Big Blue's Transformation

[Gary Lewis]

Gary, this is what I used to secure my door glass to the lift track. Great stuff and I wouldn't hesitate to use it for your need, as it is specific for glass adhesion.

John - Thanks. That looks like the right stuff to adhere to glass. But I don't have glass for it to adhere to. The tape is wrapped around the glass, so unless I pull the tape there won't be any glass for it to touch.

 

And the tape is well and truly adhered to the glass. It would be a pain to remove the tape as the glass doesn't come out. In fact, from what I read in the FSM the only way to get the glass out is to remove the window from the truck and then disassemble it. So I'd have to use a razor blade and see if I can get the tape off. And, with the tape off then the metal strip would be too big as it is designed to fit over the tape.

 

I do appreciate you getting the info, but I debating whether to use Larry's suggestion of Super Glue or my idea of the RTV adhesive, both of which are clear.

 

• Super Glue: I think I'll have enough time to squirt some into the groove of the strip and press the strip in place. But will it be enough or too much? If too much how hard will it be to get off the glass?

 

• RTV: If I have too much of this I know I can remove it with a razor blade. But is it strong enough to adhere to the metal and the tape?

 

Thoughts please y'all! I'm planning on trying something tomorrow.

[1986F150Six]

John - Thanks. That looks like the right stuff to adhere to glass. But I don't have glass for it to adhere to. The tape is wrapped around the glass, so unless I pull the tape there won't be any glass for it to touch.

 

And the tape is well and truly adhered to the glass. It would be a pain to remove the tape as the glass doesn't come out. In fact, from what I read in the FSM the only way to get the glass out is to remove the window from the truck and then disassemble it. So I'd have to use a razor blade and see if I can get the tape off. And, with the tape off then the metal strip would be too big as it is designed to fit over the tape.

 

I do appreciate you getting the info, but I debating whether to use Larry's suggestion of Super Glue or my idea of the RTV adhesive, both of which are clear.

 

• Super Glue: I think I'll have enough time to squirt some into the groove of the strip and press the strip in place. But will it be enough or too much? If too much how hard will it be to get off the glass?

 

• RTV: If I have too much of this I know I can remove it with a razor blade. But is it strong enough to adhere to the metal and the tape?

 

Thoughts please y'all! I'm planning on trying something tomorrow.

Gorilla Glue has a super glue gel [more viscous] which I have had good luck with. It seems to have a longer pot life and dries clear.It is good to use on vertical surfaces.https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Basic-Crafts/Glues-Adhesives/Gorilla-Super-Glue-Gel/p/80986024?gclid=CjwKCAjw5c6LBhBdEiwAP9ejG1akhJXipEKu8e-f_mfRU6NbWfsNOYLx8S4mQJYAmrVravBqzrDCdhoCQxMQAvD_BwE

[Gary Lewis]

John - Thanks. That looks like the right stuff to adhere to glass. But I don't have glass for it to adhere to. The tape is wrapped around the glass, so unless I pull the tape there won't be any glass for it to touch.

 

And the tape is well and truly adhered to the glass. It would be a pain to remove the tape as the glass doesn't come out. In fact, from what I read in the FSM the only way to get the glass out is to remove the window from the truck and then disassemble it. So I'd have to use a razor blade and see if I can get the tape off. And, with the tape off then the metal strip would be too big as it is designed to fit over the tape.

 

I do appreciate you getting the info, but I debating whether to use Larry's suggestion of Super Glue or my idea of the RTV adhesive, both of which are clear.

 

• Super Glue: I think I'll have enough time to squirt some into the groove of the strip and press the strip in place. But will it be enough or too much? If too much how hard will it be to get off the glass?

 

• RTV: If I have too much of this I know I can remove it with a razor blade. But is it strong enough to adhere to the metal and the tape?

 

Thoughts please y'all! I'm planning on trying something tomorrow.

