Big Blue's Transformation

[Gary Lewis]

Nice! That looks great!

Yeah, without the big bumper you’d get right in there!

Thanks, Dane. It is working out extremely well. I've already pulled the oil pressure switch, oil pressure sending unit, and the fitting for the aftermarket oil pressure gauge off the back of the block, disassembled it, and then replaced the bit I needed - just the sending unit and fitting for the gauge. That simplified the connections back there - fewer things to fail.

And I pulled the vacuum tree from the back of the lower plenum and plugged it as there's a vacuum fitting on the back of the upper plenum that I can use for the HVAC vacuum. I don't need the larger fitting for the vacuum brake booster since I have hydroboost, and won't need the one to the speed control as I'm going with the all-electric later version. So doing it this way I have far fewer vacuum caps under the hood, and those are a "when" rather than "if" for failure.

But I put another vacuum tree up front. Bill's picture was helpful for finding the vacuum hose itself, but it also let me not only get the right vacuum tree but also position it correctly - with the small nipples to the driver's side so the fuel pressure regulator's hose fits. And yes, this one will take a bunch of vacuum caps, but it won't be hidden behind the upper plenum and impossible to see.

Bill - Where does your PCV valve hose connect? I'm thinking I'd like to connect it to the back of the upper plenum as well. That way it'll be adding any oil mist to all of the cylinders instead of just one or two.

[85lebaront2]

Thanks, Dane. It is working out extremely well. I've already pulled the oil pressure switch, oil pressure sending unit, and the fitting for the aftermarket oil pressure gauge off the back of the block, disassembled it, and then replaced the bit I needed - just the sending unit and fitting for the gauge. That simplified the connections back there - fewer things to fail.

And I pulled the vacuum tree from the back of the lower plenum and plugged it as there's a vacuum fitting on the back of the upper plenum that I can use for the HVAC vacuum. I don't need the larger fitting for the vacuum brake booster since I have hydroboost, and won't need the one to the speed control as I'm going with the all-electric later version. So doing it this way I have far fewer vacuum caps under the hood, and those are a "when" rather than "if" for failure.

But I put another vacuum tree up front. Bill's picture was helpful for finding the vacuum hose itself, but it also let me not only get the right vacuum tree but also position it correctly - with the small nipples to the driver's side so the fuel pressure regulator's hose fits. And yes, this one will take a bunch of vacuum caps, but it won't be hidden behind the upper plenum and impossible to see.

Bill - Where does your PCV valve hose connect? I'm thinking I'd like to connect it to the back of the upper plenum as well. That way it'll be adding any oil mist to all of the cylinders instead of just one or two.

Right now it is to the back of the upper plenum, which is where it is supposed to go. On the new engine it will use this:

It has the connection on the front for the 1996 EVAP system VMV and the tee is for the PCV valve, elbow to back of the upper plenum.

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks, Dane. It is working out extremely well. I've already pulled the oil pressure switch, oil pressure sending unit, and the fitting for the aftermarket oil pressure gauge off the back of the block, disassembled it, and then replaced the bit I needed - just the sending unit and fitting for the gauge. That simplified the connections back there - fewer things to fail.

And I pulled the vacuum tree from the back of the lower plenum and plugged it as there's a vacuum fitting on the back of the upper plenum that I can use for the HVAC vacuum. I don't need the larger fitting for the vacuum brake booster since I have hydroboost, and won't need the one to the speed control as I'm going with the all-electric later version. So doing it this way I have far fewer vacuum caps under the hood, and those are a "when" rather than "if" for failure.

But I put another vacuum tree up front. Bill's picture was helpful for finding the vacuum hose itself, but it also let me not only get the right vacuum tree but also position it correctly - with the small nipples to the driver's side so the fuel pressure regulator's hose fits. And yes, this one will take a bunch of vacuum caps, but it won't be hidden behind the upper plenum and impossible to see.

Bill - Where does your PCV valve hose connect? I'm thinking I'd like to connect it to the back of the upper plenum as well. That way it'll be adding any oil mist to all of the cylinders instead of just one or two.

Bill - Please don't miss the question to you in the previous post.

And now for my day's report and a realization. As said, after getting the Topside Creeper together I worked on the oil pressure and vacuum connections. Then I pulled the DS-II ignition modules and got the wiring out - as far as I could.

