Khan's 95 Build thread
 

I figured now would be as good as any to start a build thread on my OBS as I've done enough up to this point to give you folks something to read and look at. I tend to lurk on the forums but I figured I need to start giving back and helping those as needed.

I had my wife buy this rig in 2017 as I was getting ready to PCS (USAF Permanent Change of Station) back to the states from being stationed at Kadena AB in Okinawa, Japan. Before this truck I had/have a 1986 fullsize bronco I was building with my dad before we had a falling out the night before my wedding.

Anyway, on to the cool stuff, this truck is a 1995 F250 Ex cab long bed, with the Dana 50 TTB and E4OD transmission. She had approximately 219k on the odometer with one prior owner, I can only assume having spent it's whole life as a farm truck of sorts out of Redding, CA due to having a gooseneck in the bed and being covered in mud.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...c833f0455f.jpg

As Soon as I got to Yreka, CA where my Fiance' was the first thing I wanted to do was drive it! I had an EVO 4 5 speed and it still couldn't compare to old American iron. This truck was pretty gutless so I wanted to get a few things done before we drove this across the country to Eglin AFB, FL where we were going.

I changed the oil with some T6 Rotella, and a Donaldson DBL7405 filter, changed the fuel filter, added a Riff Raff HPX line, had the coolant flushed, (Or so I thought) new t stat, 6.0 fan installed (FoCoMo #YA245), new Curt brake controller/ wiring fixed and I was on my way.

We loaded up our things in the truck and pulled her '07 Toyota Yaris with us (Weighed in at 6700lbs empty, 13500lbs loaded) and left towards Reno that night. In between a screaming cat and being tired we reached Reno at about 3am in the morning and got a room for the night with checkout at 11am. Once we woke from our power nap it was off for another day of travel. After a smooth day of towing we stopped in Kingsman, AZ for the night after driving through Nevada all day. Talk about boring! I was starting to get uneasy as we hit a bit of hills and couldn't keep speed over 35mph on the hills towards Kingsman. At this point I didn't have gauges installed, so I could only watch the temp gauge and hope for the best.

Once we were back on the road for the next day I noticed some black smoke in traffic out of the tail pipe and some smoke coming from the engine bay while we were stopped. I didn't think too much of it as the fluids were ok and the truck wasn't overheating..... YET. As the day went on, we hit some serious hills on the way into Flagstaff, AZ where my inexperience started to show. The trans couldn't decide whether to stay in OD or shift down into 3rd (Remember I have an E4OD) and the O/D light started flashing. Impending doom was about to hit once we were about 25 miles out of Flagstaff. There it went. RPM's were rising like it was in Neutral. CRAP!!!!!! Here I was, coasting at 55 mph and the truck was going to stop eventually. I pulled over to the left side of the road (Big mistake, still used to driving on the left hand side of the road in Japan) and we got a local tow truck to tow us to a diesel repair mechanic. The mechanic ended up BSing with my wife and I and it turns out he was AF reserve.

We finally made it to High Mountain Diesel, which is where the tow truck guy takes his truck when he needs work. He assured us the job would get done right, but obviously it wasn't going to be cheap...... Here we gooooooooo. The Mechanic took the keys and called me the next day after tearing into my truck and told me that I would need a new trans, I fried all my clutches from the heat.. Again here comes my inexperience with towing and trucks in general. He replaced the whole trans with a FORD E4OD unit. 1 week later we were back on the road.

About 200 miles into the next day we stopped for fuel somewhere in the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico. When I was filling up I noticed a bunch of oil pooled up under the truck. CRAP! what now? I called the mechanic and asked him what was up and he told me to monitor it, and check for leaks/ keep the oil full. I pulled the dip stick and there wasn't a drop of oil on the dipstick, luckily I had a gallon of T6 in the bed for such an occasion. I threw that in and went to Walmart for some more to make sure she was topped off. Remember that RiffRaff HPX I had? I was one of the unlucky ones with one that wasn't bent quite right and I ended up with a pinched O ring that kept spewing out HPO. Just my luck that I pinched an O ring on install, but not being able to fix the leak I had to keep topping off the oil.

About 250 miles or so I was having to add 6 quarts of oil, and spewing oil all over my truck/ undercarriage which I guess is good rust prevention. After running enough clean oil through the engine I actually noticed the loud tick at highway speeds went away. Makes me wonder what kind of maintenance this truck had before even though it seemed in good shape for it's age.

The rest of the trip to Florida was pretty uneventful aside from the oil, which we found out the oil was getting onto the turbo exhaust turbine, causing smoke to rise from the hood at idle and a wonderful smell, which I sort of liked towards the end.

We finally made it to Fort Walton Beach, FL and were unable to in process and unpack. This finally gave me some time to fix the oil leak on the HPX and do another oil change, given the 3700 miles I just put it through. Not sure if it was the smell, but I wasn't totally happy with the T6 and wanted to try something different. This lead me to Schaeffer 9000 with another DBL7405 oil filter. While I was there I thought I would install the EZ drain valve for easier oil changes.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...6e7bb1812.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...2791facbc.jpeg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...cead0b483.jpeg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...fcd68a964.jpeg

This also shows how far the DBL7405 sticks out below the oil pan. It's roughly an inch, and the drain valve has been a non issue the 3 years its been on there.

Shortly after this I ended up getting rid of the S&B intake I put on there due to the fact the plexi glass cracked the the whole box didn't fit in there as well as I liked. I wish I would have went with Riff Raff's 6637 set up in the first place as I am still running that to this day, 3 years later with no complaints.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...3ee64cb1d.jpeg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...ffefef5564.jpg

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...bf1b6ef936.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...8f8cbdc587.jpg


I ended up with the basic filter vs their Donaldson Blue due to availability. I am currently running the Blue 2.5 years later but didn't notice a difference with the stock 90cc AA codes and stock turbo.

