Author Topic: Unknown electrical thing in 84 camper special  (Read 2668 times)

Offline robosmurf

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Unknown electrical thing in 84 camper special
« on: February 23, 2018, 03:53:53 PM »
The metal cylinder with three stud is mounted on the firewall of my truck right at the driver side corner. There is a lead that runs through what I think is a breaker and then to the junction block on the firewall. I've already disconnected and removed the jumper from the breaker to the junction block. I was going to go ahead and remove whatever the cylinder is if it isn't important.

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84 c20 Camper Special
454ci with TBI

Offline VileZambonie

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Re: Unknown electrical thing in 84 camper special
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2018, 04:02:21 PM »
Solenoid that someone mounted on the firewall and circuit breaker on the fender.

*I'll have to look later at the diagrams. I didn't think that was how they came from the factory.
« Last Edit: February 24, 2018, 10:10:16 AM by VileZambonie »
,                           ___ 
                         /  _ _ _\_
              ⌠ŻŻŻŻŻ'   [☼===☼]
              `()_);-;()_)--o--)_)

74 GMC, 75 K5, 84 GMC, 85 K20, 86 k20, 79 K10

Offline raf2330

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Re: Unknown electrical thing in 84 camper special
« Reply #2 on: February 24, 2018, 09:51:53 AM »
They were used very often to charge an auxiliary battery. Came factory on my dad's 73 camper special (still has that truck). I used one on my dually for years for the same purpose.
Working, & working, & working on dad's (now mine) 73 w/big block.

Offline VileZambonie

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Re: Unknown electrical thing in 84 camper special
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2018, 12:39:43 PM »
Here's the diagram for the dual battery setup. raf2330 are you sure that was stock and not a dealer add on? Every factory style one I recall seeing had the rubber boot caps, insulated relay and red wires.
,                           ___ 
                         /  _ _ _\_
              ⌠ŻŻŻŻŻ'   [☼===☼]
              `()_);-;()_)--o--)_)

74 GMC, 75 K5, 84 GMC, 85 K20, 86 k20, 79 K10

Offline raf2330

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Re: Unknown electrical thing in 84 camper special
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2018, 01:34:49 PM »
VileZambonie, no I'm not sure. Could be dealer add on. I'll ask him. I was 8 when my dad got the truck and just always remember it being there. I remember as a boy my dad opening the hood the day we picked it up and this solenoid being mounted up front by the aux. battery. One is still there. I remember sitting in the dealership show room and him ordering everything that was available for the for the camper special at the time of the new body style.
Working, & working, & working on dad's (now mine) 73 w/big block.

Offline robosmurf

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Re: Unknown electrical thing in 84 camper special
« Reply #5 on: February 24, 2018, 08:13:34 PM »
Would there be another battery tray somewhere? There is just the normal one on the passenger side but I haven't seen any where else a aux battery could go unless it might have been in a camper. I've already removed a power lead with a 30amp fuse that ran with  the brake light harness for a camper top, I've pretty sure this truck had a slide in camper at one time.
84 c20 Camper Special
454ci with TBI

Offline raf2330

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Re: Unknown electrical thing in 84 camper special
« Reply #6 on: February 28, 2018, 03:22:17 PM »
If you don't see another tray under the hood up front, then no. Many of the later model campers had/have batteries on board. No big deal removing solenoid, took mine out when done with it a few years ago.
Working, & working, & working on dad's (now mine) 73 w/big block.

Offline 75gmck25

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Re: Unknown electrical thing in 84 camper special
« Reply #7 on: March 14, 2018, 11:09:44 AM »
My '75 is a camper special with dual batteries.  The Camper Special include the fender mounted solenoid and a power junction point under the hood.  That junction point only had power when the truck was running, so that is where you connected the camper power.

Adding the dual battery option provided a 2nd battery tray on the driver's side, and it was connected to the same junction point.  When the truck was running, the junction point was connected to both the 2nd battery and the alternator charge wire, so both batteries would charge.  When you shut the truck off, the 2nd battery was isolated, but still providing power to the camper.

The stock camper special relay looked very similar in size and form factor to the A/C relay that is mounted on the plenum under the hood.  I still have my original camper special relay, but it quit working long ago.  I've still have the 2nd battery tray, but have never installed a battery there.

Bruce

Offline GMFORLIFE

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Re: Unknown electrical thing in 84 camper special
« Reply #8 on: April 02, 2018, 07:44:08 PM »
External starter solenoid.
I install these whenever I install headers.
Heat soak with headers over heats the solenoid and makes for hard starts.

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/installing-a-remote-ford-solenoid-chevy-starter.299/