Gary Lewis

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Since the ultimate goal is to have it as a page on the web site and not as a post in the forum, the easiest approach for you is to write it up in email and attach the pictures. But that doesn't give you the ability to position the pictures, so you could put the pics in the body of the email, although most email systems won't give you the ability to do 2 or more pics side-by-side like the web page will. But you could write it up and tell me in the body where you want each pic, maybe by saying "(Put pic XYZ here.)" Or, if you are good with Word, you could lay it out as you want it in a Word document and then I'll transpose that into the page. That's actually the better way as it allows you to work on the document over several days and come back to add, change, etc at will. You wouldn't even have to embed the pics, just tell me where each one goes. And speaking of them, please include the pics as attachments to the transmittal email as extracting them from a document doesn't always give the best results. And, when I put it in a page we can have just one long page, or we can break it into tabs. (Look at Exhaust Systems to see an example.) For instance one tab could be something like Overview where you tell why to go 3G; and then a tab called Which Alternator where you tell what to look for at the salvage; and then Wiring (within which there could be a tab With Ammeter, one With Idiot Light, and one with 2G since I think some of the later trucks came with them) where you tell how to wire it for each scenario; and then Mounting where you tell how to bend the arm just a bit and how to "clock" the alternator if needed. Anyway, those are just ideas to tell you what can be done, but how to do it is up to you.

Got the brake controller mounted in Big Blue today, as described here: http://bullnose-enthusiasts.12971.n8.nabble.com/Big-Blue-tp234p235.html

Today I mounted the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 brake controller. As I was looking for a place to mount it I spotted the bracket for the speed control, and it turned out that there were already holes at the exactly the right places for the brake controller's bracket. Here's a pic of the brake controller's bracket mounted to the speed control's bracket: And here's the brake controller mounted in the bracket. As you can see the speed control, horn relay, nor even the brake controller are wired up yet. But, the first two are plug and play, and the controller has but 4 wires, so that should be easy - especially since the brake light wire comes to the speed control.

Big Blue is a 4x4 1985 F250HD XLT Lariat Explorer that came from the factory with a 460/T19/3.55 combo, auxiliary battery, speed control, and tachometer. However, a few changes have been made along the way. For instance a Warn bumper and presumably a Warn winch were installed at some point, although the winch was missing when I got the truck. And a 5th wheel hitch was added to the bed. As for the engine, it was rebuilt with an Edelbrock cam, intake manifold, 750 CFM carb and water pump. L&L headers extract the exhaust and dual pipes run through glass packs before exiting at the rear bumper. And Torsen limited-slip diff's were installed in both the front and rear axles. However, all was not right with the truck when I got it. For instance, the crankcase was full of 6 quarts of oil and 7 quarts of gasoline - someone had bypassed the safety devices on the electrical system and the fuel pump was receiving full battery voltage whenever the key was on, whether the engine was running or not. Someone left the key on and the high pressure from the pump overpowered the needles and floats, and the carb overflowed into the crankcase. So I put all of the safety devices back and added a pressure regulator on the fuel line to keep the pressure below 6 psi for the Eddy. And, the exhaust system wasn't even close to "right". The header is sitting on the frame on the driver's side, and the exhaust pipes were caught between the main spring and the helper spring on the passenger's side. Plus the welds look like someone forgot to turn the gas on. I haven't replaced the exhaust system yet nor gotten the header off the frame, but I have gotten the pipes out of the springs. Hopefully I'll get the exhaust sorted soon and replace the glass packs with Magnaflows. On the good side, I've added a 12,000 lb Smittybilt winch with synthetic line to the front bumper. And I built a receiver for a hitch and installed it under the front bumper. Plus, I replaced the dodgy undersized bolts holding the bumper to the truck with new, larger G8 bolts, so nothing is coming off. Anyway, despite the many other issues, which were too numerous to list, the truck is a blast to drive! The 460 has gobs of torque from 500 RPM, and when the secondaries open on the carb the truck moves!

Yep! I plan to maintain the site forever and, assuming it is good enough to do so, will put it in my will so someone(s) get it when I pass. The cost is minimal and the usage is starting to grow, so apparently it is useful. So, are you ready to write up a 3G conversion? Mine the available info that is out there, and use some of your own, to make a better how-to than is available elsewhere? If you look you'll see that there is a new page that needs a bit more than an "Under Construction" sign. I can make you the editor for that page and then tell you how to make something happen on it. What say?

