Video is done, enjoy and let me know if you have questions.

 

I have a question...what software are you using to edit and create your videos? Are you giving classes on how to make them? (I guess that's two questions).

 

I did A LOT of research on video editing software before making a purchase. I didn't want something beyond my ability with too many frills and crap I didn't need, especially the price that comes with something like that.

I settled on Wondershare Filmora because there were tutorials for just about everything I wanted to do. Making a video is the easy part now, deciding how to cut the audio and the length of time to show a still or clip is the hard part. I use Audacity for the voice over commentary simply because it is easier for me to keep them separate. I am pretty sure that Filmora has an audio capture option as well, but I like the simplicity of Audacity and have been using it for years to edit audio tracks.

If you have any specific questions about Filmora, I would be happy to answer them. I think when I purchased it, the price was around $60 for 2 licenses to run at a time. So, I can install Filmora on any of the devices we have that will run it, but only 2 devices can use it at any given time.

 

Sous there are only 2 wires going to the cab switch correct??

Awesome information video. We all appreciate the time from you.

 

Very nice, Sous!

Thanks for the info and video. I want to do this in the not too distant future

 

That is correct sir. One wire from the harness side of the OEM harness and the other wire from the connector side of the OEM connector. If you pause the video where I have the wiring configuration laid out on my work bench where the white wire is the OEM harness and the blue wire is the new wire running to the switch you will see that there are only 2 wires.

You are simply splicing into the ground wire from the OEM harness and putting a switch inline with the ground wire. This gives you the ability to isolate or connect the ground wire in the circuit which in turn leaves ESOF as designed or turns it off in order to use low gear.

I was laughing the first time I used low gear in reverse to back up my 5th wheel trailer. It was so much easier due to the increased power and very slow speed at which the trailer was moving. No question one of the best mods for a heavy hauler to do.

Thanks for the compliments! I often spend 10x as much time researching a project vs. actually accomplishing the project. I hope that some of these videos help others with their research and cuts down on the time so they have more time to spend with their families and friends.

 

Ok great. I have a slow crawl area I use low in.
Can't hardly steer with esof hubs locked.
Definitely on the to to list for winter know.

 

This is perfect for that! I cannot tell you how much easier it is to move our 5th wheel when using this mod. So much power and easy to control it is just silly.

Ford must have thought we were going to join in reverse driving drag races when they geared these trucks.

 

Before I knew about putting it in 4low for backing I burned up a transmission at the dump trying to push my dump trailer through soft dirt. I still think 4low is the answer for this, but I can see where this would be beneficial for the times you need low and NEED to steer.

Nice job. It will be added to my list. Not sure where it will land, but it will be on there.

 

I'm late to the party... Doing this will double the torque input to the rear axle (with no front axle torque split), likely easily exceeding its capacity. It won't be an issue for Sous but definitely not a good idea for the masses.

edit: So after reading up to this point I think all of those that intend to do this mod (myself included) should be warned about the specifics of what you will be doing. On a premium traction surface where the tires are not likely to slip if the load high enough you will have a superior mechanical advantage to move the load (the fun part) however your rear axle (in 2LOW) will take the full brunt of gear reduction from the Rev/1st gear * the ratio of the LOW range. That will be similar to adding 500 ft lbs more torque into the rear axle.
I don't think any of you guys following Sous would use this incorrectly but it might be easy to forget after several years of using the mod who knows. Bottom line would be if you are going to try and pull the stump out of your neighbors yard use 4 Lo not 2.

 

I agree with CarterKraft 100%.

If a mod is designed and utilized in a proper way, it should only be used in this way or you could potentially cause harm to a lot of mechanical parts of the truck. I see this as the same as using 4 LOW going forward. If you use the gearing as intended, everything will be fine. But, if you switch to 4 LOW and stomp on the skinny pedal you are going to tear up a lot of expensive stuff.

I only plan to use 2 LOW in reverse when moving heavy loads at very low speeds. I am talking about 1-2 MPH or idling speed for my ZF6 truck. In a manual truck, I think this is a much better option than trying to slip the clutch and brake in normal reverse speeds.

So, the point of the post from CarterKraft and this reply is to use this mod as intended and do not abuse it or your truck.

 

Here in GA we don't get much cold weather, but I wanted to test out the new electrical parts (batteries, starter and alternator) during a cold time. Yesterday morning it was around 35 degrees when I woke so I thought that would be a good time.

I turned the key to let the GP's warm up a bit. Let it sit for about 30 seconds watching the voltmeter on the Tekonsha P3 which was at 11.2 (thank you NorthStar). Turned the key to start and it cranked very quickly (thank you Denso) and started within 1.5 seconds or so. The voltmeter quickly jumped to 14.3 (thank you Quick Start) and remained steady there at idle.

Took the truck for a quick trip to town which is about 15 minutes away for a dirty Santa gift and was proud of my truck. I know 35 degrees is not a true "cold start" test, but that is about as cold as my truck will ever see during the time I own it. I have traveled the world many times over and even lived above the arctic circle for 6 years. I like GA and the weather it provides me on a daily basis.

The Iron Cross side steps are doing great as well.

Just wanted to give an update, thanks for reading...

 

Ahhh...Sweet sampling the fruits of your labor

Congratulations!

 

Sous, do your glowplugs remain on during the first 2 minutes or so of a cold start? Your post made it sound like the voltage jumped up to 14.3 right after it started.

 

It should jump up. Once you start the truck the alternator picks up electrical duties. My lights "un-dim" when the glow plugs turn off but it should not have much effect on the output voltage when the load drops off. The Quick Start alternator is a larger and higher output alternator than the OEM one so should not have much problem handling the load once you start the truck. I have two of them rated at 140A each and have no problem maintaining output voltage. IIRC there might be a small fluctuation (.1-.2VDC) when the GPCM turns off the glow plugs but not much more. Unfortunately my truck is currently partially disassembled so I can't go test that out.