1996 GMC 5-speed

[Barry Donovan]

injection variables

---

today was the day.
I fought with my subaru until shutting down, nothing more I can do.
Leaves are bright and falling.

the truck explosively started right up, warmed up a minute..away we went.
I noticed a slight lack of power, but more of HP related, not the torque line.

autumn is here. this stays like this until february, march or april.
The injection is truly a great thing.

No mercy on my subaru, it is antiquated for a reason.
the carb can be taught to dump more fuel..but there is other variables. Cold fuel is a lot of fuel, the temps drop..and then the battle needs another variable.

injection knows all of these things.
Air change is it's game.

I had several reasons for sharing here, the carb and injection quibbles goes unnoticed in many regions of the U.S.
I am an admitted carb guru, and still lost.
Injection was my final chapter in teaching me, what is missing.

my greatest carburator success was my last v8 with a holley. 1996. Compression near ten to 1. Drove that all year round, monte carlo, 305 custom. Finnicky, but always ran. Well below zero needed a warm up, and the low dual plane intake had to have the dreaded hot passage.

I could get my subaru going further...
but the pain of such a small engine, not my love of the game.

http://maine.craigslist.org/cto/5822630973.html

here is a deal I'd do again. $1000. Needs rear welds.
the 5.7 with manual just might be the labeled nv3500 "HD" as the 454 got the nv4500.
my L30 is not a normal 3500 either, the straight cut sounds and infinite runtime. No end in sight.

I just checked my balances..
wll bring it up to my dad, see what he says. He is still looking too, way over his head.
Now this one being at 1000, the 5k project thread would be quite an outcome for this one.

the 5.7 vortec also has a need at the throttle. Being this cheap, the 80mm+ throttle with spacer upgrade would be a great deal.
This l30 in this thread ended up being quite a bargain just from the leftover subaru stuff. I never counted a lot of items. Just the plug wires was a pricy kit. I had a crap ton leftover.
This one would need more purchases than the truck in this thread..but still a bargain. End up about the same.

the only concern right off, is not liking any 350 chevy...but I'd give it a go anyway.
This one still has the reciever attached..the rear welds are amateur. When the reciever NEEDS to go becuase it is losing the rail.. it is still amateur welds. I like the sight of this one, as I did my own 1996 at first glance.

the cab mounts are junk, the bolts will break, the fuel cutout almost deemed a priority.
I'd give it the same chore list.
The LED, the relay.. newer fuel pump (ts16949 standards) just to do it.
I enjoyed this truck, all of it. the chores, density gains, the cross sills. Stuff I wanted to do all the way back to the mid 1970s onward.

[Barry Donovan]

influence

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I guess I can admit, I end up a salesman of sorts.. as long as I believe in it.


Dad signed a lease today for an all black, 2016 sierra 1500. Looks a lot like this photo.The plain jane model of today is as fancy as my 1996 SLE trim.
It even kept the manual seats to go with a/c , cruise, power windows, mirrors.

he's getting the new all aluminum 5.3L... this is divorced water pump, Variable valve timing of sorts, cylinder deactivation. the window mpg is the same as my 1996 manual.. 22mpg. The alloy engine controls could teach a company like subaru a thing or two. There is even a humidity factor measured now, just to keep air/fuel in check for the alloy.

355hp, 383ft pounds.. 2500 pounds heavier than my old truck. A 6 speed auto.. the real 4x4 lever on the floor, stiff and new.
Steel wheels in a darker shade, the plain black grill with right red gmc logo surrounded by chrome. Reminded me of the new midnight editions..but with my old grille..with no announcement, but "truck edition"

Will get some photos.
my dad mentions the sound of my truck every time he is in it. The locomotive smallblock sound is indeed an element of the past. The iron throttle.

I can't wait to drive the 2016 around, odometer still in double digits, brand new truck.
No real discounts, but did get an exact price far from exceeding.

the salesman was great for being real. GM and its dealers are just like that. The customer base is so large, they do not need to bullshit much. We got a heads up on plowing with this 1500 model..its not like the old torsion years. Best to have a heavier 2500 for that. Very cool, down to earth sale.

