Chevy C/K Series Maintenance and Repair

xwesx · May 2005

I had a problem with a whine like you described for a while, and it definitely seemed to be linked to the clutch system. I lubed the bushings on the clutch linkage and it went away, but it would also go away if I put pressure on the clutch pedal as well. So, maybe I am barking up the wrong tree here.

drew6 · May 2005

Sounds pretty close, I may have just let it go too far. I just spent a load of money having bearings and things put in i also put in a clutch kit, It is not making the noise yet, but I will wait and see
Thanks

phoneman · May 2005

Have a 1989 Scotsdale 1500 4x4. With a different motor.350, what year ?? I am having what i think might be fuel/air issues. the truck seems like it's always groaning for air. I have had lots of bucking and popping at low speeds doing larger inclines. occassionally it will stall right out from a stop. The carb is a large 2-barrel
with two fuel injectors on top ( each side has 2 wires going into the top of the fuel
injector assemble) It looks to me as if to much fuel is coming out as i look down the card throat.More like a heavy spray as appossed to it misting out.

xwesx · May 2005

What kind of an air intake do you have on it? Stock? You may consider (for a cheap fix) pulling the lid off the filter housing and cutting three large openings out of the sides (to make it look like a plate supported by a tripod) so it breathes better. I did this on mine and it was like night and day, the difference. I have to replace the filters more frequently, but the extra power is well worth it. I change out the filters at the beginning of every summer, but I only run 1-2K per year on it. I could probably get away with a 5K replacement interval pretty easy.

tat79 · May 2005

I have a 2001 silverado 4x4 and last summer it was doing the same thing. I had just bought it so the dealership fixed it so i cant tell you the cost, its a sensor thats gone in the sending unit and the box does not have to come off.

pan1 · May 2005

I'm replacing the original radio and am trying to find where the speaker wires connect to it. I've removed the cassette player and it's plug from the radio receiver (behind the ashtray), which leaves one other plug. The front speaker wire color coding doesn't match the wires in the other plug at all. Does anybody know where the speaker wires connect into the radio system?

I've checked Chilton book, but it has no wiring for the radio system, and a call to the local Chevy dealership service department was no help. The gentleman I talked to said he didn't know and they had no wiring diagrams. When I asked him how they worked on them, he said they had access to computerized diagrams, but tyey would not let customers look at them.

Pretty different from how I've been treated by Toyota and Chrysler, both of whom have been very open when I needed similar info. And me in the market for another truck in the next year or so....

pan1 · May 2005

I found part of the answer, the color code of all the speaker wires, but still need to know where they connect.

Here's what I found so far, hope it helps someone else as much as me!

http://community.webshots.com/album/119366473dZwsrk)

First click on the appropriate year for your truck, then make sure that you select the "normal size" icon, otherwise you won't be able to see it.

bobbo1963 · May 2005

After talking it over with Chevy Transmission mechanic he suggested that the pressure plate may have been bad. So I took it all apart and exchanged it. Put it all together and ...nothing. Same problem. after comparing the master cylinder clutch engagement rods I noticed that they the new one was 3/16 of an inch shorter. Couldn't use the the old one because the plastic that connected it to the clutch was busted. Cut off a the nubbin at the end of the old one and put it in the slot for the master cylinder and voila it works fine. a Month 1/2 wasted because the auto parts store sold me the wrong stuff. I don't fee bad exchanging a perfectly good clutch with them because of that. Bad part was Chevy doesn't offer the connector rod seperately any more so I had to purchase the whole master cylinder.

kingbuck · May 2005

I've got a 1996 C/K 1500 4x4 with the Vortec and 236 thousand k's on it. On top of all the problems I have had with it, my latest is that it will not start when it is cold.

I have replaced the cap,rotor, spark plugs and wires also the fuel filter and I have had compression test done but no one can find anything. After it gets running and it warms up it's fine, will start every time. :confuse: Any help would be great.
kingbuck

xwesx · May 2005

Will not start when what is cold? The truck? The air temperature? If it is the air temperature, at about what temp do you start noticing the problem?

