'Project Reliability' - A weenie focused bulletproofing

[TechnoWeenie]

The goal with 'Project reliability' is to try and make this M1009 as bulletproof as possible - There's a ton of stuff that needs to be fixed (mostly electrical crap from previous gov't owner) so it makes more sense to bulletproof it as I go. This is one of those things where fixing it properly now will save a ton of headache/issues down the road. I plan on using this thread to keep updating as I go - trying to provide info for others if they need it. This is not a restoration per se, it's a 'there are things that need to be fixed and I'm not just fixing them but making them better' kind of thing.

It appears to have been a WANG truck that was given to Sheriff's office and marked for their volunteers to use. The SO added a radio, lightbar, siren, and both an inline circulating coolant heater and a block heater. In doing so they removed the slave port, removed the blackout drive light, and painted over all the bumper mounted blackout lights. Oh, and they added carpet.. shag carpet... front and rear... and glued indoor/outdoor carpet to the inside of the roof. I'm guessing to try and insulate it or something.

They also at some point either had issues with the blackout switch or didn't know how to operate it properly because they completely removed the blackout switches and wired it for 'normal' all the time.



It was surplused at an UNK time where it went to its first private owner.

From what I can gather - he didn't really do much.. other than replace the injector pump - Which, lets be honest, is a huge WIN(!). He just drove it until he got tired of it. The agency had spraypainted over all the logos and decals, and removed the radio and lightbar.



Fast FWD to me getting it....

I need to tackle a couple issues - Mechanical, electrical, and cosmetic.

1. PO had attempted to replace the fuel return lines when he replaced the IP. Excellent idea - but he bought into the false promises of 'no retention clip needed' return lines - and of course, they're leaking... I have the replacement lines - just need to put them on.
2. Leaking Radiator - turned out to be a 40 year old original radiator cap whose seal had left the building long ago.

3. Full fluid exchange. Needs oil, transfer case, transmission, and diff fluids changed - to that effect I'm gonna be using the Transynd I have for my 5 ton which is basically a fancy 'forever fill' synthetic Dex 3. I also have full synthetic 5W40 on tap for the engine, and full synthetic 75W90 for both diffs. I also elected to go with LubeLocker gaskets (thanks to an excellent suggestion from a member here) and a rear diff cover that has a drain in it, since the govbomb is super sensitive, it'll give me an opportunity to inspect/replace fluid easily in the event water makes it through the vent.

4. The wiring.. .Ugh.
4a. I'm gonna be putting back the blackout/service light functionality, albeit not with factory switches. I have a bank of SPDT and DPDT switches that will mount perfectly in the prior home of the blackout light switches. Instead of the unreliable pull knob and issue-prone blackout light switches - 3 position on-off-on switches will allow for selecting either service, blackout, or off, but in a much more intuitive manner.
4b. Those same style switches are also gonna be used for manual glow plug, and start... (on) off (on) momentary since I need to swap out the starter relay anyway.
4c. Once again, same switch bank, accy/run on a switch - through high current relays.
4d. The purpose being that all controls for starting/running the truck will be in that switch panel - no more keys (other than for padlock/doors), and a hidden starter bypass that has to be engaged before the truck will start - so no concerns about theft.
4e. The battery terminals look brand new but are super loose and don't want to tighten - So those will need to be replaced.
...and that's just the start.

5. I will need to remove the steering wheel and remove the locking pawl from the steering wheel to prevent the wheel from locking with no key.
6. Replace glow plugs.
7. Replace harmonic balancer

.....and many, many more....

Part of the posts I've done in the Behr paint thread, so you may want to check those out.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

First thing I tackled was paint - I wanted to get it done when it was warm and sunny but had to work, then had to travel across the country for 3 weeks for family matters and before I knew it, it was October.

Luckily, I had been sanding for 20 mins here and there every couple days so most of the sanding had been done.

I opted for PPG Permanizer in lieu of Behr 4300 in hopes that it would last longer -- the first coat got ruined when it rained before the paint had time to cure...

(full link here) https://www.steelsoldiers.com/threads/behr-paint-jobs-show-me-your-mvs.76210/post-2624091



I ended up sanding it down - then repainting it inside a carport that I kept heated with a diesel heater for a couple days.





I then swapped out the 15" 31x10.5R15 for 16" 285/75/16... I bought the wheels/tires as a set for dirt cheap knowing the tires aren't long for this world. 285/75/16 is equivalent to 33x11.5R15 in size and width - but they're also HALF THE PRICE of 33x11.5R15 -- and 12.5 are just a tad too wide for me.

