What did you do to your Ranger today? (Part Deux!)

[youngbuckwithapickuptruck]

MOAR QUESTIONS:
should i just crank my steering wheel back and forth? engine on or engine off?

vaccum pump no vacuum

 

[youngbuckwithapickuptruck]

looks like a i figured out a setup that may work but now the pump isnt pulling vacuum. this pump was brand new plastic sealed in the box when i picked it up this morning, i even tested it and it worked. the last two pumps i tried to 'rent' from autozone wouldnt pump either.

any ideas whats wrong? i tried moving the steering wheel left to right about 20 times and it keeps bubbling air and if i go really fast, it seems to be sucking in air as it raises the powersteering fluid level to start spilling out the reseviour(sp?).

advice?

 

[Curious Hound]

looks like a i figured out a setup that may work but now the pump isnt pulling vacuum. this pump was brand new plastic sealed in the box when i picked it up this morning, i even tested it and it worked. the last two pumps i tried to 'rent' from autozone wouldnt pump either.

any ideas whats wrong? i tried moving the steering wheel left to right about 20 times and it keeps bubbling air and if i go really fast, it seems to be sucking in air as it raises the powersteering fluid level to start spilling out the reseviour(sp?).

advice?

View attachment 137373

Are you trying to get the old fluid oit? Or refill and remove air?

 

[youngbuckwithapickuptruck]

^^^i was trying to bleed air out of my power steering system after swapping my steering rack.

i think i broke my clockspring while trying to bleed my power steering.

i think i may have turned my steering wheel over a full rotation when i was reconnecting the intermediate shaft (never read or saw a warning about this)
and then when i was bleeding the system by turning left/right, i remember feeling slight resistance turning right and then it finally gave way and let me turn to "full lock" this must be when it broke

now i am hearing a plastic dragging noise inside my steering wheel, my horn doesnt work and my airbag light turned on.

advice?
any tips for jimmy rigging the horn to work?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Well, among other things, I chopped a quarter inch or so off the splines of my passenger side inner outer shaft for the front of the Choptop. Thinking probably Monday, weather permitting, I’m going to tear the front end apart to see about making 4x4 work. I’m doing a down and dirty budget fix to my problem. If you’ve been following along, I’ve had a problem of the passenger side axle shaft being too long.

I think some of the problem is that the axle pivot bolt hole in the James Duff bracket was egged out when I got the brackets. I welded it up ages ago and been using it since. I’m thinking part of my ongoing problem has been that I may have welded the wrong end of the egged out hole. So the idea for a temporary fix pending replacing the brackets is going to be to plate over and move the holes 1/2-3/4” over. Then with the now slightly shorter shaft and knocking the cap out of the end of the slip joint, I should be able to get enough travel to be able to put the passenger side shaft in with an external C-clip eliminator spring and have 4x4 again.

I still have plans to replace the brackets which will hopefully fix things for good, but realistically, with what has happened lately, it’s going to be 2-3 months before I can get the new brackets and winter will be largely over by then. I live in a valley and most of the roads out are not particularly well maintained in the winter so 4x4 is almost a must of it’s snowing. A good limited slip or rear locker works most of the time, but the locker for the rear axle of the Choptop is still sitting in my shop. Also knowing how my F-150 performed with a locker, I’d like the front axle capable of doing something.

So there, all caught up. Standby, things are about to happen because I’m tired of status quo. If there’s something that bugs me, it’s driving a vehicle that doesn’t do what I need it to do. I’m really salty about the tailgate on the Choptop not working but that’s a major sheet metal project to fix and I need to do something about the bumpers about the time I deal with that so I have to put up with it for now because I really need the green Ranger fixed first.

 

[sgtsandman]

The bed is off of the 2011 and all the dirt and debris has been blown off of the frame and fuel tank with an air nozzle. I was going to drain the tank via the filler neck opening in the tank but remembered about the anti siphoning valve after I got the filler neck hose off. And since it started raining, I put the filler neck hose back on. The pump retaining ring is in decent enough shape that I won't have to replace it. So, douching everything under the truck with fluid film seems to be having some benefit.

The dead battery has been removed from the truck so I can turn it in for a core when I buy the new one after work tomorrow. Hopefully the weather will cooperate tomorrow so I can get the old pump out and the new one in. Good weather or not, I can install the new battery.

 

[sgtsandman]

Well, the fuel pump has been replaced but the locking ring for the line going back to the vapor canister broke and the line is a dealer only item. So, I wait until Monday to take care of that. That is going to be a several hundred dollar item.

