Gary Lewis

That helps, thanks. And I do see the detail. So it now makes sense.

I found that the best way to take the slack out is to move the mount on the intake manifold back. To do that I cut the mount, put a piece of scrap steel under the pieces and used vice grips to position it. Once I had it where there was just a bit of slack I tacked it and then took it off and welded it. But I can see that placing a u-shaped piece between the crimped-on stop and the washer would work. Again, just make sure there's a little bit of slack as having that be your idle stop doesn't work well. DAHIK.

Yes, welcome back! That sure looks like a lot of WORK! But it is coming along nicely. I think I understand most of what you said, but want to confirm - the "ledgers" are the 2x6's I see bolted on? And you'll put the floor on them?

Works for me. Either way this approach works nicely. But you are right that you have to keep whatever is inside small as it'll hold the trim piece away from the arm and not let the springs grab properly.

Glad you got it lubed and the slack out. That can make a huge difference!

I could print it to a pdf, if that's what you mean, as I have a pdf "printer" called Bullzip. Then I could highlight areas, circle them, etc.

I did it the other way 'round, with the screw head outside and a small nut inside. It works. But I used a black screw so it wasn't easily visible.

That sounds really nice. Post some pics?

Yes, all F350 4x4's went to a solid axle in 86. Anyway, that's cool, Cory! He has some really nice stuff.

Thanks, Jeff. But I'm not sure I can get to the other side to put the retainer on. It would probably be easier to put a wing-bolt in that was just long enough to make a turn or two.

I can screenshoot (?) the parameters, but there are soooooo many of them I was hoping to find a way to document certain ones. But maybe a screenshot would be enough. (Our resident expert is going in for back surgery soon, so if I'm going to get an answer I'd better get it soon.)

Well, Gary, I understand that the future owner of Big Blue will need a truck to carry all its documentation? Jeff - That's funny! But I did add the spreadsheet of the connections to the ECU to the initial post in the thread. So now I need to print it out and put it in the binder. Still need to figure out how to document the ECU's parameters.

A picture of the passenger’s seat would be nice, helpful for figuring how a removable pin could fit. I looked around for a diagram of these seats and didn’t find any. Jeff - I found a pic I took last spring after getting the seats home. In this pic there's a strap attached to the seatback that rotates down and meets the stub sticking up from the seat bottom. So you are first seeing the strap and then, behind it in the pic, is the stub. The strap has a hole in it large enough to pass the bolt that's laying there, and the stub is threaded. So when you want to fold the seatback you need to remove the bolt.

As much as I'd like you to experience Hell's Revenge, I'm thinking it might be a bit of a long shot. I know Big Blue can do it, and I'm sure that with some spotting you will be able to drive it. But I'm not sure that by day three you and Janey will be ready to believe that. I'm not giving up! As we see how things are going there are probably a couple obstacles that we can take a look at without committing to the entire trail and see what you think about taking it on. But I also want to make sure that the trip is fun for both of you, and if you aren't ready to have fun on Hell's Revenge then it won't be fun. So the back-up trail for day three is Fins 'N Things. Here's a link to my trail report from 2019, here's my report from 2021 and here's an excerpt from the 2019 report: So we'll keep Fin 'N Things in our back pocket. I would have thought that Fin 'N Things is the plan for Day 3 and Hell's Revenge is in the back pocket. Or, did I miss something? So right now you are thinking of: Day 1: Sevenmile Rim Day 2: Top of the World Day 3: Fin 'N Things if you don't convince me to try Hell's Revenge Do I have that right? I still need to take the on-line test, review the other videos a few times, and then sit down and show some of them to Janey. I feel like I'm getting way behind.

