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Squibbly's M1009 and other Questionable Projects

Squibbly

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Location
Alabama
That’s all looking great!! I wish I had you and Johnny as neighbors. I’d be in CUCV heaven!!

I’ve been in the fence about putting LEDs in the dash. What do you guys think? Any good or bad points about using LEDs?


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I didn't use LEDs. I only fixed the wiring, so they actually lit up.
Johnny (a.k.a. @Rocknus) would know more about his LED experience.
I watched his video, and they definitely look very bright.
You can't dim LEDs, like regular bulbs and when I'm on long trips I like low light, so I probably won't move to LEDs.

Johnny wishes he lived near me because it's been too cold for him to work on his truck. 😂
 

Squibbly

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Location
Alabama
My truck gives up nothing easily. Just doing the front blackouts today, broken bolts, the blackout posts turning inside their own cases, and having to cut the posts with a screwdriver and hammer to just get to the crowned jewel..the bracket.

Every time I work on this I picture my truck talking back to me with a R. Lee Ermey voice: “ Private Pile…you disgusting wad of chewed bubble gum!! Get your hand off my blackout light! Why are you touching that?? Let go of it you scumbag. You don’t know what your doing!! Give up!!” and just fighting me the entire time..




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Mullaney

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My truck gives up nothing easily. Just doing the front blackouts today, broken bolts, the blackout posts turning inside their own cases, and having to cut the posts with a screwdriver and hammer to just get to the crowned jewel..the bracket.

Every time I work on this I picture my truck talking back to me with a Lee Emory voice: “ Private Pile…you disgusting wad of chewed bubble gum!! Get your hand off my blackout light! Why are you touching that?? Let go of it you scumbag. You don’t know what your doing!! Give up!!” and just fighting me the entire time..




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.
It may be that they are green with envy?

My trucks sometimes fight me as well, so don't think you are the Lone Ranger.
 

Squibbly

Well-known member
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Location
Alabama
...the front blackouts are in, and now I have a fully functioning blackout system. The truck is more done today than it was yesterday.

1640971751383.png
Diced and spliced. Heat shrinked the connections and added a bit of vaseline to protect from water.

1640971821808.png

New grounds added. Reused one rusty nut to give me more surface area....and because I ran out of new ones. 😂

1640971917046.png
1640971947724.png

..and both working...
 

ezgn

Well-known member
650
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Location
Lake Elsinore Ca.
...the front blackouts are in, and now I have a fully functioning blackout system. The truck is more done today than it was yesterday.

View attachment 854651
Diced and spliced. Heat shrinked the connections and added a bit of vaseline to protect from water.

View attachment 854652

New grounds added. Reused one rusty nut to give me more surface area....and because I ran out of new ones. 😂

View attachment 854653
View attachment 854654

..and both working...
Yeah, I guess a rusty nut is better than no nuts.
 

Squibbly

Well-known member
408
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93
Location
Alabama
Been raining here which is making doing the welding work that needs to get done tough. It's OK. The truck is running "really" good at this point, and everything works, so all the rest is "mostly" cosmetic.


Hula was installed...
1641153498399.png

I also pulled apart my vacuum regulator to see how it works.

This side of the orange piece is connected to the throttle. When you step on the throttle it turns.

1641153619137.png

The amount of vacuum is controlled by that black piece of plastic on the other side that is lowered and raised by the position of the throttle. As the orange disc turns counter clockwise it raises and lowers that thin black piece of plastic which is spring loaded and attached by a small cable going up into the valve above.

The bottom hose connects to your vaccum pump and gets about 25 Hg of vacuum. As you push the throttle the amount of vacuum decreases to the top hose which is connected to your transmission. I think if you put a special .676in block on your throttle seat, and twist the throttle to exactly that depth, there should be only 8 Hg in the optimal scenario.

