Gary Lewis

Brandon is on his way over and is to be doing some media blasting, so I thought it was a good time to do some work for Bill. He sent me his upper plenum with twisted off EGR valve bolts and I was supposed to remove the EGR valve from the plenum that I got from Jim and send it to Bill. But, when I tried to remove the EGR valve today I wound up with a twin to Bill's plenum. Fortunately I have the one that is still on Huck's engine and the EGR valve came off of it cleanly. So that's the one we'll blast today.

Excuse me, but how does snow cause problems with doing computer work to create an album?

That poor old truck is so rotten I betcha one could remove the roll bar without tools...lol. Hard to see in the picture, but it also has one of those bush bars that fits the contours of the front bumper. Was it you that was making those? I have been continuing to hunt for more Bullnose Flareside parts and trucks this week, and I've come across two more sets of fiberglass fenders. Always the case, a bunch of parts available that I don't need. I've come across a whole project truck that is partially disassembled (an '81, I think). The Flareside box has already been removed, disassembled, and sand blasted. It's not perfect, but it is decent. Guy is asking $1000 obo for the whole truck. I'd buy the whole damn thing and part it out, but it's too far away for that. I only want the box. I actually don't even need a box...not badly anyway, but I'd like to have one to work on/restore while I drive mine. Then, down the road if I find another decent Bullnose I'd have a nice spare box for it. Maybe. There are several Flareside project trucks for sale in Canada right now. Too bad they're all too far away or I'd have a yard full of 'em...lol. My wife would not be enthusiastic about that;). You need to chat with Ray/NotEnoughTrucks about how much land, and how far out of town, is needed to be able to have a "truck farm". (I always have a giggle when I hear someone say "cattle farm". I wonder how deep you need to plant those cows to get them to grow? So, how deep do you need to plant a truck? )

Having spent 3 summers and 1 winter on the railroad, and having had a father and a brother who retired as "hog heads" (locomotive engineers), I do see the advantages of PTC. But railways have a limited set of circumstances when compared to automobiles. For the most part, trains stay on the rails so you know where they are at all times, and when they go on the ground they don't travel vary far. And by the time that proximity sensors could detect things coming from the side, front, or rear it is too late given the distance it takes to stop them. But automobiles live in a much wider set of circumstances. The TSB on the adaptive cruise control problems referred to reflective trucks, like the stainless milk trucks, but even with that fix applied mine still catches glimpses of something when passing trucks. And the programming on the lane assist didn't take into account black ice. So how many other things did they overlook or improperly accommodate? As for body control modules, within the first 24 hours of owning my 2011 Murano it decided to turn the headlights on and kill the battery. The dealership put it in a dark section of the shop and caught it doing it several times, so replaced the BCM with the last one in North America. It cost them $2000 in parts and who knows how much in labor. So I'm not a fan of all the technology. When it works properly it is great, but 30 years down the road how easy is it going to be to keep those things working? The exception, to me, is EFI and computer-controlled transmissions. I've not read about the EECM's failing, and the rest of the system is fairly straight forward. So my thinking is that an OBD-II equipped vehicle, meaning one that can easily tell you what the problems are, will be fairly easy to maintain. So I'm happy to implement that tech into my trucks, but balk at the extensive and intrusive tech that makes life-threatening decisions for me.

Back on the idea of interfacing later model sending units with Bullnose gauges, or vice versa, it turns out there is a commercial product to do just that. I picked up the June 2018 issue of Classic Trucks and on pages 46 - 54 there's an article entitled A Dash Of Class where they discuss New Electronics For Old Gauges - by Classic Instruments. On Page 54 there is a discussion of Classic Instruments' SN34 Fuel Link, I don't know that it would do the job, but it looks like it would. But, at about $136 it costs more then an Arduino, which could do a lot more than interface the fuel system. And it is a lot more than Ray's transistor approach. But, if you need it....

If there was coolant on both sides then that changes everything. I would bet there's a problem with the thermostat housing. I've seen them cracked and leaking and I've seen them so corroded they won't seal. I've seen people swap the bolts side to side where the long one bottoms out in the blind hole and won't tighten down. And I've seen people catch the rim of the thermostat between the housing and the gasket. In fact, I've seen them put on with just RTV and no gasket. So, if it was me I'd pull the housing off and inspect it closely. Check to see that the bolts are in the right way 'round and snug. Check the gasket, if there is one. And I would do that several times before I pulled the water pump and timing cover off.

Yesterday I received an invitation from Ford to be part of what they call The Driver's Connection. Apparently it is some form of user group/focus group that they'll bounce ideas off of. In the questionnaire which was used to qualify there was a section on high tech in vehicles and one of the questions asked if I'd be willing to use a driverless vehicle. I said "Yes", but had reservations. And here are two reasons I have reservations: So, I really do have apprehensions about high tech in vehicles. It isn't that I don't like tech. But apparently some of the systems don't have the smarts needed to do the job properly. For instance, the cruise doesn't know if someone is following closely so can slam on the brakes and cause an accident. And the lane-keeping system doesn't know if the road is slick, so can nudge the steering and cause an accident. Perhaps the driverless vehicles have better inputs to the system, but......

It isn't all that hard to change out the timing cover. But you do have to ensure that you get it sealed properly to the pan. However, it may not be the timing cover that is leaking, as a leaking pump gasket will put coolant in the same place. So try to determine where the leak is before you tackle it. And, you have lots of bolts to keep track of as the Windsors use several different length bolts, so you need to come up with a scheme to keep track of them. And while you are in there you might want to replace the water pump as they have to come off and are relatively cheap. If you are replacing the water pump, then the easiest way I've seen to keep track of the bolts is to trace the new water pump's outline, including bolt holes, on a piece of cardboard. And the new pump's box is a good candidate for that. Then, as you pull the bolts, put them through the cardboard in the correct position. Also, note that several of those bolts go into coolant, so thread sealer is good to use on them as you replace them. Something like PTFE in a tube is what I use.

