WHYDTYTT: What Have You Done To Your Truck Today?

[scbill]

Here they are in the dark barn. I see I need to touch up the paint around the symbols to pretty it up some.

Also need to figure out how to replace the bulbs for the speedo. Not as bright as I would like.

Hard to get a good picture. Some reflections on the knobs you don't see really in person

re replace speedo lights. PIA...remove trim, remove cluster, replace bulbs.

FWIW, If you look under the hood around the master cylinder, some have a speedo cable connection there, if you do disconnect it there, you can then get the cluster out far enough to remove the cable, and the harness plug much easier, that's the way I did it.

Bill

[Gary Lewis]

Here they are in the dark barn. I see I need to touch up the paint around the symbols to pretty it up some.

Also need to figure out how to replace the bulbs for the speedo. Not as bright as I would like.

Hard to get a good picture. Some reflections on the knobs you don't see really in person

Thanks for the pic. That does look good.

I like the HIPO LED bulbs for the instrument lights. You can see the results of my testing here.

[essmaker]

Thanks for the pic. That does look good.

I like the HIPO LED bulbs for the instrument lights. You can see the results of my testing here.

Sorry for the dumb question. Are the bulbs part of the circuit board behind the instruments? Just pull the instrument panel off and behind it?

Your dash looks fantastic with those lights!!!

With this truck, I would never call it a restoration. Something that started as a "make it mechanically solid and dependable" that has turned into a much bigger project. 😀 it is difficult to put something back together when you can do a bit more to make it better.

So things like, I'm going to clean the dash turns into a tear apart and paint and bulb repair and wiring cleanup and, and, and.

Understand that I have driven this truck about 5 miles ever. So everything is a bit of a learning experience with what is normal for it.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Sorry for the dumb question. Are the bulbs part of the circuit board behind the instruments? Just pull the instrument panel off and behind it?

Your dash looks fantastic with those lights!!!

With this truck, I would never call it a restoration. Something that started as a "make it mechanically solid and dependable" that has turned into a much bigger project. 😀 it is difficult to put something back together when you can do a bit more to make it better.

So things like, I'm going to clean the dash turns into a tear apart and paint and bulb repair and wiring cleanup and, and, and.

Understand that I have driven this truck about 5 miles ever. So everything is a bit of a learning experience with what is normal for it.

The bulbs go into quarter turn holders that make contact with the flex board behind the instruments.

[Gary Lewis]

Sorry for the dumb question. Are the bulbs part of the circuit board behind the instruments? Just pull the instrument panel off and behind it?

Your dash looks fantastic with those lights!!!

With this truck, I would never call it a restoration. Something that started as a "make it mechanically solid and dependable" that has turned into a much bigger project. 😀 it is difficult to put something back together when you can do a bit more to make it better.

So things like, I'm going to clean the dash turns into a tear apart and paint and bulb repair and wiring cleanup and, and, and.

Understand that I have driven this truck about 5 miles ever. So everything is a bit of a learning experience with what is normal for it.

Not a dumb question. The bulbs twist into openings on the instrument motherboard. I think there are 5 of them.

They are T10 type bulb, meaning that they go into a holder and the holder twists into the motherboard. The ones I used are shown here at HIPO.

The HIPO bulbs are bi-directional, meaning you can put them in either way and they work. Some cheaper bulbs only work one way and you then have to take the cluster out of the truck and turn those that didn't come on around to get them to light. It is a pain as removing the cluster isn't the easiest thing you've ever done.

HIPO also has the paint for the needles, and you should paint them while you have the dash apart.

I drove the truck quite a ways in the dark last night and was very pleased with the dash lighting. I love the HIPO bulbs - without the blue filters that were on the bulbs from the factory.

[Gary Lewis]

Not a dumb question. The bulbs twist into openings on the instrument motherboard. I think there are 5 of them.

They are T10 type bulb, meaning that they go into a holder and the holder twists into the motherboard. The ones I used are shown here at HIPO.

The HIPO bulbs are bi-directional, meaning you can put them in either way and they work. Some cheaper bulbs only work one way and you then have to take the cluster out of the truck and turn those that didn't come on around to get them to light. It is a pain as removing the cluster isn't the easiest thing you've ever done.

