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Cab upgrades

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Gary Lewis

Re: Cab upgrades

Administrator

Yes, every project has its unexpected revelations, but yours seem to have lots of them. Glad you got it fixed.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Cab upgrades

Administrator

Mine have lots because my truck is neglected.

For instance, I couldn't get one of the shifter bolts out in order to install the new mat.

After heating it with a torch and then rounding it completely off I welded a nut over the stump.
This I rounded, and then spun off with a bolt-out in my impact gun.
Then I had to find a copper brake washer so I could once again weld up something to grab a ahold of, without welding it to the stick.

But now I can install the mat.

Then the Sub, the radio, the seat and belts.

I'm not going to bother trying to insulate the cowl from the engine bay today.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Cab upgrades

Administrator

In reply to this post by 86 1/2 Brutus

The Army briefly.
Long enough to shoot expert and get differed from deployment to go back to work at Norden, or Barnes, I forget which.

I think in the McCarthy era the spectre of the Soviet Union took precedent over another pair of boots on the ground.

He was probably working on the beryllium mirrors for infrared detecting satellites at that point ('58-'60?)
This way we (U.S.) could detect rocket launches and trajectory burns.

He also had a company 'Cast Optics' that could produce pmma in thick sections and mold lenses.
Perkin-Elmer had a lot of interest, because in the early '60's rockets weren't so powerful and plexi is one third the weight of glass.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

86 1/2 Brutus

Re: Cab upgrades

Oh ok, was just wondering. I have the utmost respect for Military men and woman. And Brutus is a Military truck.

Nick and George
1986 1/2 F150 XLT Lariat 4X2 300 Six - C6 - 3:08 in a 8.8 - Fully Loaded - 8 Foot Box
Owned since new

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Cab upgrades

Administrator

I'm trying like heck to figure out this rear speaker plug in my truck.

The EVTM says right channel is db/o and left is pk/lb.

I've got pk/lb, pk/g, g/o and bu/o....

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Cab upgrades

Administrator

This post was updated on .

It's a darn freaky connector too.

I may have to chop it off and go with bullets or spades.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Gary Lewis

Re: Cab upgrades

Administrator

In reply to this post by ArdWrknTrk

My 1987 EVTM shows the same. Strange!

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Cab upgrades

Administrator

C850 is an inigma. 🤣

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Cab upgrades

Administrator

I *promise* I'll add lots of pics to this thread.

I just need to get *something* finished.... 😖

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Cab upgrades

Administrator

And I'm trying!
The rain quit.

My Haynes manual is no help (really???

)

But I look at Gary's '86 EVTM and see that pk/lb is feed on the right and ground on the left... what the Heck Ford!

But there's a splice so I'm going to ohm out the gr/or wire and the one that hits will be the other channel.

Though I can't understand why the EVTM shows right channel to the left side of illustration.
Shouldn't diagrams be as seated (facing forward) in the vehicle?

Anyway with this revelation I'm off to go play in the mud.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Gary Lewis

Re: Cab upgrades

Administrator

Looking forward to your report and pics, Jim. PROGRESS!

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

86 1/2 Brutus

Re: Cab upgrades

that looks like premium sound connectors. chop em. Brutus had the same thing in the doors he came with 6x9's. even if it's in tact, they break rel easy, just get rid of it

Nick and George
1986 1/2 F150 XLT Lariat 4X2 300 Six - C6 - 3:08 in a 8.8 - Fully Loaded - 8 Foot Box
Owned since new

86 1/2 Brutus

Re: Cab upgrades

Jim, we love Ford, but they do some messed up stuff. for example, 72 thru 79 ford midsize with the lights, not gauges. The alternator loop start is connected through the alternator light. If the light goes bad your alternator wont charge. Unfortunately, the bullnose trucks are rather a mess when it comes to wireing. They didn't start to get it straight until the model change in 87 when the integrated most of it into the main harness. The Bullnose as we all know came in from anywhere from a farm truck to a fully loaded beast like Brutus. when you got a particular option you got a seperate outrigger harness for that option, they weren't like the cars where even if they were stripped, all the harness's were there for everything. We are pretty lucky Nick knows ford wireing like the back of his hand, but sometimes even gives him a run for his money, but always ends up getting it in the end. you will too

Nick and George
1986 1/2 F150 XLT Lariat 4X2 300 Six - C6 - 3:08 in a 8.8 - Fully Loaded - 8 Foot Box
Owned since new

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Cab upgrades

Administrator

I'm still trying to figure out the four wires in that plug.
From the '86 EVTM two of them should be spliced together, but no matter what combo I try they are all reading 1-2 M so I guess my manual is correct (except for the colors!)
Man I hate [Solid State] in Ford's schematics.
Like I've said before, it's having a map with "thar be Dragons here" in the one place you need to go.

It was a bugger to get the plastic connector off those little spades.
I may go to the hobby shop and pick up a couple of the SAE connectors they use for RC battery packs.

There was very little "premium" about this truck.

