Gary Lewis

George - It looks to me like you forgot to tick the Message Is In HTML Format box on the post where you embedded your video. Go edit that post and just tick the box and see if it works. But I can't get it to play.

No need to write ANOTHER book. Just pick a few chapters of this one. And at this point I think it qualifies for "tome".

I would laugh, out loud even, but it isn't funny. Been there, done that, went looking for the ring. But the trick of hitting the yoke is a must. If not, things are tight/stiff. I try to use the dead blow hammer and hit the "corner". That seems to open the yoke up nicely. Anyway, progress! I hope that retainer stays in - until you want it out.

I frequently liken these truck to onions. We peel the problems, layer by layer, and cry. But eventually we have enough onion rings for a Blooming Onion! So, one problem down and more to go. Yep, you probably have a vacuum leak causing the fast idle.

You are now on the map. And you have a C6, which won't be hurt by not having the kickdown linkage attached.

Big Blackie was a steal at $15k. Anyway, you said "Half or 1 ton." Did you skip 3/4 ton on purpose? (Personally I'd skip 3/4 ton 4wd due to the ride, but thought I'd ask.)

Welcome! Glad you joined. You found an error in the factory documentation. Your truck obviously doesn't have EFI as that's a Carter YFA 1bbl. The red rod is the kickdown linkage to the transmission. But if it isn't connected let's hope you have the C6 as a disconnected linkage to an AOD spells trouble. So, does your shift quadrant say Drive/2/1? Or does it have an O with a D inside it? The former is a C6 and the latter is an AOD. I'm betting it is a C6 or you'd have all sorts of problems. And a disconnected kickdown linkage on a C6 simply means that when you floor the throttle the tranny doesn't automatically kick down a gear. I've run them that way and realized that if I wanted to downshift to pass I needed to pull the lever down into 2nd. Last, where's home? I ask because we have a map (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map in the menu) and we could put you on it if we had a city/state combo or a zip code.

Gary's aren't all in pics. How do you take a pic of a bypassed inertia switch? Or for that matter the bypassed resistor in the harness, which put 12v to the pump at all times? But, I do have plenty of pics that attest to the reality of .

Yes, a drill bit is easy and most people have a 1/8" bit. Each application varies as to the recommended opening, and they are frequently measured in 64ths of an inch, and not everyone has those. But 1/8" is probably a bit too far open and your .100" is probably closer. However, I find that if I start lean/too far open the engine usually starts but runs poorly, and I know which way to go on the first adjustment.

Webers are expensive, but still!?!?!

If you have a drip from the carb between the body and the top then the float level is way too high. WAY too high. It really shouldn't leak there, but the fuel level should never be that high.

The headers that were on Big Blue when I got him were L&L's, and they touched the frame on the driver's side. I had Scott Johnson build me a 460 with EFI heads, which take different exhausts, and bought L&L's because of the 1/2" thick flange on them, which prevents leaks. But they hit the frame on the passenger's side. So I had to trim ~1/2 for a ways off the bottom of the frame to get the needed clearance.

You know Gary, that would not be that hard to fab up in metal. You could powder coat/paint, add some rubber bumpers to the bottom and back along with some strong magnets to hold it in place, provided you did not want to drill into the cab. I may do this myself! I'd rather use my time to get the many things Big Blue needs, or at least I think he needs, done instead of building something. But, if you want I can take a lot of measurements when I get this one so you'll have something to go from when you make yours.

LOL! That goes back a ways. A few years ago I acquired Big Blue from Vernon, who lived in Florida. Vernon had hired what turned out to be the worst shade tree mechanics on earth to do all of the work on BB, and finally his wife convinced him to quit pouring good money after bad. Once I got the truck I started repairing the many, MANY things they'd done wrong - and I'm still doing that to this day. But the problems including bypassing the inertia switch and fuel pump relay, which caused the carb to flood and then the whole engine to fill with gas. Then there was the lack of all the bolts in the engine perches, the huge hole cut in the engine crossmember, the cut out section of the radiator support because they put the engine oil cooler on incorrectly, the grille was cut up, the doors were cut up, and even the radio support was cut! Meanwhile Shaun/Salans7, who lives in Florida, came up with the "badge". Apparently Florida Man is a widely-acknowledged "being". In fact, there's a page about him/her at Wikipedia, and in part it says:

Jim - Good idea on the oil in the door. I'll do that tomorrow, especially since if any was there it is now gone due to the brake cleaner I used to clean the door. Looks like you got the Sony DSX-GS80. I'll take a deeper look at it. But my initial assessment is that it looks good. Yep, you hadn't seen my plan for stiffening the door. The aluminum bar made a big difference, especially with the two screws per side.

