Proz07's Black Pearl build

[proz07]

OK got the tank back in, home alignment c/w for now Ill probably recheck it and possibly take it in to confirm later. But shes on the ground and rolling again! Still need to pick up a new speedo gear from the 3.45 to 3.73 gear swap but still runs and drives. Here is how it currently sits. I haven't been able to get the bed back on yet but looks like it should be just right. Im thinking of installing a hidden hitch that will go behind the license plate wh
en the roll pan is installed. We will see though if i find one at the junk yard since ill have to cut it up anyway i dont want to spend $100+ on a new one.
20161227_134021_zpssspfcyc9 by Z S, on Flickr
20161227_134100_zpsdt57gako by Z S, on Flickr
20161227_134115_zpscqq32w5h by Z S, on Flickr

Now it rides like a lowered vehicle for sure but i still need to adjust the front shocks valves and install the bed to calm it down a little but the tire havent rubbed yet. I ran it up and down my road twice, steering feels good doesnt seem to wander. So after that i decided to remove the windshield to repair the leaks at the seam seals or lack there of. best way to force yourself to get something done is get it to the point of no return.

Window out the hard way... force and lots of glass everywhere

20161227_1623380_zpszm7tifm0 by Z S, on Flickr

so after the majority of the window was out i scrapped the seal off with a putty scrapper and you can see where it was leaking around the old sealant or got under the paint and seeped in.

20161227_170157_zpsyqjfq7vc by Z S, on Flickr
20161227_170221_zpsvj9vrvum by Z S, on Flickr

And here you can see where the seem meets up, I already started to remove the hard sealant here so it wasnt missing that bad.

20161227_170205_zpsd7ittjhg by Z S, on Flickr

And then some stripper wheels and the drill and die grinder cleaned up the surface pretty good. Still need to prime ans seal it today.

20161227_200343_zpsfeb1vely by Z S, on Flickr

Here is the passenger side seam seal or whats left of it... its pretty much rock hard cracked everywhere wasnt doing anything anymore. luckly under it is still rust free.

20161227_200354_zpsmit5nmnk by Z S, on Flickr

And removed, still needs to be wire brushed, cleaned, and primered/sealed before i re-seal it but shes ready to go.

20161227_200320_zpszyociwkx by Z S, on Flickr

Ill be finish prepping, primer and seal it today so that tomorrow afternoon itll be cured enough for the glass guy to reinstall a new window! After that ill be attempting to matte clear the roof and hood.

But the laundry list for now is to to seal window, reclock steering column to box and install new wheel, replace radiator as its cracked, install thermal switch for E-fan, reseal valve covers, new speedo gear, install dash pad cover, get ans start to seal all body plugs in prep to undercoat/thermal barrier underside of cab/ inside cab floor. I need to redo the E brake cable AGAIN! as it pulls and hits the bracket, it needs to be pushed back that way it will not hit and clear wider tires later on. That one cost me a brake cable since its now too short to relocate that far. oh well, first time screwing with a E-brake retrofit.


Anyway whats your guys thoughts on replacing the master cylinder with one from the explorer? reason being im pretty sure the pressures and flow for disk vs. drum brakes is different. I dont think these rear disks are working worth a crap with the drum rear master from the ranger. thoughts?

Z

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Anyway whats your guys thoughts on replacing the master cylinder with one from the explorer? reason being im pretty sure the pressures and flow for disk vs. drum brakes is different. I dont think these rear disks are working worth a crap with the drum rear master from the ranger. thoughts?

Z

It makes no sense but it was like mine had to get used to the 8.8 or something.

At first there wasn't much happening back there, like I had to really mash it to change gears on ice or packed snow so the rear would stop (although the truck was stopped) After a few weeks it has been normal for the following 5 years.

I am putting the dual piston brakes on the front someday so we shall see if that changes things too.

And I want to do the windshield too, and I need to do the gutter seams for good before I paint it. Nice to see the little things most people never do being taken care of.

 

[proz07]

It makes no sense but it was like mine had to get used to the 8.8 or something.

At first there wasn't much happening back there, like I had to really mash it to change gears on ice or packed snow so the rear would stop (although the truck was stopped) After a few weeks it has been normal for the following 5 years.

I am putting the dual piston brakes on the front someday so we shall see if that changes things too.

And I want to do the windshield too, and I need to do the gutter seams for good before I paint it. Nice to see the little things most people never do being taken care of.

