The Busted Flush

[banman]

Originally Posted by plfking

I don't have the knowledge to make that statement, though I have seen it on here several times. But 2 different International techs and another poster here said it couldn't be done on my model year. And the performance chips don't come very highly rated, and I don't want to spend a couple of grand regearing the diff for the additional 4-8 mph I'm wanting. My best bet now is to cross paths with Chris sometime and see if he'll take a 'hack' at it.

195 hp would make me happy......210 would put me over the moon.

Well, I got a lot more bus to drag around with my 210 hp unless I get a wild hair up my arse and move the rear axle forward...

If you're not in a hurry I bet you could put your feelers out for a 3rd member with the gear ratio you want for a lot less than a grand.

[plfking]

Originally Posted by banman

If you're not in a hurry I bet you could put your feelers out for a 3rd member with the gear ratio you want for a lot less than a grand.

The cost is going to be the labor......I don't feel comfortable tackling a pumpkin swap on my own.

[plfking]

Had to go backwards a bit.......the window latch springs weren't working out. The unsupported sides starting sagging (didn't think the windows were THAT heavy), plus that 2" wide wood strip was cutting off 20% of my light and airflow. Took some 2" barrel bolts and cut off one of the mounting leafs, and used my leftover dowels to fill the old spring-latch slots.......obviously looks a lot cleaner. Still a one-handed operation, just got to slide an additional bolt. Will probably paint the upper face of the window frame black, so the wood and knobs contrast better.

Installed a high-tech security device on my passenger side slider.

And I always keep an eye out for black widows while digging through my scrap lumber stash.......looks like I've got another threat to watch for.

[kidharris]

Originally Posted by plfking

Had to go backwards a bit.......the window latch springs weren't working out. The unsupported sides starting sagging (didn't think the windows were THAT heavy), plus that 2" wide wood strip was cutting off 20% of my light and airflow. Took some 2" barrel bolts and cut off one of the mounting leafs, and used my leftover dowels to fill the old spring-latch slots.......obviously looks a lot cleaner. Still a one-handed operation, just got to slide an additional bolt. Will probably paint the upper face of the window frame black, so the wood and knobs contrast better.

Installed a high-tech security device on my passenger side slider.

And I always keep an eye out for black widows while digging through my scrap lumber stash.......looks like I've got another threat to watch for.

Couldn't see the pattern on the skin, what is it? I live in Mohave Green territory and the scare the s... out of me


You can thin out the black widows pretty quick. Get a flyswatter and a flashlight. About an hour after dark, walk around shining the light all around the bottom of any structures, around the bottom of your vehicles, especially around the wheels and bumpers. They like corners. Their webs are just a few haphazard strands and are a giveaway to their hangouts. The flashlight makes him standout like the Batman signal.



The spiders come out hunting and sit in the middle of their webs and wait. Move slowly so as not to scare them and inch your swatter above them and swat down quickly to the ground, turn your swatter over to see if you got him and look on the ground to see if you need to finish him off.


If you miss him the first time, or he is in a hard to reach place, you will probably have to spray him with poison because the next time he will run as soon as he sees the light (they always run up the web strand, never down).


My personal record is 46 in 30 minutes. After a few hunts they get thinned out pretty good. I don't like poison because, well, poison is poison and kills more than the spider. Besides that they don't become immune to a swatter. I used to use ant bait traps until I started to find dead lizards, they ate the ants so I was killing the ant killers too. Kind of pointless.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by plfking

I don't have the knowledge to make that statement, though I have seen it on here several times. But 2 different International techs and another poster here said it couldn't be done on my model year. And the performance chips don't come very highly rated, and I don't want to spend a couple of grand regearing the diff for the additional 4-8 mph I'm wanting. My best bet now is to cross paths with Chris sometime and see if he'll take a 'hack' at it.

195 hp would make me happy......210 would put me over the moon.

It totally can be done on your engine, Don. Yours can actually go to 230 without changing any parts.
But if you're looking for 4-8 mph you need gears, not HP.

[plfking]

Originally Posted by kidharris

Couldn't see the pattern on the skin, what is it?

You can thin out the black widows pretty quick.

I'm thinking it's a cottonmouth or a racer....both pretty common around here. The widows don't concern me much, 'cause I've looked out for them my entire life, plus they won't strike at you from a foot or two away.

It totally can be done on your engine, Don. Yours can actually go to 230 without changing any parts.

That's what I keep reading, but it doesn't seem to be the case, at least according to two different trips to my local dealership. Maybe it's something I have to go through NAVKAL to get ......I'm going to call them this week and see.

[musigenesis]

I sure like only having to worry about ticks where I live. And exploding ethane pipelines, I guess.

[plfking]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

I sure like only having to worry about ticks where I live. And exploding ethane pipelines, I guess.

I've found quite a few of those too......they came out early and are going strong.

Got my curtains and tiebacks in. The material was free from work. I would have loved to use the windshield material throughout, but not nearly enough. I'll take a few pieces back in tomorrow for minor alterations. Looking pretty homey in here!

Also replaced my wiper blades. Had to go to 4 stores before I found the old 'pin-style' type.

