Wiring harness and thinking about selling

[Cant Write]

@The_Josh_Bear nailed it, listen to him. Rear drums work when adjusted properly, you prolly have 13”x3” shoes, compare that too a disc setup. Plus have the factory load adjuster working that biases even more towards the rear. The down fall to drums is their ability to shed heat once hot.

To know if my drums are adjusted, I do do the reverse and stab the brake pedal. I also use the E-brake EVERY SINGLE TIME I put it in park. That helps me know where the shoes are.

When adjusting them, I like to spin the wheel and having them spin one rotation....give or take a little. If they spin over 1.5, a notch tighter.

Plus the e-brake is far superior to a disc setup unless you go driveshaft mounted.

Yes, you have a chance of e-brake freezing. I’ve only had it happen once really bad in 25 years of driving.

 

[Cant Write]

My thoughts:

Fords are more durable, body thicker steel, idi is definitely quieter than even a 24v.

You live in ME, rust and cold. You want a pickup you can pull with, and beat up.

Sell the Ford to someone who will love it before rust sets in.

Get the dodge road worthy since you will use it locally, and use that as “your don’t care” beater.

Family hauler are the vans.

Stick with bumper pulls unless you plan to have more than 2 horses, or get (2) bumper pulls as your sprinters should handle them.

Or if you are set on keeping the Ford, as @IDIBRONCO said, the cheapest vehicle is the one you have.....drop the lift, 24v swap the Ford (p-pump it if you want), swap the flat bed, dump the dodge.

 

[Cant Write]

Your dodge is a 2001, is it auto, 4500, or 5600?

Is it a LATE 2001, look under it and see if it has the CAD front axle. My ‘02 had all 3rd Gen underpinnings. (2003+)

If you need unit bearings, a free spin kit may be worth it if you like 2-low. (I do, but I live on a side hill)

If you need steering, depending on the 2001 build date you may be able to bolt 4th Gen stuff right to the front of your rig. (2009+ steering geometry changed for the better, not perfect). You “might” need to ream or get a different pitman arm. (Don’t think so)

You have the entire donor for $1k if you wanna Cummins swap your Ford. But deaden your fire wall!!!

Oh and the injector haze on the Cummins, get it road worthy and start driving it before you throw money at injectors. It will likely clear up.

And get a suitable lift pump to feed that VP, and some lube for it.

 

[94turbocrewcab-lb]

So the dodge is a 1999 24v. The biggest reason i didn’t swap it in the first place was the vp44 pump being electric. I’d really like to stay away from the electronics if possible..that is unless I just use the dodge as my beater/hauler..perhaps a p-pump swap would clear out the electric aspect. I’ve already put a raptor pump on it and 3/8 fuel lines to replace that crappy Carter lift pump it came with.

As far as my newly swapped motor..it’s not rebuilt it’s just a take out from some random truck with what we guessed was 158k..
The turbo that was on the previous motor was the stock one and it had 258k on it when the motor seized.. I thought I had a 400k motor but it let go early and was not very easy to replace. That’s what started my thinking..if it’s cool and mechanical but really hard to replace how good is it really?

I’m still up in the air on what to do at this point. I’m over the point in life where I wasn’t to be driving one of these trucks daily. When I was a little younger I had a nice 7.3psd and drove it daily. Often I’d drive to work with and empty cab and empty bed. But I also towed my tool trailer often. My sprinter has the trailer sitting with the truck.

Just don’t see needing two trucks that need work.

Thanks for all the input by the way.

I’m guessing my rear and front brakes could use a freshening on both trucks.

 

[hacked89]

So the dodge is a 1999 24v. The biggest reason i didn’t swap it in the first place was the vp44 pump being electric. I’d really like to stay away from the electronics if possible..that is unless I just use the dodge as my beater/hauler..perhaps a p-pump swap would clear out the electric aspect. I’ve already put a raptor pump on it and 3/8 fuel lines to replace that crappy Carter lift pump it came with.

As far as my newly swapped motor..it’s not rebuilt it’s just a take out from some random truck with what we guessed was 158k..
The turbo that was on the previous motor was the stock one and it had 258k on it when the motor seized.. I thought I had a 400k motor but it let go early and was not very easy to replace. That’s what started my thinking..if it’s cool and mechanical but really hard to replace how good is it really?