Shortly after getting settled in when I pulled the intake for the new 6637 filter set up I noticed that I had a good amount of oil in my intake with a fresh set of Riff Raff boots and the cleaned up intake tube. This led me to doing the infamous CCV mod that people love and hate at the same time. I will say this, with the T6 leftover in my engine, it smelled awful, but went away a couple oil changes later.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...61c4369429.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...f111b6b9e7.jpg

Here you can see the before, with 5k miles worth of CCV oil in the intake, which for 5k miles is too much for me. After, you can see where I found a couple washers, machine screw, and nut for the delete, sealed with gray permatex. After flipping the doghouse, I ran this for 2 years with no issues and the hose exiting right at the front axle yoke.

Next up on the mod list, I wanted to drain the rear diff oil and change to the 08-10 super duty finned cover.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...ebeafcf4d0.jpg

The diff oil was red and smelled burnt, I didn't take pics of it, but you could tell on the diff cover where it was getting hot.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...fdfd1f352c.jpg

Lets get that nasty boi outta here!

A few months later I decided to replace the trans cooler which was a bigger tube and fin unit with a tru cool 4921 mounted behind the front bumper. I wish I wouldn't have wasted time on this and went straight to a 6.0 cooler, but live and learn. The PO deleted the trans cooler, so I was seeing about 180-190 at any given time during the summers on I-10. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures, just get some 3/8's hose, drill some holes, and run the lines.

Up to this point the truck was running great for another 1.5 years until my idle started getting weird. it seemed like the truck was hesitating, and I noticed a fuel leak draining through the valley drain hole. The following week I was driving to work and the truck hesitated and bucked hard, threw some black smoke and I thought I was going down! I got it closer to work and it ended up dying on me, and I had to have some folks help push it into a parking spot. That I day I was able to get home but decided I needed to go through the entire fuel system. I was eyeballing the Irate E fuel kit, because I liked how the whole kit mounted. The hard lines were nice, the fuel bases, nicer. I ended up purchasing the Dieselsite CPR system later that night because it was said it could be installed without removing the turbo. :rolleyes: Later I found out my truck is a ******* year (Build date 1/25/95) with the IDI radiator and a weird two piece driver side fuel fitting on the head. I ended up having to remove the turbo to get that out, and finally got the E fuel plumbed up. While I was there I decided to delete the EBPV, cap off the factory pedestal, etc.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...bdcb4db2d4.jpg

Here I finally got that little monster of a lift pump to unseat itself from the block.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...682d719d0d.jpg

I also decided to tackle the Diamond Eye 4" exhaust while I had the turbo removed. All I can say is that down pipe is still probably the hardest job I've had up to this point.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...841f134d1e.jpg

Notice my multiple cuts into the "Cobra head" of the downpipe.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...950cb8432a.jpg

Finally got that turd out, making room on the firewall wasn't as bad as trying to cut a pipe towards the engine...

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...1607bc24d7.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...9fb721d9d.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...2f6b3520c8.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...30a8e7f7fa.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...f6f02a1d7f.jpg


Deleted the EBPV, wasn't too hard of a job. I ended up drilling out the rivets to get the butterfly valve to come off, and the rod pulls out after that. For the pedestal, I cut off most of the rod, and left the spring and guts in there and put a sterling 10.25 bolt and a nut/ washer on the other side. I try to use whatever I have lying around, this has worked well for the last 18 months. Make sure to throw some sealant on there to make sure it's leak free.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...32ddfa7635.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...6ec8ed3c95.jpg

Back to exhaust work, I cut out the rest of the stock system, and here is a good shot of the stock OBS pancake downpipe next to the 3" round. It's easy to see why the downpipe should be one of the first mods.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...9345d77b81.jpg

Here is my pre fuel filter and fuel cooler bracket combo mounted. I have to say I still love this fuel system 18 months later as I can always see what's going on in the fuel bowl and filter, and US diesel certainly is dirty. With a 2 Micron pre filter, this is doing all the work.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...1993f33779.jpg

Here is the fuel pump and 100 micron post filter set up. For the longest time I wondered why Dieselsite ran a 2 micron pre filter and 100 micron post, when most other companies run a 40 micron pre filter and 2- something post. But since the pre filter is good for the flow and doesn't restrict anything, the 100 micron filter is really there as a safety net in the case the pump blows, or something goes wrong with the pre filter.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...6b391e503e.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...679c274815.jpg

Mounting the regulator and fuel lines. This fuel system is unique in that it feeds the rear of the D side head, crosses over to the front of the P side head, and flows to the regulator from the rear of the P side head. While most fuel kits feed the rear of both heads, this system is adequate for injectors up to 200cc and is a self purging system due to how the fuel flows.

Once I got it to fire I felt pretty darn good about myself and all this work I did.

Stay tuned for more updates tomorrow!

-Jake

Nice build thread vato. Your engine bay looks spotless.

Thank you sir! The top half is pretty clean these days, but the rest is still caked in mud. I know it's sort of lip stick on a pig, but I always try to clean and paint up whatever I pull off before it goes back on. Eventually the whole thing will be clean. :D

Now that I was done with the E fuel/ exhaust, I drove it that way for a few months before pulling something apart. I liked the CPR kit, but there were a few things I didn't end up liking it about it that I changed later.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...7e4fb933c8.jpg

Here is a basic finished shot of the engine, all that was left to do was mount the down pipe.

A few months later, I believe April of 2019 (E fuel was done in January 2019) I decided to pull the valve covers and replace the UCVH and re pin the dual OBS plug to the single SD style used on the 99-03 models.

I went on Riff Raff Diesel and ordered up the correct harness pig tails, under cover wiring, and gaskets. The following information and diagram I pulled from PowerstrokeNation I believe, but it worked like a charm.

(2) Alliant pigtails part number Ap0016
(2) Alliant Gaskets Ap0014 / F81Z6584AA
(2) Injector / Glow plug harness F81Z9D930AB

So SD wiring
Pin 1,2,8,9 are glow plugs.
Pin 3,4,6,7 are injectors
Pin 5 common.

Obs wiring
Pin 1,5 are glow plugs
Pin 2,4 are injectors
Pin 3 is common.

