Diego Revisited

I wasn't planning on a build thread for this truck, but working on it today I realized how much I've already done to it, and that there's still a bunch left to do so here it is!

Late last year I picked up a 1990 F250 from @saburai. He retired it from hauling his live-in bumper pull camper.



I drove it around 3hrs home and started tinkering with it. Swapped out the steering column with one that didn't wobble all over, put a working radio in, put a Lund visor on, and swapped the grille guard from my Dually.



The tires on it were great highway tires, they SUCKED in the snow. I had some old tires on a parts truck, swapped them on...



Drove it for a month or two and had an unfortunate incident where the radiator froze up and cracked the radiator. Turns out it was weeping from a couple other spots anyway. I bought a new radiator for my dually and put the old brass radiator in this truck, and added a large auxiliary transmission cooler.

Last week I filled the cooling system up with Rotella Nitrate Free ELC and I tossed on a grille blanket/screen set.



Today I finally replaced the crappy wiper motor with a used one I had here. I was going to replace the wiper arms, but the used ones I have are a little loose, the ones on the truck are still nice and tight!

What new radiator did you go with on the dually and how do you like it? My radiator broke when I pulled my truck apart. It barely tapped the fans and a blade went through it. It was a new radiator from the PO, but the metal was very fragile.

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hacked89 said:

What new radiator did you go with on the dually and how do you like it? My radiator broke when I pulled my truck apart. It barely tapped the fans and a blade went through it. It was a new radiator from the PO, but the metal was very fragile.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

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I bought a Mishimoto radiator. Not overly pleased with the quality, but I was hoping spending just a little more would get me better quality than the cheap ones. Time will tell.

https://www.oilburners.net/threads/tank-my-91-crew-cab-dually.84233/page-16#post-1053623

Well I put the new registration sticker in the window today and cleaned out the truck a little bit.

This truck has had an odd rattle when I close the door since I got it. I pulled the drivers door panel off and reached inside the door, pulled out a bolt about 1“ long about 1/2" in diameter. No clue what that came from?? Put some new Christmas tree clips on it and now the door panel doesn't rattle either! Score x2!

chillman88 said:

Well I put the new registration sticker in the window today and cleaned out the truck a little bit.

This truck has had an odd rattle when I close the door since I got it. I pulled the drivers door panel off and reached inside the door, pulled out a bolt about 1“ long about 1/2" in diameter. No clue what that came from?? Put some new Christmas tree clips on it and now the door panel doesn't rattle either! Score x2!

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And you got a free mystery bolt

Christmas tree clips?

Yesterday, I applied the new tabs to the plate. I have officially had this truck two years!! Man, time went fast.


Today, I have been working between raindrops. Taking my time. Paying close attention to each step.

was figuring out whether the rear door was worth fixing or not. Could have decided the canopy wasn't worth it, if I couldn't fix the door. Not going to spend 600 dollars on a special order door, for a free canopy.

It's worth it. I got it pinned back together and fixed a couple bends... It's going to work just fine.

Tomorrow I'm hoping it doesn't rain like it did today. I want to get the plexiglass cut to shape and size, and put into that door frame.

Then I'll move on to fixing the front window of the canopy. Thinking I may just take out the other sliding pane.... And make one solid piece for that area, out of plexiglass.


One thing has me concerned. I'll have to remove the canopy, to finish the work on it. Still haven't figured out how I am going to do that by myself.

Maybe for the front window, I'll just get up underneath it, stand up, and spin it 90 degrees. If I even can. I'm not as young as I used to be.

But I have to get it completely off of there anyway, because I have to repair damage that has been done to the bed of the truck.

So, we'll see,


Edit: Whoops thought I was in a different thread.

Didn't mean to hijack your thread Chillman!

Selahdoor said:

Christmas tree clips?

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I'll try to remember to send you a picture tomorrow.

Selahdoor said:

Edit: Whoops thought I was in a different thread.

Didn't mean to hijack your thread Chillman!

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Stop thief! No problem hahaha.

Selahdoor said:

One thing has me concerned. I'll have to remove the canopy, to finish the work on it. Still haven't figured out how I am going to do that by myself.

Maybe for the front window, I'll just get up underneath it, stand up, and spin it 90 degrees. If I even can. I'm not as young as I used to be.

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Be careful. Those things are heavy! My aluminum one is plenty heavy, those fiberglass ones are even heavier. I'd offer to help, but it's a little out of the way

@Selahdoor just slide it back until it teeters then clamp it in place. Should be enough room.

@chillman88 free bolt!

Scotty4 said:

@Selahdoor just slide it back until it teeters then clamp it in place. Should be enough room.

@chillman88 free bolt!

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I'll answer this in my own thread. Don't want to continue hijacking Chillman's thread.

Selahdoor said:

Christmas tree clips?

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Well I didn't get out to the garage and take a picture, but I found a link to the ones I bought.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HTBXYJ3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_qxjSEb14KXY9W

Ah! Thank you! It's obvious why they are called christmas tree clips!

Selahdoor said:

Ah! Thank you! It's obvious why they are called christmas tree clips!

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I think technically they're something like trim panel clips. But that's a mouthful hahaha

From another thread... https://www.oilburners.net/threads/...-your-truck-today.60076/page-323#post-1054346

chillman88 said:

I think I shook that magic 8 ball just right to squeeze another drop of luck out....

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I don't dare more than look at it, but it looks like it's in there. I can't find my JB weld or I'd slather it. We'll see how it goes, fingers crossed.

It's actually a transmission cooler fitting from the old aluminum radiator. I was able to swage the hole ever so slightly with a tapered punch, then start an 1/8npt tap in the hole. Just BARELY started it and snugged the fitting down.

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Selahdoor said:

Fill the radiator to the top. Then use a propane torch, and silver plumbing solder on that.

Were you close enough, I'd do it for you.

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Pretty sure I am going to have to solder it. It seems to be leaking pretty decent from those threads (as I feared).

Other than that and another spot that might be seeping, it seems to be holding good. Hasn't overheated at all.

Checked the transmission fluid today, these dipsticks SUCK to try and read! Looks low so I'm going to pick up a quart tomorrow. I expect that though from losing whatever was in the old radiator and adding the new cooler too.