Got a bit more done on the truck. I used Larry's suggestion of super glue and put the strip on the rear window. Don't know how well it'll hold yet as I'm going to let it sit 24 hours before trying it. I used Gorilla Super Glue gel and one place I read said it cures fully in 24 hours, although another I read said 45 seconds. :nabble_anim_confused:Next up was the GMRS radio. As background, when I was headed to my hometown in KS to pickup my brother on the way to Ouray I set up a radio test with his son. And he couldn't hear me from his house, which is about a mile off the highway, so he came up to the highway. And even then we couldn't communicate until I was really close.So today I pulled the antenna off and tested it from the BNC connector I'd installed in the middle of the cable out to the antenna. The center wire is a solid connection, but the ground/outer wire has an intermittent connection to the center wire and it varies as you move the wire. So I am looking for a replacement weatherproof BNC connector. :nabble_smiley_blush:Next up was the trim piece over the seat hinge which had come loose - again. This is the third time I've had to fix it, so I decided to make it a bit more "solid". The first fix was with JB Weld and it didn't stick long at all to the plastic. The second fix was with West System G/flex epoxy, and it held longer but finally broke loose from the plastic on the trip to CO.So this time I drilled the spring and put a #6-32 screw through the trim piece and the spring clip. Here's what it looks like on the seat:And here are a couple of closeups. I had to cut the screw down so it wouldn't protrude through the nut to make sure the spring would snap onto the hinge, but it snaps on very solidly. And a drop of Loctite ensures the nut won't come loose.

[Gary Lewis]

Gorilla Glue has a super glue gel [more viscous] which I have had good luck with. It seems to have a longer pot life and dries clear.

It is good to use on vertical surfaces.

Thanks, David. As it turns out, that's exactly what I used. Hopefully I used enough. We will find out tomorrow when I test it.

It was a balancing act between getting enough to hold vs too much with some coming out. I decided to err on the side of "too little" instead of "too much". And I only had just a little bit come out in one spot, so hopefully there was enough to hold. We shall see.

[Gary Lewis]

Gorilla Glue has a super glue gel [more viscous] which I have had good luck with. It seems to have a longer pot life and dries clear.

It is good to use on vertical surfaces.

Thanks, David. As it turns out, that's exactly what I used. Hopefully I used enough. We will find out tomorrow when I test it.

It was a balancing act between getting enough to hold vs too much with some coming out. I decided to err on the side of "too little" instead of "too much". And I only had just a little bit come out in one spot, so hopefully there was enough to hold. We shall see.

Ok, good news and not-so-good news.

First, the super glue appears to be holding the strip on the glass just fine. And I lubed the track with silicone spray, so it slides nicely.

And another good news item to report is that the borescope seems to work well. The setup was easy - just charge the thing for a bit via a usb port and download the app for your phone. Power it on, connect to it via wifi from your phone, and start the app. That's all it took.

Plus, it takes good pictures, as shown below on the left. But the not-so-good news is that the picture below shows that there is insulation inside the HVAC plenum, as I was pretty sure was the case but just confirmed with the picture on the right which was taken when the plenum was on the work table.

And, the borescope confirmed that there's no moisture in the bottom of the plenum. So, I think the cover has to come off of the plenum to see if moisture has gotten into the insulation and is causing mold or mildew. Something is causing a really funky smell, so I'm going to have to go into the system to find it.

Anyone have a better idea? Maybe pull the blower motor and use a hose to truly "sniff" around?

[grumpin]

Ok, good news and not-so-good news.

First, the super glue appears to be holding the strip on the glass just fine. And I lubed the track with silicone spray, so it slides nicely.

And another good news item to report is that the borescope seems to work well. The setup was easy - just charge the thing for a bit via a usb port and download the app for your phone. Power it on, connect to it via wifi from your phone, and start the app. That's all it took.

Plus, it takes good pictures, as shown below on the left. But the not-so-good news is that the picture below shows that there is insulation inside the HVAC plenum, as I was pretty sure was the case but just confirmed with the picture on the right which was taken when the plenum was on the work table.

And, the borescope confirmed that there's no moisture in the bottom of the plenum. So, I think the cover has to come off of the plenum to see if moisture has gotten into the insulation and is causing mold or mildew. Something is causing a really funky smell, so I'm going to have to go into the system to find it.

Anyone have a better idea? Maybe pull the blower motor and use a hose to truly "sniff" around?

I think looking around where the blower motor is, is a good idea.

I would be surprised if it got damp and had enough time to get musty.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Ok, good news and not-so-good news.