Perhaps, I'll keep an eye on it and get a good feel for it once i start driving it. Ill probably upgrade/replace later on anyway if i go to the 12" sport trac rotors.


Anyway, got everything cleaned up scuffed primed and sealed. it was about 4pm I applied sealant and it states paint in 30min full cure in 12hrs. Well fired up the dehumidifier and turned on the heat so itll be ready for tomorrow and its setting up nicely already so no worries for when the glass guy gets here.

I used 3M urethane seam sealer.

20161228_110601_zpshjc6m81y by Z S, on Flickr
20161228_121235_zpszlmhctu8 by Z S, on Flickr
20161228_121241_zpsuv0lp5zq by Z S, on Flickr
20161228_160348_zps7rryyrbn by Z S, on Flickr
20161228_160514_zpsvtn6e0tl by Z S, on Flickr

 

[JoshT]

Never messed with seam sealer, but I need to redo it in several places (drip rails included) on my project truck.

If you don't mind my asking what's your procedure for removing the old stuff and applying the new? Will you be repainting that section of the before the new window goes in, or just leaving it in primer?

 

[proz07]

Never messed with seam sealer, but I need to redo it in several places (drip rails included) on my project truck.

If you don't mind my asking what's your procedure for removing the old stuff and applying the new? Will you be repainting that section of the before the new window goes in, or just leaving it in primer?

My old sealant was hard as a rock and kinda just laying in there from years in the sun so in the drip edge it popped out pretty easy and then chipped away scrapped the rest with a paint scraper tool similar to this. http://www.texastooltraders.com/Putty-Knives-Scrapers/Titan-11510-Paint-Scraper-7-in-1-Wall-Scraper-Tack-Puller-Paint-Remover-Etc/
Worked realy good till i got over zealous and broke the tip. its also what i used to pop the trim tabs without destroying the trim. Ill be attempting to refinish it.

After that i made sure to chip away any other pieces clinging on and ran a wire wheel over the area. Cleaned the entire area +2 inches around with acetone. Taped up the area and edge i wanted it to go to. Be sure to use a high quality automotive paint tape, you can see in the pic i have the good green at the edge and then cheap HF blue just to mask the rest. then a quick hand sand to roughen up and areas missed by the wire wheel or critical areas you want to make sure sealant sticks, these tend to be where its hard to get tools in so a hand sand is your only option. Not a lot of sanding mind you just one or two brushes with some 150-220 to roughen it up a touch. spray it off with air and then one more wipe down with acetone. Spray the primer and wait for it to cure.

After all that as its all about the prep I used the 3M seam sealer in my caulk gun from HD and went to town like any other caulk or sealant. I will say this this is some good stuff very sticky. be sure to have LOTS of paper towel of shop rags to wipe it off on. I applied the sealant and then used my finger to even it out in the channels and flatten in the window sill. its very messy if you try to screw with it too much so if you can get away with one run down the channel the better. I had to to one run once i had enough sealant in it with the tape on and then when i removed the tape it was a bit low so gave the sealant a built up edge so went over it one last time just to re lay the sealant to the body at the edges.

I also didnt use anything on the sealant when forming it just straight finger, so if you have too much in there itll get everywhere FYI, too little and youll have gaps. I know with like bathroom caulks you can get a perfect finish by going over the seam with your fingers soaked in water to even it out and it wont stick but I didnt do anything like that for this. This sealer says do not use any type of thinner to even it out as it will prevent it from curing so rather than find what would work i just fingered it smooth and wiped excess on the shop towels.

But 3M has a bunch of how to videos on youtube for their automotive products. They usually use their super high end 2 part sealant with special gun but they do list the one part sealant that i used on their site as well for us DIYers. Heres and example. https://youtu.be/5BEVI5FCYd4

like any other paint sealant etc. its all about the prep.

I will be leaving the window channel/sill primered for the window, I believe they put down a adhesion promoting sealant or paint type product anyway. ill see when they show up. But that channel is under the window and the windshield trim so wont ever see the light once its all back together. I may remask the window once installed and lay a coat of clear or two on it just for some extra sealer. But I did use a high build primer/sealer so id be pretty confident without painting.

Z

 

[proz07]

Ok window went in Thursday, they re wire brushed the primer I layed down and applied two coats of their specific primer for window sealant adhesion. Pretty easy took all of 45min since I already had it out... still charged me full r2 price so not too happy about that but oh well. here you can see the black primer they used.

