Double The Fun

With this posting, I'll begin covering a second vehicle scheduled for conversion from ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) to electric. The "new" (and I use that term loosely!) vehicle is a 1988 Chevrolet S10 pickup. The engine doesn't run very well, which doesn't much matter, but the body and transmission seem pretty sound. The interior is definitely a candidate for a total rehab, in fact it looks so shabby that I won't even show a photo ... It's that bad!

Yesterday, while driving into town, I spotted this beauty sitting by the side of the road with a FOR SALE sign on it. Since I've been looking for an S10 for my next project, I stopped to take a look. The price was $400, which included a truck bed full of trash! (I made the trip to the county dump, this morning, to discharge the junk.) What ... a buy?

More than likely, the truck will sit under cover for a while, until I get time to start the project.

VW: I have the replacement battery installed, charged and ready to go. The rebuilt vacuum brake booster, along with a new master cylinder has also been installed. One problem that still exists is the short cycling ON/OFF of the electric vacuum brake booster pump. It's not as serious as it was before I replaced the vacuum booster, but still slightly objectionable. I'm thinking that It may be the vacuum switch is too "sensitive." I will do some testing on that issue next week.

Last minute update: Sunday, Nov 18, 2007:

I put a vacuum guage on the brake booster assembly and discovered that the problem is, in fact, a vacuum switch that is not well adjusted. (Unfortunately, there are are no user adjustments.) The switch, upon reaching the desired vacuum level, rather than shutting the pump OFF, rapidly switches between ON and OFF, causing the power relay to chatter and the pump to short-cycle. I ordered a new and different vacuum switch today. I am confident the problem will be solved.