I decided to put up some of my pictures, not that my F350 crewcab is exciting, but rather because I think I've done some cool stuff to it thus far.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...?&albumid=8712

In there are pictures of my overhead console project which is completed, some pictures of my digital cluster project that is not completed (more pictures this weekend, I think), and the very, very beginnings of the twin-turbo 460 project. Just the core engine thus far, I haven't snapped pictures of what I've done so far with the engine, because I discovered i have to get another one. Cracked block, dammit. Anyway, once the new engine arrives I'll delete the original engine pics and start updating with how the twin-turbo project goes.

Also have some other weird stuff coming... stay tuned.

 

sorry this album no longer exists!

 

Sorry about that, after uploading all the pictures and descriptions, I opted to sort them so they are easier to view. Somehow I managed to delete them all, like the schmuck that I am.

Maybe this link works better?

https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...?userid=134425

My user galleries found by my user ID

 

very nice. I love the overhead console. How hard was it to hookup the temperature and compass? Whats the chrysler transmission controller do? The thunderbird lights look nice. Very nice gallery

 

nice truck. i must say you have the best descriptions i've seen yet. most people just show the finished project, but you did full description w/photos. i am curious about the cab marker lights. i'd like to do this on my truck, but i'm a little nervous about drilling holes in the roof. how did you run the wires. i have no headliner so i'm hoping you dont need one to hide the wires. oh and did you use one of the kits that you get at pepboys? thanks.

 

The compass, temperature and engine data box is a self contained unit, which is why I liked this overhead console so much. Also, it was long enough to reach into the back of the crewcab, so people in the backseat can read the paper or a book at night.

Anyway, the compass lights up as soon as its sees 12V and ground, so that was easy enough. Attach ground to the former dome light's ground connection, and the 12V power to accessory.

The temperature section uses the same power feeds, so that was easy, and it had two leads for the temperature sensor which Chrysler mounts behind the grill on a metal post sticking sideways, so I simply unwrapped the tape on those wires back to the firewall, snip, snip, and took the whole thing home. If you want to be fancy, like I was, I used a DPDT switch to switch between the outside sensor and the inside-the-console sensor (same sensor from another minivan, just mounted inside) and used two small green LED's and a 1.5K resistor to indicate which sensor is being used. The dpdt switch I used is actually from a computer power supply, so it has a "0" and a "1" for off and on, but looks enough like "Inside" and "Outside" that I used them as such All in all, wasn't that big of a deal to wire up, you by no means had to make it as complex as I did, the wiring of the lights was the real chore because Ford provides 12V when the doors are open, and chrysler uses the doorswitches to provide ground. Since the compass and the lights from chrysler share a common ground, you have to break that apart so opening the door doesn't turn on the compass/temp/engine data unit.

 

Thank you, I'm very pleased with this truck, I like the fact that its barebones, therefore allowing me to modify and upgrade as I see fit.

The cab marker lights were very easy... once I figured out the right place to mount the lights. The bottoms of the cab lights are contoured, and if you have the same body style as I do (92-96, not sure if the 88-91's have the same cab, but I think so) the roof is very flat, then all of a sudden drops off. I had to move the cab lights around until I was absolutely certain the waterproof gasket on the bottom would seal 100% to avoid water coming in.

Then, you drill five large holes and 10 small holes. large holes for the wire, and small holes for the screws.

Wiring them together was easy, I just hooked all the wires from each light together, soldered, and wrapped tightly in all-temperature electrical tape, and provided power off one of the four overhead console switches I added. Draws a whopping 2 amps when they are lit.

Ground is provided by the screws going through the roof's sheet metal.

If you don't have a headliner, then you know there is a piece of welded in sheet metal at the top of the windshield and the roofline at the very front, with about an inch of space more or less. My cab lights are right over that, so the wiring is tucked in that space so they don't get pulled or damaged. I imagine you can do the same thing, then run a common wire that provides power too all five lights down the pillar, to a switch on the dash somewhere if you don't have an overhead console of any sort.

Do you have such a header panel in your truck? I'm assuming they all do, but I guess its possible its a crew-cab only thing maybe?

 

Sorry I missed the second half of your question. Yes, I too like the t-bird cluster, but sadly it didn't fit without dismantling it. As I have time over the weekend I'll have more photos of the new, homemade cluster assembly and how it all lights up if it goes well. Worked well with alligator clips Just need the truck back, the driveshaft is being balanced across today and tomorrow morning sometime.

Anyway, the Chrysler transmission controller was an interesting thing, it took me a long time to reverse engineer how Chrysler feeds data from the ECM of the minivan too the overhead engine display, which provides mpg, estimated to empty, and other parameters that I can scroll through. After an awful lot of research, I discovered Minivans use data from the transmission computer, to feed both the overhead console AND the chrysler minivan ECM over a pair of serial lines.

