Update

[ThatRandomeGuy]

Done some work since last time I posted. Truck ran like shit so I got a civic to drive back and forth to Tech last semester. Long story short the civic needs a motor and I began driving the truck again. Thought it needed a carb rebuild so ordered that but then I Blew a head gasket (for the second time) and decided it was time for a timing kit so did that, runs better than it ever has! The distributor needs tweaking but it runs and idles perfect. Back to daily driving it was. so I finally got my new tie rods shortened and installed and did a backyard alignment and got the toe in/out ‘close’ until I re index the torsion bars and get a real alignment. Chevy rims installed and my carrier bearing went out. Simple fix, swapped driveshaft from the parts truck and back in business. Looked through forums until I decided on getting some dodge neon seats, which actually are pretty comfortable for daily driving 30 miles. Covid 19 no longer has me driving to school every day though. So there’s that. I need to get some rear shocks cuz they both blew out and I’m just riding no shocks now buts it’s not too bad. After searching and ordering the wrong parts multiple times, my friend found me a good AC condenser because I know my compressor works and found a hole in the old condenser. I know this post is kinda all over the place but just putting everything down as I remember it. I’ll post a few pictures when it dries out. Also, does anybody know how big of a c notch I’d need to get the rear bumper on the ground if I ever decide to bag it? Thanks for the help from everyone in my last post ! Stay safe everybody

[ThatRandomeGuy]

sorry trucks dirty inside and out. Been raining a good bit and I’ve just been putting up and down the dirt road

[ThatRandomeGuy]

A/C charged up and working nice but I’ll be needing a new belt. Found a junkyard with 2 fully loaded king cabs camper shell with full interior. Pulled a few pieces like the console dash pieces. I’ll be going back for a rear bumper and possibly power steering assembly

[ThatRandomeGuy]

Also. I’m having a problem with my driver side tail light. Last week I didn’t have any brake lights turn signals or emergency flashers. Fixed a ground and I still don’t have driver side brake lights or turn signals. Flasher doesn’t work either but the brake lights and running lights work. Any suggestions on what to check? Bulbs aren’t blown neither are fuses and I even replaced a few.

[ThatRandomeGuy]

 

Just busted an ac line. If they are standard pipe threads could I find something to work at the local Napa?

[datzenmike]

11 hours ago, ThatRandomeGuy said:

Also. I’m having a problem with my driver side tail light. Last week I didn’t have any brake lights turn signals or emergency flashers. Fixed a ground and I still don’t have driver side brake lights or turn signals. Flasher doesn’t work either but the brake lights and running lights work. Any suggestions on what to check? Bulbs aren’t blown neither are fuses and I even replaced a few.

 

Is the rear red marker light on the driver's side out also? If yes that has to be a ground.

[Charlie69]

My engine gets washed more than the outside of my truck.  How often do you work on the outside of your truck?  LOL

[ThatRandomeGuy]

Only on special occasions haha! I need another paint job by now. Can’t catch a break. I got to Napa yesterday and got a $53 line 

Then last night I hit a deer and busted my rad. I can’t tell if my condenser is ruined or not but the rad support is all pushed in. Had to leave it at my girls house last night didn’t want to risk any damage but ended up driving home this morning after I filled up some water. 

Y’all ever feel like once you get one thing situated it’s always another?

[ThatRandomeGuy]

Datzenmike do you mean the uppermost bulb with two filaments?

 

otw to the second junkyard trying to find a radiator I called ahead yesterday but they closed at 5 and It was 4:45 and I was an hour away. My uncle pressure tested the ac system and it won’t hold a vacuum and we decided that it wasn’t any of the lines leaking and had to be the condenser. Great. The condenser I spent The past 2-3 years trying to find is no good. I know one more junkyard that has two fully loaded king cabs only open on Saturday's from 8-12 maybe they’ll have one.

[datzenmike]

 

 

On 5/11/2020 at 8:12 AM, ThatRandomeGuy said:

Also. I’m having a problem with my driver side tail light. Last week I didn’t have any brake lights turn signals or emergency flashers. Fixed a ground and I still don’t have driver side brake lights or turn signals. Flasher doesn’t work either but the brake lights and running lights work.

 

Read this slowly, very confusing.

 

 

1/Turn headlights on.... are both sides working equally and the license marker light? What isn't working?

 

2/ Put the brake on.... are both sides working equally? What isn't working?

 

3/ Put 4 way emergency flasher on.... are both sides working equally? What isn't working?

 

 

[ThatRandomeGuy]

Sorry about that mike sometimes I don’t read out loud What I’ve typed. With the headlights on all the front end lights work like they’re supposed to. Passenger side plate light doesn’t work but I think it’s just a blown bulb and both running/parking lights on the back are working from what i can tell. With the brake on the driver side bulb doesn’t work and with the emergency flashers on the driver side also doesn’t work. I’ve swapped bulbs out and around and that’s what got the running lights on the driver side working.