So let's make the SD pin 1 the front pin.
Let's make the OBS front connector 1-5, front pin 1
Let's make the OBS back plug 6-10, front pin is 6.
So connect SD pins 1,2,8,9 to OBS pins 1,5,6,10
Connect SD pin 3 to OBS pin 2
SD pin 4 to OBS pin 4
SD pin 5 to OBS pin 3 and 8
SD pin 6 to OBS pin 7
SD pin 7 to OBS pin 9

Here is a diagram that I used that made this job pretty easy.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...92bc41d95f.png
With this in mind, take your time and unwrap both connectors on both sides. If 25 years of engine heat cycling has done anything, the red plastic tape has become brittle and I felt like I was destroying my hands trying to cut and rip that off.

Once I had one open, it's obvious why now was as good as time as any to replace these connections.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...009b9de2b2.jpg

All 4 connectors more or less looked like this, so it was a good time to replace them. Below you can see the original dual plug next to the single plug.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...3d2b4b41c7.jpg

Now onto the controversy of getting these new pigtails connected to the old harness. We have a few different options here, the main one being to solder the new wires into the old. This was going to be the route I was going to take, but after doing some research and seeing folks argue back and forth about how most auto manufacturers crimp these days I decided to go that route.

I wanted something more than the typical crimp connector, and ordered these heat shrink Wirefy ones after hearing folks having great success in the marine field. These are different from your regular crimp connector in that it contains glue within the heat shrink. Once you strip away the shielding and crimp using their special tool, you heat up the glue and heat shrink until the glue oozes out of the connector, creating a water tight seal. Being the skeptic I am, I tried this on some wire beforehand, and took it to work to have my co workers inspect it, yank on it, and see what they thought.




https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...c8d0f49b7.jpeg


Here is the basic crimp before heating up the glue. I wrapped one end around my foot under my boot and yanked as hard as I could (180 lbs) and it didn't so much as budge.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...5ce2f3c14.jpeg

I couldn't find any picture of the glue heated up so you guys will just have to take my word for it. Here is a picture showing the pass side done, just need to heat shrink all of them and wrap the injector lines in the foil. As you're pulling your old lines apart, you'll notice that the 2 injector wires in each plug have a foil wrapped around them to reduce emanation from the injector wires into the glow plugs, or vice versa. I assume it's to keep everything out of the injector wiring as much as possible. I saved as much as I could when I wrapped the 4 together on the single plug.

Now that one side was done, repeat for the other side. What I found interesting was that it looks like the passenger side had been replaced at some point with either an updated harness, or my guess, a generic one as the connectors to the glow plugs and injectors were different and not the typical wire hook style.

Since everything was off it was a good time to hit the VC's with some paint to freshen up the engine bay.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...8e14a10a06.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...7753059beb.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...2ffdae27d1.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...ca9d5512b3.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...d4e5461f52.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...333b98090.jpeg

I decided on Duplicolor's paint match for Ford Dark Canyon Red. It's a beautiful paint but not very durable... I painted the aluminum elbow to match while I was down there.

Once everything was back together, the truck ran flawlessly. I pulled apart my harness a few weeks ago while doing injectors and all the connections still look good and tight, no signs of failing or coming loose, no cracking glue, etc.

Next up on the list was something my wife was hounding me to do as I bought the parts and just never got around to installing them.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...9659a8b49.jpeg

Gauges installed! These were pretty straight forward with the supplied instructions. I ended up tapping my pyro into the up pipe instead of the manifold due to not really being able to get my drill centered well. It was much easier to slide a few inches to the right and tap into the pipe. Clay @ Riff Raff has stated there isn't a noticeable difference in EGT readings, and the pipe is much easier to replace than the manifold in the case something happens. The pipe is a little thinner as well, so it's not terrible to drill into.

Once you drill and tap the holes, make sure to run a shop vac over the holes to get as much crap out as possible.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...1f8a0d434d.jpg

Drilled and tapped the Y pipe and threw some color on it. For those tuning in, remember I can put it there because I don't have a fuel bowl in the way. The boost port will need to be higher if running the factory mechanical fuel.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...76929ac8d6.jpg

Moar paint!

The trans gauge was the easiest, just remove the test port plug and thread in the sensor.

The truck was running "pretty darn good" (SECAF joke about morale) So I turned my attention to painting stuff as I like to do when I start drinking and have nothing else to do around the house.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...b802009d9d.jpg

I pulled the factory skid plate and painted it with some Hammerite black. The paint comes out to be more of a charcoal gray than actual black. The hard part is getting the hammer texture to come through evenly when you're brushing it on. I ended up removing the paint on this a couple times before I said screw it and let it dry up and bolted it back on.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...8a3d2b96be.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...0f07dc229a.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...f800d7cca9.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...296f8f68c0.jpg

Here is the grill painted, and my dumb ugly hitch Ruenel bumper that PO had welded to the frame....

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...ad344804ba.jpg

Finished product looks alot better than before. Who knew paint could make a difference! After a few months I decided is where the fun stuff is going to start coming in. Next up on the list is an HPOP!

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...0d1969eac.jpeg

I deleted this bracket and relocated the EBP tube and sensor using the strictly diesel mount. This is I also ordered their FPR mount for the alternator and moved my regulator over there.


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...9e75f0874.jpeg

Old 15* pump next to CNCFAB STG 1 17* pump. I went with this for a few reasons. The first being it came with steel threads at no added charge like the Adrenaline pump. I believe the ADR upped their price and now only offers steel threads. This pump is a high quality rebuild, and are bench tested before they are sent out.

I called a few different places about IPR interchange since Ford seceded their edge filter IPR with the usual one that the 96-03 one everyone uses. Corey called and talked to Ford and verified as well as Diesel O rings. I felt good about it and bought the cheaper one.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...9bbfe1a82.jpeg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...caa95ce16.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...626236acc.jpeg

Fresh painted reservoir housing, in the background you can see a billet reservoir spacer from Dieselsite as well. The main reason I went to this is because I wasn't sure what injector size I was going to run and wanted more oil up top in case I went with something more oil hungry as a 175/80 or similar. The added benefit is that it comes with a filter like the newer models. You can also see Corey's lines in the back as well, loomed up to match the Dieselsite CPR fuel lines.

