An even more traitorous vehicle

[DutchVDub]

Well the bumper itself was made from 1/2" angle and I added 3/16" over the top. Tonight I'm going to weld the bottom up and then add more 3/16" from the receiver out past the seem. That means I'll have 7/8" of total thickness in plate spanning about 1' between the two sections of still intact angle iron. I haven't checked my tongue weight when loaded but I'm sure it's less than what this thing can support. I probably wouldn't trust it for much more than a single car trailer like I'm running, but that's the most I'll be dealing with anyways. If the time come for me to drag more weight or multiple vehicles then I'll borrow my neighbors gooseneck.

 

[YELLAHEEP]

Ah. Didn't realize that angle was 1/2" thick....... I still think it'll flex with the tongue weight some but yeah it'll probably hold.

 

[DutchVDub]

Well what I might do is instead of laying the 3/16'' flat against the bottom like I did the top is weld it vertical and basically make big gussets out of it. That'll definitely help it in strength factor in regards to vertical forces.

 

[DutchVDub]

Well, I finished it up. I welded the bottom and back side tonight. I also found some 1/4" thick strap that was the perfect width and used that to gusset the bottom. The gussets extend past the welded seems and should eliminate any weakness to the hitch.

As a further update, I just filled up both tanks this morning after driving just over 400 miles. My average was 14.7mpg with most of that being in town and along HWY-119 from Firestone to Longmont. It does also include towing the Jeep 60miles to Left Hand Canyon and back, a trip to DIA, and another run up to Fort Collins.

 

[ChiXJeff]

I've got a really stupid question....Rather than chop up that iron, re-gusset and reinforce it again, why didn't you just pick up another 2" receiver tube, and attach it to the bottom? That would have kept the original iron intact, given you a 3" drop, as well as kept the original in place just in case.

 

[DutchVDub]

Because I didn't want two receivers on my truck. I still need the 5 1/2" drop for my trailer so I doub't I'll run ito a situation where this one is too low. Also, this makes for a better step and I think a cleaner look.

 

[DutchVDub]

Had to grab the trailer today and with the new hitch setup its definitely sitting better. Should sit level with the Jeep on it, I might just drive the Jeep up there tomorrow just to make sure.

Also, today at work I managed to score some sweet arse new mud flaps. Our shop has been sending trucks to these guys lately for paint and while picking one up my buddy managed to talk them into tossing me a set of InterTRASHional ........ I mean ........ International mud flaps.

I managed to fab up a mount for one of them tonight, but then the Bud Light Lime beckoned and I stopped working on it. Still, she look balla forr sure. Tomorrow afternoon I'll hopefully get some time to knock out the other side.

 

[DutchVDub]

Just got the other side finished up

 

[DutchVDub]

Well the truck had been working great until a recent trip up I-70 past Idaho Springs. I was taking the Jeep up to run Spring Creek and just before getting to the first of the Idaho Springs exits it started missing really bad. As I was almost to my destination I jjust kept trucking it the last couple of miles. After an excellent trip it was time to load up and head back down the pass. After making sure the coil, distributor, and plug wires were all still there. I started it up, yup it was still missing. I checked all the fluids and made sure my connections at the UVCH were g2g and made the hard decision. With no other way how it was time to see just what a 7cyl diesel could do.
Anyways, I made it home and ran a few tests using a friend's scanner. We found that all the injectors were getting a goood signal and the only thing we were getting was cyl 5 failed the contribution test. Ok, I guess a bad injector then. Nope, not quite. I pulled the valve cover off and foound this guy had decided to turn in his resignation.

Apparently when the intake valve doesn't open the cylinder can't make power. Who would've thunk it?

 

[YELLAHEEP]

Gawd that's a weak-ass looking rocker arm....... Stamped steel?

THIS...... is a rocker arm. (cough...Cummins....cough )

Even Durmax understands......

Phreakin' Phords...... :nono:

 

[DutchVDub]

Yeah, I agree that it's a pretty weak looking rocker arm that Intertrashional put in there. That being said I did pass a 2nd Gen cummins go up I-70 with only 7 cylinders and was blowing out less smoke too. I was towing the Jeep and he had some puny little bobcat bucket loader on his trailer.

 

[YELLAHEEP]

I'm sure it was because he was obeying the speed limit and driving safe....... not in a race with some goob in a phord..... :gag:

:laugh:

 

[DutchVDub]

Doubt it, I was only doing 65.

 

[YELLAHEEP]

Doubt it, I was only doing 65.

SPOBI....... you never drive that slow. :looser:

 

[DutchVDub]

With 4.10 gears 65 is the fastest I go in my truck. That still has me sitting at 2300ish rpm in 5th gear

 

[DutchVDub]

Well the pushrod is bent too, as it the intake pushrod for cylinder 1. I'm also fairly certain that the lifter for the cylinder 5 intake has collapesed and needs to be replaced. That sucks because it means pulling the head.

 

[eflores]

Meh don't be a pansy

 

[DutchVDub]

Well I ain't got no money but I do have time and tools. Now thats its cooled off I'm doning the bug spray and working on the truck. I got all of the rocker assemblies and push rods out of the passenger side. 3 bent pushrods, 1 broken rocker, and a lifter that seems to be collapsed. Now for the driver's side. Pics to come later.
Driver side done, besides one of the rocker assemblies missing its clip all is well on this half of the engine. Apparently if I did over-rev this thing I only did it to the passenger side.

So as of now it looks like I'll only be pulling the passenger side head to get at the collapsed lifter, another example of why I prefer solid lifters over hydraulic ones. It was the same story with my VW's. I'll take a solid lifter 1.8 8V over any of the hydraulic lifter 16V's, they just hold up better to aggressive driving.
So for now parts needed:
-3 pushrods
-1 rocker (already have thanks to Jared)
-1 head gasket
-1 exhaust manufold gasket
-1 lifter????
I also need to replace the o-rings on the breather that sits on the driver side valve cover and I have a fuel leak that started the other day so I need to check the lift pump and fuel bowl connections/fittings for leaks.

 

[.40CalPatriot]

Fords are fun...........

 

[DutchVDub]

Fix or Repair Daily. I blame the fact that my International badges for the fenders took too long to get here. If I'd been able to get the F-250 Powerstroke badges swapped out for the International T444E badges earlier this would never have happened.