What have I done to my truck today? Nada. But I've been doing something for my truck, or maybe more correctly for whomever gets to maintain it later. I think I've completed the major part of Big Blue's documentation regarding the electrical system he's sporting. There are schematics for: Charging & Power Distribution: This shows the alternator, the PDB's although not what's in them, the battery isolator, both batteries, and the aux power relay as well as all the cabling connecting them. Passenger's Side PDB: This has all of the relays and fuses in that unit as well as what each does. Driver's Side PDB: Ditto the PS one Mission Control: This is the set of switches above the radio that control the OX locker, aux power relay, air compressor, backup lights, battery isolator, and the fog lights. Each of those schematics has been printed and included in a binder that rides in Big Blue's console. In addition they've been "printed" as pdf's and reside in the first post of Big Blue's Transformation thread, which also currently includes three other documents: the overall summary of what has been done to Big Blue; the "card" I use at shows to tell about him; and the parts list for maintenance purposes. In addition, those schematics are on the page at Documentation/Picture Galleries/Big Blue/Big Blue's Documentation. What I have yet to do is to print the spreadsheet that shows all of the connections to the ECU and figure out how to document what parameters I have dialed into Binary Editor for the EFI system. Bill, do you know how to do that?

And I'm that guy that goes into a room, stops to ask "why did I come here", and then goes on his merry way oblivious to the fact that he's just forgotten to do something important. I'll look around a bit, but I don't know where to look.

I don't have a spare, and the illustration I found in the Brake section of the FSM, below, doesn't have thread sizes. And I know this is for the F350, but the illustration for the lighter trucks has even less info. Do you remember where you saw them?

I studied for the CDL but didn’t take the test. Still, I learned a lot about loads and loading. Enough that I’m constantly amazed at what I see going down the road.

I don't know, but will look to see if I have one that isn't installed... (Haven't made it to the shop yet.)

Even long wheelbase tow vehicles are a problem if the driver doesn't know and doesn't know he doesn't know. I remember getting a call late one night from a member, who will remain nameless, who was trying to tow a 3/4 ton Bullnose on a trailer with a 1/2 ton rental pickup. He couldn't get over 30 MPH w/o severe fishtailing. Had him send me a pic and, sure enough, he didn't have much tongue weight as the tow vehicle wasn't sitting down. (Plus he had chains holding the truck on the trailer at the front, but light ratchet straps at the rear, but that's another story.) After moving the Bullnose forward and squatting the tow truck it towed nicely. (And I had him swap the chains and ratchet straps for safety.) Towing is serious business and too many people don't understand that. But if you overload the tow vehicle and have an accident a sharp lawyer will take your money, and rightly so, in court.

The owner's manual tells the tale and we don't have a copy of the Bronco one on here. But our page at Documentation/Specifications/Towing goes one better on the 1986 Towing Guide tab. What is interesting is that a Bronco with a C6 and a 5.0L EFI and 3.55 gears, meaning an 8.8" diff, can tow up to 6,900 lbs, and if you have 4.10 gears you can to up to 7,900 lbs. However, if you have a 5.8L with a 4bbl you could only get 3.50 gears, meaning you got a 9" diff, and you could only tow 6,800 lbs. Having said that, Jim is right with the "able to" and "sanely". The Bronco's short wheelbase makes towing more difficult than with a longer wheelbase pickup. And then there's brakes, and unless you have good brakes on the trailer the shorter the tow vehicle's wheelbase the riskier it is.

If it is only 2.5 miles then make two trips? (I know, you've already done it and don't plan to do it again.) Yes, it is very easy to overload these trucks. People think "truck" and they can put anything in it they want. But if the springs were that capable the ride would be horrible. Over here people start with "1/2 ton trucks" and transform them into overlanding rigs with water, extra batteries, camping equipment, bigger tires, lights, etc. And then they find out they are overloaded before the load up themselves and groceries for the trip. But they go on anyway and wonder why they have problems. As for the buggy, you could tow it with the Bronco?

In stock form the vacuum dump also shut down the servo, so there were three things. But since the later system doesn't use vacuum you'd only have two ways to kill it - the brake light system and the Off switch. And if the fuse blows on the brake lights then you won't have that.

Kurt has a later master, but apparently not one with the switch. In this thread Larry/ratdude747 says that the Raybestos MC39634 comes with the residual pressure valve and a "reservoir level sensor". Is that possibly the port where the pressure switch would go instead? I wouldn't think they put pressure to a level sensor, but then I wouldn't think that they'd have two different master cylinders. And, by the way Kurt, I don't know whether you have an F150, 250, or what as you didn't say in your signature. But the master certainly changes between them.

Yes, you were overloaded. But that's not all that unusual. Not legal should you be stopped, so don't make a habit of it. And as Jim said, if you air the tires up to the max on the sidewall you'll be safer.