Mike - Do me a favor, please, and go to the Resource Links sub-forum. There compare the example bulleted list at the top with General and Body and Electrical to the first topic/thread below that. To my way of thinking it is better to have a clean bulleted list up top and for the user to not need to open up any threads to find what s/he is looking for. Yes, a user could create a thread or post in an existing thread to suggest another link to needed documentation, but at some point I would migrate that into the bulleted list up top and delete the threads as I think they clutter things up. Now, for where things reside. I suggest they be on my web site, which is where the forum is. But not actually in the forum. Here's an example - check out my how-to on making an ICVR or Cash's how-to on replacing the vent window vs the thread you linked. Both of those how-to's are on my web site and are easily edited, updated, enhanced, etc. And, you can see in Cash's how we used smaller side-by-side pics with pop-up captions. And there are lots of other ways of presenting the information on a web page that are not available in a thread. So, I think the how-to's ought to be done "right" and put on my web site. (The forum takes up one of hundreds of pages on my web site.) I'm happy to give anyone of you a page and knight you as editor of that page so you can write up a how-to - or 30. However, as we are getting started I can see placing links to other web sites or forums that have documentation that we don't have. There's no need to recreate the wheel if we find a good one. Yes, that puts us at their mercy. For instance, Bubba's site went away, as did that good site that had schematics - IJR? But there are sites that capture images of old site, like those two, so the stuff hangs around. Or, we can recreate some of it. Does that make sense?

Glad to know more about you, Jonathan. And, I'm looking forward to meeting you in just over a month. Masters degree: Cool! Probably one of the best-educated guys on the forum. Botanist: Interesting. I'm always wondering what a certain plant is - I'll bet you know. Anyway, welcome to Bullnose land!

Mike - Since this forum is on my web site any how-to's we create on this site will always be there. But, the forum itself is only one page on the site, so the how-to's can't really be "on the forum" - if that makes sense. However, since the forum is on my site and we have the navigation menu available when you are looking at anything on "the forum", we could create a page called something like How-To's that would shown in the nav menu, and then have each how-to under that page. Hmmm! If this site were dedicated to Bullnose trucks, then the nav menu could enhance or even replace some of the "stickies". Currently it is probably confusing that there are other nav items beyond our trucks. Yes? Would or could that help?

I would say 12' is absolute minimum, 13' is better, and 14' might be overkill.

Mike - Good info & suggestions. Let me see if I understand: 4 Sub-forums: We currently have 6 sub-forums, but I planned for the Startup one to disappear before we "go live", meaning make it visible in the nav menu and open the doors to everyone to see. But, what if Garage/Shop & Tools was turned into a thread called something like Tools, Tools, Give Me More Tools? Or Tool Reviews? Or Tool Discussions? And, Forum Suggestions could either be a thread or at least un-pinned and float down the page until it goes to the back pages. That would actually get us down to three pinned sub-forums. Thoughts? Intro's & Non-Truck: The intro threads that are currently there will naturally migrate to back pages as we have more threads, but I could delete them if they are a problem. I don't think there's anything important in them, so deleting them shouldn't be an issue. FAQ's, How-To's, Etc: As discussed elsewhere, I'm hoping that forum can be just set of links to the actual How-To's because we can do such a better job of documenting on a web page than in a thread. The formatting on a web page is dramatically better. And the idea was to have a really clean set of links up top, which is the description of the forum, and then let the users suggest how-to's, and links thereunto, in threads. Then I'd move those into the clean set of links as time allows. But, if you are ready to do how-to's then let's get you a web page set up for each how-to, make you the editor, and go for it. Doing the work is easy on Weebly so, are you ready?

Mine is a 2-post, and I agree that a 2 can do everything a 4 can, with few exceptions. I originally thought I wanted a 4, but am so glad I got a 2 as the ramps would be in the way for almost everything. The one advantage I see for a 4-post lift is the ease of getting the vehicle on. But positioning the arms is really pretty easy when you get used to it. As for ceiling height, I think you are in for a surprise. My ceiling is 12' high, and it is just barely enough. My lift has holes for two positions and with it in the lower position the top of the lift almost touches the ceiling. And that just raises a tall Bullnose high enough to work under, but not quite as much as I'd like. And the biggest problem is when trying to swap transmissions as a ZF5 will only go under in certain spots on my tranny jack. In fact, Chris has recently complained about the lack of height - and he's only been here a few times. 😳 So, what I'm about to do is to "raise the ceiling". I positioned the lift between the 2x12 ceiling joists when I installed it, so I'm going to cut the sheetrock away and dig out the insulation directly above the lift. Then, at the GTG, some of my friends are going to help raise the top bar and re-bolt it. That will raise it 11" and, by my calc's, that'll be all I want as it will allow me to walk under the arms, not just the vehicle. And a secondary benefit will be that I can put blocks between the top of the lift and the ceiling joists, which will prevent the lift from moving at all. If I had to do it over again I'd have a 13' ceiling. Having a 12' ceiling and having the lift set at 13' will work, but I'll have to ensure the hood of a truck isn't up or it will hit the ceiling. (I'm going to use a set of garage door safety lights/receivers I have to stop the lift before a hood hits.)

Welcome to the Bullnose forum!

KR - Yes and no. There isn't the very different mobile version that IB/FTE have that looks completely different and doesn't append the signature when you post. But there is a mobile-enhanced feature that is supposed to make things better for mobile users - and I have that turned in. But, I'm not sure that what you are seeing is really a mobile-device problem. There's a known problem that is under investigation where you are signed on but it asks you to sign on again. You'll know that is the case when you see your handle in the upper right, meaning you are signed on, but it is also asking for your email addy and password. In that case you can usually click on Bullnose Enthusiasts above and go right on to the forum. Or, a couple of times that didn't work and I just clicked on my name and then My Posts. Does that work?