Next up was the old speed control. I pulled the module/servo combo and realized that the vacuum dump hose and the wiring to the servo go through a grommet in the firewall above the large oval grommet that I'll use for the wires to and from the ECU. That got me to thinking about the wiring for the new speed control so I pulled up the schematic from the '96 EVTM. And that's when I had the "aha" moment. I'd forgotten that the new speed control uses the clutch switch instead of the vacuum dump. And when looking at the schematic I realized that the clutch switch and the brake switch (BOO) are in the same wire. No wonder a 2nd switch in the brake system was needed!

But, I also see the feed to the safety switch is "Hot at all times". So I modified the schematic to show what I'm going to do - feed the safety switch from the speed control's fuse, which is #5 in the soon-to-be engine compartment fuse box. Which solves a problem 'cause that hot-at-all-times fuse doesn't exist because the fuse box that is shown is the in-cab one from the '96 truck and it doesn't exist.

I keep thinking "How am I going to document all of this", and what I believe will work is to create pages like the one below that show my changes, and both print them and put them in the "Big Blue's Documentation" notebook I have in the truck, but also in a file folder called the same. Thoughts? Better ideas?

[85lebaront2]

Bill - Please don't miss the question to you in the previous post.

And now for my day's report and a realization. As said, after getting the Topside Creeper together I worked on the oil pressure and vacuum connections. Then I pulled the DS-II ignition modules and got the wiring out - as far as I could.

Next up was the old speed control. I pulled the module/servo combo and realized that the vacuum dump hose and the wiring to the servo go through a grommet in the firewall above the large oval grommet that I'll use for the wires to and from the ECU. That got me to thinking about the wiring for the new speed control so I pulled up the schematic from the '96 EVTM. And that's when I had the "aha" moment. I'd forgotten that the new speed control uses the clutch switch instead of the vacuum dump. And when looking at the schematic I realized that the clutch switch and the brake switch (BOO) are in the same wire. No wonder a 2nd switch in the brake system was needed!

But, I also see the feed to the safety switch is "Hot at all times". So I modified the schematic to show what I'm going to do - feed the safety switch from the speed control's fuse, which is #5 in the soon-to-be engine compartment fuse box. Which solves a problem 'cause that hot-at-all-times fuse doesn't exist because the fuse box that is shown is the in-cab one from the '96 truck and it doesn't exist.

I keep thinking "How am I going to document all of this", and what I believe will work is to create pages like the one below that show my changes, and both print them and put them in the "Big Blue's Documentation" notebook I have in the truck, but also in a file folder called the same. Thoughts? Better ideas?

I answered that. It currently is connected by a hose to the nipple on the back of the plenum. Once I put the new engine in F3TZ-6C324-B will be connected to (a) the back of the plenum (b) the screw in PCV valve on the right valve cover and © to the VMV (vapor management valve) mounted on the HVAC casing with a hose.

[Gary Lewis]

I answered that. It currently is connected by a hose to the nipple on the back of the plenum. Once I put the new engine in F3TZ-6C324-B will be connected to (a) the back of the plenum (b) the screw in PCV valve on the right valve cover and © to the VMV (vapor management valve) mounted on the HVAC casing with a hose.

Thanks, Bill. I missed that. Or, more likely, read it and forgot it. (I think my memory used to be better, but I really can't remember.)

Perfect. I will connect it there. Thanks.

[Machspeed]

Got the Traxion TopsiderCreeper NXT in last night and put it together this morning. Sure is going to make getting to things easier and less painful!

Positioned as shown below I can get to things on the back of the engine or the firewall, but have to scoot out a ways on the top pad. If I pulled the bumper, which means pulling the camera and the winch, I could get it about 5" farther back. But I'm going to try it this way and see how it works as pulling the bumper is a pain.

Whoa Gary, that's a super nice topside creeper! And, may I add,one that can only be justified by a fella that plans to spend a whole lot of time with the hood up.......

With all that you are doing now....warranted!

[Gary Lewis]

Whoa Gary, that's a super nice topside creeper! And, may I add,one that can only be justified by a fella that plans to spend a whole lot of time with the hood up.......

With all that you are doing now....warranted!

Yes, lots of time with the hood up right now. And lots of time with me in the engine compartment - way too much time for my old knees.

