What did you do to your non-G body project today? [2022]
- Thread starter g0thiac
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Got back from 28 night shifts in a row up north yesterday.
Had a few parts for the Ram to install when I got back.
First was a new auxiliary 2 micron fuel filter. Free diesel comes with a cost and the last job up north had some water in the main fuel skid.
Nice little kit for the 4th gen Ram trucks
I fought this pretty hard to install, despite spending over an hour at the car wash she was filthy underneath and I got most of the grime in my eyes and ears.
My shop apprentice is cute and eager, but not very helpful.
Then I got the front shocks done. New Bilstein 5100's. Hopefully it'll stop shaking the fillings out of my head on the washboard.
Tomorrow the rear shocks and 1" lift blocks to level it out from the front leveling kit.
Had a few parts for the Ram to install when I got back.
First was a new auxiliary 2 micron fuel filter. Free diesel comes with a cost and the last job up north had some water in the main fuel skid.
Nice little kit for the 4th gen Ram trucks
I fought this pretty hard to install, despite spending over an hour at the car wash she was filthy underneath and I got most of the grime in my eyes and ears.
My shop apprentice is cute and eager, but not very helpful.
Then I got the front shocks done. New Bilstein 5100's. Hopefully it'll stop shaking the fillings out of my head on the washboard.
Tomorrow the rear shocks and 1" lift blocks to level it out from the front leveling kit.
Paid an early morning, pre-breakfast, visit out to the shop just to drag my butt up a ladder and do a hunt and search for that still elusive bearing preload checking jig. Totally custom built way, way, back when, this thing hasn't seen the light of day since the last m/c alloy wheel was assembled?????? Got put away and I guess somewhere safe that it would be protected and now is lost. Not up in the loft and possibly still to be found down in the basement, maybe.
Did manage to dismantle the front grille and headlight trim rings off the Van. That gets me in to the rad cradle so that I can install the Charcoal vapor emission canister mounting bracket, or an unreasonable facsimile thereof, back more or less where it ought to go and recommission the Evap system. LIttle steps, little steps...............
Nick
Did manage to dismantle the front grille and headlight trim rings off the Van. That gets me in to the rad cradle so that I can install the Charcoal vapor emission canister mounting bracket, or an unreasonable facsimile thereof, back more or less where it ought to go and recommission the Evap system. LIttle steps, little steps...............
Nick
Changed the oil in the F150. Been using Walmart Supertech synthetic and Motorcraft filters at 5-6k mile intervals since I bought it and I think I'm sticking with that.
I also swapped my 302A 5 bar grill for a 3 bar grill from a Lariat. Just personal preference but I think the Lariat grill looks sharper. Found it on Marketplace for $100 with the emblem and no broken tabs.
I also swapped my 302A 5 bar grill for a 3 bar grill from a Lariat. Just personal preference but I think the Lariat grill looks sharper. Found it on Marketplace for $100 with the emblem and no broken tabs.
On my installment of "what are you doing to your pickup"
Joe's making me want to do a grill swap too. I want an STX grill but hard to find in my color as they are paint matched.
Anyway we went from 37-50F highs and dry to 10F and 3" of snow in like a 2 day period this week and I wasn't ready.
Before winter I wanted to get a tonneau cover on the eff-juan-fiddy along with doing a good cavity wax spray inside the rockers, bedsides and frame. I didn't realize I didn't have the applicator wand kit for my can of wax and the thing got more salt on it than the rim of a margarita glass in the 2 days I drove it to work this week.
Also, the dealer I bought the pickup from decided to cost cut and fill the window washer full of 32f fluid and the damn thing froze up. Great.
So garage tetris reward:
I ran to coin op car wash and dumped $10 to wash all the salt off and parked it in the garage to dry off over night with the heater on.
Pulled the thing in the garage and it fits, barely. I need a bigger garage...
And I picked up an OEM Ford tonneau cover off marketplace for $220 today so I'll get that installed tomorrow. I was trying to find a $100 one as there are many but they are good 5.5ft beds and not the 6.5 like mine.
Joe's making me want to do a grill swap too. I want an STX grill but hard to find in my color as they are paint matched.
Anyway we went from 37-50F highs and dry to 10F and 3" of snow in like a 2 day period this week and I wasn't ready.
Before winter I wanted to get a tonneau cover on the eff-juan-fiddy along with doing a good cavity wax spray inside the rockers, bedsides and frame. I didn't realize I didn't have the applicator wand kit for my can of wax and the thing got more salt on it than the rim of a margarita glass in the 2 days I drove it to work this week.
Also, the dealer I bought the pickup from decided to cost cut and fill the window washer full of 32f fluid and the damn thing froze up. Great.
So garage tetris reward:
I ran to coin op car wash and dumped $10 to wash all the salt off and parked it in the garage to dry off over night with the heater on.
Pulled the thing in the garage and it fits, barely. I need a bigger garage...
And I picked up an OEM Ford tonneau cover off marketplace for $220 today so I'll get that installed tomorrow. I was trying to find a $100 one as there are many but they are good 5.5ft beds and not the 6.5 like mine.
