Gary Lewis

That's really cute! I'll bet the waves get HIGH!

It certainly is impressive. Both the truck and the pic.

Well done!!! As for the printing, that is going to be an issue. I think Shapeways will add them as and where needed. But I think Bill is going to print them on his own printer, so....

Just a butt weld for now Gary. I'm not 100% finished with it yet. I had to cut 2" out of a different section of the NP435 stick as well, so it's actually welded together in two places. I tacked it, then grooved it out and filled with weld. It's fused together about as good as it can be, but I may stick an extra piece or two on it for insurance. It's not like there's any real stress on it...but still, I'd like it to be secure. I just test fitted it today. I already took it back out. I just wanted to make sure the stick and the boot were going to work before I put any more effort and money into it...lol. Have to order a knob, and get it powder coated. Butt-welding should work great on a shift lever. I was just curious.

Good score, Ray! As for the "monthly picture", the few that responded liked the idea. So, congrat's to Cory! I'd really like to feature a different one of our trucks from time to time, although it wouldn't have to be on a monthly basis. So when you get a good shot of yours post it up for us to look at. For instance, when (not if) I get the rear bumper made and mounted on Big Blue I'm thinking that a shot of the rear of the truck in some cool location, like in Colorado, might be good enough.

Having thought about it overnight, I like all of those ideas. But here's another one - the voltage at the coil and/or ignition module. If that voltage is low then when the headlights come on it may drop to the point the spark gets weak, and that will cause subtle running issues. Using this as a reference (http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/start--ignition-gasoline-engines.html) I'd check the voltage on the red/light green wire going to the coil, both with and without the headlights on. And, I'd check the voltage at the white/light blue to red connection at C321, which is the connector near the ignition module - with and w/o the headlights.

Haha...I like the parts about being easy to make it street legal. Maybe in the USA, but there is no way that thing could be made street legal where I live...lol. Yeah, easy fix, easy to make street legal, bill of sale from 16 sales ago, no problem with DMV, blah, blah, blah... I think I could get the Bug past the DMV here in OK. But somehow I doubt the Bronco would make it. They'd probably want to use it in a couple of weeks, but wouldn't pass it.

A bad tach can easily kill and engine. But if yours is working I don't think it is part of the problem. Ignition switches have several sets of contacts, and if the switch doesn't come back to the "RUN" position, which can easily happen in colder weather as the grease sets up, some things like turn signals won't work. But if your ignition works then that's all it takes. Bad grounds do bizarre things, so I can't say it isn't a bad ground. But I don't think that's likely. However, do your headlights appear to be as bright as they should be? As for the idle, 800 is plenty fast and bringing the headlights on shouldn't cause the speed to drop much. I'm really at a loss. So maybe someone else will chime in.

Your voltage is a little lower than I would have expected, like maybe .2 volts or so. But it varies by the regulator, temp, etc. So I wouldn't worry. However, the engine loading up and stalling isn't right. What is your idle RPM? Perhaps it is too low. Or, maybe the idle mix is too rich and it truly is loading up. I'm really just guessing. Grasping at straws.

Was it in this series of posts? http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/WHYDTYTT-What-Have-You-Done-To-Your-Truck-Today-tp148p13865.html

Oh, ok. I don't think there is such a thing as "too solid", so I like your approach.

Lots of good fabrication going on there. But I'm a little lost on the issue with the headlights. Why is the original header panel not there? What am I missing?

Cool! How are you splicing the two levers together? Any tube to bridge the joint, or just a butt weld? Jonathan - I gotta see what you do on the ZF lever! (Gotta get the ZF in before I worry about that though.)

Do you like the pics on the webpage or in the Projects section? I could, as I think about it, keep the pics on the webpage updated and have a discussion on the Projects section. The pics on the webpage let you zoom in, scroll around, etc. Boy, it sure would be nice for y'all to be able to pan and tilt. Meaning for me to have a full 3D model and you be able to view it from any angle. I wonder how that could be done?

Those are cool shots! How 'bout we use one of them for the pic at the top of the page? Maybe the one w/the light house? What do y'all think? Cory?

That may be a clone. There's certainly been some swapping going on. The hood says it is 80 or 81, but the XLS wasn't available except for 82 and 83. And the windshield trim is wrong. Plus the radio bezel appears to be as well. And it looks to me like it is an '85 or '6 with the DIN opening - and it says CUSTOM. What's up with the screwdriver or chisel handle for a gearshift lever? And it has the locking hood release. Plus what looks like a fold down arm rest/cup holder.

Wow! You had your issues, that's for sure. On the interior paint, I've used SEM with good luck. I'm not saying it beats the others, but I can say that they will mix the proper colors to match our trucks. And yes, the proper colors have to be mixed for many of our trucks, but the info is here: Specifications/Interior/Interior Paint. Glad you got the t-case sealed. But the sponge must have been a real bummer. Sorry. As for working on things today, I usually get a bit done between services, but probably not today. We have a luncheon after services this morning and then services this evening are at a retirement home at 4:00. And in between I have to prepare a lesson and my wife and I have to make 2 or 3 dozen sandwiches. Maybe a nap?