20161229_125534_zps17gcsvs3 by Z S, on Flickr
20161229_125543_zpsyvv02kyf by Z S, on Flickr

Then replaced the broke mirrors and passenger window so its all sealed up and should be rain sealed now. Still need to work on the flooring as i havent put the carpet or trim in so the screw holes are still there.

I really want to start driving so i needed to take care of the radiator and E-fan. I had to replace the radiator due to a cracked upper hose fitting $50 off rockauto. As you can see the replacement is twice the thickness in the core. as the stocker. not a bad surprise at all.

20161231_142348_zps8z5dd56w by Z S, on Flickr

Then on to the wiring of the relay. Here i made a quick thermal switch tube for my lower radiator hose so its only turning on after the radiator alone cant handle the cooling.

20161231_160632_zpslbkixfrz by Z S, on Flickr

and then installed and wiring ran. Yes i wrapped the wires as i want to reuse this relay and wiring when i swap to the new motor and rewire everything.

20161231_200452_zpsdkrgbgpg by Z S, on Flickr
20161231_200507_zps6jc8no7a by Z S, on Flickr
20161231_200500_zpszhtvu2v2 by Z S, on Flickr

After i refilled coolant and let the truck warm up it all works perfect and maintains temp just fine. I only have a single speed fan but I shouldnt have a problem in this setup as when the fan does kick on it only runs for 2 seconds since it cools so fast right now. Ill have to see if that changes when its hotter outside and actually has a load on it.

I also got the bed back on the truck, rolled the fenders and then realized i needed to re raise the rear the 2 inches the shackle flip lowered it. So i undid the shackle flip and now sits just right, shoulda waited to do that initially but oh well.

Today Im going to try to install rear taillights, r2 battery as its a one start batt right now if you dont start its dead. and then change to the new steering wheel and recheck alignment as i think its still a bit off and im sure ill have to adjust to get the wheel straight.

Z

 

[proz07]

Ok after 3 times on and off finally got the new steering wheel on and working. it is smaller than the stocker so a bit more effort is involved in anything other than slight corrections, but thats to be expected with a manual gearbox and 245 tires.
20170101_134301_zpsbyvgn3bl by Z S, on Flickr
20170101_134309_zpskvpbmnrd by Z S, on Flickr

finished installing the wiring harness in the bed and replacing the burnt or broke lights and shes a driver again! Ill call this version 1.5

20170101_163158_zpsmkzhojvj by Z S, on Flickr
20170101_163228_zps9jriugin by Z S, on Flickr
20170101_163241_zpsqk2puelh by Z S, on Flickr]
20170101_163256_zpshhsegpph by Z S, on Flickr
20170101_163316_zpsuodjvniv by Z S, on Flickr
20170101_163331_zpsw7ja2jdg by Z S, on Flickr
20170101_163348_zps26ivdder by Z S, on Flickr

So, first trip longer than down the street and I think the thermostat is stuck open and had a bit or an intermittent tick but it goes away so im thinking that may have to do with the oil being easy 6-7yrs old still. so today ill be replacing the thermostat and giving it an oil change. May remove the rest of the interior carpet and inspect for body rust that needs to be addressed and sealed. And start looking into the hidden hitch and roll pan install as my flip up plate mount should be here today.

Z

 

[proz07]

little update, took it to get washed to check seal and leaks.... needless to say i need to replace the back 3 widows rope seals when they come in. The only one actually leaking right now is the drivers side quarter but i went ahead and got seals for all 3. Only thing of concern is taking my time and being careful as the rear doesnt exist and the quarters are expensive.

Also I currently have the 2.9l valve Tick over 2k RPM after 1 min so anything highway... but then a short run under 2k it cleans up so it sounds like my lifters are colapsing due to either a loss in oil pressure in the upper RPM. FAQ says its low oil pressure so i will attempt to add a pressure gauge and see whats going on. maybe i can rig a cheap oil tester setup from HD parts. Autozone didnt have an oil pressure tester to rent, or ill check advanced and oreilies first. Either way after i check that its kind of a toss up to even want to try to fix it. on the cheap side a oil pump and gasket is about $100 and a few hours. any more than that and its definitely not worth it.

