The Camano Experience

Ray Cecil wrote

I really have been missing out on a lot of awesome threads on this site. Going to try to start spending a little more time on here as the weather gets cold. Subscribed!!!

Ray - You can subscribe to get emails by clicking Options/Subscribe via email.  And in that there are these two options:

 Receive every message posted in Bullnose Enthusiasts.
 Receive new topics only.

Haven't reported back in on my progress in awhile so will do a couple week recap.

Got the truck back from the paint shop and started the fun part: putting her back together.

Trailered the truck to the exhaust shop and had dual stainless borla exhaust put on. They need to order the tips so will have to  take the truck back when I get it running so they can install those. With the transfer case, long tube headers, dual tanks, and skid plates I knew it was going to be a trick to install but they did it and looks really good.

After that I started in on the sound/heat proofing. So far I've got the firewall done and most of the floor, back wall, and roof done. Taking a lot more time than I expected but work has also been crazy the past couple of weeks so haven't been able to dedicate long periods to it. Really interested to see if this makes an impact although since I didn't drive the truck very long before I stripped it combined with a rebuilt motor, headers, and dual exhaust I can't really do a before-after comparison.

I then installed the factory firewall padding and main wiring harness.
With the firewall ready I installed my new hvac gasket set and installed the engine and cab hvac parts. The gaskets from James really are top notch. I decided to forego all of the screw/captive nuts that sandwich the two sides together and replaced them with stainless bolts. Looks good with the obvious downside of more hands involved in install/uninstall but I don't plan on removing these for at least a few decades.





Here is a photo of the hood hinge with the mylar washer on both sides of the hinge. Would definitely recommend this easy improvement if you have the hinge off.


The paint shop is going to add some pin stripes and body color to the steering column (tumbler and shift collar) so as per another thread I've disassembled the steering column am going to drop that off sometime this week. Had to make a trip to the jy today to pull another column (grabbed two for good measure) since I wanted to powder coat the inner shift sleeve and attempting to remove some plastic pieces that apparently aren't meant to be removed didn't work out well...probably more mentally than any functionality issue but would rather not have to take the column apart later.

Next step is waiting for a warm day and installing the dash. That will really feel like progress.

Question for anyone reading this - do you have a preferred location to passing non-factory wiring through the firewall? The fog lights had the wire coming through that oval grommet to the right of the gas pedal (what is that grommet for anyways?) which worked since the switch was located nearby. Since my amp/sub wiring will be coming from the back up into the drivers side kick panel I'd like to keep it close to that area. There is a fairly large firewall grommet in that area that just has a single wire going through it that seems like the best option right now but open to ideas.

Looking good, Scott!  Can't wait to get to that point on Big Blue.

I'll bet that you'll be pleased with the sound, or lack thereof, due to the treatment.  But depending on how loud the exhaust system is you may not be able to tell.

Speaking of the exhaust, which Borla muffs did you choose?  I'd like to see some pics, please.

On the wires, the grommet to the right of the of gas pedal is probably the one for the mechanical clutch linkage.  It is pretty large and might be hard to seal due to its shape.  Instead, I'd use the other one you mentioned as it is where you want it and it is round - easier to seal.

Hey Gary! I am looking forward to seeing Big Blue again in person next year and all the changes that have and will be done.

Ah of course - Chanute has the manual linkage in that oval hole so I should have known that.

On the exhaust I really deferred a lot to the shop. Like everything really. If I had to do it over again, I might do some more research but I also have a bad habit of over analyzing stuff that should be left to someone that does it daily and I just didn't have the time or energy that week for that rabbit hole. So in this case I found the shop in the nearby city that had the best reviews, was very pleasant/knowledgeable to speak to on the phone and did stainless.

So I am trying real hard to not do research after the purchase

To answer your question they are type s borlas. I believe that is their universal offering. Still has the lifetime warranty though. They do offer a custom muffler that would be worth looking into if one was really looking for a specific sound.

I pretty much just told the shop I wanted something stainless for longevity and for it to not be too loud but with a nice rumble. They put together a few options and I chose the one I liked.

I'll definitely get some photos. I thought I took some while it was on their lift but guess not.

I bought two extra grommets for that large hole next to the gas pedal. I have my CB coax going through it. Cut an X in it.

There’s another hole to the left of the brake pedal that I’m assuming someone drilled there. I have my aftermarket coolant temp. gauge going through there. Used a PCV grommet there with some black RTV to fill the remainder.

grumpin wrote

I bought two extra grommets for that large hole next to the gas pedal. I have my CB coax going through it. Cut an X in it.

There’s another hole to the left of the brake pedal that I’m assuming someone drilled there. I have my aftermarket coolant temp. gauge going through there. Used a PCV grommet there with some black RTV to fill the remainder.

Do you mean the large oval shaped hole? If yes, where did you get the grommets for it? Just curious.

I have a spare one I yanked out of an '86 at the junkyard, and I finally used it last night to run the harness into the cab for my O2 sensor. I cut the spare one so that I didn't have to damage the original...not that it matters really.

That’s funny! I cut one of the new ones, kept the original intact. I like to keep the OEM stuff for some reason.

