Gary Lewis

Good questions, Scott. I wasn't sure about that either. Looking at my pic of the pillar I'm not sure what reshaping is needed, but I'd like to know.

Ok, I found it, here. Boy, am I glad you reminded me as that looks like a good solution! Here's what you said: And here are your pics, although they are just screenshots as FTE doesn't allow you to link to the pics, so the quality may not be as good as the originals.

Rodger - I knew I recognized "ARM Ashby"! Did you use that handle on FTE? I'll go search for your posts about the grab handle over there. Thanks! As for hitting my head, maybe I would but my wife, Janey, is short enough I don't think that'll happen. However, I'll warn her anyway. Anyway, glad you joined.

Hello, Art! You are now on the map. As for clear-coating your grandkids' names on the frame, I love that idea! I have three g-kids, so that's a good idea. On posting pics, go to Bullnose Forum/Forum FAQ's in the menu and there are instructions on that, as well as many of things - like a signature. Concerning the salvage, you could win a lot of friends by pulling parts out of that truck. Like the A-pillar trim, which I'd be interested in.

Novak says this of the NP228 & 229: I think what this is saying is that the 229 has both high and low range, but that it is always in 4wd mode, and that is done via the viscous coupling. But Steve says that the coupling is not replaceable. So my suggestion is that he change that t-case out to something else, and I have an NP208 I've offered him. As for the hubs, it appears that Steve's hubs are locked all the time. So if he changes to a part-time t-case, like the NP208, I think he will need to see if there are replacement hubs that can be locked and un-locked.

I think the middle one of David's list and yours, Scott, come really close to the original Rosewood. But how did your console turn out?

Good one, Bob! But I feel like today was Christmas! I've been thinking about this for a week and it has been BUGGING me. So to find such an easy, and obvious, fix was a huge present. Lots of layers still on the onion, but we are getting there.

Yes, "grunch" rattled around in my head for quite a while. In fact it echoed around under the truck for a while. Amazing how that sound was transmitted from everywhere. But the fix only took maybe an hour - after Steve left when we got his 17mm wrench milled down to fit a 4' cheater/pipe.

Glad you got Espy back and that things are better. Maybe not perfect, but certainly better. Maybe you can sort out the rest, as you mentioned on the transmission pan. It is a shame we have to put up with people like that, but many of us have been bitten by the same approach, and I've learned that after a while I just have to give up and move on.

Fixed it for you. Had a bit of a breakthrough today. A week ago today Steve/FoxFord33, the Grand Wagoneer guy, was over to work on it in the shop. But I got him to help me use Big Blue to push the trailer out of the shop's driveway and into the carport behind the shop. And during that, which was the first use of 4wd since the transformation, we heard a "grunching" noise from the driveline. He laid beside the truck as I grunched by and he thought it was coming from the t-case. It only did it in 4wd so I felt safe in taking it on the big trip down Route 66, and all went well. But today I thought I'd see what the problem is. And as I turned the front driveshaft with the truck on the lift I heard a little graunch that seemed to come from absolutely everywhere. EVERYWHERE! Finally, I realized it was coming from the front u-joint area. In fact, on closer inspection I found that there was precious little clearance between the front of the u-joint and the end of the pinion shaft. So I started to pull the driveshaft loose and found the nuts on the straps less than tight. And when I got things apart I found this: About that time Steve showed up and remarked that I had the u-joint in backwards. What? There's a right and wrong on u-joints? Yep! As you can see above, one side has protrusions, probably for the grease fitting. But the other side doesn't. And with it turned around there's no intereference!

Fixed it for you.

Another piece done - the jack handle and its holders have been installed. Thanks to TheScatch for reminding me 'cause I'd forgotten and have been running around w/a jack and no handle! Here's a shot of the handle and the holders, which I pop-riveted to the radiator support with 1/8" steel rivets like the factory did: But, as soon as I put the handle in I was reminded of something Dad did on his truck. Turns out that the handle can easily move in the holders and the end of it will hit the headlight shell, making a clunk on stops and starts. So Dad put a piece of hose over the end of the handle, as shown below on the left. And on the right you can see how it hits the headlight shell. No more clunks.

Just a status update on "diapers". These are, top to bottom: Clutch Master: You can just see a couple of dark spots on this, which means the o-ring is leaking a bit where the tube goes into the master. And this is from just a few mile drive. Hydroboost: This was only on for that "few mile drive" and seems to show that there was ATF on the body of the hydroboost unit. But I really don't know where that spot was so it might be from the accumulator. I checked the fittings and was able to tighten them a bit, although not much. So I'll put a new diaper on it and see if that helped. Power Steering Pump: This was on for not only the "few mile drive" but also that 366 mile drive. And, it leaks sitting still. So obviously the pump leaks. But, I have a new replacement so will replace it - but not until I know if the hydroboost unit needs to be replaced as well as I only want to drain and refill the system once. But, the engine, transmission, and t-case are tight! Just layers to the onion.

Ooooooo...!

Agreed - they pop out pretty easy. The last one I did I just ran my knife along the inside, removing the weatherstripping lip. Maybe that's it - individual panels. It, too, have popped the whole thing out and it was fairly easy IIRC.

