I have an 86 chevy 4x4 v8 diesel. not sure of the trannt or transfer case, but where the speedo cable plugs into the tailstock, there is a big plate missing. I assumke thats where the cable end screws into for the connection but its missing. I plan on taking pics with my digital camera this week and posating them on my website so yall can have an actuall look but does anyone have any idea of where i can get the plate so i can hook my speedo cable up? ANY info will be helpfull.
More info please - Auto/manual, 1/2, 3/4 or 1-ton truck? Looking in a specs chart at www.chuckschevytruckpages.com I see: '84 - 87 for transfer cases the 1-tons had a 205, the rest used a 208. That's "as-built" of course, who knows that some nutcase (like myself :D ) may have swapped/modified/adapted over the years!
When you get a pic, post it right here on this thread so it's easy to view.
I just took a look at a 203 and 205 transfer case here in the shop, and neither one has a "big plate" where the speedometer cable attaches so I'm guessing yours has the 208. (That's a chain drive, aluminum case unit. 203 is chain drive, cast iron case while the 205 is a gear driven cast-iron unit)
Unfortunately I don't have a 208 handy to get a look at, to replace the missing part(s) if the junkyard route isn't practical one possible source is a transmission shop, the other would be the "Genuine GM parts counter".
75...which of the transfer cases are the "strongest" for the 1973-1987 chevy era? Are all of these transfer cases interchangable...with automatic and standard tranmissions?
Rob listed all 3 that are offered. The 205 is the strongest, but is very heavy and doesn't have a very low low-range. The 203 is a full time case that can be converted to part time, and is a chain drive, as apposed to the stronger gear drive. The 208 is the weakest of the bunch (I've never had a problem and have beat the PI$$ out of mine) with an aluminum case and chain drive, but has a nice low set of low range gears in it. As far as swapping, I don't believe they are all that interchangable, for a couple reasons. The manuals have different input shafts than the automatics (usually 10 spline on a stick, right??? and like 30 on auto) and are different lengths, which will require some drive shaft work. I'm sure someone has some more complete information, but that's the general rule up above, from what I have seen.
Marcus
Here is a link to my webpage with some pics of my truck. Thanx Steve
http://hometown.aol.com/txstruck
Looks like a 208 to me - although as posted efore I don't have a 208 handy to look at, it "sure don't look" like the 203 or 205 I do have here.
Guilty1 - Marcus is right - the 205 is mucho strong but also mucho heavy. Don't know about the low range ratio vs the other cases, but because mine is going behind a grunt-low 4-speed that shouldn't be an issue with the truck I am building.
And the cases are different for automatic and standard transmissions. As far as swapping one for another behind your automatic, I don't believe it is a problem behind a Turbo 350 and Turbo 400, however I'm not sure about the 700R4.
Have you had any luck seeing if a transmission shop can help with that missing part?
Ive been to busy to even stop at one. I may try to go to a govt auction and find a truck they are selling for parts. I need to take a pic of the tranny pan and see what tranny it has and maybe i can call NAPA auto parts and see if they have it or know what it is. Could you tell what kind of rearend it has in it? Dana 44 or 60? I had a guy eyeball the ratio and said it was 5:1, so with a 3spd auto and that ratio, it is definately made for pulling!!
From what the pic shows, I'd say Dana 60 for that rear axle. Don't know about the front axle. I'd have a better idea if I knew what rating truck yours is (1/2, 3/4 or 1-ton)
5:1 gears doesn't sound quite right, I believe the two options were 4.10:1 and 4.56:1.
Well he just did an "eyeball" estimate, so I would say 4.56:1 i will get the VIN and check it against the vin decoder or whatever it is tell you what i find out, thanx
Turns out I'm wrong about the Dana 60 - it's a 14 bolt GM axle.
Again, go to www.chuckschevytruckpages.com and spend some time there - lots of good info.
Is that a good axle? I really don't know awhole lot about some of these parts yet, but with ya'lls help I'm learning! Thanx
That rear end you (and I) have is one of the stongest rear ends gm makes. It has Full Floating axles, and (stock) has 4:10 gears.
One other thing to check is to see if it is 3/4ton, heavy 3/4ton, or 1ton. Normal 3/4 ton will have 10.5" ring(size of the pumpkin) and smaller brake shoes.
