Project Guinea Pig

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

Ha! I've got the same luck! Spent 5 hours in town and driving all over only to get nothing done! I did get welding rods and drill bits for drilling out my wristed radius arm bolt hole and receiver pin hole though!

 

[prerunner]

At least your getting something done. I got squat.

I ain't crawling under this:

 

[prerunner]

Ok. Tonite its in the engine bay. Not quite in the right spot, has to move back 3" or so but I ran out of light. I tell ya what, I never thought much of body lifts before but I could see this thing getting one. What a pain in the @ss that was. Lift would have helped too, the 2wd is real close to the ground.
But. Its finally coming along. I'll have her screwed down and partly sorted out tomorrow. I think.

Well, tomorrow was wrong. I've been sick for a week.
But I did get the engine into the right spot and mounted this morning between showers. I'll keep going.
The insurance died so the pressure is off, in a way.

 

[prerunner]

Not much of an update as I'm still sick as hell but I did get the front of the engine buttoned up today. I'm pretty much convinced I gotta yank all the Explorer wiring off the engine and replace it with stuff I originally left on the Ranger engine. Good times.
Also discovered I broke a plug and don't think my chubby fist will fit to re and re it. Its the one surrounded by AC box. I've deleted the rest of the AC though.

I've been trying to improve this thing as I go and should end up with a better truck, A4LD and all.

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

Your swap is going about as fast as my suspension project! Lol

 

[prerunner]

Your swap is going about as fast as my suspension project! Lol

Heh. Probably worse.

Today was change steering columns day. If anyone is contemplating a change to an automatic trans, it takes longer than they say. Its not 20 minutes, not by a long shot. Might be different on first gens with the floor shifter, but not this 92 donor into a 93.
The auto column has a wire connection to the DRN321 marker in the gauge cluster so they had to come apart mostly together. Although after you get most of the way through getting it apart you can disconnect the wire (theres a screw holding it on the inside of the column), I chose to leave them connected.
The column from the 92 Ex donor already had a junkyard mark so it had been apart before. Column removal is straightforward with minimal swearing or blood loss. Cluster, lots more swearing, no blood.
Now, I had an idea that removing the man trans column would be easier. Um, no. I tried to remove the column from the connection at the rag joint for hours. Heat might have helped, or a wedge tool of some kind. Faking it wasn't working so check the Exploder and (easily) removed the lower section of steering shaft. It came apart there on the Ranger too. But thats not supposed to be how it comes apart. Gonna make centering the steering wheel a bitch.
Problems:
First, there is a plug on the multi switch thats burnt and fell apart on removal. Has to be replaced, wiring is not my thing, btw. Second, in getting the stereo out of the dash, I discovered the wiring to it is held together with faded green painters tape. I'll check later if I can salvage these from the Ex.

Other problems:
Still can't figure why the starter wiring comes up on the right side of the truck, currently the batt terminal and stuff are on top of the R headlight.
Underneath, I haven't really looked at yet. After I get closer underhood and inside I'll put some blocks back under the front wheels. Its far too low right now to get under, but believe me, I screwed some stuff up getting it outta the Exploder. Not looking forward to addressing that.

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

Wtf!?
Where's the updates?

 

[prerunner]

Sorry bud. Was diagnosed with a blood clot in my left calf Monday. Been back and forth to various doctors most of the week. I did get the column in but can't get it to attach to the collapsible part of the steering shaft. Most of the dash is back together, been getting a bit at a time lately.
I'll get more this weekend I hope.

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

Oh shoot! They wanna remove it off let it set for a while?

 

[prerunner]

I find out today at one. Sunday's weather looks better. I want to finish processing the exploder and get it outta here. I could use the cash.

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

What'd the doc say? They gonna take the right leg to save the left leg?

 

[prerunner]

What'd the doc say? They gonna take the right leg to save the left leg?

LOL bud. Ya, they're switching legs from side to side to save me.

Turned out I have two clots, never had any before. One behind my knee would feel like a stroke if it got loose, vein its in goes straight to my left lung. Dr isn't even concerned about the painful one I went in there for in the first place. Put me on anticoagulants and warned me not to bleed. I'd bleed a lot cuz of this stuff.

Oh well, its been a good Ford filled life.

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

Idk why they put a person on anticoagulants. It seems way quicker and to the point to get a vaccume, cut the vein open then suck it out and sew it back up. Then there's no more clot. But noooo let's put chemicals into someone's body so if they get into a bad accident they'll bleed to death!

 

[forgey4x4]

Hey you gonna post any pics, glad to hear yo6 gonna be alright

 

[prerunner]

Can't post pix at the moment, sorry. My elderly camera won't download on this computer or any of the dept store ones. When I get a chance I'll develop some I took on a throw away camera.

Changed the wiring harness on the 4.0 today, not quite finished underhood but close enough I put the hood back on it. Still have some wires that I have to sort out yet. Next up: Put blocks back under it and sort out the change to an automatic.

Been kicking around the idea of using the early Bronco D44 under here. The one I have had all its Ford mounts ground off but I have much of the guts for it new in boxes including chromo shafts, a posi (I'm not supposed to use on a reverse spiral D44) and 4.88's. I could get fairly creative getting this mounted. Its had me thinking...