My Ford Truck Project (And Other Projects)

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Nov 4, 2012
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I finally changed the oil and filter again, put in 10w30 Maxlife. I took it to the coin op car wash and "washed it" just to get the pollen off of it.

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I bought a Curt class IV hitch receiver from Amazon and installed it. It didn't line up with the holes from the old hitch, so I had to drill new holes, and it took a little massaging with a flap wheel to get it just right, but it's on now. I'll never tow anything more than a 5x8 utility trailer with this truck so Class IV is way overkill, but it was only a few dollars more than the class III and it's definitely better than pulling with a bumper ball.

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The A/C compressor is starting to vibrate worse as I run the truck more and more so I'll be keeping a close eye on it. The A/C is still holding refrigerant and blowing cold though.

Also I'm going to replace the clutch pedal bushings to hopefully tighten the pedal up a bit. It's a common issue and there is visible play in the bushings.
 
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Well the dealership may have dicked me around by making me wait so long for the parts I ordered, but they came today and they were worth waiting for. I installed the new bushings and I'd swear it was a different truck. The clutch is butter smooth now. I'm able to shift much smoother and faster. I actually kinda have to get a feel for it again as it feels so different. It no longer feels like I'm driving an antique tractor.

Also I tried wiring up that auto dimming mirror and it's working. The the plug on the back side is a little loose so I may have to put a dab of hot glue on it to keep it from wiggling loose.
 
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I looked further into the auto dimming mirror not working. The mirror would work if you held the connector but as soon as you let it go it would stop working. So I tried shimming the pins in the connector with some copper wire. Still didn't work. So I took the mirror off and took it apart and found the solder joints for the power connector had broken. Heated them up with a soldering iron and put it back together and now it's working. Even found a conduit to hide the wire.

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I've been driving the truck regularly now for the past several weeks. My Dad's sister moved from her house to an apartment this past week and as the resident pickup owner, I was nominated to move furniture with the truck. It did just fine. The house my aunt moved out of was my Dad's childhood house, and it's been in the family since 1961 so everyone was a bit sad to see it go. But the neighborhood just isn't what it used to be and the house is too much upkeep for my aunt, so it was time.

One last picture of most of us in front of the house.

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Back to the truck, I had to replace the output seal on the transfer case as it was leaking, probably from me pulling and reinstalling the driveshafts so many times when I was replacing the yokes and u joints. I bought the seal from AutoZone and it was a Timken(!). Came in a Timken box and everything, wasn't special order or anything either. I've only ever gotten Duralast from AZ before.

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Also the dash has rattled since I've owned the truck, and so I started researching it, and apparently it's a common issue for these trucks to have one of the dash mounts break. There was even a TSB over it. So I used some Permatex Black Plastic Welder that I had laying around and glued the mounting point back in place, hopefully it will hold.

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The a/c compressor is starting to make even more noise and the truck is noticeably down on power when the a/c is on, so I'm gonna be replacing the compressor soon. I'm planning on taking a trip up to Erie in the truck sometime soon so I'll be sure take pictures and update when that happens.

Edit: Fun fact, all the black looking sh*t on the brick and the stone lintels above the windows of the house is soot from the mills "back in the day".
 
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1evilregal

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glad the truck is better than it was, you've got alot of heart into it! being nominated to move furniture makes me glad that mine's a short bed, and won't carry much!;) still looking locally for a bumpersticker like this:
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:whistle:
 
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I've been scrounging the junkyards trying to find some of the more desirable factory items. I got a '96+ dome light which is plastic, much brighter, and doesn't heat up to 1000°F when you turn it on. Direct swap too.

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I also got a larger Ford emblem for the front to replace the smaller, slightly faded one of the front grille. The new one came off the back of an E-Series van, and it's a darker blue and about an inch wider than the old emblem. Something small, but looks nice.

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I also picked up a set of ccab lights and the harness. I already have the plug for them behind the passenger kick panel, just have to decide if I want to drill holes in the roof for them. I mocked the 4 housings I have in place on the roof to get an idea of how they'd look. I would obviously get another lense if I install them. I really kinda want them :mrgreen:

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I'm still after some lighted vanity visors, and a reel light for under the hood. Ford made reel lights but they are super rare, so I may grab one off an 88-98 Chevy.
 
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I'm split on the cab lights. The rest is looking sweet!

Thanks! The dome light is a lot better than the old one, also not a burn hazard either (damn that hurt!). I'm split on the cab lights myself. I like them, but once they are on there, they are on for good. I added them to my red Chevy and I liked them.

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I'm not trying to look like this guy though-

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So after some more thought I decided to install the cab lights. I think they came out pretty nice. They are the original style lights in the factory locations. I bought new housings, but NAPA only had two in stock, so I used 3 of the old ones for now until the new ones come in. I love seeing the amber glow from them that reflects on the hood at night.

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1evilregal

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looks good!

is it light/camera trickery, or are the front turn lenses darker than original?
 
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