Jonathan - In my early days of working I wanted teams made up of people just like me. Later I learned that such teams make poor choices. You need a well-rounded team to make well-rounded decisions. And I think that's what we've put together to create this forum. But, on the "clean, organized bulleted list" I need to learn how to make that. What I've found so far doesn't quite work, as you can see. And, I've just found a problem. There's a search function and it doesn't seem to find things in the headers.

Didn't quite get to "use" Big Blue in the unloading today, but I did drive him over there. He's fun to drive!

Mike - Welcome to the Bullnose Forum! We aren't quite ready to "go live" so purposefully don't have a link in the navigation. As of now we have only 10 members, although two more (Don/WhatsAChevy, and Rick/Lariat 85) have been invited. And, if you know of others that can help us get things "right" then let's invite them. But, when we think we have a structure that works and are ready to help others then we will put a link in the navigation menu. So, please poke around and tell us what we need before going live. Anyway, we are working on how to organize, and even call, the folder of Resource Links. And the folder of Projects. So please jump in and suggest away! As for the Edit This Page link, I don't know what harm could come from that. But I'll ask the outfit that does the forum itself - Nabble. Oh yes, links elsewhere to the Garagemahal. Yes, I know FSB and some others have apparently put links to it on their sites. I've seen referrals to my site start going up, and FSB is one of them.

Ok, at Jonathan's suggestion I moved the two threads that were in the Projects forum out from under the user's sub-forum and into the main forum. And I then deleted all the user sub-forums. Looks much cleaner. Then I changed the name of the FAQ, etc forum to Resource Links. And, I'm thinking of eliminating the sub-forum for Garage/Shop & Tools in favor of a thread - maybe called Tools & Tool Reviews. What do y'all think?

Jonathan - Good info. Thanks! That's the kind of feedback I've been looking for. Yes, FTE has a lot of threads that we don't have - yet. But if we work on documenting things, which we can do very effectively on the website portion of the Garagemahal, then we can have not only a better set of how-to's than FTE. And, in my estimation, we can make them easier to find. Also, I like the Resource Threads idea. But that brings into question how best to do it - the bulleted list at the top, which has to be maintained by an admin, or through posts by users. So, why not have both? Users can post links in threads/topics, and as I figure out a good way to manage and format the list at the top I'll move them up and edit/delete the user's post. Will that work? On the projects, I'll make that a single level. Individuals can have multiple projects, but they won't be nested under the user's name. But we can always change at a later date. Thanks!

I've done nothing to, or even with, the truck yet today - but I'm gonna. Some people new to our church family are moving in today, so Big Blue and I are headed over to help. Will check in later today. But, I also have to mow and trim, and I'd better clean the gutter that always seems to clog as we are to get 5-7" of rain in the next 3 days. So, this here forum will have to wait a bit. But, I hope by the time I get back Jim and Mike have joined.

Yes, they did do a good job on the lights. And while I'm not planning a murderd-out scheme, some might think I am. That's because Vern chose black-walled tires, turning the raised-white lettering in, on black wheels with black hubs and black lugs. Then I mounted black step bars. And since the front bumper's chrome is thin and is peeling in some places I'm considering having it powder coated black. In fact, that was my brother's recommendation as we left Vern's place the day we picked it up. So, black lights fit right in. And as you see in the pic above, there's plenty of space on top of the bumper for mounting them. While the server was down David found these lights. They are black, but I haven't had time to see if there are any reviews. Or, if there are similar lights with good reviews.

Glad it is working. On Wednesday, August 9, 2017, Ford F834 [via Bullnose Enthusiasts] <redacted_email_address> wrote:

To start a new thread (topic in Nabble-speak) click on the New Topic button that is highlighted in yellow. And, fyi, if you want to give someone a link to a post, you have to get the permalink instead of the URL in the browser's window. Click the Permalink button, circled in red, and copy what pops up. As for your truck's timing, what are you back to? And, have you seen your sub-forum to document your Gas Mileage Recipe? (Link done via Permalink.)

LOL! Yes, there are oddities in the the editor that I haven't figured out yet. So, I don't check the HTML box on messages. As for the FAQ's, et al, I think we are in agreement. I'll take on the task of creating the links, but I would like help in what links we should have. So, if any of you know of good info that we needs links to, please post them. And I'm going to do them in the description field, unless it can't handle the length this will get to or if it isn't searchable as the posts/topics are. Also, let's use the other part of my web site to document things, like how-to's, FAQ's, etc. But, we need to find a balance between placing a link to everything on my web site in the FAQ's, and not placing a link to any of them. On Wed, Aug 9, 2017 at 12:10 AM, ctubutis [via Bullnose Enthusiasts] <redacted_email_address> wrote:

The ad-blocking software hasn't worked perfectly for me. When my status on FTE wasn't re-upped I ran adblocker on my Windows machines and it seemed to work. However, then I realized that it also eliminated some things that I relied on, like the link to go back to the main forum. And, whatever adblocker I have on the mobile devices didn't help at all. I don't like ads. On Tuesday, August 8, 2017, ctubutis [via Bullnose Enthusiasts] <redacted_email_address> wrote: