What have you done to your CUCV today/lately - Part 2

[nyoffroad]

I rotated my tires and added a set of cheepie driveing lights. Went and picked up some soil for the garden and then sat back and enjoyed the day!

 

[Mainsail]

Cascade failure comes from the resistor. If you have 12 volt, you no longer have a resistor.

Right, I am considering going back to 24v and reinstalling the resistor pack. The GPs seem to heat up faster.

Many things can cause it to take longer. The change of the glow plug card, your temp sensor may be acting up, your battery voltage may be low. You could have bad glow plugs already. You could have bad wiring between the batteries and the plugs.
It should not take two cycles to start the truck unless it is extremely cold. So you do have problems but it was not a cascade issue unless it happened before you converted.

The GPs are new as the old ones failed in cascade style. They check bad with the ohm meter. I also ran the meter over all the wires in the card holder as specified in the -20 and determined the card was indeed bad. Still doesn't fire on the first try, but fires within seconds on the second. The batteries and wiring are good. I suppose I should start rotating the batteries when I rotate the tires now that the front is shouldering more of the overall load. I guess I can try a new temp sensor- they should be pretty cheap.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

Right, I am considering going back to 24v and reinstalling the resistor pack. The GPs seem to heat up faster.


The GPs are new as the old ones failed in cascade style. They check bad with the ohm meter. I also ran the meter over all the wires in the card holder as specified in the -20 and determined the card was indeed bad. Still doesn't fire on the first try, but fires within seconds on the second. The batteries and wiring are good. I suppose I should start rotating the batteries when I rotate the tires now that the front is shouldering more of the overall load. I guess I can try a new temp sensor- they should be pretty cheap.

Make sure you upgrade the wiring going to the solenoid. The factory 10ga or whatever that goes to the stud for the 12V systems is NOT sufficient to handle the added loads of the GPs.


My M1009 went on a road trip into the mountains...

 

[WILDBOY6X6]

I will be scrapping 1 soon,,well the parts will all fit a cucv see my post 84 gmc.

 

[Mainsail]

I found a decent temp-fix for the wonky speedometer and disappearing dash lights problems. It's an app I bought because I thought it looked cool but never used. With the phone mounted on the dash it works great and now I can see my speed, important when going through the 25MPH zone in town. It's called ZP Dashboard.

Anyway, it has several colors to choose from, and all sorts of configurations including one where the camera is on so it's like the phone is see-through, and even a HUD setting that reverses the display so when it's reflected off the glass the display is correct. The pictures suck as it's hard to get a steady shot while driving.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

Right, I am considering going back to 24v and reinstalling the resistor pack. The GPs seem to heat up faster.


The GPs are new as the old ones failed in cascade style. They check bad with the ohm meter. I also ran the meter over all the wires in the card holder as specified in the -20 and determined the card was indeed bad. Still doesn't fire on the first try, but fires within seconds on the second. The batteries and wiring are good. I suppose I should start rotating the batteries when I rotate the tires now that the front is shouldering more of the overall load. I guess I can try a new temp sensor- they should be pretty cheap.

Why would you want to go back to the 24v/resister setup? Its ONLY advantage is in jumping from another 24v vehicle.

If you aren't getting enough juice to your GPs, there's a much better way to improve that. Check this thread. Specifically, this post (and following) about running to the battery.

Another consideration is your GP relay. Might be a bit carboned up on the contacts in there.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

That looks pretty cool! A HUD in a CUCV!

 

[Mainsail]

Make sure you upgrade the wiring going to the solenoid. The factory 10ga or whatever that goes to the stud for the 12V systems is NOT sufficient to handle the added loads of the GPs.

If you aren't getting enough juice to your GPs, there's a much better way to improve that.

OK, that makes sense. I followed the plan up on the stickies and just reused the wire and fusible link from the 24v system. I have some 6ga around here somewhere, I'll try a short run of that from the 12v bus to the relay and see if that helps. If it gets better but not better enough, I'll run it off the battery.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

OK, that makes sense. I followed the plan up on the stickies and just reused the wire and fusible link from the 24v system. I have some 6ga around here somewhere, I'll try a short run of that from the 12v bus to the relay and see if that helps. If it gets better but not better enough, I'll run it off the battery.

I wouldn't do any less than 4ga, and that's pushing it, IMO.

You're pulling 100A plus from those GPs, they're 200W ea, which means 1600w for 8, thats 133A @ 12V...

 

[max1008]

Why would you want to go back to the 24v/resister setup? Its ONLY advantage is in jumping from another 24v vehicle.

If you aren't getting enough juice to your GPs, there's a much better way to improve that. Check this thread. Specifically, this post (and following) about running to the battery.

Another consideration is your GP relay. Might be a bit carboned up on the contacts in there.

I am still running 24v. I removed my resistor pack, and I can still jump and be jumped by the big trucks. As long as you move your gp wire over to the 12v firewall lead, you can still jump vehicles.

 

[Keith_J]

I ordered alternator overhaul kits, seems my alternators are getting weak. Just putting the heater fan on high causes the voltmeter to drop to 24 V. Same load on the back battery does the same. Checked grounds, fusible links and connections, all are good.

 

[Warthog]

For those that order the alternator rebuild kits from ASP Wholresale, I have noticed that they are including a different internal capacitor.

http://www.aspwholesale.com/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=47

They are shipping the kit with the 46-1106 1.5mF rectangular unit



The CUCV alternators need the 46-1101 1.5mF cylinder unit. You will need to call them and have them change it to the correct one, or order the additional capacitor.