My dad was on the phone, attempting some quick insurance.
"Yes, I said GMC. would you like me to spell that for you?"

[Barry Donovan]

2016 gmc

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26.4F was my waking call.
cold start, realizing this muffler was installed in april.
like all steels, it has to earn some of its ways for every day of a maine year.
Within 2 minutes , defrost, getting cozy..off I went to the cold smoke trail left behind.

Brought dad to the dealer, to bring his truck home.


dad brought it home today. 25miles.
I drove from the odom @ 25 for ten miles or so.
plenty of power.
young truck. Literally silent.



I love the looks. This does not have power seats or mirrors.. no remote key. It does have a/c , cruise, manual 4x4 lever...steel wheels.
6speed auto. L83 (5.3L). The tow package with trailer brake integrated.
11,400 tow capacity...and it's a half ton.
355hp, 383ft lbs.
7600#
Nice ride.




The salesman approached us waiting in my truck, he saw the Hurst shifter. He asked if I converted it to a manual. I would guess he does not get many of my model and specs...Gm built the whole darn thing.
My dad joked it was the king of the lot just to sit there.

Great day for Dad and I. He has not had a vehicle in almost 30 years. Just his rigs.
He did speak up and admitted it was my fault he has a gmc in the yard.

"truck edition" trucks.
look out.

My dad and I have talked of all my vehicles, since I was 15. It started with a dodge coronet that had to sit in the yard. I remember the look on his face whne I pulled in with my genuine monte carlo SS. 23 vehicles later, and nearly 30 years older. He has heard me coming, he has heard me going. He has seen some of my builds. He has stood by while I swore and cussed..and kept building. He has had to close his eyes as I let the mig welder sparks fly.. It was in this driveway in 1991 I told him I was an enlisted gulf 1 hero to be...
that it was in my 1979 chevy pickup.

I think I know what he is up to...I can only pretend not to feel it.
The point being, strong is the winner. It never really goes away.

[Barry Donovan]

back to what I do..
the fairy tale of a new truck is just that.

I want a v8, manual transmission and be iron engine..
all so scary 12000 pounds of 305 chevrolet block.



that truck that needed tail work, with the 350...
down to $600.
5 speed.
dammit. I'd just haul it home, plan later.

looking close at photo is a tip for the gmt400 crowd.

Do you see where the cab is less than parallel to the frame underneath...as it goes to the back?

this is very bad, but savable.
The owner must have been getting driven crazy with discomfort.
When you see these same trucks where the back of cab is the peak, a little high on aprallel eyeballing to the frame...
those are keepers, smiling drivers.
its like a physic of an egg,

this truck in photo lost it.

All fixable.
A unique thing I learned from 70s versions onward.. there is 2 spring threads in the middle of the face of the rails, especially the back. This is how you could see some that flexed like an animal..this was for offroad, comforts, and terrain.
you add tension after structure is repaired, and it responds in the opposite to gravity.
from there you can brick it, stay animal or factory.
these gmt400s are wide railed, the distance between the rails. This was the first clue, cross sills can do a lot more than the sheet metal gm gave them.
All kinds of ways to end up with a good result.

on my own truck, I can remove the original crossmember where gas strap is..and you would not even know it. I did go much further than necessary..and that is anyone's choice.

I sing songs like this when fixing the saggy pickup...

I caress it , it is my friend.

[Barry Donovan]

attempted to record my first drive of the 2016 gmc.

very quiet truck.

dad wants borla exhaust already...
He does mention the sound of my truck often.


I knew this one had electric throttle, when you think you are barely opening the valve.. on this hill, I can tell it added more by itself.
it is a steep hill too..

Believe it or not, the leap the new one gets taking off, will simply get rocked by the breeze of my old one catching up and going by.
my old one has some freakish traits, somewhere between third and second.. heading into high throttle take offs. you need to stay looking at the road.
I looked in my mirror one day in april, icy fog, the first moistures of spring..simply getting on the highway to myself. I swore to god a contrail came off the side window addon plastic vent.

It took off that fast.

