Finally got one... a round tuit, that is!

While finishing up a lot of PM work and the full EBPV delete process, I finally decided to move the GP and AIH relays out of the valley and remount them on the PS fender wall (installing a new White Rogers upgraded GPR at the same time). Not completely finished yet, but the bracket is fabbed and seems to fit nicely in the little hole where it's going.

Pics of tonight'a work in my Album... Relocate Relays Mod - PICTURES.

Remaining work...
- use longer screws on the bracket for the AIH relay (I forgot about the metal sleeve and rubber standoff grommets in the mounting holes)
- drill and mount the bracket to the PS fender wall
- permanently mount the relays in their new home
- extend all the wiring from the valley to the relays' new location
- get back to finishing all the other under hood work so I can get the truck back on the road again.

Here is some of my strategy in what I've done and how I'll be finishing the job...

I used 1/4" thick aluminum angle because I don't weld and I wanted enough meat so that I could tap the SS mounting bolts in through the bottom of the bracket. I'll use red Loctite on them when the final install is made. I also used metric bolts/nuts since almost everything else under the hood is metric.

I'll use three or four SS sheet metal screws to mount the bracket to the fender for easy removal capability.

I'm using the same size or larger wiring for the extensions, and will solder the splices before sealing them in shrink wrap. Once all the wires are extended, I'll route them through some new loom to keep them secure and out of the way, and will also make sure that the wire extensions for the GPR are long enough to simply move over to the AIH relay in the event of GPR failure.


IMPORTANT NOTE: I did not come up with this idea all by myself, but when I initially posted this thread, I could not find the one through which I was inspired to take action. I have now located it, and it is HERE...https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...to-fender.html

 

What is the idea of the mod?
Looks space

 

Looks and sounds like a clean job!

 

This is an awesome idea Pete, if you don't mind I want to copy it in every respect...... I really need to get the Stancor GPR out of the valley. The larger relay and the regulated return are squished in there.....

Now - what shall this mod be called........hmmmmmm

 

Not wanting to poke at your hard work, but these are the questions I'd ask before I'd go at this myself:

What is the end goal?
Why would I keep the AIH relay at all?
Is that backboard going to short out the stud when putting a wrench to it?

That's some great workmanship there.

 

Nice bracket Pete!! I see the desire to relocate using the BIG relay.

I agree though, why bother with AIH?? Install the resistor inside the OE wire loom and clean up that much more!

You can extract the engine wire harness pretty easily and would sure make it easier to work on outside the truck...

As far as design goes, consider ease of unhooking it or routing wiring so you can R&R the CAC pipe or even VC if you (or God forbid someone else ) should have to.

 

The idea is to gain open space in the valley by getting the relays and bracket out of there.

Why move the AIH? Honestly, I was not aware that it was as simple as just not having it there.

Jason, I don't know anything about installing the resistor you mention... can you provide a few more details for me? Even if I go with the resistor, I still might consider mounting the relay as an installed spare for the GPR (after all, the bracket is already built to hold it and it won't really be in the way of anything else... then again, I can make the bracket even smaller if I leave out the AIH).

I have been thinking about the routing issue in terms of CAC tube and VC removal, but have not yet finalized the route I want to use. I DO know, though, that I will include a loop of extra length so it can be shifted around and out of the way of just about anything.

I added an IMPORTANT NOTE in my initial post... the source link for the initial concept was not mine...https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...to-fender.html

 

I didn't realize you could eliminate the relay altogether.

What I did was solder in a 470 ohm ¼ watt resistor in the wire that would supply power to the IAH and ran it straight to ground. But then again I need the IAH relay for smog inspection. Rather than replacing the faulty heater I spent 10 bucks at RadioShack for this mod. Either way it cleared my SES light and I passed smog stupid Cali laws.

 

While you have every thing apart, use some Antioxidant (Noalox) on the bolted connections before reconnecting the wiring and on the battery posts.

 

I deleted my IAH long before the smog checks started. I have had no problem passing and I don't have the resistor mod (or a pigtail). I don't have an SES light so I'm guessing they don't check for soft codes since I'm sure I've got one for this.

 

I did the resistor mod before I went to smog only because I had an IAH code stored. They probably would have passed me like they did you without issue.

Great project Pete, can't wait to see the final pictures!

 

OK. I've been thinking about it off and on all day, now, and I've decided to cut the bracket to eliminate the AIH altogether. Given how long my two weeks of repairs have been dragging out and this mod is being done at the tail end of that effort, I'm not going to address the absence of the AIH relay yet, but when I do, I'll try the Bosch relay alternative that Roland came up with in Post #27 of the thread I linked earlier (https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...to-fender.html).

I'll post pics of the modified bracket and final install once I'm done this weekend.

 

Rich... Not sure I follow you on this question... sorry for not having caught that detail earlier.

I think you're referring to the back large stud on the AIH relay, correct, and asking about the clearance between the bracket riser and the stud when wrenching on it? Assuming that's the case, since I'm not going to keep the AIh relay on the bracket (simply removing altogether from the engine), it's a moot point. Otherwise, though, if it were going to remain part of the job, that particular stud is the one which receives the blue wire, not the power supply, and there is about a 1/2" clearance between the bracket and the outer edge of the nut. I guess it would not be too difficult for a wrench/socket extension to make contact with either the bracket or the upper lip of the fender channel above it. Still, though, like I said earlier, I'm not going to keep the AIH relay, so it won't be a problem.

Good eye, though, and I appreciate your pointing it out.


One more note regarding the potential need for disconnecting the relay wiring/bracket for other maintenance/mod work... I'm thinking of slotting one bolt hole on one side of the bracket and key-holing the other mounting bolt so that all I (or anyone else) have to do is loosen the two bracket mounting bolts without having to completely remove them. That way, loosen the two bolts and simply remove the bracket/relay combo unit and set it over to the other side of the engine bay while working on the passenger side. I'm going to use reusable Velcro cable tie-wraps on the loom to further help with this issue.

 

I have an idea for your wiring to make it easy. I built this plug for my F-650 dash mod, 07 mirrors, and cab lights. You can get these plugs from only 1 wire all the way up to 12 wires. Put at a plug at both ends and just unclip them when you need to remover CAC and VC.

 

You have it covered... I was just on the lookout for gotchas.