[BoiseTrooper]

Big progress made tonight. Finally got the engine put back in. Whew!

 

[hessmess]

Wow! Great progress. As clean as this rig is I am surprised to see your helper with dirty arms!
Congratulations on the engine install.

 

[giusedtobe]

Nice work. Getting those bell housing bolts behind the head in are a real bit%$#%^

 

[hessmess]

I have been wondering how this is going? Need to know! I finished up my Trooper yesterday and got the front end aligned. I didn't get the front locker installed, messed up a knee and have been dealing with that. I will get to the locker another time.

 

[Enemigo]

I have been wondering how this is going? Need to know! I finished up my Trooper yesterday and got the front end aligned. I didn't get the front locker installed, messed up a knee and have been dealing with that. I will get to the locker another time.

Now your locker and knee will make the same sounds when you're using them!

 

[BoiseTrooper]

I suppose it IS time for an update, eh?

Life continues to be hectic but I kept wrenching.

I got it started and it jumped right to life!! Man, what a GREAT GREAT feeling. That first turn of the key is maximum anxiety though. I had set the timing to 0 degrees at #4 TDC when I adjusted the valves and then put it in (special thanks to Island Trooper 4x4 on YouTube. I would like to meet that guy one day). I need to get a timing light to fine tune it, but it runs well. 55psi consistent oil pressure. It sounds very happy in it's new home. I replaced every rubber hose and vacuum line I could and it sounds tight and buttoned up. I also reused a clamp that used to be on the smog pump rail (it is just above the oil filler cap in the engine pic). I just bent it a little and added some of the foam from a different hose and it became a great bracket to hold the throttle cable in place. Now it won't rub the underside of that little hose it runs under. Plus I can tell people it is a factory part. Ha.

Finally got it out of the shop and it looks much better in the sunshine. My brother took a picture of the carnage left behind in the workbay. That is me standing there laughing at it. I needed the earmuffs for the straight pipe exhaust. Thunderbolt is still dusty as heck though.

Next steps are putting all the interior bits and bobs back in. Then the exhaust system (2 inch downpipe to the new cat and then 2.25 inch to a flowmaster super 50 at the end.) Right now I am running only the downpipe. Straight pipes are fun for about 30 seconds. That happens on Wednesday.

After that, it is off for an alignment. I bet the alignment tech will appreciate working on all new parts!

And then....then.....nothing but green lights, blue skies and straight ahead (I hope).

I will have to do the seats projects later. I just ran out of time. I also would like to build a center console/refrigerator contraption. I got the idea from Andrew St. Pierre White on youtube. If you haven't checked out his channel (4xoverland) on Youtube, I highly recommend it. Really good stuff.

Alan-You were right. Those back bolts are frustrating. I hope I never have to touch them again. The white wheels look better than the steels to me. Especially with the beauty rings. I say go for it. I think you will like how they turn out. Also, the grille was just an idea I had. I might be the only guy who prefers the square headlights. The whole truck is just boxes so the lights fit nice to me. But I liked the older Isuzu logo symbol. So I ordered one from a NPR truck in Thailand. I just drilled some holes and JB Welded it in. I like the result. Just a touch of personalisation. I also debadged the isuzu trooper emblems on the sides to smooth the look.

Dick-What did you do to your knee?? Were you jumping out of the big trucks again? (all kidding aside, that really sucks. I hope you are feeling better and more mobile.)

Thanks fellas. I appreciate the kindness and help from everyone in this community.
-Curtis

 

[BoiseTrooper]

Lots of little things finished up. Getting close to being done (for now at least. I know they are never actually finished).

Added a nice sporty steering wheel and shifter extension, tinted windows, added 2nd gen spare tire cover from the junkyard and repaired the A/C. It blows cold 40 degrees now. What a luxury!

