Exhaust shop welded my headers, now i have all kinds of issues

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cookiemonster

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Truck Model
c10
Engine Size
350
Hello all, I got a 1983 c10 with an almost stock 350, believe it has an RV cam. It sat for a long time before I bought it and got it running.

Things I've done:
Rebuilt Holley carb
Installed overkill 2ga ground wire from engine to frame, firewall to engine
New 800cca battery
New battery cables + terminals
Summit racing type MSD ignition + distributor + coil + msd 8.5 wires + ac delco plugs .050 gap
Timing @ 34 BTDC (will redo at 36 soon)
New mechanical gauges + tach
Headers
valve covers + thermostat housing

Truck was running like a beauty (albeit very loud with open headers), ground straps (and re-tentionning alternator belt) solved a few issues I had such as low voltage at idle, dimming headlights, horn not working, difficulty starting and sometimes no power at all to ignition because the Positive Batt cable to starter was junk. It was running great everything worked even the exhaust guy commented on that.

Then I took it to get welded at the exhaust shop, go to pick it up after, key in, no start. No power to ignition, lights worked but heat and every switched 12volt didnt. Got her started with a screwdriver on the starter and drove to work. turned her off. for kicks, i turned the ignition and it fired right up so I thought whatever it was was gone.

Then I go to start it later to confirm, no power to anything on the ignition. Left key on, walked away. then later i walk by my truck and hear the heater is going which usually happens with key on. It fired right up. key off, then no start again.

I thought I traced the issue to the High setting on the heater somehow shorting, the heater would keep going for a minute with the key out of the ignition then turn itself off for some reason. And now my truck starts every time when the heater is off, only does half the time when its on. Horn doesn't work anymore but that might be unrelated. turn signals click very fast, but if i apply brakes, they go veeeery slow. All bulbs work except passenger side reverse light, the wire ripped out but its been like that before I had issues.

Fuses, all good. tested with a light and had to replace a 30amp one. new Voltmeter gives 14 volts with truck on. When heat is turned to high, idle slows a bit from 650-700 down to 500 and oil pressure drops slightly too as expected. none of my gauges work in the original cluster, gas gauge used to work fine so did the temp and volt meter. Gauge lights work. oil pressure gauge and speedo are disconnected so no worries there.

Is there any thing I should look at that pops to mind? I was thinking fusible links, but why does stuff work and quit working without even touching or moving the truck?

Thanks to any and all input, I'm armed with a test light and a multimeter but would like to know where I should point and shoot them if possible
 

Frankenchevy

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There should be a bat signal emoji for @chengny . Shine that puppy in the sky and he’ll come shwooping in with knowledge rocking a black rubber suit and wiring schematics.
 

cookiemonster

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There should be a bat signal emoji for @chengny . Shine that puppy in the sky and he’ll come shwooping in with knowledge rocking a black rubber suit and wiring schematics.

Not sure about the black rubber suit but Id appreciate the knowledge and schematics :Big Laugh:

And thanks Derrick!
 

Rusty Nail

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Sounds like you have neglected the positive battery cable. Get a new one, they're cheap!
 
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Rusty Nail

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I thought you were talking about ground cables?
Hold on!

I made my own too..

You must be registered for see images attach
 

cookiemonster

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[/QUOTE]
I thought you were talking about ground cables?
Hold on!

I made my own too..

Nice! Thats exactly what I made all my cabling out of too, the positive goes straight to starter, the negative goes to a manual battery kill switch then to the alternator bracket. The block is grounded with another 2ga from passenger side head to firewall, and from driver side head to frame.

I had an oil leak from bent valve covers which I replaced, but that means the starter and therefore the positive are coated in a bit of oil would that matter much, im not sure recent oil (changed oil 2 weeks ago barely drove truck since) even has much conductivity?
 

84 Shorty

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I’m guessing you checked all the ground strap locations? No telling what the shop moved around to install the headers.
 

cookiemonster

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I’m guessing you checked all the ground strap locations? No telling what the shop moved around to install the headers.

True that! I installed the headers myself and fabricated a new bracket for the power steering prior to going to muffler man, they don't touch any wires and grounds are attached as i left them can confirm. All I had them do is bend a length of tube for each side (true duals) and weld the reducers to the new pipe that could now reach the headers. I'm guessing they didnt disconnect the battery before welding and fried something, but I'm just trying to crap shoot what it was :shrug:
 

Rusty Nail

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Okay I re-read most.

On the firewall side of the steering column, inside of the cab. Down there in the footwell is the "starter ignition switch". Purple wires.
Cheap.
Easy to install.
Common problem after resurrection, I think.

Hold on, I will go through my own build thread and find the posts regarding.

Here ya go Brother, page #23. :deal:

http://www.gmsquarebody.com/threads/75-blazer-destiny.15728/page-23#post-325456
 
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Paladin

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Welcome from Texas!:cheers:
 

cookiemonster

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Okay I re-read most.

On the firewall side of the steering column, inside of the cab. Down there in the footwell is the "starter ignition switch". Purple wires.
Cheap.
Easy to install.
Common problem after resurrection, I think.

Hold on, I will go through my own build thread and find the posts regarding.

Here ya go Brother, page #23. :deal:

http://www.gmsquarebody.com/threads/75-blazer-destiny.15728/page-23#post-325456

Hey man, thanks for the info! I can't find page 23 on your thread, it only goes to 17? Ill read each page of it to see if i can find it. I just went for a cruise with the truck, new things going on are the tach quit working so now im figuring theres a bad ground. Next to quit working is my cab lamp, the one above head. Then I realised that when flashers are on, they flash like crazy like 3 times a second but both sides are on like hazzards on the tail lights, not on the front though. And when I press the brakes, way too slow, like 1 flash every 4 seconds. Next up I noticed something crazy after pulling the gauge bezel again:
You must be registered for see images attach



Wire completely fried its insulation. it goes into a one wire connector that goes to a taped up harness with wires coming out of it and going to the heater speed control but said wire seems to keep going down further. What in the hell can fry a wire so badly??!

I also been reading posts by Chengny the electrical batman, he mentions starters can lose their ground somehow and get weird results. I will use the work shop tomorrow and tear the dash down and trace every wire, and maybe replace the starter but I am pretty broke until the next paycheck

Thanks Rusty, sweet truck and i cant believe you know sophisticated bi**h by public enemy hahaha!

And a thank you from Alberta Paladin! :favorites13:
 
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Rusty Nail

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Oh. Huh..
I reckon my post per page setting is different than yours and I don't know how to change it but I show 50 something pages.
If I knew how to change it I would. Not my intention to force the entire thread on you...
November 2016. I know somehow one can see the actual post number but I cannot.
Whatever. @chengny knows WAY better (about that kind of stuff ;)) than I do.
One time I had to replace my starter ignition relay.:oops::oops:

Yes. Admittedly I am a fan of Chuck D. I bought "It takes a nation of millions" on cassette with lawn mowing money in elementary school.
I am a P.E. fan for life! Ask anybody.

Lately i've been jamming the "Bring that beat back" album.
Did you know there is a comic book?

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