So, this is basically how it sat this morning, although pics were taken a couple days ago.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

Today I tackled the first 'upgrade'...

Lighting is ALWAYS a PITA with these trucks, and I hate 1157 sockets with a passion as it relies on spring tension of metal for both ground and major/minor contacts and it has virtually zero protection against any corrosion.

Also, 1980s lighting technology is horrendous. Between sealed beam halogen headlamps and incandescent bulbs for turn signals and parking lamps - they had to go.

Cosmetically - I reconditioned the parking/turn lamps on the front, and got brand new replacement side markers.

Functionally - here's the good part.

1st, I added the slave port back in. In the future, I will be adding a plate with 2 Anderson SB350 connectors in Red (24V) and Grey (12V) to match the rest of my fleet for jumpstarting, charging, and general utility - which will be placed where the blackout drive light was.



2nd. I ditched the 1157 sockets for 3157 sockets. Chevy has used a similar housing design for their 90's trucks but they switched to 3157 sockets, so a quick image comparison between the holes on the back of the front park/turn along with rear brake light housings to the key of the 'new' 3157 sockets revealed a close enough match!



Now, I have positive securement, can get newer design bulbs (a lot of the newer LED designs aren't available in 1157) .


So, as I needed to cut off the existing sockets to wire in the new ones.. I started pulling out the old socket... and pulling..... and pulling.. and.... Yeah... This apparently had been repaired at least 2 other times. When making a repair DO NOT just keep extending wires and most certainly do not rely on not ony one, but multiple splices with unsealed butt connectors!




First step is to get the proper connectors.

You can either use SEALED heat shrink butt connectors, or, in my case, I went with a sealed solder connector. The sealed solder connector is a little more difficult to work with in some respects, but either will give you a near-permanent, maintenance free connection protected from corrosion if done properly.

Both have a heat activated glue on the inside that seals the connection from the elements. The main difference is the solder one uses a low melting temp solder that will bond the two wires. The butt connector obviously uses a compression sleeve that forces the wires together. This is a relatively low voltage/amperage connector so either will do. The important part is that it make a good connection and be sealed from the elements.

First thing to do is grab a multimeter, and check the wires for which is ground, minor (low) and major (high). This is important because you don't know what the previous guy did - and it surely wouldn't be the first time I've 'fixed' something just to have to redo it 12 seconds later because I assumed the previous wiring was done properly.

Once the wires are identified, you'll want to strip back the insulation on each of the wire leads - strip only one set of wires at a time, eg both grounds, so as to not confuse the other wires and accidentally connect the wrong wires.

You're going to slide the connector completely down one side.....




Then (and this will take some practice) you'll need to twist the wires together, while still in a straight line. I do this by cutting the sheath back a hair farther than needed, then matching the wires together at the halfway point, then twisting them together. They should look something like this.




Then you slide the connector over, and use a heat gun (or a lighter, if you're good enough) to heat up the solder, which allows it to flow into the wire and permanently join them. Then the rest of the connector to melt the glue and seal the rest of it.... and then you're left with this...




You'll notice at the bottom of the connectors on both the blue wire and the black wire where the connector appears to change color - it's not - those are areas where the glue didn't expand to yet. You need to make sure when you're heating it up that the glue melts, and the connecter shrinks across the entire wire - I took this pic right after and later went back over to make sure they were sealed properly.

and *poof* now I have 3157 sockets and modern LED parking/turn signals that will last the life of the truck, and don't have to worry about corrosion on the sockets!

 

[TechnoWeenie]

Next, I focused on LED headlights - making sure to clean the sockets - not only with cleaner but also some light abrasive - then connected and coated with dielectric grease to prevent corrosion. I may/may not add relays in the future, in which case I'll replace the sockets.


So, here we are after today's work -- Slave port added back in, side markers replaced, front parking/turn wiring/sockets replaced, and LED headlights installed.

Yes, I still need to scrape paint of the windshield.
That's a HUGS juice bottle with the top cut off to slide over the slave port connector until I can get a better replacement cap.

You'll also probably notice the parking light lenses and side marker lenses are tinted. Yes, they are. I used a matte tinting spray to help them blend in with the flat paint - otherwise they'd be too shiny/new looking.




Now, keep in mind, I have not aimed the headlights yet.....

So, they are not where they're supposed to be, but good God look at that light.. That's on lowbeam.

Notice the insanely sharp cutoff lines, and it's so bright it's reflecting off a puddle and illuminating a portion of the box above.