Got them at Dennis Carpenter.

https://www.dennis-carpenter.com/en/trucks/interior/firewall-cover/390581-s-rubber-plug-oval

Good to know those oval ones are still available.

Got a fair bit done yesterday afternoon as the nice weather Saturday was spent stretching barbed wire.

Finished routing the main loom and hvac vacuum lines and installed the dash. Only took a few minutes to put it in but really makes the interior start to look like a truck again.



In order to get the door latches installed I needed to get the insides of the doors lined. For those I went with the Eastwood dense mats and couldn't be happier. Those pads are great. They don't weight near as much as the full asphalt ones but the sound difference when knocking on the door before and after is huge. I would definitely recommend these for any vertical panels. Thinking about getting another box to place on the backs of any trim pieces in place of the factory jute.



While I was getting mylar washers for some other parts I picked up some for the disassemble door handles after coating. Installed those and the latches also.



Here are some photos of the exhaust Gary. In some you can see the joining clamps they installed to make it easier to split and work on the tranny or tcase if needed in the future. In order to keep it above the skid plate and due to the long tubes, they routed it above the tcase on the driver side and merged  to the passenger side after the overdrive. I was a little unsure about it at first but it makes sense the more I look around under there. Figure the heat padding will be well worth it at least in that area under the driver seat.


 

Looking good
I know how it feels when the dash goes back in, been there done that.
Dave ----

Thanks. Funny how a few keys pieces really make a difference in making it take shape.

Looking forward to the next major milestone of hooking the battery up and seeing some life in it.

Have to take it back to the body shop this week so that will give me some more time to clean up and coat a few remaining parts.

kramttocs wrote

Thanks. Funny how a few keys pieces really make a difference in making it take shape.

Looking forward to the next major milestone of hooking the battery up and seeing some life in it.

Have to take it back to the body shop this week so that will give me some more time to clean up and coat a few remaining parts.

Again I know after a cab off frame rebuild, cab back on frame, making a bed and back on the frame, all 4 wheels on the ground, etc.
Dave ----

After actually looking at that oval hole from the engine side, it isn't the manual clutch linkage. That is quite a bit lower down near the steering column. This plug is near the valve cover so not sure what the factory purpose was.



Truck is back at the body shop so haven't done a lot besides blast the steering column and parts.

Chanute's inspection is coming up so had to replace some bulbs to get the turn signals working again which gave a break from staring in the cabinet.

Did get the brake controller in for Camano today. Another item I am likely more excited about than should be but the compact size and hidden aspect is perfect. The fact that you can mount it vertically or horizontally is nice also.

That hole is for the computer wiring, at least on the EFI trucks. My old 86 cab had it, and that's where the engine control harness passed through the firewall.

I had a feeling that was the one you guys were referring to, but forgot to reply.

salans7 wrote

That hole is for the computer wiring, at least on the EFI trucks.

Yup, the EFI and Feedback carb trucks had harnesses passing through that hole. My '84 just has an oval rubber plug in there. I grabbed a spare oval plug out of an '86 at the junkyard last year just to have on hand. I figured that sometime I'd be fixing an old EFI truck and would need the plug to convert it to carb.

Scott - Staring into the blast cabinet is therapy for me.  Seeing the parts come out so nice and "new" is really fun.  But, I do suppose it can get old.

As for the brake controller, I've not been around that one.  How big is the control head, meaning the switch assembly?  Might be easier to find a place for than the larger ones.

Concerning the rubber plug & hole, I've not been around one of the trucks with the wiring going through there to the computer.  But that's good to know.

Gary Lewis wrote

Scott - Staring into the blast cabinet is therapy for me.  Seeing the parts come out so nice and "new" is really fun.  But, I do suppose it can get old.

As for the brake controller, I've not been around that one.  How big is the control head, meaning the switch assembly?  Might be easier to find a place for than the larger ones.

Concerning the rubber plug & hole, I've not been around one of the trucks with the wiring going through there to the computer.  But that's good to know.

No blast cabinet here so cant reply on that.

The controller looks small does it have a knob to apply the trailer only brakes and how do you adjust the level for the trailer loaded or un-loaded?
I need to pick one up for my truck at some point and some wire to run from the engine bay to the trailer plug out back.

I had to look at a picture of my 81 for that plug and it did not have it. Then again no engine computer either.
Dave ----

I'm guessing that plug appeared in '83.  The '82 trucks had the computer under the seat and there was a plug in the floor there.  But apparently in '83 the computer moved under the dash, and that plug appeared.

Good to know on the plug.

With the Bluetooth ear protectors and a book on tape, I could normally blast for hours also but have been battling a cold so having a runny nose with two hands occupied got annoying

The control unit is pretty small. Has the dial and an LED that can be mounted in different locations. The dial has an outer rotation for Boost, an inner one for power output, and then you can push it in to test/apply brakes.

The switch is going to be mounted in the truck in that dash cubby with a 3d printed bezel but it does come with a its own sticker type bezel if you want to just drill a hole somewhere for it.

That's a good spot for the controller.  Have you seen my gauge pocket project?  It has the dimensions for that pocket.

Just read over it. That's great to have!

Chanute has the now defunct dealer ac with the controls there. Planning to scavenge the parts from it and mimic the font/design of the bezel for the brake controller and gvod controls.