85chevysb · May 2005

hey guys, i have an 85 chev short box, store it every winter for the last 12 years, well this spring i went to put the battery back in and as soon as i tighten the last battery lead the wiring on the firewall started smoking and it popped one of the fusable links. i pulled the starter and checked it, thought that maybe the headers had killed it, or melted the wires to it but everything looks good. anyone have any ideas? the nice weather is back and i want to show off my ride....

kingbuck · May 2005

The out side temp, I don't think matters. It can be 50 degrees out or it can be 80 out. As long as the truck sits for, lets say 1 hour or longer it will not won't to start.
If I drive to the corner store, shut the truck off, go in and come out. The truck starts right up. But if it sits forget it. :lemon:

nsinogui · May 2005

I need help I have a chevy 1990 van MARK III, and I need to know the time settings for it. Can you help???

dustyk · May 2005

Replace the throttlebody base gasket. They are a common problem. After time the gasket gets eaten away allowing air to be pulled into the intake manifold.

Bet it starts lousy, too.

Good luck,
Dusty

KCRam · May 2005

Since this is the discussion for C/K pickups, you'll probably get faster answers over at the Maintenance and Repair Board.

kcram - Pickups Host

pnaking · May 2005

I recently purchase a 1980 C20 for a buddy. Runs great, need a little body work. Anyway, I failed idle part of the Utah state emissions test. I was idleing at 960 and read a 2.98, I need to be at 2.00 or lower. The mechanic told me that if I adjusted the jet all the way in until it started missing and let them out 3/4 turn or so it should take can of it. First, will this, or anything else accually help, and second....where the heck are the jet adjustments screw located. It is a stock 350 with what should be the stock 2-barrel carb. I have found the idle and fast idle adjustments, on the left and right side of the card respectfully, but thats it. Any help would be great!!

Thx

xwesx · May 2005

This is just a shot in the dark here, but is it possible that you have a fuel pressure problem? Perhaps a backflow valve or something is bad that is allowing the fuel lines to depressurize when the vehicle is turned off, and it is not allowing the rig to start due to lack of pressure. Most electric fuel pumps activate when the key is in the "ON" position, so maybe if you turn the truck to "ON" and wait for 10 seconds before attempting to start, it will help. If it doesn't, then probably not the fuel pressure. Again, just a thought.

Another possibility might be an airflow sensor, but if the vehicle is not recording any codes, that one might be tougher to ferret out!

Good luck.

-Wes-

xwesx · May 2005

This is coming from a '69 owner, but the jets on the 2 bbl are on the VERY bottom of the front of the carbeurator - and they are not very big! Turn both completely to the left to shut off, then 1/2 turn to the right as a starting point. If you start the engine and use the throttle linkage on the carb to keep the motor running while you tinker, you should be able to adjust the screws 1/4 turn (to the right) at a time until you just get a smooth idle. Then adjust the low idle speed down to around 600 rpm. I always do this when the engine is warm, but not sure if that is the "proper" way.

-Wes-

85chevysb · June 2005

hey bud, with the older chev rochestor carbs, the jet screws were covered over in aluminum and you will need to drill the plug out before you will be able to adjust them. i can't tell you off hand where abouts they would be on your carb but went through the same with an old pick up i had, and a buddy of mine just had the same thing happen to him. any good machanic should be able to tell you where you can locate the plugs to drill out to locate your jet screws.

good luck!

gordo45 · June 2005

Changed from a 350 to a 305 - installed a prom for a 305 -new injectors, plugs , caps, wires, etc Engine service light is on and the engine floods....help?

khtheripper · June 2005

I own a 1984 Chevy Scottsdale. 305,6'' suspension lift,35 x 12.5 super swampers, heddman headers, flowmaster super 40's. (turn downs).
I seem to have a bit of a problem with my brakes. I noticed it about 3 days ago, I have to give the brakes hell to slow it down. I hear the sound of compressed air or something, so I figured it's probably just my brakes needing to be bled. The only thing is, I have a bleeding screw, I know its a 2 person job, and I know 1 person has to be inside stepping and holding down the break but I don't know what the other person is supposed to be doing. I don't even know where the bleeding screw goes?! Please someone help me.