It did come with a headliner..
So, I need to get the pairs and polarity right before I can put the kick panel and still cover back on. 😖
I guess the radio comes out, again?

Interesting about the '70's vehicles.
A Bullnose charge indicator should have a 512 ohm resistor paralleled across the trace on the flex.
My 87 came with a bulb holder that has a resistor right on the back of it.
Either way, that should be enough to bootstrap the alternator.

I took a break before I lost my mind, and moved on to changing out the front driveshaft universals that I couldn't get grease through when I was in Vermont.
With that, it seems all I need to finish is changing the radiator support bushings so I can get the hood to close...

Poor neglected truck.
Losing the transfer case far from home was the first time it's really left me stranded.
The fuel pump wore the arm right off its pivot, but I was only a block from Advance.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

86 1/2 Brutus

Re: Cab upgrades

Jim, you may not have to pull the radio again. Did you get the back speakers working? If not, i'm going to get Nck in on this, he will get you going.
If you did, and you need to check polarity, you can do this with your ears.

I believe you are just having trouble with the rear correct?
If they are working. balance the radio's fader to the back speakers. Sit between them, turn the balance control to one side, do you hear more bass? balance them back to the middle, does the bass go away? if so 1 speaker s out of phase

If you know your front ones are correct, fade to the middle, then balance to the left side, do the same thing, this time listen to the front and back speaker, if there is a hole in the middle, you found the rear speaker that is out of phase, if it sounds correct, move to the right side, do it again.

Or pull the head unit and do the battery pop test. Disconnect the wires going to one of the speakers, take a aa battery, take the wires put one on negative and tap the other on the positive of the battery, look at the speaker, does it push out or pull in. if it pushes out, the wire you have on the positive of the battery is your positive wire, if it pulls in, reverse them. Do this for all of them and you can ensure proper phase.

Not sure if you are going to be working on it today, but if you need nick. email me and ill get him for you. if not let me know later, ill check back after work
Just so we know, what year and make are you working on, and what factory stereo came in it? from the wire harness it looks like later 80's
\
George

Nick and George
1986 1/2 F150 XLT Lariat 4X2 300 Six - C6 - 3:08 in a 8.8 - Fully Loaded - 8 Foot Box
Owned since new

Gary Lewis

Re: Cab upgrades

Administrator

George - I'd read about the polarity test with the AA battery, but had forgotten. Good idea!

As for the bass test for phasing, I'd not read about that one. That's a good trick.

Jim - You've just let years of maintenance pile up, so you have lots of layers of the onion to peel. Plenty of crying, but a whole lot of onion rings at the end.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Cab upgrades

Administrator

And...you know, I don't cry cutting onions.

Since this pandemic I'm a lot better about washing my hands before I touch my face.

Yes, it's about being too busy for myself.
Not that I'm procrastinating.
Notice I've had almost all these parts, just waiting for a 'good' opportunity.
Now I'm being selfish, and fixing everything I took off before it goes back on.

Next I need one of my tow buddies to happen on a bricknose truck with a red interior and good doors.
I can get cards and pull a bench seat to bring to New Jersey.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

86 1/2 Brutus

Re: Cab upgrades

In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

yea Gary, it works out in a pinch of you cant get to the wires, but does get tricky when more then 2 speakes are in use

Nick and George
1986 1/2 F150 XLT Lariat 4X2 300 Six - C6 - 3:08 in a 8.8 - Fully Loaded - 8 Foot Box
Owned since new

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Cab upgrades

Administrator

In reply to this post by ArdWrknTrk

ArdWrknTrk wrote

I took a break before I lost my mind, and moved on to changing out the front driveshaft universals that I couldn't get grease through when I was in Vermont.
With that, it seems all I need to finish is changing the radiator support bushings so I can get the hood to close...

Poor neglected truck.

It's the myraid layers of frustration.

My new universals came with grease fittings in the end caps.
Okay, I've got my tiny pistol grease gun with one of those for chainsaw bars.
I get under the truck and get two good squeezes.....
Ok, I'll put that tip on one of my two air rifle pump type grease guns.
Getting the needle tip off was a challenge.
Putting it on the other flex hose gun (with no flats or knurling) was like fighting a snotty eel.
I have the other big gun... I can lube the drag link and ball joints I was supposed to replace last year!
I get to the last upper ball joint and run out of grease.
Usually, I'd just grab the other one.
But...
I try to force it into the universal, and kink the hose right at the head creating a leak.
I dig in my bin looking for another tube of grease.
I KNOW I just bought one..
Oh! That's right.
I bought it in Vermont, and while I finally found Bill's grease gun in his disaster of a garage I used his grease and left the tube behind (because I'm considerate and do that sort of thing if I borrow something of yours)
And now... it's raining.

This is my life, every day.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Gary Lewis

Re: Cab upgrades

Administrator

That sounds like a lot frustration! But, I've been there and had that day. No fun!

Hang in there, tomorrow should be better.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

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