After dealing with a very angry oil deprived truck, she eventually fired off and settled down to a smooth idle with all the air in it's system. The idle was still funky for the next couple hundred miles, to the point where I thought it was the IPR causing the issue. I rebuilt my Edge IPR and put the new solenoid on it from the brand new IPR and still had the same issue. I'm generally very gentle on my truck and drive like an old man, so I think it just took awhile to get the air out, and it eventually settled down. So currently I have the new IPR with old solenoid as a back up.

I must have lost the pictures, but at some point I pulled the Alternator bracket and converted to the 99-03 SD dual belt tensioner. The TSB instructions are pretty straight forward, you need to chop off the mounting boss and then the SD pulley drops right into the bracket and the belt now routes similar to the SD's.

This almost catches up to current day, where I had to start planning to do the injectors, chip, etc.

Next up on my list was to try and finish installing my banks intercooler kit I bought a couple years ago. I tried to install it before I drove across the states, but due to having the IDI radiator I didn't feel comfortable on my short time crunch to chop into the radiator brackets and deal with that right before a big trip.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...1a2857db9c.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...62b70eaba6.jpg

Here you can see after I pulled my fan shroud and radiator is where you have to cut if you want to make the banks kit, or really any intercooler fit if you have the IDI radiator. The earlier model radiators mounted completely different, and once you chop the core support you either have to get in there with a sawzall like I did and make room, or drain the coolant and cut away at your radiator. I didn't care as much since I had the brackets and fan shroud to swap to the newer 95.5-97 style radiator with a degas bottle.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...6a3f2f4e8.jpeg

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...439fe37d8.jpeg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...998df7e05.jpeg

I had to fight with the intercooler mounting, chopping away at the core support, etc until everything finally fit. Then came the fun of getting the T bolt clamps mounted down by the radiator. I learned after the fact that soapy water is a godsend for getting the clamp to fit over the boot humps and to get them into place without alot of cursing.

Months prior I decided to strip the gray paint on the CAC tubes and go with a flat black. Now they're all scratched up from being fussy going into place. I still have boost and exhaust leaks to fix, but I'm seeing about 150* cooler EGTs under higher load. Doesn't do me a whole lot of good with leaks though. T4/SXE will take care of that.... }>

This pretty much gets us caught up to the installation of the AC 160/0's, the Hydra install, Riff Raff stainless injector cups, Mishimoto radiator, new rad hoses, block heater, etc.

Stay tuned as the rest of the project will come either tonight or tomorrow.

Nice write up with nice work. Could not help but notice it looks as if some one put you door hinge pin in up side down .

I honestly wouldn't be surprised. It looks like the driver side was done at some point, as the pass side still has the white paint on it. I have a new door hinge kit waiting to go in as my strikers are toast, just haven't mustered up the motivation to do it yet.

Great start!

I want a Banks IC kit too. Fabrication is no specialty of mine.

Any pics of that Strictly Diesel EBP relocation deal? I just tied mine off for now. Really just want to remove tube and put a plug in the manifold.

Looking good, I fully understand painting everything as all parts will be new eventually :)

Hair spray is even better than soapy water for getting rubber hoses on.

Absolutely! I went out and snapped some pics, I hope it helps.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...a72f93802b.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...a287ca5cc3.jpg

The bracket bolting to the block is rusting out now, but the whole tube/ sensor is at an angle at the very end and does not bolt to anything, just screws in the tube. I went this route over the SD set up mainly because the SD set up bolts to the HPOP cover and I wasn't a huge fan of the design.

Painting makes everything better! At least I know it's clean :D Good to know on the hairspray, I'll raid the wife's stuff if I can't find her stash of dawn dish soap.

This is pretty much the final part of the truck building saga that catches us up to present day. After talking with multiple vendors, (Rosewood, Full Force, Unlimited, CNCFAB, 1023 Diesel, Dieselsite) and a few folks here on FTE I decided to go with brand new Alliant AC 160/0 injectors. There are a few reasons I decided to go the new route.

1.) They are brand new, never been fired. This assures me that the internals are brand new. The stock AA injectors in my served this truck for 240k miles with no issues.

2.) The poppet and injector clearances are correct, and are not shimmed. The 3 builders I talked to each gave me a different answer. Jim@ Rosewood I would say was the most straight forward, saying that while most parts were gone through, there are still issues that can arise. Full Force told me the only difference between their reman and brand new were the solenoids.

3.) With all the bad stories I've seen about remans, I can't say I've read a single thread about someone being unhappy with brand new OEM injectors, whether they were AC codes, AD, etc

4.) This truck is my daily driver, and I need the best reliability I can ultimately get.

5.) I ultimately went with 160/0's due to the fact that with stock nozzles the idle was going to be the smoothest/cleanest out of the box without some tuning revisions, and that with 70cc more than my AA codes, I can't see myself needing more for a work truck/ pulling truck. Sous and other folks on the 99-03 forum have great results towing 12k+ pounds with 140cc AD's and SXE turbos.

Onto the pictures! Since I was going this far as to replace injectors, glow plugs were getting replaced, injector cups, cooling system, etc.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...c3c88dfb1b.jpg
OEM Block heater


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...fa77ba09cf.jpg
95 203* T stat

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...d9f8ef2c2f.jpg
ZD-11 glow plugs, don't buy anything else!

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...ee7bb2b043.jpg
Dieselsite Valve cover studs. This made it easy lining up the gasket and making sure I had a good seal.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...32138fa343.jpg
Dieselsite fuel line valves. Last time I took a good diesel bath because it didn't stop draining.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...6877232a4e.jpg
new 2 micron fuel filter

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...f081bb2087.jpg
Decided to go back to the CCV mod after having it put back to stock when I did my HPOP. I couldn't stand the smoke at stop lights, but I can't stand oil in my intake more.....

