Spent some time with the new '85 today, including a shakedown trip

[jrblanke]

I took the bug sheild, bumper stickers, and kenco running boards off the truck today, then drove the truck 32 miles to work. The drive was kind of a shake down trip to learn more about it's over all condition. What stuff worked, what stuff didn't work, any strange noises, etc.

The radio works pretty good. Freebird came on the radio, that was awesome. The drivers side mirror is a little loose which created a really annoying vibration at idle. Not really a big deal.

The only disturbing thing I found (besides a loose mirror), was this horrindous noise that seemed to come from the front of the transmission hump in the floor. It sounded like a grinding...WWHAAAGGGGGGG. It only happened when I was sitting still and nailed the gas. It seemed to be more violent when I had the wheel turned to take a 90 degree turn. At first I thought it was torque converter/transmission related, but now I am thinking that it is a loose motor mount or transmission mount that is allowing something to touch something else when it shouldn't. I am going to do some looking tomorrow to see if my fan has been hitting the shroud or the drive shaft hitting something.

I will update tomorrow night with what I find

[bk2life]

Originally Posted by jrblanke

It seemed to be more violent when I had the wheel turned to take a 90 degree turn.

power steering pump whine?

[jrblanke]

I'll definitely check the fluid on that tomorrow, but I don't believe it is the power steering. My '73 corvette has made the power steering pump whine before, and this noise from the truck is different from that (same type pumps).

Thanks,

James

[motornut]

Originally Posted by bk2life

power steering pump whine?

or use a broom stick to your ear...helps find a bad air pump

[jrblanke]

Here are the pictures after removing the running boards and bug sheild.












I didn't get the chance to do much investigating today. I looked under the truck at the U joints and motor mounts and trans mount but I didn't see anything obviously wrong. I believe I am going to have to get a second person to help me out. I will plan to do that over Christmas.

[68Timber]

It sure is a good looking truck. Good luck finding the noise.

[LEEVON]

Gotta love the white knuckle shakedown run. Then Freebird comes on a it's like your in some sort of alternate 80's universe/paradise.

I think I might have already said it, but sweet truck!

[motornut]

nice,

[INSIDIOUS '86]

Man I wish I had those bed rails. Nice truck for sure!
Posted via Mobile Device

[Low84]

Nice truck and good luck tracking the problem

Originally Posted by LEEVON

Gotta love the white knuckle shakedown run. Then Freebird comes on a it's like your in some sort of alternate 80's universe/paradise.

I think I might have already said it, but sweet truck!

I don't know what I've become more addicted to negotiating prices on old vehicles or the adrenaline rush of driving the darn things back scared out of my mind. Last one had a bad transmission that would disengage the shifter from the transmission and had to be started with a screwdriver. The other one turned off on me twice and I was still able to get both home under their own power

[jrblanke]

I was able to identify that awful grinding/binding noise is coming from the radiator cooling fan hitting the plastic fan shroud. I know this because I was showing my neighbor the problem and when I nailed the gas hard enough, the fan took off enough of the plastic shroud that it was still hitting slightly when the engine was at idle.

I got under the truck and replaced the transmission mount which appeared to be broken. I did not replace the motor mount, but I believe the drivers side is broken. I am not going to drive the truck anymore until I replace that motor mount (or I am just going to end up with another broken transmission mount.

Must have been all the frame twisting torque from the 155 horse power 4.3L V6



In other news, I believe the front left brake line has collapsed. When I tried bleeding the brakes, barely any fluid came out of the bleeder. The bleeder and caliper are not rusty and appear to be new (previous owner said he replaced the caliper a week before I purchased the truck from him).

[LEEVON]

I broke a 4.3L motor mount once, although it was more from wreckless tomfoolery than torque. My Dad had a '92 Silverado with the 4.3L and NV3500. You could put that trans in the super low 1st gear, stomp on the gas and it would roar to redline, travel about 20' (literally, the gear was stupid low) then the fun would come when you grabbed 2nd. Then one day "out of the blue" the fan started hitting the shroud...

Dad, if you ever happen read this I'm sorry and at least I never burned up the clutch!

[bbbc10]

looks good....i still need to find some bedrails like that

[Joesjunk]

Great looking truck!

[silvereagle07]

Looking good jrblanke! What's next in the plans?
Posted via Mobile Device

[jrblanke]

Finally got around to working on the truck. The trans mount was cracked, and the drivers side mount was pretty wasted.

So as it ends up, the crazy noise was the metal fan hitting the shroud.




Silvereagle,
After having a few months to drive and evaluate it, I have decided that I am going to sell it. I know there were lots of these trucks made, but I still can't bring myself to molest such an original truck. I have an 84 silverado that I was working on before buying the blue truck and I think I am just going to continue to work on it. It is a great little truck that putts around town with ease, but the more I drove it the more I wanted to get the V8 silverado back on the road. Can't have both trucks.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by jrblanke

Must have been all the frame twisting torque from the 155 horse power 4.3L V6

That, or the fact that the shroud is a mile long...

(lol)

Nice truck - good luck with it.

K

[jrblanke]

That shroud is pretty crazy! I feel like I could remove it, put some handles, a bottom, and a wheel on it and have a great wheel barrow.