What's the bolt pattern from it to the tranny? Chizzler or Ford? If you go with the E4OD, and I think that's a good "modern" transmission, you'll obviously need a Ford-pattern t-case. As for an E4OD being able to be strong, I don't have proof yet, but the one in Dad's truck was built to easily withstand its 400 HP/500 lb-ft. And the Turner's V10-powered motor home has one in it. Granted they've had some problems with it, but think of the huge weight difference! Is there an easy solution to convert the vacuum shifting to lever on the NP229? If so, then maybe you could convert to that. But the vacuum system isn't all that complicated and the levers to go mechanical are rather large. And, the Bullnose ones come through the top of the transmission tunnel. However, I should have the later mechanism, and it come through the side of the transmission tunnel. I still think a wrecked donor 4wd truck is the way for you to go. You'd have all of the pieces you need from an EFI and transmission standpoint, and you will be very surprised how many times you'll have to go back and get more pieces. What about the hubs? Have you figured out how they work?

I'm using SolidWorks (one of the perks of being a mentor for the HS robotics team - free SolidWorks, a $3,995 value) for CAD, so I can definitely design a thread into the standoffs. Given the small size of the screws in question (#4-40), I'm not sure the printer can print meaningful threads. Right now I'm using four random mismatched screws from my jar of loose screws, so I just let them tap themselves into the holes. I may put threads in there next time, just to see if the printer can do it. Yep, that's a huge perk! On the screw threads, 4-40 threads are tiny so I see the concern. But can you do other threads? Screwerk has self-tapping screws for plastic, and they have a large pitch.

I'm in! But I missed the inspirational music. I kept hearing MLK. Do you want me to move the discussion from the Lounge here? Easily done.

The reason I want to make the standoffs smaller is that, as they are, one of the solder joins from the board is sitting on the surface of the standoff causing the board to want to sit at a slight angle. I don't think it's a huge problem, but it's still creating some stress from the screw pressing down that doesn't need to be there. Maybe a smaller standoff will crack (but I think not - the 'fill' inside the standoff is only 50%, so there should be some give), but again...testing. That's a good idea for a standoff on the studs...unfortunately, the holes don't line up. I had considered a double-stack design with the top board rotated 90 degrees to the bottom and sitting on taller standoffs, but that doesn't work either - the holes on the top board won't clear the bottom. So it's going to be a side-by side layout. The pattern you see on the lip is just an artifact of the printing process, not intentional. My current thinking for the lid is to raise a lip vertically from the lower portion of the box on the inside perimeter, and then make a lid that is itself an (inverted) small box with a similar lip dropping vertically from the outside perimeter. If tolerances and warping aren't problematic the lid should come down over the base, like the top of a hatbox. As for gasketing, I did consider that...but the current thinking is that this will be mounted on the firewall in the cabin, so weatherproofing won't be an issue. Besides, the USB port on the Arduino will be exposed through the case to allow for tuning and troubleshooting, so it would be difficult to seal anyway. You are way ahead of me. And I didn't know that you have control of the fill inside solids, but that makes sense. And it would give cushion so there's less chance of cracking. Plus, my CAD program allows you to print a thread in the standoffs, so there shouldn't be much pressure at all if you did that. On the lid/box interface, that sounds like it should work well. And it should help prevent warping, or at least straighten things up if there is some warping.

Cool! That's a really nice design, Matthew. But on the standoffs, are you sure you want to make them smaller? If you get too small they could crack. And, assuming the Arduino has the same mounting points, what about a stud in the standoffs that would pass through the relay board and the Arduino, and then through the lid? And is the pattern on the lip there on purpose, like to hold a gasket? Will the lid have the opposite pattern? Just fyi, the project box I bought to put the fuel level sender relay in has a groove in the base and a ridge in the lid, and came with a piece of "o-ring" material that is cut to length and stuffed in the groove.

It is time for nominations for the November TOM. Please reply to this note with a pic of your truck to nominate it. And here are the carryovers from last month: Angelo's father's red w/a bull bar: Brian/Dee's Bullnose: Steve/Old55pete's 86 Bronco: George & Nick's Brutus: Jacob's 84 in it’s natural habitat: Windbane's 86 F150 plow truck, almost ready for snow:

Congratulations to Dave/FuzzFace2 as his 81 F100 "Custom" flare side is Truck Of the Month!!!

That's my taste as well. Dad's truck came with Rosewood, and Big Blue came with burled wood, so I have both. But I like the Rosewood best. And most of the burled wood has faded to a purple by now but the Rosewood seems to survive better.

On the window, you can find the instructions here: Documentation/Body/Stationary Glass - Weatherstrip Seal. And a snippet of the instructions are shown below. But, that doesn't fit with what I remember. On some of them there's an insert in the middle of the weatherstrip on the outside, some of which are black and some are chrome, and I was thinking that insert locks the weatherstrip into place and has to be removed first. Which confuses me as Big Blue is an '85 and I saw that insert the other day. And those instructions are from the 1985 factory shop manual and they don't mention that insert.

Yipes!!! Nice, but not worth that to me! I think it is what I'm looking for to put in Big Blue to match the medium-duty radio bezel I have. But I'll have to look as there were several different black bezels. This one is correct for an '81 to '83.