PontiacBonnevilleClub.com

looks like you've made that coolant bypass hose the highest point in your coolant system. You might need to have an air relief valve of some sort up there.

Also you might be able to run the OBD1 computer with some tuning. It's a little more work to burn to the prom, but definitely doable.

I thought about leaving it OBD1, but OBD2 will be easier to deal with once it's setup I think. Also I want to pull up to an Autozone just to get the codes scanned to see what kind of reactions I get.

Buhahahahaha i never thought of that! I'm gonna have to do that a bunch once mines swapped.

MattStrike wrote:I thought about leaving it OBD1, but OBD2 will be easier to deal with once it's setup I think. Also I want to pull up to an Autozone just to get the codes scanned to see what kind of reactions I get.

I don't think they know enough to get any reaction from them, not even some of their customers. - BC

Got the oil cooler and filter relocation setup:


Grabbed a photo of the service parts label, I'm going to try and get a reprint (with applicable updated codes):


Somehow managed to never notice this...


And I've started sorting out the wire harness. Going with OBD-2. Had to break it down first, next step is to get the wiring schematics, but the truck wiring is really simple, there are the power distribution wires, the +12v key on wires, an oil pressure wire and a water temp wire, and the alternator wires. The plan is to mount a fuse block under the hood to distribute power to the body harness, the EPS, trailer lights, headlamp relay harness, etc. I'll be eliminating the multiple power distribution points and consolidating everything to a single harness.


Found a home for the ICM:


I think I like this color:

I'm diggin that color big time!

That drivers side of the engine needed some space occupied. With the alternators over there on the passenger side it was beginning to remind me of Al Bundy doing his trophy pose! lol

What is it about the battery trays? Do H body trays match up to the truck tray?

I ordered a LH and RH battery tray, for the dual battery setup, and I got two RH trays.

MattStrike wrote:I ordered a LH and RH battery tray, for the dual battery setup, and I got two RH trays.

Right, duhh. I see it now.

Painting whole truck that color?? Really nice progress Matt! Looks like its on track to be done for winter!

I plan on painting the front end of the truck that color, at least for now.

I've made some serious progress on the wiring harness. I had to shorten up and lengthen almost as many wires to come up with a proper wire harness, currently working on the body harness connectors to the engine harness.



I've killed off most of a roll of solder, and depleted a pack of 100pcs non-insulated butt splices and as just as many pieces of heat shrink in the process of shortening and lengthening wires. Other recent junkyard finds include a '04+ GTP mass airflow sensor, a suitable stacked plate trans cooler, and some random hardware parts.

Started mocking up the cooling system. Going to use the 4-core big block radiator, which overall fits well with the '08 malibu cooling fan assembly.

This wire harness is taking longer than I initially thought it would. As it sits the entire engine side of the harness is complete. The wires for the trans range switch still need to be connected, I'll be bypassing the column switch, and need to lengthen the wires for the inline speed sensor module. I've also worked out a TCC control circuit that uses the original vac switch.

Other things I'm working on include a MAS blockoff plate that I'll use to mount the IAT there instead. I've added in the evap canister, a set of horns from a Pontiac Montana, and I'll be adding in a relay harness for the headlamps, and relays for the trailer harness.

Time for some more pictures!

From CAD, to paper, to a physical part, designed from scratch and manufactured 100% by me:




Eyeballed this one:


Nailed it!











So decided I wanted to get the steering column and shifter cable setup worked out as part of mounting and wiring in the trans range switch. Which also means it's time to get the EPS in place. The plan here is to take the steering column from the '86 LeSabre, modify it so that the EPS module bolts right on to the end of it. The reason I'm using that column instead of the '84 K column is that it's so much shorter that I have a fair shot at keeping everything inside of the cab. The EPS is not sealed for use under the hood. The other piece of this is that it forces any welding or shaft couplers to be placed on the input side of the EPS, where I don't have to worry about something breaking and losing steering (though I never did manage to break the axles I welded after they broke the first time, so maybe my welds aren't that bad). I've been able to track down forged adapters to go from the EPS ISS to the manual steering gear.

That BOP came out pretty clean. What drill/mill did you use for the sensor hole?

I used a basic drill press (grand rapids industrial products vintage 1985), the holes were drilled out with a standard HSS drill bit, then I used 6-fluted countersinks to de-burr the edges. The sensor seat isn't a true flat, but the slight angle should help the o-ring seal without stretching over the sensor.

So I really wanted to mount the EPS in the cab. But, after some trial and error it looks like I'm better off mounting to the firewall outside the cab. Too many things in the way inside, like the brake pedal, and if I mount it outside right on the firewall I don't have to tear down the column at all. In the meantime I'll have to swap over the K column mounts to the H column, and the H column is short enough that all I need to do is put an adapter on it to attach the splined shaft from the Vue column to the end of the H column that fits the EPS.

I hear Corvette steering wheels work great in trucks

Might be worth looking into

bs009 wrote:I hear Corvette steering wheels work great in trucks

Might be worth looking into

just Suburbans, sold that yesterday too

Holy smokes! I had some catching up to do but the truck has come a long way. Congrats on the sale Ryan, I knew it wouldn't last long!

Ha! I think I'm at that point where "what's left" is the mole hill compared to "what's done". The anticipation of that first drive is starting to get to me again.