Parts used ---

Corner marker socket

3157 socket

LED headlights


--3157 bulbs I'm not going to link to because these are temporary and not high enough quality for me to suggest using full time.

--Dielectric grease is easily found at any auto parts store, online, or even in places like Walmart.

-- Solder shrink connectors can usually be found online, however you have to look out for cheap Chinese ones that don't work. If you're not comfortable with them you can use heat shrink butt connectors, but you cannot use a standard pair of dike style crimpers. You'll want a pair of ratcheting crimpers specifically designed for protected connectors - they're not that expensive and an excellent tool to have on hand if you're doing any wiring.


Solder shrink connectors

High quality heat shrink butt connectors

 

[TechnoWeenie]

1. Replaced the side marker bulb socket on both sides.





2. Replaced the rear side marker bulb socket, and replaced the 1157 brake/turn/park socket with a 3157 socket, as done with the front - and of course made everything LED. Replaced the gasket between the lens and the housing - then greased it up to make sure no water could leak past.

Yes, it's gloss white. It reflects quite well, and the faux chrome spray isn't as reflective. I could have replaced the housings but I already had gloss white paint and it came out better than I expected.






Yes, the pass side rear tire is in a divot..

Parking......






Brake/Turn...




Also, to note, whomever did the wiring 'fixes' on this before I got it.. which I believe was the sheriff's office.... #(%#&(& #(^&^#( #%(#&%( @(%&(&#(%&

They did something so jacked up to this truck. I can turn the parking lights or 4 way flashers on, and they're so dim that the 4 way flashers actually DIMS the lights - until I start the truck. Once truck is running everything is bright as it should be.

Battery voltage is fine, so it's not a dead battery. Cranks without issue as well - so I don't think it's a poor connection issue. There's something in the headlight/parking light/turn signal wiring that's maybe running through an ignition circuit or something, or possibly a high resistance connection in the headlight switch.... but whatever it is, I wanna strangle the people that did it.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

Also noticed.... When I record video on my phone, it turns off the music I was listening to from the speaker but internally pipes it to the video I'm recording.

 

[Mainsail]

Wow, this already looks loads better than the last time I saw it!

All things considered, you're making great progress and props for getting the paint done in WA in the rainy season. Most of us would put it off until summer, but it's a great morale booster to have it looking so good while you tackle the rest of the vehicle.

I like how you blended the spare tire in with the cammo

 

[TechnoWeenie]

Quick note.

Went to inspect the electrical system and its oddities and first thing I notice is the previous owner put in Interstate Group 31s back in 2022 - A solid battery that should last 10 years. Excellent choice!

I go to check the cable tightness, and.. cable just spins... What the... Go to tighten the cable and realize the connector is tight as #(%&, and it's the POST that is spinning. Well, that's not good... How did the post break loose?

Yeah, well... It wasn't the post...

He got 31T.... The T stands for Threaded. There are no standard posts. He or the person he got the batteries from used a threaded to SAE post adapter, which never work. Specifically for this reason. You can't tighten them properly.

Just like this one..

.

Ordering the Connectors and adapters I need to change everything to ring terminals. Already have the hydraulic crimper so with about 20 mins and $10 I should be able to make these connections bulletproof. Then I can keep some SAE military post terrminals in the glove box if I ever switch batteries.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

So, whomever replaced the ends on the cables actually did a pretty good job - they were cold-welded with intense pressure. Pretty much what most people would consider a 'factory' connection but you could tell they were 'home made'. So either PO or SO mechanics had them made. The downside is they used sub-par, standard zinc bolts and nuts so the bolt simply sheared when I tried to loosen the nut.





They also replaced the series cable (that connects the 2 batts to make 24V) with 2/0, which sounds like a bonus but is actually frustrating since all the lugs I got were 2 not 2/0.

I'm going to be running 2 separate runs of 4AWG since I have it laying around - both fused next to battery.
1. Directly to glow plug relay
2. Directly to 12V distribution block on firewall

In trying to remove the nuts on the bus bar, even AFTER spraying with a ton of penetrant, I used so much torque that it snapped in half. Yes, the bus bar snapped in half. *Sigh*. So I'm ordering a new bus bar that will replace the factory one AND I'm just gonna replace the 12v bus bar too. I'm also going to replace the 14AWG running inside that feeds the fuse panel with 10AWG, and may/may not just replace the fuse panel - haven't decided yet.