I knew that top end result after being real world with my old one for almost 2 years now.
the onramp stuff is certainly quickly with the new one.. makes it seem easy, throughout whatever throttle or speed.

that is one slippery nv3500 in the 96..added an incredible curve, toy like, lightweight feeling...but the new one has a dynamic I have never felt out before. Impressive.

I deciphered some RPO codes for the new one.
it does have a G80, I like it already. 3.42 gear.
and the gvwr is exactly 1000 pounds more than my old one.
mine is at 6200 for the light manual tranny reducing weight, dad's is at 7200.
the first 96-98 with auto is at 6400 for my chassis style.
the new one has an impressive gain. +800-1000 for the similar build.

both hefty on the half ton scale. The biggest half ton is gvwr 7600 today.
my bed can do over 1000# with the hellwigs and cross sills custom, his is very close by factory at 893.

wheelbase is just 3 inches different.
Very nice truck. I told the salesman this is exactly what I would get if I come back for my own new one.

[Barry Donovan]

wheels

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this truck has done really well.
All done was necessary, and maximized anyway, even though for needs.
the best I could for each subject, because i like it.



looking at wheels again.
these are 17x8 proper hole for the chevy hubs. if not, there is rings to hunt down.
I need 120mph, centered.
these are rated at 2100 pound, like p-rated tires.. the only thing holding me back...and special lug nuts. I would need 24 special lug nuts.
I am at 3400 pound now on the ld 16 inch. Hence I keep them. Snug hub, balanced, quiet, cool and strong..
just old and ugly for the most part.

I'll keep looking.

there is a GM version, discontinued.. got talking to the parts guy at the new dealership who had one on display for memory. He explained about the aftermarket rings one can buy to put on other wheels anyway.
that one was 20 inch or something, an extra spectacular looking cragar SS styling..direct fit.

sold right out when they were around, and I never did see a set on a truck or anywhere.

my dad is going high performance exhaust on the 2016, two pipes straight out the back. A rare option just opened up this year for the gm trucks. Pricy stainless, resembles borla as a gm product. In fact the dealer is installing it for him. Pretty cool huh? that is not a common thing for them.

I think gm is telling gurus like me that the new all alloy engine needs a big exit away from the heads...

[Barry Donovan]

playing with fuses

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Was trying to find the heterosexual male version of dimming LED dash lights on the oem gm switch as the resistor is nowhere near enough even on low setting...

of course, could not find one.

I did find the backwards yo yo approach in two directions though, as usual.
470k ohm and 1k ohm..


I then realized the GM fuses are still oem sizing. I never changed them after all my swapping.

the parking lamps are going to be dropped to 10amp from 20...I may even try 7.5A
can you imagine?
ALL of the parking lamps on one <=10 amp fuse.
I can only assume dash is there...
will play around.

and the courtesy fuse?
5 amp, also dropped from 20...

Then there is the underhood box, I did not change anything else. I assume those will have to stay as is.




anyway,
chinese ebay to the rescue..

wanted to startup and run before the flip flop on the storm going by. Let it idle in the yard, walked away. thinking of neighbors, this really is a tugboat. biggest thing in the yard. I hope it is pleasant to them as it is me.
70F to 32 would not surprise me for this storm going by.
wind warning in place, calm and hot right now for october.. very humid.

looking at fuses one more time, as every move on the battery side to smaller gives the old iron block a little more locomotive. It is in the sound, throttle climb, the whole thing. Very robust already, seems bare bones compared to a yukon or denali or any automatic.


courtesy was freakishly at 20A ..this is going down to 5A
parking was at 20, going to 15A. I could go smaller..but thinking of the trailers that I plug in.
illumination was 10, this could be a 3.. but I am only getting a kit that goes to 5A.

Fuses, believe it or not, set a primer for what the circuit gets, not just a limit. Electricity is an animal. For example.. a 20A knows to get more even if nothing is turned on, like any fuse, depending on size installed.

I learned this with a subaru. Sometimes, when electric is terrible, (ie the fuse box grid).. it is a good idea to go one size across a whole row, even though everything is different. The truck is smart in being able to change one fuse next to another to anything.
It is all in the quality of the boxes (houses do this too, some fuse boxes are great, some need to stay consistent).