xwesx · June 2005

Yes, 2-person job. You probably do not have to worry about raising this truck up any in order to get under it comfortably

so crawl under there and take a look at the back side of the brake assemblies. Aw, crap. Here comes my outdated knowledge again.... I imagine that an '84 Scottsdale would have disc brakes on the front? That's going to alter the placement a bit, but the procedure should be the same. Look for where the brake line accesses the caliper assembly / wheel cylinder (on drum brakes). Relatively near this location, there should be what looks like a small bolt with a something vaguely resembling a grease fitting but with a large opening on the end. This is the bleeder valve, and each wheel has one. Get yourself a small jar and place a little (maybe 3/4" deep) brake fluid in it. Get a 3/8" hose, maybe 18" long, and attach it to the end of the "grease valve" apparatus. Place the other end in the brake fluid in the jar.

Open your master cylinder (in the engine compartment) and make sure both reservoirs are filled with fluid. Close it. Now you are ready to begin. With the person in the cab applying pressure to the brake pedal, open the bleeder valve with the appropriately sized wrench - it has standard threads. as soon as it is loosened slightly, you should start seeing bubbles from the hose in the jar and the brake pedal will depress for your helper. When the pedal reaches full compression, the person in the cab should hold it, tell you it is down, and then you close the valve. You tell the other person it is closed, that person releases the pedal, applies pressure, and you repeat 3-4 times until no bubbles form and only fluid enters the jar (you'll see the fluid level rising!).

Repeat this procedure for all 4 brakes and, if you have significant amounts of air or are transferring quite a bit of fluid to the jar, be sure to check the reservoir level and again at the end of the procedure.

It is quite simple and should not require more than 10 minutes to perform. You should not need to remove any wheels to do it. Do not reuse the fluid that is expelled into the jar, as it may contain impurities that could (conceivably) clog your brake lines. It is not absolutely necessary to use the hose and jar - you could just open the valves without them - but this makes it much less messy and the air in the line becomes quite obvious. I highly recommend using the hose and jar!

Good luck!

-Wes-

mrl390 · June 2005

Does anyone know if you can put a carburetor on a small block chevy 305 that came from the factory with Electronic Fuel injection and if yes, HOW?!?!

baxla · June 2005

it could be taking a while for it to build enough oil pressure for the ecm to alow it to fire.

i would suggest looking down the throttle body, and see if it is injecting while cranking. if it is, then check for spark while cranking.

that will narrow down what the problem is.

baxla · June 2005

just out of curiosity....... why would you want to?

baxla · June 2005

just a thought.... but i have a 92, that 2 years ago was having the same symptoms. i changed the o2 senser, plugs wires rotor cap tps, and was still stumped. so i started bypassing things. when i disconected and plugged the vacume line to the egr valve, it went away. the valve was torn and leaking directly into the intake manifold. replaced it when it was time to do emmissions, and it was fine when i hooked it back up.

p.s. if you have the same problem, get a factory egr valve, or you won't pass emissions.

mrl390 · June 2005

My computer and wiring are all screwed up. I would like not to change to a carb but it may be my only solution to get my chevy to run.

mrl390 · June 2005

I recently took apart the 305 sb engine in my 1988 chevy c/k 1500. It comes from the factory with electronic fuel injection. I put the engine back together and plugged the EFI plugs all back into the right places. When i turn the key no gas is being spit out by the injectors but when I touch the battery charger to the electrodes on top of the throttle body gas comes out. I believe that the problem is with a wire or a relay gone bad. Any suggestions on what to check/fix to get my EFI to spit gas when I turn the key? Thanks

plcattle · June 2005

Steve,

Your recommendation was right on..........the cushion pad was missing and that was exactly the source of the clank.

I cut three inch strips of old fan belt, took some JB weld and placed the strips on the leaf and now it rides nice and quiet!

That noise was just about to drive me to the point of insanity so I very much appreciate your insights and your recommendation.

