Big Blue's Transformation

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks, Bob.  

It won't make it work any better, but it makes me feel better.

[Nothing Special]

And in a hobby the second might be more important than the first!

[Gary Lewis]

Yes!  It is a hobby, and I like to make things pretty.  But I've already promised to take this thing off the beaten path, so I know it'll get dirty.  

[ArdWrknTrk]

Heck, two pages ago you said you weren't going there....  🙄

[Gary Lewis]

Yep, you are right.  But, it took me less time to blast and PC the thing than I spent on trying to clean it.  I'm happy with what I have.

As said, it is my hobby, and hobbies aren't always rational.  My mother collected brick.  Hard to drive brick.  

[ArdWrknTrk]

Not meant to be a criticism, just another observation of your obsession.

It certainly makes me feel much better about how crazy I think I get about cleanliness and prep.

[Gary Lewis]

I'm not taking it as criticism.  But I'm glad to make you fell better.  

As for getting all the grit out, I blew the halves out with 100+ psi air very carefully.  Then I washed them with copious quantities of brake cleaner until the brake cleaner came out/off clean.  And then, after baking them in the oven at 400F for an hour, I washed them with brake cleaner again.

But, before I start assembling the t-case I'll clean up some spots where powder got where a seal goes and then blast them with air again, just to be sure.

[grumpin]

It looks great and will hold up to leaks and weather etc.

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks, Dane.  Yes, with a nice finish it should be able to be cleaned easily.

[Gary Lewis]

Didn't expect to get anything done on Big Blue today for two reasons.  First, we had a doctor's checkup in Tulsa today and that usually takes a lot of the day.  We were early and things went perfectly so we got home early.  And second, I planned to take the rest of the day to scan things in.

But, the new rear tranny mount came in today so I just couldn't help installing it since that will be lots easier than after the t-case is on.  So I'll start on assembling the t-case tomorrow.  But the rear crossmember is now all buttoned down.

[1986F150Six]

Nice!

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks, David.  

[ArdWrknTrk]

That looks great Gary!  

Be sure to put a little moly paste on those splines before you bolt up the T-case.

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks, Jim!  I would have forgotten the lube for the splines.  

[ArdWrknTrk]

No you wouldn't... 🙄

I know you have checklists for your checklists.   🤔

I still have most of a tube of Honda Moly 60 paste.
Amazing how far that stuff goes!

[Gary Lewis]

Glad you have confidence in me, Jim.  

Well, I got the case halves cleaned up and maybe half of the t-case together today.  I have two of the three seals in, but only one of the two ball bearings and none of the needle bearings.  So, maybe half way?

Having said that, there's a tool you are supposed to have to hold the sun gear (reduction carrier assembly in Fordspeak) in the neutral position as you install it.  I don't have it, but I think I got the assembly in correctly.  However, we aren't in a position to be able to shift yet, so I don't know.  

Anyway, here's where I am on the left, and the tool I'm talking about on the right.  Oh yes, I'm sure glad we have the Borg Warner instructions.  They are far better than those in the FSM, which we also have.

[Gary Lewis]

Well, I only have half a day today, but I checked what I'd done yesterday and realized I didn't have the shift lever in correctly.  It was 1/4 turn off of where they wanted it and therefore wouldn't shift into all of the gears.

I don't have the special tool that supposedly holds things in Neutral.  And I've found it almost impossible to shift properly on the bench w/the back case half off.  But after studying the instructions and diagrams I've realized the drawing below on the left, which is from Borg Warner's instructions, seemed to be the key.

As you can see, there are two rollers, circled in blue, that go in slots on the shift cam.  And you want them to be in the positions shown when the shift lever is in the 11:00 o'clock position, which wasn't the situation before.  So with quite a bit of playing I finally got the gears into a position that had the rollers in those places on the cam.  And, sure enough, the shift lever went in and points roughly at 11:00 o'clock.

But then I consulted Ford's instructions and found the diagram on the right.  In the text associated with that drawing, but after installing the gears and shift assembly, it says "Insert detent ball and spring in detent bore in case half (Fig. 19). Coat the seal plug with RTV sealant or equivalent. Drive plug into case until the lip of the plug is 0.79mm (1/32 inch) below the surface of the case. Peen the case over the plug in two places."

Oops!  I don't have the ball & spring in, and I didn't drive the plug out.  But, the good news is that it appears to be sitting such that if the detent ball were in there it would be in the Neutral slot.  The bad news is that I think the spring is too long to let the ball sit in the bore of the case while the shifter is installed. So it'll have to be installed afterward.  

[Gary Lewis]

Another short day, but I did get the shift linkage lined up properly.

But first, about the detent ball and spring.  I couldn't find a way to put the spring in, then the ball on top of it, and put the linkage in w/o the ball jumping off the spring.  So I finally gave up and drove the plug out.

That let me get the linkage in place, but only after quite a bit of fiddling.  It is almost impossible to shift it when it isn't completely together so getting it into the exact position shown above, with both rollers in the right places and the detent ball in the right place takes some effort.  But I think I'm there.

However, I haven't put the ball and spring in yet as there's confusion over which of the two springs to use.  So I need to figure out where the other one goes and make sure I get the right one.  

[Gary Lewis]

Wow!  It has been a week since I posted on this.  But, there has been some progress.

First, the hoses for the Saginaw-driven hydroboost system should be in on Monday.  And if you followed that saga I have the C-II bracket on the engine and not the Saginaw bracket.  So it needs to be blasted and powder coated so I can start the steering & brake system installation.

Second, the headers are on order and are to be sent to Jet-Hot late next week, although I won't get them until about the Ides of March.  That's the outcome of a bunch of discussion on the To Jet-Hot Or Not thread, and in the last week I've talked to or typed to seemingly a dozen vendors about that.  But the decision has been made and we are moving on.

And third, I turned a corner on the t-case today.  As posted a week ago I didn't know which of the two springs was to go with the detent ball.  But today I installed a few more pieces of the puzzle and got to the step where the oil pump is installed.  Turns out the spring that drives the pins that drive the oil pump has to be the smaller of the two, so that problem is solved.

So, maybe tomorrow after church I'll get the rest of the t-case together?  Not many parts left now.  

[Gary Lewis]

Basically got the t-case done today.  Didn't put the rear case half on as I'm still not 100% sure the shift linkage is together correctly.  The Ford FSM section says "Check shift fork and planetary gear engagement.  Unit should operate freely without any binding."  But this t-case wasn't shiftable by hand when I pulled it out, although it shifted fine in the truck.  So I'm going to check it out a bit before I seal it up since it'll be far easier to pull it apart now than later.

And it is interesting that the Ford FSM section says that 'cause the Borg Warner document doesn't.  And there are other fairly significant differences 'tween them.  For instance, the Ford section tells to put the clips on the 4wd shift fork spring right after installing the fork.  But the BW one doesn't say that there - if anywhere.

Similarly the Ford document says to put the shift collar hub in as a logical step in the 4wd shift fork installation, but the BW one doesn't.  Presumably it says to install it at another juncture, but ...

Anyway, just about "there" on the t-case.