Any good hacks/upgrades you've come up with for our trucks

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echo7bravo

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I heard of someone putting a floor mount head lamp bright switch in but modified it so that it didn't lock into position. It would make contact when pressed and break contact when released. Anyways...fella hooked it to his wiper motor so that he could just step on the button to bump the wipers. Guess it makes it easier to drive while holding a beer and smoking a camel. IDK. Just thought it was ingenuity at its greatest.
 

Rusty Nail

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I put a 105 amp Corvette alternator in both of my squares.

105 amp 1986 Corvette alternator.
Ultima # R111766A

$71.27

Buy that BWD part # also.
You'll want some type of core and you need to save your O.G. pulley.
It's a bolt on, plug and play good time!

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Dougnsalem

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The 12SI is older tech and pretty much maxes out the capabilities of the V-Belt accessory drives at right around 100Amps. Even with two V-Belts on the alternator you can run into trouble driving a really high amp SI series alternator. The cooling fan isn't on par with the newer CS and AD designs. New SI series are guaranteed to be Chinese counterfeits. The 12Si was used for a fairly short time span between the 10SI and the CS series.

If you can find and install the Serpentine belt setup that GM used on the T400 chassis you can use the really hot 1999-2005 AD230/AD244 they used on the early T800 chassis trucks instead of the CS130/CS144series alternators. OTOH the CS 130D is a pretty decent unit for a 105Amp alternator.

My 6.5L came out of a 1998 with a CS130D and Sanden AC compressor and the 1997 up high volume water pump and, of course, serpentine belts. I didn't change any of it. If the CS130D gives up the ghost I'm probably going to be updating to an AD244 but the 105A CS130D is working out just fine right now.

Regulator differences between the 2005 and earlier and the 2006 & later units.
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How to tell the difference between the CS130D & AD series.
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Thanks for the videos too! I'll check them out when I get a little spare time....
 

74 Shortbed

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I heard of someone putting a floor mount head lamp bright switch in but modified it so that it didn't lock into position. It would make contact when pressed and break contact when released. Anyways...fella hooked it to his wiper motor so that he could just step on the button to bump the wipers. Guess it makes it easier to drive while holding a beer and smoking a camel. IDK. Just thought it was ingenuity at its greatest.
This?????

http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=27235.0
 

smoothandlow84

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Be sure to check the frame where the power steering gearbox mount for cracks...even in 2 wheel drives it is prone to breakage. I welded the crack on mine and reinforced it with plate steel (3/16"). I too have a hidden switch that disables the ignition. When on, you can crank the engine, but it wont fire....and no its not hidden in the area everyoneelse hides it. That would be too simple to find thanks to the interweb and multiple posts about how to wire one and where to hide it....duuh.
 

Dougnsalem

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74 Shortbed

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Oh. My. God. Someone actually did that??? I mean, I live in Oregon, and it rains here all the time. Its not that hard to hit the wipers. I don't know, does anyone think that would be useful? For 38 bucks?

I thought @echo7bravo was being funny when he was talking about it....
Guess if you want wiper delay bad enough, lol..
 

Honky Kong jr

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And bumper thingys, but a lot of these truck have them so maybe it’s just mine that needs them....
 

Frankenchevy

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I heard of someone putting a floor mount head lamp bright switch in but modified it so that it didn't lock into position. It would make contact when pressed and break contact when released. Anyways...fella hooked it to his wiper motor so that he could just step on the button to bump the wipers. Guess it makes it easier to drive while holding a beer and smoking a camel. IDK. Just thought it was ingenuity at its greatest.

my truck's previous owner had a couple hidden 3 position switches put in. they're down near the fuse block left of the column. anyway i was wiring something in and when i was finished everything as far as the new accessory worked out great. then i went to drive the truck to my blind early a few days later and the tail light weren't working. i thought i accidentally messed something up. it turns out i bumped one of those switches by mistake. i've yet to trace them both to where they go, but the one 3 position switch disables lights in different combinations. turns out i can black the truck out so even the brake lights won't work. dude mustve been a poacher or drug runner, haha!!! unless other cucv trucks have this option to sneak around...
 

Camar068

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10 yrs Air Force
I need to add these to my sig....keep forgetting about these.

head light warning buzzer (when you shut off the truck...takes 5 minutes to install):

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Upgrade your headlight wiring to run directly off battery power utilizing relays. These old trucks drop voltage going through the old harness and light switch. Below is a schematic I drew up using 3 relays and provides Day Time Running lights. Add an oil pressure switch, to the ground on the left relay, so they don't turn on when the key is in the Accessory position....if you like.

Someone here on GMSB makes a plug-n-play harness ...or make your own.

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Camar068

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10 yrs Air Force

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