Big GIF, short movie

ArdWrknTrk wrote

With his insistence on 'originality' I'm not sure why he wants one.

You are completely right, Jim!
Like you did once say, I’m a bit «fickle?»


As you caught it, I want to keep Big Bro as close as “possible” to its 1984 original state.
But for some comfort add-ons, like a Speed Control, a backup camera, hands free bluetooth, a tonneau cover, an inverter… and more electrical power, I can show flexibility and become open-minded (just a bit, not too much ).

It will be a spring project.  So don’t hold your breath.  I’ll take the rest of winter time to prepare all I need and collect all the required puzzle pieces, don’t want to stall the truck too long.

I’ll need your help, Jim.
And “y’all”!

So, watch for a coming soon specific thread for this new “lazzy mechanic journey”.

None of that, save the inverter, really needs any extra power...

Anytime Jeff.
Just tag me to the thread, I'll give you what I know

Jeff - Don't let me nudge you into going with a 3G if you don't want to.

As for the cruise/speed control, go with the later version.  It is a whole bunch smoother and fits right where the Bullnose one does.

As for hands-free Bluetooth, I'm having problems with "our Sony", Jim.  Yesterday when I drove BB it had forgotten my iPhone.  I initially assumed that was because I'd had the power off to do the relays and started to pair the devices.  But the phone remembered the Sony and wouldn't pair so I had to tell the phone to forget the device and they paired easily.

But after a couple of stops they weren't connecting even though both devices had an entry for the other.  So I told the phone to forget the Sony and now I can't get them to pair because the Sony isn't seeing a device it doesn't think it is paired with so doesn't send a pairing invitation.  And I can't figure out how to make the Sony forget the phone.

I've had a lot of trouble with the Sony forgetting devices, like it has frequently forgotten my phone - even when I've gotten a new phone so it has forgotten a different phone.  But it remembers the Garmin Montana, even when I don't want it to.  

Jeff should also know that THERE IS a 100A 1G, so he could have an 'extra' 40A and still use his external voltage regulator, looking completely stock.....

You can easily make the Sony forget.
But I can't explain why it likes to forget your iPhone.
My Nokia is always there.

It sounds like you need to find a factory service center.  😟

Yes, there were 100A 1G's, and the output curve is much steeper than the 60A units, which you can see on our page at Documentation/Electrical/Alternators.  So it appears to put out about 70A at a 700 RPM idle.

As for the Sony, I'll play with it a bit more to see what I need to do.  But for the upcoming trip I don't want it to be forgetting my phone daily.  I want to be able to answer calls on it, play music, and get directions.  So I'll be reading the directions to see how to make it forget the phone - unless you know.

Maybe that would make Jeff happy?

The manual says to reset the radio memory if you've removed power from the head unit or the battery from the vehicle....

If you want to unpair it's pretty much the same as pairing
Settings/Bluetooth/set pairing  then select the device and press the button.

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Jeff should also know that THERE IS a 100A 1G, so he could have an 'extra' 40A and still use his external voltage regulator, looking completely stock.....

Gary, Jim - Pardon my ignorance, but I didn't know that there was a 100A 1G existing...  I thought that our only choices were between 1G, 2G (to avoid), 3G (a bit complicated for dummies like me) and One Wire (to avoid too).

The goal of a «Big Brother to 3G» journey would be to see how much simplified could be the 3G upgrade process.
How close to "Plug'nPlay" it could be...  But maybe this is, as Andy Williams sang, an Impossible Dream?

Gary Lewis wrote

Jeff - Don't let me nudge you into going with a 3G if you don't want to.
As for the cruise/speed control, go with the later version.  It is a whole bunch smoother and fits right where the Bullnose one does.

Gary, I just sent an email to you.  I'll be out for two days (activity work+fun with my employees, we rent a chalet for the gang), so don't be surprised if do not answer before the weekend.

Have to go, they wait for me!

At one point Gary shot me down insisting that there was only 40 & 60A 1G's

I've literally looked up the numbers for 70/100A 1G's and posted them on this forum.

A 3G will get you better charging at idle and if you want much more than 80ish amps to your inverter then you definitely need one.

If all you're charging is a drone or a phone it's completely pointless.

So, it's up to you (like I said the last time) to determine your use case and how much headroom you are comfortable with.

Jim - I don't remember that conversation, although I believe you, so don't know the context.  But if I said there were no 70A nor 100A alternators then I was badly mistaken.  What I should have said was that the 40A alternator was standard and the 60A is, in my opinion, the only option for F & U-series trucks.

However, I am finding very contradictory documentation from Ford. For instance, the 1986 Truck Fact Book says that the 40A is standard and the 60A is the only option on F-Series trucks & Broncos.  It is Option 620 and was available by itself or as part of the air conditioning or trailer packages.  But there is no mention of any other alternator for those trucks and no option number with which to order it.  But there is in the E-series van line.

However, the page below says that the 70A alternator was available in both the pickups and Broncos in '85, although the 100A wasn't available in either.

On the other hand, the master parts catalog shows both the 70 & 100A alternators available for not only the E-Series but the pickups and Broncos.

So, given what little I know I still believe that the Bullnose pickups and Broncos did not come with anything but 40 and 60A alternators since there was no way from the pricing sheets to order anything else.  But I cannot prove that.

In any event, it is obvious there were both 70 & 100A alternators out there, if that is what you mean.  So yes, you could look up the numbers for them.

I just pecked out a damn novel on my phone and the page crashed.  😖

I definitely think it's my phone

I'll tell the tale of looking up this guy's engineering number in a minute.

I think I need to charge this thing