1996 GMC 5-speed

[Barry Donovan]

Are the hinges on those trucks glued on? Or was someone pulling my leg when they told me that?

this one is factory welded, found no adjustments. can remove from the door side, and pins.
Indicator of a non-dramatic past: no mods to hinges.

I am finding the driver side will need the bushing some day, but, I am looking at an eighth inch of worn...at the latch side. This must be .030 slop or something tiny at the pin end.

I remember a 1990 version, my brothers. all parts fixed, and a BFH was still needed for final...door latch side, on the door.
I may have the year where the passenger side latch, the way it bolts to door shell is off by a strong eighth just to use the hard set bolt holes. This is where the big hammer gets it in.

that is not the ony thing to get annoyed about. Once you head into 3/4 ton torsion versions.. the frame owned the doors for whatever it felt like flexing for the day.

This squishy baja z71 type stuff is real easy going, makes everything steel railed seem stronger, on pillowy 265/75 tires. All factory. At this age in its life, the carbon level and being straight is priceless. Been there countless times.

I knew what I was taking in, before i got there...just by photos.

[68scott385]

hmm, I may need to take another look at mine...:scratcheshead:

[Barry Donovan]

hmm, I may need to take another look at mine...:scratcheshead:

A funny thing to do..get browsing around the web for someone who is not stumped for at least a few seconds on the GM truck door how-to video they made to help others.

I found one where the guy used zip ties to compress the door hinge spring, to get it back in after changing pins and bushings.
whatever works.

The truck has to do the same as the subaru after getting doors sealed and matched up. It gets very cold for days inside the cabin..like its hard t heat. then spit out the environment it was most common sitting in...after shutdown...outside the car.

days and days. Then odors of a new car hung around for a time. This tells me the doors went offset in the first 4 milliseconds of runtime after leaving the dealer lot...30 years ago. Just like an asian auto would.

The truck seems to be much easier going. Big heater functions, optional recirc.

This truck has some sulfur, probably some dump runs or dumpsters...maybe sat in a garage near trash cans. This one is easy going. Cleared out its channels already. Sulfur is a favorite in the boxed in areas of framing, as the battery keeps a ground on or off. Sulfur likes batteries.

Brings me back to all my old cars, The odors emerging as this dials in my way.

A nice finale is the LED lights at all corners...this is a great preventer of ionizing games. Incandescent keeps sucking like a black hole as long as the battery is hooked up.

Anyway.. the simple chore of door aligning is well on its way.
door aligning leads to rocket science and healthy brains and bowels..

[Deaf Bob]

Are the hinges on those trucks glued on? Or was someone pulling my leg when they told me that?

Daughter's 3 newer pickups are GLUED ON!

[Barry Donovan]

I had mentioned the only mod being a billet oil filter, and more facts are catching up now.

This engine with oil cooler has zero relief in the filter (which I find hard to believe, paper elements cannot do more than 3 psi) I also found an oil relief part number looking identical to what I am putting in the filter base to relief.
so now i'll have two of them.

the factory relief is 11 to 17psi and it is in the oil cooler line. The one I am putting in is smaller or bigger by a pound or two, but looking the same. I cannot find the psi for the ac delco relief I just bought.

Wondering if my mod is worth it, I got an answer browsing around.
The relief at the filter is for performance engines. This kills starve on the starts, any temperature.

I found the oil to be luke warm after 75miles an hour on the highway for 30 miles. This tells me it was all cooler bound, nothing filter...this means relief wide open, bypassing filter.

This mod will gain use of real filtering, and an anti-starve for the very cold weather. The starve is just seconds or less. By March, one knows how dumb the oil system was.

I am glad I trusted my ears. The engine starts right up quiet, but I listen to throw out bearing to tell me when to drive. Just like my dads rig and my little subaru. Only in the winter do I do this.

The best pump in the world does not know what molasses of 20 below is. The relief is a must do.

Long story short, take oil back from the cooler, get more into filter, and this should mean proper oil temps sooner, and better.
the pressure gauge has a missing band and gets blippy by a psi or 2.. but can see overall pressure at all times. This is on a to do list to change out the sender unit.

Tomorrow like the past miserable 30 days..is a high of ten and snowing. I will be putting the filter in anyway.

EDIT:

I am either lucky , or a genius. Or just handsome.
found this:

Detailed Description
Used on Gen V & VI engines when running an external oil cooler with a sandwich adapter between the block & oil filter. The 30 Lb valve compensates for the restriction caused by running an external cooler. Used in the location adjacent to the oil filter nipple on the oil filter pad. For standard non-sanwich adapter applications use GM # 25013759

25013759 - 1991-2000 (And GM Performance Parts 454 & 502 Engines) Big Block Chevy Oil Cooler / Oil Filter Bypass Valve 25013759
Gen V & Gen VI Engines Use 2 Of These

30lb is maximum, the start time to open is in the single digits. That is the way springs work in anything. I got the right one without even knowing. Just grabbed at the first one i found.

[Barry Donovan]

what a relief

---

finally found a diagram.



and the both of the relief valves are the part# I just bought.
Seems it is built in.

