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This has been an awesome read. I really admire you and others on this site that can take an end result and figure it out without step by step instructions. Very impressive.
Bad weather today. Cold and drizzling all day. OK, cold for South Texas folks...maybe not cold for you northerners.
I decided to take it easy and tackle the master cylinder, since I could stay somewhat dry and off the wet ground doing that. It has to be done, anyway.
I built a work platform while it rained. All my aluminum ones have given up the ghost over the years.
This thing is awesome. It swings out with my feet when I lean forward, and won't slide out from under me. That is a 2x10, so 9 inches of space to stand on by 72 inches long.
First order of business is to clear some space to work under the hood.
Air filter and box gotta go...
Much better without the box and the battery in the way. Also, without battery in there (7.3), the ABS pump is easy access to remove the lines running from the master cylinder to it. Don't forget to disconnect the negative cable on the second battery if you have one. Very important with that positive cable flopping around now.
If you have a hydro-boost, then the rubber line coming off this nipple is next. The clamp can be a real pain. Spin the hose around until the clamp wings face you. You have to remove it to get to the hose behind it, which you will be replacing with the one from the donor for the steering gear box.
This hose is hard to get a wrench on, and it really put up a fight when I tried to pull it out of the port. The o-ring got stuck in the hole. Make sure you check the end of the hose for the o-ring. If it isn't on the end of the hose, you gotta go fishin'.
I used a pick to get it out of there.
Comparison of the old hose fitting on the right to the newer hose fitting on the left. Much more robust in the later years, and much easier to get a wrench on!
Once you have the hose off the right side, you will need to loosen or remove the hose on the opposite side. It has a bracket attached to the hose, which is in the way of removing the master cylinder. Once the master cylinder is off, put that other hose back on. You are keeping it.
Old master cylinder is off and ready to be retired. You will need to get that cruise control sensor off it, though. The newer ones have a totally different plug.
Keep this guy.
Newer one won't work unless you want to rewire.
Fits on the new master cylinder just fine.
Follow those brake lines back to the ABS pump, and remove them to the bench/workshop. The fittings are different sizes, so you can't get them mixed up on the pump when you reinstall.
Cut the old fittings off, and install the fittings you harvested from your master cylinder donor. You can see the bends at the other end for the ABS pump. I had to straighten the ends closest to you before I could reflare. I will bend them to where I need them before installing.
When you put them back in the truck, put the master cylinder in loosely to get an idea of where you need to bend them.
Like this...
That is all I got done today. Hoping for better weather tomorrow, but if I don't get it I will at least be installing the master cylinder. If I do get good weather, the coil buckets are first on the list. That will be fun.
One last thing, the connector for the low fluid indicator on the side of the reservoir will have to be lengthened on my truck by about 3 inches to reach the other side where the new connector is. It is either that, or take off the reservoir and flip it around. I might try that tomorrow. I'd rather not pause for electrical work, even if it is super easy.
Couldn' think of a more appropriate description of that work platform so genious it is. I would suggest some antiskid additive for when you paint it. Now that I think about it this entire write-up is GENIOUS!! So well done!
I have a question that might be an alternate solution for the driveshaft mounting flange. If you have access to the donor driveshaft or one from a salvage yard could you use that tail piece on the ex's shaft? Might require a new u-joint but it's probably time for that anyway.
Anti-skid/bed liner is the plan. I might add some sand to the bed liner.
As far as the driveshaft U-joint, I think you could do that. The salvage yard where I got/get my parts makes a good bit of money selling driveshafts, but I could have gotten them with the axles if I had asked. I just checked RockAuto, and they list the same U-joints for the rear driveshaft for both my '01 and the '07 F250. I don't know that it would be "easier", but you make a great point on it being time anyway.
The weather started off with sleet this morning. I waited it out while doing the master cylinder, and I got sun breaking through the clouds around 130pm. So, I got to work taking the front axle off before dark set in. Just barely made it...
Back to the master cylinder for a moment...
Put it back in the truck and take note of where the ports end up in relation to the relay blocks. You can see in the background a common problem for us 7.3L owners. The hydraulic line rubs agains the CAC tube, and will rub a hole right through it. I have been forgetting to sleeve the line in a rubber hose, but I finally got it done today with all this great access. That isn't the only maintenance item I got super access to...
Remove the relay blocks to the sides, and take the MC back out.
Install the lines back on the ABS pump.
Make sure they hug the fender liner as they go back to the MC
Once they are under everything they need to go under (wire harnesses), then make your first bends upward.
Start bending them over to the port locations. Here is my rear line installed. Still need to do the front line.
A small tubing bender is very nice to have at this point in the project.
All hooked up for test fit. Minor issue...
The bend on the front fitting sticks out too far, and it hits the relay block. I re-bent it closer to the MC, and all was good.