Too hot to do much of anything else.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by plfking

I'm thinking it's a cottonmouth or a racer....both pretty common around here. The widows don't concern me much, 'cause I've looked out for them my entire life, plus they won't strike at you from a foot or two away.



That's what I keep reading, but it doesn't seem to be the case, at least according to two different trips to my local dealership. Maybe it's something I have to go through NAVKAL to get ......I'm going to call them this week and see.

I'm sure if you drive up to columbus oh and buy him a cup of coffee caddillac kid could be persuaded to uprate your engine.

[plfking]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

I'm sure if you drive up to columbus oh and buy him a cup of coffee caddillac kid could be persuaded to uprate your engine.

I'm a step ahead of you.....I've already offered to meet him on I-77 in NC and spring for a meal on his next trip between Ohio and Florida.

Or maybe he'd prefer a gift card from Starbucks....

[TheArgobus]

Those curtains look good... did you consider making more "thermally resistant" curtains to increase insulation?

[plfking]

Thanks!

Improving their insulating capabilities will be one of those 'live with it awhile and see' things......I prefer cool-to-cold weather and am generally too warm all the time anyway. I did cut foam board to fit the windows if I need them in the future.

[Frochevy]

I like the curtains! Looking good! My wife wants curtains. I cut up some foil air bubble panels I had left over from covering all of the windows last year and used those last week camping. They don't look as nice as curtains tho! Lol

[plfking]

Originally Posted by Frochevy

I like the curtains! Looking good! My wife wants curtains. I cut up some foil air bubble panels I had left over from covering all of the windows last year and used those last week camping. They don't look as nice as curtains tho! Lol

I'd let her glue some fabric to your panels, then you'll both be satisfied.


Got my curtains altered, and finished with the tiebacks......some chip clips to hold the overlap together.

Also got my cupboard rails in, to keep canned goods from falling on my noggin when I open the doors. I'll stain and varnish those next week.

And 'tried' to get my muffler off, in preparation for the delete next week.....but the recip saw i borrowed didn't have enough power with one battery....I'll borrow 3 this weekend to make sure.

[plfking]

S***. F***. D***. H***.

Went out early today to beat the heat. Got the muffler cut out, cleaned up the pipes real purty-like, went to install my 4" flex pipe and lap clamps......then realized that the tail pipe is 4" (which I measured last week), but the pipe running from the header to the muffler is 3.5" (which I DIDN'T measure last week). And, of course, no one locally carries an adapter that big, so I'll have to wait a week on Summit.

On a positive note, I can hear my turbo a little better (which I like), and there's a nice little growl out of my tailpipe (which I also like). Interested to see if i can feel any performance improvement on the road.

[kidharris]

Originally Posted by plfking

S***. F***. D***. H***.

Went out early today to beat the heat.

So how hot is S***. F***. D***. H***.


It is 110 F (low 80's just before sunup) here in the Mohave desert. Wind blows all the time so it feels cooler. Some places it is around 120 F or more, but 115 is usually tops around here. Humidity 10-25%

[plfking]

Originally Posted by kidharris

So how hot is S***. F***. D***. H***.

The cussing was more relevant to my failure to measure both sides......had i been referring to our 90s temps with 85% humidity, I'd have been using my 9-, 10-, and 12-letter words.

I've visited the Phoenix area several times......it's like standing in front of an open oven door, but the lack of sweat made it more bearable than summer in the steamy South.

[plfking]

This heat and humidity can go f*** itself.

Got my flex pipe and 3.5"-4" adapter all buttoned up. Took her out for about a 30 mile jaunt down the highway......throttle response was noticeably better and I really like the exhaust note......not any louder that I can tell, but a little more growly.

But now I'm perplexed......this is the first time I've 'opened her up' since the dealership service, and my top speed is up from 62 mph to 70 mph @2500 rpm on the flats, and 75 mph downhill......that can't all be from just the muffler delete and new trans and differential fluids, can it? Obviously, the next step is to get a friend to pace me on the highway and verify my speed, but the 'old' 62 mph was verified twice, so I doubt I have a suddenly faulty speedometer. Is it possible that the dealership increased the speedometer reading (is that even possible)?

And I closed every window except the front and rear transoms....VERY comfortable at highway speed, even at 97 degrees heat index. I could feel the air current pulling my hair upwards. Very happy with that mod.

[Frochevy]

The bus is looking great! And probably sounding good also...

How loud is the wind at highway speeds with the transom windows open? I bet it shovels some nice air through there.

I have a 1955 Ford F100 pickup with the single vent right behind the hood that pops up and it shovels a lot of air in at highway speeds!

[plfking]

Originally Posted by Frochevy

How loud is the wind at highway speeds with the transom windows open? I bet it shovels some nice air through there.

I have a 1955 Ford F100 pickup with the single vent right behind the hood that pops up and it shovels a lot of air in at highway speeds!

To be honest, if it makes any noise, I can't hear it over the engine. And the screens reduce the flow down to about what you'd feel sticking your arm out the window at 25 mph or so, so it's not like the wind is whistling through there.

Pics of the '55! I love those old F100s and F150s. My grandpa (farmer) bought a new one every 3 years or so from the 1950's til the late 1980s.....that's all I knew growing up.