Big Blue's Transformation

[Gary Lewis]

Rob - I hope I like the black. But it isn't that hard to take it out to paint it, so I'll give it a try and see.Jim - I used a 1/8" mill and when I first took the part out it had nice radiused corners. But, then I discovered that the width was .020" too small and I used a safe file and took the ends out - which squared the corners up. :nabble_smiley_sad:But to make it fit the profile I'd have to come back something like 1/4" and bevel the corners. I could do that on the plastic as it wouldn't be that difficult. We shall see.On the bed, I have the large and loaded tool box in there as well as a liner and then the brackets for the 5th wheel hitch. So getting down to where it could be sprayed with bed liner would be a lot of work. But cleaning off the inside of the skirts wouldn't be hard at all and then I could stick some of the self-adhesive squares of Noico sound deadening on. Can't hurt and might help. And now's the time before the the tank for the compressor goes in under there.

I think I just had a brilliant idea.

 

I've been puzzling over how to tap into the dome/map light wiring but leaving it so it could be used in future as was originally planned. And it just dawned (Get it? Brilliant? Dawn?) that I can just put ring-tongue terminals on the wires and run a screw into the wire terminations.

 

For those who haven't dealt with the dome light wiring, the wires end in a weird insulated terminal that snaps into a hole in the roof's inner liner. The dome/map light is mounted by three screws - one that goes into the always-on terminal, one into the switched terminal, and one into the cab itself for ground.

 

And I need exactly those circuits: always on for the radio, switched power for the dome light, and ground for both the radio and the dome light. So just put ring-tongue terminals on the wires and run screws through them into the terminals/cab. Done. (That emoticon is named Beam.)

[Nothing Special]

I think I just had a brilliant idea.

 

I've been puzzling over how to tap into the dome/map light wiring but leaving it so it could be used in future as was originally planned. And it just dawned (Get it? Brilliant? Dawn?) that I can just put ring-tongue terminals on the wires and run a screw into the wire terminations.

 

For those who haven't dealt with the dome light wiring, the wires end in a weird insulated terminal that snaps into a hole in the roof's inner liner. The dome/map light is mounted by three screws - one that goes into the always-on terminal, one into the switched terminal, and one into the cab itself for ground.

 

And I need exactly those circuits: always on for the radio, switched power for the dome light, and ground for both the radio and the dome light. So just put ring-tongue terminals on the wires and run screws through them into the terminals/cab. Done. (That emoticon is named Beam.)

That post reminds me of the guy who told his sad friend 10 puns, hoping that at least one of them would make him smile.No pun in ten did.

[Gary Lewis]

That post reminds me of the guy who told his sad friend 10 puns, hoping that at least one of them would make him smile.

No pun in ten did.

[Nothing Special]

I was thinking maybe would be a better response for that. Or maybe .

Of course my response should probably be . Or if this wasn't an on-line thing and some of you could actually reach me maybe

 

[1986F150Six]

I think I just had a brilliant idea.

 

I've been puzzling over how to tap into the dome/map light wiring but leaving it so it could be used in future as was originally planned. And it just dawned (Get it? Brilliant? Dawn?)

The people on this forum are so very illuminating!!!

[Gary Lewis]

I think I just had a brilliant idea.

 

I've been puzzling over how to tap into the dome/map light wiring but leaving it so it could be used in future as was originally planned. And it just dawned (Get it? Brilliant? Dawn?)

The people on this forum are so very illuminating!!!

Bob - I think it was better than , and far far better than .David - Yes, they are! Well done!

[Gary Lewis]

Bob - I think it was better than , and far far better than .

David - Yes, they are! Well done!

Got quite a bit done on the GMRS radio installation. In fact, all but drilling the holes for the sound and ordering the right screws & washers.

But, it wasn't that easy, by a long shot. First I cut out the opening for the radio in the face of the L-shaped piece. I did that by c-clamping the aluminum trial piece onto the face, cutting as much as I dared out with the Dremel, and finishing up with files. Lots and lots of filing.

