PetesPonies Posted October 14, 2017 Share Posted October 14, 2017 Thanks Gary, that at least gives me a place to start. It probably won't take first priority, but I do need to address the gauges... I do get a twitch out of the ammeter which is about all one can really expect, but I am getting zip out of the fuel and oil pressure gauges. I have a matching mechanical VDO oil pressure gauge that will be going in, but again I'd like to have the stock one working. The fuel gauge is a headache that I am not looking forward to. The midship tank was deleted at some point and I have no idea what was done to the tank switch wiring if anything. Best plan right now is to keep 'er full... Correct, if you have a voltage issue, as the IVR is not doing it's job, you will notice it which all electrical gauges. You could get a voltage reading from the supply line o your gauge to verify. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted October 14, 2017 Share Posted October 14, 2017 Correct, if you have a voltage issue, as the IVR is not doing it's job, you will notice it which all electrical gauges. You could get a voltage reading from the supply line o your gauge to verify. Pete - The link on the ICVR page to ICVR Thoughts & Observations shows the waveform of the supply voltage to the gauges and senders. I doubt there's a digital voltmeter that will read that, although and old analog would give some reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford F834 Posted October 16, 2017 Author Share Posted October 16, 2017 More progress, more results, and more challenges... The exhaust note of my truck resembled flatulance, so I replaced the exhaust donut with a sintered steel one: I looked at the manual temperature gauge on my 1968 straight six truck and found that it has a brass stepper in between the block and the probe. I went to the junkyard and found one so I could hook up my VDO temperature gauge. I also bought a new temperature sending unit for the factory gauge and put it in the thermostat neck. I know, it needs to be moved to the heater hose side but I wanted to see needle movement when the thermostat opened and compare it to the manual gauge reading in the back of the block. The thermostat opened right about 195*F as advertised. The factory gauge, however, still reads really high while the manual one holds right around 195*F. I tried a different cluster with a different gauge in it and both read high. Both new and old senders read like this so it must be in the truck's wiring or grounds? Stepper for manual gauge probe Temporary location for electric sending unit to check thermostat opening... Cluster #1 temp gauge and mechanical gauge Cluster #2 temp gauge and mechanical gauge Anyway, I am satisfied that I no longer have an overheating problem. The factory gauge runs high but it does not peg hot like it did with the old, smaller radiator. The mechanical gauge sits right where it should for the thermostat specification. So far so good. I did notice that after I got the truck up to temperature, the hydroboost lines and power steering lines were extremely hot... hot enough to give me a slight burn on my forearm (ouch! 😬). So... either I just never realized how hot the power steering pressure lines are or I have a problem. Theory 1 is that my T return line arrangement is not effective. I may have improper flow through the cooling tube. Theory 2 is that I had my foot resting on the brake while I brought the cooling system up to temp. Maybe the hydroboost system didn't like that? But it should be up for constant use in stop and go city traffic? Maybe I should put a finned oil cooler on the hydroboost return line? Theory 3, bad Saginaw pump. I know they "run forever" but it was just a junkyard take off, as is the hydroboost unit itself... any other ideas? I'm going to try again without resting my foot on the brake and see what happens... Beyond that, I installed new U-joints in both front and back driveshafts and put them back in the truck. I have all new calipers, wheel cylinders, pads and shoes waiting to go in on my next stint. Well guys, I guess I should learn to Google a thing or two before making half baked posts 🙈 Optimal power steering fluid temperatures are considered to be around 180*F, with anything below 250*F being acceptable. Pump damage begins to occur when the fluid temperature rises to around 300*F. So if my steel lines were around 180*F that would explain the ouch on my forearm. I still think I might try to measure the reservoir temp just to be sure, but it does not sound like its abnormal. http://www.hotrod.com/articles/ccrp-1112-power-steering-coolers/amp/ I am thinking of installing at least a simple inline filter on the return line, and it might not hurt to add a finned cooler from the junkyard but it probably isn't necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Well guys, I guess I should learn to Google a thing or two before making half baked posts 🙈 Optimal power steering fluid temperatures are considered to be around 180*F, with anything below 250*F being acceptable. Pump damage begins to occur when the fluid temperature rises to around 300*F. So if my steel lines were around 180*F that would explain the ouch on my forearm. I still think I might try to measure the reservoir temp just to be sure, but it does not sound like its abnormal. http://www.hotrod.com/articles/ccrp-1112-power-steering-coolers/amp/ I am thinking of installing at least a simple inline filter on the return line, and it might not hurt to add a finned cooler from the junkyard but it probably isn't necessary. Good to know. And I didn’t. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford F834 Posted October 20, 2017 Author Share Posted October 20, 2017 Well guys, I guess I should learn to Google a thing or two before making half baked posts 🙈 Optimal power steering fluid temperatures are considered to be around 180*F, with anything below 250*F being acceptable. Pump damage begins to occur when the fluid temperature rises to around 300*F. So if my steel lines were around 180*F that would explain the ouch on my forearm. I still think I might try to measure the reservoir temp just to be sure, but it does not sound like its abnormal. http://www.hotrod.com/articles/ccrp-1112-power-steering-coolers/amp/ I am thinking of installing at least a simple inline filter on the return line, and it might not hurt to add a finned cooler from the junkyard but it probably isn't necessary. Got the brake job done... all new calipers, wheel cylinders and shoes/pads. Bled out the murky brake fluid and took it for a test drive. This is also