'85 Ranger Restomod

Denisefwd93 · Aug 15, 2018

I'm impressed!

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 15, 2018

Denisefwd93 said:
I'm impressed!

Reserve your excitement until we see how all this works...

Shran · Aug 15, 2018

I'll have to shoot you a picture of how I mounted the side bracket on my 205. I built a custom mount with round bushing, a piece of tube and some tabs... the factory full size truck mount simply does not work well, there is not enough room to get it in place.

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 15, 2018

Shran said:
I'll have to shoot you a picture of how I mounted the side bracket on my 205. I built a custom mount with round bushing, a piece of tube and some tabs... the factory full size truck mount simply does not work well, there is not enough room to get it in place.

That would be good.

My scheme is to basically recreate the stock mount but with less reach and holes to maybe line up with existing holes in the frame.

I just ordered the bushing kit, I need that for dimensions to go off of.

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 16, 2018

Time for the annual "Tightning of the Headers" It is a glorious event but I only have one to fuss over at the moment. Rather easy with no starter after I slip the inner fender out of the way.

Not sure if the bolts stretch or what is really going on. The locknuts (yes full steel locknuts) are tight but I haven't touched the jam nuts. That is quite a bit of gap...

Inspection time!

Looks good to her :icon_thumby:

DannyG · Aug 16, 2018

So did you get the engine to purr... *Sees self out the door*

ericbphoto · Aug 16, 2018

Strange place to install your "cat".

This message composed solely of recycled electrons. Go green!

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 19, 2018

ericbphoto said:
Strange place to install your "cat".

Don't knock it until you try it :icon_thumby:

Anyway, crazy weekend.

Tractor show on Friday night, dropped the shredder off the WD and ran it into town:

Car show on Saturday, 1qaz made an appearance. It was awesome to see his truck. Very nice guy too.

And today after a late start I did a little more to my truck. PTO cover is glued on.

Dug thru my parts stash, found a shifter bezel I think will work.

Went to my parents house and grabbed my new carpet kit and new door sill kit from when I did the V8 swap in 2011. I bought my acreage in 2012 and had doubts I was going to be staying with the 3spd so I never put it in.

Front shift rail will be easiest, I am going to start with it. Rear rail is much higher and out of line, I would rather use use the upper hole in the shifter to keep it more in line. Going to do the front first and if I need more leverage I can flip it over and use the bottom hole.

\

You can see the rear rail is in line with the boss for the shifter hence my concern having it reach down farther than it has to.

And the dizzy barn cat was sleeping under me knees. Not sure how or why that was deemed to be a good spot to nap.

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 20, 2018

Tried and didn't get much accomplished tonight. Went to put the starter in, had to drill out the hole in the starter cable which was fun. Then the starter locating boss would not fit in the hole.

Ok, that is weird, go grab my automatic starter (an OLD Motorcraft that came with the '78 302 I got way back in the beginning)

Thunk, it goes right in.

Go grab my automatic separator plate and try it, same deal.

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 25, 2018

I am going to try to open up the starter hole and hopefully it all works out for that.

Anyway been picking at other things here and there.

Eliminated the NSS system by taking a wire of similar color salvaged from a pigtail and putting another end on it and just looping it back.

Picked up a 5" piece of 3" 3/16" angle iron, used a hole saw to cut a 1-1/4" hole it for the bushing. I roughly bolted it to the t-case to test fit it, works perfectly.

Scratched where the angle iron is on the other side:

Used my new drill to punch out two holes in the frame. Started out smaller, pushed the angle iron up against the holes and tickled the angle iron with the drill bit to mark where I needed to drill holes in them. I used the angle iron to shield the wiring and fuel line.

I pulled it out and drilled holes in the angle iron with it in my vice. Threw some black paint on it for good luck.

I need to pick up bolts for it, my bolt that goes thru the mount isn't quite long enough either. With those the powertrain is physically mounted in the truck. Just gotta get the starter ironed out and get a rear driveshaft figgered out.

Kinda tempted to do cab mount bushings and the floor pan before putting the interior back in it and going on to the front axle...

alwaysFlOoReD · Aug 25, 2018

Nice work.

lvwill · Aug 25, 2018

Iooking good I'm definitely watching this for future reference. It's actually amazing how everything just seems to line up and look like it should be the way it is

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 26, 2018

alwaysFlOoReD said:
Nice work.

It would be a lot nicer if some idiot used the right block plate. Picked up a face shield and goggles today for surgery.

lvwill said:
Iooking good I'm definitely watching this for future reference. It's actually amazing how everything just seems to line up and look like it should be the way it is

It does fit slick. I do wish I had checked it better before install. I took more off the corner of the trans than I had to but working under the truck with a hacksaw is hard to be very precise. Would have been much easier to do it with the trans out of the truck.

Edit, mount is done. Powertrain is now fully suspended in the truck.

85_Ranger4x4 · Sep 4, 2018

Ok, back from vacation, back to work on truck.

Comparing the '88 pedals on the left and and '83-87 pedals on the right. One zigs and one zags, makes sense why the older pedals have interference issues with the newer style clutch switch. Brake pedals are the same part number.

VSS is in. When I ordered the new cable I ordered one for the A4LD thinking that is what the truck had and is the longest available transmission. Well apparently that is also automatic. Not thinking that the cable goes into the gear farther with an automatic gear. 4wd uses the same speedo gears as a manual. So I had to nip about 1/4" off my new cable for it to work. :annoyed:

Gave the t-case a dose of 80/90.

First the darn barncat was in super cuddle mode since I have been gone for a week, then this thing crawls out of somewhere.

Measured for my shifter hole in the floor plate:

X marks the spot. All four measurements meet at that point so it should be pretty accurate.

I had to drain the rear oil sump when I did the rear seal. I drained the front one tonight, changed the filter and put new oil in.

85_Ranger4x4 · Sep 5, 2018

Cut a hole in the floor plate for the shifter, looks freakily professional.

Drilled a hole in one tube to mockup the front shifter. Fits friggen perfect, no play in any direction.

Going to try to weld a tab on it tomorrow at work. Two lines about where I want the tab to be, one line is for the bottom to try to get the angle (straight up) correct.

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