'78 3/4 ton 4x4 FRANKENTRUCK

[westie 666]

We repaired a sender unit on a 63 F*&%D the other day, after we had dismantled it, we inspected it for damage or wear and it looked fine, did a test on it and nothing, as a last ditch desperation thing we buffed the pickup with 1000 grit paper and eureka!! A working fuel gauge.

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Seriously now,...that's a pic of me grinding the suface rust in the floor of the bed just before rust stabilization. The truck had a calf rack in it with a wood floor when I found it. YUK!! It was the very FIRST item to go! Pretty heavy surface rust ground nicely and finished well. Now it's black primered.
And thanks N2TRUX!!

[asphaltburner]

Yeah, that can certainly be done! The windings get varnish and other crap on them and you lose the electrical pathway due to the resistance. The moving contact can have the same problem.
I was hoping to avoid any problems (geeze!), so I installed brand new senders in both tanks. I still think my problem is forward of the tank switching valve,...everything rearward of it is new.
My friggin' '88 F**D has the same problem,...guage works at certain levels, but not throughout the entire range,...I just use it's trip odometer. When FRANKENTRUCK is done, I'll be selling the POS Br*nco.
New Zealand?!! How cool!! Hope to visit your wonderous country someday, westie 666,...and Australia/New Guinea too while in that part of the world! My wife and I have been SCUBA divers for MANY years! Myself since '72! We do get a bit roudy though, so you may hear about us if we do! BTW, what's that little yellow fellow smoking?! Todd.

[westie 666]

Always welcome in our neck of the woods, we have awesome diving and fishing but Australia has the great barrier reef and thats hard to beat.

[asphaltburner]

Junkyard visit again today for evaporative cannister, turn signal hardware, and horn system knowledge. $20.
Also studied wiper motors and W/S washer motors of different years, and ordered the proper unit for my '78 this afternoon from LMC Truck. Got my tank valve switch wired the way I wanted it (Main up, Aux down), re-assembled the steering column, and tested my twin stick NP205. RWD high/low, 4x4 high/low, and had fun with FWD high/low (especially with the front hubs unlocked!),...all worked perfect. Tremendous amount of torque! Higher RPM with speed than my Camaro (it has 2.79:1 rear gears, this is 4.11:1 rear gears!), but FRANKENTRUCK weighs nearly twice as much too. Great performance!
Slowly knocking out the short troubleshooting list. Seems like the speedo cable is not engaging the speedo, and I'll work on that soon. Haven't gotten to fuel gauge yet (lowest priority). Todd.

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Y'all! FRANKENTRUCK is a reality, ready to terrorize the road, and it's time to terminate this thread. This will be the 156th post to this thread, meaning that I REALLY appreciate all of your interest and attention to this project of mine!! I hope that some others have benefited from the info that's been presented here! FRANKENTRUCK, and I, will not be going away, just lurking in the shadows!
asphaltburner will always be lurking as well,...so watch for him, private message if you find the need,...and WATCH OUT, FRANKENTRUCK might just pull up behind you, and THEN,...

[gmchellion]

Originally Posted by asphaltburner

Yo! Prong!
Sure would like to a pic, if you would be so kind! I assumed the rods were to counteract against rotational torque of the Tcase, but perhaps not.
I've nearly completed installation of the NP205 side mount that I pulled from the donor flatbed. It will accomplish both tasks, and was designed to accompany the NP205 in the first place (FRANKENTRUCK had the NP203 and rod). I will, of course, use the two short rods that FRANKENTRUCK came with, tieing the heavy aluminum torque converter cover to the engine mounts. They were with the TH400 when I got the truck.
Rearranged the tubing running down the passenger's frameraill,...pulled out the fuel feed line, lowered the return line, and reattached the brakeline where it was. My 6 port fuel switching valve will live in a steel "shelter" attached to the underside of the truck bed, near the front. The e-pump will reside in a similar "shelter" just behind the emergency brake cable entrance through the frame,...nearly under the driver's seat:
Attachment 387483
Fuel feed will run forward from there, along the inner framerail, and up (in front of the engine) to the pressure regulator and the Holley. I hope to stay as far away from the headers and exhaust as possible that way, and keep it all protected from road debris. Hoses from the fuel tanks to the valve, short hose to the hardline that will feed the e-pump, and hard line nearly to the regulator, then hose. I'll use hose to reach the existing return line and back to hose to get to the valve. Vent lines from each tank will simply be hose to a charcoal cannister that I'll mount driver's side next to the radiator. Todd.

how much was the switcher mine works but both tanks say full they are empty do not know how to fix that

[asphaltburner]

Yo! gmchellion!
Near $80 from JC Whitney for the electic six-port switch. Quite nice, but it sounds like you have the same problem that I still have. The guage works, but senses "infinite resistance" on the sender side of the circuit. Means we both have an open in the sender circuit. I have perfect grounds for my senders, but that is a common reason for this symptom. The other reason is an open in the sender lead, and I believe that is what is going on with mine,...probably a cold solder.
Todd.

