What Have You Done To Your Other Vehicle Lately?

[ShelbyRacer78 247]

could have piped it into the intake and had a supercharger!! 

[TaurusKev 1089]

6 hours ago, Kodachrome Wolf said:

Weight savings, yo.

If you don't know what that was, it was a completely useless smog pump with Thermactor valves. There's no cats on the wagon, so there's no air lines, and nothing for the pump to do, if the pump was actually functional. Nick gutted it some time ago so it was more so a really big idler pulley. I just wanted the hoses in the way gone. They make it more difficult to get at the spark plugs and the pump itself gets in the way of the manual belt tensioner. It's a lot easier getting at the bolts to tighten them on that tensioner now.

Sure you didn't pull a transmission out of a lawn tractor or a Hyundai Accent?

[Brian_05_SEL 1417]

1 hour ago, TaurusKev said:

Sure you didn't pull a transmission out of a lawn tractor or a Hyundai Accent?

Hyundai doesn’t use belt drive CVTs. That’s from a Honda... 

[Bull Geek 812]

On 10/17/2017 at 1:00 AM, Brian_05_SEL said:

Hyundai doesn’t use belt drive CVTs. That’s from a Honda... 

ok?

[Brian_05_SEL 1417]

15 hours ago, Bull Geek said:

ok?

Ok. 

[Jeff 386]

Well, not sure exactly where I left off, but I decided to tear into the rear diff to service it and put in new rear wheel bearings and seals.  This truck has a factory 12 bolt mated to a straight six.  Not too common, but not the first I've read about with this combo.  Imagine my horror when I took the cover off and found water contaminated gear oil (not much left as it had mostly all leaked out) that also had gritty sand in it.   So, what started out as a service, rear brake, wheel bearings,  and seals job turned into an entire rear diff rebuild.  I took the carrier and pinion out and inspected those. Other than the bearings being  slightly chewed up...the ring and pinion and spider gears we're still in good condition.   I took those to town and had my mechanic remove and press new bearings on both using the factory pinion shim.  Most folks would probably elect to set it up from scratch, but I figured what GM used when new was good enough for me.  While he had those, I used a pressure washer to blast all that crud out of the diff case and axle tubes.  It took him a couple days to get to it done so while I waited I knocked the pinion races out and put new in.  Also, put the new wheel bearings and seals in and rebuilt the rear brakes.  I discovered my parking brake bar was removed and gone on the driver side and the actuator arm was just laying in the drum on the passenger.  So, I rebuilt the entire ebrake  system including all new cables from front to back and located a new brake bar.  All my new steel  lines are hooked up except for about a 6 foot section that I'll have to remove the passenger  engine mount to install.  Truck now has 100% new rear diff, brakes, suspension, and steering system.  All done by me under my car port.  It's been a long time since I've tackled a project like this.  This may be my last full on restoration that I do myself, but I've saved a ton of $$ already.  I'll be converting this truck to automatic so few weeks ago I purchased a rusty cab because it has a near perfect dash, auto column with tilt, auto pedal assy, all the  factory AC parts minus compressor, and complete wiring harness. I should have all the hard to find parts I need to do the trans swap AND add factory AC to my truck.  Next Ill be swapping the wiring harness into my truck since someone cut mine when they removed the dash.   It won't be too long now before I can actually drive it with confidence.  In early December it goes to have the new floors, cab corners, and rockers welded in.  Paint will happen in spring most likely.  Still don't know what color to paint it.

[SoNic 36]

I guess it's a GM, because of the shocks setup on opposite sides of the axle.

My Ford has them on the same side, but factory has added a 5th shock from rear differential lateral to the frame to compensate for the leaf spring windup (V8 5.0L).

Edited November 1, 2017 by SoNic

[Jeff 386]

Yessir, it's a 1978 C10 Custom Deluxe SWB.  This is the first pic of it out of the carport since I started on it. It was a basket case....now it's less baskety(mechanically anyways).  It runs and now stops again and with the new steering and suspension drives beautifully.  Still looks terrible, but I'm about to work on that.  Just about have the mechanics sorted.  Not 100% sure I'm going to give up on the old inline 6.  It runs really really well.  I may just auto swap it and run the 6.  Everybody puts v8s in these, but I dunno....it's starting to grow on me.  Also,  having to remove the engine mount and frame mount to run new steel brake lines is so stupid!  GM should've known better than to put a hold down under all that mess just to get the old ones out, but no use in complaining now that I've already done it.  Oh, I also dropped the tank and installed a brand new tank and sending unit.  Since I don't have a dash right now I don't know if the sending unit works or not lol.  Old tank was rusty inside and turns out had a pin hole in the upper half so it needed done.