First, the super glue appears to be holding the strip on the glass just fine. And I lubed the track with silicone spray, so it slides nicely.

And another good news item to report is that the borescope seems to work well. The setup was easy - just charge the thing for a bit via a usb port and download the app for your phone. Power it on, connect to it via wifi from your phone, and start the app. That's all it took.

Plus, it takes good pictures, as shown below on the left. But the not-so-good news is that the picture below shows that there is insulation inside the HVAC plenum, as I was pretty sure was the case but just confirmed with the picture on the right which was taken when the plenum was on the work table.

And, the borescope confirmed that there's no moisture in the bottom of the plenum. So, I think the cover has to come off of the plenum to see if moisture has gotten into the insulation and is causing mold or mildew. Something is causing a really funky smell, so I'm going to have to go into the system to find it.

Anyone have a better idea? Maybe pull the blower motor and use a hose to truly "sniff" around?

"Funky" like mold or mildew?

Or "funky" like rot or death?

Please remind me if you have closed or vented kick panels.

Are the rubber cowl drains clear??

If the AC condensate drain is working properly I don't think you would be getting stale water from up there.

If you do find the cause you are probably going to want to treat it with peroxide at the least, if not UVC or ozone.

[Rembrant]

Anyone have a better idea? Maybe pull the blower motor and use a hose to truly "sniff" around?

For simplicity sake, I'd be pulling the blower fan first for further inspection...

I hate pulling that whole assembly off the firewall.

 

[Gary Lewis]

Anyone have a better idea? Maybe pull the blower motor and use a hose to truly "sniff" around?

For simplicity sake, I'd be pulling the blower fan first for further inspection...

I hate pulling that whole assembly off the firewall.

Dane - We had the smell once in the summer when the A/C wasn't working right so I didn't use it for quite a while. Then, when the A/C was fixed and I used it the smell went away pretty quickly and didn't come back until the truck sat for over a month after getting back from Colorado. We used the A/C daily for the 8 days we were gone to CO and didn't have the smell, then it wasn't used for about 5 weeks and the smell came back with a vengeance.

Jim - Welcome back! Janey says "Funky like a wet dog. But mold or mildew makes more sense." I'm thinking mold or mildew. And yes, whatever it is will have to be treated. And the kick panels are vented, and when the vents are open there's no smell from them. The smell only comes when Heat, A/C, or Vent is on in the HVAC system.

Cory - Yes, I hate pulling the cover. So pulling the motor seems like an easier start.

I think I'll pull the motor and use a piece of hose to "sniff" around. Maybe even sniff from inside the truck by sticking the hose through the dash vents. But not tomorrow as Janey has an appointment and we'll be gone quite a bit of the day. And on Tuesday the GLK is going back in the shop as the check-engine light is on again.

Thanks, guys!

 

[ArdWrknTrk]

Dane - We had the smell once in the summer when the A/C wasn't working right so I didn't use it for quite a while. Then, when the A/C was fixed and I used it the smell went away pretty quickly and didn't come back until the truck sat for over a month after getting back from Colorado. We used the A/C daily for the 8 days we were gone to CO and didn't have the smell, then it wasn't used for about 5 weeks and the smell came back with a vengeance.

Jim - Welcome back! Janey says "Funky like a wet dog. But mold or mildew makes more sense." I'm thinking mold or mildew. And yes, whatever it is will have to be treated. And the kick panels are vented, and when the vents are open there's no smell from them. The smell only comes when Heat, A/C, or Vent is on in the HVAC system.

Cory - Yes, I hate pulling the cover. So pulling the motor seems like an easier start.

I think I'll pull the motor and use a piece of hose to "sniff" around. Maybe even sniff from inside the truck by sticking the hose through the dash vents. But not tomorrow as Janey has an appointment and we'll be gone quite a bit of the day. And on Tuesday the GLK is going back in the shop as the check-engine light is on again.

Thanks, guys!

I would still check the cowl drains. That's about the only place water will sit and develop the funk..

But if you still think it is somewhere inside the plenum then I would do some more poking around with your inspection camera.

It's been a terrible year for moisture problems up here. (in fact, it's raining right now!)

Have a look at the intake screen of the cowl too. If there's dank leaves or something trapped under the edges of the slots you'll be pulling that right in any time you turn the fan on.