Issues With Big Blue!?!?!

[ArdWrknTrk]

Very true. Maybe Ford meant "Welding by our technicians, who are not trained to do so, is not acceptable."

Anyway, I have to figure out how to clean this rascal up before I start taking it apart. It came out from under a diesel and it is a huge MESS! I don't have a pressure washer, so am considering buying a few cans of engine degreaser and trying that. Or, I could take it to the car wash.

Please let me know what's stamped into the cross member when you get all the goo off.

Thanks!

[FuzzFace2]

Please let me know what's stamped into the cross member when you get all the goo off.

Thanks!

Harbor Freight has them wooden dollies placed under the pallets so you could roll it around works good.

For a bit I used them dollies you place under the tires to move the car / truck around, I have 2 set of 4.

Dave ----

[Gary Lewis]

I would buy a few cans of engine degreaser and apply them in the auto parts parking lot on the way to the wash bay.

A friend of mine has a kerosene fired 220V steam Jenny and that thing will blast everything off.

But you can watch it flash rust as everything dries.

I wasn't actually arguing for you to weld it, but it would save having to dismantle (and REmantle) the front end.

Maybe you can swing by Billy's place on the way home and ditch the D60 for a go through and R&P swap?

Save you a trip and you won't be tripping over it in your garage without an easy way to move it.

After we got home last night my brother suggested we should have drenched the thing in Dawn for the drive home. He was expecting that we got what they got, a downpour, and that plus the 70 MPH I was towing at would have helped. But, we didn't get any rain until during the night, so I doubt that would have helped much.

I'm not sure what oven cleaner does to paint, and the thing is sitting on my fairly new trailer so I don't want anything too caustic. I'm leaning to the suggestion of stopping at the parts store and getting several cans of degreaser and continuing on to the car wash.

Having said that, I mentioned the need for a power washer to Janey on the way home last night and she thought it was a good idea as there are many uses. When we got home the neighbors across the street were out and when I dropped the trailer in front of their house they came over. During the conversation he said he's just bought a power washer to get rid of the mess the worms are leaving on the concrete, and that Tractor Supply has them on sale right now. So, since I also need to clean Big Blue up after pulling the engine.... Hmmm, I also have to clean that engine.

As for swinging by Billy's place, it is a long way out of the way. And, both he and Chris want me to strip the axle of everything but the diff and just bring that. So I have a lot of cleaning and stripping to do.

But, that does bring up a question to y'all with which I'm wrestling. Billy may have a 3.54 ring & pinion, used, as he said he'd swap for $50. I need to confirm what he meant by that, but that was my understanding. However, he has no experience with Ox. In fact, he hadn't heard of them. But, he really liked what I told him out them.

On the other hand, Chris has installed lots of them and really likes them. But he wasn't high at all on the idea of installing a used ring and pinion as he's had problems doing that. And, he's had to take some things back that he's taken to Billy as Billy had someone else do them and that someone isn't as meticulous as Billy. On the other hand, he said Billy will be less expensive for what I want to have done than he will be.

So, what are your thoughts about a used ring & pinion? And, what questions should I be asking either of them in order to decide?

[Gary Lewis]

Harbor Freight has them wooden dollies placed under the pallets so you could roll it around works good.

For a bit I used them dollies you place under the tires to move the car / truck around, I have 2 set of 4.

Dave ----

Jim - Will do. But do you know where to look?

Dave - I have two skates for wheels, and will probably use them to roll things around on.

However, once it is fairly clean I'll probably work on the trailer to disassemble things. And I'll use the shop crane to lift off the bits that don't seem light enough to move by hand, like the axle. Then once I'm down to the frame & cross members I'll lift it down as well.

[ArdWrknTrk]

After we got home last night my brother suggested we should have drenched the thing in Dawn for the drive home. He was expecting that we got what they got, a downpour, and that plus the 70 MPH I was towing at would have helped. But, we didn't get any rain until during the night, so I doubt that would have helped much.

I'm not sure what oven cleaner does to paint, and the thing is sitting on my fairly new trailer so I don't want anything too caustic. I'm leaning to the suggestion of stopping at the parts store and getting several cans of degreaser and continuing on to the car wash.

Having said that, I mentioned the need for a power washer to Janey on the way home last night and she thought it was a good idea as there are many uses. When we got home the neighbors across the street were out and when I dropped the trailer in front of their house they came over. During the conversation he said he's just bought a power washer to get rid of the mess the worms are leaving on the concrete, and that Tractor Supply has them on sale right now. So, since I also need to clean Big Blue up after pulling the engine.... Hmmm, I also have to clean that engine.

As for swinging by Billy's place, it is a long way out of the way. And, both he and Chris want me to strip the axle of everything but the diff and just bring that. So I have a lot of cleaning and stripping to do.

But, that does bring up a question to y'all with which I'm wrestling. Billy may have a 3.54 ring & pinion, used, as he said he'd swap for $50. I need to confirm what he meant by that, but that was my understanding. However, he has no experience with Ox. In fact, he hadn't heard of them. But, he really liked what I told him out them.