Jeff

[SoNic 36]

Those old school inline 6 where beautiful - on any car that had them.

[Thub 673]

The Fumoto valve I ordered for the F150 arrived today, now I just have to wait another 10,000 miles before I actually get to use it for an oil change. The setup on the F150 is kinda crappy in that the oil splashes off of the sway bar when draining, plus who doesn't like not having to remove a drain plug every time. I ordered the N series valve so I can push a hose right onto the end of the valve and go straight to a drain pan or jug.

They are a neat little drain valve, I'd recommend them to anyone. One of my friends has used one for quite a while with no issues. If they are good enough for heavy equipment they are more than good enough for a passenger car.

http://www.fumotousa.com/about-fumoto-valves.php

[Kodachrome Wolf 475]

23 hours ago, Thub said:

The Fumoto valve I ordered for the F150 arrived today, now I just have to wait another 10,000 miles before I actually get to use it for an oil change. The setup on the F150 is kinda crappy in that the oil splashes off of the sway bar when draining, plus who doesn't like not having to remove a drain plug every time. I ordered the N series valve so I can push a hose right onto the end of the valve and go straight to a drain pan or jug.

They are a neat little drain valve, I'd recommend them to anyone. One of my friends has used one for quite a while with no issues. If they are good enough for heavy equipment they are more than good enough for a passenger car.

http://www.fumotousa.com/about-fumoto-valves.php

I should of ordered one for the ‘97 earlier, but I guess I’ll get one before my next oil change. Don’t really think I could make them super effective on the ‘87 since that has two drain plugs, and I don’t know if it would be worth putting those on it. 

Still neat little drain valves. A few people on CVN run them as well with good results on the 4.6. 

[Bull Geek 812]

I don't like on the 4.6 2003+ how the oil splashed all over the steering rack fittings. Makes a huge mess. and surprisingly not the easiest to get out either.  Especially if someone has "massaged" the lines.

The old 5.0 is so easy.

The blue Town Car rolled 228K.  It's had new motor mounts installed and makes the car so much better to drive.  New airbox (better sealing design) from the junkyard.  70MM tb off a Lincoln Aviator.  New Motorcraft water pump, thermostat, belt tensioner assy, belt, and idler.  Junkyard 50K 4.6 alternator (the old one's bearing was starting to make noise after 227K!).  New drain plug from Ford in oil pan since some dumbass german torqued and stripped the threads on the bolt.  New power seat motor so now I can sit where I like, not behind the B pillar.  This car runs phenomenly.  Next year I want to replace the exhaust manifolds, dipstick tube (has a rot hole) and the trans dipstick tube (welded on??).  Love driving this car.

Still need to address the mushy brakes.

[Kodachrome Wolf 475]

2 hours ago, Bull Geek said:

I don't like on the 4.6 2003+ how the oil splashed all over the steering rack fittings. Makes a huge mess. and surprisingly not the easiest to get out either.  Especially if someone has "massaged" the lines.

The old 5.0 is so easy.

The recirculating ball type steering 4.6 cars dump oil on the drag link when you yank the filter. I’ve found cutting the wheels left makes it easier to get at the filter since there’s suspension stuff that gets in the way. Drain plug is easy enough. 

The 5.0 is definitely a breeze, especially since the plugs are further forward and the filter is in a slightly more open area.  

[Jeff 386]

This happened this past Thursday.  It was sort of an impulse trade.  A guy posted on a Fusion Facebook group looking to trade these snowflake wheels from his Focus ST for the gloss black wheels that came factory on my car.  He was semi local(150 miles away) and agreed to drive to me if I would pay to have the tires switched as he had some good year summer tires that he wanted to keep.  I agreed to that and the deal was done.  I think they look pretty nice compared to the black wheels that I really never cared for.  