[Barry Donovan]

lost keys

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new lesson for me.. never made a spare.
I guess these are easy if to go VIN and locksmith.
I am doubting 355k miles has original keys anyway. The switch feels new... doors are snug.

Hoping to find them, we narrowed it down quickly.
115 miles from here.

oh the drama.

edit:
I called a dealer, the same one my dad just bought his truck.
No problem, just went in with proof of owning.

punch VIN in database, computer driven gadget makes the key.
Sure enough, new key.. truck back home.

one coldass ride in the vibrating subaru to go get it.. but it did run really good. Fuel is exact.
Something I always get a kick out of is adding 3 or 4 gallons for these 100 mile round trips.. and seeing it gets 30-35mpg of the real kind.
it is almost comical. A motorcycle with 4 wheels, ten gears and awd.

within 5 minutes, heat coming out of the vents in the truck, much smoother on my back side..
I am indeed in a rural place. lonely road home with the confidence of an iron v8 thumping.
I am glad to be in a vehicle not forgotten 20 years onward.
the dealer acted like it was never gone.

GMC.

original key answered a few silent questions. This truck had two vandal scratches, a sign of extreme overloading or horsing around when I got it.
was it stolen, total recovery etc.
Nothing serious when the ignition is tight and original. the doors too.
I am aware of exact replacements.. but it is dealer derived most often.
No record.
this has a lengthy record.. dealer related.
that would have been a big deal, the keys.

onto swapping fuses, this cold place will allow it to be bigger than it is. The most confident cold starts I have ever run, and I am adding amps to it by dropping fuses.

..and the latest dirt every day.
episode 57.
that is a dream.

the portal axle addon had me glued to the screen. I'd love to have them on a 1996.

[Barry Donovan]

the monte carlo SS

---

a 1984 on smoking tire.

still has the rochester starving those flattie high comp pistons and tiny chamber...

I had this car's twin. Swapped a holley on.
this car taught me the future of GM as we know it today.

Not many call 5 liters small anymore.

I share this here as it was an insipiration to buy my 96 vortec 305 truck.

I admit I knew all that was missing for some sharper timing...
but hey.

kids gotta listen. Even matt has a dumb opinion.

I still find my trucks years with complaints of power...
even today.
20 years to fix it right and still blank thoughts on positive directions.


it does separate builders from customers...
builders keep the smiles coming.

back to the truck..
got the fuses today. Good deal.


fuse summary

• parking 25 -> 15A
• ctsy 20 -> 5A
• illum 10 -> 5A
• blinker/backup 20 -> 7.5A

42.5 amps reduced.
I am now wondering if I dropped 50A+ in the LED games.

the parking was indeed on the other side of normal using too much, the previous owner had a big 25 there. By factory that is a 20. These trucks since the 70s were notorious for breaking up the front. In a way I went to beyond ten times less consumption, by fixing plugs and dropping amps by 8 times on a normal swap to LED.

the blinker could do a 5 also, but want a robust kick for the little electronic relay that does the LED. The blinker relay is meant for LED, self measures needs. It is NOT a factory blinker relay. Double 1357 filaments would pop the smart little thinker.

in the warmer environments, excited air with moisture like the rest of the world, these things go unnoticed.
Maine really tells you the electrical status by the time february rolls around. Most of new england is like this.

This one is very confident already. Being a manual tranny has a few less fuses, one less computer. I want to stay nice to it in every subject...making it better a long the long trail.

A ride from cold start, the sound is even nicer. Digging into gears at low rpm in th hills, no coil sputters etc. The exhuast even smells better.
Tungsten dust to the wind... this old gmc is moving on without a stereotypical past.

I did the same for an 80s subaru...the truck is much easier than being a bald runt wearing high heeled wooden boots trying to be tough enough.

[Loren]

My '88...never a wiring issue except a really annoying one with the tail lights/parking lamps. Drove me nuts, had the whole dash out over it. Finally realized the cigarette lighter was on the same circuit (?!) and was used-up and arc-ing out, and would take the whole circuit down at random. A new lighter fixed it but I put it on it's own circuit after that anyhow.

