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  1. austinado16

    How to fix loose gm steering column

    It is fully functional without the key in it.
  2. austinado16

    How to fix loose gm steering column

    Wagonman, talk to me. Why does my ignition switch function without the key in it? Something I did on re-assembly, or is something broken in the switch and I just need to buy a new switch?
  3. austinado16

    Can I install a big block radiator in my small block burb?

    My learning curve continues to be steep on this little project. Saw and ad on CL today with a guy parting an '87 2500 Suburban. Call him, it had a SBC, but he says the radiator is the 4 row 3" wide core, 28" wide. I go take a look, and sure enough, it's the thick radiator, but instead of...
  4. austinado16

    Can I install a big block radiator in my small block burb?

    Had a nice attack of stupid today. Remembered that there was a 454 fan and clutch assembly in the bed of the pickup truck where I'd found the 454 radiator shroud. Saw online that they are 7 blade instead of the 5 blade one for the small block. Went over to the yard, bought it, spent an...
  5. austinado16

    Show me your electric fan conversion

    Was at the local yard today to see if they had any Mark 8's. They did, but the radiator and fan were long gone. However, that did have a 2001 Llincoln Town Car and it looks very promising. Huge fan like the Mark 8, but the shroud looks more like our small block shrouds. Looked very promising.
  6. austinado16

    Show me your electric fan conversion

    Nice work. You might want to buy an infrared temp gun. Ebay or Harbor Frieght, or probably Amazon. Fantastic tool, so buy a good one. You'll wind up taking it with you everywhere and shooting the temps of all sorts of components....like trans pan, aux trans cooler, engine oil cooler...
  7. austinado16

    Newb with 82 GMC K1500 - work in progress

    Welcome.....from one newbie to another!
  8. austinado16

    Can I install a big block radiator in my small block burb?

    IMO, the entire automotive parts industry is on it's ass right now. Just about everything is made in a "3rd World Country" and is basically just a replica of an original. Quality control has been replaced with the mentallity of "I don't give a shit, because this part costs 25 cents to make."...
  9. austinado16

    Show me your electric fan conversion

    All you can do is try them and see what happens.
  10. austinado16

    Tap and Die Set

    I've been using a Sears Craftsman set of both, for probably 20 years.
  11. austinado16

    Can I install a big block radiator in my small block burb?

    Save your money up, and only buy an OEM one from the dealer. The aftermarket ones don't work right, and don't last. The one I have from GM is about a year or 2 old. Every "cold, ie, hasn't been driven in a long while," start up it roars and then takes about a mile or 2 before it goes...
  12. austinado16

    How to fix loose gm steering column

    Might be able to R&R that spring without tearing the column down. -Drive pin up just enough to get shift lever out. -Be ready with magnet to capture pieces of spring in case they want to fall out into the column. -Retrieve spring pieces with magnet. -Set new spring in with some bearing...
  13. austinado16

    How to fix loose gm steering column

    A local dealer had the springs. Probably a common failure item. Yes, that's the pin in your photo above, but look on page 2 and message 28 for the photo showing how it looks on the inside of the column. Mine had been loose since day 1, and then one day it was just completely flopping...
  14. austinado16

    How to fix loose gm steering column

    Look back on page 2 at photo 28 and you'll see the shift lever comes through the housing and has a finger at the end. Between that finger and the inner housing is a short and stiff little spring. Drive the pin out of the outside of the lower column housing where the shift lever pivots. You...
  15. austinado16

    How to fix loose gm steering column

    Super nice job on the pictures and explanation!! I had to do mine about a year ago. What a pain in the a$$. My return spring on the shift lever had also broken, so that came apart as well. Quick question for you; since doing mine, my ignition switch no longer "locks" and it can now be...
  16. austinado16

    newby from N.W. Ohio

    Welcome Terry! Nice Honda catcher on the front there! You're truck looks great!!
  17. austinado16

    Newbie w/ a 90 Suburban in SoCal pic heavy

    Not sure what it is with the Miata crowd. News flash; it's just another Japanese copy of something someone else already did.....in this case, the Lotus Elan. But yeah, they're serious about coming to the shows and being allowed to show. And then they want to stand around and brag about all...
  18. austinado16

    Newbie w/ a 90 Suburban in SoCal pic heavy

    LOL........no shit. When I used to show my Austin, the "Miata Guys" were always showing up and entering their cars in the "All British" car shows......like they owned something real. BTW, wasn't trying to talk you out of owning vintage British iron. I love 'em, I just get tired of the 60...
  19. austinado16

    Show me your electric fan conversion

    What radiator do you have the windstar fans on? The longer version of the big block radiator? Just heard back from an ebay seller with the Mark 8 fans. They are 19" to the outside of the round opening. Now I just need to hear from people who've done the e-fan mod and who tow with it, in...
  20. austinado16

    Can I install a big block radiator in my small block burb?

    Couple of tests: -It should be pretty stiff to turn when cold (cold=engine hasn't been run yet). -It should roar for about the first 5-10min after cold start up in the morning, and then go silent. If it doesn't do that, it's dead. -If you see oil w/ dirt stains on the face around or...
  21. austinado16

    Newbie w/ a 90 Suburban in SoCal pic heavy

    The Rabbit gets low 40's to high 30's depending on what I'm doing. Not bad for a "truck." It could get better with the stock 185/13's instead of the snowflakes with the 165/14's (same diameter as the 13's but wider), but I like the look. Don't be fooled by the Mercedes. It's a rusty old...
  22. austinado16

    Can I install a big block radiator in my small block burb?

    Here's how a guy on fullsizechevy.com did the installation of a Lincoln Mark VIII fan into his OE shroud. Je trimmed the M8 shroud and screwed/bolted it into the OE shroud.
  23. austinado16

    Show me your electric fan conversion

    Here's a thread over on fullsizechevy.com where a guy installed the Mark 8 fan inside his OE fan shroud. He trimmed the M8 shroud to be a smaller, flat square, and then bolted it to the inside of the back wall of his shroud...
  24. austinado16

    Newbie w/ a 90 Suburban in SoCal pic heavy

    Thanks for the welcome guys. It's funny that it took me so long to find a site like this. I knew there was a huge K5 site and always wondered, "What about the pickups and the Suburbans? No love for those online? How can it be?" Anyway.......bought it back in '04 IIRC. As far as costs go...
  25. austinado16

    Show me your electric fan conversion

    The inside diameter of the OE small block fan shroud is 22". The inside diameter of the OE big block fan shroud is 21". EDIT: The outside diameter of the Mark 8 shroud is 19". Sure sounds like the Mark 8 fan's round shroud area could go inside our shrouds.

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