F-Superduty IDI water hauler build

[Gary Lewis]

Hmmm, that's not an option where I go.

They do have 95/5, but that's too hot and spattery for my skill on any kind of sheet metal.

I have a hard time finding balance between penetration and burn through.

I don't know what the options are here. Scott sells me the gas he thinks I need and I don't ask questions.

[Gary Lewis]

I don't know what the options are here. Scott sells me the gas he thinks I need and I don't ask questions.

Ok, Jonathan, go see if this helps: Documentation/Electrical/EVTM/1996 EVTM. I'll say more about it in the Merry Christmas thread....

[ArdWrknTrk]

Ok, Jonathan, go see if this helps: Documentation/Electrical/EVTM/1996 EVTM. I'll say more about it in the Merry Christmas thread....

Here's a very talented old Newfie who says he uses straight CO2 as well.

Maybe this helps?

It certainly is easier if you can get a fill anywhere they sell fountain soda or paintball equipment.

[FuzzFace2]

As someone who just went through two bottles of gas in my MIG I'm going to say neither is good for sheet metal.

Co2 is great for thick sections in a production environment.

It's cheap, it helps keep the arc stable and it concentrates a lot of heat in the weld pool.

Argon is not so easy to keep the arc stable without a tungsten.

With wire feed the wire is always burning back and this matters a lot.

If I were to go get a tank for doing bodywork and welding up to... say 1/4" I would get 75/25 Ar/CO2.

It's a pleasure to weld with this stuff.

Do you buy or rent a tank?

I own my 80 c.f. and only swap it out.

If you decide to do this you'll probably pay premium for a shiny new tank, and never see it again.

Buying used (with a current cert) is the rational choice to me.

If you use gas every day, or have a 125 or bigger you may have to rent.

State laws about cylinders vary.

I have used flux core, CO2 & Argon mix.

The CO2 gives a better weld than flux core and Argon gives a better weld than CO2.

The CO2 fell off the truck so when empty I don't think I can get it filled.

The Argon thank I bought as it made more cense as it would sit maybe for years before needing to be refilled. Why pay rent for something just sitting on the welding cart?

I have never heard of brittle welds with Argon mix.

My 81 F100 also have both doors cracked and that little brace were broken on both doors.

Dave ----

[ArdWrknTrk]

As someone who just went through two bottles of gas in my MIG I'm going to say neither is good for sheet metal.

Co2 is great for thick sections in a production environment.

It's cheap, it helps keep the arc stable and it concentrates a lot of heat in the weld pool.

Argon is not so easy to keep the arc stable without a tungsten.

With wire feed the wire is always burning back and this matters a lot.

If I were to go get a tank for doing bodywork and welding up to... say 1/4" I would get 75/25 Ar/CO2.

It's a pleasure to weld with this stuff.

Do you buy or rent a tank?

I own my 80 c.f. and only swap it out.

If you decide to do this you'll probably pay premium for a shiny new tank, and never see it again.

Buying used (with a current cert) is the rational choice to me.

If you use gas every day, or have a 125 or bigger you may have to rent.

State laws about cylinders vary.

I have used flux core, CO2 & Argon mix.

The CO2 gives a better weld than flux core and Argon gives a better weld than CO2.

The CO2 fell off the truck so when empty I don't think I can get it filled.

The Argon thank I bought as it made more cense as it would sit maybe for years before needing to be refilled. Why pay rent for something just sitting on the welding cart?

I have never heard of brittle welds with Argon mix.

My 81 F100 also have both doors cracked and that little brace were broken on both doors.

Dave ----

In some states Dave, you're not allowed to own welding gas cylinders, or cylinders over a certain size.

[Ford F834]

In some states Dave, you're not allowed to own welding gas cylinders, or cylinders over a certain size.

I don’t have much of an update per se, but I did get the F Superduty moved into our fenced yard and parked where I want to work on it.

I also pulled the bezel and instrument cluster to have a look at the wiring in the dash. It was too dark for pictures, but I don’t like what I saw. There are a ~lot of cut wires that were snipped off at the connectors to run the aftermarket gauges. There are other hacks also... for work lights on the service body, a spot light on the A pillar, a viper car alarm, an electric transfer pump to move fuel from the rear tank to the front tank, a grid heater switch for the Cummins, and some other stuff that I don’t know what it is. It may look worse than it is, if most can be left alone and forgotten. With Gary’s addition of the ‘96 EVTM I am confident I could sort out the critical systems and get it running... but it’s looking like a lot of hassle.

I also called a couple automotive lock smiths about the missing ignition key, and they want the vehicle brought in (i.e. towed to them) which isn’t happening. I probably need to find a junkyard column with the key in it, or just bite the bullet and go for the interior swap. I won’t lie, the pedal box support and steering column firewall pass through issues intimidate me, but it might just be worth it in order to throw the haystack of aeronose wiring in the junk pile. I need another 8 lug wheel that holds air (to be able to move the engine donor) so I will probably try the Kingman junkyard tomorrow and see what puzzle pieces I come up with.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I don’t have much of an update per se, but I did get the F Superduty moved into our fenced yard and parked where I want to work on it.

