Big Blue's Transformation

[Gary Lewis]

I hadn't thought of that, Jim. I installed the vent some time ago, but I'll check it. Thanks.

Well, it was an interesting day. All went well until I was done and closed the hood. But I'll get to that in a bit.

The first thing I did was to vacuum the bed and hit all the holes and rust with primer. While that dried I called the Line-X guy and asked how to show him which holes to "close" and which ones to leave open. He said to just put an X through the ones I want closed and they'll put thin tape on the front side of the holes. After coating it with the bed liner you won't be able to see the hole nor where the tape is.

Ok, so I X-d out all of the holes to be closed, and put the grommets in for the bed cover's drain tubes 'cause they'd never fit if the bed had 1/8" of Line-X on it around the hole.

Then it was time to install the new fender-mounted starter relay. That meant removing the coolant recovery reservoir and its bracket as well as the bracket for the PDB. That let me get to the wiring below the PDB, and I made the necessary changes to extend the R/LB wire to the relay as well as the #10 going down to the starter. And the latter was done by using a butt connector and crimping it with my new 5-ton crimper then soldering the connection and covering it with shrink tubing.

Then I mounted the relay on the fender behind the coolant recovery reservoir, ran the #10 from the starter to it and again crimped the terminal. Ditto the R/LB trigger wire. And finally I made a #10 jumper from the battery terminal on the PDB where the #2 battery lead terminates.

Jumped in the truck and hit the key and it cranked right up. No more stuttering noises.

Then I put it all back together without losing any of the myriad of 1/4-20 SS fasteners that hold it all together. Put the tools up and closed the hood. Man, there was a serious POP and when I opened the hood all of the smoke had run out of the #10 jumper. Turns out that the hood hinge hit the hot terminal on the starter relay.

Good thing the appointment isn't until 1:00 tomorrow as I plan to pull it all back apart and extend the wire from the fuse in the PDB that I'd been using to protect the cube relay. I should have done that in the first place. Oh, and I'll move the relay.

[grumpin]

Well, it was an interesting day. All went well until I was done and closed the hood. But I'll get to that in a bit.

The first thing I did was to vacuum the bed and hit all the holes and rust with primer. While that dried I called the Line-X guy and asked how to show him which holes to "close" and which ones to leave open. He said to just put an X through the ones I want closed and they'll put thin tape on the front side of the holes. After coating it with the bed liner you won't be able to see the hole nor where the tape is.

Ok, so I X-d out all of the holes to be closed, and put the grommets in for the bed cover's drain tubes 'cause they'd never fit if the bed had 1/8" of Line-X on it around the hole.

Then it was time to install the new fender-mounted starter relay. That meant removing the coolant recovery reservoir and its bracket as well as the bracket for the PDB. That let me get to the wiring below the PDB, and I made the necessary changes to extend the R/LB wire to the relay as well as the #10 going down to the starter. And the latter was done by using a butt connector and crimping it with my new 5-ton crimper then soldering the connection and covering it with shrink tubing.

Then I mounted the relay on the fender behind the coolant recovery reservoir, ran the #10 from the starter to it and again crimped the terminal. Ditto the R/LB trigger wire. And finally I made a #10 jumper from the battery terminal on the PDB where the #2 battery lead terminates.

Jumped in the truck and hit the key and it cranked right up. No more stuttering noises.

Then I put it all back together without losing any of the myriad of 1/4-20 SS fasteners that hold it all together. Put the tools up and closed the hood. Man, there was a serious POP and when I opened the hood all of the smoke had run out of the #10 jumper. Turns out that the hood hinge hit the hot terminal on the starter relay.

Good thing the appointment isn't until 1:00 tomorrow as I plan to pull it all back apart and extend the wire from the fuse in the PDB that I'd been using to protect the cube relay. I should have done that in the first place. Oh, and I'll move the relay.

Oh man! Bummer!

Better now then later, as in leaving the hood open until you get ready to go to the appointment.

[Gary Lewis]

Oh man! Bummer!

Better now then later, as in leaving the hood open until you get ready to go to the appointment.

Yes, I'm sure glad I shut the hood when I did. Otherwise I probably would have missed the appointment.

But boy, did I feel DUMB! At one point I had the wire from that fuse in my hand, but didn't even think about using it instead of the jumper. It would have been easier, better, and would have blown instead of the wire burning up.

