Gary Lewis

Yes, these day-trips are perfect for working out the bugs. And there are plenty of them given the number of changes I've made. While today did feel like a setback as I slogged through it, we are getting down to the little things. I won't know for a while if the brake line is still leaking, but tomorrow I will press on the brakes several times to see if I can make it leak. I sure hope that tightening it did the trick and I don't have to install a new line. Then I hope to move the OX actuator, clamp the actuator cable, make another 1" bump stop spacer for the passenger's side, and then install both of them. Maybe by summer and the hoped-for trip to Ouray I'll have this thing sorted and ready to go.

Yes, glad you got the rear shaft fixed. You'll be fine as 2wd for a while, so you can shop for that front shaft.

Right! W/o the hose on it the cable would be ruined by now. But the new routing will be much, MUCH better. But the brake leak may take more sleuthing.

Go to Documentation/Specifications/Interior Paint. There you'll find several things. First, NO ONE has the correct paint for any (Edit) FACTORY color on the shelf. It is all mixed when needed. Second, there's a link to Vinyl Pro on there, and they are superb to work with. Last, the Spruce # is on there.

Ken - Spring is right around the corner, but this has been a strange year so I won't be surprised if we have another round of winter weather. However, the trees are budding out, so that will prolong the allergy season. As for how we are doing, Janey and I've both gotten our 2nd vaccine shot and are soon to go see the kids. And the grandkids! tcbaklash - That's what SEM is for. Make the interior pieces whatever color you want them to be.

This is my approach to vehicle security as well. Thanks, guys. But I don't think it is fair to say that I'm "scared". What started the conversation was a question of whether or not we'd locked the truck, and Janey's purse was in it. So we both agreed that we what to have remote locking. But if you are installing remote locking you are just a few connections away from having a full-blown security system. So why not. But for now let's discuss my day - not quite what I'd hoped. The first bit was good as I cut off the old backup light switch connector and grafted the new one on. But then when I reached way up on the side of the tranny to install it I heard a snap and the connector came out with a funny red piece of plastic in it. Turns out that the plastic broke off the switch. And the connector is not about to stay on the now-exposed pins w/o the plastic to hold onto. So now I've ordered what Amazon says is the right switch for a ZF5 and it is supposed to be here tomorrow. Then I thought I might sweep the floor as it was getting pretty nasty, and in doing so I found a wet spot under the rear axle. Brake fluid. My first thought was that I'd damaged the hose when removing the springs a few weeks ago, but then I realized that there was brake fluid on top of the crossmember. I checked that fitting but it was pretty tight, although it is now TIGHT. So I washed it down with brake cleaner and we'll see what it looks like after the next drive. But the level in the master cylinder is down 1/2", so it certainly has been leaking. Then I thought I should check the OX locker shift cable. Here's what I found: Yep, the notch in that hose matches up with the bump stop's bracket. So, it was time to add a spacer to the bump stop and reroute the cable. Here's the spacer. (Note how much cleaner that area is now. Turns out that I'd never cleaned that area and it was gross. But it is much better now.) Then I moved the actuator forward to this position: And that will let me put a cable clamp roughly where it is shown in this pic, and that will not only keep the cable off the bump stop but it also keeps it off the shock. It was one of those days.

If you mean can you drive in 2wd with a broken front shaft, yes you can. In fact, you can just leave the front shaft off and drive in 2wd. But if you mean can you drive in 4wd with a broken shaft, I'd say no. You are likely to have that shaft break completely and when it lets go it could cause some major problems.

Yes. But, must you ask? Don't I have pictures for everything? Oh wait! You meant "Where are your pictures?" Right? This pic comes from this post:

Yes! Very well said! And I really loved the bit at the end: "And while few of us will ever climb Mount Everest, restoring a classic car is enough of a mountain for most people. Give them some credit." But I'm sure that he really meant classic "vehicles".

Right, you have a clogged or closed-off vent, John. No way it should build up pressure. As Jim said, I just routed the vent line, after the two merged, way up the side of the bed, turned it back down, and put a filter on it. And it does vent out of it as when I filled the tanks yesterday I could smell gas over there, slightly.

Yes, fingers crossed. But my hope is that he doesn't have to pull the bed and finds the problem in an easier/cheaper place to fix. After all, it appears to be common to both tanks. But, if he does have to pull the senders hopefully he'll use anti-seize so the bolts come off later if he needs to do so.

I don't know that, Chad. I know that for the light-duty trucks the pedal assembly changed in '87 and won't fit our trucks. But I don't know about the bigger trucks.

Maybe use this? https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-New-Ford-E4TZ-9C888-A-1984-91-Ford-Truck-Cruise-Control-Switch-OEM/264918959285?epid=1117839777&hash=item3dae6684b5:g:LcwAAOSwRY5fnNW1 Maybe, but I don't know if it uses the complex resistor setup of the horn pads. So thanks, but I have lots of other things I want to do and will stay with the Bricknose wheel and pad I have as they are working very well.

The hydroboost pedal I'm using came from a '95 F450, although I'm sure there are other sources. See this post for info on that.

