Big Blue's Transformation

[Nothing Special]

.... Thoughts?

You asked...

For starters I'd turn the lights out about 30 degrees (you seem to have the patterns facing straight ahead). Maybe that's how you plan to mount them, and if so, then my thought doesn't matter much (which is as it should be since it's your truck and you're driving it). But if they were aimed out you'd be aiming them away from the blockage, so less light would be blocked.

Second, I don't think I get how you are showing what the blocked pattern would look like. If I were mocking it up I'd draw a line from the inside edge of the light (or the center, but inside edge is worst case) to the outside edge of the winch plate(?) that will be blocking the light, and continue that line out away from the truck (unless the light was actually behind the plate this line would angle across in front of the truck). Then I'd remove the part of the pattern that was outside of that line.

Looking back at the picture where you have the light in the two locations, the light looks to be VERY slightly outside of the winch plate, so the cutoff line would go almost straight ahead, but it would be farther out that it seems to me that your showing it.

But also looking at the earlier picture, the corner of the winch plate is cut off, so it won't block as much of the patters as a straight line would indicate. And perhaps drawing the line from the center of the lense would be more representative of what it would actually do, which would mean even less light blocked.

Bottom line is that especially if the lights were angled out as much as I do it, I don't think the light blockage from the inboard position would be significant. If that's true, then it comes down to aesthetics vs the better step. I'm not going to suggest how I think you should make that call, because I think it's too personal.

[Nothing Special]

Bob brings up a good point - you could always drill two matching holes on the passenger side and try it out. Not that drilling an unnecessary hole is something you might want to do but it would maintain symmetry (that may not matter to you in the least though).

I missed that the holes were only on the driver's side. Yeah, I'm not suggesting drilling a bunch of holes so you can decide which ones you like.

But how about mounting just the driver's side light in the inboard position and even just running temporarty wires to it? That would give you a real-world picture of what the blocked pattern would look like.

[Nothing Special]

.... Here's essentially the same picture with the new pump, and if you use your imagination you can see the hose coming up from the cooler on the frame, then the tee where the hydroboost return comes in below the pump, and then the line to the pump....

And here's a closer view if you can't see it in the above pic. I'm not proud of the hose clamps, but I don't have the right fuel injection clamps and couldn't get a tool down there to put the circle clamps on, so chose to go with the screw clamps and installed them after the hose was installed. But, it works and it sure cleaned things up.

Looks like it belongs there!

[Gary Lewis]

.... Thoughts?

You asked...

For starters I'd turn the lights out about 30 degrees (you seem to have the patterns facing straight ahead). Maybe that's how you plan to mount them, and if so, then my thought doesn't matter much (which is as it should be since it's your truck and you're driving it). But if they were aimed out you'd be aiming them away from the blockage, so less light would be blocked.

Second, I don't think I get how you are showing what the blocked pattern would look like. If I were mocking it up I'd draw a line from the inside edge of the light (or the center, but inside edge is worst case) to the outside edge of the winch plate(?) that will be blocking the light, and continue that line out away from the truck (unless the light was actually behind the plate this line would angle across in front of the truck). Then I'd remove the part of the pattern that was outside of that line.

Looking back at the picture where you have the light in the two locations, the light looks to be VERY slightly outside of the winch plate, so the cutoff line would go almost straight ahead, but it would be farther out that it seems to me that your showing it.

But also looking at the earlier picture, the corner of the winch plate is cut off, so it won't block as much of the patters as a straight line would indicate. And perhaps drawing the line from the center of the lense would be more representative of what it would actually do, which would mean even less light blocked.

Bottom line is that especially if the lights were angled out as much as I do it, I don't think the light blockage from the inboard position would be significant. If that's true, then it comes down to aesthetics vs the better step. I'm not going to suggest how I think you should make that call, because I think it's too personal.

Bob - I'm not really showing how the bumper blocks the light. Just assuming that you would notice where it would be blocked. I could draw the line you suggested, but then your question of where to start the line comes up. Is the edge the right place? The center? I don't know. I took Hella's beam pattern and enlarged it to fit the whole of the light. But I don't know if that is correct.

And you are right, the winch plate is angled, so it won't be as dramatic as it appears. But I do think that my drawing is pretty close to right. I measured several different ways, so I'm pretty sure that the position of the holes is correct with reference to the winch plate.

As for the angle, I'm not sure I want mine turned out that much. But that's something that I'll have to wait to find out after getting the lights installed.

Having said all that, after I backed the truck out to use the steering and brakes with the new pump installed I had to climb up to add more fluid. Yep, I stood on the bumper, very close to where the light would be if it was in the inboard position. I found that I could get my boot on top of the bumper and miss where the light would have been, but it looked close. However, I was guestimating where the light would be since it wasn't on, and that's hard to do.

So I think I need to put the left one on in the inboard position and see just how precarious it is getting on the bumper. Maybe it'll be just fine. If so, then I could move on to a visual test, meaning somehow mount the other light w/o drilling a hole and see what I think of the pattern. Then move them outboard and check that.

I'm gathering from your comments that you think the inboard position is much better than outboard. Is it aesthetics? Function? Just trying to understand.

[Gary Lewis]

.... Here's essentially the same picture with the new pump, and if you use your imagination you can see the hose coming up from the cooler on the frame, then the tee where the hydroboost return comes in below the pump, and then the line to the pump....

