Build Putting the rust demon at bay

[knuckle47]

@archie73 they look like those connectors that you heat up and they solder and shrink themselves together? I have them and have not yet used any…if so, between the shrink and the taping you did, they look really nice. I have a third brake light to connect… I’m gonna have to break them out and try them

 

[archie73]

We are hurting in the snow department. All three ski resorts have pushed off opening day. I have a 14yro old jonesing to ski, so we hiked to the top of the resort. 2.7 miles with a board on my back, my knees hurt now. The snow was just deep enough for us; not for the resort to open.

All that is to say, I did not install the harness. I’m back to work tomorrow, so it’ll be a while. Maybe next weekend. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with this nugget from today.

ps- the holidays are coming.

 

[archie73]

One step forward, three back…

Outside of needing a cleaning, the fuse block was in pretty good shape. A little isopropyl alcohol and a quick scrub has it looking good. The isolator on the backside had a couple spots where it had worn/melted through. I found a nice piece plastic in the recycling bin to make a new one. Not quite color matching to the 40, but it’s not terrible. No one will see it on the backside.

Next I pulled the harness into its resting place or there abouts. Hooked up the driver’s side without issue- pretty simple on that fender. Next I started plugging in behind the gauge cluster, but I left the dash switches until I’m sure it’s right. The passenger side is a struggle- it shares a firewall hole with the LS sub harness. It fit, but it took some strong language to get the oem plugs through.

Feeling triumphant, I hooked up the wires and connected the battery. Oddly, enough the electric fans turned on- I assumed I left the key in the "On" position. As I walked to the drivers seat to turn the key to off I noticed the LS harness smoking. More strong language followed. I changed direction and disconnected the battery. I haven’t found out why the wire let the smoke outlet, but I made a new charge wire in the meantime.

I also found out I had no power to the wire I use as keyed power for the whole truck. Que more strong language. After troubleshooting the harness and undoing the wrap job (oh, the horror) I found that when I did the ammeter delete, I had disconnected the keyed power from the ignition. So now I’m in the process of reworking it (& headlight power) back into the harness.

That’s where I’m at now. I have multicolored spaghetti hanging out of the gauge cluster hole. I need to finish re-re-working the harness so I can put everything back together. THEN I can find out the next thing I messed up…

 

[archie73]

What the hell is A D D…
What’s my name again???

So harness is 90% back in place. Truck is operational. Last ten percent should take half an hour to hour to put back…

Let’s get totally distracted and find out how to get the horn working again!!! Backstory- hasn’t worked in I don’t know how long. I’m guessing the first teardown was the last time. Some time in the early 2000’s. Meh, horns are annoying and overrated.

Except the wife has two requsts of improvements to the cruiser- horn and turn signals (&keep it running). She cares not about winches and lockers. She does like the LS though. (Turn signals should probably addressed).

Like I said above I was making good progress on the passenger side fender harness and the horn relay kept yelling at me to fix it. Sure let’s make a jumper. Horn itself definitely works. It’s really loud in the shop. But I don’t get any signal from the steering wheel.

Pull the cluster to check the plug behind it. Nothing from the wheel. Pull that too. Find puller ( ie waste time looking for it when you should be finishing the harness). Horn buttons are corroded. Out comes the dremel. Put it back together, horn button at 9 o’clock is sticking. Rinse and repeat. Still no luck at the relay plug. Out of time, we will see where my ADD takes me tomorrow.

Wiring still not finished…

I hear people like pictures.

Can you read this with out a magnifying glass?

Corrosion

Cleaned?

Beeeeeppp. Houston we have connection

German relay in a Japanese (&domestic) truck?!?! Oh there’s a joke somewhere in there.

Joke is on me still honkytonk.

 

[archie73]

Well honk honk!!! I won’t say it was a fast learning curve, but it is working again. I don’t like relays, every time I think I understand them, I find one that doesn’t work the way I want. At any rate, that’ll make princess happy. So there’s that.

Moved onto the headlights not working. I wasn’t getting it to ground after the harness repair. After scratching my head I worked up the courage to tear off the tape I had recently applied so get to the ground bundle on the drivers side. Not sure how I did it, but I had deleted the White/Black ground off that side. I may have thought it was the lead to the oem regulator and snipped it. But after confirming the common ground was missing I have added it back. Now I’m more legal like.

Side note- the LS harness was easier than this one. I did have a step by step YouTube guide for the LS, so that’s kinda like cheating. The nature of the repair on this one made for a couple whoopsies…

On the list of things that haven’t worked in a couple years- the speedometer/odometer. I mean it did work, but then it didn’t.