Cavity wax, y'say?? That might be a great possibility for my S-10 for next summer service cycle. Hope the stuff is available up here. Having your bottle of window wash freeze is a monumental PITA, hope it didn't crack the bottle, them being plastic like they are.
Nick
Nick
The cold snap hit us hard and fast too. I got both trucks Fluid Filmed just in time. I spent most of my efforts on the F150 on the frame because the body is still virtually spotless, but I did do around the body mounts, bumpers, bed rails and seams. I bought a $30 unlimited monthly car wash deal from the local slap and scratch. I know they aren't the greatest for your paint but it's a pickup not a Ferrari and I'll take some paint swirls over salt.
I like the STX grilles but I also really like the 18-20 XLT grille that you've got. I just wasn't a fan of the 5 bar grille that mine came with.
Siphoned the 32f washer fluid out and put the -25f in
Shot a can of the wax in the rockers and bed sides, there was a decent amount of pebbles and dust in the drain holes, can totally see how rust forms in them
And the tonneau is covered
Shot a can of the wax in the rockers and bed sides, there was a decent amount of pebbles and dust in the drain holes, can totally see how rust forms in them
And the tonneau is covered
Made a stand of sorts for my sled, ended up with a really simple design.
Yes I split it on the end, but it didn't hurt it with all the rest of the fasteners. Works really well as it doesn't push the flap into the track.
I cut both 2x4 scraps at a 15 degree angle, hooked a ratchet strap to a roof truss, lifted the thing up, then slid it back into place. Next I fired it up to try and clear the crank case, something I wasn't able to do in MI. This would be more of a challenge here in CO at elevation. At first it would rev out to 6000, load up, and fall on its face. It smoked the hangar out completely too, it took a good 20 minutes to clear out and I figured at that point that the elevation was just too much for it. Next I noticed a big old mess under the muffler.
Yeah I should have had something to catch the fuel and oil mess it was gonna barf out. I must say I wasn't expecting a mouse nest, but I'm also not all that surprised. So I got to thinking maybe there was more in there and opened to hood to remove the muffler and noticed plug #3 was about to blow out. Doh! Forgot I put them in finger tight to get the thing fired with bone dry carbs. I kept threading the plugs out and in and dumping raw fuel down the cylinders until it went back in MI. So I just tightened all 3, fired it back up, and it jumped to 7500 and cleared out. Sweet. Once it was clear, it quit smoking like a SOB. Mission accomplished. I need to do it again though to get some stabilizer in the tank and carbs. I think I have it high enough to fish the skid out the bottom to be able to deal with it. After seeing how easy it was to lift the back off a truss I think I'll toe nail a 2x4 across a few to be able to lift the heavier nose up and figure out something to hold it up off the ground too. I think I'll do a stand to go under the belly pan, so again something dirt simple as I have suspension bits to replace too. Something about trees, stop signs, and 4x4 posts jumping out in front of me at night when I overdrive the headlight.
Yes I split it on the end, but it didn't hurt it with all the rest of the fasteners. Works really well as it doesn't push the flap into the track.
I cut both 2x4 scraps at a 15 degree angle, hooked a ratchet strap to a roof truss, lifted the thing up, then slid it back into place. Next I fired it up to try and clear the crank case, something I wasn't able to do in MI. This would be more of a challenge here in CO at elevation. At first it would rev out to 6000, load up, and fall on its face. It smoked the hangar out completely too, it took a good 20 minutes to clear out and I figured at that point that the elevation was just too much for it. Next I noticed a big old mess under the muffler.
Yeah I should have had something to catch the fuel and oil mess it was gonna barf out. I must say I wasn't expecting a mouse nest, but I'm also not all that surprised. So I got to thinking maybe there was more in there and opened to hood to remove the muffler and noticed plug #3 was about to blow out. Doh! Forgot I put them in finger tight to get the thing fired with bone dry carbs. I kept threading the plugs out and in and dumping raw fuel down the cylinders until it went back in MI. So I just tightened all 3, fired it back up, and it jumped to 7500 and cleared out. Sweet. Once it was clear, it quit smoking like a SOB. Mission accomplished. I need to do it again though to get some stabilizer in the tank and carbs. I think I have it high enough to fish the skid out the bottom to be able to deal with it. After seeing how easy it was to lift the back off a truss I think I'll toe nail a 2x4 across a few to be able to lift the heavier nose up and figure out something to hold it up off the ground too. I think I'll do a stand to go under the belly pan, so again something dirt simple as I have suspension bits to replace too. Something about trees, stop signs, and 4x4 posts jumping out in front of me at night when I overdrive the headlight.
My Grand Cherokee managed to get a leak in one of the front tires and since they were mismatched and all near the wear bars, I went ahead and found some Wrangler Unlimited takeoff rims and tires to replace the "Only look passibly ok if they are polished every week" factory rims.
They filled out the wheel wells nicely and don't rub anywhere so I'm going to call it a win, plus they only cost about half what a set of new tires was going to cost.
They filled out the wheel wells nicely and don't rub anywhere so I'm going to call it a win, plus they only cost about half what a set of new tires was going to cost.
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