Heavy 3/4 ton will have 10.5"ring with massive brake shoes, the easy way to tell is look at where your drums meet at the rim, if the drum has about 2" gap between the rim, its small brakes, and if the drum fills the rim up completely, its the big brakes,and last 1 ton, big pumpkin and big brakes shoes.:D
i will look and see, i know it does have some pretty big drums! Im at work so I will go out to my truck and get my insurance card since it has the vin number on it and we can decifer it. it should tell everything about it right?
Not sure if it will tell what rear end you have, check to see if the rear end has any vin numbers stamped on it.
ok the VIN # : 1GCHD34J9GF326365
Data from what I could tell:
Brake System: 9001-10000 (?)
1 ton drivetrain
some of the stuff didnt match up with the VIN decoder on chuck's page, it shows it should have a gas engine but it has a 5.7L diesel. I think some of the stuff doesnt match because of the fact it is an ex-military vehicle and was special ordered. Or specifically built the way they needed them
Good rear end, (on your truck) what are your plans for it?
its an everyday driver and on weekends its a play toy! i plan to put about a 6" lift on it w/bigger tires as money warrants. only problem it has is at about 60mph the engine is hummin loud since it is geared very low with a 3 spd auto and after sitting all night it has trouble starting the first time because it has a very slow suction in the fuel line sucking air and diesels are air tight fuel systems, but after that, you can just bump the starter and she purrin!!
Originally posted by Txstruck
ok the VIN # : 1GCHD34J9GF326365
1 - Country Of Origin - US
G - Manufacturer - General Motors
C - Make - Chevrolet Truck
H - 9001 - 1000 pound brake system
D - Line & Chassis - This one is a mystery. I can't find it in any books??
3 - 1 Ton
4 - 2 Door Cab
J - Engine - 379 cid Diesel
9 - Check Digit
G - 1986
F -Assembly Plant - Flint
326365 - Plant Sequential Serial Number
AND you ARE right, the military is the only one that could get a 1 ton drivetrain in a single rear wheel configuration. The 1 ton drivetrain included the TH 400 transmission, or 4 speed. They also usually had a Dana 44 up front, and dual shocks from the factory. I would also expect them to have ordered it with the optional 4.56:1 Axle ratio. As far as the transfer case, it could be the 208, or the 205.
Maybe that D in the VIN that is a mystery, is a special order military designation? I am not sure.
Do you still have the factory options decal in the glove box? That might tell you much more.
~Chuck

I am thinking about buying a 1997 chevy 3500,
6.5 Turbo-Diesel4x4
68,000 air tilt cruise
15,000lbs gvw
central hydraulics with electric valves
9'2" Boss V plow
tailgate sand/ salter
2yd tipper with fold down sides
well kept service reports
asking 27k
how is that 6.5
I like mine the HP is 190 on the '97 but watch out for the injection pump is the new style or that you have the extended warrenty with it it who ever owns it should have it .other than that it is a great engine.if you do get it i can fax you a copy of the one that i got from GM on it.
Very nice HD truck,the engine is its weak link.Some of them are OK,and last a long time,Ive seen way to many trucks,just a few yrs old with new engines,due to engine problems.The Pump problems were mostly on 94-97's,but some 98-00's have had them too.My dad had a 6.5it was fine,my uncle has 2 of them,his 96,and a 00,they both have been great,the 96 has 105+K,hard miles,and runs perfect,its had 3 starter motors,and one injection pump,but it gets run hard,and the hours it has are more in line with 200K miles.

I have a 2000 2500 crew cab and looking to improve the look of the truck. I am hoping to add a 2-4 inch lift (suspension) and am wondering cost, installation difficulty and performance. I do very little off road with it. What brands are out there,and good and bad stories of brands are appreciated. Also, anything goes wrong with it what are some good companies to deal with.