Z

 

[proz07]

Ok, so in interest of science ill attempting to cheaply track down a fix for the tick but so far still have it. you can follow that here http://therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170677

As for my rope seals i ordered from LMC the rear one is correct however the quarter windows are for the flip out vent version of the 2nd gen i assume so no seals there. unfortunatly right now the drivers side is the only one leaking right now so I posted here in the exterior section see if anyone knows a place but its crickets as this seems to be a dying venue for a truck this old. So I will reach out to some glass places and see if anything can be located or a universal rope seal that will need to be cut to length and sealed. if thats the case i may just have them do it as you cant really get new rear windows either.

So in the meantime i screwed with the oil pressure issue and cleaned the injectors half ass to fix a high idle from leaky injector issue, so far so good ill probably run some more cleaner through the fuel system though see if i cant get rid of anymore internal varnish buildup.

Also installed new headlights as the old were pretty much dead and the refractor material gone. these even have replaceable bulbs instead of one solid unit.
20170103_103702_zpsmfeqzckc by Z S, on Flickr
20170103_103709_zpshxjmtxc6 by Z S, on Flickr
20170103_105321_zpsvdlidisu by Z S, on Flickr
z

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The lights are one thing I want to do to mine yet. Are those from LMC too? What do you think of them?

A shot in the dark, is it possible to covert yours to the flip out windows?

 

[proz07]

The lights are one thing I want to do to mine yet. Are those from LMC too? What do you think of them?

A shot in the dark, is it possible to covert yours to the flip out windows?

They are the LMC lights. so far great but like I said I went from lights with no refractor material left to these but they are great upon initial install. Install same as a normal light, they are glass not plastic, so we shall see over time i guess but great so far.

I hadnt thought about converting them... ill have to see if i can find how they are operated and if i can find parts in the JY as im sure i wont be able to buy new anywhere if its possible.

Z

 

[proz07]

So heres a bit of an update. it doesnt run right now, lol. I was cleaning and prepping my 5.3l and driving the truck around town and to work to figure the bugs out for drivability. However i had a few issues with that like the clutch slave was leaking bad and would need to refill every 2 days. the steering with a 245s and a manual box got to be a bit much so dropped the fronts to 225s and that helped alot! heres a video of that and why if your bored. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSikrqOIYpM&t=1s Also in the course of driving i had low oil pressure and would start lifter dancing at 2200+ rpm so with the 3.73 gears it limited me to about 55-60mph. So all in all i was done spending money to "keep it running" and pulled the motor 2 weeks ago and have a dude coming to get it tomorrow for $50. so not too shabby.
20170312_221145_zpssrpb8sov by Z S, on Flickr
20170312_221230_zpsh8zpdz67 by Z S, on Flickr

and a quick edit pulling the motor, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1w43uYI9EQ&t=1s

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w1w43uYI9EQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And a quick mock fit to see how much of a pain itll be. had to pull some accessories off to do the fitting since i couldnt get the engine far enough back with the level.
20170318_203441_zpssy9u4tif by Z S, on Flickr
IMG_20170318_212610_527_zpsyj9jqpdm by Z S, on Flickr

And heres where it hits the firewall as the heads are offset back on the LSx series engines right bank.

20170318_214859_zpsdr2jur5t by Z S, on Flickr

and passenger side
20170318_214911_zps5jeckr4s by Z S, on Flickr

and drivers side
20170318_215040_zpsssjrkhgk by Z S, on Flickr

And with a little persuasion the trans should fit too!
20170318_215131_zps2awwlcpu by Z S, on Flickr

SO to cut the firewall i had to remove the dash, which i will add took WAY longer than i needed too due to that damn wiring harness. so ill be stripping alot and rerouting as needed.
20170326_132331_zpspx1bmvab by Z S, on Flickr

And heres where i cut the fire wall and will box it back in. for those wondering I will be doing a vintage air kit to replace the old giant heater core and A/C. but first fab!