Nice about the easy key fix at the dealer.

[Barry Donovan]

My '88...never a wiring issue except a really annoying one with the tail lights/parking lamps. Drove me nuts, had the whole dash out over it. Finally realized the cigarette lighter was on the same circuit (?!) and was used-up and arc-ing out, and would take the whole circuit down at random. A new lighter fixed it but I put it on it's own circuit after that anyhow.

Nice about the easy key fix at the dealer.

there is some nightmare versions out there.
some blame it for lack of power in the engine controls, all kinds of mysteries.
Very simple compared to a subaru...

I have one more mystery, this truck obviously shipped with DRL delete, no harness for the box, etc.
But..
it seems it is half installed.
fuse is in place, and have yet to get underhood and look for the other things they added.

Doesn't seem to bother anything, but if there is switch photosynthetic... might be doing something, might not even be there.

I went to the trucks forum, posted a question anyway. I rarely get answered in anything...every where I go.
someone would rather ask about mud flaps or floor mats.

daytime running lights..
1996 gmc sierra.
my truck has the fuse installed but no implemenation of any kind otherwise.
no box under dash, no dangling empty plug spots.

where is fuse going?
is there a secondary function, or reason to need this installed?

I dropped 40 amps from old tungsten light circuits swapped to LED,
and fund that 1 fuse with a mystery..


summarizing the big swap, the fuse box was last little extra.

illum is now a 5A
ctsy is now a 5A
parking is down to a 15A
backup/blinker down to a 7.5A

42.5A knocked off.

the DRL is simply leaving me with a question..



Aside from energy saving, below zero cold starts are incredible. I have yet to hear anything this confident

I am really liking this trucks cold starts and curves of timing.
Seriously, I have never had anything so confident.

grandmas teeth fall into her coffee,
pets faint like a goat.
my subaru leans away...
the clouds disperse from the icy morning sun..
some mistake it for a tugboat on the mississippi doing a flank and shove.

Was 3 mysteries for this truck, one is harmless.
the electric trailer brake from some very old version was installed, this helped fry the left rear rail. Shock mount.
tail lamps with the circuit boards are all bad here, (double filament bulbs are going for extinction)
and the cargo lamp was tied into CTSY lights on a timer.. while never switching off the other source of juice.

the odds were there to burn truck to ground.
never happened.
lucky old truck.

another last update on trimming electric.

removed DRL fuse, 20A. This must have been there preparing for optional fog lights as well."DRL/fog" .
Nothing to notice, just killed off another amount of dead head feet in wiring.

I went for a ride, windy as hell, northeast cold version. Just over 32F. Rain/sleet. Some snow spots built up on the road. I have never been confident until this truck. Today's ride has little cars in the modern age keeping up as well. I am missing some years, avoiding storms. I am just another vehicle out there today. I do have another drama about this place and weather, it will be repeated when trucks are the only things seen on the road...

I am ready.

Extras that were in memory, learned from growing here a long time ago, all in place.


my dad called me to tell me his trucks exhaust has been installed. 2016. Dealer version high performance on the truck. this came out in May of 2016.. and as far as we know, has never been offered until this year. He has a desire to be on the edge of trucks, like his rigs. I can't wait to hear it. He said he could not fit the old one all in the back..this means they went all the way up to the front.. a big swap.
stainless steel, dual exhaust. Dealer and factory installed /approved.
Will get a video.

[Barry Donovan]

borla exhaust 2016 gmc

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this sounds nice. I was driving for this video clip.

it will get progressively bigger as carbons gain on the brand new aluminum engine, stainless pipes.

the iron blocks get big right from fresh install..
aluminums take their time. One can learn some from a subaru.

I am still avoiding the split duals on my 96..plenty proud enough.
no real desire for it. I'll trim up the tail pipe and get a good tip for it. the angle is a strange one, an oddity in manufacture...an excuse to get a nice tail tip.
The flowmaster does good on my old one.



I brought his old exhaust home for him today, We hid it away.

[Barry Donovan]

finally: the cold.

