ckuske Posted January 30, 2021 Author Share Posted January 30, 2021 Or, on second thought, is that a wire? Like the battery cable going to the starter? Gary, It’s a wire for sure. The hose to the canister is intact and attached. Maybe when the starter was replaced one time they routed the wire differently? Haven’t crawled underneath to look (yet), but wanted to get others opinions on what the original intent of this wire may have been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 Gary, It’s a wire for sure. The hose to the canister is intact and attached. Maybe when the starter was replaced one time they routed the wire differently? Haven’t crawled underneath to look (yet), but wanted to get others opinions on what the original intent of this wire may have been. Hard to tell from the pic if that is just a hanger for the wire or if it is tab, meaning that it is connected to the conductor of the wire. If it is a hanger then that's the wire going to the starter and it got replaced. But if it is a tab then that's a ground wire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckuske Posted January 30, 2021 Author Share Posted January 30, 2021 Hard to tell from the pic if that is just a hanger for the wire or if it is tab, meaning that it is connected to the conductor of the wire. If it is a hanger then that's the wire going to the starter and it got replaced. But if it is a tab then that's a ground wire. Gotcha, I’ll take a closer look. I think it’s a ground based on zooming in, the conductor is exposed where the tab is. Good catch. While I’m in looking at this - my heat shroud is terrible. I recall someone offering ones for sale that they were building since NOS replacements are unobtanium. Did anyone buy one? Are they still available? Can they be installed without lifting/removing anything or does the engine or manifold need to be removed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kramttocs Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 Just sending a friendly ping, does anyone have experience with replacing the A/C condenser on these trucks? Or am I a trail blazer? haha Check this out also: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1522843-how-to-and-product-review-spectra-ac-condenser.html Spectra or another name you are all but guaranteed to get the same model from what I ran into and what I've read from others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckuske Posted January 31, 2021 Author Share Posted January 31, 2021 Check this out also: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1522843-how-to-and-product-review-spectra-ac-condenser.html Spectra or another name you are all but guaranteed to get the same model from what I ran into and what I've read from others. Thanks, I took my condenser out of the box and looked for a Spectra label - nothing to be found. Just "made in china" (no caps in China was intentional). So we shall see how it goes when I get to this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckuske Posted January 31, 2021 Author Share Posted January 31, 2021 Thanks, I took my condenser out of the box and looked for a Spectra label - nothing to be found. Just "made in china" (no caps in China was intentional). So we shall see how it goes when I get to this! Ok, so I had a few hours of spare time today. Thought I'd try my first ever water pump install. This is old hat to a lot of you fellas, but my first time. I thought I had done things right - lubed the bolts with anti-seize, put just a tiny bit of RTV so the gasket didn't slide, etc. Finger tightened a few of the bolts on the upper part, then started trying to put the rest in. Most went it fine, but the two bolts at the bottom of each side of the timing cover concerned me a bit, so I removed the pump (and cleaned up the gasket from the little bit of RTV on it). I found the bottom two bolts would only turn about 3 revolutions until they got pretty hard to turn by hand, and I got a few more turns with the ratchet until I got nervous I was stripping something. I took the bolts out - some rust and gunk on them, but no sign of thread wear/stripping. So I put more lube on them, and tried again. Same thing... a little bit less rust, but still harder to turn than I'd like. I'm guessing inside the holes (these are the ones that go into the water jackets maybe?), there is some corrosion that the bolts have to "push" through, but I'd hate to strip something. I tried the old bolts and they had the same issue so I don't think I bought the wrong bolts or anything... Has anyone else had this happen, and if so, do I just keep turning or what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 Ok, so I had a few hours of spare time today. Thought I'd try my first ever water pump install. This is old hat to a lot of you fellas, but my first time. I thought I had done things right - lubed the bolts with anti-seize, put just a tiny bit of RTV so the gasket didn't slide, etc. Finger tightened a few of the bolts on the upper part, then started trying to put the rest in. Most went it fine, but the two bolts at the bottom of each side of the timing cover concerned me a bit, so I removed the pump (and cleaned up the gasket from the little bit of RTV on it). I found the bottom two bolts would only turn about 3 revolutions until they got pretty hard to turn by hand, and I got a few more turns with the ratchet until I got nervous I was stripping something. I took the bolts out - some rust and gunk on them, but no sign of thread wear/stripping. So I put more lube on them, and tried again. Same thing... a little bit less rust, but still harder to turn than I'd like. I'm guessing inside the holes (these are the ones that go into the water jackets maybe?), there is some corrosion that the bolts have to "push" through, but I'd hate to strip something. I tried the old bolts and they had the same issue so I don't think I bought the wrong bolts or anything... Has anyone else had this happen, and if so, do I just keep turning or what? If you're going into the water jacket you're going to want a lot of thread sealant and no antiseize on those bolts. You can grease the shanks, so if you do get corrosion in the timing case the bolts will still turn. I doubt you have a pulley tap to chase those threads in the block, so I wouldn't worry too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 If you're going into the water jacket you're going to want a lot of thread sealant and no antiseize on those bolts. You can grease the shanks, so if you do get corrosion in the timing case the bolts will still turn. I doubt you have a pulley tap to chase those threads in the block, so I wouldn't worry too much. Jim - I had to look up "pulley tap". I'd never heard of them. Chris - If you can't get a tap in there to clean up the threads, and Jim is suggesting that a standard tap won't reach due to the timing case, then maybe you can "push through". I can't tell from your picture for sure, but it looks like there are marks on the head of the bolt, suggesting that it might be a Grade 5. If so, it should go ahead and go in. But I'd go a ways and then back it out and clean it. Then go again. And again. The only alternative I can think of is to remove the timing cover so you can use a regular tap on it. But then you have to mess with the pan gasket. And while you are in there you might as well do the timing chain if it hasn't been replaced lately. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 Jim - I had to look up "pulley tap". I'd never heard of them. Chris - If you can't get a tap in there to clean up the threads, and Jim is suggesting that a standard tap won't reach due to the timing case, then maybe you can "push through". I can't tell from your picture for sure, but it looks like there are marks on the head of the bolt, suggesting that it might be a Grade 5. If so, it should go ahead and go in. But I'd go a ways and then back it out and clean it. Then go again. And again. The only alternative I can think of is to remove the timing cover so you can use a regular tap on it. But then you have to mess with the pan gasket. And while you are in there you might as well do the timing chain if it hasn't been replaced lately. Good luck! Yup, I'm a font of useless minutiae. 😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kramttocs Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 Yup, I'm a font of useless minutiae. 😀 That would be handy when the need arises - hadn't heard of them either. Similar to taps and the same issue with length in your situation but a good set of thread chasers is worth it. I use mine quite often. An ounce of prevention tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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