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Howdy, @calvinhg has been diligently logging his projects on Spartacus in the OBS forum, but I've been busy starting up a company building country driveways. And I haven't posted much. Time to fix that...a little, as I am still busy.
After searching for months, I found an E99 cc 4x4 F550 up in Iowa. It will be my primary gooseneck tow rig. It was a bucket truck but the hot shotter had to yank that in order to tow it down to me in Texas. It still had a huge toolbed on it that weighs 2700 lbs. That is now sitting out in our field. We got it off with a chain hoist and front end loader. I'd tell you that story, but it's really not unique to Fords or Super Dutys. It is for sale. If doesn't sell, I'll drop it on a custom frame trailer and make a nifty tool trailer to either keep or sell.
Also out in our field is a decent parts truck, a 2000 ccfb 4x4 drw F350 Lariat LE with four bucket seats in decent shape, but afflicted badly with Missouri rust down low.
Today I started the project of putting the Lariat LE interior into the F550 XL (whose name is Gantor II). Baby steps today, lubed up all underbody bolts with ATF/Acetone then pulled out the XL bench seats and checked for floorpan rust. If I found much, I might have dropped the project and looked for another cab. But, see pic below...no rust. In fact, the parts truck from the great state of Misery was much worse underneath than the Iowa truck.
Here's a door sill. Candy wrappers, dirt galore, washers and coins, even grains of corn, but no rust.
Today I grafted on one mirror and installed one door panel. The XL mirrors were either non-adjustable from the factory or somebody had glued them pretty artfully so no glue was visible. I'm talking about the lower convex mirrors. Plus they no longer collapsed in, I pushed pretty hard and they didn't budge. Rather than break them trying, I put on the mirrors from Blacky the parts truck.
Here's how the door panel turned out. The power switches are of course just dummies now. I drilled a hole for the window crank and it looks stock. But very odd with those Lariat door panels.
Tomorrow I'll strip out the XL rubber floor and give it a good cleaning. Then I'll drop in one LE bucket so I can drive it to @calvinhg's shop and they can work on the motor. Gantor also needs a transfer case rebuild. I can hear the chain slapping around in low range.
If you've read this far, you might be interested to know that this truck was stretched 24" by the man who drove it daily, servicing grain silos and elevators. Here's the post on that https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ded-frame.html
Day two, found some rust, need some sill clip pockets (?)
Today was a half day and I stripped out the XL interior completely except door panels and headliner. Anybody know if the headliner can be removed without removing the windshield?
There are two patches of rust that are treatable. Both on the front door sills.
I have plenty of these clips on hand between Gantor and Blacky the donor truck. But as for the pocket they go in, I haven't been able to find them anywhere. I need about 5 or 10 of them. Furd dealer item only? It's some kinda rubber plastic pocket into which the door sill scuff plate retainers go.
That part number is from Bezos so who knows if it's accurate. Amazon lists it for E vans. But I have plenty on hand. It's the pocket it goes into that I need.
Anybody have an idea what these critters are called?
Well I see a lot of views, but no comments yet, hopefully y'all are enjoying this so far. I haven't found the oiled foam washers for seat belt bolts, but I did find the sill plate pocket thingies. Furd calls them scuff plate grommets and the Parts desk can get them in a day or so. TascaParts.com also has them, at a discount. (https://tinyurl.com/vgkkor4) I bought a few from both. I removed all of mine to find any rust and treat it. The factory grommets have seen better days.
I also pulled off the factory running boards. The 3/8 impact would not do the job so out came my 3/4 impact, 1600 ft/lbs did the trick. It also showered my face with 21 years of rust flakes and road grit from under/within the running boards. The next day I blasted them with high pressure and decided that they're not worth spending much time on. I'll hit them with phosphoric acid, undercoat, and keep my eye open for some used ones here in TX. Nobody likes the factory running boards, but if you live several miles in a dirt road (hello) then they also keep your windows relatively free of mud. And that mud causes the vertical scratches on your windows over time. I'll add those pics tomorrow. It's butt cold out there today.
Speaking of rust, below are pics of any rust I found. Driver floor by sill, right rear passenger by sill, and front passenger by sill (worst spot). It's really not bad at all, for a 21yr old truck from Iowa. I'll convert it with phosphoric acid then paint with quality Sherwin Williams red paint that PJ sent me for my crappy PJ Trailer failing welds. Underneath, CRC 06026 Heavy Duty Corrosion Inhibitor will stand guard. Despite the Grand Solar Minimum, Central Texas is mostly dry and entirely salt free. If it ices here, we just stay home or drive like a pope. There may be some body seam putty to remove (see pics), and I'm open to any suggestions on what best to use to replace it. I have a half tube of Butyl windshield glue in the shop that might work fine.
Here's the floor pan after cleaning with copious water and Simple Green. It was 71F when I started and 39F when I finished. Yum.
Here's the Driver door area rust
Here's the Right Rear passenger sill, just a few spots to treat.
Finally, the front passenger sill, which has the most rust of all. I'll have to pry away that body seam putty to get all the rust.
Today I removed dead paint and rust scale, then applied a first coat of Ospho (phosphoric acid). Here's the worst corner, Right Front, after cleaning it up but before Ospho. I removed any body seam putty that might have rust under it, and after two coats of Ospho I'll use windshield Butyl caulk to replace that putty.
AFTER
BEFORE
Aaaaand, those blasted stock running boards. Anybody got a set they wanna sell?