[SHOenough 171]

7 hours ago, Jeff said:

This happened this past Thursday.  It was sort of an impulse trade.  A guy posted on a Fusion Facebook group looking to trade these snowflake wheels from his Focus ST for the gloss black wheels that came factory on my car.  He was semi local(150 miles away) and agreed to drive to me if I would pay to have the tires switched as he had some good year summer tires that he wanted to keep.  I agreed to that and the deal was done.  I think they look pretty nice compared to the black wheels that I really never cared for.  

 

Those look fantastic on that!

[Jeff 386]

59 minutes ago, SHOenough said:

Those look fantastic on that!

Thanks!  I agree!  I couldn't figure out why he wanted to trade them.  I kind of figured he'd want some boot too, but nope even swap.  These wheels are like new too and had only 8k miles on them.  I think I made out better in the deal, but he seemed to really want those black wheels I had badly.

Jeff

[Brian_05_SEL 1417]

1 hour ago, Jeff said:

Thanks!  I agree!  I couldn't figure out why he wanted to trade them.  I kind of figured he'd want some boot too, but nope even swap.  These wheels are like new too and had only 8k miles on them.  I think I made out better in the deal, but he seemed to really want those black wheels I had badly.

Jeff

Yeah, I can see that being the case. What color was the ST?

[Jeff 386]

47 minutes ago, Brian_05_SEL said:

Yeah, I can see that being the case. What color was the ST?

His car was black.

Jeff

[Thub 673]

I put the F150 and the Ecoboost to a real test today. My buddy smoked a deer a week or 2 ago and had to go through all the hoops of insurance before he could buy his 1999 Cherokee back since they totaled it out. Radiator was ruptured during the hit so moving the car 175 miles back to Green Bay under its own power where his dad has a heated shop was out of the question. I offered and rented a Uhaul car trailer and we were on our way.

I was a little surprised at the weight of the Uhaul car trailer, I couldn't believe it was over 2000 lbs but once I hooked up to it I believed it was, its a pretty hefty trailer. The Cherokee comes it right around 3200lbs so I think I was pulling a solid 5200-5500 lbs, add in the extra few hundred lbs of miscellaneous junk and parts in the bed and I was easily moving an extra 3 tons. The F150 and Ecoboost no doubt have the power to move the extra weight and I was very impressed with how well it handled. Tow/haul held the gears longer and was very eager to drop gears when slowing down to aide in braking. The truck comfortably drove along at 70mph in 6th gear below 2000 rpm. Once I adjusted to driving with that super top heavy load I was good to go. The truck sagged a little bit but it was a pretty tongue heavy load, the 2" drop hitch wasn't the best choice for that trailer once loaded.

The only adjustments I made or would have made in the future would have been to use a straight 0 drop hitch and to have better tires on the truck, once we loaded the Jeep I made the immediate decision to air my wimpy P tires (rear only) up to max 44psi. Its hard to tell but the rear tires are bulging out pretty good in the first picture, they were at ~32-35 psi.  Those P rated tires are just not built to handle heavy loads, seeing and feeling the response to a real load will help push me to buy LT D load rated tires in the future.

Pickup at the dealership, Madison WI.

Drop off ~ Abrams Wi

Oh yah average fuel economy when towing this load was 13.2 mpg. The 3.5 will pull like a horse but it comes at a cost.

 

[Kodachrome Wolf 475]

Tossed on new wires, spare cap and rotor for the '87. Seems to be running smoother than before, so that's a step forwards. I'm thinking there may be a small vacuum leak on the booster. I can manipulate idle speed given how hard I press on the pedal, and at a certain point, a hissing noise can be heard. 

Lower intake may have a small coolant leak at a gasket. Coolant pooled to the right of the distributor near the water pump I think. You can see a damp area coming down from the intake area. Nick recommended I try tightening it down some more and see if that helps. I guess that'll be the job for next time.

'97 got washed for a trip to Columbia tomorrow. I also got an estimate and date set for the repaint on the fender. They'll be realigning the panels and will be adjusting the bumper some beyond just painting the affected area. It goes in December 18th. Depending on how quickly it gets done, I may have it back before Christmas.