the first time I have driven it with the 3.00 axle gears and the close ratio transmission... First thing I have to say is that the stopping power of hydroboost is RIDICULOUS. There isn't much point in discussing "pedal feel" because you barely have to touch the pedal at all and the truck stops. This thing has the best brakes of any vehicle I have ever owned. The upgrade is totally worth it. Compared to my experience with 80's vacuum brakes it's not just better, it's in a whole different class. The Saginaw pump is working great also. It is definitely quiter than the C2 pumps I've had. The truck steers great now, and it does not even have shocks or alignment yet. Again, I highly recommend this upgrade. The close ratio transmission with the 3.00 gears is just about what I expected, but I still need to get used to the spread. I don't think I want to go any bigger with the tire size. 1st is a good start out gear but I don't think I'd want to weaken it at all. I found myself shifting too early, probably out of habit. I was also driving with no transmission tunnel cover so the engine sounded excessively loud for the rpm. I cannot really comment yet about the top end because I just drove it through the neighborhood and barely got it into 4th gear at all. I need to do some engine tuning. Deleting the vacuum booster changed the vacuum advance on the carburetor, and it generally didn't run as well after I removed it. I need to check for leaks and reset the timing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1986F150Six Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 Got the brake job done... all new calipers, wheel cylinders and shoes/pads. Bled out the murky brake fluid and took it for a test drive. This is also the first time I have driven it with the 3.00 axle gears and the close ratio transmission... First thing I have to say is that the stopping power of hydroboost is RIDICULOUS. There isn't much point in discussing "pedal feel" because you barely have to touch the pedal at all and the truck stops. This thing has the best brakes of any vehicle I have ever owned. The upgrade is totally worth it. Compared to my experience with 80's vacuum brakes it's not just better, it's in a whole different class. The Saginaw pump is working great also. It is definitely quiter than the C2 pumps I've had. The truck steers great now, and it does not even have shocks or alignment yet. Again, I highly recommend this upgrade. The close ratio transmission with the 3.00 gears is just about what I expected, but I still need to get used to the spread. I don't think I want to go any bigger with the tire size. 1st is a good start out gear but I don't think I'd want to weaken it at all. I found myself shifting too early, probably out of habit. I was also driving with no transmission tunnel cover so the engine sounded excessively loud for the rpm. I cannot really comment yet about the top end because I just drove it through the neighborhood and barely got it into 4th gear at all. I need to do some engine tuning. Deleting the vacuum booster changed the vacuum advance on the carburetor, and it generally didn't run as well after I removed it. I need to check for leaks and reset the timing. Very impressive progress, Jonathan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 Very impressive progress, Jonathan! Yes, well done! So, I should do hydroboost on Dad’s or Big Blue? I have a Saginaw for Dad’s, but didn’t use one with two output fittings. Does yours have two fittings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford F834 Posted October 20, 2017 Author Share Posted October 20, 2017 Yes, well done! So, I should do hydroboost on Dad’s or Big Blue? I have a Saginaw for Dad’s, but didn’t use one with two output fittings. Does yours have two fittings? I would highly recommend hydroboost on either one or both. The Saginaw pump that I found was just a junkyard take-off from an Econoline and has just one return port. I used a brass T to join the two returns. Many have done this and it works fine. Brazing in a second return would be more elegant, or finding a reservoir with a second barb if you can find one. The third option that I like is the filter head solution: All of the hydroboost parts for the bricknose F-Superduty (F450) are generally available from parts houses or online, except the pedal. That you might have to get fabricated/modified. And if you run hydroboost with a Saginaw pump you are going to need to change the end of the high pressure hose like I did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 I would highly recommend hydroboost on either one or both. The Saginaw pump that I found was just a junkyard take-off from an Econoline and has just one return port. I used a brass T to join the two returns. Many have done this and it works fine. Brazing in a second return would be more elegant, or finding a reservoir with a second barb if you can find one. The third option that I like is the filter head solution: All of the hydroboost parts for the bricknose F-Superduty (F450) are generally available from parts houses or online, except the pedal. That you might have to get fabricated/modified. And if you run hydroboost with a Saginaw pump you are going to need to change the end of the high pressure hose like I did. Good info. Thanks! I could add a fitting to the Saginaw for Dad’s truck and re-powder coat it pretty easily. That would be cleaner than a tee as you point out, and that’s one of the goals for that truck. As for Big Blue, I think I should file that for when I run out of things to do. The list of possible projects seems to grow exponentially. And, as I’ve told others recently, when I look forward in time I keep seeing a pop up that says “Objects are closer than they appear”. 🙈 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford F834 Posted October 20, 2017 Author Share Posted October 20, 2017 The list of possible projects seems to grow exponentially. And, as I’ve told others recently, when I look forward in time I keep seeing a pop up that says “Objects are closer than they appear”. 🙈 That is a very wise plan Gary. As I have said previously I am a bit upset that I let this F150 take up as much time as it has. I never should have bought it and remained focused on the diesel. There are lots of things that I probably *should* be doing "while I'm in there"... but I keep telling myself that I can't get lost in the poppy fields. The potential project embellishments are indeed endless to the detriment of the whole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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