Dejure
Junior Member
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2025
- Posts
- 7
- Reaction score
- 17
- Location
- Eastern Washington
- First Name
- Kelly
- Truck Year
- 1978
- Truck Model
- C15
- Engine Size
- 350
Keep in mind, I've only had this truck a few days, so don't know what surprises the previous two owners left for me.
Yesterday, my work on my new driver was limited to going to what passes for town here, five miles away. There, a friend owns a hardware and I had him cut me keys. I was only give a single door and ignition key. He had the ignition keys, but the door keys, not so much.
Today, I started tackling electrical issues. I started with simple ones - non-working lights. To that end, I opened the driver's side. Things went well and I was down to the last marker and park light, on the passenger side. I came back around to turn the right signal on. Because the truck is near a short, rock wall, I pushed it closed. Though it was UNLOCKED, it wouldn't open.
CRAP. It was running. I had no key for the passenger door. PANIC
I tried a bit of the REALLY strong wire used in the orchards surrounding me. Not a chance. And the engine was still running.
Oh, and it was a full tank of gas of gas, so it could be days before things wound down. And, meanwhile, the HOA would, probably, have me deported to someplace I've never been.
Anyone who knows alternators knows disconnecting the battery does nothing, aside from, possibly, killing the alternator, which thinks the battery is WAY dead, and keeps suppling the coil with electrons.
Did you know that twin size bed sheet you have in your shop, as a rag, bunched up and pressed over a four barrel will not shut off enough air to kill the engine (maybe if I cut it up and let it fill each cylinder. . . .)?
Grabbing and HEI seemed out of the question (even if I could con the fife into doing it, she might have just acted as a resistor and a bit poorer performance).
[MORE PANIC AND SWEAT]
Then I remembered I have a CO2 tank I keep in the shop to charge water bottles, to make my own carbonated water, cider or what have you. I [we all] know CO2 makes a good fire extinguisher, because it displaces oxygen.
That tank is small, very portable, and comes with a 6' charging hose.
I held the hose over the carb, opened the main valve, then opened the charging valve.
The effect was, almost, immediate. The truck started running slower and slower. Then just quit.
SMILE What a relief.
I went back to the house and pulled up pages on breaking into my own truck. A bit of paracord and a slip knot later and I was back in the truck.
Door opened from the inside just fine. Once open, I removed the window crank (glad I didn't get rid of that that clip tool sometime in the 40 or so years since I sold my old 69).
With the panel off, it's obvious the linkage came off. The previous owner, probably, didn't bother with it.
TOMORROW, we go to a real town, an hour away, and I'll get four more door keys. One, along with and ignition key, will go into the usual secret hiddy-hole nylon key holder for such emergencies.
Yesterday, my work on my new driver was limited to going to what passes for town here, five miles away. There, a friend owns a hardware and I had him cut me keys. I was only give a single door and ignition key. He had the ignition keys, but the door keys, not so much.
Today, I started tackling electrical issues. I started with simple ones - non-working lights. To that end, I opened the driver's side. Things went well and I was down to the last marker and park light, on the passenger side. I came back around to turn the right signal on. Because the truck is near a short, rock wall, I pushed it closed. Though it was UNLOCKED, it wouldn't open.
CRAP. It was running. I had no key for the passenger door. PANIC
I tried a bit of the REALLY strong wire used in the orchards surrounding me. Not a chance. And the engine was still running.
Oh, and it was a full tank of gas of gas, so it could be days before things wound down. And, meanwhile, the HOA would, probably, have me deported to someplace I've never been.
Anyone who knows alternators knows disconnecting the battery does nothing, aside from, possibly, killing the alternator, which thinks the battery is WAY dead, and keeps suppling the coil with electrons.
Did you know that twin size bed sheet you have in your shop, as a rag, bunched up and pressed over a four barrel will not shut off enough air to kill the engine (maybe if I cut it up and let it fill each cylinder. . . .)?
Grabbing and HEI seemed out of the question (even if I could con the fife into doing it, she might have just acted as a resistor and a bit poorer performance).
[MORE PANIC AND SWEAT]
Then I remembered I have a CO2 tank I keep in the shop to charge water bottles, to make my own carbonated water, cider or what have you. I [we all] know CO2 makes a good fire extinguisher, because it displaces oxygen.
That tank is small, very portable, and comes with a 6' charging hose.
I held the hose over the carb, opened the main valve, then opened the charging valve.
The effect was, almost, immediate. The truck started running slower and slower. Then just quit.
SMILE What a relief.
I went back to the house and pulled up pages on breaking into my own truck. A bit of paracord and a slip knot later and I was back in the truck.
Door opened from the inside just fine. Once open, I removed the window crank (glad I didn't get rid of that that clip tool sometime in the 40 or so years since I sold my old 69).
With the panel off, it's obvious the linkage came off. The previous owner, probably, didn't bother with it.
TOMORROW, we go to a real town, an hour away, and I'll get four more door keys. One, along with and ignition key, will go into the usual secret hiddy-hole nylon key holder for such emergencies.