Well, didn't start painting, but did start on the interior. George asked me a question about radio/speaker wiring and I just had to have a look, so pulled the driver's door panel off. Sure enough ran the El Cheapo wiring that came with the Sony CDX-GT08 head unit he installed. Probably 18 gauge. I then pulled the 6 1/2 speaker that was in the door (the hideous 6 x 9's were on the outside of the door panel) and found that it is a Sony 1-826-515-11. A bit of searching finds that they are no longer sold, but that they appear to have sold for $36/pair. Meanwhile I had a text conversation with Jim wherein he pointed out that the CDX-GT08 is only rated 16 watts RMS. Let's just say I'm not too impressed. George has recommended the Polk speakers, but I'm afraid that the poor little Sony isn't capable of doing a decent job of powering them. Am I going to have to upgrade the head unit? What with? I don't need CD, just Bluetooth and FM. Then I turned to the doors themselves. (Actually, if I had BT streaming I would have been listening to the Doors instead of turning to them. ) I cleaned the driver's door of all of the yuk I could, including inside, using brake cleaner. Then I started adding sound deadening. And I got pretty much the whole of the outside panel covered and also added a 10" wide strip across the bottom, inside. And, I reinforced the door where took out a piece to get the 6x9's in/on. Jim suggested welding something on, but I had previously used a piece of aluminum bar and re-used it. But I put it in a different place and used two screws on each end, and I'm pretty sure that the door is now at least as stiff as it was originally.

Jim - I usually start with a 1/8" drill bit and adjust from there. IOW, if it is too cold-blooded I tighten it up, and if it appears rich I back it off. But 1/8" is usually close.

You are now, quite literally, on the map!

Chris - Welcome! Glad you joined. What part of MA? We have a map (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map in the menu) and can add you if you give us a city or zip. I've added your pic - nice trucks! You'll have to start a thread and tell us all about them.

Scott - I agree on all points. And, thanks for this link, which gets the price history shown below. I think that answers the question. Looks to me like it must have been selling at about $85 when they discontinued it in '15. Then it went to in the 90's as the supplies dried up, and now the ones that turn up are around $110. Is that the way you read it?

Scott - Yep, that's the one! I'd forgotten about that brochure. Thanks! I did some Googling and found that Amazon apparently had it, and there's a picture of it. But there's no price and no availability. So I called DeeZee and they quit making them 5 years ago. And the young lady I spoke to had no idea what they sold for new.

George/Nick - How much better are the Polk DB652's than these Sony speakers that are already in Big Blue? I'm sure the Sony speakers are absolutely entry level, but thought I'd better ask before I buy the Polks.

Gary, if he fixed the rear wheel wells, cab corners, and fully painted your truck for $6k, you got a heck of a deal! I haven't taken him up on it. Just wanted a ball park. He said as dry as it is here to just drive it and enjoy it. And that's what I plan to do. Some day I'll have the paint and body work done. Some day.

Ah, that I did not know. See why I ask questions here? Makes sense, and this is definitely something I can do. I've been noodling replacing the bumpers anyway, this might be the time to do it. I will check them out. I have an acquaintance with a Grand Wagoneer that received a nice repaint a few years ago, I'm going to find out where he got it done...and there's a chain body/paint shop near me that will be my third comparison, if they'll even quote me for a job like this. But how many points should I dock Bulldawg for their questionable taste in college sports? Also, any chance you'd be willing to PM me how much you paid for the job? I recognize that we have different trucks and requirements, but I don't have even a vague clue what this kind of job will cost me. Matthew - You saw Big Blue. My paint/body man, John, eyeballed it when I first got it and gave me a guesstimate of $6K. The rust is showing through above the rear wheel wells and there's obviously Bondo in the cab corners. Otherwise it is pretty solid. And I'll second the "order of magnitude" statement of time to complete. For some reason those guys have no sense of time nor urgency. Maybe they are all artists? We engineers have a hard time dealing with that.

Sounds like you understand that if you put the camera on automagic that the before and after pics will look the same. Like you said, take a before pic and read the setting in the pic's metadata. Then dial those settings in on Manual and take the after pic. As for the plan with the engine, that sounds good. Get it somewhere that provides a warranty. Then if you have problems you have someone to help you solve them.