'95 Supercab Rehab - Dumb Questions Thread

[Shran]

I dread these carrier bearings because you almost have to disassemble it to get the right bearing ordered. There were like 5 variations for the '95 I was working on, different bearing ID was the main difference.

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

Yeah, the number of bearing ID variations is why I wonder if there ought to be slightly different sizes of shield as well, but the companies determined it's not profitable to produce them all.

I measured my old ID at 1.18"/30mm. I'm using the Dorman 934050, since that's what Amazon had, if that helps someone in the future. Looks like there are at least 1.18"/30mm, 1.26"/32mm, 1.38"/35mm, and 1.57"/40mm. I do wish there was a reliable map of which factors (drive, trans, cab, etc.) want which bearing.

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

This is my everything thread now, I guess. Obscure electronics question:

I pulled the GEM to remove the chime, and I see it's an F6* part, and says "4x2" to boot. So replaced at some point by the PO. This truck has a manual shift t-case and appears to have 4wabs.

That means it shouldn't really matter if the GEM is 4x2, right? The only thing that's coming to mind is the speedo in 4low, which is A: not critical and B: a quick search says gets handled by the ABS computer in 4wabs trucks.


EDIT: Per the manual and RonD, the GEM is involved in electronic-shift and the "shift module" is just a relay box. The speed sensor is connected to the GEM (4x4 speed lockout?) but there's nothing between it and the speedometer, so I guess we weren't correcting the electronic speedo for 4low yet in '95-'97.

So from my perspective (manual-shift, manual locks, crank windows) whichever GEM should be fine. Not sure if intermittent wipers were an option I have to care about here.

 

[Rick W]

Yeah, I ended buying 2 bearings, missed the deadline to return the first, aligned the U joints wrong, and had to spend 3-400 bucks to get it fixed. But I bet it was still cheaper than if I dropped it off.

On your electronics question, you’ll probably do better to start a new thread. Maybe one of the administrators can move that over to a new thread for you.

 

[SenorNoob]

That makes sense to me. I thought the electronic shift transfer case was still a separate module in 95?

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

Okay, here's my latest nonsense: I'm losing coolant and I can't tell why:

1. When I brought the truck home, it had an obvious "big drip" from the lower rad hose under pressure. This stopped after replacing the clamp. Also gave me the opportunity to flush the coolant. I was hoping this was the problem, but I still lost an entire overflow reservoir after my inaugural beach drive.

2. No (obvious) coolant in oil, or exhaust. Passed a cooling system combustion gas test just now, which makes sense since the OHV shouldn't usually blow head gaskets without catastrophic failure, right?

3. No other obvious leaks. Planning to replace thermostat+housing anyway, but I feel like that's the common leak on the SOHC, not the old 4.0. Google refuses to exclude SOHC search results no matter what I try.

I'm suspicious of maybe a heater core leak going unnoticed getting mixed in with evaporator condensation? But no smoke or coolant smell in the cab.

 

[sgtsandman]

Okay, here's my latest nonsense: I'm losing coolant and I can't tell why:

1. When I brought the truck home, it had an obvious "big drip" from the lower rad hose under pressure. This stopped after replacing the clamp. Also gave me the opportunity to flush the coolant. I was hoping this was the problem, but I still lost an entire overflow reservoir after my inaugural beach drive.

2. No (obvious) coolant in oil, or exhaust. Passed a cooling system combustion gas test just now, which makes sense since the OHV shouldn't usually blow head gaskets without catastrophic failure, right?

3. No other obvious leaks. Planning to replace thermostat+housing anyway, but I feel like that's the common leak on the SOHC, not the old 4.0. Google refuses to exclude SOHC search results no matter what I try.

I'm suspicious of maybe a heater core leak going unnoticed getting mixed in with evaporator condensation? But no smoke or coolant smell in the cab.

It's possible or a head gasket leak into the pistons.

 

[Rick W]

I have a 97 4.0 5-speed. Whenever I have to drain antifreeze for any reason, and then fill it up again, it seems like I have to top it off for a week, and that’s if I’m driving it every day. Then it reaches a point where I don’t have to fill it anymore. Sometimes the reservoir drains, and sometimes the reservoir doesn’t drain.

When I fill up the radiator, with the cap still off, I shake the truck a little bit side to side, some bubbles come out and that let’s get another coffee cup, or such in.

Makes no sense to me. The only thing I can figure, is that there’s some kind of vacuum vapor void on the top of the engine that doesn’t just come out when you fill the radiator. So when you run it down the road, and antifreeze/water sloshes through that area, and eventually it pushes out all the air. I don’t know these things as well as the other guys here, but that’s been my experience, and that’s my suspicion.

I watch it like a hawk. I think my temperature gauge works OK, and that doesn’t seem to change whether it’s full of water or not, it goes up and down with how hard I drive it, and what the outside temperature is.

Hope it helps

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

Thanks guys.

I want to make sure I understand: is a coolant-to-piston leak not what the combustion gas test checks for? Or are they not 100% reliable?

If it just takes an unusually long time to burp, obviously that would be the best possible outcome. I'm not driving the truck much yet, and I just took coolant out again to run the gas test.

It's not that much trouble to carry water for 2 weeks and keep an eye on it, but obviously I also want to minimize any risk of killing the engine in the summer heat.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I usually just try to keep an eye on it. My F-150 is absolutely terrible for trying to get the air out. I’m about ready to try one of those vacuum fill jobs they have now for the radiator fill. That truck also has a bad habit of randomly blowing the lower hose off the radiator. For better or worse, I significantly upgraded the clamp there after the last time. Like it’s some $10 stainless bolt-together thing…

 

[scotts90ranger]

I have the Harbor Freight vacuum fill kit for cooling systems and it is great you just have to remember to clamp off the overflow hose as the way this one seals doesn't plug that off but a pair of vise grips is easy enough...

 

[SenorNoob]

I can usually get mine full in 2 trips to town (6 miles), but I start with it nose uphill and spend 5 mins or so milking the upper hose and adding a little at a time to get as much air as possible out. Then fill the reservoir a little (~3/4 inch) above full. Drive until you can see the thermostat open based on the temp gauge then head home. Let it cool overnight and check reservoir. Probably low, maybe empty. Fill to normal and drive then cool again..

 

[Rick W]

Afterthought: a radiator cap is cheap or maybe even free from the scrapyard. They are supposed to open to let the coolant flow into the coolant reservoir, but I have a suspicion mine is letting some coolant steam out at the top. I think what happens is virtually pure vapor, so you’ll never see a puddle on the ground. I’m going to get a new cap, I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

Good thoughts in here, thanks.

I'm 0/2 on replacing the rad cap in shitboxes. Both vehicles the first time I parked afterwards the old rad just gave up from full pressure. 4.0 rads are $200 apparently? And at that point it's time for the water pump and fan blade, since that's cracked and still droning when fully engaged even with a new clutch.

I didn't lose any coolant after a grocery/dump run last night, so the only time it's really flared up since fixing the leak is after towing + 4x4 + a ton of hot idle, which makes me uncomfortable.

Sidebar: I see in the EVTM this is intended behaviour, but I was not expecting AC to engage with the vent controls on "panel+floor".