I’m still up in the air on what to do at this point. I’m over the point in life where I wasn’t to be driving one of these trucks daily. When I was a little younger I had a nice 7.3psd and drove it daily. Often I’d drive to work with and empty cab and empty bed. But I also towed my tool trailer often. My sprinter has the trailer sitting with the truck.

Just don’t see needing two trucks that need work.

Thanks for all the input by the way.

I’m guessing my rear and front brakes could use a freshening on both trucks.

In a world where time didn’t exist I would take a 87-94.5 ford truck and swap 2016 super duty axles under it and a built turbo IDI. That’s because outside of the engine I value braking and handling which has undoubtly improved in 30 years especially if towing is involved.

I’ve been selling and consolidating some of my stuff not because I couldn’t do that, but because I don’t want to put my time to a tow rig project right now. I’ll be focusing on my IDI bronco for off roading and demo derby.

My 89 black truck was originally an f250 so legally it’s a non starter for my plans due to its 8800 GVWR. I considered doing an idi rollback, idi f350 dually tow build but ultimately just landed on getting a newer truck

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I’ll be focusing on my IDI bronco

They are fun and unique. Mine just wasn't very practical for me. I really hated to have to hook onto a trailer to haul more than some bags of groceries. That's the biggest part of why I got rid of it.

 

[Cant Write]

They are fun and unique. Mine just wasn't very practical for me. I really hated to have to hook onto a trailer to haul more than some bags of groceries. That's the biggest part of why I got rid of it.

Man I could not agree with this more. I traded my 24v for landscaping work, I needed a large retaining wall built with huge rocks.

Now I have a burb and a trailer, while this sounds good on paper. In actuality IT SUCKS compared to just having a pickup.

 

[94turbocrewcab-lb]

How did you like the 24v

 

[Cant Write]

I liked it for a beater pickup. It was not nearly as refined as today’s, but I’d be afraid to beat up a nice looking pickup.

I might not have sold it if my neighbor didn’t have a clean 1-owner (his) ‘97 5.9 4x, NV 4500, P7100 he will sell me when he is ready.

Mine was a late ‘02, no CAD. PAC-Brake, dump bed, NV-5600. Upgraded lift pump. All stock power wise 245/505 I believe. (HO)

Main thing I didn’t like was the door to suicide door joint. And the seemingly flimsy front door hinges on such a heavy door.

I have other gripes, but for the 2 years I owned it, it did everything I asked and then some. Got around 17 mpg.

My best friend runs an excavation company here. Has a ‘99 24v with over 330k, NV4500, 4.10 gears. It’s getting a little tired and has been put to his maintenance rig for the heavy equipment. Compressor, welder, tool boxes. His newer pickups just pull so effortlessly in comparison, and handle the weight better.

He had to use it earlier this summer, grossing 30k (too much) and could accelerate pulling Keystone hill in 3rd, but 4th was too big of jump and would bog. All stock engine wise.

You already have a 24v, keep the VP fed (which you did) add some lubricity and run it vs making a bigger project out of it. My 2 cents.

I’ve worked hard all my life, just like many here. I’m trying to get to a point where I don’t feel guilty doing something with the family or a selfish hike/ride without some to-do hanging over my head.

 

[Cant Write]

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The unfinished wall I traded it for....

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Plus other stuff on the back side of my house. Rough grading, fire pit, 12 cotton woods removed....

 

[94turbocrewcab-lb]

Where are you? So much different that the coast of Maine where I am..everything is green and it’s always wet

 

[Cant Write]

I’m in SW CO amongst the San Juan Range. Placerville area. Near Telluride CO

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I’m trying to get to a point where I don’t feel guilty doing something with the family or a selfish hike/ride without some to-do hanging over my head.

Hey. I just did that yesterday and I didn't feel guilty at all. If it's only every once in a while, then I don't see a need to feel guilty. If you look closely, there's a couple of motorcycles under that tree.

 

[Cant Write]

@IDIBRONCO your house might be a lot closer to finished than mine!! Or in less need of maintenance.....?

Mine needs some love, but man do the mountains call And they are literally in my back yard

 

[IDIBRONCO]

@IDIBRONCO your house might be a lot closer to finished than mine!! Or in less need of maintenance.....?

Fortunately, it's not my house that needs work right now.