1964 GMC Model 1002 build journal

[tbucketnut]

Another good day in the garage. Turned the gas space heater on because it dipped below freezing. Installed a seal kit into the very leaky power steering control valve today. Last week did the pump. The only leak left is just a drip from the rear diff pinion yoke. So, probably attack that one next.
Here is the truck today after a nice leak free ride.

Steve

[tbucketnut]

Decided to start attacking some of these electrical gremlins. The parking lights and turn signals mounted in the hood were non working, high beams were inoperable too. along with that no turn signal dash indicators. A quick look at the firewall connector, looked bad , cleaned it up but was making good contact when I finished. I ended up running individual ground wires from the parking light housing to the firewall. Everything works as it should. I have a sneaking suspicion that because of the way the park lenses clip in, they fail to keep contact electrically as the 55 years has come and went. The dimmer switch was kaput and replaced it and the melted connector, now all my T3s light and the little blue light in the dash does too. It was a good Sunday in the shop.

Steve

[TJ's GMC]

Subbed, nice truck.

[tbucketnut]

Thank you sir. Nothing to report this week, I've been down with a nasty cold. Caught it from touching the pen at the DMV when I changed the title over and wrote the check. The gift that keeps on giving.
Steve

While I'm on a rant, how bout this one: I live in Washington and travelled down to Oregon to get a rust free truck, done that twice now. My 53 5 window came from Medford and lived on the farm, had fifty pounds of caked on mud in the under carriage, no rust. The GMC hailed from the Willamette valley and was almost as nice. Anyway paid a premium price to get the truck I wanted, I had looked for years to find cancer free sheet metal. I go to Oregon and for those that dont know Oregon does not have state sales tax. I bring the truck up here and titled it and the first thing the lady at the DMV does is get out the old car price guide. Proceeded to tell me that a number one truck is worth 65K, I laughed at her and told her the truck is a basket case and will not need to register it because it wont be road worthy for five years. Slight exaggeration on my part, you get the point. Well after paying 700 dollars to retitle it, I walk out of there bruised pretty good around Christmas time. I fail to see the connection on how this state seems to feel they can tax a truck bought in another state, I guess I'm dumb. WE have the highest taxes up here second only to california, the last election we voted in a $35 dollar annual tabs and the attorney general says the voters dont count, the governor repealed it. Sounds like taxation without representation up here in the socialiatic state of Washington. Rant off. The tax paid isnt based on what I paid but more to the perceived value of the truck based on condition. We can thank all those kooks at Barrett Jackson for that.
Steve

[snazzypig]

The Pacific Northwest where you live is one of the most beautiful regions in the entire world. Seems the socialist commies always take over those places and tax the common man to support their dead end agenda. They are also moving here and trying to take over Colorado. Since this is a build journal, I guess the relevant message is that it it's getting harder and more expensive to build and maintain an old truck. Merry Christmas!

[tbucketnut]

Snazzy, Merry Christmas to you too. It is beautiful here and where you are too. Funny how Colorado and Washington States are on the same plain. Both socialistic republics, both legalized marijuana first. My father was going to retire there when he got out of the USAF in 1972 but found out it was a high tax state on dual incomes which include a federal retirement. We had ten acres in Colorado Springs and were going to build. Anyway I found a more beautiful place to live when visiting southern Germany's Bravaria and also Austria last year. GMC Tom lives there check out his build:

To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?

[tbucketnut]

Happy News Years Eve.
If you go out this evening keep safe and lookout for the other guys too.
I am retired from the fire department now, put in 32 years and can tell you tonight is a night filled full of fun and happiness and also horrible tragedy, as you all know usually after the New Year rings in and heading home. Be responsible and caring please.

On another note, I finally named my truck today, I figured it was fitting to name the GMC a male's name because of the big block V6 and GMC status. His name is Enoch. BTW for those that care my 53 3100 is called Patty Ann after my wife's best friend. Even though it sports a 261 truck engine and sm420 it is the girl compared to the mighty GMC.
Anyways Enoch got its new plates today, and it is added to the insurance register too.

