One more 2wd 98 coil spring 5.0 swap.

[bobbywalter]

....when i come down there to work...i drive 1500 miles in one day. and pass through some actual terrain. sometimes loaded for bear.



i am surprised you think that was a chore for the truck, this place is flat as a board. i say surprised because if it could not do that without yawning, i would be pissed off at an epic level.


i sure as hell agree about your obsessive detail as well. outstanding job you have done with this construction all around, and if a guy has not worked around here at night, they dont know the meaning of mosquito filled nights...which makes the dedication to your goals that much more appreciated by me.....i mean these damn critters are like darts....they dont just craftily alight upon you out where i am and sneak out some blood. they stab into you like a dart.....kamakazi style.....like a little japanese zero. and those damn no see ums are lovely a well in the glades...


but it was one heck of a worthy test to shake er out....


awesome job

 

[Justin d]

Welcome aboard. I got my plates from Stradashop. I think he is still on the forum but not sure if he still does the plates or not. The diagrams are floating around but be a little careful, there are two sets that look identical and one of the two sets shows one side plate backwards. The driver side plate is flat but the passenger side drops (not lifts) that side. The 99 4 cyl and 6 cyl mounts are the same and they are what I used on mine. I would highly recommend shaving the top on the steering rack just a little bit as that area gets tight at the oil pan. There should be enough material to grind off a small aunt along the ridge. The Explorer oil filter adapter does fit and is a nice set up worth using. I went with the remote set up just for the look.

Thanks for the help

 

[bobbywalter]

did you sign the banner?



i would be willing to meet up with you in lehigh acres tomorrow evening

 

[Jbrown1238]

did you sign the banner?



i would be willing to meet up with you in lehigh acres tomorrow evening

No, I have not signed the banner. I need to look into that. I live in the Tampa Bay Area and won't be down to the Lehigh/Ft Myers area for the next few weeks. I did pass through there on Saturday returning from Plantation over on the east coast. I can let you know the next time I will be heading to that area if you want.

Jeff

PS, I did see your previous post, 1500 in one day, WOW! That is too much for me. I have done 1350 but that was 25 years ago and I don't think I have it in me any more. 800 is about max for me now and that hurts a bit. I could probably do 900 if I had too but I sure would try to talk my way out of it.

I am looking at Daytona and Ocala on Sunday and Pensacola/Panama City coming up around October 10th.

 

[bobbywalter]

well i was gonna take 27 home....but maybe i could swing tampa depending on time table.



plan on taking the banner to key west on thursday and heading it home. i have to go to some training for my other job....


i guess its a 2-3 hr ride to meet in lehi...


hmmmm...

i leave for work around 430 am and get back around 7 or so....so i am tight on time to say the least.

 

[Jbrown1238]

This past weekend I had to make a run to the panhandle of Florida. Up I75 North and West out I10 through Tallahassee. Then south through Blountstown and into Port Saint Joe on the Gulf Coast of Florida for the first stop. After the first stop was complete my wife and I headed west out Hwy 98 through Panama City, Santa Rosa Beach, Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Navarre, and then into Pensacola for the second stop. Because of the distance we spent Saturday night in Milton Florida before returning home on Sunday.

On Sunday morning, about 15 miles west of Tallahassee on I10, the Ranger's odometer rolled over the 20,000 mile mark.



That first 20,000 miles has gone by very well but not without some issues. During this trip while leaving Port Saint Joe I went over a fairly large bump in the road at speed and snapped the left and right rear hanger on both tail pipes.



A quick stop into the local Auto Zone Parts Store and the problem was temporary corrected with a $6.99 roll of 8 gauge wire. Down time was approximately 16 minutes stop to start. A permanent correction including two additional hangers at the rear will be taken care of later his week back in Pinellas County.



Here are a few windshield photos along the way Saturday and Sunday.

The sand dunes along the beach in Destin.




Crossing the bridge from the barrier island of Gulf Breeze heading into Pensacola.




Crossing the Chattahootchee River between Marianna and Tallahassee.




Running the hills of the Panhandle in the middle of no where.




By this time my wife was getting tired and ended up falling asleep for a short nap. Knowing that she is a big "88" Fan, I had to wake her up to look out the passenger side window. Who's your Daddy now?

 

[win]

I've put 18K on mine in the last 14 months, you're at 20K in what, 4?