Maybe this summer, just to add gaskets unneeded at the adapter base, I can put in a new relief, just to check it out.

So...
being it is as cold as death out there, the powerfilter goes right in as full filter. no mods.

[Barry Donovan]

billet filter and headlamps

greased up the chinese acrylic..maybe this is a once a year routine for these lights and maine. I will find an even cheaper set next time. I have no desire to use the blinker/parking or corner part of this kit. Just the casing for the cooler low amp LED headlights. Lubed up good, make it easy to remove next time. High temp synthetic valvoline grease.

I also found a 3 second hack at the light switch to gain high and low beam at the same time, when switched to high beam. I simply looked through the haynes manual. the two wires I want are on the same plug at the switch under column. This gets a diode..ten amp (good and hefty). Will show and tell.

Installed billet filter after inspecting, instant fix. It seems I have two of the rare manufacturs that are lost without a very hard precise oil filter parked right next to each other outside.
the subaru EA series without a turbo can hit 110psi on a paper tin can filter. The pro products billet was in instant cure, allowed me to continue.

The gm v8 with oil cooler is another one. Gained 15psi on throttle. 52 psi on the gauge ful warm, off idle throttling Very dynamical. the hardness number of the billet allows for valves to go about there reliefing. Half the oil system flow was indeed missing. I did just thump around like a diesel, as a manual tranny allows for anything I choose. Now I am feeling out the whole 230hp for the "little" 5 liter. Very impressive rig. This is a first ever to go by factory parts and nothing more. I am usually hacking something. Be it dual exhaust or suspension or wheels. This one is just too darn correct, and will leave it alone.

A tip for such a swap, or even just an oil filter change. Take that v8 with oil cooler to full warm before doing anything. The changes are so dramatic sometimes, you can smear a bearing. I did not forget some of the extremes at a quick lube I worked at. The oil cooler machines always have a balance for cooler to filter. Changing either one is a deep layer of high pressure and volume to gain and move around to big changes.


edit:

light casings installed. LED was absolutely worthless, used the slicked up studs to my advantage, and put the original bulbs in the new casings. Wow. 200mph high beams. Low beams are back to normal. All adjustable, got stuff just right. Being the fairy tale of plastic, I can see why they moved the defractors back to the chrome side of the casing, and leave the cover clear, uncomplicated.

I did get the corner bulbs to 194 LED. Just two of those dropped to 3 watt is gaining a 30w headlamp in savings..so that is part of the extra brightness, beyond clean and new.

The way the grill is connected is terrible, and will humr the two lower screws some time. I left them out being so cold, I could not fathom a grip to put them in.

the casings are called crystal lenses. I only bought them for a good deal.

Tranny fluid swap this week, and await til June for metal banging. This rig is ready to go.

[Barry Donovan]

I had the lights in by dark. The lenses were as fogged as the blinkers below. What would be amazing is to see they were at 344000 miles. Quite possible. Glad to get this done.



Today was supposed to be 22F for a high, and knew better.. just went ahead and installed in the frigid yesterday afternoon.

I have no desire for the lower parking/blinker being clear. i know what it is to drive a little car out there. Keep the lights in necessity only.

I also got a memory chip for the cheap dash cam, will get that ride in to the city. You'll see how serious a vehicle subject gets out there. Just 30 miles from the city.

[SuperBuickGuy]

dang it, now you're making me miss my old one... you know, the semi-hauler


this is what happens when you don't know where you left your passenger side duals - those silly things will always go play in the mud if left unwatched

[Barry Donovan]

ya know, I am just going to go for a newer one when the time comes.

I found the 96 is obd2, I am still learning stuff.
dual piston front calipers is not in rockautos parts list for this year, someone upgrade?

The only error left, is still more lights, one or 2 is out in the dash.
The dash lights easily replacable, I have ten amber 194 led on the way..swap all of them. Seems with just 194 bulbs. 10 swapped out is 150 watts. Saving 120 watts with LED. I may leave all else alone. That is a hefty number for a modern machine that actually regulates anyway. I do have that cheap camera for the dash set to 720p and 60frames.. should get a ride. Headlamps are very bright. Not known for this.. the 88-2000 years.

It is so cold, the frost is called arctic dust. 45 day average temp so far is 5F...and we got another deep spell coming.
Mystery powder out there on the hood and roof, as I am sleepless looking out the window.

To know this will whirl less than a second into a locomotive 800rpm is almost unbelievable...but there is a lot of good machines today, not like my last stay here 2 decades ago. Have not seen a fail to start yet in this parking lot. Foreign, american..all good. Some go right into DRL before starting.. like the battery is a super power of difference today.

Anyway, Liking the truck alot.

[Huskinhano]

Barry,if you're going to get wheels and tires, check this place. They seem to have very good prices. Some one who I was talking to said they had great experience with them.

http://www.performanceplustire.com/

[Barry Donovan]

Barry,if you're going to get wheels and tires, check this place. They seem to have very good prices. Some one who I was talking to said they had great experience with them.
http://www.performanceplustire.com/

big selection.
I am reviving memory, and want +31mm offset, just one inch bigger, and a little bit wider...
where to find those? the next generation of gmc.