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looking at my power bill graphs for 1 year to the next. It also has temps in it.This year was on fire.. and I thought last year was roasting.
it was 4f warmer...and next week sees no below freezing for a low.


we finally got into the low 20s.
love the cold start this morning.

truck is more content this year. I could feel little beaming events last year due to fresh welds.
just rugged this year, feels the same in the summer. that is the win for these.
stays the same all year.

Something to stop S-walking on the old rear springs might be a future addon. traction bars or ladder bars.



The traction bar seems to be slamming a perpendicular strain onto leaf spring mount. Not sure I like this one.



these are nice. ladder bars by tuff country.




something I remembered when growing up with the 70s and 80s and 90s stuff.. all the way to 2002 gmc models. "once you hit 300hp, you'll need something for axle hopping."
that is about 40 years of gm trucks. My truck is there just by the slippery nv3500, and a simple centering of timing...flowmaster, fast o2 sensor, new fuel pump..
I think i am going for these, my next project for the truck.


today,
had my neighbor with me, some store runs, errands.
Really good ride, I do not think of who can and can't. My neighbor is upwards in age, disabled etc.
I go easy rowing the gears.

it gets very good on fuel this time of year. Rapid expansion last second into the motor. This is were the 22-24 happens for a time. As winter chimes in, it uses more. the engines are like instruments... they can tell you the outside world all the time, by how much it is using.

[Barry Donovan]

222 miles

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A V.A. run for my neighbor, truck was shut off about 30 minutes, came all the way back home.

my first lengthy ride.
as advertised, in the low 20s mpg.

passenger wiper left my neighbor with no way to look out the windshield in the pouring rain. it was bad. Stopped and bought one.

one new door seal, up top.. I assumed it leaking. Some drops came down. Went all 113 miles highway to find I should have slammed the door. Tricky thing to look at in the mirror, the seam snug does not mean that one door is shut. B-pillar must be flexing about an eighth. That is the one I welded a crack .. it is in previous posts how I cracked it.

Truck handled great, stayed at 80 in the cruise. Pouring rain.. good hefty truck. 4wd will be legendary being this straight and tough.
Smooth as glass.
the left wiper floats past 80.

Confident truck.

I have taken the same trip several times at the helm of a Saturn Ion in good shape.
My energy level walking back into my apt is much higher after using the truck.

its like longer legs and bigger feet, trip distance was nothing.

I am glad I thought of keeping speed up safely in the build, traffic is quite fast out there.
I got passed by a chevy (newer 2014+) hauling a boat.. he must have been at 85-90.

I ponder 2.73 gear on one of these 5 speeds. I chuckle. It could do taller than the 3.73 I have easily.. but for modern highway 2200 rpm at 80 is ok.

front shocks are literally falling apart, could be as old as the back was. I suppose another 20 dollars for a cheap pair would do ok.
the other extra ..
ladder bars. Mostly for my angling back roads when snow flies. The Hellwigs are quite smart as is.

[Barry Donovan]

finishing LED

---

I left off at headlamps, wanted the hot ones.
Well, I passed a dump trash trailer, maine sucks in 400,000,000 tons a day from every state but itself.
this leaves hydrogen sulfide atomic bombs after vehicles are shutoff, like rotten eggs... when the tungsten black hole finally decides to let go of the pig.



the only 9005 conversion that fits my truck, and the brightness is at 1300LM.
This closely resembles the old halogens. Super bright on my truck, or any truck..it is asshole. I wanted to resemble factory as close as possible.
Super Bright LED invented these just for the 88-98.

This is the place where I began nearly 10 years ago, converting an old subaru. Great company.
Those same license plate bulbs have been pummeled like wagon gates do.. and still work.
I regret getting the really bright 9004 in the old subaru from ebay. the buggy has all chrome 15 pound a piece, all metal light casings, I get people telling me to shut off my high beams and blow their mind when I actually use high beams. Way too bright.

So, these are my low beam side. 1300LM should be just right.
The last super suck on the alternator is turning headlights on.
The LED is at 1.39W... I chuckle every time I read their specs. It is incredible.
This one headlight uses 25.17985611510791 times less than factory. For a pair of them, that is 50.35971223021583 times less.