Big Blue's Transformation

[kramttocs]

This is one of those "I'm glad I updated Darth's wiring to 1996" moments. My backup light circuit comes up to a 16 way underhood connector, then goes in through the 76 way connector (in picture) and has a branch that isn't used and back out through the 24 way connector. I also have, in the auxiliary relay box next to my PDC, a trailer battery charge relay and a trailer back up lamps relay. I have added by using an auxiliary relay box from a bronco instead of the two relay box as it holds 4 relays, left and right signal lamp relays. That way any trailer lights are isolated from the truck lights with the exception of the 7 rear and fender clearance lamps. Those are on a relay that also powers the trailer running lamps.

I suspect the unused backup lamp feed could be used on a wrecker for floodlights in reverse.

That's nice Bill!

The trailer backup circuit definitely seems like an afterthought or a "no one will use this" type thing.

And I don't see many trailers with backup lamps so was probably a safe bet.

[Gary Lewis]

This is one of those "I'm glad I updated Darth's wiring to 1996" moments. My backup light circuit comes up to a 16 way underhood connector, then goes in through the 76 way connector (in picture) and has a branch that isn't used and back out through the 24 way connector. I also have, in the auxiliary relay box next to my PDC, a trailer battery charge relay and a trailer back up lamps relay. I have added by using an auxiliary relay box from a bronco instead of the two relay box as it holds 4 relays, left and right signal lamp relays. That way any trailer lights are isolated from the truck lights with the exception of the 7 rear and fender clearance lamps. Those are on a relay that also powers the trailer running lamps.I suspect the unused backup lamp feed could be used on a wrecker for floodlights in reverse.

Scott - Thanks for bringing this up as I was thinking incorrectly about how I would do it. (For the rest of y'all, I was thinking I'd get the backup light circuit right out of the fuse box, but Scott pointed out that it is always hot, so I need to tap into the circuit after the switch on the transmission.)

 

I like your suggestion, which fits with Bill's. Basically add the trailer relays, plural, so my aux backup lights as well as those on the trailer are powered off the relay and a fuse in the PDB. Good plan, guys.

 

Now, for what I did today. 'Twas another "I planned to do this, but didn't" day. And I'm glad I didn't as I'll explain.

 

I needed to unwrap the harness that the washer wiring was in and it was under the aux battery tray, so I took it off again. And, as I was staring into the abyss under it I saw the horn and remembered that I wanted to add the bull horn that I got from Vernon. So I pulled out the original horn and played around with fitting the bull horn in there. I did find a way that fit pretty nicely but that had about half of the horn's outlet blocked by the radiator support. So I did a bit of drilling:

 

 

 

Then I mounted the horn:

 

 

 

And then put the aux battery tray back over it for a test, and it clears by 1/4":

 

 

 

And, what does it sound like? Well, this is the video I sent my grandtwins as they got quite a kick out of listening to it when they were staying with us early last year. In fact, on a call recently they asked me to fire it up again.

 

[Gary Lewis]

Scott - Thanks for bringing this up as I was thinking incorrectly about how I would do it. (For the rest of y'all, I was thinking I'd get the backup light circuit right out of the fuse box, but Scott pointed out that it is always hot, so I need to tap into the circuit after the switch on the transmission.)

 

I like your suggestion, which fits with Bill's. Basically add the trailer relays, plural, so my aux backup lights as well as those on the trailer are powered off the relay and a fuse in the PDB. Good plan, guys.

 

Now, for what I did today. 'Twas another "I planned to do this, but didn't" day. And I'm glad I didn't as I'll explain.

 

I needed to unwrap the harness that the washer wiring was in and it was under the aux battery tray, so I took it off again. And, as I was staring into the abyss under it I saw the horn and remembered that I wanted to add the bull horn that I got from Vernon. So I pulled out the original horn and played around with fitting the bull horn in there. I did find a way that fit pretty nicely but that had about half of the horn's outlet blocked by the radiator support. So I did a bit of drilling:

 

 

 

Then I mounted the horn:

 

 

 

And then put the aux battery tray back over it for a test, and it clears by 1/4":

 

 

 

And, what does it sound like? Well, this is the video I sent my grandtwins as they got quite a kick out of listening to it when they were staying with us early last year. In fact, on a call recently they asked me to fire it up again.

 

And, with that being done I turned to the battery isolator. I made a bracket/plate to cover a hole on the fender back of where the rear bolt of the EFI air box bracket bolts in. And I removed the clip for the lug wrench and used that hole to secure the back of the plate as well as the back of the isolator. Then I drilled and tapped the plate 1/4-20 to take a bolt to hold the front of the isolator.But, the red arrow shows the yellow wire from the battery on the other side, and it is stretched a bit. So I need to move the isolator forward a bit and see what slack I have on the other side in the wire.

