Rock Auto is showing two different part numbers for the 96 and 97 3500 . I would think you would need to know the brake system numbers for ordering the correct parts i.e. JB7 or JD8 etc . These are on the glovebox door with all the other codes .
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Ok so update....we replaced the hydroboost and master cylinder.. after bench bleeding the master cylinder(assembled them on the bench to make sure they fit together correctly with the rod installed). When you pushed on the rod that the brake pedal would hook to you could actually feel the rod on the other end as it engaged the master cylinder.. like it moved maybe an eighth of an inch then hit the master cylinder (perfect).... Installed it in the truck..(and installed a new AC Delco brake light switch in the process since the generic one I had in there wasn't allowing my downshift to work correctly all the time it was kind of sporadic..) we hooked the brake lines up and took her for a run...
WOW. It felt like I got my old truck back... She went from feeling like she had 15 tons hooked up to the back of her to feeling like a NASCAR when the green flag drops.. you touch the throttle and she is gone...I will say that trucks always impressed me being a one ton dually crew cab how fast it takes off.. I guess that just must be a 6.5 thing ..
Anyhow.. we are changing the calipers rotors brake pads and brake hoses today.. the rotors are actually blue from overheating so much.. and the calipers I just put on last week are not releasing correctly even with the new hydroboost and master cylinder... They are sticking a little when you go to push them in but that's more than likely because they've gotten over heated so badly. So we figure it's all under warranty so we're going to go ahead and put everything new on since we got the hydroboost and master cylinder figured out when working correctly now.. we figure the calipers hit the hoses are rotors everything has been overheated so we don't know what damage has been done to them so why risk it...
I appreciate all the advice you guys have gave me the past few months trying to figure this problem out...
I want to just blame AutoZone for selling me the wrong master cylinder to begin with. But honestly I have a hard time doing that.. because I went in there and looked up the part on the computer. put my own information in and it pulled up the same one..so I went over to advance Auto had them look it up and it came up with the same one and the same thing happened at CarQuest...I think it's just one of those things that the computer systems just doesn't allow for when GM crossover parts... You can guarantee for now on I'm just going to go by the glove box codes once I learn what they all mean..
Maybe now I can get around to putting the other part in that the truck has been needing... Valve cover gaskets ..exhaust manifold gaskets.. few other miscellaneous parts that have been getting neglected while this saga went on..
I'm hoping to find a truck in the junkyard with a disc rear end