...see somebody post a comment here stating there is absolutely nothing wrong with their truck? Or that everything on it works (except the ashtray light)? Or that it runs better than it ever has? That's my truck right now.

Enjoying it while I can.

That is all.

 

LOLOL. Not like you haven't been doing a lot of work to it of late. Its always nice when that pays off.

 

Kinda started 4 years ago when the PCM went out. Actually, it was you who gave me a workaround for the bad voltage regulator in the "rebuilt" PCM. Then 3 years ago I had my first muffler replacement and from there it was one thing after the other. New suspension parts all around (except leaf springs), new steering parts all around (except rack and column), new brakes all around (except booster), body mounts, u-joints, some body work, all kinds of smaller/medium repairs. Feels like there's more new stuff on that truck than original stuff now. The hardest job I did was the lower control arm bushings. Had to take the coil springs out. That was easy. Putting them back in was not. I swore I would never get them back in. Took forever. I cannot put into words the relief I had when I took that one wack with the sledge hammer when the last coil popped into place. Good Lord! Most frustrating job by far was that stupid voltage regulator. Took 3-1/2 years of bugging you guys and losing my mind to get that right. Turns out to be a temperamental factory regulator plug. Unbelievable! So yes, your solution for bypassing the PCM and installing an external voltage regulator was absolutely the correct advice. Just need parts that work. My advice is skip buying the flimsy electrical components and just make your own. It's too simple not to. Thought the kit would save me headaches. NOPE!

 

Now you can enjoy it for a while. I LOVE having a truck that starts every time I turn the key, goes into gear when I tell it to, and takes me where I want to go without issue. (regardless of terrain.... ) That's why I still have my gas guzzling 8.0 liter powered road brick.

 

There's something more special about making an old truck run good vs a new truck. Wouldn't you say?

One thing I never completely understood about that regulator. I think it's very sensitive to the power it needs to function properly. Stick with me here. When I first installed the regulator I used a 4' piece of 14 gauge power wire that spliced into the 14 gauge pigtail on the regulator plug (about a 5" pigtail). That didn't work at all. Got very wild voltage fluctuations. The guy I bought the kit from told me I need to use a 12 gauge power wire. So I did. The fluctuation was reduced by 80%. I guess I was a bit flummoxed. Isn't a wire only as good as its weakest point? So I use a 4' long piece of 12 gauge but when it's spliced into a 5" pigtail that's 14 gauge I effectively only have a 14 gauge wire, no? I can only come up with one theory. Resistance.

Correct me where my thinking is flawed.... two wires. One wire has a 4' piece of 14 gauge spliced into a 5" piece of 14 gauge. The second wire has a 4' piece of 12 gauge spliced into a 5" piece of 14 gauge. Is it true the second wire will have less resistance in total? And if so, the "extra" resistance in the first wire would sap the power going to the regulator...to the point where it would cause the voltage fluctuation? I'm not sure how resistance interferes with voltage other than lowering watts below some kind of threshold. Help me with my confusion. My electrical skills lack.

 

The smaller wire will indeed have more resistance than the larger wire, and length of said wire most certainly plays a role. Your reasoning is sound.

 

Those regulators must be picky about power. Particularly when most of the wires in that truck are 14 gauge. Wont work for the regulator. Not as demanding as a starter but certainly more than the large majority of components.

 

Yeah, gotta admit that I am rather surprised it is that sensitive to input voltage. The difference between wires is gonna be tiny.

 

Just for giggles I looked up a resistance chart. 14 gauge copper wire vs 12 gauge copper wire.

2.58 vs 1.62 ohms/1000 ft

That’s a much larger difference than I would have guessed. But we’re talking about a short wire. Guess I can’t wrap my brain around it.

 

Congratulations. Same for me. Mine was out of commission for a year, a while back. Now the only two things on my to do list are; recover the sun visors and I put the drivers side window switch back in upside down. I may never get to those. It’s a good thing because I have been working on my grand-daughters 85 El Camino project car, with her, for the last year.