Big Blue's Transformation

[Gary Lewis]

I have noticed before that you have an "OBS :nabble_smiley_evil:" console as well.

Where did you get those black cup inserts?

Edit: Mine didn't come with those. Just ordered them online

I will tell people to hang on to those, most of the time they come up missing.

My Bronco still had them when I bought it.

The PO really took care of that Bronco!

As said, that console is one of the best, of many, upgrades I've done on Big Blue. The cup holders actually work and fit many of the cups we find. It stores lots of stuff. And it is at the right height to put our arms on. Love it.

As for what I did today, I radiused the corners on the mounts for the subwoofer, media blasted them, and painted them with one coat of self-etching primer and 3 coats of satin black. So now they'll match the rest of the seat base.

[Gary Lewis]

As said, that console is one of the best, of many, upgrades I've done on Big Blue. The cup holders actually work and fit many of the cups we find. It stores lots of stuff. And it is at the right height to put our arms on. Love it.

As for what I did today, I radiused the corners on the mounts for the subwoofer, media blasted them, and painted them with one coat of self-etching primer and 3 coats of satin black. So now they'll match the rest of the seat base.

Time for an update on the subwoofer. Got the RCA leads and the remote turn-on wire run from the Sony to the place where they'll come through the carpet today. So now I have to cut a slit in the carpet, pull the PS threshold, and run the wires under the carpet and through the slit. At the same time I'll run the power wire through the slit, along the same path as the others, and then through the firewall to the PDB.

Then I'll connect the power wire to the lead from the fuse in the PDB and be able to put everything under the hood back together. And under the console I just have to connect the speaker level/RCA converter to the speaker leads from the Kicker and connect the ground. Then comes the fun of getting the dash back together.

But, speaking of the dash, I need to figure out why we don't have a whole lot of heat in the winter out of the heater - even though I changed to a 195 stat. I'm wondering if my blend door repair has gone awry, and now's the time to check that out.

[Gary Lewis]

Time for an update on the subwoofer. Got the RCA leads and the remote turn-on wire run from the Sony to the place where they'll come through the carpet today. So now I have to cut a slit in the carpet, pull the PS threshold, and run the wires under the carpet and through the slit. At the same time I'll run the power wire through the slit, along the same path as the others, and then through the firewall to the PDB.

Then I'll connect the power wire to the lead from the fuse in the PDB and be able to put everything under the hood back together. And under the console I just have to connect the speaker level/RCA converter to the speaker leads from the Kicker and connect the ground. Then comes the fun of getting the dash back together.

But, speaking of the dash, I need to figure out why we don't have a whole lot of heat in the winter out of the heater - even though I changed to a 195 stat. I'm wondering if my blend door repair has gone awry, and now's the time to check that out.

Got a bit more done. Wired the RCA/speaker level adapters in & set up a ground lug on the seat base, the part that bolts to the floor. Doesn't sound like much, but that took a while.

After that I cut the slit in the carpet where the wires will come through, but the backing on the carpet proved hard to get through. And when I pulled the door sill/threshold off the passenger's side I found that I can't get where I need to with the seat platform in.

But I really don't want to unbolt the seats from the platform, so I'm going to pull the 4 bolts that hold the platform to the floor and raise it via ratchet straps over the lift arms raised up to above head high. Then, with the straps taut I'll raise the lift and, therefore, the seats.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Got a bit more done. Wired the RCA/speaker level adapters in & set up a ground lug on the seat base, the part that bolts to the floor. Doesn't sound like much, but that took a while.

After that I cut the slit in the carpet where the wires will come through, but the backing on the carpet proved hard to get through. And when I pulled the door sill/threshold off the passenger's side I found that I can't get where I need to with the seat platform in.

But I really don't want to unbolt the seats from the platform, so I'm going to pull the 4 bolts that hold the platform to the floor and raise it via ratchet straps over the lift arms raised up to above head high. Then, with the straps taut I'll raise the lift and, therefore, the seats.

Are you talking about that fibrous padding, or the carpet itself?

I find a hot-knife (like used to cut foam) works well and kinda cauterizes the carpet so it can't fray.

Might stink for a bit, but it's my go to solution when I have to deal with that stuff.

[Gary Lewis]

Are you talking about that fibrous padding, or the carpet itself?

I find a hot-knife (like used to cut foam) works well and kinda cauterizes the carpet so it can't fray.

Might stink for a bit, but it's my go to solution when I have to deal with that stuff.

The fibrous padding. Hard to get through it neatly with just a box knife w/o getting into the insulation and sound deadening below it. Was hoping to raise it up enough to cut it with scissors, but not with the seat platform right there.

