Got the bolts for the lights, no freeze plugs (I will tell why later), fitted the bracket tabs to bumper and welded them on and then painted the back side. Popped the lights in for pictures.

Close up of light and how it is mounted.

And the money shot! Nothing is lined up just placed on to get the picture.


Now the freeze plugs
I had to get the truck in the air so figured on using ramps ..... nope! smooth floor they move so I put old mud flaps I have still no go. Ramps moved a little but the wheels just spin on the floor so out came the jack & horse.
So I get a size of about 1.5" reaching around hot parts from trying to get up the ramps and I keep getting dripped on.
I check the rubber plug from under the truck and it is dry? Could it be from the hot water plate on the bottom of the stock intake leaking? Checking from under it looks dry? Get a step stool to check over the fender and I spot another plug leaking!

At this point the manifolds will come off so I can access all the plugs on the right side to replace them.
Only good thing is it has not been long since I put that stuff all together.
Going to place an order with Rock Auto as that is where I got the last gasket and was happy with it.
Hope to have parts by next weekend so I can get that fixed.
Dave ----

 

Looking good Dave. I wonder how carpet underlayment/padding would work to keeps the ramps from sliding. I know it helps keeping me from not sliding off a metal roof...

 

I used 2 old truck mud flaps and for the most part they worked but the rear tire stared to spin after a few tries and not run off the end of the ramps I went with the jack & horse.

And thanks on the looking good part.
Dave - - - -

 

I'd say it was a successful horse shopping trip.

I present to you "Boggin' for boobies" by LEB out of SC. This is a short block I've had for a couple years wrapped up in the shop. It is a 433ci "factory headed" class rules build. It got a solid roller cam, some very heavily worked 72 model 460 PI heads, a trick flow intake also with a lot of work, CVF water pump. We went down, slid the cam in bolted on the heads measured for pushrods and then assembled. I've got to order the pushrods, then install them and the roller rockers. Drop the distributor in, and order a torque converter for it. Should be able to send a tiny bit of mud north.






Now I just need to finish the cage and other random odd and ends and I'll be ready to get it in.

 

Did a little work on the truck today... took out the back glass, then cut, grind, test fit grind some more, test fit, grind and test fit. But I got the 2 bars to the bed fitted and ready to be welded in.

 

Pulled the evap canister out of the sport Trac to look them over, didn't see any hoses split, lubed up an oring connection with super lube, snapped it back in and put a zip tie on a hose connection, and that apparently fixed my evap leak. Had to pull the spare to do that, painted the rusty diff cover while I could. Looked into options for additional lighting on it for spotting deer in the dark, probably gonna use an led bar behind the grill, already added a second fog light switch. Found a pic of how it'd work.
Flushed the nasty solidified gear oil from the axle/transmission in the John Deere. Need to work on getting the rear tank right on that f250 next.

 

Let's see...on going projects I have for The Beast (1999 F250 4x4 V10). Backstory, I've had the truck since 2006. Added a 5.5" Fabtech, 18" wheels, and used 35" ProComps back in 2009/2010 timeframe. In 2011/2012 I upgraded to used 37" Nitto Terra Grapplers. About 3.5-4 years ago, I started having intermittent starting issues. Then one day it just wouldn't start at all. So it sat parked next to the garage until February of this year when I dragged it up to the driveway in hopes that I would gain some motivation to get it back on the road. Tough task in itself with a 2yo son and our 3mo daughter...gotta make time for family. But it's happening...slowly but surely...