I was looking in the fuse box and noticed this odd wire setup. It is plugged into the hot on the power window relay socket (my truck has crank windows) and the wire passes through the fuse block and then onto the passenger side. It looks like some sort of voltage regulator to me but I am just guessing.

Anyone recognize it or what this was the solution to?

Thanks as always. Hope everyone is doing well.

 

[BoiseTrooper]

More pics

 

[DSUZU]

That's some kind of aftermarket relay solenoid. Wonder what the other end goes to. As far as your hopped up alternator, as far as I know you would have to add some kind of circuit to bypass the original fuel pump circuit in the alternator (like the fuel pump relay bypass for testing). The original alternator circuit was a safety device to shut down the fuel pump in case of an accident. These circuits were installed in vehicles that had factory installed fuel pumps going back as far as I know to the 1971 Chevy Vegas. On those, they ran the safety circuit through the iol pressure sender. Dennis

 

[itsmehb]

Looks to me that the wiring is maybe a way to make something work that didn't, much like Dennis was talking about. I would see if the red wire is plugged into the normal hot 12 volt contact on the relay socket. If that's so then it's delivering 12 volts over to the coil side of that after market relay that someone added. You'll need to find out what that relay controls. Try unplugging the red wire where it's plugged into the socket of the removed relay. I'm guessing if you were to do that with the engine running, that it'll shut off.

 

[BoiseTrooper]

Update: Well my curiosity got the better of me so I traced the wires for the doohickey (3 wires running into it). It answered some questions and raised others.

Basically the red wire runs from the hot on the power window relay socket through the fuse block (the copper tabs are gone so it is basically just a pass-through hole for the wire) which then runs across the firewall to the doo-dad.

One black wire runs to the positive battery terminal in some janky looking connections. The other black wire ran down behind the gas fume canister and then all the way to the back! I kept expecting it to tie in somewhere, but I found it coiled up in the frame and it looks like it was just snipped off. I am wondering if it was maybe for a trailer brake? Or rear winch? Like I said, answers some questions, raises others.

Since it doesn't seem to be doing anything, I think I will unhook it for now, no? No sense in running energized wires for no reason.

 

[itsmehb]

Well, sure was wrong about it shutting off the engine. Glad you traced it and found it to be non functional. Looks like it's at least a 12 or 14 gauge wire so at one time may have been used to power some device that may have required a large amount of current. Maybe even a winch.

 

[aidan7777]

There is a never a time with old cars when you are NOT hexing on some dastardly previous owner!

Some of the wires in my own car have been spliced more than 3 times, coming out the other end of each as a different colour.

 

[giusedtobe]

Boise can you elaborate on your window tint and your AC? Those are both on my to-do list.

Did you do the tint yourself? If not how much did it cost? I was thinking of farming this out.

Was your AC system disassembled during your project? Assuming it was since I believe you rebuilt or installed a short block (can't remember which) I do not know the condition of my AC system components but it got hot here over the weekend and naturally the AC revamp just went up on my priority list!

Thanks
Alan

 

[BoiseTrooper]

Boise can you elaborate on your window tint and your AC? Those are both on my to-do list.

Did you do the tint yourself? If not how much did it cost? I was thinking of farming this out.

Was your AC system disassembled during your project? Assuming it was since I believe you rebuilt or installed a short block (can't remember which) I do not know the condition of my AC system components but it got hot here over the weekend and naturally the AC revamp just went up on my priority list!

