What have you done to your square lately??

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

DoubleDingo

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2012
Posts
11,122
Reaction score
16,777
Location
Right where I am
First Name
Bagoomba
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350
It charged during my ride enough to crank up again right after shutting off the engine to wait on my son. I got it home and now I need to go get my CRV.
Are you going to slow charge it overnight?
 

DoubleDingo

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2012
Posts
11,122
Reaction score
16,777
Location
Right where I am
First Name
Bagoomba
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350
How do you slow charge? Please forgive my ignorance.
If you have a battery charger, use the low amp setting and it'll trickle charge.
 

WFarm

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2023
Posts
311
Reaction score
1,934
Location
Central Virginia
First Name
Paul
Truck Year
1975
Truck Model
K5 Blazer
Engine Size
454
Had a perfect fall drive in the Blazer today, after which I pulled it back into the shop and set the fan in front of it with the shop doors cracked open.

Wife saw this and asked why I was cooling off Billy (her name for the Blazer) like he was a hot horse! Told her that I was trying to blow heat off the hot engine so the shop didn’t become a sauna. :D

You must be registered for see images attach
 

MaineSquare

Junior Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2024
Posts
1
Reaction score
1
Location
Maine
First Name
Wahono
Truck Year
1978
Truck Model
C15
Engine Size
355
I pulled my truck up from out back for winter prep. Washed outside, cleaned inside up. Ordered brackets to get my rear bumper mounted and I ordered up a new grill as the 77 grill held in with zip ties just doesn't do the truck justice being an 87. Photo says file too large or I would share.
 

HotWheelsBurban

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2023
Posts
2,318
Reaction score
5,422
Location
Houston, Texas
First Name
Carol
Truck Year
1990
Truck Model
R2500 Suburban
Engine Size
350
If you have a battery charger, use the low amp setting and it'll trickle charge.
I think the battery might have a dead or dying cell. We went through something similar with my crew cab on Saturday. Got up early, breakfast at Whataburger (SOP for early gigs) and then heading across Houston to a toy show. Running the lights, stereo and heater all the way over there (cool front came in so it wasn't beastly hot for once!). No issues, gauge on 13-14V. Went to get the truck a few hours later to go load out, nothing but clicking. Got a jump and headed to the nearest location of the parts chain the battery came from last year. They checked it, sure enough, dead cell. Truck starts quicker than it has been, too.....
Earlier last week, we were setting and breaking high temperature records, then midweek a cold front came in and we went from 80s at night to low 50s. And old batteries don't do well with wide temperature swings....
We used to notice at the parts store, that it was quite rare to get more than 3 years out of a battery. We only handled good brands and charged every unit before it left the store. We always ran the highest CCA battery that would fit in the tray, checked the water level, and kept the terminals clean. This is in Houston, Texas where it's always hot and humid in the spring, summer and autumn, and can get fairly cold in the winter.
 

JamesSam

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2023
Posts
1,553
Reaction score
4,219
Location
VA
First Name
Sam
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
Silverado V10
Engine Size
5.7 L 350 v8
I think the battery might have a dead or dying cell. We went through something similar with my crew cab on Saturday. Got up early, breakfast at Whataburger (SOP for early gigs) and then heading across Houston to a toy show. Running the lights, stereo and heater all the way over there (cool front came in so it wasn't beastly hot for once!). No issues, gauge on 13-14V. Went to get the truck a few hours later to go load out, nothing but clicking. Got a jump and headed to the nearest location of the parts chain the battery came from last year. They checked it, sure enough, dead cell. Truck starts quicker than it has been, too.....
Earlier last week, we were setting and breaking high temperature records, then midweek a cold front came in and we went from 80s at night to low 50s. And old batteries don't do well with wide temperature swings....
We used to notice at the parts store, that it was quite rare to get more than 3 years out of a battery. We only handled good brands and charged every unit before it left the store. We always ran the highest CCA battery that would fit in the tray, checked the water level, and kept the terminals clean. This is in Houston, Texas where it's always hot and humid in the spring, summer and autumn, and can get fairly cold in the winter.
Sounds right. It has been 70's all through Saptember here in VA and recently we had 3 days with highs in the 50's(like fall) then back to 70's.
 

