WHYDTYTT: What Have You Done To Your Truck Today?

[Nothing Special]

A week and a day after getting the Dodge in to the shop I have a diagnosis and an action plan. It's getting a new transmission (well, probably a reman). That comes with a 3 year warrantee, or I could've saved $1600 and got a used trans and maybe been in the same situation in another year.

Not thrilled, but it seems like this'll give me pretty good odds of not having trans issues for the rest of the time I own this truck.

And driving Oswald for the last few days has reminded me of a few things. I really like '80s and '90s Ford trucks! Not that I'd forgotten, but driving the Dodge for the last year has been OK, and then I get into Oswald and remember why it'll be worth the effort to restore him. I just like driving these trucks better!

Another thing I'm reminded of is that he really needs restoring! There are no show-stoppers, but he doesn't let you forget that he's an old truck.

And boy that 460 sucks gas!

And Oswald got to flex his muscles a little today. Which pointed out again how much he's an old truck!

It was raining so I never got out a camera for any pictures, but Oswald and I helped my son pull some bushes out from around his house. These were OLD bushes that have been cut back a lot of times. They didn't have anything bigger than the size of my little finger above ground, but the roots! One had three roots going out to the side that were 3" to 5" in diameter. And two had four 3' - 4' long tap roots about 3" in diameter. They did not want to let go of the earth!

We had to dig down a bit to get the chain below something that it would catch on rather than just slide up the branches. And then had to run the chain over a tire to get it to pull up some rather than just pulling sideways. It took us about 3 hours to get 4 bushes out. Which puts us at ~1/3 done

With Oswald's transfer case stuck in 4-hi I couldn't use low range. But with him pulling on wet grass and not wanting to spin the tires that was probably good. What was sad though is that with that 460 floored it wouldn't spin tires on wet grass. Oswald is tired!

[ArdWrknTrk]

And Oswald got to flex his muscles a little today. Which pointed out again how much he's an old truck!

It was raining so I never got out a camera for any pictures, but Oswald and I helped my son pull some bushes out from around his house. These were OLD bushes that have been cut back a lot of times. They didn't have anything bigger than the size of my little finger above ground, but the roots! One had three roots going out to the side that were 3" to 5" in diameter. And two had four 3' - 4' long tap roots about 3" in diameter. They did not want to let go of the earth!

We had to dig down a bit to get the chain below something that it would catch on rather than just slide up the branches. And then had to run the chain over a tire to get it to pull up some rather than just pulling sideways. It took us about 3 hours to get 4 bushes out. Which puts us at ~1/3 done

With Oswald's transfer case stuck in 4-hi I couldn't use low range. But with him pulling on wet grass and not wanting to spin the tires that was probably good. What was sad though is that with that 460 floored it wouldn't spin tires on wet grass. Oswald is tired!

The spare tire trick is key!

I'm very surprised that Oswald couldn't jerk out those bushes, and had enough traction on wet grass that he didn't spin.

That does indeed sound very tired.

Maybe his timing chain is completely knackered?

Does he spit back through the carb?

A really retarded cam will result in absolutely no nuts.

[Nothing Special]

The spare tire trick is key!

I'm very surprised that Oswald couldn't jerk out those bushes, and had enough traction on wet grass that he didn't spin.

That does indeed sound very tired.

Maybe his timing chain is completely knackered?

Does he spit back through the carb?

A really retarded cam will result in absolutely no nuts.

I've never tried the tire trick before, but it sure helped! I was using the 32/11.50-15 tire I got for Pluto when I sliced a tire in Moab last month. It was nice using a wide enough tire that it would stand up on its own!

I wasn't jerking much. This was with a chain, so I was pretty much easing it tight and then slowly rolling into the throttle. I did end up taking about a 3" run at a couple of bushes, but only when I had the tire in place to give a little cushion.

As to traction, I was using Oswald instead of Pluto because I figured Oswald's weight would make up for the lack of a front locker, and the rear True Trac would probably slip a tire less than the Detroit in Pluto ( a Detroit won't slip one tire if you're going straight, but if you're turning a slip is guaranteed).

But it didn't feel like a healthy 460. Being a '97 Oswald has EFI, not a carb. And there are really no other symptoms. It still runs well in my typical driving, but it's down on power.

But I'm not particularly interested in figuring out what's going on. This engine should only need to get me through the next week, until I get the Dodge back. Then I can finally start taking Oswald apart, and I do not expect to put a 460 back in.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I've never tried the tire trick before, but it sure helped! I was using the 32/11.50-15 tire I got for Pluto when I sliced a tire in Moab last month. It was nice using a wide enough tire that it would stand up on its own!

I wasn't jerking much. This was with a chain, so I was pretty much easing it tight and then slowly rolling into the throttle. I did end up taking about a 3" run at a couple of bushes, but only when I had the tire in place to give a little cushion.