THIS is why you don't use SAE adapters on threaded terminals, by the way. Remember I was saying you can never get them tight enough? Yeah, all 4 twisted by hand, and none of them were actually seated properly. This was AFTER hitting it with some cleaner and scraping the rust off...



...and you can see the galled threads (soft lead) and rust, just from being exposed to the air...




I was able to remake a couple of the cables - ran out of daylight though.

One thing to make sure of, is to use a hydraulic crimper for the lugs - the 'hammer' crimpers aren't really sufficient, and when using heat shrink, make sure it's got a sealing adhesive, and that you make sure the adhesive sealant melts enough to be squished out a bit around the edges.





The absolutely MASSIVE downside?

I started counting lugs on the bus bar, kept coming up with 2 short (1+/1-). Kept going over in my head what should be connected. Wondering how the hell they miswired the starter...because the starter works. Then I realized it wasn't the starter wires that were missing/rerouted - it was the radio wires. Yes, the 2AWG wires going from the bus bar to the rear radio rack were gone. Not rewired. Not cut. Just completely gone. #(%& (#%&(#%& (#%&(#%&. That's a LOT of money to have them replaced. I planned on them being there, as I was going to use those wires to charge a small 24V 100AH liFePo4 bank through a 500A relay to only join the batteries when the truck is running, or on an over-ride switch that would allow a 'jump' (but not a full start) to starting batteries.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

Yanked out the old, broken bus bar. Nutserts were just spinning so I opted for my M18 oscillating multitool which zipped it right out. The bus bar snapped when trying to undo that bolt, even after a ton of penetrating fluid. Come to find out it was not only galled from corrosion but also crossthreaded.






Sanded down all the contacts, cleaned with contact cleaner.






Installed new bus bars, for both 24V/GND and 12V and put nice layer of dielectric grease on things to aid in corrosion resistance.



Upgraded 12V feed to 4AWG and added 100A fuse. I still need to change terminals, and potentially run new 12V feed lines to the fuse box inside.



Eventually I'll be removing the resistor and going with 24V HMMWV glow plugs, at which point another run of 4AWG will be fused off the 24V distribution block straight into the glow plug relay. 4AWG so, in the event of issue with rear battery I can move it to 12V and glow from there.

I'll have pics of the other stuff when I finish tomorrow.

 

[Another Ahab]

Yanked out the old, broken bus bar. Nutserts were just spinning so I opted for my M18 oscillating multitool which zipped it right out. The bus bar snapped when trying to undo that bolt, even after a ton of penetrating fluid. Come to find out it was not only galled from corrosion but also crossthreaded.


View attachment 961364
View attachment 961365


Sanded down all the contacts, cleaned with contact cleaner.

View attachment 961371
View attachment 961370



Installed new bus bars, for both 24V/GND and 12V and put nice layer of dielectric grease on things to aid in corrosion resistance.

View attachment 961366

Upgraded 12V feed to 4AWG and added 100A fuse. I still need to change terminals, and potentially run new 12V feed lines to the fuse box inside.



Eventually I'll be removing the resistor and going with 24V HMMWV glow plugs, at which point another run of 4AWG will be fused off the 24V distribution block straight into the glow plug relay. 4AWG so, in the event of issue with rear battery I can move it to 12V and glow from there.

I'll have pics of the other stuff when I finish tomorrow.

New-and-Clean always looks good, TechnoWeenie. Nice work!!

 

[TechnoWeenie]

Since I had the battery out of the way, I opted to replace the blower motor resistor since it's a common point of failure in these trucks. I hadn't tested the heater before other than a quick flick of the blower switch to see if the blower worked but figured it'd be smart to pro-actively replace it since I was there - and it was like $13...

Pulled the old one out and... .wouldn't you know.... it's missing a coil...





Compared to the replacement OE GM....







Couldn't reach the connectors on the 12V bus bar since I didn't have my step ladder handy so I hooked them up to test and they're working well. They were sanded down and connected. One of the connectors absolutely needs to be replaced because there's an obvious previous repair with subpar connectors. I also need to secure the new 4AWG feed line.





Made another ground wire - 4AWG, to replace the 10AWG or whatever size it was that goes to the header panel.

Put some battery covers on them to protect them, even if only a little bit.





I mounted 2 AMG fuse holders - 1 for the 12V feed and a second as a future spare. The red zip ties are to just prevent the caps from walking away when the'yre unsnapped from the fuse holder base.





Buttoned everything back up.

One point of concern is - spark when reconnecting the negative lead. NOTHING is supposed to be hot at all times that draws power with ignition off, so SOMETHING the police department did is wired directly to the battery. I'm guessing it's probably the radio (yeah, they installed an AM/FM cassette radio), but haven't confirmed that yet.

Previously, hitting the manual glow plug switch caused the volmteter in the dash to to bury so far in the red it might as well have been in the black.. Now, it barely budges, but still glows properly, so my hunch was correct that loose/corroded/dirty connectors was an issue. There was also a slow/delayed starter engagement. Now it's starting up immediately with no hesitation, even in 20* weather I hit the glows for 10 seconds and it fired up wthout even actuating the cold advance (pedal pushed down half or all the way depending on temp).

Dash lights are dimming when turn signals are on, so there's no doubt still an issue with wiring inside the cab and the crappy job bypassing the BO switch .

 

[reloader64]

TW, looking good so far. I'm interested in seeing the replacement headlight/BO light switches.

Scott

 

[TechnoWeenie]

TW, looking good so far. I'm interested in seeing the replacement headlight/BO light switches.

Scott

So, I'm going to cut out that BO/Headlight switch area and mount a switch panel.

The switch panel will have SPDT/DPDT switches, rocker, in a couple different configurations - I plan on making it a push button start in lieu of keyed ignition. I've had both a key switch housing and an ignition switch fail on me on these trucks, and it appears to be more an age thing than a mileage thing because they both had right around 20K on them - One I just replaced the cylinder but the second one I duplicated the M35/M939 switch setup - I wanted something a little different on this one. Luckily, 1 failure happened at home and the other failure happened while I was out but I was able to finagle an FER and get it started/back home, but wanted to eliminate as much as possible any potential future issues.

(on) off (on) which will be for glow plugs and start
on off on which will be for run and accy
on off on for BO or SERVICE
on off on for Parking or headlights

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R1W2D16 which fits in that opening perfectly - will need to dremel out a little but you can see they already ruined it, so it'll fit and look normal. I did have to purchase some switches separately since this is just a basic panel, and will leave an extra spot for whatever I decide to use it for - possibly red/white dome light.

 

[deank]

1. Replaced the side marker bulb socket on both sides.

View attachment 960516
View attachment 960517


2. Replaced the rear side marker bulb socket, and replaced the 1157 brake/turn/park socket with a 3157 socket, as done with the front - and of course made everything LED. Replaced the gasket between the lens and the housing - then greased it up to make sure no water could leak past.

Yes, it's gloss white. It reflects quite well, and the faux chrome spray isn't as reflective. I could have replaced the housings but I already had gloss white paint and it came out better than I expected.

View attachment 960518




Yes, the pass side rear tire is in a divot..

Parking......

View attachment 960522




Brake/Turn...

View attachment 960521


Also, to note, whomever did the wiring 'fixes' on this before I got it.. which I believe was the sheriff's office.... #(%#&(& #(^&^#( #%(#&%( @(%&(&#(%&

They did something so jacked up to this truck. I can turn the parking lights or 4 way flashers on, and they're so dim that the 4 way flashers actually DIMS the lights - until I start the truck. Once truck is running everything is bright as it should be.

Battery voltage is fine, so it's not a dead battery. Cranks without issue as well - so I don't think it's a poor connection issue. There's something in the headlight/parking light/turn signal wiring that's maybe running through an ignition circuit or something, or possibly a high resistance connection in the headlight switch.... but whatever it is, I wanna strangle the people that did it.

I think I see an M1031 hiding in the top left corner! Keep ‘em working!

 

[Mainsail]

... will leave an extra spot for whatever I decide to use it for - possibly red/white dome light.

No wig-wag?

How about a dimmer so the headlights can set the mood?

 

[TechnoWeenie]

I think I see an M1031 hiding in the top left corner! Keep ‘em working!

I'm hoping to have it listed for sale within a couple weeks.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

No wig-wag?

How about a dimmer so the headlights can set the mood?

That's an entirely different scenario.

I have a Whelen Cantrol WC for that....

 

[TechnoWeenie]

Coming soon, to an M1009 hood near me.

2x 20W solar panels. One for each battery.

I also have 2x100w panels for the roof for the 24V rear battery bank, but that's a future mod.

 

[Another Ahab]

Coming soon, to an M1009 hood near me.

2x 20W solar panels. One for each battery.

I also have 2x100w panels for the roof for the 24V rear battery bank, but that's a future mod.

View attachment 962471

Nice! Where are they going to "live", TechnoWeenie?

Do they just come out and live on the hood when needed?