That's incredible! Looking like you'll put 100K miles on it faster than you built it!

 

[Jbrown1238]

I've put 18K on mine in the last 14 months, you're at 20K in what, 4?

That's incredible! Looking like you'll put 100K miles on it faster than you built it!

Hey Win, it is good to hear from you. Yep, I have 20,000 miles on it now and it has been a little over three months. I think you are right, it took five years to build so if all goes well I should be around 500,000 miles by then. I have pulled the last three trucks from service between 450,000 and 485,000 miles. But I hope to run this one beyond that. Even if the drive line gives up the ghost early I will probably just swap it out.

 

[bobbywalter]

the blocks do break on these when you run the wee out of em.....


but i was merciless to all of mine, and 350 k for a 5.0 was no sweat....it was the 50 or 60 houses that i roofed with it idling all day running the air compressor....and laying on its side full throttle hill climbs with the oil pressure bobbling that hurt it. i did over 7 k the last month...and i dont miss that at all. i dont like to drive anymore most of my free time behind the wheel sux....reflection of it strains my soul....time away from family. but thats on top of my time at work....if driving was my job then it would be pretty good time wasted so to speak.


i was wanting to go to pensacola diesel on the way home and to teds truck parts for parts for my ranger, they do 6.5 diesel stuff. and the funny here is romex is usually what holds my exhaust system on so its easy to remove but that storm changed my plans and i went 95 instead to meet up with my daughter...her base evaced n.e.p.....so i visited her in ohio...


with your drive cycle and fair maintenance....500 k is doable. almost expected actually.

 

[Jbrown1238]

the blocks do break on these when you run the wee out of em.....


but i was merciless to all of mine, and 350 k for a 5.0 was no sweat....it was the 50 or 60 houses that i roofed with it idling all day running the air compressor....and laying on its side full throttle hill climbs with the oil pressure bobbling that hurt it. i did over 7 k the last month...and i dont miss that at all. i dont like to drive anymore most of my free time behind the wheel sux....reflection of it strains my soul....time away from family. but thats on top of my time at work....if driving was my job then it would be pretty good time wasted so to speak.


i was wanting to go to pensacola diesel on the way home and to teds truck parts for parts for my ranger, they do 6.5 diesel stuff. and the funny here is romex is usually what holds my exhaust system on so its easy to remove but that storm changed my plans and i went 95 instead to meet up with my daughter...her base evaced n.e.p.....so i visited her in ohio...


with your drive cycle and fair maintenance....500 k is doable. almost expected actually.

It sounds like you still get around a lot. I am pretty lucky, just day trips and home every night. Three or four times a year I make the Pensacola/Panama City trip but my wife always goes with me and we spend one night away from home.

I can't complain about the truck so far. My only fear is the newbee engine assembly guy that put it together. Human error and no so much parts failure is what still concerns me a little. But I admit, as the miles build the confidence grows. After 21,900 miles I have only had two issues, the exhaust hangers failing and the clutch slave cylinder started leaking. Both have been corrected now. I had extra support welded onto the hangers and I replaced the slave cylinder a few weeks ago. I am going to go back in and make a few changes with the fluid resevior for the clutch and will write it up when the time comes.

 

[cookiemonster98]

This was truly inspiring.. So inspiring I'm fact that I am selling my project car for another ranger this time 2x4

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

 

[Jbrown1238]

This was truly inspiring.. So inspiring I'm fact that I am selling my project car for another ranger this time 2x4

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

Thank you, be sure and take lots of photos. We all like to follow along and look at the work as it unwinds.

 

[oddball101]

Hey, love what you did with the cup holder. I was going to do the center console bit, but once I had that area cleared out, I just really liked having that open area as well ad left it that way ever since. Plus, the cup holders are in the perfect spot.

Enjoy the ride, man.

 

[Jbrown1238]

Hey, love what you did with the cup holder. I was going to do the center console bit, but once I had that area cleared out, I just really liked having that open area as well ad left it that way ever since. Plus, the cup holders are in the perfect spot.

Enjoy the ride, man.

Thanks man! I have both seats pretty far forward and it makes the cabin feel really small. Having that center area open helps a little bit! Damn short legs!

 

[ufg062003]

Im very very impressed with this thread. Nice effin write up and job bro. I can only hope mine ends up half as nice.