Another update. Yesterday Brandon/Bruno called to say that he's impressed with both the products as well as customer support from TotallyStainless. And, that in a conversation he mentioned the show and they said "Write us and maybe we can help." So today I talked with Abigail there, who remembered the conversation with Brandon and gave me her email address. She now has an email that explains what the show is all about and how their products will be of interest to us. We will see what they say. Yesterday I got an email back from the gentleman at my Ford dealership that said he's passed my email on to his rep with Ford in Dallas. Hopefully they'll see the need to bring a Raptor to the show. And, I just stopped in to see Cory Marshall, the General Manager of the Tulsa 4wd Parts store. He remembers me, maybe because of Big Blue since he once told me if I ever want to sell it I must talk to him first. Anyway, I showed him the pic of the Bronco that was at the show last year, and he said "I know that guy." Told him it is Tim White, and he agreed. (Which reminds me that I need to remind Tim of the show.) Then Cory showed me pics of his Centurion, '90ish Bronco, another '90ish Ford, and an '86 Bronco, and I think he will be at the show. Plus, he said he will have 50 of their yellow bags we can use as "grab bags" for giving to the participants. And, some other things as well, possibly to include a free TTB alignment. So, things are moving along.

I have a whizbang Nikon DSLR and several lenses and have taken it all over the world taking pics - none of which I've used. But the one's I've taken on my phone have been posted to FaceBook. So, on our next trip I'm just taking my new iPhone X which has a really good camera. However, for pics I'm going to post on here I use a Nikon point-and-shoot camera dumbed down to take 1 megapixel pics. That way I don't have to edit every pic before I post it.

He posted the same thing twice on another forum. Several people responded, but after several weeks he didn't bother to respond to them. My guess is that he is just messing with people by posting a problem he doesn't have. I didn't know that when I first responded, so took my time asking questions. When it was pointed out that he'd posted the same problem twice elsewhere, got responses, and didn't have the decency to respond, I realized we had someone wasting our time. I gave him 24 hours to respond, and even sent him an email about it. No response, so he's history.

That's interesting! And I'll bet he's right as it makes good sense.

Jein. The steel stud of the rivets they used stick out of the aluminum rivet, making it difficult to drill in the center. So I've used a Dremel to slice off the stud even with the aluminum, which makes it less difficult. But it isn't easy.

Step me through the problem and solution, please. On Fri, Apr 13, 2018 at 7:09 AM, Ray Cecil [via Bullnose Enthusiasts] <redacted_email_address> wrote:

Have you tried a different browser? Which one are you using? On Fri, Apr 13, 2018 at 6:47 AM, Gary Lewis <redacted_email_address> wrote:

I'll report it. Thanks. On Fri, Apr 13, 2018 at 6:45 AM, Ray Cecil [via Bullnose Enthusiasts] <redacted_email_address> wrote:

Ray - It has been suggested that you delete the cookies in your browser and see if that fixes it. Gary On Thu, Apr 12, 2018 at 12:57 PM, Ray Cecil [via Bullnose Enthusiasts] <redacted_email_address> wrote:

I haven't done a Bronco tailgate, but the doors I've done have required drilling the rivets out and then using 1/4-20 bolts and nuts to secure them back.

Silicone spray helps the windows slide. Dries fairly clear, but don't get it on everything. But I've had to take the motors apart and lube them to get more oomph.

Thanks! Now, back to my tower.......

Well spotted, Jonathan. I have a NOS piece that will go on when I "restore" Big Blue. But, in the interim I'd love to have that replacement. As for Huck - merge "half" and "truck" and what do you get? Huck seemed more kind than Hack. Sort of a Tom Sawyer type of name. Now, back to the microfiche tower.....

Yes it was. With no glass, hood, grill & bumper and using black primer it looks worst than the day I brought it home. I know a lot was done to it that you can't see. My dad always said he like body work as you can see what was done. Mechanical work when done you never saw. I would say with out mechanical work his body work would not be on the road LOL. Dave - - - - Dave - It does tend to take a degree of mechanical capability for a body to go down the road. And a well-done body w/o the mechanical capability is a yard ornament. As for what I did to my truck(s) today, I got rid of one - Huck. Used Blue to tow him down since Big Blue's fuel system is leaking, so that went easily. But, into the STRONG south wind the instantaneous MPG was showing 9 at 67 going down and 18+ on the way back. Big Blue might have been able to get the 9, but the only way he'd ever get 18 is downhill with the engine off - and the leak fixed. Here's Huck's ignominious end: Then, when I got home I put the trailer up in the carport behind the shop. This shot is to remind me to lock the hubs in next time. This shot shows how close it is - a total of about 6" between the trailer and the posts. So close I'd not attempt it w/o the front hitch. Job done. Now I can put Big Blue in the shop and check out the fuel leak.

Maybe a good example of not getting notified because the answer wasn't to your post? Nabble doesn't work like many other forums.

I've asked Nabble, the people who host the forum on their servers, for help. Should see something today.

Look on the map, near your VA "home". That's one of the beauties of the map - first names. Anyway, now you see why I suggested posting on here rather than emailing me. There's lots more info available than what I have, and I don't mind the topics going outside our beloved Bullnose trucks. These trucks are what we have in common, but each of us are into many other things, so why limit what can be asked or shared?