buy a switch to turn the blower on and off with, a resistor for the low speed side (these are easy things to get). The resistor that comes with the kit from Uncle Sam is rated at 5 ohms and 50 watts. I'm planning on using a 5 ohm 100 watt resistor so it will dissipate more heat and not have to worry about it ever burning up. After that, I'll that's left to do it get two control cables made up for the air dampers. and I'll have a cab heater for probably less than $75 bucks total.

Here are some pics for ya'll to enjoy!!

 

[Speddmon]

and a few more

 

[NDT]

Mc Master-Carr has the illusive hose you need for the duct. Keep the cheesy dryer hose on the dryer!

 

[Speddmon]

Yeah, I thought about McMaster Carr, I was going to use the better metal dryer ducts, but I'll have to look into the proper stuff. There is just something about having shiny metal heat ducts in the cab that doesn't seem right.

 

[drgreg]

Nice job on the indicator light, if you squint your eyes some, it almost looks as good as the $6.00 one.
Looks like your heater install is on track, working thru the tunnel must have been nice.

 

[frodobaggins]

More info on idiot light.

 

[Speddmon]

frodo, be forewarned, if you do this you'll catch he11 from some of the guys on here (drgreg ) for being cheap like me (the new one is only like $6.50 from Saturn I believe)

I was at a scrap yard looking for parts and I thought about the light. I pulled the high beam indicator from an old truck, and found a "Y" connector from on the wiring harness (one connector that allows you to split into two connectors). Pulled some short lengths of wire from a truck as well.

When you get home, mount the light in the center of your dash, pull the wire out of the bottom of your buzzer located on the firewall (you can just see it in picture #5 above). Plug that wire into the "Y" connector, then run one wire from each of the two plugs that are left on the "Y", one back to the buzzer and one to the light.....Instant low pressure idiot light.

drgreg, I'm probably gonna clean some of the coating off of that lens to make it more visable, but when you look at the dash and see a red dot staring back at you that wasn't there before it's better than nothing.

 

[drgreg]

I think it looks great and I applaude your effort. I think it is a low price mod that everyone should do. Keep up the good work, I think your truck will be one of the best ones out there soon.

 

[Speddmon]

yeah Greg, working through the tunnel made that job soooo much nicer. I had a heck of a time taking it out of the donor truck by myself. But with the tunnels out I was able to install it with minimal crawling around. The light was easy to do, and I agree with you, it's an easy mod, it doesn't look bad (even with the NOS kit) and it makes it a lot safer if you can't hear the buzzer for whatever reason.

I don't know about one of the best ones out there, I would like to clean her up a bit, but It will still be far from a showpiece. You can see some of the damage to the drivers side just above the vent in picture 4 of the second set. I have no idea what I'm going to do about that...that piece goes the whole was across the hood and is welded in place. I'll be talking to someone who knows a whole lot more about sheet metal work than I do when it comes time to fix that. Thats one of the spots I was a little disappointed in when I went to get the truck...you couldn't see it in the pictures,along with some rust. But I'll keep plugging away at it till I get it back in better shape.

 

[scooter01922]

I like that light mod. That goes on the to do list. The MOST important warning light mod for me will be installing the E brake idiot light. Don't know how often i drive off with it still on

 

[Speddmon]

I have an easy way to fix that problem....eat more!!! Every time I get in the truck that damned handle tries to go places nothing should ever be going. It's hard to forget about something that was just moments earlier trying to get very intimate with you!!!

 

[AceHigh]

I like that light mod. That goes on the to do list. The MOST important warning light mod for me will be installing the E brake idiot light. Don't know how often i drive off with it still on

My e-brake is tight. If the lever is up the truck will go nowhere!

 

[jime]

My e-brake is tight. If the lever is up the truck will go nowhere!

Ditto...My idiot indicator on the brake is that the truck stalls!

 

[scooter01922]

Hmmm, mine hold the truck just fine if i'm sitting but does nothing like that when i go to move. Just replaced the cable and adjusted it. Guess i better screw with it some more.