And here's a closer view if you can't see it in the above pic. I'm not proud of the hose clamps, but I don't have the right fuel injection clamps and couldn't get a tool down there to put the circle clamps on, so chose to go with the screw clamps and installed them after the hose was installed. But, it works and it sure cleaned things up.

Looks like it belongs there!

Thanks! I really didn't like the way the previous return was routed, so this one is much better. But it sure is a pain to work on. There's precious little room, so I hope I don't have to take it off any time soon.

And, back to the lights for a moment, the top plate of the bumper isn't the stiffest piece of metal on the planet and I'd like the lights to be mounted SOLIDLY. As it turns out the heavy brace that supports the outer ends of the bumper is directly below both holes, albeit maybe 2 1/2" below, so I'm planning to use it in some way.

My first thought is a threaded stud mounted on the brace that is just long enough to go through the top plate and the light base with enough threads for a washer, lock washer, and nut. I'd run a nut and washer up under the plate then sandwich the plate and the mount between the two nuts.

Another approach would be to weld a piece of angle to the brace such that it comes up against the bottom of the top plate and drill a hole in it to match the one in the top plate. Then bolt through that to mount the light.

Other suggestions?

[Nothing Special]

.... I'm gathering from your comments that you think the inboard position is much better than outboard. Is it aesthetics? Function? Just trying to understand.

Aesthetics. Functionally I think outboard is better from just about any way you look at it. Just not DRAMATICALLY better, so aesthetics might win out for me.

Bringing back the pictures I posted earlier, my pickup doesn't have anything to work around and you can see where I ended up there. (Although full disclosure, a PO had drilled holes there, otherwise I might have centered the lights with the outer slots in the grill).

And on the Bronco I probably wouldn't have gone so far out, but I wanted room to use my hi-lift jack on the bumper between the tow point and the fog light (the fog lights stick forward of the bumper).

http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/file/n81258/DSC_0655.jpg

http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/file/n13104/DSC_7617_EngMtRd.jpg

 

[Gary Lewis]

.... I'm gathering from your comments that you think the inboard position is much better than outboard. Is it aesthetics? Function? Just trying to understand.

Aesthetics. Functionally I think outboard is better from just about any way you look at it. Just not DRAMATICALLY better, so aesthetics might win out for me.

Bringing back the pictures I posted earlier, my pickup doesn't have anything to work around and you can see where I ended up there. (Although full disclosure, a PO had drilled holes there, otherwise I might have centered the lights with the outer slots in the grill).

And on the Bronco I probably wouldn't have gone so far out, but I wanted room to use my hi-lift jack on the bumper between the tow point and the fog light (the fog lights stick forward of the bumper).

http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/file/n81258/DSC_0655.jpg

http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/file/n13104/DSC_7617_EngMtRd.jpg

I agree that aesthetically inboard is better. Outboard doesn't line up with the other lights, but it comes close enough that it looks like you tried and failed. And inboard doesn't look that way.

But the question becomes how easy they will be to work around and how much of the light is cut off. I think when the time comes I'll mount them in the inboard position and see how that works.

Thanks!

[Gary Lewis]

I agree that aesthetically inboard is better. Outboard doesn't line up with the other lights, but it comes close enough that it looks like you tried and failed. And inboard doesn't look that way.

But the question becomes how easy they will be to work around and how much of the light is cut off. I think when the time comes I'll mount them in the inboard position and see how that works.

Thanks!

Today was a SLOOOOOW day. It started snowing about 7 AM and snowed until mid-afternoon. So Janey and I sat on the back porch for coffee, then Bible class, then church, then lunch, etc. We've long wanted to watch it snow and today was our first chance so we made the best of it.

I have some things to ship tomorrow and got them ready to go. And then I reset the Empty point on the Meter Match. I discovered that there are two intermediate points in the range and not just one, so tomorrow when I fill up the rear tank I'll run it up to 6.3 gallons and make the gauge read about 1/3, then 12.7 gallons and make the gauge read about 2/3, and finally fill it all the way up and check that it shows right on Full and tweak that if not.

But I think I'll not fill the front tank and continue to drive using it so I can then run through roughly the same process on it. Hopefully I won't have to make any changes, but would like to find out how close it is.

In any event, I think I'm really going to like the Meter Match.

Oh yes, I've made arrangements to have the toe-in set tomorrow as well. And I think I'll swap out the speed control's transducer before I go. That way I can take a spin out into the country to see if the toe-in change helped and also test the speed control to see if the surge has gone away.

And, as I think about it, I'll see what driven gear is in the transfer case and if I have the right replacement. It reads about 8% slow. Maybe I can make that better as well.

 

[1986F150Six]

I just realized why I was so tired yesterday! I was up and down on that step a hundred times, getting the right tool, picking up the right tool after I dropped it, putting the tool up, etc. THAT must have been why we hit the hay a bit early last night.

Jobs like this on a tall truck are more work than on a shorter truck.

A friend of mine who works on trucks lets the air out of the front tires...

 

[1986F150Six]

And, as I think about it, I'll see what driven gear is in the transfer case and if I have the right replacement. It reads about 8% slow. Maybe I can make that better as well.

Hmmm? 11 mpg becomes 11.88 mpg!