 

[Keith_J]

Well, the value is the same on those capacitors. Is it a fitting issue? I cannot remember...

At least my digital voltmeter tests capacitors so if it doesn't need replacing, I'll just use the old ones.

 

[Warthog]

The new rectangle capacitor does not fit correctly inside the alternator. Many people reuse the old one.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

I wouldn't do any less than 4ga, and that's pushing it, IMO.

You're pulling 100A plus from those GPs, they're 200W ea, which means 1600w for 8, thats 133A @ 12V...

Antennaclimber measured it on that thread I linked. He's seeing 100 amps. I'm sure the inrush is a bit higher, but based on the info in that thread, I think we're safe configuring it for 100 amps.

I agree on the 4 gauge, though. The price difference between that and 6 gauge is almost zippo at the length required. Just doesn't make sense to me to go with 6.


Mainsail, a lot of folks have reported that the GP relay needed to be replaced after doing the resister bypass. That might be your issue.

 

[Mainsail]

Antennaclimber measured it on that thread I linked. He's seeing 100 amps. I'm sure the inrush is a bit higher, but based on the info in that thread, I think we're safe configuring it for 100 amps.

I agree on the 4 gauge, though. The price difference between that and 6 gauge is almost zippo at the length required. Just doesn't make sense to me to go with 6.


Mainsail, a lot of folks have reported that the GP relay needed to be replaced after doing the resister bypass. That might be your issue.

Well it doesn't want to start at all today, and I'm almost out of parts to throw at it. The wire to the top of the solenoid isn't even getting warm, but I'll upgrade it anyway. I guess I'll start looking for the relay part number and try that.

The good thing is that I have so much annual and sick leave I can stay home tomorrow.

 

[Mainsail]

Yeesh. So I replaced the wire from the 12v bus to the top of the relay, replaced the relay, and replaced the temp sensor. Now the WAIT light doesn't illuminate at all. I still have 12v at the top post of the GP relay, and 12v to the top small terminal when the switch is in start, but no WAIT light. I have no idea what's going on now.

UPDATE: I think the new temp sensor is bad. I plugged the old one back in and the WAIT light came on.

QUESTION 1: I'm also hearing a high-pitched squeal, like you would hear when a camera flash is charging, when the GPs are warming. Normal and I never noticed it before?

QUESTION 2: Should I be reading negative voltages on the GPs when the truck is running and warm? I'm reading 13-13.5v on the top of the GP relay (normal) and 12v on the top small post, I'm also reading a negative ~12v at the GPs and on the bottom of the GP relay. Negative volts are not in my network. I guess I'm worried that the GPs are staying energized and I'll burn them out.

It starts good now, but I don't have a good feeling about the old temp sensor.

 

[Cucvnut]

Maybe its time to start #3?

 

[TechnoWeenie]

Yeesh. So I replaced the wire from the 12v bus to the top of the relay, replaced the relay, and replaced the temp sensor. Now the WAIT light doesn't illuminate at all. I still have 12v at the top post of the GP relay, and 12v to the top small terminal when the switch is in start, but no WAIT light. I have no idea what's going on now.

UPDATE: I think the new temp sensor is bad. I plugged the old one back in and the WAIT light came on.

QUESTION 1: I'm also hearing a high-pitched squeal, like you would hear when a camera flash is charging, when the GPs are warming. Normal and I never noticed it before?

QUESTION 2: Should I be reading negative voltages on the GPs when the truck is running and warm? I'm reading 13-13.5v on the top of the GP relay (normal) and 12v on the top small post, I'm also reading a negative ~12v at the GPs and on the bottom of the GP relay. Negative volts are not in my network. I guess I'm worried that the GPs are staying energized and I'll burn them out.

It starts good now, but I don't have a good feeling about the old temp sensor.

Are you sure you used the right leads on the right contacts?

The only way to get - voltage, if you're doing it properly, is to have the BLOCK +, and the leads grounded... Highly unlikely.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

Spring cleaning, nests in radiator, and a little grease gun action.

Well, I guess my M1028 sat a bit too long this spring. I cleaned out a nest from behind the grill. It was right under the black-out light. There was quite a bit of material there, too! Here's a picture after it was all cleaned out and the grill replaced. This is just the main body of the nest. It was sitting in a looser pile of similar stuff.



I managed to break one of the eggs, but I guess it doesn't matter. Momma isn't coming back to this nest! Going by the eggs, I think it's a Carolina wren.

While I was in there, I used the air gun to blow out a ton of old dirt. Seems like the truck was in some very muddy water, and got put away without cleaning. Some of it is caked on pretty hard.

I left the number plate off after I put the grill back in. Dunno what I'm going to do with it. Maybe put it back, maybe not. If I can think of something clever to do with the numbers, I'll keep it.



Did a lube job on the front end. First time I've really looked at it closely since I bought the truck. I have a few bad seals, so looks like I'll be replacing some tie rod ends.


Gotta do the exhaust system to pass inspection, plus replace a few bulbs, so I'm going LED for the turn signals, brakes, and backup lights. I've got the LEDs ordered from Amazon.

Anybody got a good tip on sources for replacing the stock exhaust? I need everything from the manifold back, and I don't want to have to weld anything.