I got the front end fixed as close as I could get it after that deer. I pulled the front end out with a slide hammer on the drivers side as much as I could and got the radiator sitting in the correct position but when I put the grille on the drivers side headlights are still sunk in about a half inch or so. But considering everything it looks OK. I’ll probably need a new hood since there isn’t much I can do for the wrinkle across the front. I’m still not happy with it but with all the hell ive put this old truck through it’s never going to be 100% right again, which is kind of disappointing. But ive learned a lot from working on this little truck and for that I’m thankful. I’ll probably post a few more pics of The damaged radiator(which by the way I couldn’t figure out how it was busted the way it was on the side facing the engine) and how sunken in the headlights are

[datzenmike]

There's a frame harness that brings everything to the back. It is joined to the rear harness that connects to all the lighting across the back. The plug is round and 6 wire and located near or around the right rear tail light. It catches a lot of road crap thrown up by the wheels. Sometimes just unplugging it and plugging it back in cleans the connections.

[ThatRandomeGuy]

Ok I found the cause. Where the harness goes towards the front, right about the axel on the passenger side she harness got punched from bottoming out on the frame.

[datzenmike]

The rubber bump stop is missing.

[ThatRandomeGuy]

Indeed it is. If I remember correctly I broke it off on the passenger side and I never realized the harness was right there on the inside of the frame. Should I try to solder or use butt connectors to repair the harness?

Edited May 28, 2020 by ThatRandomeGuy

[datzenmike]

I had a 521 truck that had intermittent electrical problems. After years, I found a PO had spliced in a trailer harness. Weather, dirt  and road salt had dissolved the copper wires to a blue/green paste. If you can find another harness, replace it with a used one BUT if not, at least remove from the truck and fix it. There is a rubber plug in the floor under the passenger seat with a 10 pin connector. Push everything down under the truck. At the back is a round 6 pin connector to the rear taillight harness and don't forget the gas tank sender and the electric fuel pump wires. 

 

Butt crimped connectors and tape then up well with electrical tape. Then wrap with a suitable size, split harness protectors.  You can buy or wrecking yards are full of it. Protect the mended area with split harness and then fully cover with more electrical tape to keep the elements out.

 

[Datsunscott]

Nice Datsun cat!   I like the color scheme.

 

[KDW_80-720]

On 4/23/2020 at 6:28 PM, ThatRandomeGuy said:

sorry trucks dirty inside and out. Been raining a good bit and I’ve just been putting up and down the dirt road

Where are these seats from?

[ThatRandomeGuy]

Those seats I pulled out of a late 90s neon 2 of the holes match up one in the front and one in the back, but I’ll be modifying the brackets to sit lower. I’m 6’3 slim and don’t hit my knees on the steering wheel but if my thighs were any bigger it may be a problem.

[ThatRandomeGuy]

thanks Datsunscott! I just got this bed cover which will be spray painted blue with stars asap

[ThatRandomeGuy]

Junkyard trip was good today. I went back to a junkyard I’ve only been to once before and from the road it looks like someone’s back yard. The last time I went all I snagged was a speedo cluster with a factory tach and odometer and a center console out of an automatic that I had to make work with my 5 speed.. but this time I saw that both of the king cab 720s had Power steering with all the accessories and air conditioning. There was a tan 720 with no motor or radiator but had the ac condensor to fit my year truck and had armrests on the doors. I grabbed those too and can’t seem to find the mounting holes if my base model would even have the screw holes. I can’t remember how it was positioned and didn’t take any pictures on the trip.. might get some next time cuz I definitely wanna go back to get a chrome bumper off one of the king cabs

[SLO720]

When you pull the bulb out of the socket is the inside of the socket corroded? You may also pull the harness free from the plug assembly inside the tail light and check for corrosion there. I've replaced that harness in a couple 85-86 truck for corrosion (had extras laying around and popped them in to check).  

[ThatRandomeGuy]

2 minutes ago, SLO720 said:

When you pull the bulb out of the socket is the inside of the socket corroded? You may also pull the harness free from the plug assembly inside the tail light and check for corrosion there. I've replaced that harness in a couple 85-86 truck for corrosion (had extras laying around and popped them in to check).  

I checked the wiring a while back and the axel had crunched my wires in two and I just butt connected them back together. I checked and cleaned all my connections before that and everything’s working good now

[SLO720]

That's good news 🙂 Did you use heat shrink butt connectors or heat shrink over the connectors? Just an idea to keep crud and moisture out of them 

[Lockleaf]

If your headlights are recessed into the grille after accident, remove the whole headlight assembly (meaning the metal bracket birth lights attach to) and put spacers between the assembly and the rad support to bring it out.

 

Also you can try pulling that part of the rad support farther out.  I prefer to use a come along over slide hammer.  I usually anchor to the tow hitch of another vehicle.  You can bolt chain directly to the headlight mount holes in rad support and then hook come along to that chain.  Just pull slow and careful so you don't pull bolt points out.  Or make a plate that bolts on and pull from there.