• Replace fuel pump, sender unit, fuel filter - COMPLETE
  • Dropped the tank which had 20gal of gas in it. Manually siphoned to gas cans to be disposed of at the landfill (physically hurt to pour that gas out and think about how much it cost me back when I pumped it). Cleaned up the tank straps and the filler neck the best I could and sprayed them with some rust inhibitor and rubberized coating. They look great now. After re-install...primed the system and The Beast was alive again. Missed the sound of the roar it makes!
• Replace the brake hardlines along the rear axle - WORK IN PROGRESS
  • While I dragged the truck up to the driveway, one of the rear hardlines let loose due to age/rust. Got all replacement lines for the rear from the hardlines along the frame down to the calipers. Just need to install them.
• Replace the brake calipers, rotors, pads...all 4 corners - COMING SOON
  • Not sure I have ever done a brake job on The Beast since I've had it, so figured I'd bite the bullet and do an upgrade. Looking at the top of the line Power Stop set...cuz it's all fun and games until you can't stop...lol. I will likely check out the hardlines up front when I tear into the brakes also to see if I should replace them also. May consider doing the parking brake shoes also based on the amount of rust on everything else currently. And it'll just be a good time since it'll all be torn down anyway.
• Replace the windshield - COMING SOON
  • One of the last times I was out wheeling, I gunned it by mistake while passing under a low tree branch at the same time. The CB antenna I had mounted on the tool box whipped and slapped the passenger top corner of the windshield so hard it cracked the windshield pretty bad and sounded like a 9mm went off in the cab. Scare the mess out of me when it happened...I stopped and looked around like some A-hole just shot at me. Didn't realize the windshield was cracked until I got home. Not sure if The Beast will pass inspection with the windshield in it's current state.
• Troubleshoot and repair the rear suicide doors - COMING SOON
  • Both sets of handles on both doors don't seem to do anything. I'm assuming the actuator cable inside the door deteriorated or broke. This is a low priority as it has no impact on getting the truck road worthy.
• Oil Change - COMING SOON
• Check Fluids - WORK IN PROGRESS
• Replace tires - COMING SOON
  • Trying to find a decent set of 37" MTs for the 18" wheels for a decent price. May just suck it up and buy new, but not looking forward to dropping $2k on rubber. Again, not sure the currently tires will pass inspection...they may pass...barely.

That pretty much sums up the list...for now. I had thoughts of not putting it back on the road and hauling it around to the mud pits for weekend racing, but my 07' Sport Trac would struggle to haul The Beast, I don't have a car trailer, and I think daily driving will make me just as happy for a while. I have pics of the fuel system job, but they are on my phone and I'm on my laptop at the moment. Maybe I'll post them up later on in one of the non-NC threads.

If you've read this far...thanks for sticking with me on this one...sorry for the long read...

 

Pretty long list, Brandon.
Hang in there, take your time and before you know it, The Beast will be back on the road...

 

@77mud you should put a set of these on your mudder....

 

I'd like to run a set of cuts once, just for ****s and giggles. However to do that I've got to step up about 3 classes.

 

cuts???

 

Yesterday I R&R the manifolds on my 300 six, it has EFI exh. manifolds with the stock log intake, 3 different parts that all have to go back together at the same time with only 2 hands!
I had to R&R because I had a leaking freeze plug. At first I thought it was a rubber one someone installed but the last time it was leaking I was able to tighten it. It was ok but another had rusted and started to leak.

There are 5 plugs on the 300 and the kit I got from Rock Auto said it had 5 of the size I needed. As you know when I got the kit it only had 3 of the right size so off to AZ to get the last 2 they had.
With all the plugs needed to do the job how to get the old ones out and not have them sit in the block causing issues? What I found worked (the only way) was to drive them into the block then get vice grips on them and pull them out sideways.
Once out I cleaned up the block openings coated them and the plugs with sealer. I had to used a big socket to get them started in the block then use a hammer to get them flush with the block then back to the socket to drive them in just a little more.

Being on a roll I cleaned up the head & manifolds gasket areas and remounted them to the head.
Thing is I ended up with a thick washer & nut I cant figure where it goes on the manifolds? And I only pulled it apart a few hours before.
Got it all back together other than the air filter assy. and pour the coolant in as I wanted the sealer to set up before I did the coolant.

I also broke I think its a check valve for the carb bowl vent. I was almost done and the thing just fell apart. I have the spring but the flat washer fell to the floor and I cant find it.
Hope when it is running and pulled out I can find it so I can put it back together.
Started at 6am stopped to take trash to dump and get the 2 freeze plug and was done by 1:45pm wonder what book gives to R&R manifolds & all 5 freeze plugs?
Dave ----

 

Well all that work I did yesterday was all most for nothing.
Filled with coolant today and got it running but has a miss, could feel it as soon as it started.
Got motor up to temp topped off and stat open a few times, temp gauge sitting pretty so I am happy.

Now to find why the miss?
Start checking with carb cleaner and found the leak at #1 intake port to head.
I know I cleaned everything good so don't know why it is leaking?
Cleaned up the mess in the garage before backing the truck back in and calling it a day or a week or a month!
At this point I hate this truck and don't want to work on it any more so it will sit.

I don't know if I can maybe move the intake a little to fix this or not and if I have to get a new gasket again or not as it is new for this last bit of work.
If moving the intake will not fix it everything, EFI exh, manifolds & intake manifold have to come off and to do this the ALT & bracket has to come off to do that.
So don't know when I will want to get back to this thing
Dave ----

 

Boggers, that they cut the small lugs out of, and then groove.

 

ohh... so why do they require yours to be so "nekid"? yours look like those ones there on the bottom right that look like theyre nearly worn out...