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So in the upcoming months I will be completely tearing down and rebuilding my truck, which I've dubbed Jemima. She's a rough ol thing right now, when I'm through with her though she'll be a beauty. I'll keep updates, progress and setbacks. Give my insight, and ask for others. The goal of the build is to restore her to former glory, reach maximum reliability and mpg, and practicality as a backwoods truck. I want this truck to really live and say 'Merica.
I will be sandblasting, sanding, and painting all surfaces. Going with black for the frame, drivetrain, ranch hand bumpers and headache rack, International Harvester red/orange for the engine with black or dark forest green color as a highlight?, and a dark forest green for the body.
Swap the 4.10s for 3.55s, and rebuild the zf5 transmission while it's pulled. (Adding an overdrive box is tempting of it's possible). Differential and axle bearings. Shocks and leafs, considering lifting it a couple inches as well.
IDI-T swap? Only if I can't find one cheap enough that doesn't need internals rebuilt . Maybe not...but one can dream. Clean the engine up, replace oil cooler, head gaskets cuz why not?, compression test though it seems fine, camshaft seal and rear main. Any mods to make it more reliable? Make breathing a bit easier for her also and go with 3-4" exhaust straight pipe. Been looking for 3" manifolds, seems like they dont exist. So 2.5 manifold to a 3" pipe is what I'm thinking. 4" seems a bit excessive and not worth the cost I've read.
Body work, pulling dents, bed swap, bedliner, new door bearings, cab and bed bushings. Floor panes may need to be cut and fabricated. (Anyone sell fabricated floor panes? If not I may have a product to sell). Find a camper shell to spruce up and paint to match.
Clean up the interior, find a bench seat to swap, plastic weld cracks in the dash. May hit something up with OBSinteriors. Window tints, rear window with a vent would be nice. Get all the gauges working, add an A pillar with 3 gauges for EGT, transmission temperature, fuel pressure? New radio and stereo system. Have a switch panel installed for manual glow plugs, winch, fog lights, auxiliary tank. (Anything else I should put on a switch? I love my switches 😉
Then my fun stuff, accessories. Winch, aftermarket lighting, train horn (For the prius on the roads), charging system for 120v accessories when I'm outback, fab a roof rack for the cab and the camper shell, lighting for the camper shell, HAM/CB radio, and of course as a Texan I need my rifle rack.
I'll be learning a lot. Honestly, I do know that I'll screw up quite a bit. The Lord, FE forum, YouTube, and my tools is all I'll need though 🤙. First rebuild. It's gonna be hell with my rust bucket.
If anyone has product suggestions, advice, warnings, or anything I'd be glad to know. I currently in the product selection phase. Budget is to try and be under 8k including tools.
Bed is rusted through and damaged from blow out tire. Cab is decent. Sits on 33s New floor mat needed Sanding/blasting should fix this. Got some blasting to do. It'll be a chore
Lots of electrical work going on to keep it running for now. Glow plug wiring, fuel pump wiring, and fuel selector wiring issue. Currently a no start, suspect the glow plug relay after new plugs and harness. Going to rig a manual GP switch.
Swap the 4.10s for 3.55s, and rebuild the zf5 transmission while it's pulled. (Adding an overdrive box is tempting of it's possible). Differential and axle bearings. Shocks and leafs, considering lifting it a couple inches as well.
Still researching it, from what I understand primarily for automatic 2wd, an overdrive box can be added between the transmission and engine to add taller gears.
From what I understand for manuals you can have a gear splitter, Gearvendor makes one for the ZF5, if it'll work it should improve milage at higher speeds by their claims of 22-28%.
With a new Gear Vendor you are looking at $3K for a new unit.
GV makes them for all types of transmission set ups, auto and Manual.
They also make them for Drag cars etc...
I scored on one out of an 89 f250 7.3 Oct 29th at PNP. $160 for the box,
but had to come back later for the Tail Shaft, another $34.
Check on CL, FB etc.... E-bay everything seems to be gold plated by what
they charge.
here is some listings on CL https://sacramento.craigslist.org/pt...434688902.html
You can wire it up to split between gears, when in 4th over it would be like a 5-spd IE if you have
the T-19 like me. You can add a 2 spd shift switch on the shift lever.
Update
Lots of work getting done. Currently starts every time. Was a fuel delivery issue, found a leaky barb thread and replaced it today. Picked up an auxillary tank and deleted the side tank. Rigging a return line on the auxiliary tank.
My truck bed full of parts. Anyone want a side tank?
Bit bigger than I expected, works out well though.
Fuel runs to a 30 micron prefilter Then runs through a Holley Back Fuel Pump Then through this dual filter head with two 15 micron Wix 33616 fuel water separator filters Fuel then runs through this PSI regulator straight to the IP. The stock filter head is bypassed and removed.
Got my switches installed and my kind brother is paying for a used rear sliding window after shattering my old rear window with a BB gun. (It's cheaper getting a used slider than a new solid, I'm not taking advantage of him)
Otherwise engine runs nice and smooth, discovered it'll need a new belt tensioner as it's quite loose and a power steering hose which is leaking. Always the small things...
Oil filter took 3 frickin days to get off. What a pain in the ****. Had to use a saw zaw, heat gun, and a 16" pair of channel locks to get it off. Took about 10-12 cumulative hours.
Snapped the oil wrench trying to get er off Used a saw zaw and cut half the filter off. Used a heat gun to then melt the gasket off.
And here it is in two pieces. Talk about a simple 5 minute job....
Even when the filters come off "easy", it still ain't no 5 minutes unfortunately.
I don't even attempt using a wrench at this point, I just go under the truck with a hammer, long screwdriver, and big channel locks. It's ridiculous.
Struggles to start still. When it's cold started if I bring the rpms up and then let it drop to idle it'll almost stall/hesitate then keep on chugging. Might bring the idle screw up some I've heard helps. Then may need to get it timed if that doesn't help. Fuel PSI is around 7.5-8. may bring it down a tad. Once it's going it's going and warmed up the hesitation goes away completely. Normal or abnormal?
Still a hard start, glow plug system works on every plug and fuel pressure is confirmed. Changing out battery cables and starter motor next.
Thoughts?
In summary glow plug system is good, fuel pressure is good, hesitation at cold start when rpm is dropped to idle, and difficulty starting.
I will say you are an energetic guy taking on this project.
Your new girl looks pretty good till you look under her skirts...LOL
For the most part, I usually don`t have problems removing the Oil filter.
Do you oil the gasket and the part it screws onto?
But I have had some over the years on various vehicles, for what ever
reason will try your patients.
I wouldn`t trust using Cinder Blocks to hold up a vehicle. been too many
people killed when they suddenly crumbled. They are not known for
strength.
I sure did make sure that oil filter was oiled well and put on hand tight. Never forgetting that mess 😉
Frame needs to be welded on the front shock, been up there 6 months. Definitely not working under it due to its tendency to crumble. Hopefully it'll come off in the next week or two.
12-11-2021, 08:48 AM