On the other hand, Chris has installed lots of them and really likes them. But he wasn't high at all on the idea of installing a used ring and pinion as he's had problems doing that. And, he's had to take some things back that he's taken to Billy as Billy had someone else do them and that someone isn't as meticulous as Billy. On the other hand, he said Billy will be less expensive for what I want to have done than he will be.

So, what are your thoughts about a used ring & pinion? And, what questions should I be asking either of them in order to decide?

Bring or buy a parts brush for that degreaser.

Applying it first will give it a chance to soak in.

I always think of a set of gears as having 'married' when run in, but have no problems with running a pair IF THE SETUP IS GOOD AND THE CONTACT IS THE SAME.

(and I rode desmodromic Ducati's for decades)

I had no idea where either Billy or Chris was located.

Given your intention for an OX locker, I'd go with Chris.

I'd rather pay more and have it done right the first time than pay someone to be their learning curve.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Jim - Will do. But do you know where to look?

Dave - I have two skates for wheels, and will probably use them to roll things around on.

However, once it is fairly clean I'll probably work on the trailer to disassemble things. And I'll use the shop crane to lift off the bits that don't seem light enough to move by hand, like the axle. Then once I'm down to the frame & cross members I'll lift it down as well.

IIRC,it was the rear face of the cross member.

You will see it when the thing is clean.

I noticed it when I power washed my engine bay (as you pictured) and I wasn't even looking.

I edited my welding response to ask a few questions of you.

Just trying to get a clearer picture.

[Gary Lewis]

IIRC,it was the rear face of the cross member.

You will see it when the thing is clean.

I noticed it when I power washed my engine bay (as you pictured) and I wasn't even looking.

I edited my welding response to ask a few questions of you.

Just trying to get a clearer picture.

Jim - We are thinking alike on which guy to go with. I sure don't want any problems, and Chris knows his way around the OX. so....

As for the #'s on the cross member, I'll look there.

Concerning your questions, which are in bold and my answers in plain text:

• How did you repair the frame when it broke behind the steering box? The crack was in what Ford calls the "steering gear liner" and that is technically not the frame itself. But, I did grind out and then weld up the crack.

• Do you feel that weld compromised the structural integrity of the vehicle? No, I do not.

  Partially because I now realize that what I was welding on was not the frame, so there is still the frame that runs along side the steering gear liner and I did not weld on it. And partially because it is on an F150 that does not have large tires, has a fairly light engine and, hopefully, won't be taken off road.

• Why has your attitude changed since then? Because I've read several Ford publications that say not to weld on the frame.

So, we shall see what I do on Big Blue when I find the clunk that has become very, very consistent. Perhaps it is the steering gear liner, and I now have a replacement as well as the instructions on how to replace it. Perhaps it is a broken rivet or three. Or maybe the engine cross member has cracked from the hacking. But given the weight of the massive engine, the winch and winch bumper, the aux battery, and large tires, plus the plans to take it off the road and into conditions which will twist the frame in many ways, everything needs to be well done.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Jim - We are thinking alike on which guy to go with. I sure don't want any problems, and Chris knows his way around the OX. so....

As for the #'s on the cross member, I'll look there.

Concerning your questions, which are in bold and my answers in plain text:

• How did you repair the frame when it broke behind the steering box? The crack was in what Ford calls the "steering gear liner" and that is technically not the frame itself. But, I did grind out and then weld up the crack.

• Do you feel that weld compromised the structural integrity of the vehicle? No, I do not.

  Partially because I now realize that what I was welding on was not the frame, so there is still the frame that runs along side the steering gear liner and I did not weld on it. And partially because it is on an F150 that does not have large tires, has a fairly light engine and, hopefully, won't be taken off road.

• Why has your attitude changed since then? Because I've read several Ford publications that say not to weld on the frame.

So, we shall see what I do on Big Blue when I find the clunk that has become very, very consistent. Perhaps it is the steering gear liner, and I now have a replacement as well as the instructions on how to replace it. Perhaps it is a broken rivet or three. Or maybe the engine cross member has cracked from the hacking. But given the weight of the massive engine, the winch and winch bumper, the aux battery, and large tires, plus the plans to take it off the road and into conditions which will twist the frame in many ways, everything needs to be well done.

**I'd like to thank you for your thoughtful replies.

One good way to judge at a glance if the steering box has broken the frame is to have someone else turn the wheel lock to lock while you stand in front and look at the bumper.

If the frame is cracked you will see the left side (right to you) rise and fall distinctly.

[Gary Lewis]

**I'd like to thank you for your thoughtful replies.

One good way to judge at a glance if the steering box has broken the frame is to have someone else turn the wheel lock to lock while you stand in front and look at the bumper.

If the frame is cracked you will see the left side (right to you) rise and fall distinctly.

I'll give that a try. There's something amiss in there as the clunk happens essentially every time I turn the wheel very far. And, since I hope to drive it to the FORDification show in Anderson, MO in a couple of weeks maybe I'd better find out what the problem is.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I'll give that a try. There's something amiss in there as the clunk happens essentially every time I turn the wheel very far. And, since I hope to drive it to the FORDification show in Anderson, MO in a couple of weeks maybe I'd better find out what the problem is.

I've had big issues with ball joints on my truck.

You have a lift so if looking at the bumper doesn't show anything get the suspension unloaded and use a pry bar on the knuckles.