TotalyHucked

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2020
Posts
3,503
Reaction score
11,268
Location
Auburn, Georgia
First Name
Zach
Truck Year
1985
Truck Model
Sierra 1500
Engine Size
5.3
Yep, I always fully expect to have to put a battery in something of mine or at work during the first cold snap of the year. If not, great but I always expect it/plan for it. A battery can have a dying cell or be getting weak and be perfectly fine all summer but the first bit of sub-50s temps always gets them
 

BRetty

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2020
Posts
891
Reaction score
2,473
Location
Los Angeles
First Name
Franklin
Truck Year
1973
Truck Model
c10
Engine Size
350
So that huge pile of carbs....

My truck ('73 C10, 350, quadrajet M4V) has been refusing to start cold, requiring a splash of gas in the top of the carb to fire up. I finally decided to address it the morning I had left my gas can at work and had to siphon some gas from my tank into a plastic cup.

Better starting technique (two long pimps, then crank and crank and ... ahhh), connecting an errant choke unloader linkage, and replacing a couple old vacuum caps took care of most of it. In fact, I put the vac gauge on it and it read dead-on, ~19", rock steady. Suspicious.

Well, as part of this I replaced the fuel filter that lives in the QJet inlet fitting. Was careful not to lose the spring, but the old nylon gasket got loose and when I tightened the fitting it got munged.

As a few threads here have noted, parts stores sell the filters but do not carry the gasket, never heard of any gasket. I knew I could order one, but shipping times felt unknown and I was leaking fuel. Could I find one locally?

I was worried about the leak so slept in my truck that night. Since I was bu work, I had extra time in the AM for breakfast. Went to the family Mexican place, and this truck, that I had noticed a month ago, was parked in front
You must be registered for see images attach


His lights were on, so I went inside, saw a table with three distinguished gentlemen whom I had seen there a few times talking clasic car talk. Let the owner know his lights were on....

To be continued.... (pulling up to job site will ETA this later....)
 

DoubleDingo

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2012
Posts
11,122
Reaction score
16,777
Location
Right where I am
First Name
Bagoomba
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350
So that huge pile of carbs....

My truck ('73 C10, 350, quadrajet M4V) has been refusing to start cold, requiring a splash of gas in the top of the carb to fire up. I finally decided to address it the morning I had left my gas can at work and had to siphon some gas from my tank into a plastic cup.

Better starting technique (two long pimps, then crank and crank and ... ahhh), connecting an errant choke unloader linkage, and replacing a couple old vacuum caps took care of most of it. In fact, I put the vac gauge on it and it read dead-on, ~19", rock steady. Suspicious.

Well, as part of this I replaced the fuel filter that lives in the QJet inlet fitting. Was careful not to lose the spring, but the old nylon gasket got loose and when I tightened the fitting it got munged.

As a few threads here have noted, parts stores sell the filters but do not carry the gasket, never heard of any gasket. I knew I could order one, but shipping times felt unknown and I was leaking fuel. Could I find one locally?

I was worried about the leak so slept in my truck that night. Since I was bu work, I had extra time in the AM for breakfast. Went to the family Mexican place, and this truck, that I had noticed a month ago, was parked in front
You must be registered for see images attach


His lights were on, so I went inside, saw a table with three distinguished gentlemen whom I had seen there a few times talking clasic car talk. Let the owner know his lights were on....

To be continued.... (pulling up to job site will ETA this later....)
Would the pile of carbs guy let you get one from the pile of carbs?
 

brooksman9

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2021
Posts
535
Reaction score
1,556
Location
Olive Branch, MS
First Name
Patrick
Truck Year
1986
Truck Model
Silverado & Custom Deluxe
Engine Size
350 & 305
I love the smell of body filler in the morning.
You must be registered for see images attach
 

legopnuematic

Licensed Junk Dealer
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2016
Posts
2,384
Reaction score
5,964
Location
MO
First Name
Spencer
Truck Year
1971, 1̶9̶7̶4, 1976, 1979,1̶9̶8̶5, 2002
Truck Model
Dart Swinger, Sierra 10, C10 Cheyenne, C10 Big Ten, Silverado 10, Ram 2500
Engine Size
225/6, 350 c.i., 350 c.i., 5.9l Cummins
I love the smell of body filler in the morning.
You must be registered for see images attach
Clever solution with the bucket to hold the chain fall chain.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
43,870
Posts
944,873
Members
35,906
Latest member
KBAustin
Top