Big Blue's Transformation

[Gary Lewis]

Got the rest of the brackets and mounts beefed up today. Plan to media blast them tomorrow and then powder coat them. But since some have POR-15 on them, and that stuff doesn't come off easily, blasting may take all day.

Well, the best-laid plans...

First, a friend needed help with his chain saw, so we made some mods to the way the bar is attached. Basically one of the two studs had stripped out of the case. So we drilled it out and tapped it 3/8 - 16 and installed a bolt from the inside, securing it with Loctite Orange.

But by then I'd discovered what I feared - that POR-15 is NOT easily removed. I tried media blasting it, and that was going to take forever as it didn't want to come off. Then I looked for paint remover and, finding none, tried brake cleaner, denatured alcohol, and then lacquer thinner - to no avail. Next was flame, and while my MAPP gas torch charred it a bit, it still didn't want to come off. Then I tried a flap wheel, and it gummed it up badly and refused to come off.

About then my friend showed up with the chain saw, so in desperation I popped them in the oven and set it to 500F. And after two hours at that temp we were done with the saw, so I pulled a part out and tried it in the blast cabinet. No go. But now the paint was hard enough that the flap wheel worked to some extent and I got 5 of the 6 parts flapped and blasted.

So maybe tomorrow I'll get the 6th part prepped and can PC them.

[mat in tn]

Well, the best-laid plans...

First, a friend needed help with his chain saw, so we made some mods to the way the bar is attached. Basically one of the two studs had stripped out of the case. So we drilled it out and tapped it 3/8 - 16 and installed a bolt from the inside, securing it with Loctite Orange.

But by then I'd discovered what I feared - that POR-15 is NOT easily removed. I tried media blasting it, and that was going to take forever as it didn't want to come off. Then I looked for paint remover and, finding none, tried brake cleaner, denatured alcohol, and then lacquer thinner - to no avail. Next was flame, and while my MAPP gas torch charred it a bit, it still didn't want to come off. Then I tried a flap wheel, and it gummed it up badly and refused to come off.

About then my friend showed up with the chain saw, so in desperation I popped them in the oven and set it to 500F. And after two hours at that temp we were done with the saw, so I pulled a part out and tried it in the blast cabinet. No go. But now the paint was hard enough that the flap wheel worked to some extent and I got 5 of the 6 parts flapped and blasted.

So maybe tomorrow I'll get the 6th part prepped and can PC them.

when all else fails soak in brake fluid. haha

[Gary Lewis]

when all else fails soak in brake fluid. haha

I doubt brake fluid is as potent as lacquer thinner, and I have one of the pieces soaking in that right now. That's because there are recesses into which I can't get a flap disk, so hope the thinner will soften the stuff and I can scrape it out.

[Gary Lewis]

I doubt brake fluid is as potent as lacquer thinner, and I have one of the pieces soaking in that right now. That's because there are recesses into which I can't get a flap disk, so hope the thinner will soften the stuff and I can scrape it out.

As it turns out, an overnight soak in lacquer thinner did absolutely nothing to the POR-15. The only thing that helped was the heat, which seems to have made it hard enough to take off with a flap wheel. Otherwise it just gummed things up.

Anyway, today I got the pieces powder coated, as shown below. But I did have an interesting experience. When washing the parts with brake cleaner I apparently had quite a bit of it in one of the tubes and when I hit it with the heat gun there was a whoosh and flame shot out of the tube.

However, it caused no damage and I did get the parts washed and coated. And I'm pleasantly surprised that I was able to get powder all down the inside, as well as the outside, of the tubes. So things are well protected.

And I got a bit of it installed. But it was 77 degrees here today and since the powder coating left an eye-stinging haze in the shop I opened the doors. And then the mosquitos came in. So after sweating and swatting a bit I quit. This is December!

[Gary Lewis]

As it turns out, an overnight soak in lacquer thinner did absolutely nothing to the POR-15. The only thing that helped was the heat, which seems to have made it hard enough to take off with a flap wheel. Otherwise it just gummed things up.

Anyway, today I got the pieces powder coated, as shown below. But I did have an interesting experience. When washing the parts with brake cleaner I apparently had quite a bit of it in one of the tubes and when I hit it with the heat gun there was a whoosh and flame shot out of the tube.

However, it caused no damage and I did get the parts washed and coated. And I'm pleasantly surprised that I was able to get powder all down the inside, as well as the outside, of the tubes. So things are well protected.

And I got a bit of it installed. But it was 77 degrees here today and since the powder coating left an eye-stinging haze in the shop I opened the doors. And then the mosquitos came in. So after sweating and swatting a bit I quit. This is December!