[gmchellion]

guess i just have to trace the wire all the wasy from the tank to gauge anybody have a clue on color sorry for the thread jack i been following your truck for a while i was on the 60-66 forum before coming along nicely

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Naw, no thread jack, I sortta terminated this thread mid-November when all the big stuff was done. Color is tan/light brown, but I believe it could also be pink (can't remember right off hand, but I'll check my wiring diagram after work today). Mine exits the loom through the metal wire protector next to the starter and then travels aft. Not hard to find, but yeah, you'll have to trace it. That's why mine is being ignored for the moment!
Todd.

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Had a pic request and this is the only spot that I have pics. At least until I get FRANKENTRUCK finished. A lot has gone on so I thought I'd add some pics to this thread. Most obvious is FRANKENTRUCK's new boots. About a year ago I added Chip Foose "Spank" wheels, 17 x 8, found new (in their boxes) for CHEAP:



Wrapped with 285x70x17 Firestones (the truck, with some jerk hanging around it,...I chased him outta there right afterward):



The tires and wheels sure set FRANKENTRUCK at just the right stance:



Todd.

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Then, I completed my stereo at the end of August. Indash DIN Kenwood Excelon AM/FM/CD/iPod (USB and 1/8" input on the front face) 22W RMS x 4, powering four 6.5" 3-way Kenwood stacked in cab corner boxes. This sure came out nice!
These trucks are tricky to install into, but I planned and cut a DIN sleeve hole that centered the Kenwood perfectly and set it flush with the face of the dash bezel without spacers or plates. Had to "waller" out that small bit of the silver trim on the lower right:



And this pic shows the cuts and install quite well, showing that the unit is flush with the dash bezel:



Here's the finished head unit with the trim ring in place:



Todd.

[asphaltburner]

Yo! And finally, I built cab corner speaker boxes with carpet-covered plywood faces and insulated them with foam rubber:



They fit diagonally into the cab corners and sound great:



Todd.

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Y'all!
Otherwise, the truck has been commuting so much, and the weather has been so terrible, that I finally finished a PCV system that I'm pleased with just last weekend. Now I can tweek the choke/carb settings.
Everything on FRANKENTRUCK works, except my fuel gauge,...all of that system is new behind the plugin near the starter motor, so I just need to trace the circuit open from the gauge to the plugin.
Then I can concentrate on bodywork and paint.
Todd.

[smashingchuck]

Why paint it? I think it's perfect as it is! (minus jerk hanging on truck)

[COMP]

lookin good

[grinch4om]

have always liked this project

[2bits]

Looks seriously good! Love the stance!

[munice]

looks great man! they do make a DIN mounting kit for these dashes aswell, i picked one up the other day. don't think i'll get around to putting it in till its warmer though, but it included a metal frame that mounts behind the stock dash plastic and a little beauty plate to go in front of the stock dash... but looking at yours, i may just try to do a nice clean cut like you did and not use the extra cover plate.. any chance you could snap some pics of your exhaust in and around the transfer case for my other thread?

[asphaltburner]

Yo! I'll try to shoot some pics ASAP for you, munice.
I have that adapter plate for the stereo, but I wanted to try to not use it,...The appearance of the stock bezel grain is so much nicer! I made those cuts free hand with a hacksaw blade,...it was easy!
And thank you all for the nice comments!
Todd.

[Walts_restoration]

Yo todd, got any more detailed pictures and writeup of your selector valve? The one in my new 78 3/4 4x4 doesnt work right, and thinking about putting the same valve you have in mine.

Think it will work with the factory dual tank switch?

[Becker67]

That is a really clean truck. I really love those wheels they look so good on that truck.

[spinem]

looks good. besides that triangle foam air filter!!! yuuuccckkkkk

[tim23mn]

Todd~ Frankentruck looks good with its new shoes!

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Thanks all! The triangular Edelbrock air filter was actually replaced with a big ol' 14" round quite a while back! It looks much better! I'm suprised that I have a pic of the truck with it at all! Ha!
About the selector valve,...I'll gather my info and PM you, Walts,...mine works on a toggle, so I'd bet that the origional selector switch would work just fine.
Todd.