Speed

The Exploder-I mean Explorer,has a hydraulic release bearing,with two stub lines coming out of the bell housing and a bleeder also outside the bell housing. As near as I can tell,the lines at the bell housing use quick couplings that keep everything sealed up until they're connected. I have some shop time booked Monday to get this thing finished. I decided the next project is a front axle rebuild on the Toyota. It's had one axle that's been a little noisy for some time,but it worked fine at 45 mph or under,but last time I locked the hubs it shook like hell even at 15 mph. I noticed it got even worse when I made a right turn. I have a couple of good axles I bought from a guy last Summer when he changed his rock crawler over to the Chevy style axles. I figure this is the time to swap the good axles in and re-seal the pinion and steering knuckles,and convert to Synthetic lube. Maybe drain and re-fill the REAR axle with Synthetic too. I wanted to go for a couple of Yukon pocket-lockers too,but their price has gone beyond ridiculous. One painful step at a time,right? Speed

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas! 😇 After about a Month of work,I got the Explorer back,it STILL isn't fully functional but the mechanic said to drive it a little and see if it works better or worse,bring it back in a week or so and we could go from there. It got worse-well,it stays the same some of the time,is worse some of the time,I'm taking it back tomorrow to see if he can take another run at tilting the truck's nose up high on the hoist (to encourage the air to go to the lines so a pressure bleed might get the air out.) That got a lot of air out of the system with the pressure bleeder last time. 🤔I think there's some value to using vibration to jar the air bubbles loose from wherever they're hiding. He DIDN'T do that last time. Dutch suggested using an electric engraver with the point flattened and going all over the lines and M/C to make all the bubbles go to the highest point THEN bleeding it. ONE thing is obvious-this truck is WORTHLESS on any kind of snow,ice or mud without the 4WD working😠. (Only 1 wheel driving and no appreciable tread on it,and a clutch that drags enough to keep pushing the truck except on dry pavement.) I got in contact with the guy who owns the truck ( Bronco II) the manual shift T/C is from,he gave the truck to a friend but the friend says the shifter is still there and I can have it,so that's one less thing I need to find. Apparently the linkage is missing,but I can make that;the part I can't make is the little arm the linkage connects to that fits the stub shaft sticking out of the T/C case. I figure I could probably get by with the stock automatic hubs until I find a set of manual hubs. Not the best choice for mileage,but will work if needed. Not planning on ANY work on the trucks for the next 10 days or so,the high temps here will be the low/mid 20's-not conductive to working outside.🙂 Speed

This truck had a 270 and a 420 originally,but probably had the Brownie installed before the current 302/Clark,which was pretty much standard issue for the Military trucks of larger than Deuce and a half sizes. The Clark doesn't have an E brake. Since I have other work to do on this truck (slide the bed forward,bigger alternator,dual batteries,100W headlights,new clutch,re-tube drivelines and change the front yoke,build a proper exhaust system),if you know anyone who has a one ton up 420 with the trans. E-brake who wants to trade it straight across for an overdrive,I'll pull the Clark out for 'em. I don't want to trade for a worn out 420 though,it needs to be in at least fair,usable shape. I suspect the Clark may need an output shaft bearing,but it works fine otherwise and is quiet,for a crashbox. Speed

Thanksgiving Dinner was about a 7;the meat was tough and the dressing was good,but not enough. Enjoyed visiting with my Sister though. Yeah,I rode the Harley over-it was raining,but not slick. On the way home,it was SUPPOSED to be snowing hard,but it was clear skies and dry roads. Not sure what the wind chill was-temperature was about 35 degrees,not bad at all. That's been about the high in the last few days,and appears the same will be true for another week,with occasional snow/rain. WONderful! =========================================================================================================================== Turns out the new throwout bearing/slave cylinder was dysfunctional too. The Mechanic got everything in place,filled,bled properly,and it STILL won't disengage the clutch. BUT-Since I have a NEW clutch set,a NEW sealed hydraulic system for the clutch and NEW flywheel,I asked for an estimate to install it. Still waiting to hear back. I expect the labor to be around $500.00-600.00,and I know there'll be no warranty. Can't wait to have it done. Once I have it operable,I think the next job will be swapping the engine in my One Ton Chevy.Having THAT done I'll have it reliable enough to run even on the freeway,though somewhat slowly.(It seems pretty "short-legged",for some reason. Maybe it's a combination of restricting my RPM's to 2,000,to reduce the oil usage and switching from the original 235/85-16's to 9.00-16.5's,) ============================================================================================================================ Used the '90 GMC to run an errand,seems to be a sound truck. I need to get the hard water haze off the windshield. A friend told me about something called "Barkeeper's Friend" he says works awesome. I'll write a review when I try it. Monday I'll go to DMV and get the required paperwork to apply for a duplicate title,an affidavit of non-use and an official Bill of Sale. The PO says he'll fill out all the papers but will NOT take time off from work to go to DMV with me to get this done. (I THINK I can still get a 30 say Temp. Permit on it at this point.)