Had a friend with a '93 F150 5.0L call me yesterday asking for help. He'd started the truck and headed to work, but it started bucking violently so he went home. I went over and, to make a medium story short, he had a pre-heater hose to the throttle body leaking and squirting coolant - on the distributor. The parts store where our member DeWayne works didn't have quite the right hose, but they had a hose that would work. We put it on, filled up the cooling system, and fired it up. Yippee! Oops? It initially ran well, but then started dropping one cylinder all the time. And a quick drive proved we still had a problem, albeit not nearly as bad. Today he brought it over and we started checking things, including pulling plug wires and plugs. Got to #6 and the wire came off way too easily: Well, let's see the plug: That mark at the top is where the spark has been going, and you can feel it with your fingernail. Notice the porcelain blown out right above it? The spec's call for ASF42C's, and I had none. But I did have an ARF42-6, that I think has a resistor in it. But otherwise it was the same reach, heat, etc. So we put it in. Problem solved!

I think if it fits any 8.8 it'll fit the pickups. As for the Trickflow on a 10.25", is this what you mean? That's on Big Blue.

I fear y'all have tired of this subject. But I haven't, and have done some more work on it. But first, I've created a page for this project on the website: About Me-Contact Me/Projects/Rear Bumper and Spare Tire. And, I created a "project" called Rear Bumper And Spare Tire Carrier in the Project section here in the forum. My reason for creating the two is to test how well they work. The one on the website gets the pictures automagically updated as I work on the project and "print" new pics. And, the viewer can zoom in and pan around on them, which you can't do in the pics in the Project section of the forum. So, please tell me your thoughts as I can't keep two different places up to snuff. (I like the webpage best, so....) Now, for the updates and questions: - I've added a license tag holder and a 3rd brake/license tag light/backup light in the middle of the spare tire. But I'm not happy with the lights I've found as most are too tall - it shouldn't be more than about 3". So, if you have some to suggest.... - I've added a filler panel to the top front of the bumper to keep the yuk from being kicked up and getting onto the bumper - I made the swing arm go all the way across and the angled spare tire support arms go basically to the ends of the arm. There are two reasons for that. First, by making it a full triangle the thing can't sag. Second, it makes each arm almost 38" long and I think I can get a hi-lift jack mounted on the arm. Thoughts? Please? I'm hoping to have this made for my Christmas present, and need to get it right.

This is to document my project to create a heavy-duty bumper for our trucks and one which will will carry a large spare tire. To this point the specs are: Originally the bumper was a 4" x 6" x 1/4" rectangular tube. But I think I will change to a 5" tube for two reasons: First, the hinge I found is set up to drop through a 5" bumper, but won't work as well on a 6". Second, a 5" bumper centers the tow eyes and receiver - and I think I like that better. 1" thick steel tow eyes that bolt to the frame using the standard bumper holes and are welded front and rear to the bumper tube Originally I had 2 x 3 x 1/4" angle bolted to the "standard receiver hitch holes" in the frame and were to be welded to both the rear of the bumper as well as to the receiver's crossmember. However, I now believe that there are no "standard receiver hitch holes". I have two trucks, and the holes in the bottom of those frames are in very different locations. Receiver welded to bumper tube front and rear as well as to 2 1/2" x 1/4" square tube crossmember that is welded to the tow eyes and bottom angle Initially I was going to use 2" x 2" x 1/4" square tubing for the swing arm and angled arms on the tire support. But since I've now found a hinge w/a bearing and a 4" tall swivel tube, I've changed to 3 1/2" tall by 2 1/2" wide swing arm. That makes the swing arm much more resistant to twisting, which is good as it will prevent that heavy tire moving forward in a rapid stop. Hinge: Originally I was going to use a 1 3/4" x 1/4" round tube for the pivot of the swing arm, welded to the bumper top, bottom, and rear side, and a 2" x .120" round tube for the swivel on the swing arm. However, subsequently I found this Tire Carrier Hinge Kit from AtoZ Fabrication, and it has tapered roller bearings. I think it will be much better and will go with it. Initially the stops were 1" wide x 1" front/rear and welded to the bumper on either end to prevent the swing arm from hitting the body. However, there was room to upgrade them to 1 1/2" front/rear so I've done that. 1/4" steel plate used to mount the wheel, drilled and tapped for three lugs of both the 8-lug and 5-lug patterns. User to run bolts in from the front side and Loctite them in for whichever pattern s/he wants to use All butt joints fishplated, meaning that the receiver/crossmember joint and the crossmember/tow eye joint have steel strap bridging the joints Stop/Tag Light: By moving the tag, as I have to do, from the bumper to the center of the spare tire it creates a need for a tag light, But why not make it a multi-function light with a 3rd brake light as well as a backup light - which our trcks badly need? I've been doing some searching for such a light and, to this point I've found one - Rigid's Chase. It is expensive at ~$200, but the backup light might well be worth it.

I've never taken one apart so I don't know. But, have you tried penetrating oil, daily, on that bolt?

I think it would be a real dog's-breakfast if you didn't type the way your mind thinks. I've done it by lowering the tank on the all-thread that retains it, sitting under the truck, tapping the lock ring back, and extracting the sender. Worked a treat. As for dropping and cleaning them, I wouldn't if they aren't giving you trouble. For the price of a new tank it just isn't worth it. I did it once, spending several hours and several gallons of gas in the process, and still had silt plugging up the filter for a while. But if you aren't having silt problems, I'd leave well-enough alone.

Hmmmm, where to document what we find on paint???? Suggestions?

Please let us know what you find.