Thanks Butch
I know this may sound stupid but is your truck a 2wd or 4wd. Its probably a 4wd but lots of people are into lifting 2wd's these days and many manufacture's are metting those needs by offering lots of 2wd lifts. I can't offer any help as of what a new truck cost to lift. Some of my favorite lift companies are Superlift, Rough Country, and Tough Country. Any new off-road type magazine you browse through should give you a relative idea of how expensive it will be. I recomend for the cheapest lift 4" blocks in the rear IFS suspension lift in the front. Also you may search for their websites. By far the cheapest and my least favorite option would be a body lift. What I don't like about body lifts over an 1" is that it leaves much of the frame in plain view. Hope I helped a little...
Go back to the dealer you bought the truck from and make sure they won't void your warranty if you install a lift. Most will say yes, and those who say no, change their tune (and void it) when something breaks that has nothing to do with the lift......
Better to be safe than sorry.
~Chuck

83 Chev 1/2 ton, 305 4bbl, 5-wire module, I bought for my son...I have replaced module, coil, whole distributor (thinking it was the pick-up)...Truck will start, run for a day, then no spark!
I go through the ignition again, it starts, runs a short while (even several days), then again, no spark...
Each time I check the fire from the pink wire to the coil, and it is hot...
Any ideas???? hburner@bellsouth.net
How bad is the truck rusted? I would check all the ground wires first. Especially the ground from the block the the frame. You might even ground the block out to another spot. Thats where I would start. Why it starts one day and not another is a bit confusing though....The five wire HEI ignition is usually the most trouble free in my experiences.
Thanks for the idea...I noticed a ground strap that seemed to be attached to the firewall. It was well connected, but will recheck.
Also, one day, it died while I was driving...just sputtered and died.
Originally posted by hburner
Also, one day, it died while I was driving...just sputtered and died. The sputtered and died sounds fuel related. Still could be lack of spark. I am assuming that you have pulled the plugs / changed them. Wires as well...especially since you have about changed everything out. :confused: When it died did it start back up immediately or was it down for a couple days again? Man I'd really get in there and check grounds from battery to block/frame. The positive cable to the starter. Check that the starter bolts are tight which is another ground necessary to starting it. etc. If all that looks well and its getting spark and just not starting it could be the mechanical fuel pump is week / failing or a fuel filter in need of changing.
When you stated in your first post you go through the ignition again. Does that mean unplugging everything, pulling the distributor etc? Have you checked for spark at the block rather than at the module. Also when you say wont start does it even try to turn over? I am thinking if its atleast trying to crank over and not turning over its more of a fuel related problem.
Thaks for the ideas!
When I go through the ignition, I mean removing module, coil, wires, etc and reinstalling. This usually causes it to start and run for a while (we don't drive it, but start it daily)...maybe 1 day but not more than 3, then it dies again (no spark). Plugs are new, wires 6 mos old, module new twice, coil new twice, rotor new, cap doesn't show any tracking.
One idea I had, wire from connector close to firewall to module is original, and the plastic is worn. Checks ok with meter, but suspect? It is grounded to the distributor housing...should it be, or is there a gasket between screw and housing?
I will go through grounds.
Are you checking the power at the coil as soon as it dies? You might want to replace the ignition switch. They are cheap enough. I've seen ignition switch act intermittently. Just a thought.
John
At this point if it dies again rather than removing all of this just unplug and replug the module.(I'm sure you hve done this but just a thought) This should probably tell you if the wiring harness is losening up on you or what not. Also have you traced the wiring to the inside of the cab...any freys etc. "Trf" also made a good point ignition switches can be fishy as well.
Don't know why I just thought about this but an auto will only start in Neutral or Park. Does the colum arrow line up with the P-N-D-2-1 on the dash guages. If they aren't lining up sometimes and lining up other times this could be a culprit. Afterall its only a thin strip of metal that has to be making contact with anoth thin strip on teh rotating part of the internals of the colum shift.
Sorry we are exhausting so many things....quite a electrical gremlin you have there....
I disconnected all ground wires, cleaned and reinstalled, plus, disconnected module lead and reinstalled...then it started. Started again this morning, so I'll give it a few days to see if that fixed the problem.
Thanks again for all the input! I'll post again to let you know.
The word "Gremlin" is being kind about this one!!
Mine did the same. Stalled out a couple times a week
Found out the ign. mod. can intermitently fail (It was new also)
Replaced it with another new one and has been fine for the last 6 months
hburner -- Glad to see its making progress....let us know how it all turns out.