Put the nuts back on the MC, and tighten them down. Make sure the bracket on the inboard line gets put back on the stud before you put the nut on.
Take the front bumper off. It is going to be in the way of progress, and we can't have that.
Position your jack stands about here.
Jack the truck up, and take the tires off. Make darn sure your truck is slightly nose up with the frame sitting on the big stands. If it isn't, you might not have enough clearance to roll your axle out.
Once the frame is on the big stands, let the axle settle 3-4 inches more onto the little stands. Kinda like I did on the rear axle.
Wheel the jacks out of the way, and lets get started taking stuff apart...<br/>
Everything comes off pretty fast from this point forward. Lots of up and down and rolling around on the ground. I would not want to EVER do this in the dirt....wait, I do at the salvage yard.
Pick a part, and zip it off with your impact. I have a small battery powered impact for the small fasteners. On a project like this, that little cordless impact will save you a couple of hours of JUST wrench turning time.
I started with the sway bar and end links. Easy pickens'...
Then I removed the driver side fender liner. If you ever have to do maintenance on your truck on this side of the engine, this is the access and view you could have if you will just take that darn fender liner out. It ain't that hard...
Shocks and top mounts were next...
Minus shocks...
I then disconnected the 3 lines to each hub: brakes, vacuum and ABS sensors.
When taking off the brakes, these cir-clips need a straight slot inserted into one of the two grooves and just twist to pop them off.
Driver side lines disconnected.
I had to break out the 3/4 drive ratchet and sockets for the track bar upper bolt. 1 3/16" monster. It is on there, too.
I won in the end.
Drag link at the pitman arm was next. Take the castle nut off, and hit it right there with a 2 or 3 lb hammer a few times. It will fall right out.
I moved on to the driveshaft next. 3 of the 4 bolt heads stripped off. Great...
I tried the 5/16 easy out for broken stripped bolt heads, but it was a no go. Just rounded the heads even more. This one paid the price.
I guess after 18 years of being in those holes, they were comfortable and not letting go. My Dremel had something to say about that...
I win. Again.
Time to take the axle out. U-bolts were up next. Simple stuff.
Jack the axle up enough to free up the jack stands. Bring in the furniture dollies ($8 each BTW). I purchased them just for this purpose. Kids love to ride down the driveway on them.
Put the axle down on the dollies, and roll it out the front. I will need to harvest the vacuum lines, ABS line and sensor and the brake lines. Hoping to re-use my stainless braided lines on the front, too. Kept them on the rear.
You are left with leaf springs and the track bar bracket. Yank them off there. Easy stuff.
Getting mighty roomy under there...
I then took off the passenger side fender well to address a coolant drip/leak I have been dealing with for while.
This is where the heater lines come and go from the rear heat/AC
I had a casualty. The passenger side vacuum tubing got crushed when I pulled off the shock mount. It was attached on the back side, and I didn't see it till it was too late. I made clean cuts on both sides of the crush...
...and spliced it back together with some 3/16 fuel hose I had on hand. I used some caliper lube to ease the insertion. Should last a long time.
I had no access to this leak from above. With the fender liner out, I had all the access I wanted. Tightened things up and leak is no more.
Passenger side all cleaned up and ready for coil bucket install.
...same for driver side.
Pirate asked for a side by side comparison. Here ya go...track bar brackets old and new.
I'll need to clean up the cross member before installing/drilling for the track bar bracket.
That is it for today. Sun went down, and the temps were dropping fast. My fingers got cold...
Great work Mike, really impressive! I'm kinda twitching from here looking at those pics; any chance you could add another jack stand? Probably just my OCD, but I keep envisioning a teeter totter.
p.s. I had the same issue with my front driveshaft; gotta be super careful with those soft bolt heads. I've been running with 3 bolts for about 5 yrs...
On my F-450 I moved the brake line to the rear of the cross member.
The track bar and steering stabilizer brackets pretty much eliminated the possibility of keeping the brake line on the front side.
I could have worked around the track bar bracket but the stabilizer bracket eat up all the space on the right side.
Edit: I think it was a combination of the stabilizer bracket and the 1 1/2" notch we made in the top of the cross member to get
clearance for the AC compressor manifold during the Cummins swap.
On my F-450 I moved the brake line to the rear of the cross member.
The track bar and steering stabilizer brackets pretty much eliminated the possibility of keeping the brake line on the front side.
I could have worked around the track bar bracket but the stabilizer bracket eat up all the space on the right side.
Gonna look into that today. I actually got the vacuum lines from the donor that run across the back of the cross member, and I may just use them.
I only have a few hours before I am off to my real job, so not much getting done today outside of cleaning up that cross member.
Not familiar with the vacuum line setup, mine has standard lockout hubs.
Do you still have to have the vacuum setup if you install manual lockouts.
Doesn't the 07 axle have lockout hubs?
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