The step bars are back on Big Blue. And, they are SOLID!

Going to take some time now to clean up the shop before the first set of kids gets here in two weeks for Christmas/New Years. Hopefully Santa will bring some of the lighting goodies I've spec'd out and I can put them on after the dust settles from the two sets of kids that are going to be here.

As for the rear view mirror/camera thing, I've realized that my plans to put another camera on and use a switch to choose which camera to feed to the mirror wasn't a good approach. But you can read about that here.

[Gary Lewis]

The step bars are back on Big Blue. And, they are SOLID!

Going to take some time now to clean up the shop before the first set of kids gets here in two weeks for Christmas/New Years. Hopefully Santa will bring some of the lighting goodies I've spec'd out and I can put them on after the dust settles from the two sets of kids that are going to be here.

As for the rear view mirror/camera thing, I've realized that my plans to put another camera on and use a switch to choose which camera to feed to the mirror wasn't a good approach. But you can read about that here.

Got the Pormido kit in today. More on it tomorrow, but there are a few things to connect.

[Gary Lewis]

Got the Pormido kit in today. More on it tomorrow, but there are a few things to connect. http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/uploads/6/5/8/7/65879365/thinking-26_orig.jpg

If y'all have been waiting on an update on the Pormido mirror/camera system in this thread you've been missing all the fun in the Installation Of A Pormido 998 Mirror/Camera System thread. I have the system installed and am making changes to it - as explained there.

However, as a result of getting the mirror system on and learning that there's too much light in the cab to see the image in the display easily I'm having the windows tinted. And the plan is to use a "carbon ceramic" film that is said to reduce IR by 88% and UV by 99.9%. But I'll have to pull the door panels to let the guy install the tint. And, as it turns out, he has COVID. So we are going to wait until he is well to put the tint on.

But today I found something that is going to probably make a change to the sound system in Big Blue. And that's a pair Rockford Fosgate RFA-64 speakers. These are serious 6" speakers with a huge magnet and bass response to 39 hertz. So when I pull the door panels so the guy can put the window tint on I'll install these speakers. They should give a lot more bass than the speakers I have.

[mat in tn]

If y'all have been waiting on an update on the Pormido mirror/camera system in this thread you've been missing all the fun in the Installation Of A Pormido 998 Mirror/Camera System thread. I have the system installed and am making changes to it - as explained there.

However, as a result of getting the mirror system on and learning that there's too much light in the cab to see the image in the display easily I'm having the windows tinted. And the plan is to use a "carbon ceramic" film that is said to reduce IR by 88% and UV by 99.9%. But I'll have to pull the door panels to let the guy install the tint. And, as it turns out, he has COVID. So we are going to wait until he is well to put the tint on.

But today I found something that is going to probably make a change to the sound system in Big Blue. And that's a pair Rockford Fosgate RFA-64 speakers. These are serious 6" speakers with a huge magnet and bass response to 39 hertz. So when I pull the door panels so the guy can put the window tint on I'll install these speakers. They should give a lot more bass than the speakers I have.

caution! research them first! they may require enclosures! if you install them without you may be sadly disappointed.

[Gary Lewis]

caution! research them first! they may require enclosures! if you install them without you may be sadly disappointed.

Thanks for that suggestion. But the owner's manual doesn't say that they should be mounted in an enclosure. In fact, it discusses installing them in a car door or rear deck, which certainly isn't a sealed enclosure. On the other hand, they do supply the spec's for V_as, so they could be used in an enclosure.

 

And that brings up how to wire it. The Sony DSX-GS80 owner's manual includes the instructions below. Given that, I'm wondering how best to wire those RA speakers as well as the 4" speakers I have in the Highliner.

 

Thoughts?

 

[mat in tn]

Thanks for that suggestion. But the owner's manual doesn't say that they should be mounted in an enclosure. In fact, it discusses installing them in a car door or rear deck, which certainly isn't a sealed enclosure. On the other hand, they do supply the spec's for V_as, so they could be used in an enclosure.

 

And that brings up how to wire it. The Sony DSX-GS80 owner's manual includes the instructions below. Given that, I'm wondering how best to wire those RA speakers as well as the 4" speakers I have in the Highliner.

 

Thoughts?

 

it sounds as if you are going to use them in the std door speaker opening. I suspect that will give more bass. what is there now? are you going to lose the full range if you go bass only. I like the ceiling mounted speakers and since it is closer to the ear, and so it does not need to be as loud. look into a product by "boom mat". they make baffles do go between the back of the speaker and door to give a minimal enclosure at least, the ones for 6-6-1/2 may not be deep enough for those but it's worth a look.