1976 Eleganza II

I just tried to figure out why the washer wasn't working in mine...and the switch is busted in two pieces. What are the popular options here? Switches at NAPA weren't inspiring.
Unfortunately I don't know exactly what part number to tell you. You can however, easily make any switch with a 3/8"(?) round barrel mount work.

You want to look for a panel mount SPST NO momentary switch of your choice, push button or toggle . I changed mine to push button from a big ugly toggle switch. Ideally it would have a pair of 1/4 male spade connectors on the back that would match the original so you could just plug it in as a direct replacement. I don't know what switch that would be though.

This one has screw connectors, so if you want to leave the GMC harness unmolested you'd have to make two short adapter wires to go from the screw terminal to a male 1/4 spade connector. Then just push the males into the female connector. They should stay but if you're worried about them coming out you could wrap it in tape. Or, if you're not concerned with modifying the GMC harness, cut the connector off the harness and solder on connectors that fit the switch.

 
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Unfortunately I don't know exactly what part number to tell you. You can however, easily make any switch with a 3/8"(?) round barrel mount work.

You want to look for a panel mount SPST NO momentary switch of your choice, push button or toggle . I changed mine to push button from a big ugly toggle switch. Ideally it would have a pair of 1/4 male spade connectors on the back that would match the original so you could just plug it in as a direct replacement. I don't know what switch that would be though.
I just ordered this:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B093G9XTK7
I measured and it appears to be a 1/2" hole. I doubt the spade connectors will line up, but new ones are easy enough to install if they don't. Should be here tomorrow, then I have to figure out the actual spray nozzles, I think I have them around here somewhere.
 
I just ordered this:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B093G9XTK7
I measured and it appears to be a 1/2" hole. I doubt the spade connectors will line up, but new ones are easy enough to install if they don't. Should be here tomorrow, then I have to figure out the actual spray nozzles, I think I have them around here somewhere.

What's the plan for the extra switch position?
 
I measured and it appears to be a 1/2" hole.
I missed this comment earlier; and here I was looking based on the 3/8" guess. 1/2" opens up a lot more possibilities for sure.

Digikey has over 190,000 push-button switches, which is what I'd lean toward personally. A bit of filtering by 1/4" quick-connect, panel mount, and momentary brings the numbers down:

At first glance, I kinda like this one:
Though a guy would have to make sure he had room for that right-angle body behind the panel. It could face any direction though, so that helps.

Edit: Looking closer, they all seem to only have decent current ratings for AC. Interesting. I'm used to the voltage being derated for DC operation rather than the amperage. Though I suppose it's really the combination that get you. So running it at 12VDC instead of 125VDC might get you closer to an acceptable lifespan, same as their DC de-rating of .4A @ 125VDC.
 
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I meant, it's a DPST momentary switch but you only need a SPST
Looks like a SPDT actually. Both positions could be wired in parallel for the same function--then a guy wouldn't have to remember which way to flip the switch! It wouldn't keep my wife from asking repeatedly over the years though...
 
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One annoying 'feature' of my GMC is a rattle, for lack of better description, emanating from the cowl area which is very noticeable while traveling over bumps/potholes but also noticeable while I had an out of balance / out of round tire on my front left. That was my breaking point, at 67 mph a vibration would start and rattle whatever it was, which drove me crazy. I kept it under 65mph all the way to the MI rally due to this, and vowed to attempt to resolve the issue.

Step one, I swapped my front left tire to the rear. Even though it was a brand new, freshly balance wheel, expert attendees at the rally informed me that steel wheels are probably the culprit. After 50 years they are no longer running true, even though the tire store will balance them. On my drive home, this was confirmed. No more vibration at 67mph in the front, but I think I could feel it from the rear where I had moved that wheel.

Step two, where is that 'rattle' ? My theory that it's my lower steering shaft bearing. The frame is moving differently from the body and there's enough drag on my telescoping borgeson shaft that it's pushing the lower end of the steering shaft up and down in the lower column bearing. Sirum didn't have the bearing at their table at the rally, Mike recommended any auto parts store. I noodled around on Amazon and couldn't find one specific to any vehicle remotely related to the GMC (trucks of the era, the 73 transmode, 76 toronado, etc) but did see one that looked suspiciously similar even though it's for Jeeps. It did have several reviews from people that tried it on their Chevy pickup from 90s on up and it fit perfect, so I rolled the dice and ordered it for $30.

It fits perfect and is much tighter than the original bearing. Fingers crossed, my cowl rattle days are over.