Thanks
Alan

Hey Alan,

The A/C system was a crossroads for me. I rebuilt this blue Trooper over my old red one for the very reason that it had AC from the factory. I understand how the system works, but I took it to a shop. Long story short, I am glad I did. Basically the main components are the compressor, the evaporator, the condenser, the expansion valve and dash controls. On my truck, I replaced the compressor when I put the long block in. When I took it to the shop, they charged it and it held pressure overnight. However, when I picked it up, the AC didn't work again. The compressor would kick on but no cold. Took it back to the shop. They kept it for a few days. Eventually one of their techs was testing it on a rough patch of road and noticed a tiny bit of fluorescent dye around the compressor connection. Turns out the "universal" AC compressor had o-rings that were just hair off different size than original. It held pressure fine while in the parking lot but going over rail road tracks would cause it to seep. They swapped the o-rings and it has held pressure since. By the way, if in the Boise area, a shout out to Mac's Radiator for chasing this gremlin. The good news is it works great. The bad news is it required a new expansion valve under the dash (they did not need to remove the dash) and several rechargings. Most of the bill ended up being labor for the tech to chase the problem. All totaled it was $700. I had budgeted a bit of money for the AC simply because I don't have the tools to test and retest it over and over. So you end up paying for skilled labor but in this case, it was money well spent. That would have been a tricky problem for me to track down. If you want to tackle the components yourself, I have the Factory Workshop Manual with the diagrams. Let me know if you need them. Good luck and I hope your cruises are much cooler.

The tinting I also farmed out. I have done it before but the results are similar to me doing upholstery. It was "ok." I took it to a shop in town and they pulled the windows out of the trooper and tinted them and then reinstalled them. Since it was so much glass, it was $325.

Hope that helps. As you can see, I left the expensive stuff that I couldn't do until the end. But buy once, cry once, right? At least it is done and I have noticed it is much more comfortable driving around on sunny days.

 

[BoiseTrooper]

Was wondering if you fellas would give your opinions on pinstripe options. Basically an upper, a lower or a combo of upper/lower.

Let me know what you think! (The first two pics are the original as it is now)

 

[BoiseTrooper]

 

[BoiseTrooper]

 

[giusedtobe]

I like the last pic but those things are always up to the taste of the owner. Who cares what others think about it?

On the Ac and tint thing, thanks for the info. I guess I am going to have to keep sweating for a while because I can't afford that right now Lol. Heck I don't even know if I will need to replace any of the components. I asked several AC shops if they could test my evaporator and compressor when I had all that crap out and none of them would or could do it. Wish it was as easy as putting in a can of freon from the local auto parts store.

On the tint, they removed all the roll up windows? Assuming they left the quarter glass in when they did this? Seems like it would be a royal pain to remove all the glass and put it back in. Was there a certain tint level you went with? Never done this so don't know what to ask for but also don't want a ticket for being too dark.

Your truck looks good all finished up BTW. I also installed my brush guard over the weekend.

Regards,
Alan

 

[BoiseTrooper]

I like the last pic but those things are always up to the taste of the owner. Who cares what others think about it?

On the Ac and tint thing, thanks for the info. I guess I am going to have to keep sweating for a while because I can't afford that right now Lol. Heck I don't even know if I will need to replace any of the components. I asked several AC shops if they could test my evaporator and compressor when I had all that crap out and none of them would or could do it. Wish it was as easy as putting in a can of freon from the local auto parts store.

On the tint, they removed all the roll up windows? Assuming they left the quarter glass in when they did this? Seems like it would be a royal pain to remove all the glass and put it back in. Was there a certain tint level you went with? Never done this so don't know what to ask for but also don't want a ticket for being too dark.

Your truck looks good all finished up BTW. I also installed my brush guard over the weekend.

Regards,
Alan

Hey Alan,

I hear ya. It was a bit of a sticker shock for me too. But I had prepared myself that it might be a project that got bigger. I needed to get the 30 year old AC system working reliably. Now I hope to just maintain it. I sold some tools and vintage guitars to pay for it. With getting the house ready to sell, I can't keep everything anyway. On the glass, they didn't take apart the roll up mechanisms. Sorry for the awkward wording. They tinted those as one normally would. They did pop out the cargo area and back door glass though, tinted and reinstalled. It turned out nice.

I think I am going to put on the one pinstripe on the upper for now. I can always add more later.

-Curtis

p.s. Your trooper is looking awesome!