adsm08's Ranger build up

[adsm08]

Y'all made it look easy.

Lookin good!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Haha, that minute and eight seconds of video showing us walking it up and setting it down is the culmination of about 45 minutes of planning, head scratching, one failed attempt to go on from the front, and slowly walking the cab around the frame, and dropping it twice.

But thanks. I am stoked. I need to get the cab shifted rearward as far as it will go, and get some info on a cowled hood, but I am excited.

 

[bobbywalter]

now i remember why i brought my k member home







not one picture worked for me outside of this page.


the cab thing was interesting. i would never trust people to help me do that.

 

[adsm08]

Must be a photobucket problem. The only things on this page that work are hosted at Youtube, and I can't even get to photobucket's site.

I had the truck running and rolling around a bit tonight. Got a vibration, not sure if something is grounding out or if I damaged an engine mount somewhere during this project. I should have just replaced them.

Seems to run ok, but I do have an exhaust leak that I don't remember being there before, might be the plug I have in the EGR port. It's a bit leak, and I can't think of anything else that it could be.

Then it is electrical odds and ends and fender trimming, and something is up with the steering. Seems like I have no power assist. Used pump, hodge-podge system, trans cooler plumbed in the return line, what could possible have gone wrong?

 

[adsm08]

Looking good. I envy your shop.

Thanks. I just added a new toy the other weekend. 20 ton press.

 

[adsm08]

Ok, so I haven't updated this in a little over a month. Work got sporadic because the weather started crashing on me, and the baby started moving. So I had to get the garage winter-ready and chase the infant.

Anyway, this beast is on the road. Something was wrong with the original engine setup. I don't know if it was a problem with the engine itself, or if there was some conflict between the engine and the software in the EEC-IV modules, but I needed the truck back on the road so I threw the OHV engine back in. I will revisit the SOHC again down the road when I have more time and money.

I have been driving it for a week now (not that I go very far) and have surprisingly few issues for a project of this scope.

1) My tach and fuel gauge no longer work. Not sure why because I have all the same parts and wiring as before when they did work.

2) The turn signal indicators don't work. I think this is because I have LEDs in those spots. I'm just going to put regular bulbs back in there when I get a chance.

3) I can't find my parking cable equalizer anywhere. I did have it, now I don't. It is bound to show up eventually. If it doesn't I'll hit up a junk yard.

4) The wiper motor behaves erratically. I believe this was a pre-existing issue with the motor though. I used the wiper motor from the red truck, and never drove that one in the rain much because it had no defrost (or blower fan), and so I don't really remember how well the wipers worked. I will swap that out for my old one when I get the time. With my current setup I have to remove the intake to get in the cowl access.


On the plus side I put a set of real gauges in it, so I have mechanical oil pressure and coolant temp and a real volt meter.

Next on the docket is to get some FX4 decals. That will probably wait for spring since they will probably stick better if put on when it is warm out.

I'll go back and get some pictures of stuff a little later. It is really cold out right now.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

1) My tach and fuel gauge no longer work. Not sure why because I have all the same parts and wiring as before when they did work.

If this is the factory cluster you might check the little metallic strips inside the two big connectors on the back of the cluster.

I have had mine in and out of my truck a couple times recently and noticed the last time the fuel gauge wasn't working. The foil was pulling away from the plastic backing and was bent off to the side not making contact with the pin in the dash harness connector.

 

[adsm08]

If this is the factory cluster you might check the little metallic strips inside the two big connectors on the back of the cluster.

I have had mine in and out of my truck a couple times recently and noticed the last time the fuel gauge wasn't working. The foil was pulling away from the plastic backing and was bent off to the side not making contact with the pin in the dash harness connector.

I'll check that when I pull the cluster to replace the indicator bulbs. Thanks for the idea.

 

[Mark_88]

Just watched the cab mount video (again)...nice team work...

I was going to do that with my last project to remove the cab for some frame work...I couldn't get a forklift from anyone...fortunately, I didn't need to yank the cab off after all.

Yes, pics would be nice...last ones I saw were those of the garage with it still in parts.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I'll check that when I pull the cluster to replace the indicator bulbs. Thanks for the idea.

Here is what mine looked like:

It is hard (because IMO pretty much everything about the connectors aside from the ease of repinning them sucks) but I think it is very important for the connector to come in and out evenly. It is hard because it is awkward to get at them and usually only one side wants to release at a time.

 

[adsm08]

I had it apart today, because it was actually nice out for a few hours. That was not the issue. The wire for the fuel gauge had broken where I soldered it previously. That works now. I am still working on the tach.

Now, as promised a while ago, pictures.

It got into the mid 50s today and the wife got home from work early, so I was able to take care of some details, and giver her a nice bath quick before taking pictures.



















I have some black seat covers that I need to put on yet, I'm not sure how great they will be since they are universal, but they were free, so if I hate them I'm not out anything but time.

Things that can't be seen, or at least not well, I painted the speaker grills to match the interior. I had them done like that years ago (there may be a picture near the beginning of this thread) but they peeled and turned black again so I did them better this time.

I also have the dash lights done in all red LEDs. They don't get bright enough to be seen during the day, but I will get a picture tonight when I leave work.


I am loving that gauge pod too. It's a Bosch 2 inch unit. It is mechanical oil and temp (temp probe screws in where the one for the dash went, and it stays reading hot even with the key off), and a real live voltmeter. I have a 195 thermostat in there, and that gauge stops just past 190, oil pressure runs between 40 PSI (cold) and about 10-20 (at temp). Voltmeter runs about 14V normally, but it is sensitive too. Sitting at a stop with the turn signals on you can watch the needle bounce a little. Plus where I have it mounted it is just about perfect. It isn't in the way of the 4x4 shifter, and I can look right through the steering wheel and see all 3 clearly.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Except for where someone shot the grille guard it looks really nice.

That is where I have my gauge pod too, I really like it there. Oil pressure, temp and trans temp... I need to hook the trans temp up some day though, it is the only non-mechanical gauge.

 

[Curious Hound]

Looks great. Is it finished? I can't believe how fast you did this.

 

[adsm08]

As promised here is a pic of the dash lighting.

Looks great. Is it finished? I can't believe how fast you did this.

Thanks man. The paint is def a 50/50 job, but I can touch it up when warm weather comes around again. It's about 98%. The horns are still in my tool cart, the parking brake equalizer got lost and I need to order a new one, I want to get a new ignition lock, and I want to re-make the floor plate around the shifters. I also have a few spots to touch up the paint, mostly nicks around hardware on the frame. Oh, and I need to fix the tach. And of course I keep forgetting to mount the 7-pin connector. My plan for that is to get a hole saw and punch a hole in the bumper and do it flush mounted in the rear bumper.

But it is driving. I think I've had it back on the road for about two weeks now.

 

[97RangerXLT]

Nice looking! The red dash is eerily reminding me of my ex wife's 1994 Pontiac Grand Prix

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 while sitting in my underwear

 

[adsm08]

Nice looking! The red dash is eerily reminding me of my ex wife's 1994 Pontiac Grand Prix

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 while sitting in my underwear

I like it because it goes better with the interior than the green lights, and the red doesn't affect night vision like other colors of light do. I know that doesn't mean much with the headlights on, but if something were to happen and I lost both of them I'd be in better shape with red dash lights. It does make the needles harder to see though.