My '74 Chevy one ton is inoperable-the starter doesn't work. MY opinion is the ignition wire's either disconnected or damaged. The point of mentioning this is that I had an appointment to get to on Monday,but the truck wouldn't start,so I drove the Explorer,still clutchless. Once that was handled I drove over and filled the gas tank and a 1.25 gallon gas can,just for emergency use. Then I took it to a local Garage I trust to get its clutch hooked up and bled. I called this AM,Wednesday,to ask how it was going,and the mechanic said he got it assembled,filled and bled it and it still has no clutch function. I've asked him to work up an estimate to just break it down and do a COMPLETE clutch job,labor only because I have ALL the parts for it new. Hope to hear from him Friday. I don't wanna spend that much on the clutch job,but I need this thing done,and I know I'm unable to do it myself. I think the labor and parts costs are nearly the same,it looks like the labor will probably be around $500-600. I know they can't offer a Warranty if they use owner-supplied parts,but the parts are good quality and the mechanic does excellent work,so I'm not worried. In the meantime,with nothing to drive operable,I'll probably ride the Harley over to my Sister's place foe Thanksgiving dinner. Hope it doesn't snow more than a couple of inches-this bike gets pretty unstable in any more snow than that. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Speed

" Sure you want to give the Clark up for an SM420 four-speed? Tired of double-clutching? " I don't mind double clutching-actually I "half-double clutch",half the work. As I reach the "float" part of a shift,I just slide it into neutral and let off the gas,then as the rpms come down close to idle on an up shift I hit the clutch and shift into the next gear;on a down shift,I lift the throttle and pull it into neutral,jazz the throttle a bit and shift to my next lower gear. I actually LIKE the weird shift pattern-it kinda amazes passengers,who think it'll have its gears on the same pattern their half ton GMC does. The main thing is that I like the feel of the 420,it shifts easier and is a LOT quieter going down the road. Being mostly synchronized isn't a bad thing either. Without looking up the individual gear ratios,it feels like its ratios are close to the same as the first four speeds of the Clark,but I really can't use the Overdrive on the Clark anyway,unless I can grow another hundred or so horsepower. The Clarks 5th gear is a .85,and the Brownie I have is a .74 Over;I don't have the power,even EMPTY,to run both overdrives,so if I have to give one up,going to a 420 main box will give me virtually all the gears I have now except one overdrive. Only downside I see is I'll have to have BOTH drivelines modified,but if it's gonna be on the highway at all that's probably a good idea anyway. Plus,if I get a 420 from a one ton or bigger truck it'll have my beloved transmission mounted E-brake!!! ============================================================================================================================== I have a grocery bag of tubes and when I still had a list of what tubes the GMC radio needed I went through 'em,but there were no matches. I'll trade 'em for a set of the right tubes for my radio. (BTW-Elko High School's Electronics Class has my tube tester,they'll probably check any tubes you have for free.) Hey,I discovered Summit Racing sells H-4 Halogen headlights in a 7" round. They're around $56.00 a pair,and I can get 85/100W bulbs for 'em for a couple of bucks each.You want some REAL light to drive by for your older car or truck-this'll do the job! Speed