I went to connect the battery to test the fuel pump and the negative terminal broke. Autozone has a fairly decent replacement terminal that doesn't use the clamp style connector for the cable. So, I guess I'll be getting that.

While I'm out running for that, I'll stop by O'Reilly's and pick up a couple weather sealed single pole connectors for the wire that crosses over from the left tail light to the right tail light for the third brake light logic circuit used to make the cap light work properly. It was hard wired in before and required being cut off so I could get the bed off of the truck. Those terminals will allow me to connect and disconnect as needed in the future. Looking at the condition of the bed, I can see it coming off some time in the fairly near future for rust repair in the usual spots up front and along the right side above the exhaust.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Well, the fuel pump has been replaced but the locking ring for the line going back to the vapor canister broke and the line is a dealer only item. So, I wait until Monday to take care of that. That is going to be a several hundred dollar item.

I went to connect the battery to test the fuel pump and the negative terminal broke. Autozone has a fairly decent replacement terminal that doesn't use the clamp style connector for the cable. So, I guess I'll be getting that.

While I'm out running for that, I'll stop by O'Reilly's and pick up a couple weather sealed single pole connectors for the wire that crosses over from the left tail light to the right tail light for the third brake light logic circuit used to make the cap light work properly. It was hard wired in before and required being cut off so I could get the bed off of the truck. Those terminals will allow me to connect and disconnect as needed in the future. Looking at the condition of the bed, I can see it coming off some time in the fairly near future for rust repair in the usual spots up front and along the right side above the exhaust.

So… you should have shot me a text. Might be able to find what you need for the vapor line amongst all the stuff I have. If it’s the same as an 02 uses I should have literally everything.

Also, I have a stockpile of Weatherpack and Deutche connectors…

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So, I decided I’m tired of waiting to try to get a diff cover and the Choptop needs the locker and here we are with the locker mostly installed in the Choptop. I’ll finish tomorrow. It’s not exactly right, I’m 0.008 out of spec. It’s the shims, they’re apparently worn down. I have a set of new shims and some used shims but they are for a limited slip differential and are not compatible with an open differential. I’ll get new shims and a diff cover when I can and deal with that then.

 

[sgtsandman]

So… you should have shot me a text. Might be able to find what you need for the vapor line amongst all the stuff I have. If it’s the same as an 02 uses I should have literally everything.

Also, I have a stockpile of Weatherpack and Deutche connectors…

I can take a picture and send you a text on the connector for the vapor line. What you have might be the same. The part is listed as 2010 & 2011 only but we'll see. It could just be tubing length or something else that makes it special.

If you have that, then I can get some Weatherpack or Deutche connectors off of you while I'm there. They only need to be single pole.

 

[sgtsandman]

So, I decided I’m tired of waiting to try to get a diff cover and the Choptop needs the locker and here we are with the locker mostly installed in the Choptop. I’ll finish tomorrow. It’s not exactly right, I’m 0.008 out of spec. It’s the shims, they’re apparently worn down. I have a set of new shims and some used shims but they are for a limited slip differential and are not compatible with an open differential. I’ll get new shims and a diff cover when I can and deal with that then.

What are you looking for in a differential cover? I'm pretty sure I saved the factory one from the 8.8" off of the 2011.

 

[superj]

I may have a stock one too, from my 04 8.8

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I can take a picture and send you a text on the connector for the vapor line. What you have might be the same. The part is listed as 2010 & 2011 only but we'll see. It could just be tubing length or something else that makes it special.

If you have that, then I can get some Weatherpack or Deutche connectors off of you while I'm there. They only need to be single pole.

Send it over when you get a chance. I don’t have the truck here unfortunately, but we’ll figure it out. I have a couple places to look if I don’t have it too.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

What are you looking for in a differential cover? I'm pretty sure I saved the factory one from the 8.8" off of the 2011.

I may have a stock one too, from my 04 8.8

So, I have a stock 8.8” cover now. I was really trying to get my hands on something like a Solid cover or something more substantial than the stamped tin stock covers since this is supposed to be an off-road capable rig and had been putting off installing the locker as a result.

Well, winter sucks and I’m over it. I can’t afford to drop the money on a cover for at least another month if not three and by then winter will be more over than not. The one-wheel-peel isn’t cutting it. I’m intending on stuffing the passenger side axle shaft back in come next week too so I can have 4x4 again. Frickin tired of not having a decent vehicle.