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...49c7a88509.jpg
Special injector cup goop. This allows OBS trucks to run ELC red coolant!

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...355b6b1556.jpg
Expensive injector cup brush kit that I would not buy again, and we'll get into that.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...53c369fe71.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...f21343f998.jpg
Strictly diesel T stat reinforcing ring. This thing is awesome. Aluminum paint is optional.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...e02ce0d8f2.jpg
New block heater cord since I trashed my old one last year.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...1c044458ea.jpg
Look at all this stuff!

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...d28b6bade6.jpg
Stainless injector cups from Riff Raff.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...a61aec875a.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...9a93bdee4b.jpg
These things are a work of art. Too bad they're getting buried in the heads.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...00cefeec3e.jpg
Painted T stat housing because F*** em that's why!

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...6f9874093f.jpg
Hydra selector bracket for gauge pod.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...91f25cc553.jpg
New Gates hoses from CP Addict. I had to wipe these down a bit with tire shine and cleaners to get them somewhat decent looking.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...5b57a51b74.jpg
New Degas bottle and washer reservoir while I'm in there.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...4d6d22878a.jpg
Painted radiator brackets for the new style radiator.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...16d729c322.jpg

Triax 15w-40 oil and my last big Donaldson filter.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...7caba4d484.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...4e84d05183.jpg
New fan shroud to match new cooling system.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...9129c9f0a3.jpg
Mishimoto radiator is a work of art. All the welds look great.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...825bf4dc99.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...0bbbe6596b.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...f504f14433.jpg

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...7483bfa5e7.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...597d954dba.jpg
And the star of the show! AC code injectors!
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...9ba3019304.jpg

This was the first radiator I tried to purchase, which was through Klimoto on Amazon. I figured since it had good reviews I would give it a shot. The packaging was almost non existent, and the box wasn't even fully sealed.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...5c7f083f7.jpeg

Anyway, onto tear down. I had a few milestones I wanted to hit while I was doing all this work.

1.) Paint valve covers
2.) Paint and reseal intake plenums
3.) install Riff Raff OCR
4.) fuel filter change/ intall shut off valves
5.) glow plugs
6.) oil change
7.) radiator/ cooling system install
8.) injector cup reseal
9.) coolant flush
10.) injector install
11.) Hydra install
12.) route trans lines back into radiator since the PO deleted it
13.) tons of other stuff I'm sure I'll forget to include.

Tear down began Saturday, May 16th.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...00a4d66817.jpg
Here it is the together the last time before I tear it apart...

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...38b09d67eb.jpg
Turbo pulled again. I hate the OBS turbo configuration. I also pulled the engine harness to get more stuff out of the way.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...df35fab5b7.jpg
Intakes pulled. That TA-31 is some strong stuff.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...7485e18d67.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...ee4ca23b2a.jpg
Dirt BEGONE!

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...e195768699.jpg
my red covers dirty from a year of driving.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...5be00a19b1.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...f6a0d573bf.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...42fa9525ac.jpg
Get outta here AA codes! You're not welcome!

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...5dc7277c12.jpg
Pulled all the glow plugs and injectors, I noticed there were 3 dead glow plugs that were corroding on the ends.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...2aa302d5d3.jpg
Old plug next to new. This little guy takes a 1-1/8" inch socket. Same as the IPR.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...a6ac94a6a3.jpg
90% of the harness was cleaned up and re loomed as most of it was either dirty, or cracking, or just not there anymore. I was able to clean up the injector plug part I converted last year. That really bugged me.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...ce7ceb8e9d.jpg
Old cup next to new cup. In reality I should have left the cups alone. Cleaning the bores in the heads is not what I'd call fun, and you have to make sure they seal right or you're in for a world of hurt.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...f5a8959ac6.jpg
All 8 pulled and they were fine. Again, why do I do this to myself!

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...ec0504bd4e.jpg
All new cups awaiting their forever home.

Now that I had the cups pulled, I took a break and cleaned up the AA's to be sent back to 1023 Diesel and pull the AC's out to get them ready. Ultimately I wish I would have gone through Riff Raff for the AC's, as the shipping was 167 back to Wasilla, AK where 1023 is located. I'll get more into that later. I sent the cores back on the 18th of May.

Onto injector bore cleaning. The brush kit I bought from Riff Raff is good in a sense, but it isn't aggressive enough with a handle to get anything done. Maybe if the old loctite in the bottom of the bore was picked out with a screw driver, it would have been fine. I took a different approach....The Riff Raff injector cup tool is a MUST.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...77613dccb8.jpg
I chopped that handle and chucked the thing into my drill. Now we're talking!

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...0ca2fc65fc.jpg
Here you can see the old loctite still stuck on the right side of the bore. That is what needs to come out for the new cup to seal correctly. If it's left in there, it's not going to seal.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...5a4d29ac59.jpg
Here is my vacuum mod in order to get into the holes to pull the old crap out as I'm picking it off. Worked like a charm.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...b3d2cad54e.jpg
Here you can see a bore that I had not gotten to, and you can see the perfect ring of loctite still left in the bore.

These bores need to be perfect pristine clean if you expect the new cups to seal. The rear cups on each side are going to be much harder to get to, mainly because there is just no room to get to them. After going back and forth with the drill, and a screw driver I was able to get all the old loctite out. If I were to do it again, I would skip the brush kit, and get some brushes you can chuck into a right angle drill to get all of them. This would have been cheaper and more effective.

Once the bores were clean enough I wiped them out the best I could with Acetone since it flashes quick. Then onto the second part of seating the new cups.

I started on the driver side head and got the Riff Raff tool set up. On the first two I goofed up a bit and didn't set them far enough in. Thinking I was screwed, I set them all the way in and saw that green wet loctite was oozing out. I panicked and call Clay to ask his opinion. He was pretty confident that as long as the goop was still coming out wet, there wouldn't be any issues.