As for warranted, it only took one day of being up in there on my knees before I asked if I could buy one. And using it today proved its worth. I'm sold.

[85lebaront2]

Yes, lots of time with the hood up right now. And lots of time with me in the engine compartment - way too much time for my old knees.

As for warranted, it only took one day of being up in there on my knees before I asked if I could buy one. And using it today proved its worth. I'm sold.

I may need to look into one of those, although I think when I do the engine swap on Darth, the doghouse will come off then go back on when it's bolted in. That will also allow a good frame cleaning up front to get rid of 36 years of oil leaks. Initial run in will be done without the oil cooler in the system so I can flush the lines and cooler.

Here are some pictures of the original air filter I made from a 302 one for MAF. I cut the inlet "funnel" from the inside of an extra Lincoln Continental filter and carried it into the lab where we found some suitable material and grafted the parts for a 90mm MAF in place of the mount for the 80mm MAF. The aluminum angle was to regain the needed rigidity lost by removing the ribs under the MAF mounting location.

[Gary Lewis]

I may need to look into one of those, although I think when I do the engine swap on Darth, the doghouse will come off then go back on when it's bolted in. That will also allow a good frame cleaning up front to get rid of 36 years of oil leaks. Initial run in will be done without the oil cooler in the system so I can flush the lines and cooler.

Here are some pictures of the original air filter I made from a 302 one for MAF. I cut the inlet "funnel" from the inside of an extra Lincoln Continental filter and carried it into the lab where we found some suitable material and grafted the parts for a 90mm MAF in place of the mount for the 80mm MAF. The aluminum angle was to regain the needed rigidity lost by removing the ribs under the MAF mounting location.

Bill - If you don't have a lot of changes to make, and you shouldn't, then I'd think you can swap engines w/o a creeper like that. The hardest part will be pulling the doghouse as you called the upper plenum, and that's just four bolts. But the thing really is nice for getting to the back.

Oh wait, you will have to get to the back to remove the fuel lines. Right. That's not easy leaning over the fender.

But your air cleaner box customization looks good. Very functional and solid.

Not much to report on Big Blue today. Brandon/Bruno2 came up to do some media blasting and powder coating so I spent time working with him. It was fun.

But, I did pull the driver's captain's chair so I could get up under the dash easily. Then I pulled the speed control amplifier and the speed control dump hose and harness back through the firewall. And I did a trial fit of the ECU up in the amplifier's spot and it will go - at least far enough that it won't be seen w/o looking up from down low at it.

I also have been doing a bit of looking at C305 and C305A in the EVTM, and I'm thinking I can pull the C305A's out and plug C305M into C305F and then remove the speed control wiring harness. However, I'll have to break into the wiring to pick up the DG/O, LB/BK, and DB wires and feed those to the new speed control and also take the DB on to the horn relay in the PDB.

Sound reasonable?

[85lebaront2]

Bill - If you don't have a lot of changes to make, and you shouldn't, then I'd think you can swap engines w/o a creeper like that. The hardest part will be pulling the doghouse as you called the upper plenum, and that's just four bolts. But the thing really is nice for getting to the back.

Oh wait, you will have to get to the back to remove the fuel lines. Right. That's not easy leaning over the fender.

But your air cleaner box customization looks good. Very functional and solid.

Not much to report on Big Blue today. Brandon/Bruno2 came up to do some media blasting and powder coating so I spent time working with him. It was fun.

But, I did pull the driver's captain's chair so I could get up under the dash easily. Then I pulled the speed control amplifier and the speed control dump hose and harness back through the firewall. And I did a trial fit of the ECU up in the amplifier's spot and it will go - at least far enough that it won't be seen w/o looking up from down low at it.

I also have been doing a bit of looking at C305 and C305A in the EVTM, and I'm thinking I can pull the C305A's out and plug C305M into C305F and then remove the speed control wiring harness. However, I'll have to break into the wiring to pick up the DG/O, LB/BK, and DB wires and feed those to the new speed control and also take the DB on to the horn relay in the PDB.

Sound reasonable?

Gary, doghouse is the truck front clip, with it removed, as you know getting at most of the engine is much easier.

You still need the takeout from the turn signal wiring for the cruise control and the horn relay.

I was cogitating on the air intake system, and wondering if I could shorten the hose from MAF to the wye and use the modified air box as I think it flowed better.