The heater on this truck actually works pretty good;it's noisy but functional. (I think it's still the 6 volt motor;a 12 volt replacement isn't too expensive.) I need to build some defroster hoses-the originals just crumble when I try to do anything with 'em. I know I can buy a set for under 20 bucks-they're just such a pain to route so nothing interferes with their fit. (Wipers linkage in particular.) Hey,I still have that 12 volt radio that fits my truck-actually I have one from a '60 GMC LCF,one from a '53 or so Chevy truck and another one for parts, I can't remember what it was in;I'm looking for someone who can/will build me a good,reliable radio for my truck. I like the tube type radio-it pulls a LOT stronger signal reception than the transistorized junk they sell now. The GMC one is complete except the tubes are missing and the dial lens needs to be replaced. I think LMC sells that-I don't know what tubes it takes or where they go. I'd like to get that done and find an FM converter for it,the old school one that fits under the dash. I think LMC also sells the chrome speaker box that mounts above the windshield and they have an upgraded speaker that fits it. I figure once I swap the Clark 5 speed for a good SM420 and build a decent exhaust (3" pipe,Summit Racing Flowmaster knock-off w/3" in and out,short piece of flex pipe after a 90 degree,feeding into a 3" stack that extends about 18" above the top of the cab,with a straight cut end and a rain-cap,assembled with band type clamps,I'll even be able to hear it. I doubt I'll be using the 5th wheel plate anymore on this truck,so I'll attach the stack to the headache rack on the flatbed. (That reminds me-I need to move the bed forward on the frame about 4 more inches to center it over the rear wheels. I don't think I'll need that much room for the stack's clearance.) I also found a deal on H-4 Halogen headlights for this truck and have some 85/100W bulbs to install in 'em. It'll be SO NICE to be able to see what's down the road far enough ahead I don't have to worry about surprise obstructions! Speed

There is not a lot of altitude change until I-84 over to Boise,where its actually lower than Elko. What I was hearing is that most of Southern Idaho is around 4,000 feet,Elko is 5,100,and there's several summits of about 55-5800 feet. Not sure yet what route will get me to Idaho Falls w/o any weigh stations. I DO know how to bypass the Elko one. Higher altitude won't bother me with this truck-I have enough gearing at my disposal to climb whatever's in front of me. Right now,the truck's needs are a fresh alternator and 5/8" belt (to replace the 7/8" belt-you can't find pulleys to work with a 7/8 belt!) I also want to install some LED bed marker lights,but those aren't as critical. Speed

Having looked more closely,I discovered the manual T/C and the electronic T/C are both Borg Warner 1350 units but with different shift mechanisms. Everything else appears the same. I'm pretty sure the wiring will even fit both applications,but on the manual T/C the two switches might only serve as indicator lights. Installing the clutch master cylinder,I discover one bolt goes into a VERY hard place to reach,impossible to me. I thought of a way to bolt it in from the INSIDE,by using "clip nuts" which I'll clip over the mounting tabs on the master cylinder,then run the bolts through from the interior. I'm still not clear on the line connection;it includes a roll pin that holds the line into the master cylinder,and a rubber washer,which I'm not sure where it fits. I'll figure it out.THEORETICALLY it'll work fine. I hope to have this one done Friday before dark-I can't wait to do an oil change on it and drive it down and fill the gas tank. Speed

The '90 GMC's a runner. I replaced the gas filter,which was plugged almost completely,but still no start. Next I pulled the ignition module and had it tested-it failed. I bought a new one and installed it and the engine started after about 3 seconds of cranking. Runs a little cobby,but I'm sure that's just stale gas. So far everything works except one back up light and one tail light bulb,soon to be replaced. Next,I'm working on getting the clutch hydraulics replaced on the '93 Ford Explorer I recently bought. Speed