I also pulled the bezel and instrument cluster to have a look at the wiring in the dash. It was too dark for pictures, but I don’t like what I saw. There are a ~lot of cut wires that were snipped off at the connectors to run the aftermarket gauges. There are other hacks also... for work lights on the service body, a spot light on the A pillar, a viper car alarm, an electric transfer pump to move fuel from the rear tank to the front tank, a grid heater switch for the Cummins, and some other stuff that I don’t know what it is. It may look worse than it is, if most can be left alone and forgotten. With Gary’s addition of the ‘96 EVTM I am confident I could sort out the critical systems and get it running... but it’s looking like a lot of hassle.

I also called a couple automotive lock smiths about the missing ignition key, and they want the vehicle brought in (i.e. towed to them) which isn’t happening. I probably need to find a junkyard column with the key in it, or just bite the bullet and go for the interior swap. I won’t lie, the pedal box support and steering column firewall pass through issues intimidate me, but it might just be worth it in order to throw the haystack of aeronose wiring in the junk pile. I need another 8 lug wheel that holds air (to be able to move the engine donor) so I will probably try the Kingman junkyard tomorrow and see what puzzle pieces I come up with.

Jonathan,

Welcome back!

You can get a key cut from the VIN.

If a locksmith won't do that, you can just get a new cylinder for $10. ($25 with both doors included)

That's what I did when my ignition got so worn I didn't need a key anymore.

Without seeing the wiring butchery I can't offer advice.

Getting rid of that Viper would be first order of business if I were trying to keep that dash.

If you intend to keep it be sure to fix that crappy plastic passenger side support before the bouncing and creaking drive you crazy.

I dove in before with "swap in the Brick interior" and I still think it is the rational WTG, but I'm not the one doing it.

The column and support issues don't intimidate me.

Without an engine in the beast (and a complete donor) it seems much more expedient.

Plus you will have everything functional.

 

[Gary Lewis]

I don’t have much of an update per se, but I did get the F Superduty moved into our fenced yard and parked where I want to work on it.

I also pulled the bezel and instrument cluster to have a look at the wiring in the dash. It was too dark for pictures, but I don’t like what I saw. There are a ~lot of cut wires that were snipped off at the connectors to run the aftermarket gauges. There are other hacks also... for work lights on the service body, a spot light on the A pillar, a viper car alarm, an electric transfer pump to move fuel from the rear tank to the front tank, a grid heater switch for the Cummins, and some other stuff that I don’t know what it is. It may look worse than it is, if most can be left alone and forgotten. With Gary’s addition of the ‘96 EVTM I am confident I could sort out the critical systems and get it running... but it’s looking like a lot of hassle.

I also called a couple automotive lock smiths about the missing ignition key, and they want the vehicle brought in (i.e. towed to them) which isn’t happening. I probably need to find a junkyard column with the key in it, or just bite the bullet and go for the interior swap. I won’t lie, the pedal box support and steering column firewall pass through issues intimidate me, but it might just be worth it in order to throw the haystack of aeronose wiring in the junk pile. I need another 8 lug wheel that holds air (to be able to move the engine donor) so I will probably try the Kingman junkyard tomorrow and see what puzzle pieces I come up with.

Glad you got it in w/o accident. Moving it by yourself had to have been a huge hassle.

Not seeing all the electrical issues it is hard to gauge, but if the wires are cut at the plugs that makes it much more difficult to fix. The last thing that did that to one of my vehicles died of lead poisoning. (A ground hog.) So the electrical problems may be a big enough issue to warrant the swap.

On the ignition, can you pull the column and take it to the locksmith?

[ArdWrknTrk]

Glad you got it in w/o accident. Moving it by yourself had to have been a huge hassle.

Not seeing all the electrical issues it is hard to gauge, but if the wires are cut at the plugs that makes it much more difficult to fix. The last thing that did that to one of my vehicles died of lead poisoning. (A ground hog.) So the electrical problems may be a big enough issue to warrant the swap.

On the ignition, can you pull the column and take it to the locksmith?

Gary, it's going to cost more than a whole new set of lock cylinders to have a 'smith pick it and cut a blank by hand.

I mean, I get the idea, but you're still left with a 26 year old cylinder and a key that isn't ideal.

When you can buy the set of three on Amazon (delivered) for what's probably less than the fuel to drive to the locksmith.

[Gary Lewis]

Gary, it's going to cost more than a whole new set of lock cylinders to have a 'smith pick it and cut a blank by hand.

I mean, I get the idea, but you're still left with a 26 year old cylinder and a key that isn't ideal.

When you can buy the set of three on Amazon (delivered) for what's probably less than the fuel to drive to the locksmith.

But he has to get the old cylinder out of the column before installing the new cylinder. How do you do that w/o a key?