1641153657362.png

My regulator wouldn't hold vacuum so it needs to be replaced. I tried spraying some silicone into the valve, and it helped a little but the valve is pinned together and it seems like if I try to unbend the spots that keep the valve together they will either break or I won't get the valve back together tight enough.
 
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Squibbly

Well-known member
408
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93
Location
Alabama
This hawk keeps eyeballing my 3D deer targets.
I know he's thinking about it. None of the woodland creatures in my backyard respect those deer.

1641231647742.png
1641231671925.png
 

Squibbly

Well-known member
408
1,039
93
Location
Alabama
So I tell my brother. Truck is pretty much done, just cosmetic work.
Then I ask what this bracket is for.
1641251220303.png

Thats supposed to have a wire going through it for your brake warning system he said.
Then he explained the proportioning valve.

I looked for the proportioning valve, and what do I find?
1641251307731.png

Figures...

1641251343714.png

Not so easy to put back in. You have to actually remove the valve.


Found the other end of the wire though.
1641251401903.png

Guess I'll put this in tomorrow when the daylight comes back.
 

ezgn

Well-known member
650
1,039
93
Location
Lake Elsinore Ca.
So I tell my brother. Truck is pretty much done, just cosmetic work.
Then I ask what this bracket is for.
View attachment 855014

Thats supposed to have a wire going through it for your brake warning system he said.
Then he explained the proportioning valve.

I looked for the proportioning valve, and what do I find?
View attachment 855015

Figures...

View attachment 855016

Not so easy to put back in. You have to actually remove the valve.


Found the other end of the wire though.
View attachment 855017

Guess I'll put this in tomorrow when the daylight comes back.
Is that a button that equalizes the pressure in the braking system, and does it light a dash light if there is a problem?
 

Squibbly

Well-known member
408
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93
Location
Alabama
Is that a button that equalizes the pressure in the braking system, and does it light a dash light if there is a problem?
It’s a plug that plugs into the top of the valve, but ultimately yes, it throws a warning light if the brake pressure is low on the front or rear side (I.e a leak), and the valve cuts off the low side so you don’t lose all your brakes.


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Mullaney

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Charlotte NC
It’s a plug that plugs into the top of the valve, but ultimately yes, it throws a warning light if the brake pressure is low on the front or rear side (I.e a leak), and the valve cuts off the low side so you don’t lose all your brakes.


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.
Agreed. Proportioning Valve "saves your bacon" if the front OR rear brake lines (rubber or steel) are cut, broken, or yanked loose from the frame or axle. Brake performance is reduced - especially if it is the front brakes. After you make the needed repairs, pressing the little button under the black rubber button on the front will reset the "slider valve inside the brass block.

Of other importance is that bleeding the brakes can set off the proportioning valve stopping fluid from going to the front or back brakes. You will absolutely LOSE YOUR MIND when that happens...

Chevy 1984 Proportioning Valve.jpg
 

ezgn

Well-known member
650
1,039
93
Location
Lake Elsinore Ca.
.
Agreed. Proportioning Valve "saves your bacon" if the front OR rear brake lines (rubber or steel) are cut, broken, or yanked loose from the frame or axle. Brake performance is reduced - especially if it is the front brakes. After you make the needed repairs, pressing the little button under the black rubber button on the front will reset the "slider valve inside the brass block.

Of other importance is that bleeding the brakes can set off the proportioning valve stopping fluid from going to the front or back brakes. You will absolutely LOSE YOUR MIND when that happens...

View attachment 855030
So you should you unplug the wire before bleeding your brakes? Or does the button react from the pressure in the system? And the wire is for the dash light only.
 

Mullaney

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Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
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Location
Charlotte NC
So you should you unplug the wire before bleeding your brakes? Or does the button react from the pressure in the system? And the wire is for the dash light only.
.
Yes Sir.

Button resets if there is a sudden pressure drop in the brake lines.
Opening the bleed screw rather than "cracking it open" - especially if you have a power bleeder setup will (could) set it off.

The wire does nothing but light up the bulb on the dash.
 
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