I know-OH GREAT-he has ANOTHER problem child to heal! This one is a 1990 GMC K2500 Extra Cab 4X4;5.7L,700-R4 The PO says it quit him on the highway,he put a new fuel pump in it and it still wouldn't start. Here's what I've tried so far. I listened for the pump running,it did, dumped 5 gallons of fresh gas in the tank (The gauge showed empty),tried bleeding the lines to the T/B,the left pipe showed fuel,the right side pipe,not so much,(It was EXTREMELY tight,and the nut was rounded,it took a pipe wrench to finally get it loose),and that's about all I had time for. I suspect maybe A-an ignition module B-an ECM C-a plugged fuel filter Next will be checking the codes,which I SHOULD have started with,but I really expected it to be an easy fix. Other issues with this truck are 2 light bulbs out,the right fender scuffs the door,the left window (power) is missing a piece of the channel and the switch doesn't work,and the shift indicator doesn't work. I'd be surprised if the A/C works. Speed

I just acquired a manual shift T/C that,at first glance,looks like it'll work in my Exploder. It was removed from a Ranger around the same age (?) because the owner thought it was the cause of a vibration,but even with another T/C the vibration remained just as bad. It was traced to a bent driveline. I'm not at all familiar with these Ford set-ups,so I don't know how this'll work out. Might need driveline work,and will need a shifter. don't know yet if it'll bolt to my transmission. I notice when I change the hubs to locking hubs there's an "adapter kit" I'll need (for an additional $60.00). What does it consist of,and why is it needed? Used to be the Ford dealer's Parts Man could tell me what fits,what doesn't and what it takes to MAKE it fit anyway,but this kid doesn't know anything about vehicles older than 2000,and THEN,if it isn't in the books it doesn't exist. Anybody out there been through this particular swap? Any knowledge,experience or bits of wisdom will be appreciated. Speed

What I'm hearing is that the shift motor is a weak point on this system,though on this truck I think there's an electrical issue. Neither switch on the dash lights up,so today I'll be checking/replacing fuses and looking for a possible relay that might also be faulty. I suppose if I can make it work again I can live with the electric shift set up until Spring. Since the clutch M/C I bought comes without a pushrod or the connection to the pedal I can't do the install until Monday or so,so I've been working on other things it needs,wiper blades,light bulb replacements,adjusting doors,etc. I'll be spending some time reading the repair manual on it and studying the wiring diagrams to figure out what goes where. I'm lucky,my favorite wrecking yard over in Wells has 3 of these,so parts shouldn't be a huge problem. BTW-all the gauges work fine except it hasn't shown any oil pressure;I suspect the wire's off the sender,or the sender's bad. I know replacing the sender on the BroncWorth gave it 15 pounds more oil pressure,'course it was already showing about 20#'s warmed up. This one is completely flatlined,making me think the wire's off or broken. =========================================================================================================================== A new development on the clutch issue. The P.O. apparently lost the clutch M/C,pushrod AND the "slave cylinder" he said he replaced is a hydraulic release bearing,so I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have pulled the transmission just to replace a throw-out bearing. it doesn't look to have been tampered with,so I ordered a new one piece sealed and bled clutch hydraulic set up,and a new clutch. Once it arrives I'll pull the transmission out a couple of feet,send the flywheel to be resurfaced and reassemble it with new parts. Also,I expect to have to replace some power window switches and the power mirror switch,since both mirrors adjust but only one direction. A couple of window switches are sketchy too. I might get a can of contact cleaner and see if I can "tune 'em up". =========================================================================================================================== On the electric T/C,I checked out the link you posted. Thanks for posting it. I've decided my best bet will be to make the stock set up work again,and spend some time researching other ways to get the set up I want,maybe an earlier pre-electric shift transfer case,like the one in my '84 BroncWorth,could be arranged.

I just bought a '93 Explorer four door,with a 5 speed,for $350.00. Its main issue is the clutch master cylinder is shot,it has a new slave cylinder. Drove it home from Wells to Elko,about 50 miles,and it drove GREAT! It needs a bunch of little stuff done,door hinges,a gauge replacement,a power window repair etc.but what I want to know is how to convert the full time 4WD to part time with locking hubs. The 4 wheel drive doesn't work-the seller says he tracked it down to the T/C motor,so if I'm going to work on it I'd like to see if there's a way to change it over to a cable shift or better yet an actual linkage and shifter. Any ideas anyone? Is a kit offered somewhere? Speed

The trick to the locker in both axles is when you side hill it,unlock the hub on the up hill wheel. This allows it to act as a rudder to keep the rig pointed where you want to go. Speed