WHYDTYTT: What Have You Done To Your Truck Today?

[dirtymac]

Did some work in the cab this weekend.

Replaced the ignition switch (key wouldn't return after cranking). The old one fell apart during removal.

Replaced the blinker assembly (had to hold the blinker stalk to get either one to work). I don't have a tilt steering wheel so this was another pretty easy task.

I also worked on my cluster panel. When I first got the truck I replaced all of the bulbs with LED's. That was the beginning of this cluster journey. The original PCB is in bad shape -- bits falling off. bulb sockets not staying in. I pulled a similar cluster from the junkyard a couple of months ago and cleaned it up. I decided to keep my gauges for now, because I know they work (mostly). Eventually I need to figure out how to test/calibrate them. All the needles had turned white, so I repainted those (Using the Tester paint). I also upgraded the shift indicator cable with one from bluetruckparts@ebay.

My junkyard intermittent wiper upgrade did not go so well. Either the switch or the unit is bad so that will get worked on more later. For now, my old non-intermittent switch still works.

 

[Gary Lewis]

Did some work in the cab this weekend.

Replaced the ignition switch (key wouldn't return after cranking). The old one fell apart during removal.

Replaced the blinker assembly (had to hold the blinker stalk to get either one to work). I don't have a tilt steering wheel so this was another pretty easy task.

I also worked on my cluster panel. When I first got the truck I replaced all of the bulbs with LED's. That was the beginning of this cluster journey. The original PCB is in bad shape -- bits falling off. bulb sockets not staying in. I pulled a similar cluster from the junkyard a couple of months ago and cleaned it up. I decided to keep my gauges for now, because I know they work (mostly). Eventually I need to figure out how to test/calibrate them. All the needles had turned white, so I repainted those (Using the Tester paint). I also upgraded the shift indicator cable with one from bluetruckparts@ebay.

My junkyard intermittent wiper upgrade did not go so well. Either the switch or the unit is bad so that will get worked on more later. For now, my old non-intermittent switch still works.

Sounds like good progress! Looks like 3 out of 4 of the things you attempted worked out well.

On the delay module problem you should look at the page at Documentation/Electrical/Windshield Wipers. Then go to the Troubleshooting tab followed by the Delay Module Fix tab.

As for the gauges you could use the procedures shown below from the FUEL TANK SELECTOR & GAUGES (GAS) page of the '85 EVTM. Just replace the sending unit with the appropriate resistor. However, the gauges can pull .2A to reach full scale. And since wattage is I*I*R you are looking at about .4W of heat on the 10 ohm resistor. So a standard 1/4 watt resistor is going to get very hot and may burn up if you keep the current on it for very long.

[salans7]

Sounds like good progress! Looks like 3 out of 4 of the things you attempted worked out well.

On the delay module problem you should look at the page at Documentation/Electrical/Windshield Wipers. Then go to the Troubleshooting tab followed by the Delay Module Fix tab.

As for the gauges you could use the procedures shown below from the FUEL TANK SELECTOR & GAUGES (GAS) page of the '85 EVTM. Just replace the sending unit with the appropriate resistor. However, the gauges can pull .2A to reach full scale. And since wattage is I*I*R you are looking at about .4W of heat on the 10 ohm resistor. So a standard 1/4 watt resistor is going to get very hot and may burn up if you keep the current on it for very long.

I haven't been around much because life has been pretty hectic lately. I started a new job at the beginning of the month, and then unfortunately had somebody try to completely wipe out my Ranger by pulling out in front of me on the highway. I was able to avoid him, but not before a street sign met the side of my truck. It could have been much worse and I'm thankful that it wasn't. The truck needed a new mirror, door handle, and now has a sizable dent in the rear door and a couple in the bed. I'll get all of that fixed up soon and she'll be as good as she can be with a skim layer of bondo under the paint.

I decided to do some work on my F350 yesterday, so I pulled the covers off and played a little with my stud welder and attempted to get some of the dents out of the bed rail. The whole bed rail was pushed down when I got the bed, but I was able to bring it back up and all that's left is some of the baseball sized dents in the rail.

I also was on the hunt for some sheet metal sources to fix the remainer of the rust on the firewall, but then last week remembered that I still had my old rusty doors to rob patches from, so I'll likely work on that soon since the weather is cooling down now.

[Gary Lewis]

I haven't been around much because life has been pretty hectic lately. I started a new job at the beginning of the month, and then unfortunately had somebody try to completely wipe out my Ranger by pulling out in front of me on the highway. I was able to avoid him, but not before a street sign met the side of my truck. It could have been much worse and I'm thankful that it wasn't. The truck needed a new mirror, door handle, and now has a sizable dent in the rear door and a couple in the bed. I'll get all of that fixed up soon and she'll be as good as she can be with a skim layer of bondo under the paint.

I decided to do some work on my F350 yesterday, so I pulled the covers off and played a little with my stud welder and attempted to get some of the dents out of the bed rail. The whole bed rail was pushed down when I got the bed, but I was able to bring it back up and all that's left is some of the baseball sized dents in the rail.