I feel compelled to tell you all about the entirely nice nature of individuals that this forum has. I posted up questions about pcv s in the 305 and found that they were basically obsolete. I received a package yesterday with two brand new-old stock valves, one for each head and with that a nos filter for the system. Thank you so much to Dave D. (Quigley)for his complete generosity and dedication to owners of GMCs and their trucks. This day and age this sort of thing is seldom heard of. I am really at a loss of further words. He paid it forward for me, someone that doesn't know me but wanted to show good will and kindness to a person with a similar interest.
I am just starting to get my hands dirty on this truck but want to help someone too in response to Dave's kind act. I have a cherry front cross-member for 60-66 trucks, this member is usually damaged because someone usually hooks a chain hook to the center eye to pull the truck. Usually bent all to heck or even pulled from the frame rivets. Anyway I have this piece that I would be willing to send to somebody in need, it is glass beaded and perfect shape and primed. The only catch is you pay forward to another person something you have surplus of. Lets keep this gesture of good will going. The world start to become a better place, at least among GMC owners.
Happy New Year,
Steve

[tbucketnut]

Hello all, got a little bit done in the garage yesterday. I decided to replace the PCV paper element located in the canister. To my surprise the canister unscrewed very nicely, I have heard war stories on how they can get locked on. Anyway, the canister was void of any filter, so God only knows how long it had been sucking unfiltered air into the pcv. Just another page in the chapter on how this old boy has been thoroughly neglected in the last years.

Since getting Enoch license plates last week, I have logged about 50 miles on him. It is a pleasure to not smell blowby gases anymore by removing the vented cap and putting the filter in the pcv. I am really starting to appreciate a real truck engine for the stoutness built into it and the sound of mechanical lifter is just plain music.. Big shout out to Quigley for hooking me up with nos pcvs and filter.

The last couple days it was cooler in the pacific northwest so I decided to take a look see into the heater. The heater core had been bypassed by the PO, so I figured it was a leaker, but there was also no fan operation either.

So I started removing it. Was pretty happy with the condition of the sheet metal parts, no cancer or rust, those will go into my glass bead cabinet today for a cleanup. The fan motor was seized and so was the squirrel wheel on the shaft. I heated the wheel around the motor shaft and shot some PB on it to soak over the night, today put a little more heat to it and it slide the wheel right off. If anything over the years, I have learned patience and it paid off again. I took a few pics.

The heater is an airflow type but it is the single knob thrift heater so it has the smaller core. After looking at the parts, I see the core mounting plate has a stencil to guide you if you want to cut it out for the larger core (pic #3), which I'm inclined to do. I plan to add a manual shut off valve up on the engine so I can shut the hot water off in the summer.
Also, I see many replacement heater cores are aluminum and the core thickness is substantially less 1.5" versus 2.5" for the copper ones. The price of the aluminum cores is about 1/2 of what a copper one. Mine is original and cannot be rebuilt because the inlet and outlet tubes were destroyed by an owner in the past. I'm inclined to pay the price and getting the full size/thickness core but am really on the fence and need some input.
Replacement fan motors appear cheap and abundant even oreilies has one on the shelf but it is made in china and failed the bench test of not spinning new out of the box. Any info in the direction on a fan motor would be appreciated too. I did verify the original color of the truck , looks like light green. Question , what is the correct color for the heater box, is it semi gloss black??
Steve

[tbucketnut]

And a couple more pics

[snazzypig]

Steve, If you're using the VDO PM351 fan motor, the orange wire is positive and gives the motor a clockwise rotation looking at the shaft end. I've used these motors a couple of times with good results. Not made in the USA, but cheap if you shop around. As for the heater core, I personally would pay more for copper.
Keep up the good work!