I got extemely lucky as my coolant level has not changed. Due to the 60+ PSI of the fuel vs the 12+ PSI of the pressurized coolant system, you'll see the coolant system level rise in your degas bottle as the fuel forces it's way past the cups into the cooling system. You can also get a coolant pressure tester on there to make sure everything is holding rock steady. I didn't have the luxury of that tool, so I had to follow my gut and press on.

Now that the cups are installed and sealed, you'll want to let them cure for a minimum of 12 hours. I cleaned up my garage and got everything ready for installation.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...3837028c3a.jpg
I worked on getting the cooling system installed, here is a good side by side of the IDI over flow next to the PSD degas configuration. Once I got the cooling system installed, I switched gears a bit and pulled the PCM for the hydra install. At some point it looks like my PCM was refurbished because it did not want to come out, was covered in blue tape, and had a CAR-COMPUTERS.COM sticker on it. A quick google search shows that this was a Cali shop in Redding that did it. I couldn't find the 4 character hex code for it, but since this is a Federal truck, and not Cali specific, the PCM was still a DPC-202 and I ended up using the TDE1 calibration for it when I sent in my tuning form to 1023 Diesel.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...c8eef61ca2.jpg
Once you get the PCM pulled, this is the J3 port that any TS style chip or PHP hydra will mount on. Cleaning is very straight forward. The entire board is coated in silicone, and the brass brush supplied won't hurt it, so go to town. You can use the back side of the brush to scrape the goo off between the pins as well. Once the pins are clean, lightly buff with the small scotch pad and you should be all set.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...32c60a608c.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...a6420b1b75.jpg
Here is the chip seated and the cables ran. If you look closely you can see I do not have a 90* USB cable. This is why most folks recommend getting it, but if you're careful and route it well, it's a non issue.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...5a559c8fc6.jpg
Here I went overboard with tape to make sure everything was in place. I mainly wanted to do this to make sure both the ribbon cable and the USB cable weren't going anywhere.

Now I usually try to give companies the benefit of the doubt, but 1023 missed the mark on multiple occasions. When I put in my order for the injectors and chip on their website, I decided to purchase the Hydra through them as they offer 6 custom tunes included in the price when you order injectors through them. I figured that was a good deal so I did it. The injectors showed up 3 or 4 days later, with no tracking number or anything supplied from 1023. This was red flag #1.

The second issue that came up, was about a week after I received the injectors, I still have seen no signs of a Hydra, or tracking number for that matter. After multiple emails and calls to Dusty about it, he assured me he would look into it. 4 Emails later I finally had a tracking number for the chip, Red flag #2

Red flag #3 happened when Dusty's shop received my $800 dollar injector cores on the 21st of May. 2 weeks go by and I still had no sign of a refund. I called up and got Dusty on the phone and he told me to send an email. This was really Red flag #4, as I immediately sent the tracking number for the cores with the order number as soon as I had it. I also up to this point had sent two emails prior to calling asking for the status. Dusty had finally responded and let me know they received the cores, and that they had been misplaced because they were moving shops. While I understand these things happen, $800 dollars worth of cores is a big deal to misplace.

Another FTE'r had told me prior to any of this purchase that they were no longer a proponent of 1023 Diesel due to customer service and the tune quality has gone down. I can't speak to the tunes, as I generally am pleased with those so far, coming from an un tuned truck, but the customer service is a big deal to me. Sure, this could have been the perfect storm due to all the COVID-19 happening, but not once was that used as an excuse, and I would generally dismiss it, but 4 different things that stood out to me, something just isn't right.

Rant over, onto the reassembly!

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...2cd18a3109.jpg
Reassembly isn't hard, make sure to lube up the injector O rings very well with fresh clean engine oil and seat them. I used a small dead blow hammer.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...bde6da1c29.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...e14f92a69e.jpg
Fresh black valve covers!
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...bbf8754b0a.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...2b4566a31.jpeg
Brand new AC can't be beat!

The biggest thing that most folks I've seen skip on installation is priming the oil rails with fresh oil. When you pull the injectors, or pull the oil rail plugs under the valve covers, all that HPO ultimately drains back into pan. You have 2 options at this point:

1.) crank and crank and crank until the HPOP fills the rails
2.) Pull the ICP sensor and opposite galley plug and fill with oil.

The second is a better option for 2 reasons. The first reason being that you're not burning up your starter, and draining your batteries. The second reason is your HPOP reservoir is probably dry anyway, so instead of adding oil to the pan, you can fill the top end and save a bit of work. I bought a 5th gallon of oil for this very reason, and the top end took about 2.5 quarts of oil between filling the res and filling the rails. Normally it would be around 2 quarts, but I have a spacer for more oil.

Following this method the truck cranked and fired off the first time within 10 seconds. That's pretty amazing considering everything was bone dry.

Now that the truck was finally alive again, I needed to finish the coolant flush process. For those familiar, I used Gooch's coolant flush procedure.

Once that was done, installed the new thermostat and reinforcing ring.

Check for leaks, double check all your connections, and take the truck around the block. Immediately I noticed the throttle was touchier, but wow did it come alive. The truck has so much get up and go that I don't see a need for bigger injectors, at least for my needs. At this point I'm pretty sure I hear a boost leak, which probably means my intakes didn't seal right. I still have exhaust leaks at the up pipes and turbo, so I'm debating on leaving it for now until winter time frame for a T4 swap and Riff Raff billet plenums. Fixing one doesn't mean much if the other is still a problem, but for now she runs well and I drive like a grandpa around town anyway.

Now we're caught up to present day, the truck is running great and has come a long way from 3 years ago.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...5d467ee7de.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...b798c9647f.jpg

Not totally happy with my 1023 experience, I still get reminded every time I hop in my truck and see the 1023 diesel logo on my hydra selector. I reached out to Dieselsite to see if they would let me buy one of theirs, as I noticed that Jelibuilt and 1023 both charge 6 bucks a pop for theirs. Not only did Dieselsite hook me up, they sent me 2 of them, shipped to my door for free!

Dieselsite has continually put out great products and has killer customer service.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...43aadefd5c.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...d7162b000b.jpg

Did you put your injectors in and torque them down when the glue was fresh? I'm in the middle of doing cups right now. I have heard of it done both ways.