As to traction, I was using Oswald instead of Pluto because I figured Oswald's weight would make up for the lack of a front locker, and the rear True Trac would probably slip a tire less than the Detroit in Pluto ( a Detroit won't slip one tire if you're going straight, but if you're turning a slip is guaranteed).

But it didn't feel like a healthy 460. Being a '97 Oswald has EFI, not a carb. And there are really no other symptoms. It still runs well in my typical driving, but it's down on power.

But I'm not particularly interested in figuring out what's going on. This engine should only need to get me through the next week, until I get the Dodge back. Then I can finally start taking Oswald apart, and I do not expect to put a 460 back in.

Fummins swap?

I was using a length of binder chain.

Didn't have much problem standing my stock 235/85 R16 spare.

The inflated tire took a bit of the jerk out as I slammed those stumps again and again.

[Gary Lewis]

Fummins swap?

I was using a length of binder chain.

Didn't have much problem standing my stock 235/85 R16 spare.

The inflated tire took a bit of the jerk out as I slammed those stumps again and again.

The tire trick works wonders. Glad you are getting it done, Bob. But if you aren't spinning tires that 460 is tired.

As for what I did with my truck today, we took BB on another ~200 mile jaunt. Temp was only up to 96F but the cooling system only got to 210F after a long run at 75 MPH running the A/C.

But, I've discovered a problem with using the stator circuit to pull in a relay to supply engine-running power to the AFR meter. At idle the voltage drops low enough that the relay chatters and the AFR meter is getting pulsing power. I used the hand throttle to bring the RPM up at idle, which we had plenty of as we had construction with one-lane roads, and that got around the problem. But I'm going to have to rewire to use the fuel pump relay power to feed that relay.

However the new cooler plugs worked fine. In fact, I think I can lug it down a bit more w/o pinging/rattling, but that is a very subjective observation so I'm not sure of that. In any event I'll pull the #1 plug one of these days to see what it looks like compared to what the hotter plugs looked like.

[Nickelplate]

Fummins swap?

I was using a length of binder chain.

Didn't have much problem standing my stock 235/85 R16 spare.

The inflated tire took a bit of the jerk out as I slammed those stumps again and again.

I got this 855ci cummins here ready for any of you guys wanting to swap it in a bullnose!

[FordFETruck]

I got this 855ci cummins here ready for any of you guys wanting to swap it in a bullnose! http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/uploads/6/5/8/7/65879365/head-rotfl-57x22_orig.gif

Just about have it ready to fire up I still need to install the engine dipstick tube and finish the transmission cooler lines but everything else is done. Filled it with coolant and nothing hit the ground so that's good.

That new 3 row welded aluminum radiator fit excellent.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I got this 855ci cummins here ready for any of you guys wanting to swap it in a bullnose!

Cumm bring the awesome!!! 😁

Someone's crazy enough to do it!

[Gary Lewis]

Just about have it ready to fire up I still need to install the engine dipstick tube and finish the transmission cooler lines but everything else is done. Filled it with coolant and nothing hit the ground so that's good.

That new 3 row welded aluminum radiator fit excellent.

Can't wait! Go for it!!!!

[Nothing Special]

Fummins swap?....

No, it'll likely be a Cummins swap Until a diesel Dodge pickup is called a "Dummins" or a Ford with an IDI or PowerStroke is called a "Favistar International" I'll keep calling a Ford with a Cummins "a Ford with a Cummins." I've just never been big on cute nicknames (says the guy who calls his Bronco "Pluto" and his truck "Oswald" )

But I haven't completely locked in on a Cummins either. I like the idea of no electronics (and still having decent drivability and economy). But I don't love a diesel in the winter. So I'm not completely ruling out an EFI 351W, or even an LS swap (although that last one's pretty unlikely). But the 6BT is the current frontrunner.

.... I was using a length of binder chain.

Didn't have much problem standing my stock 235/85 R16 spare.

The inflated tire took a bit of the jerk out as I slammed those stumps again and again.

With the tire cushioning the blow I probably could've banged into it harder than I did. But I really don't like the idea of breaking a chain and the damage that can cause, so I played it safe. And while it might have gone a little quicker, it's not like it would've been much less work otherwise. All of the digging we did was to get low enough to have the chain grab and hold.

I had to pull the chain tight without the tire (otherwise it'd just slide up the bush without biting). That's usually when I'd hit stall on the converter. It did get some of the smaller bushes out like that, but when it didn't I'd set up the tire. I'd usually get at least a little movement like that, so I'd relax the tension and roll into the throttle again a few times. And then if needed give it a 3" jerk.

But the converter brings in another issue. Oswald doesn't have a tach, so I don't know where the converter was stalling out, but it wasn't real high. Generally I like a lower stall converter (or better yet, a manual clutch ). But it does limit the power you can put to it in a situation like this. And again, this was in 4-hi since I can't shift the transfer case into any other gear.