Out of curiousity, how did you attach your homemade plastic inserts to the leaf? I thought about some designs but a bolt running through the hole would seemed to allow metal to metal contact.

Thanks again for sharing your experience......

baxla · June 2005

keep in mind, the ecm controlls more than just the tbi. it also controlls the ignition timing. i don't know how the computer would react to not having the injectors hooked up. even if the ignition still worked, the cam is pretty agressive for a carb, and it may not idle very well.

baxla · June 2005

are you cranking the engine while looking at the injectors? how is the oil pressure? it won't inject fuel without oil pressure.

are you getting any "check engine light"?

also, did you remove the harness from the bulkhead when you pulled the engine? there could be a loose conection there.

mrl390 · June 2005

I am looking at the injectors, no fuel is coming out, i have fuel and oil pressure for sure, no check engine light, did not remove the harness, only unplugged plugs from computer beside throttle body.

mrl390 · June 2005

I really need help with this, the wiring for the fuel injection on my SB 305 im my 88 chevy c/k 1500 is messed up. I took the engine apart and put it back together. I hooked up the wiring correctly for the EFI but it still wont inject fuel when the engine is cranked. Some people have told me that it may be a wire or a relay gone bad. Is this a common problem and is there any way to find out what is keeping the throttle body from spitting gas? Please help, I'd like to get my truck running before my 16th birthday.

mhadman · July 2005

sounds like a wiring problem...there are two plugs at the rear of your distributor...are they reversed?the plugs relay a message to the fuel pump to let it know the engine is cranking..check to make sure these plugs are properly plugged into the base of your distributor

mhadman · July 2005

the reason to use the jar is so that if the pedal is let up before you tighten the bleeder screw,brake fluid will be drawn back into the system rather than air....what i did was find some rubber vaccum tubing about 2 feet long...drill a hole slightly smaller than the tubing into a 12 oz.plastic pepsi bottle cap..screw cap onto bottle and insert tube unti tube is 1/8 inch or so off the bottom...then take cap off and fill about 1/3rd with brake fluid...screw on cap,and then your good to attatch it to your bleeder...also,a 6 point line wrench of the correct size(i think its 12mm)will help from rounding off the bleeder screw and needing to use vice grips..if this happens,buy new bleeder screws..

mhadman · July 2005

1989 chevy 1/2 ton 4wd pick up w/350 5 spd

enclosed clutch release arm w/slave cylinder bolter to tranny housing..

all new components purchased..master,slave,and line

the instuctions for the slave indicate that the push rod should have a retaining strap keeping it compressed inside the slave until enought pressure is built up,causing the strap to break,and sending the pushrod into the clutch release arm..my new unit did not have the retaining strap..when i called the parts store and had them look at others,they were described as bieng the same as the unit i have.

my question is this,if the slave cylinder is instaled with the pushrod extended,will i be able to proberly bleed the system,or will there be an air pocket that will not expell?

p.s.on this tranny,there is a plug about the size of a half dollar right where the pushrod meets the throw out arm...so if it came down to it,i could compress the rod into the cylinder if need be..or i may take the slave back and get one with the restraining strap..

mhadman · July 2005

sorry for the late responce..i just found this place today...i put a k&n cold air kit in mine and it takes in plenty of air...coupled with a set of shortystainless steel headers and it breathes in and out great..added noticeable power gain also...i have an 89 z_71..350 with tbi setup also..

okieokie · July 2005

I have a 84 Custom D with a 305 (stock). However, living in Oklahoma, the emissions equipment is not needed. I thought it would be best to ask for advice before I actually just start removing items from the engine. Necessary parts vs. Unnecessary parts. Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

85chevysb · July 2005

i basically went through the same thing when i did a complete motor swap with my 85 Custom D. with removing all the emission crap, it really throws a mess into your computer but what i did was swapped out my distributor with an older style one (pre-computer years)
and disconnected my computer all together. you'll have remove your EGR Valve and put a "block off " plate in it's place, and after that you should be free to remove it all.