I didn't, Riff Raff's instructions said to seat them let them sit. I briefly thought about putting them in, but I didn't want to chance possibly disturbing the cups while they were curing.

Makes me wonder now as well. I'm at the cleaning phase of things right now. Usually Clay is always spot on. The tool is a life saver for sure.

The funny thing is I thought about buying Rosewood's tool for the job but there is no way I would feel comfortable on those rear cylinders using it while the engine is still in the truck. Clay's tool is a real winner for a DIY guy like me who doesnt wrench for a living.

Either is just fine and SOP for install of the cups.

Thank you for the response Clay. It saves me from calling and pestering you. Should have the tool back in the mail tomorrow or the next day at the latest.

No problem, happy to help you.

So someone at my work tested positive for COVID, so here I am, quarantined for 11 days (huh, shouldn't it be 14?) I figured I'd fix my E fuel conversion I did in Jan of 19. While it worked, the line routing left alot to be desired, as I had a few union joints, and a bunch of hose clamps everywhere.I put in an amazon order for the following:

100 PSI fuel line:
Fuel injection style hose clamps:
Stainless tubing clamps:
The fuel line is the same stuff Dieselsite supplies in their kit which I must have gotten some of the old roll that had the Goodyear marking on it, as I can no longer find that hose it's only Continental.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...a438a1eba0.jpg
Here is the fuel pump and 100 micron filter. I never cared for the hose wrapping back around to just fill the front, but at the time I didn't have a pipe cutter to work with, so I left it. The ground and power wire coming from the oil pressure sensor also wasn't ideal, and it's a good thing I dove into it as the power wire's crimp fell off. This was prior to the heat shrink crimp style I have now.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...2a7d12920c.jpg
I mounted the fuel filter and cooler so high also due to the stock metal fuel lines, which is good in terms of clearance, but since this truck isn't geared towards heavy off road where every inch counts, I plan to move it down and back a bit. Here you can also see how I have feed and return lines coming over the top of the cross member and that nasty union joint I had to use when I cut the hose too short.....

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...4f890697d2.jpg
Fuel cooler hanging out, I always thought it was cool this was included in their kit as I haven't seen it anywhere else. Does it make a difference over not having one? Can't say for certain, but cooler fuel returning to the tank definitely doesn't hurt anything.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...f0a1b1ea5b.jpg
I ended up flipping the T bolt clamps down to make it easier to get a socket on for removing the pump and filter. I loomed the power and ground wires, and used the stainless clamps to make sure they were fixed in place and weren't going to have any movement. At some point the rubbing against the parking brake cable started to dig into my post filter line, so I opted to drill 2 3/4" holes into the frame to run the fuel line through there.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...c77278aa19.jpg
I moved the filter/cooler assembly down and used two of the same holes for the bracket as I did the filter to make drilling less holes. You can also see where I used existing frame holes to mount the clamps for the fuel lines to keep them in place.

Eventually I plan to make the engine side look a bit better, but I need to figure out what to do for the fuel hose. The factory supply line is 5/16's back at the selector, but at some point near the engine gets bigger and exits near the fuel bowl at 3/8's. Not that I really want to go down in size, but if I can change the feed line to 5/16's all the way through and not starve my 160/0 injectors I think I'll be fine. I'll call Dieselsite and see what they recommend when I get around to it.

My fuel pump is making noise lately so I suspect my in tank screens are clogged. I was hoping to not spend a bunch more money after doing the injectors, but I may be doing the 38 Gal tank in the near future. Does anyone have any experience getting rid of the in tank screens altogether? Or is just worth to drop the tank and replace them?

-Jake

More little progress during my quarantine period.

I've run the Diamond Eye exhaust on my truck for awhile now and it's been awesome, however due to how it routes unless you start hacking away at it, you can't mount the spare underneath the tank. This also takes room of the 38 Gal F26E tank I plan to mount so the exhaust had to be dealt with.

I worked with the limited exhaust and bends I had, and it turned out pretty good.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...ff3d98a220.jpg
Luckily I kept all the old mounting hardware, which came in handy as I needed to use the longer hanger and move it back on the frame a few feet. Ford must have planned for this at some point as I already had the holes there for the bracket to bolt to the frame.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...98cdcb67ea.jpg
Home Depot mock up, The bend and exit of the pipe is just in front of the front of the rear leaf hanger.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...3ddb15a59f.jpg
Finished product. I put an angle on the pipe to make it look like it's meant to be there vs. someone hacking away with a sawzall.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...12bf03ae39.jpg

Nice work. You have brought this truck a long way.

Thanks for the kind words! It's sort of scary when you think back to where you started to where the project is now. I've put enough hours and swear words into this truck that I can't remember them all. From what I can tell, the PO didn't do much to this truck except for weld the Reunel bumper to the frame and some hack wiring on the ICP plug and EOT sensor? whichever one threads into the HPO reservoir.

The orange boot on the turbo intake fell apart when I took it off the first time, I don't think that was ever touched.

I'm still doing research on the 38 gal tank swap, looks pretty straight forward. @red mistress's tank set up has me envious so I'm going to try and "compete" with his.

I called Dieselsite and they said I could delete the pickup foot in the tanks if I wanted, so I plan to do that when I get to it, as well as the "fast fill" mod stuff. I'd rather have the junk getting to my filter where I can reach it vs. in the tank where I can't see what's going on.

Why did the spare not fit? Mine does with a Diamond Eye :-huh

I actually dropped the rear tire about 6 months prior to this, but I have plans of putting it back after the 38 gal rear tank. I don't have any pics of it, but the way the Diamond Eye bent around the rear axle was in the way of the spare tire. I could have messed with it more, but I didn't because..... Well the tire wasn't there.

Hit, did what kit did you use when you installed the kit? I used the "Offroad" kit with no cat/ muffler around 2018 time frame. I would ASSume the bends are the same between kits, but that bend over the axle was a good foot or so under the rear tank. Then again I'm a DIY guy with minimal experience as I work in IT for the Air Force, could have been I'm a dummy and didn't orient it right when I put it together the first time.