I am actaully liking the 16s on these horrible roads. Big puffy sidewall.

and this cheap camera from ebay sucks..worth a try...

"gw1", needs an old class 4 memory just to run. 1080p my ass. I'll drop it to 480p and keep using it anyway.


I also got the slickery expensive transmission fluid in the mail. Waiting for warmth to change it. I instantly remembered these trucks from the quick lube days. none of them needed the fluid changed unless the owner did something incorrect. Motor oil with an additive was common, due to the cost of the real part number. They kept running anyway.

The manual has the tranny fluid at 60k intervals. I'll be swapping just to see condition for myself.


I deleted the video, it was that bad. I did find advice.. and disabled "WDR" and HD, keeping it at 480p. Not that you tube has high definition anyway....

[Barry Donovan]

I guess I figured out the encode.
with 16 years gone by, I won't babble what I figured out.

if you get the gw1, disable "WDR" and have good computer for hd editing.

my first HD video. I'll leave it alone.

The crackles in the y-pipe of the gmc reveal how cold it is. That is not an error in the exhaust or valves. Even my little sube does it... 15-20F or so, and colder. Listening closely, when first getting on the road..one can hear the air bypass like a blow off valve, when off throttle. The next generation after this one..you can here a slight whistle on and off, sound of precision. Only in the frigid. The L30 version of vortec almost looks like the old school cast manifolds, keeps more heat, less volume. There is a respectable plenum underneath the throttle, that is the modern mountain that got even bigger and fancier in todays LS.

I knew I was going to like it...I must say I feel confident with the truck out there. The 5 speed is fabulous, and am aware of the unique noise these make...learned of it years ago. If to be this good at arctic, normal weather may be nothing to notice, with the real runtime temps. I have the genuine GM (updated part number) synchromesh tranny fluid at 19 bucks a quart in the closet..all 3 quarts. Will wait for at least 40F to swap. I am going to have no complaints to what comes out of it, I can already tell for sure.

on the camera, I will not use past 720p..and the process of encoding to get something normal is insane.
I am glad I got the camera, we have some record breaking winter spell this year. 480p is setup in every detail with my custom profile in my editor, just for this cameras exacting details... and it is good enough. I could record several hours and encode the whole video, at 480p.

I may keep using vimeo, as if I ever met a you tube socialist worker I'd go postal. It is like somebody bocked my channel one day...could be 7 years ago. I see a trickle of 1 hit every couple of days. miscounting..no one gives a shit. No monetary value, no ads... as if somebody went bad ass on my big scary hillbilly maine videos.

12-18 more inches and a blizzard warning for tomorrow and sunday (Feb 14-15). Tonight is a screaming wind 18 below. In the vid , 2 and 3 foot tall roof nooks and sections and decks on the building to the right of the church is packed right in with snow, no worries by anybody.

[Barry Donovan]

LED and the GMC

---

the first swap on my subaru was 8 years ago. LED 194. Those are only 3to 5 watt as incandescent. I could not place the miracle, on why the sube came to life in a freakishly spectacular way.

194 to LED is .9 milliamps. There was the secret. Computer circuits are happy to reach out to less than an amp. To understand computers.. every function has to null, to continue - this means ground. the ground still has energy and gets sticky if it cannot flow. This is where the 194 as LED is a savior. The light bulbs way out at the corners, or nearby at the dash, whatever is swapped.. aids in the cars computer to stay clean and move on fluid like.. every function.

To first have to explain every car is its own planet on four rubber wheels..every electrical function has an invisible pool ball bouncing off all rails until its done with its grounding.

Happy to have figured this out. so far, the 2 led at the corner up front as 194 gave me extremely bright headlamps...almost like HID energized. These years of truck are not noted for that.

The home computer has been using LED forever, the hard drive light changing brightness, grabbing the null of a function that the hard drive just committed to, and succeeded with...All LED avoids magnetized energy.

I am finding the truck has 6 in the dash just to light up gauges, and some others for warning lights.

I have 10 LED 194 on the way just for the dash, and will look around..license plate lights, interior lights down low just to open the door.

I also have four 1157 LED on the way. The parking side or dim side of those bulbs only use 8 watts, the high side of an 1157 bulb uses as much as just one headlamp (28watts) !

I will be reworking them in original casings, not buying the fancy premade LED casings and bulbs together. This saves a lot.

Add this simple stuff to a self learning computer type vehicle, and its gold.

The other fact, this gmc stays good about anyway. The heat generated bothers everything holding the bulbs. The 1157 up front seem to be the only real bothered areas. 1 plug has a broken latch, and the lenses , although opaque, show their age upon close look.

The tail lights , complete swap will need warmer weather, as the new style plugs seem to be melted in appearance, (discolored bottom, stuck bulbs)



and hopefully we hit the coldest day of the year here. I have slept nothing in the past 10 days or more..just cat naps.

45 day average is 3 to 5F.

[68scott385]

Can you post some pics of the bulbs...and part numbers if it's not too much trouble?