The trans computer monitors the transmission and causes shifts, as well as monitors engine vaccum through a remote sensor. So I snagged the vaccum sensor which is essentially Chrysler's version of a MAP sensor, wired it to the controller, fed the transmission the Ford tach feed, and the speed sensor input off the differential which is where Ford puts it. I got really lucky in that Ford and Chrysler use the same pulses per mile from the speed sensor, as well as the tach signal. yes, the minivan was a V6 and my Ford is a V6, but the data output of the Chrysler trans computer is at least "darn close". When I'm cruising unloaded at highway speeds the overhead displays 12-14MPG which is what I've been getting based on dividing miles traveled by gas used when i refill the tanks. Distance to Empty displays zero because there is no Chrysler ECM telling the trans computer how much fuel is left in the tank, because I had no obvious way of adapting the fuel sensor of my ford to a Chrysler ECM that doesn't exist. So, it doesn't display DTE correctly, or at all. But the MPG is darn close and its kinda neat to watch.

Up a 6 degree incline at 75MPG I'm getting 2 mpg according to the display, which I imagine in a 351W powered crewcab isn't all that far off

Finally, the Chrysler trans computer doesn't seem to mind that its not controlling a transmission at all. it initially didn't work which i thought was due to some sensors missing, but I put 500 ohm 1watt resistors on its solenoid output to 'pretend' there is something there, and it worked fine. That was just a wild-****, lucky guess however, I really didn't expect it to work.

 

welding in sheet metal: do you mean something on the inside or that metal strip that surrounds the windshield on the outside. i'll look at the truck tomorrow morning and post again in the afternoon between classes. as long as i can get the wiring inside the cab i'll mount the lights. theres little room for error w/no head liner. oh and nice work w/the transmission controller. once again excellent description. are you an engineer?

 

just be sure to keep up updated on everything.

 

The factory installed a flat piece of sheet metal that goes from pillar to pillar, all across the top of the windshield, and is about 4-6" deep towards the back of the cab. Above this flat piece of sheet is a large air gap, which my wires for the cab lights are tucked into.

I am not sure if this piece of steel is on all trucks, or just crew cabs. But this is what my headliner trim that goes across the top of the windshield attaches to.

If your truck does not have this piece of steel, then your wiring is going to show, and you're going to have screws hanging in. However, all is not lost, you can get a headliner out of a junkyard, or buy a new one from places like JC Whitney, if you want.

Thanks, much appreciated. Engineer? Naaaah. I just like monkeying with things and I'm incapable of leaving things as they are.

 

Awesome gallery. You sure seem to have a knack for tinkering that's for sure. Can't wait to see more.

Daniel

 

Did the T-bird digital components bolt in, or what did you do in terms of the sending units.

 

Thanks, but know anything that explodes, catches on fire, etc, is never publically documented

 

The 90 t-bird cluster mechanically does not fit the opening in the F-series dash. Its too wide, and none of the holes line up. I'll have more pictures in a few days demonstrating what I'm doing, i'm on hold waiting until i can pick up the truck from the driveshaft place so i can take the factory cluster out and take a few more measurements. Forgot to measure depth, ooooops.

The 90 t-bird digital cluster uses all standard analog ford sensors, so there is nothing about it electronically that doesn't wire up to my 93 F350, including the tach and the speed sensor thats on my differential (I have rear ABS, bleah).

I had it all hooked up sitting on the seat next to me using long wires with alligator clips on both ends. The only thing from the original cluster that was attached at the time was power, ground, and speed sensor in so I could see if they match. Since the t-bird cluster puts out a signal to all the resistive sensors to do its analog to digital conversion, i couldn't have the factory cluster attached in parallel to the fuel, temp, oil pressure and similar sensors hooked to the digital cluster. But the digital cluster read the sensors just fine.

There was one wire I had to cross connect between the two larger cluster connectors so the truck would start, I think I wrote that down somewhere. Turned out to be a "no cluster, no drive" type of thing. I have to start sorting my pile of wiring diagrams.

I expected the speed and the tach to be way off, but simply put I got lucky. 60 MPH on the t-bird cluster matched 60 mph on the factory f350 cluster. my tach-dwell meter said 3600 RPM, the t-bird cluster said the same thing. Not sure why, but I'm not going to complain. I bought two clusters, one from a v8 one from a v6, maybe I mismarked them before taking them home. That particular day I had three wheelbarrow's full of "stuff" so I might have mismarked things. Happened before.

Anyway, I'll have more pictures of the physical mounting adaption either this weekend or shortly there after. It depends how long the shop takes to finish balancing the driveshaft so I can get my rig back to the house.