I also was on the hunt for some sheet metal sources to fix the remainer of the rust on the firewall, but then last week remembered that I still had my old rusty doors to rob patches from, so I'll likely work on that soon since the weather is cooling down now.

Shaun - Welcome back, Kotter!

Sorry to see about your Ranger, but glad it wasn't damaged more - and that you weren't hurt.

On the F350, are you going to be able to get the other dents out? Man, it sure would be nice if Tabco had the bed rail, but it doesn't look like they do.

[salans7]

Shaun - Welcome back, Kotter!

Sorry to see about your Ranger, but glad it wasn't damaged more - and that you weren't hurt.

On the F350, are you going to be able to get the other dents out? Man, it sure would be nice if Tabco had the bed rail, but it doesn't look like they do.

Thanks Gary!

The dents are in tricky spots where the inner bed side meets the rail. Essentially they're touching, so I have to beat them up from the bottom, but also weld studs on the top to pull them the rest of the way. The bed was carelessly used for tree work it seems, and that's likely how the bed became damaged. I'm not expecting it to be perfect, I'm just trying to get the general shape back so the truck is presentable. Luckily the unique body line on top of the rail isn't too damaged, so I won't have to do much to keep that.

[grumpin]

I haven't been around much because life has been pretty hectic lately. I started a new job at the beginning of the month, and then unfortunately had somebody try to completely wipe out my Ranger by pulling out in front of me on the highway. I was able to avoid him, but not before a street sign met the side of my truck. It could have been much worse and I'm thankful that it wasn't. The truck needed a new mirror, door handle, and now has a sizable dent in the rear door and a couple in the bed. I'll get all of that fixed up soon and she'll be as good as she can be with a skim layer of bondo under the paint.

I decided to do some work on my F350 yesterday, so I pulled the covers off and played a little with my stud welder and attempted to get some of the dents out of the bed rail. The whole bed rail was pushed down when I got the bed, but I was able to bring it back up and all that's left is some of the baseball sized dents in the rail.

I also was on the hunt for some sheet metal sources to fix the remainer of the rust on the firewall, but then last week remembered that I still had my old rusty doors to rob patches from, so I'll likely work on that soon since the weather is cooling down now.

Glad you're all right!

[Frank Wyatt]

Plus my pistons are 19cc instead of 24cc and my deck clearance is @ .009 which I calculated at 9.4 comp. with 8.9 dynamic. All my bearing clearances plastiguaged at .001 to .0015 with all standard bearings. I need to finish my heat exchanger plate for my intake{I'll be running the EFI manifolds}. The mounting holes are drilled, I need to get two street elbows and two 5/8 heater hose barbs. I also need to tap the air injection hole for the threaded plug that I have so coolant can't leak into the intake past the carb gaskets. I want to prevent that problem before it can happen.

Where is the air injection hole located?

The only thing I was worried about was coolant leaking thru think it was the EGR port in the intake manifold to the EGR plate / valve and the air intake.

I was able to get a freeze plug to fit the hole and a little liquid sealer and drive it in worked for me.

I did not see any where else coolant could make it into the motor other wise.

Dave ----

It took a while but got the head back from the machine shop yesterday. It got all new valves, valve guides new seats on both the intake and exhaust, and all new valve springs. It was also shaved .010ths to get the surface back flat as it was .006ths out. I still need to get another flex pipe to hook the front manifold up to the 2 to 1 y adapter. I hope to get it fired up and get the cam broke in. I still need to install the fan and fan shroud and a few odds and ends like the few vacuum lines that I am using.

[Gary Lewis]

It took a while but got the head back from the machine shop yesterday. It got all new valves, valve guides new seats on both the intake and exhaust, and all new valve springs. It was also shaved .010ths to get the surface back flat as it was .006ths out. I still need to get another flex pipe to hook the front manifold up to the 2 to 1 y adapter. I hope to get it fired up and get the cam broke in. I still need to install the fan and fan shroud and a few odds and ends like the few vacuum lines that I am using.

Looking good, Frank!

[FordFETruck]

Looking good, Frank!

Not today, but last weekend I replaced my original wiper arms with new wiper arms for a set of new 1992+ F series wiper arms with the J hook end. I've had the driver side wiper pop loose several times over the years (pin style, pin worn out) and it did me dirty last week in a horrible rainstorm as I was getting on the freeway at 10:30 at night. I always had problems with wiper chatter on this truck no matter what wiper blades I installed, and the new wiper arms seem to have fixed that as well. Nice cheap upgrade.

[Gsmblue]

Not today, but last weekend I replaced my original wiper arms with new wiper arms for a set of new 1992+ F series wiper arms with the J hook end. I've had the driver side wiper pop loose several times over the years (pin style, pin worn out) and it did me dirty last week in a horrible rainstorm as I was getting on the freeway at 10:30 at night. I always had problems with wiper chatter on this truck no matter what wiper blades I installed, and the new wiper arms seem to have fixed that as well. Nice cheap upgrade.

I didn't know we could do that, but now I know....