Snapped. Bad cable- bad.

After trying a couple different routing options for the new one I stabbed it into the transfer case.

New speedo cable is installed

 

[archie73]

Tube fenders are installed. I think I’m at nine months on this project (&technically they aren’t done). This is as close as they’re getting for the moment.

Not bad, if I do say so myself. I’ll just take a stroll around and admire my handy work…

well it looks good from the front angle. Turns out I missed length of the horizontal portion by half inch!! 3d modeling is hard.

This will have to do for the time being. I have a wheeling work trip coming up in a month and too much to do before that to worry about the gap. So I’m just going to repeat this image as a last impression, it’s by far the best angle.

 

[archie73]

Another trip to Sand Hollow in the books. Great weather and good friends. Little lighter crew this year, but easier to get on the trail that way.

Cruiser did well except for some electric fan drama and Tcase popping out of low range. After some head scratching, I figured out that the fuse holder was bad. After that I didn’t have any problems.

The twinstick was hitting the tunnel when I would flex. After having the passenger hold it in place for a day, I broke out the angle grinder and made some room. Always fun finding things that work great day to day and then flex it and it lets you know. Still popped out while crawling down a steep hill once. That only happened once, so it’s either operator error or the Orion issue.

Trail hi jinx:

Jeep was running low on gas after playing in the sand. We disconnected my fuel line and rerouted it to his filler. Once we remembered to bypass my pump relay it started flowing really well.

Bronco doing Bronco things

This was the top of John’s trail. He busted the radiator on that spot a couple years ago redemption is sweet.
On second thought this is more likely Double Sammy.

I’ll leave this post with a couple glamour shots

 

[archie73]

So this is cruiser adjacent, but it did involve the cruiser.

I knew the car hauler was in need of some love and pushed it off to the last minute. New harness and proper connections throughout. 4 New wheels and tires-busted belt on one of the old tires and the rims had seen better days. I say better days, because I treat this thing like a rented mule. I haul the cruiser; I haul trash; I overload it with firewood. You know trailer stuff. Trailer was pimpin’.
The day before I’m to leave e for St. George, I load up the trailer with the cruiser. BANG. One of the springs snapped. I’m supposed to leave the next day. After calling around, I find a loaner.

Now I’m debating what to do with this old trailer of mine. I’m tempted to get a little bit heavier springs….

 

[knuckle47]

Without it, you’ll lose all of those options…maybe you’ll find a spring or a set of springs . I do the same thing to my rented mule trailer now 39 yrs old. I replaced a few parts about 7 yrs ago. I’m not using it but when I need it…great to have it

 

[clrussell]

Have you priced new trailers?

Unless you just need to spend money I’d rebuild what you have.

We just rebuilt the suspension and brakes on our 20 year old car hauler. It’s almost like new again. Just uglier

 

[archie73]

I’m passively looking at marketplace. I drool over something a touch wider and maybe dovetailed. But the prices bring me back earth. Truth be told: mine is generally all I’ll ever need. Did I overload it last fall- yes. Is it 10-15yrs old- probably. It’ll get new springs and haul stupid loads (locally) again. I’ll try not to let the excavator load so much next time…

 

[DangerNoodle]

I’m passively looking at marketplace. I drool over something a touch wider and maybe dovetailed. But the prices bring me back earth. Truth be told: mine is generally all I’ll ever need. Did I overload it last fall- yes. Is it 10-15yrs old- probably. It’ll get new springs and haul stupid loads (locally) again. I’ll try not to let the excavator load so much next time…

Watch some local auctions. Trailers go through all the time. I picked up a used, kind of abused, 14k, torsion axle 22 foot tilt deck for 3500. Had a few broken wires and needed brakes.

 

[archie73]

Drove it…

It was snowing again…

Still haven’t hooked the wipers back up…

Put it away.

Trailer is sitting on all new suspension. Ready for th next bout of stupidity…

No picture to prove it…

 

[archie73]

So when I went to St George in February, I developed an awful squealing. I purchased a new belt and tensioner pulleys. The belt fixed it, so I held back on the pulleys and put them in the stash. Squeal came back, so I put the pulleys on (this couldn’t be easier). Sounded better for a bit, but today it’s starting again.

I tried listening to a long pry bar touching each non spinny part. No singing. Alternator was new when I installed the engine (~10-15k miles), but the PS pump was a junkyard pull. I guess it’s time…

Free time is slipping away lately. I’ll find time…