And yes, I'm planning to cauterize the carpet, but since I don't have a heated knife I'm going to use an old soldering pen.

[Gary Lewis]

The fibrous padding. Hard to get through it neatly with just a box knife w/o getting into the insulation and sound deadening below it. Was hoping to raise it up enough to cut it with scissors, but not with the seat platform right there.

And yes, I'm planning to cauterize the carpet, but since I don't have a heated knife I'm going to use an old soldering pen.

Got the subwoofer installed, but it wasn't quite as easy as that statement makes it sound.

The lift won't go high enough to let the doors open, so that didn't work. Given that I ran a wide ratchet strap over the roof and down to the step bar on the driver's side and then lifted the passenger's side of the seat platform up enough so I could reach under the carpet and route the wires. That worked out well.

I ran the power wire through an existing grommet in the firewall and connected it to a fuse in the PS PDB that is always hot. So all I have left to do in the PDB is to rewire the snubber diode and put everything under the hood back together.

That leaves quite a bit to get the dash back together, but it is progress nonetheless.

[Gary Lewis]

Got the subwoofer installed, but it wasn't quite as easy as that statement makes it sound.

The lift won't go high enough to let the doors open, so that didn't work. Given that I ran a wide ratchet strap over the roof and down to the step bar on the driver's side and then lifted the passenger's side of the seat platform up enough so I could reach under the carpet and route the wires. That worked out well.

I ran the power wire through an existing grommet in the firewall and connected it to a fuse in the PS PDB that is always hot. So all I have left to do in the PDB is to rewire the snubber diode and put everything under the hood back together.

That leaves quite a bit to get the dash back together, but it is progress nonetheless.

Got the snubber diode connected correctly so now when the blower motor is turned off the back EMF is shorted out and there's no spike to the truck's electrical system.

That allowed me to put the PS PDB back together, meaning put the bottom cover on and then put the PDB back in the stand. And then the coolant/washer fluid reservoir back on the stand.

So now I'm either ready to start on the dash or bite the bullet and put the alternator back in w/o clocking it as it still won't move. But Steve/FoxFord33 may come over tomorrow and he has a 3G with a cracked case that I may borrow to see if I even know what I am doing on clocking alternators.

[Gary Lewis]

Got the snubber diode connected correctly so now when the blower motor is turned off the back EMF is shorted out and there's no spike to the truck's electrical system.

That allowed me to put the PS PDB back together, meaning put the bottom cover on and then put the PDB back in the stand. And then the coolant/washer fluid reservoir back on the stand.

So now I'm either ready to start on the dash or bite the bullet and put the alternator back in w/o clocking it as it still won't move. But Steve/FoxFord33 may come over tomorrow and he has a 3G with a cracked case that I may borrow to see if I even know what I am doing on clocking alternators.

Finally gave up on getting the alternator clocked differently and put it back together and then installed it. However I did swap the regulator with the one in the alternator for Dad's truck as it has LRC and I've been getting a belt chirp on startup.

Anyway, it is in and the charge harness is installed, including the stator line up to the Engine On relay in the PS PDB. Save for connecting up the batteries everything under the hood is done. Well, not quite as I need to update the insert that goes in the lid of the PDB to include Fuse 3 as being a 10A to the subwoofer.

Next is the dash.

[Gary Lewis]

Finally gave up on getting the alternator clocked differently and put it back together and then installed it. However I did swap the regulator with the one in the alternator for Dad's truck as it has LRC and I've been getting a belt chirp on startup.

Anyway, it is in and the charge harness is installed, including the stator line up to the Engine On relay in the PS PDB. Save for connecting up the batteries everything under the hood is done. Well, not quite as I need to update the insert that goes in the lid of the PDB to include Fuse 3 as being a 10A to the subwoofer.

Next is the dash.

Got the radio and Mission Control back in today, and then got started on the driver's side. But what I need to do is to put connectors on the clutch safety switch bypass, so redrew the schematic and then ordered some connectors for this. They are to be here tomorrow and hopefully I'll be ready for them when they get here.

[viven44]

Are you talking about that fibrous padding, or the carpet itself?

I find a hot-knife (like used to cut foam) works well and kinda cauterizes the carpet so it can't fray.

Might stink for a bit, but it's my go to solution when I have to deal with that stuff.

I used my Milwaukee Hole Dozer saw kit and it made perfect round holes in the carpet, both in areas with / without padding. I used a sharp blade first to cut/locate the center where the hole needed to be and the hole saw bit registered with the prior cut.