[Gary Lewis]

And, with that being done I turned to the battery isolator. I made a bracket/plate to cover a hole on the fender back of where the rear bolt of the EFI air box bracket bolts in. And I removed the clip for the lug wrench and used that hole to secure the back of the plate as well as the back of the isolator. Then I drilled and tapped the plate 1/4-20 to take a bolt to hold the front of the isolator.

But, the red arrow shows the yellow wire from the battery on the other side, and it is stretched a bit. So I need to move the isolator forward a bit and see what slack I have on the other side in the wire.

Ok, here are Bill's schematics for how he did the trailer wiring. Thanks, Bill! (Note: Bill sent a revised #1 drawing, which has now replaced the first one.)

[Gary Lewis]

Ok, here are Bill's schematics for how he did the trailer wiring. Thanks, Bill! (Note: Bill sent a revised #1 drawing, which has now replaced the first one.)

And on a slightly different subject, I got concerned by the way I'd planned to mount things like the air box and battery isolator to the driver's fender. Ford used sheet metal screws and I was planning to use 1/4-20 screws instead because I need long screws to go through the standoffs and don't have sheet metal screws that long. So I've tapped the fender 1/4-20. But, as I think about it, I'm not sure that a truck planned to go offroading should rely on such "thin" threads.

So, I'm going to try nutserts again, and ordered this tool today - that's supposed to be delivered tomorrow: WETOLS 14" Rivet Nut Tool, Hand Rivet Nut Tool with 7 Metric & Inch Mandrels M6 M8 M10, 1/4-20, 5/16-18, 3/8-16, 70pcs Rivnuts and Blow Carry Case. Perhaps I didn't properly seat the ones I tried before.

This one has 2,187 ratings, and from those it has a 4.5 star rating. I sure hope it works.

[85lebaront2]

And on a slightly different subject, I got concerned by the way I'd planned to mount things like the air box and battery isolator to the driver's fender. Ford used sheet metal screws and I was planning to use 1/4-20 screws instead because I need long screws to go through the standoffs and don't have sheet metal screws that long. So I've tapped the fender 1/4-20. But, as I think about it, I'm not sure that a truck planned to go offroading should rely on such "thin" threads.

So, I'm going to try nutserts again, and ordered this tool today - that's supposed to be delivered tomorrow: WETOLS 14" Rivet Nut Tool, Hand Rivet Nut Tool with 7 Metric & Inch Mandrels M6 M8 M10, 1/4-20, 5/16-18, 3/8-16, 70pcs Rivnuts and Blow Carry Case. Perhaps I didn't properly seat the ones I tried before.

This one has 2,187 ratings, and from those it has a 4.5 star rating. I sure hope it works.

I may need to get one of those, I have a smaller one that is hard to seat anything much bigger than 1/4"/6mm.

[Gary Lewis]

I may need to get one of those, I have a smaller one that is hard to seat anything much bigger than 1/4"/6mm.

I'll certainly come back with a review.

Amazon is amazing. I ordered it at 5:45 PM and by 6:00 PM it had shipped. And it is to be here tomorrow. So my hope is that I can set nutserts for everything on Monday and get on to draining the swamp, I mean rerouting the washer wiring, as I've been intending to do for two days.

I think I'll use metric nutserts as most of the fasteners in there are metric. But that means when we are out and about on Tuesday, for Janey's 2nd vaccine shot, I'll need to pick up some bolts.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I'll certainly come back with a review.

Amazon is amazing. I ordered it at 5:45 PM and by 6:00 PM it had shipped. And it is to be here tomorrow. So my hope is that I can set nutserts for everything on Monday and get on to draining the swamp, I mean rerouting the washer wiring, as I've been intending to do for two days.

I think I'll use metric nutserts as most of the fasteners in there are metric. But that means when we are out and about on Tuesday, for Janey's 2nd vaccine shot, I'll need to pick up some bolts.

You might get some spare 10mm sockets.

You know how those like to run away.

[kramttocs]

You might get some spare 10mm sockets.

You know how those like to run away.

Saying Gary needs one of these?

[Gary Lewis]

Saying Gary needs one of these?

LOL! I'll take the carabiner version, not the ear rings.

And, y'all are going to love this - I dropped a 10 mm socket and had to go looking for it today. Found it waaaaay down in the front corner below the horn, and it took my loooooong magnet tool to retrieve it.

Yep, those sockets are skittish. They love to run and hide.