Tremek's '97 LX450 Project Thread (2 Viewers)

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Last but not least I got new Pioneer speakers installed and they sound immensely better than the blown units that were in there.

Do you remember how you hooked them up, I can't find a straight answer on + and - wires for the LX.
 
I de-soldered the red/black wires and connector from the stock speakers, and then used butt connectors to connect to the white wires with spade connectors that came with the speakers. While I don't remember whether black = big spade or black = small spade, I do remember that I connected the black wire/connector from the stock speakers to the white wire with the black stripe in the Pioneer kit. Hope that helps!
 
I de-soldered the red/black wires and connector from the stock speakers, and then used butt connectors to connect to the white wires with spade connectors that came with the speakers. While I don't remember whether black = big spade or black = small spade, I do remember that I connected the black wire/connector from the stock speakers to the white wire with the black stripe in the Pioneer kit. Hope that helps!

Thanks, I'll take a look when I get home to see which OEM wire I connected to the larger terminal. I chopped the OEM harness with plug off the OEM speaker and soldered it directly to the new Pioneer speaker.
 
Are you only doing two, four, or all and removing the ones you don't replace? Do the harnesses you soldered to the speakers have the same wire colors on the L and R side? If you don't find a diagram, as long as you do them all the same way (color to +\- is consistent) they will work fine. It's when you wire them differently from each other that the real problems begin (out of phase).

(Yes, it's better for the phase to be consistent for + and - all the way through, but for the car, probably not on your top list of issues. Plus, many albums were mixed from multitrack with channels not in consistent phase any way.)
 
So P0401 may not be entirely gone. I keep seeing it as a "pending" code, but the CEL is never actually illuminating.

More problematic right now however is a) the emissions joint is closed today and b) I can't get the "catalyst" check to go to the Ready state. It looks as though the drive cycle is something along the lines of:

Coolant must be above 80c on engine start (this is a problem - more on this in a moment)

If intake air temp is above 50f,
Drive 3 minutes between 40 and 55 mph, then
Drive 7 minutes between 35 and 45 mph.

Upon checking it looks like my coolant isn't getting above 80c regularly. Makes me wonder if PO used the wrong thermostat? I went and put a big cardboard block in front of the radiator, and eventually found a 10 mile stretch of road that doesn't have any stop signs and is the right speed for this, and right at the end of the run I realized that even with my block the coolant had fallen to 78c. CURSES!

Is this at all common for 80s to not be able to hold the coolant temp above 80c? I'm trying to figure out what to do next. I was hoping to get the "cycle" cleared today so I can get the truck emissions tomorrow AM.

I also saw that some of the TSB re: the drive cycle indicates SOME ready states won't go ready if there's a pending code, which makes me wonder if P0401 is preventing the catalyst flag from flipping. Argh. So frustrating!

Any help appreciated.
 
Well holy s*** - the truck passed emissions:

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It actually passed twice, except for a fail on the gas cap the first time.

I wasn't expecting it to pass due to OBD2 ready states, but it appears they didn't care about that. I figured I needed to at least start the actual emissions "process" in the (expected) event it failed, but I didn't expect the resolution to be so quick -

I had my 3 little boys with me, the place closed at 1pm, and when they finished with the first test it was 12:49. I raced over to an O'Reilly's right down the street, ran in and got a new cap, and got back at 12:56pm to learn they would need to dyno it AGAIN in order to pass it.

So they got it up on the dyno again, and it passed - again! I'll take it. Major hurdle cleared.
 
Truck has plates as of today. This is good.

Now to continue the PM journey (oil leaks, does it have a knock? etc.) as well as figure out other necessary elements (front bumper, a lift, etc.)

If anyone local in the Denver area has parts they're sitting on and no longer using that you think might work on this beast, I'm interested - PM me? Thanks!

Took the front bumper (a poor descriptor for it, such as it was) off this weekend to see if there was any obvious damage; hoping the frame rails aren't bent - does anyone have stock measurements as to how far apart the rails should be? Neighbor and I may start on the bumper project this week...

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Edit: Also found something fun last week - a roof rack that came off of an 80 that I brought home on the 200:

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My intent is to mount the rack to the rain gutters on the 80 as it didn't come with a factory rack and I don't like the idea of putting holes directly in the roof when there aren't any today.

Ordered some NRS Quick 'n Easy brackets for it as they're also on sale, so if all this works out my total expenditure for this rack will be ~$120 all said and done.
 
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excited to see this Build!
 
Thanks for looking out, I saw that and want it but he's all the way out in Montrose on the western slope, so a ~10 hour and 500 mile round trip. Trying to decide whether I can disappear for a day to go collect it. ;)
 
Long time with no updates - truck is still doing fine and has been serving as my airport car for the winter. I'm starting to plot out what it would take to get the truck trail-ready for this spring/summer, which I think at a minimum requires the following:

- a better battery (I didn't drive it for 2 weeks and it died)
- a spare wheel and Duratrac
- a lift
- a front bumper, preferably armored
- sliders

Nice-to-haves include a rear bumper with a carrier and look into having the front axle rebuilt as it clicks on turns.

Between a lift, front bumper, spare, and sliders, I'm already approaching ($4k installed?) about what I have into it today. Mulling over whether it's worth it, especially as I don't know how much life the motor does or doesn't have in it. The dash oil pressure gauge is working, but seemingly reads low and I haven't had an opportunity to have it checked with a mechanical gauge. It also leaks some. TBD I guess... although banging up the already-banged up truck is more appealing than beating up the 200 on trails. First world problems?
 
Glad to see you putting in work on this 80. I remember seeing it on CL myself and wanting it if I had space.
 
Can someone take a picture of their properly-connected oil pressure sender?

Also, are there two plugs on the sender itself that interface with the harness?

Edit: @benjrblant was a rockstar and texted me a photo of his sender:

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Which confirmed what I thought, that there were two connectors going to the sender - which then prompted me to go dig around on my sender and lo and behold, I found the mysterious 3rd plug:

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So now to figure out how to disassemble the plug and get the pin out, but I'm betting this thing will work once re-soldered! Documenting this in here for the next poor soul that has to puzzle all this together. :)


This exact thing happened to me today!
 

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