When the radio fit through the face I started trying to figure out how to determine where to mount the radio to the top. And that turned out to be a problem I couldn't solve. There was just no easy way to measure where it should go.

So I went back to Plan A and mounted it to the L-shaped bracket. And even then it turned out to be easier said than done.

The first thing I did was to use a 1 1/2" hole saw on the bracket. That turned out quite well, and you can see here that the hole pretty well clears the active speaker holes:

And the bracket is still quite strong, so I decided to use one screw on each side. But by then I'd realized that the screws that go into the rubber nuts are 8-32, so that's what I wanted to use to hold the bracket. But the slot wasn't large enough so I milled it out. Then I found the right place for the screws and drilled the holes in the L-bracket.

With a bit of measuring I found that the bracket needs to be 11/32" above the L-shaped piece to go into the opening properly. And it turned out that a fender washer and two nuts comes close to that, so that's what I put in. But then I discovered that it is going to be very difficult to get nuts on those screws, as you can see below. So I'm going to make a spacer that's the right length and tack nuts to the bracket so I can slip the screws in after the radio and bracket are put in place.

But, I did get it together for taking pics. But, as you'll see, the screws I have aren't the right ones, but I'll order some replacements for both the bracket as well as holding the whole thing in place. In the interim I can still put it all together since the screws are easily gotten to by just pulling the L-shaped piece off.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Got quite a bit done on the GMRS radio installation. In fact, all but drilling the holes for the sound and ordering the right screws & washers.

But, it wasn't that easy, by a long shot. First I cut out the opening for the radio in the face of the L-shaped piece. I did that by c-clamping the aluminum trial piece onto the face, cutting as much as I dared out with the Dremel, and finishing up with files. Lots and lots of filing.

When the radio fit through the face I started trying to figure out how to determine where to mount the radio to the top. And that turned out to be a problem I couldn't solve. There was just no easy way to measure where it should go.

So I went back to Plan A and mounted it to the L-shaped bracket. And even then it turned out to be easier said than done.

The first thing I did was to use a 1 1/2" hole saw on the bracket. That turned out quite well, and you can see here that the hole pretty well clears the active speaker holes:

And the bracket is still quite strong, so I decided to use one screw on each side. But by then I'd realized that the screws that go into the rubber nuts are 8-32, so that's what I wanted to use to hold the bracket. But the slot wasn't large enough so I milled it out. Then I found the right place for the screws and drilled the holes in the L-bracket.

With a bit of measuring I found that the bracket needs to be 11/32" above the L-shaped piece to go into the opening properly. And it turned out that a fender washer and two nuts comes close to that, so that's what I put in. But then I discovered that it is going to be very difficult to get nuts on those screws, as you can see below. So I'm going to make a spacer that's the right length and tack nuts to the bracket so I can slip the screws in after the radio and bracket are put in place.

But, I did get it together for taking pics. But, as you'll see, the screws I have aren't the right ones, but I'll order some replacements for both the bracket as well as holding the whole thing in place. In the interim I can still put it all together since the screws are easily gotten to by just pulling the L-shaped piece off.

That looks very good, Gary!

[Gary Lewis]

That looks very good, Gary!

Thanks, Jim.

I got the screws, shown below, ordered as well as some #8 fender washers. I'll have to make spacers and drill the holes for the sound and then I can button it up until the screws & washers come in.

I'm going to put foam in around the "sound hole" to channel the sound out. I'm thinking a couple of pieces of my .14" Noico foam between the radio and the bracket will work, and probably three pieces between the bracket and the plastic piece will be needed. Hopefully that will get the sound out cleanly.

[grumpin]

Thanks, Jim.

I got the screws, shown below, ordered as well as some #8 fender washers. I'll have to make spacers and drill the holes for the sound and then I can button it up until the screws & washers come in.

I'm going to put foam in around the "sound hole" to channel the sound out. I'm thinking a couple of pieces of my .14" Noico foam between the radio and the bracket will work, and probably three pieces between the bracket and the plastic piece will be needed. Hopefully that will get the sound out cleanly.

That does look good, nice installation!

You’re still going to drill holes under it for the speaker, correct?