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A second of many annoying features on my GMC motorhome, is its propensity for dumping fuel out the carbon canister while filling up. I had a method of filling the tanks until I started to see fuel spitting up from the fill port, then quitting filling immediately.

Then I did the 'Hi Tee' mod which is supposed to allow complete filling like a modern vehicle. I filled until it 'clicked off', waited a few moments, then topped it off until it 'clicked off' again.

Two out of three fill-ups were fine. The third resulted in about 3 gallons of fuel on the ground resulting in the attendants calling the Ohio state police and an Ohio thruway safety truck. I've resolved to solve this annoying feature.

My vapor separator is not very reliable apparently. I used an Exacto knife to carefully open up the case. It consists of the case with an inlet and outlet port, a float ball about the size of a pingpong ball, a chunky stainless steel needle, and a brass seat molded into the case. The float felt light as air. I think it's not sealing because the float ball is trying to push a stainless needle into a brass seat. Testing it with my mouth, it doesn't seal well (no surprise).

It's made by Rochester, so I thought, why not install a Rochester needle valve from a carb rebuilt kit? It's got a rubber tip, which should actually seal against the brass seat. And it's ethanol resistant since it's brand new.

I turned the needle valve down to 3/16" and drilled the stainless steel original valve 3/16" to accept it, and used JB weld epoxy (claims to be chemical and fuel resistant) to install the new rubber tipped needle into the drilled stainless needle. More of a press fit would have been nice but I couldn't figure how to push it in without damaging the tip.

The float ball has a seam on it which might cause it to hang up in the separator, so I scrapped that flush with the Exacto, and went around it with sandpaper as well.

And glued the case back together with the same JB Weld epoxy.

Testing again with my mouth, it doesn't seem to leak at all now, the new rubber needle makes a tight seal.

Time will tell, will report back here how this little experiment works out!

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One annoying 'feature' of my GMC is a rattle, for lack of better description, emanating from the cowl area which is very noticeable while traveling over bumps/potholes but also noticeable while I had an out of balance / out of round tire on my front left. That was my breaking point, at 67 mph a vibration would start and rattle whatever it was, which drove me crazy. I kept it under 65mph all the way to the MI rally due to this, and vowed to attempt to resolve the issue.

Step one, I swapped my front left tire to the rear. Even though it was a brand new, freshly balance wheel, expert attendees at the rally informed me that steel wheels are probably the culprit. After 50 years they are no longer running true, even though the tire store will balance them. On my drive home, this was confirmed. No more vibration at 67mph in the front, but I think I could feel it from the rear where I had moved that wheel.

Step two, where is that 'rattle' ? My theory that it's my lower steering shaft bearing. The frame is moving differently from the body and there's enough drag on my telescoping borgeson shaft that it's pushing the lower end of the steering shaft up and down in the lower column bearing. Sirum didn't have the bearing at their table at the rally, Mike recommended any auto parts store. I noodled around on Amazon and couldn't find one specific to any vehicle remotely related to the GMC (trucks of the era, the 73 transmode, 76 toronado, etc) but did see one that looked suspiciously similar even though it's for Jeeps. It did have several reviews from people that tried it on their Chevy pickup from 90s on up and it fit perfect, so I rolled the dice and ordered it for $30.

It fits perfect and is much tighter than the original bearing. Fingers crossed, my cowl rattle days are over.

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I replaced that bearing a few years ago and submitted the part number to GMCMI Parts Interchange. It was still listed there last time I looked, but maybe that PN is no longer valid?
 
I replaced that bearing a few years ago and submitted the part number to GMCMI Parts Interchange. It was still listed there last time I looked, but maybe that PN is no longer valid?

Hi Bruce, it was nice to meet you at the Corunna rally. I should have checked the parts interchange, you are correct it's in there!
 
JB weld epoxy (claims to be chemical and fuel resistant)
JB original always worked great for straight gas. Digging deeper on their site, with the addition of ethanol, they only recommend JB Marine for fuel exposure now. I have had original JB soften up with E10 immersion recently. I've since used JB Marine with good success, going on a few months now.

It looks like you ended up with the exact same bearing on your steering shaft as me. I put mine in the Glenbrook 2.5 years ago, no complaints. I can't remember where I got the part information, but I remember just browsing for one that "looked right" and would ship quickly. I guess I should have looked in the parts interchange as well.
 
Hi Bruce, it was nice to meet you at the Corunna rally. I should have checked the parts interchange, you are correct it's in there!
Nice to meet you as well Todd. Due to Covid, this was our first GMCMI rally since Mansfield OH in the Fall of 2019. Met a alot of new people and re-acquainted with some old friends. There were a number of long time owners that unfortunately were not there.
 
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