THE BEAST IS ALIVE - - - -

[satx78247]

Friends,

After having been stored in a hay barn and NOT being started since early 2006, the 1986 XLT Lariat started right up with 2 new batteries, a new fuel filter, 5 gallons of fresh diesel & a single/short "PSST with ether" & in less than 10 seconds. = SUCCESS.
(I must admit that it smoked something awful for about 5 minutes but then stopped smoking & settled down to a smooth idle. I'd guess that the 10 YO diesel in the lines had to burn off.)

THANKS to ALL the great members, who offered advice on the "resurrection" of "the sleeping beast".

Fwiw, I'm convinced that a 6.9 NA I-H "corn-binder" engine is just QUALITY, exceedingly long-lived with ordinary owner-maintenance & "tougher than a dollar steak".

yours, satx.

 

[6.9_Idi]

I'm glad to see that you had luck with starting your truck! have fun and keep on Driving!

 

[satx78247]

6.9_IDI,

Needless to say, I was quite pleased. - As of now I have about 1600.oo in the '86 Lariat Super-cab with <55,000 miles.
(Barring a total disaster, I figure that my daughter can drive this truck when I'm long gone. = I've had a half dozen offers already to buy it but NO SALE.)

THANKS for your comment, too.

yours, satx

 

[Thewespaul]

Congrats on resurecting the truck brother, hope to hear more great things from this truck in the future

 

[6.9_Idi]

Wow less than 55,000 miles! Know wonder you have have several offers! Good luck with the rest of the project!

 

[The Warden]

Congratulations on getting her lit off!! Please tell me that you disabled the glow plugs before spraying the ether?

 

[satx78247]

Thewespaul; 6.9_Idi,

To Thewespaul: THANKS for the comment.

To: 6.9_Idi: The only owner before me was a former barrel racer with the PRCA & she said that the PU was seldom driven unless she was going to a horse-show or a rodeo.
(She had a Jeep & a Buick LeSabre at the time that she bought the truck. - "Miss Brenda" said that after she was thrown in the arena & disabled that she, "parked the truck in the barn & left it sitting".)

She said that she was willing to sell it to me because she wanted someone to restore the PU & "get my pickup back on the road".
(Fwiw, I'm neither a fast cowboy nor a slow cowboy. Instead I'm about a "half-fast" cowboy. = The truck will be primarily used to haul my spring-wagon/harness/horses to/from trail-rides, to pull the RV to/from our deer lease & to tow a large boat/trailer.)

yours, satx

 

[Thewespaul]

Thewespaul; 6.9_Idi,

To Thewespaul: THANKS for the comment.

To: 6.9_Idi: The only owner before me was a former barrel racer with the PRCA & she said that the PU was seldom driven unless she was going to a horse-show or a rodeo.
(She had a Jeep & a Buick LeSabre at the time that she bought the truck. - "Miss Brenda" said that after she was thrown in the arena & disabled that she, "parked the truck in the barn & left it sitting".)

She said that she was willing to sell it to me because she wanted someone to restore the PU & "get my pickup back on the road".
(Fwiw, I'm neither a fast cowboy nor a slow cowboy. Instead I'm about a "half-fast" cowboy. = The truck will be primarily used to haul my spring-wagon/harness/horses to/from trail-rides, to pull the RV to/from our deer lease & to tow a large boat/trailer.)

yours, satx

You gotta bring out your horses and some trucks, we got an arena on our family land and 300 acres of mud trails for us and horse trails for ladies

 

[satx78247]

The Warden,

YEP. - Steve disconnected the glow-plugs before I gave it a short "spritz".
(The Beast didn't want to start, the first time, without ether.)

We still, have a considerable amount of "resurrection work" to do on the PU before Steve's dad does a "professional detailing" on the PU & we start pulling the boats/trailers with it to the 60th Anniversary of the ROY ROGERS - MAC McDERBY RUN from Denison, TX to New Orleans, LA in May.
(My best buddy, Ellie, will be pulling the 8 boat-trailers to the next overnight stop, purchasing/delivering fuel/groceries/supplies to the participants each day during the Run & "running errands" for everyone during the 15-day trip. = Ellie has "the hard job".)

ADDENDA: Fwiw, we are taking eight antique/restored YELLOW JACKET runabouts with original OB motors (& on the original trailers) on The Run, PLUS we will have ROY ROGERS's own YJ 1956 racing boat (that he set the speed record from Los Angeles to Catalina Island) along on the trip. = We're trying to convince the owner that his beloved restored/concours "100-point trailer queen" should at least be unloaded at a ramp, fired up & driven a couple of miles down the river & in "the parade of Yellow Jackets" into New Orleans. - Needless to say, the 1956 racer/Mercury OB is IRREPLACEABLE.
(He, as of yesterday PM, has said neither YES nor NO to our request.)

yours, satx

 

[The Warden]

YEP. - Steve disconnected the glow-plugs before I gave it a short "spritz".
(The Beast didn't want to start, the first time, without ether.)

Okay, good...I presume you've done enough reading to know about the bimetallic spring GP controller on your truck. Time to do some trouble-shooting...you can either replace the controller, upgrade to a solid-state controller, or go push-button...

In any event, sounds like fun!

 

[satx78247]

Thelespaul,

Once we get the 60th Anniversary Run completed & get some well-deserved rest (This re-enactment is NOT to be a "restful activity".), we may just get out your way. = THANKS for the kind invitation!!!!

yours, satx

 

[satx78247]

The Warden,

YEP. - I think that the controller is DEAD.
(I'll likely go with a "push button".)

yours, satx

 

[Thewespaul]

The Warden,

YEP. - I think that the controller is DEAD.
(I'll likely go with a "push button".)

yours, satx

I got a spare solid state controller I'll bring out when we do the SA meet

 

[satx78247]

Thelespaul; ALL,

THANKS much, Partner.
(Do you trail-ride?)

To All: Fwiw, we have some GREAT & HELPFUL members on this forum!!!!
(One of our members in Houston has volunteered to come help me put an original-style turbo on the PU, when I find a good one.)

ADDENDA: This "resurrection" has been, from the beginning, a "cooperative activity". = Steve's GF, "Debbie", spent SEVERAL HOURS cleaning the interior of the PU, while Steve, his dad & I were doing "other stuff".
(The PU was parked in the barn with the windows down & her "cleaning job" wasn't easy at all, as removing a decade of "accumulated crud" wasn't easy to fix. - It now "sparkles" & LOOKS "near new".)

yours, satx

 

[Thewespaul]

Thelespaul; ALL,

THANKS much, Partner.
(Do you trail-ride?)

I do but only when my girl makes me, I used to do it regularly but then I got into trucks... Most my family rides, my 11 year old sister just placed this past weekend at a 25 mile endurance ride