[TaurusKev 1089]

I need to replace the rear brakes on the Mitsubishi. Rear caliper is sticking, might be why my fuel economy has sucked terribly in it. For 185k miles, appears to be original. I have had more issues with disc brake than drum...

Thankfully since no snow, I am back in the Roadmaster for now with its ABS Light. I suspect the sensor for the rear wheels, as that is what the B Body people say is common.

[TaurusKev 1089]

I love Rock Auto, my crap came sooner than I thought.

New rotors, new loaded calipers, all went together very easy, about an hour's worth of work. Took it for a test drive, seems to be good. Brake pedal feels a bit spongy still, I think I didn't get all the air out of there. I'll re-bleed it tomorrow maybe. I did this all after work, and already did over 14,000 steps at work replacing call center monitors, so just wanted to get the cores off so I can get them ready to ship back to Rock Auto.

Also, I think I might need new rear tires soon, they're starting to become bald, cheap ass Goodyear Integrity tires. Rust is also starting to become more of a problem with the Endeavor, I hope I can get it to survive this season, so I can do a full DIY restoration to her in the spring. Still in much better condition underneath than the Taurus and wife's Sable.185k Miles and still running strong, when I did an oil change, I got most my oil back, so no oil burning, oil leaking, and looks solid underneath, I put full synthetic and a Mobil Oil Filter in so I can get about 7500 Miles + on the oil since I commute a hell of a lot more now.

[SoNic 36]

On 11/4/2017 at 10:51 AM, Bull Geek said:

The old 5.0 is so easy.

That's true. Except that on my Explorer 5.0L the oil filter removal process leaks oil on the sway bar and some wiring. Win some, lose some...

[-chart- 287]

14 hours ago, TaurusKev said:

I love Rock Auto, my crap came sooner than I thought.

New rotors, new loaded calipers, all went together very easy, about an hour's worth of work. Took it for a test drive, seems to be good. Brake pedal feels a bit spongy still, I think I didn't get all the air out of there. I'll re-bleed it tomorrow maybe. I did this all after work, and already did over 14,000 steps at work replacing call center monitors, so just wanted to get the cores off so I can get them ready to ship back to Rock Auto.

Also, I think I might need new rear tires soon, they're starting to become bald, cheap ass Goodyear Integrity tires. Rust is also starting to become more of a problem with the Endeavor, I hope I can get it to survive this season, so I can do a full DIY restoration to her in the spring. Still in much better condition underneath than the Taurus and wife's Sable.185k Miles and still running strong, when I did an oil change, I got most my oil back, so no oil burning, oil leaking, and looks solid underneath, I put full synthetic and a Mobil Oil Filter in so I can get about 7500 Miles + on the oil since I commute a hell of a lot more now.

My experience: if you have air in the system, they will pump up. New pads will be a bit soft until they wear flat with the rotors.

-chart-

 

[Jeff 386]

A week ago Friday I took my car in to the Ford dealer to have the oil changed before winter sets in.  It was chilly and overcast and I was too lazy to crawl under it myself.  I had them do the 39.00 works package or whatever it is.  Well yesterday I decided maybe I needed to inspect and also check the oil.  Oil level was fine, but I noticed the oil filter didn't look right when I looked from above.  You can just barely see it from up top.  Today, I put it on ramps and low and behold look at what they put on my car and left.  Left for me to drive another half a year on(or thereabouts).  It may be fine internally, but there's no way to tell without cutting it apart and the can is definitely weakened.  I went to my store and bought an identical fl910s and changed it out and topped the oil back up.  I wasn't willing to drive it one more foot with that thing installed on my engine.  I have the proper filter socket to do this with and it's like $4.  Maybe I'll buy their lube tech one.  The filter on this 1.5 Ecoboost really can't be tightened by hand easily as there is lots of stuff crammed around it, but I never expected to see something like this from a well respected Ford dealer.   I guess I'll be crawling back under it from now on again.  Im taking this filter up there tomorrow to show the service department manager.  I do not want any reimbursement, but he needs to know the type of lube tech he has employed and how low his standards must be.  A damaged oil filter could be catastrophic to an engine.  Rant over.

 

Jeff