Do you have a cigar? No, I don't. But I hear Swisher Sweets are cheap. Seriously though, I've been needing to try the Street Demon. And, I should give Brandon's carb back. So need to look into what it will take to swap carbs.

A pick guard might be a good idea. I'll have to have the doors apart anyway to put the lock actuators in, so it shouldn't be too hard.

His birthday was 2 or 3 weeks ago. I had a fleeting thought that I might be able to see my gauges even better through that, but then realized it doesn't have speed control switches. And speed control is a must for the trips I hope to take.

Yep, I don't live in a crime capitol. But I don't know where we are going nor where we are going to stop, so do want to have the bases covered since it is pretty easy to do. Shock sensors are built in, so just getting the right system ticks that box. But I do have a plan for keeping the truck from running, even if they get past the ignition switch. Sent you a note on that as I'm not sharing it online. And, you are right that the manual tranny will deter many people.

Jim - Yes, the radio doesn't show connected to the phone for a few seconds after it gets power. And, while I'm thinking about it, the Google Maps feature in the Sony Music Center app is worthless. It doesn't display anything but Google Maps on the display, which means you don't see the song that is playing or the time or battery voltage. And while it does play the turn-by-turn through the speakers, so does going directly to Google Maps. Speaking of the battery voltage, it shows 13.9v with everything else off in the cab. And the Rocketman voltmeter shows just a tick off max, and max is 14.0. And the aftermarket voltmeter watching the aux battery is just a tick off 14. So I sorta have a way to monitor in-cab voltage since the other two voltmeters are tied directly to the batteries. Anyway, on the security system, I think we can discuss the needs on here, but there are some things that Scott and I won't share here regardless of which systems we go with. So, on to my wants/needs: Shock Sensor: I want it to sense if someone climbs in the bed, breaks a window, etc Door Lock/Unlock: I'd like it to have internal relays to control the lock motors Siren: I'm coming to the conclusion that I don't need a siren, that honking the Bullhorn would be good. But part of the reason for that is that I don't want to have to run more wires to under the hood, and I'd have to if I added a siren. Hood Lock: I originally thought I wanted a hood lock and a sensing switch/pin to detect when they open the hood, but don't think so this morning. And my reasoning is that they can't get under the hood w/o getting into the cab. So, what are your thoughts?

So THAT'S why there were earthquakes down his way! Ken posted! Where have you been, my friend? Been missing you. How are things there? And yes, there is a silver lining in the dark cloud of higher popularity - it will become financially feasible to start making some of the parts that are getting almost impossible to find.

Bill - I'll be following as well. And Jim is asking good questions, the same ones I had to work through on Big Blue. I look forward to the journey and the pictures!

Jim - I do need to figure out why I have two different idle speeds. And I do mean that - two and only two. It almost always stops at 800, but if I blip the throttle sometimes it'll come down to 600. And at 600 it doesn't run on when I turn it off. And, you are right that I shouldn't have carbon. So, if anything it is the plugs. Maybe a colder plug would be appropriate. I'll work on the throttle issue, but I'm guessing it is a worn throttle shaft. I might see about installing the Street Demon and see if that makes a difference. I've been wanting to try it anyway, and it would let me give Brandon his AFB back. I should also note here that since I now know where the linkage stud needs to be on the throttle it will be easier to set the Street Demon up. Guess I need to give that a try.

Bob - I keep making "improvements" and we take a day trip. Work on it some more and take a day trip. And in doing that we probably have 1200 miles on the new engine, tranny, and front axle. But it sure feels good to be driving it, that is for sure. And thanks for the confirmation that the locks still work manually. Scott - I already have been perusing the Viper 211HV. And at $50 delivered from Amazon it sure looks good. But, one statement in the owner's manual really put me off: Seriously though, let me ask some questions: Is this the system you've installed? If so, and if you are happy with it, then that's probably the way I want to go. Horn/Siren: It doesn't come with a siren. Right? Do you think it needs one? I know you've not heard the new El Toro bullhorn, but it is fairly loud. Not as loud as a siren, but louder than a regular Bullnose set of horns. And, it is distinctive. So if it was going off there's no way I'd not know it was my truck. And you couldn't get to it in an hour to cut its wires if I told you were it is. So, is there any need to put a siren on? Does the unit pulse the horn or just bring it on forever? Horn/Lights During Starting: I don't think I'm too worried about that. Unless I'm missing something, if they are trying to start the truck they've gotten into the cab and the horn and lights should be going off consistently. And, it seems to me that there are a few different ways to ensure that the engine won't start when that is happening. Let's talk about this offline. Make sense?

Mark - Thanks for weighing in on this. That is far more info than any of the rest of us had.

Yes, I rarely post from my phone, much less post pics. And, I'd certainly start a thread on your truck. You'll then have something to refer back to when you have questions on what you did. And one of these days you'll look back and be amazed at how much you've gotten done. I have my main threads, one on Dad's truck and one on Big Blue's transformation. But I also do one-offs, like the one on my Sky Offroad D60 install, inc an RSK.