A few random questions

[punkavenger]

all 59 Apache 3100 235 three on tree related, Thanks!

A. How do you turn on the interior light? If its a matter of turning the headlamp switch, well... that doesn't work! All of the other electronics on the truck work perfectly. Maybe a bulb?

B. Now that I have it running great with the 38 Weber carb and Petronix igniter to replace points and all the other tuneup stuff addressed, it idles so perfectly at 400 RPM you can barely hear it running. 20mph in 1st, 40 in 2nd and 60 in 3rd ... . I sure would like to get it to the point of being just a little more freeway friendly I know this is the perennial problem with these trucks thus all the swapping of parts etc. Anyway to make the engine a little higher reving? Would headers actually make that big of a difference? (I hate to do headers as I just paid over $300 for a new exhaust and that would all have to be redone, but if it would really make a difference...) Or taller tires on the rear? (hate to do that too, looks great the way it is and everything is new) ... Do they make taller gears for the stock diff?

C. How do you adjust the shift linkage?

Thanks!

[Russell Ashley]

"A. How do you turn on the interior light? If its a matter of turning the headlamp switch, well... that doesn't work!"

It could be the bulb but that's easy to check. I'm dealing with the same issue and in my case it is the switch. I have one ordered but won't have it for about a week. There's two wires going to the dome light. One connects to a 12 volt source on the light switch and the other connects to a tab on the side of the switch which is marked "grd". It appears to me that turning the switch counter clockwise to it's limit provides the ground and turns the light on. That part of my switch that provides the ground is missing so I won't be sure about this until I get my new one. The wiring diagram definitely shows the dome light to be connected this way.

[punkavenger]

Well for one, I just checked and there is no bulb! Maybe that has something to do with it! Anyone know what size? Will a 89 work?

Thanks!

[OrrieG]

Old school trick was to swap out the pistons for aluminum ones, less mass = more revs.

[punkavenger]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

Old school trick was to swap out the pistons for aluminum ones, less mass = more revs.

thats a cool idea

[punkavenger]

Originally Posted by Russell Ashley

"A. How do you turn on the interior light? If its a matter of turning the headlamp switch, well... that doesn't work!"

It could be the bulb but that's easy to check. I'm dealing with the same issue and in my case it is the switch. I have one ordered but won't have it for about a week. There's two wires going to the dome light. One connects to a 12 volt source on the light switch and the other connects to a tab on the side of the switch which is marked "grd". It appears to me that turning the switch counter clockwise to it's limit provides the ground and turns the light on. That part of my switch that provides the ground is missing so I won't be sure about this until I get my new one. The wiring diagram definitely shows the dome light to be connected this way.

I see why the bulb was missing ... it stays permanently on! Any insight into this phenom?

[Russell Ashley]

Either you have a shorted wire or your light switch is bad. Disconnect the wire on the GRD tab of the switch and see if the light goes off. If it does the switch is the problem. If it doesn't go off with the GRD wire removed that would indicate that the wire is shorted somewhere between the light and the switch.
This is a diagram of the light switch from the wiring diagram. The two dotted lines are the wires to the dome light.

[punkavenger]

Originally Posted by Russell Ashley

Either you have a shorted wire or your light switch is bad. Disconnect the wire on the GRD tab of the switch and see if the light goes off. If it does the switch is the problem. If it doesn't go off with the GRD wire removed that would indicate that the wire is shorted somewhere between the light and the switch.
This is a diagram of the light switch from the wiring diagram. The two dotted lines are the wires to the dome light.

Thanks! Not sure if I want to mess with the wiring too much as I just got everything working perfectly and perhaps the dome light isn't really that important at this point in time.

On a positive note it was a bear to shift so I took apart the shift linkage on the column as per instructions on this forum, cleaned and lubed everything real well and it works much better... Thanks!

[OrrieG]

Originally Posted by punkavenger

perhaps the dome light isn't really that important at this point in time.

Right up to the time the problem burns your truck to the ground. I burned the crap out of my hand when the wire from the starter switch to solenoid shorted out in the boonies and I ripped the smoking wire out to keep the rest of the loom from going up in smoke. Ended up stripping out one of the tail light wires to temp wire the coil, etc. so I could get home. Unless you know for sure it is a problem that will not cause an electrical fire you need to get to the bottom of it.

[punkavenger]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

Right up to the time the problem burns your truck to the ground. I burned the crap out of my hand when the wire from the starter switch to solenoid shorted out in the boonies and I ripped the smoking wire out to keep the rest of the loom from going up in smoke. Ended up stripping out one of the tail light wires to temp wire the coil, etc. so I could get home. Unless you know for sure it is a problem that will not cause an electrical fire you need to get to the bottom of it.

Good advice ... Thanks!