That being said, boy is the exhaust obnoxious exiting in front of the tire, though I'll get used to that. Does anyone have any real world experience with rubberized under body coatings? I was debating doing that for the front and rear tank, but I've heard negatives about it as well.

I'm pretty close to pulling the trigger on a couple orders, I just received a foot of 3/8 stainless 316 tubing from McMaster-Carr and some 316 stainless compression fittings from stainlessteelfittings.com to work towards this 38 gal swap. I'm looking to splurge a little and use AN fittings.

That being said, I siphoned my fuel out of my front tank using the SiphonProXL kit, and it's pretty cool.

It comes with a pump to help get the flow going as well as a crimper to cut the line off to remove the pump to get the full flow. The clear hose that was supplied barely fit, which is 1/2 ID, so I can't wait to to the fuel neck mod and get rid of that crap. That along with the 1/4" rollover valves is why I have to pull the fuel handle out half way to even try the first click to fill both tanks. Big truck pump aside, if I can use the regular pump and full blast I'll be happy.

-Jake

It is whatever Diamond Eye SS kit with muffler is numbered, I will find the receipt. The tailpipe hanger needed work, I had to reweld it. I remember that. Used to be into noise, I am too damned old for that now. :-X03 Only handy pic, text me and I will roll under there and snap a few for you. We are outside drinking and working on the Taco.




https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...076df16f49.jpg

Fancy diff cover

Those Mag's are nice!

Awhile back Banks put out a video showing how "ineffective" they are. The video itself is interesting to watch, but I'm not convinced that the mag's are bad. If the pinion bearings weren't getting proper lube, we'd see failures popping up everywhere for the thousands of them that are circulating in the heavy towing world.

Banks is marketing with their own that's "supposedly" better, but at a $400 price tag, I'll stick to the 50 dollar SD upgrade. I'd love a mag hytec though, but the finned cover is more than enough for my usage.

https://www.bankspower.com/i-2932-di...ring-gear.html

Banks Differential Cover

-Jake

I picked it up for cheap, used. I had one on my dead 6.4 for 100k roughly, whenever I installed the Truetrac and chucked that junk Tracloc in the recycle tub. The 6.4 met its demise with a jagoff without insurance, without license to drive, etc. No issues with the rear axle on it.

Funny story, the diff cover off my 09 went to a pal with a 96 CCLB dually five speed...E4 red, but grey interior with a ZF too. He tried to give me the truck, but it was in GA and I am in TX. It would start and idle fine, but no power to move once going. Probably needed an HPOP and other BS. 10 years later nearly and I have almost the same truck. HA Irony at its finest.

Mag cover makes it great to service the diff. My fluid was SO gross in El Rojo, I knew one service would not clean all the crap out. So I kept trolling all over to find a used one, did and put it on. R&R'd the fluid again. STILL dirty, now it is finally clean. Last I checked it was when I had the bed and goose ball off to do a DIY bedliner...which still looks fine. Not as strong as a Rhino or LineX, but for a few C-notes it was well worth it.



HIJACK COMPLETE. :-X03

HIJACK ACCEPTED! ;)

I feel you on the drain plug, that's why I drilled and tapped the Sterling 10.5 in my garage for a 1/4 NPT plug. Someday I'll get around to finishing that and installing it... Though the high fill port on the Hytec is pretty sweet. I need to pull the rear diff on my 10.25 again for the same reason, it's dirty. The original fluid was burnt red, and when I pulled my axles to paint them awhile back I noticed it's about the same color in there now.

While I'm in the planning stage for doing my tanks, I pulled the spare tire and cross bar out of the garage and cleaned them up. For the original spare that was literally tan from all the dirt before, it looks pretty good. When I pulled it the back side was flush with dirt. :-X03

Typical sand and paint stuff, trying to use up the rest of the Krylon in my garage. Not that it's bad, but I prefer Rustoleum any day of the week.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...7fdb48c217.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...3f5b1082dd.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...4211383e08.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...34c51fbd40.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...286cfcd4ff.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...cf7dad0547.jpg

Jealous you still had a spare and brackets. Dually had it removed for a sweet rollpan and a cute Class III hitch. Finding an early bolt pattern DRW wheel was beyond hard for a reasonable cost...found one for $50 cash luckily. The rest of the setup took forever. I had it locked to the bent gooseneck tailgate for over one year!

That tire is a prime candidate for a burnout. :D

It'll get the ol' one tire fire whenever I decide to pull the trigger on new wheels and tires. Though I'm debating trying to find another alcoa for a spare and skip the new wheels altogether, because they just look so darn good on these trucks.

I need to get rid of the hack job "hitch" I have currently. It's a Reunel bumper that the PO had welded to the frame. The bumpers look ok on their website, but I would rather have a true Class V hitch and the factory bumper. I think what scares me the most is the hitch is only attached to the bumper with 2 giant grade 5 bolts.

https://reunel.com/service/ford/#fordrb

The Curt 15300 looks tempting for the price.... though I've also heard of bent frames due to the short mounting distance. Not sure if that's actually an issue, or folks overloading their stuff and blaming it on the hitch.

Save your money....run the Alcoas. They are the best looking wheel out there.

I have one of those big Curt *******s. Seems fine, doubt I would bumper pull 15k or whatever it is rating is listed at by Curt. My goose is an old Atwood probably from 1996.

Do not get me started on Alcoas. DRW ones are so hard to find. SRW are easy in my area!

I'd love to pick up a used set and pick the best 5 so I can have a matching spare. I have a 2" gouge in one of them, along with multiple scratches. At least they look good from 20ft away :rolleyes:.

Mine goose looks identical to yours from your thread IIRC. It's bolted to the frame with 1/2" angle iron and plate to hold it up. Not a fan of that, but I suppose it works. I don't see this truck ever pulling more than 10k so I'll most likely remove the goose and patch the bed.... it's on the list. OR talk me into keeping it. :-X03