[Bruce moose4x4]

Yes, I'm sure glad I shut the hood when I did. Otherwise I probably would have missed the appointment.

But boy, did I feel DUMB! At one point I had the wire from that fuse in my hand, but didn't even think about using it instead of the jumper. It would have been easier, better, and would have blown instead of the wire burning up.

On the axle leak, do you ever lock in your hubs and exercise your front end? Those axles will start seeping on the seals if not worked every so often. Ford recommended once a month. When I picked up my truck in 1978 the Ford dealer had the hubs locked in( internal Dana 60 hubs), I had a 120 mile trip home so I unlocked them. Then I read the owners manual and it said to leave the hubs locked in for the first 200 miles so they would wear in correctly. I had trouble getting them to lock ever since then, I had to reach behind tire and wiggle the shaft to make sure they locked.

When I had my 4x4 shop had a lot of customers axle that would start seeping after sitting a long time. Had them exercise their axle and it usually stopped the leak.

You guys keep up the good work, love reading up on everyone's rigs on the late nights at work.

[Gary Lewis]

On the axle leak, do you ever lock in your hubs and exercise your front end? Those axles will start seeping on the seals if not worked every so often. Ford recommended once a month. When I picked up my truck in 1978 the Ford dealer had the hubs locked in( internal Dana 60 hubs), I had a 120 mile trip home so I unlocked them. Then I read the owners manual and it said to leave the hubs locked in for the first 200 miles so they would wear in correctly. I had trouble getting them to lock ever since then, I had to reach behind tire and wiggle the shaft to make sure they locked.

When I had my 4x4 shop had a lot of customers axle that would start seeping after sitting a long time. Had them exercise their axle and it usually stopped the leak.

You guys keep up the good work, love reading up on everyone's rigs on the late nights at work.

Bruce - I didn't know I was supposed to "exercise" the front axle periodically. That's great to know. And now I will.

I've only locked the front axle in a couple of times, just to see if it worked - it did. But I'll exercise it some today. Thanks!

[Gary Lewis]

Bruce - I didn't know I was supposed to "exercise" the front axle periodically. That's great to know. And now I will.

I've only locked the front axle in a couple of times, just to see if it worked - it did. But I'll exercise it some today. Thanks!

Got started just after 8 and was done at 11. And there was no smoke when I shut the hood. But there sure was yesterday, and here's the aftermath:

Luckily the smoke is still in the wire to the starter, so I didn't have to replace it. So I tapped into the 40A fuse in the PDB that I was previously using and ran that to the fender-mounted relay - after I moved it a bit.

Now I'm ready to head out to have it Line-X'd, but thought I show you where the relay is mounted. (Dane, that pic's for you. )

[1986F150Six]

Got started just after 8 and was done at 11. And there was no smoke when I shut the hood. But there sure was yesterday, and here's the aftermath:

Luckily the smoke is still in the wire to the starter, so I didn't have to replace it. So I tapped into the 40A fuse in the PDB that I was previously using and ran that to the fender-mounted relay - after I moved it a bit.

Now I'm ready to head out to have it Line-X'd, but thought I show you where the relay is mounted. (Dane, that pic's for you. )

Don't forget the wrench resting on the battery!

[Gary Lewis]

Don't forget the wrench resting on the battery!

It is in the door pocket, for quick access. But thanks. And the truck is now in getting Line-X’d.

[grumpin]

Got started just after 8 and was done at 11. And there was no smoke when I shut the hood. But there sure was yesterday, and here's the aftermath:

Luckily the smoke is still in the wire to the starter, so I didn't have to replace it. So I tapped into the 40A fuse in the PDB that I was previously using and ran that to the fender-mounted relay - after I moved it a bit.

Now I'm ready to head out to have it Line-X'd, but thought I show you where the relay is mounted. (Dane, that pic's for you. )

Nice job! And I like the picture!

Going down to meet the guy that has the one I posted in tools. He gets off at 3:00 and I’ll follow him to his ranch. I thought it was funny how he told people Google maps won’t get you to his ranch. If I only had some unruly kids to take...

[ArdWrknTrk]

Nice job! And I like the picture!

Going down to meet the guy that has the one I posted in tools. He gets off at 3:00 and I’ll follow him to his ranch. I thought it was funny how he told people Google maps won’t get you to his ranch. If I only had some unruly kids to take...

And a dog to chase his livestock.....