twista · July 2005

ok this is the deal i bought a 1984 chevy k10 from this guy i thought he was cool i looked at the truck before i got it and everything was ok it had a air filther and oil filther and oil so i went the next day to pick it up and didn't think about looking at it agen got in and drove home about 1/2 way home the engine went to all hell so i got out looked at it and the air and oil filther had been taken off so their was no oil in the engine so i bought a new 350 for the truck i am putting it in on monday july 18 05 and i got everything i need except a vacume hose diagram i have no clue as to where they all go and if i even need them all so if anybody can help please do so it would be very much appreciated thank you please email me at twista13d@yahoo.com i need it very soon thank you

marvin70 · July 2005

I have a 1970 C10, with a rebuilt 350. I have been running the carburetor with no choke for about a year, with no real probs. I've been pumping the gas up with the accelerator, instead. The problem I'm now having is that the truck will crank up and then immediately die. I noticed a strong gas smell, immediately following this. The truck is flooding. Next try, I took off the air filter housing and had my wife turn the engine, so that I could see what was up. When the engine turns, it is forcing gas out the top edges of the carb. Is my carburetor dead? What can I do?

colsanders · July 2005

:confuse: HEY CAN YALL HELP ME FIND A 5 TO 6 LUG CONVERSION KIT FOR A 1997 GMC C1500. I HAVE A SET OF 6 LUG RIMS AND TIRES(made for k1500)AND NEED TO CONVERT MY 5 LUG HUBS TO 6 LUG. IF YALL GOT SOME ADVICE OR A LINK TO A WEBSITE THAT WILL HELP PLEASE POST IT.

p.s. do they even make conversions or will i have to replace the hub, or can i even do that i dont know i just got the truck so i dont know much about em please if yall know somethin help me out thanks.

mckenney · July 2005

1989 chevy v6 i seem to be getting fuel to the fuel injectors but the engine will not crank. when the fuel line is un hooked from the body the engine will start when it is hooked back the engine will just turn over and will not start is there some thing electrical wrong

mckenney · August 2005

I have found that if I unhook the injectors the engine will run for a few seconds and then when I hook them back up it will run and die out.

skeeter2 · August 2005

my low coolant light comes on and the coolant is not low. engine temperature stays around 190 to 200 degrees. anyone have an answer?

grcsomd · August 2005

Hello! I noticed smoke and my passenger front wheel was throwing off heat. I figured a stuck Caliper (23 years old?) and so replaced both L&R Calipers and Pads. After driving 2-3 miles the problem came back, smoke and heat. I am now worried there is something clogging the brake line and not allowing the pressure to release back into the master cyl. Seems to be only on the left side, so possibly in prop. valve or rubber brake line leading to caliper. Is there a way to (back?) flush the brake lines and possibly clear whatever may be blocking the return pressure (like for heater cores, etc.)? Are there any other troubleshooting steps I can try?

Thanks-

George

charlie15 · August 2005

The way to fix your problem is to replace the flexible hose to your caliper. The inside breaks down and clogs the fluid from returning. In some cases you will find that a quick and sudden stomp on the pedal will not stop the vehicle but if you hit it a little slower it will stop. I know this from experience. I replaced rotors, pads and calipers and it didn't help. Replaced the hose and no problem since. Better replace both sides because the other won't be long behind it.

grcsomd · August 2005

Thanks! I'll give that a shot. While I am at it.. I will put all new brake fluid in the system as well.

George

bkbowser · August 2005

I need some help! I have a 1995 C1500 with a brake (red) light on. I found the rear brake line had rusted through. I replaced the brake line, but now I can't bleed the rear brakes because I think the brake differential valve is stuck in one position - just like it should be. I have anti-lock brakes and I don't know how to overcome the brake differential switch (if it even has one) so that I can bleed the rear brakes. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

prieve · August 2005

The brakes can be bled by simply starting at the brake the farthest away from the master cylinder. Open up the bleed valve and let gravity work out the air by letting them drip for a few minutes. close and move to the next one. It is helpful to have a piece of clear plastic hose to attach to the bleed valve and a 16 oz plastic pop bottle to let the brake fluid drip into to aoid a mess to clean up.

Chevy C/K Series Maintenance and Repair

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