HIPO also has the paint for the needles, and you should paint them while you have the dash apart.

I drove the truck quite a ways in the dark last night and was very pleased with the dash lighting. I love the HIPO bulbs - without the blue filters that were on the bulbs from the factory.

Ok, now for what I did with my truck yesterday. Steve/FoxFord33 and I took Big Blue and the trailer to Stillwater to retrieve a Mercury Mountaineer he bought for parts.

We got a late start and an even later return, 11 PM, but we made it. I'll let Steve tell y'all why it took so long - if he wants to.

Big Blue wagged the trailer just fine, but we had three problems relating to Big Blue that I'll be working on:

• Front Bumper: The gentleman Steve bought the Mecury from didn't have a key, so we had to drg it onto the trailer with the winch - all four tires sliding. It was a big strain for the winch and something shifted in the bumper/winch mount as we did it. So I have to check that out and fix it, whatever it is.

• Chuckling Noise: Lately I've been having a chuckling noise on rough roads that sounds like plastic rubbing again metal. And last night we had plenty of rough roads. But I think I've sorta found the source of the noise - the steering column. If I pull up, push down, or otherwise put force on the steering wheel I can pretty well stop the noise. And if I put my fingers at the base of the wheel where it goes into the metal collar of the column I can feel movement between them that coincides with the noise. So either the wheel itself or something in the column is apparently making that noise.

• Clutch Safety Bypass: I got that thing installed just before Steve said "let's go" and I'll swear it worked in the shop. But when I tried to start it in neutral last night w/o pushing in the clutch it wouldn't do it. So I have to figure out why.

[viven44]

Ok, now for what I did with my truck yesterday. Steve/FoxFord33 and I took Big Blue and the trailer to Stillwater to retrieve a Mercury Mountaineer he bought for parts.

We got a late start and an even later return, 11 PM, but we made it. I'll let Steve tell y'all why it took so long - if he wants to.

Big Blue wagged the trailer just fine, but we had three problems relating to Big Blue that I'll be working on:

• Front Bumper: The gentleman Steve bought the Mecury from didn't have a key, so we had to drg it onto the trailer with the winch - all four tires sliding. It was a big strain for the winch and something shifted in the bumper/winch mount as we did it. So I have to check that out and fix it, whatever it is.

• Chuckling Noise: Lately I've been having a chuckling noise on rough roads that sounds like plastic rubbing again metal. And last night we had plenty of rough roads. But I think I've sorta found the source of the noise - the steering column. If I pull up, push down, or otherwise put force on the steering wheel I can pretty well stop the noise. And if I put my fingers at the base of the wheel where it goes into the metal collar of the column I can feel movement between them that coincides with the noise. So either the wheel itself or something in the column is apparently making that noise.

• Clutch Safety Bypass: I got that thing installed just before Steve said "let's go" and I'll swear it worked in the shop. But when I tried to start it in neutral last night w/o pushing in the clutch it wouldn't do it. So I have to figure out why.

Glad you had an opportunity to weed out minor issues before your trip.

Re: the noise in the steering column, if you have a straight Borgenson shaft, your column may need adaptations. Without the rag joint 'everything' reaches the column.

[Gary Lewis]

Glad you had an opportunity to weed out minor issues before your trip.

Re: the noise in the steering column, if you have a straight Borgenson shaft, your column may need adaptations. Without the rag joint 'everything' reaches the column.

What do you mean by "adaptations"?

[viven44]

What do you mean by "adaptations"?

I am not sure what it will need. Do you have the stock bullnose column? If I recall correctly the column or wheel looked an OBS one. Either way, if those columns were designed to work with a rag joint, then by replacing it with solid intermediate shaft its possibly the innards may see more wear or may transmit road noise/vibrations.

Just a thought. I don't have any specific ideas unfortunately.

[mat in tn]

What do you mean by "adaptations"?

my first truck did that before and I never did figure it out specifically. but.. it went away when I removed the body lift and installed a suspension lift. I can only surmise that the added angle of the lower steering sector was the issue. I think you put the borgenson joint on, but did you eliminate the telescoping shaft?