20170326_140210_zpsvnqi0osc by Z S, on Flickr
20170326_140239_zpsm2qxppdz by Z S, on Flickr
20170326_195222_zpsga3kqoqi by Z S, on Flickr
20170326_195305_zpscqkdbc9r by Z S, on Flickr

and the mid plate on the t56 lines up pretty good but the shifter kit is $400 for that so i may go to the JY on 50% off weekend and see if i can find some decent mazda car seats to fit in and then cut out the trans tunnel farther back and use the stock t56 shifter location with a center console.
20170326_195341_zpse6zcxlu9 by Z S, on Flickr


Im sure i missed a bunch but I like updates in build threads so heres one for this one. Feel free to ask more

Z

 

[proz07]

Ok after staring at it way too long and trying to get everything so it will have enough room to fit...I have my first reference point to mount everything to! I removed the rivets holding in the trans cross member mounts and have relocated them to the rear most hole and looks to give me a centered trans and the front to back alignment i needed for the engine. I will redrill the other two holes for the mounts and bolt it in. so a win there.
20170402_162613_zpsumhqysdt by Z S, on Flickr

So the next issue to work through is routing the driver side manifold down to a crossover pipe and still have room for engine mounts and steering shafts... so cut up a few manis to see what is gonna work best and looks like the C5 manifold will give me less grief.
20170402_113139_zpsxj8jchjy by Z S, on Flickr

I will still have to do a minor clearance to the crossmember but better than the frame and having to figure out how to relocate the brake lines and run fuel later so this should work best for what I have. And the steering shaft is tight but removing the rag joint and getting a double U-joint adapter from speedway motors i think will net me plenty of clearance.
20170402_162522_zpss6qecalg by Z S, on Flickr
20170402_162516_zpsqlibvnux by Z S, on Flickr

And to give a frame of reference i flipped the truck passenger manifold, I will be making my own log style manifold but as you can see it'll be a bit tight for the crossover past the starter but minimal frame trimming or bending I haven't decided and a small heat shield should net great results. Then the downpipe should have just enough room past the trans and firewall.

20170402_162446_zpsissdq963 by Z S, on Flickr

20170402_162535_zps2pbxp3mb by Z S, on Flickr

Now The engine mounts just need to be trimmed and tacked in for final alignment checks but i have a good idea how they will end up. And should allow me to have A/C using a corvette style compressor setup. itll need a bit of frame and crossmember cutting and boxing but looking at it after thats done it should work perfectly.

This part of the build is definitely taking a bit but itll be worth it once shes all mounted up.

Z

 

[proz07]

Well ive taken care of the life events that put this on hold for a month so im going to have more to post after this weekend.... current issue I have is the PhotoBucket BS right now so once I more to another host site I will try to filter back through and get the pics relinked to reflect. cause a build thread without pics is junk...

Z

EDIT: Im starting to swap photos but 200+ will take awhile so ill probably break it up but its ongoing. Im using Flickr if anyone's interested.

EDIT2: And pics are back up only took 2 days here and there... now to work on the damn thing

 

[proz07]

OK, these are from last month but after much in and out and alignment the engine mounts are mostly in. The engine is level side to side.
20170408_183338 by Z S, on Flickr

And the crank to pinion angle are as close as i can get without doing a full custom front K-member and its just not needed with this build.

Crank angle
20170408_183410 by Z S, on Flickr

And diff pinion.
20170408_183534 by Z S, on Flickr

Now the driveshaft should have no more than 2 degrees offset but i may be able to adjust that a bit more later. For the axle ill be either reinstalling the explorer anti-wrap bars or doing a quick bolt on traction bars for now. i dont see a need for Cal-Tracs or the price on this build at this time.

ANd heres the passanger engine mount which started the alignment of the rest of the mounts. The engine matches the OEM 2" offset to the right as well to clear the steering linkage.

20170409_164629 by Z S, on Flickr
20170409_164806 by Z S, on Flickr

And tacked in Driver mount as i still need to weld up a few braces etc ill note those later.

20170521_183456 by Z S, on Flickr

Pass side checking alignment and clearance.

20170409_185736 by Z S, on Flickr

Driver side clearance, I was originally using the C5 eghaust manifold for the driver side but looks like the truck manifold with a v-band welded on will work better now.

20170409_185755 by Z S, on Flickr

ANd the pass side clearances for the A/C compressor and manifold crossover to turbo manifold routing. It will all be boxed in to return any needed strength. you can see what i needed to cut on the driver side in the passenger side pic farther up.

20170521_183445 by Z S, on Flickr

And heres the engine mounted in the truck to check clearance and plan routing. This is the approximate location of the turbo i think too.

20170502_121445 by Z S, on Flickr
20170502_121433 by Z S, on Flickr

And this is the Billet 7875 from VSR Racing that I will be running following the SloppyMechanics 2017 what to buy to get a 600hp Gen3/4. Not a bad looking turbo thats still affordable.

20170502_121139 by Z S, on Flickr
20170502_121202 by Z S, on Flickr