I ran into a dead end trying to find these "vent valves" F81Z-9A153-AA that go on the back of the cab and allow HVAC air to exit. Mine are distorted such that they don't close fully. The accumulated dust back there inside the cab was thick. So far all online sellers and the Furd dealer indicate that they are no longer available. The plastic frame distorts over time (21 years!) such that the rubber flaps are held open, which sucks on dusty roads. My work is building country driveways, which is pretty much dust Heaven, so I would like those suckers to close full. The grime on my old ones is enough to gag a maggot.
And another about the rear cab vents that allow HVAC air to exit the cab. Furd no longer makes them for 99-04, so I got out teen daughter to clean them up in the bathtub, and I'll repair them to 75% somehow. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-for-sale.html
Today it finally warmed up and I applied body seam putty in caulking gun to the cleaned and rust-treated inside floor. I used 3M Dynatron Auto Seam Sealer Caulk, 550, Grey. That stuff works great, sticks like glue, flows well, and can be worked with your finger or a tool. The directions suggest painting 30 minutes later. If you wait a day, you're supposed to scuff it up first. So I got out the paint 30 minutes later.
Because @calvinhg installed a Lariat LE power driver seat the other day, my next step will be to take Gantor to Calvin's shop and find out what that motor knock is all about. My bet is a piston. Gantor also needs the TC rebuilt - I can hear the chain slapping the case in low range, and the parking brakes replaced. So this interior swap project will be taking a break for at least a week.
I ran into a dead end trying to find these "vent valves" F81Z-9A153-AA that go on the back of the cab and allow HVAC air to exit. Mine are distorted such that they don't close fully. The accumulated dust back there inside the cab was thick. So far all online sellers and the Furd dealer indicate that they are no longer available. The plastic frame distorts over time (21 years!) such that the rubber flaps are held open, which sucks on dusty roads. My work is building country driveways, which is pretty much dust Heaven, so I would like those suckers to close full. The grime on my old ones is enough to gag a maggot.
Here's the resolution on that Vent Valve issue. Because Furd no longer makes them, I decided to clean mine up and "repair" them. Our teen daughter soaked them in Simple Green then cleaned off 21 years of spooge with an old toothbrush. So far so good.
The plastic rods in the frame distort over time such that the rubber flaps are held open.
I heated the warped plastic bars that were holding the flaps open with a heat gun and bent them such that they allow the rubber flaps to close again. 5 minutes. A neater job would have been new little bars. But the flaps themselves are getting old too. Here's a before and after pic.
But on one of the two vent valves, the rubber flaps have begun to deteriorate at the top where they are hooked on. This would have allowed uncontrolled air and dust to enter the cab.
So I ran beads of bathtub silicone along the top. It's not pretty but nobody sees these critters from the back once the bed is back on. It should still allow air to exit, albeit reduced flow.
The only other solution I could think of would be body work to graft in the rounded holes for 2004-up cab vents. That would be a better solution if I had unlimited time and money. I don't.
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NEWS: The motor is out at a buddy's shop. @calvinhg 's boss didn't want the job, so I took it to a master tech friend. Machine work is all done now, bored .030 over. RiffRaff plenums and full upgrade to L99 parts underway. Big Fuel, Big Air, 140v IDM, you guys know the drill by now. Due to heavy tow use, Rosewood 130% Stage 1s and GearHead tow tunes ordered. Trying out the new CTS3 console, just came out yesterday. Going with Diamond Eye downpipe, no Banks Power Elbow this time, too hard to integrate unless you buy their whole spendy system. Found a new tranny in there!
Here's what we found in the bores. I have a theory as to what gave out. Do you see it? The PO is alas pushing up daisies so I can't ask him.
Howdy guys, it's been a while since I updated. The interior swap is going well. My work schedule has been heavy, so @calvinhg 's little brother took on the interior swap. I'll post pics soon.
Calvin started installing a Mishimoto tranny cooler yesterday, and because cooling rhymes with bling, I installed a Putco perforated metal polished SS grill.
Both jobs went slightly awry but we improvise adapt overcome as a general rule in my family.
The truck is a E99 and its tranny cooler supports are apparently different from an L99 or our 2000 parts truck. We had to put S bends in the vertical supports on both sides to they would not contact the Mishimoto.
For the Putco grill, one of its little SS bolts siezed up and broke off. Vice grips, tap & die set, 20 minutes, and it was fixed. I like the simple Putco grill, mainly for additional impact protection from rocks, birds, etc.
d you ever come up with some cab vents and those door sill clip pockets? I have both laying around, the vents are in the Marketplace.
I found the pocket things, Furd calls them grommets, at the dealer. Not too expensive.
See a few posts up, I rebuilt my vents with cleaning, silicone, heat gun. Can't buy new ones anymore.
Gee thanks, Furd. Leave customers with the most reliable trucks unsupported.
Are your vents for sale NOS (New Old Stock)?
Here's our Labor Day so far. Gantor is getting his new side exit 4" straight exhaust system fully hung. Nobody on the forum had any tips this time. But heck it's not rocket science. I'm going with one more in the stock location roughly under the front passenger seat, for a total of two hangers. Given that it's waaaaay shorter and therefore lighter, I think that will do. Bad news is I gotta do that welding upwards under the truck. Good news is GMAW-pulsed should reduce spatter.
The boys are pulling the tranny out of the bed-less Bricky you see there. The ZF won't go into reverse. I told them that special long pullers are needed for a ZF but you know how boys are...at least they have the right parts on hand already.
02-01-2020, 10:25 PM
