New to forum

[nic55kel]

Hello, I have been perusing several Ford truck forums to find the best match to my interests and this certainly seems to be the one.
I have worked as a mechanic most of my adult life (retired now) and have owned several Ford trucks.
Currently own a 1986 F250 with a 6.9 diesel, C6 transmission and a Gear Vendors OD.
I have plans for the truck but will start a separate topic for that.
I live close to the city of Winnipeg which is about 3 hours North of Grand Forks ND. This area is definitely in the rust belt but there are much worse places.
Thanks for creating such an informative forum for these great trucks.
Nic55kel

[Gary Lewis]

Welcome to the forum!  Glad you joined and that you think this is the place for you.  

We have a member's map (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map in the menu) and I'd be happy to put you on the map if I had a town/city.

And I'm curious what your plans are for the truck.  And, what it looks like.  Pics?

[nic55kel]

Thanks for the welcome.
As I said I will start a new topic in projects.
Basically I am sick of the diesel stink, noise, smoke and driveability issues in the cold.
I have a 1996 F150 with low mileage 4.9 E4OD that is unmolested and was babied, it was an estate sale. It however has terminal rust.
I am sure you can see where this is going.
Picture hopefully attached.

Nic55kel

[nic55kel]

Gary

re: town/city

I live in Oakbank which is a town about 10 miles East of Winnipeg in the province of Manitoba, Canada.

Nic55kel

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, I can see what that is going.  The 4.9 is an excellent engine, and with the E4OD it'll also return good MPG.  But, there are some issues you'll have to address.  One is the fuel system and associated gauge.  In the Bullnose era the sending units were about 10 ohms full to 72 ohms empty.  But in '87 that changed with the range being very different AND it is backwards.

I'm planning to address that issue by way of a small microprocesser which will translate from the later model sender to the Bullnose gauge.  But if you don't want to do that you'll have to use a Bullnose sender in the tank.

EDIT: You are on the map.

[grumpin]

Welcome!

[Rembrant]

Welcome aboard. Fellow Canuck here (Maritimes).
You'll like it here. Great bunch of guys.

[nic55kel]

Thanks for putting me on the map.
Yes I know there are a few problems to be solved.
Luckily for me electrical is an area I quite like.
Not quite sure what microcontroller you would be using for the fuel sender difference. I am quite familiar with arduinos and programming them so I have a pretty good idea of how to solve that issue.
When I decide for sure to go ahead with the swap I will start a topic in Projects.
Thanks again

Nic55kel

[Gary Lewis]

I plan to use an Arduino, as explained in this thread: Bricknose Sender To Bullnose Gauge.  Maybe we can collaborate on this?

[nic55kel]

Gary,

Sure that sounds interesting on the arduino project. I think you would use the arduino pwm output to drive a switching transistor such as a 2N2222 as the arduino would not be able to sink that amount of current directly (~400ma). Probably should put a reverse biased diode across the gage as it is an inductive load and will create voltage spikes when switched, the diode will permit a flywheel effect for the switched current.
The code should be pretty straight forward, simplest would be to use an array to do the conversion of analog input to pwm output. You could just drive an LCD display with the arduino and have it monitor other parameters too?
I thought this would be the right forum for what I was looking for and sure looks that way.
I had posted on oilburners.net that I was considering changing out the idi for a 4.9 but the suggestion was not met with much enthusiasm.

Thanks Gary

Nic55kel

[Gary Lewis]

No, the folks at oilburners are partial to their diesels and probably wouldn't appreciate the idea of swapping a gas engine in for a diesel.  But if you don't like the diesel and have a donor truck with a good driveline and terminal rust, then why not.

On the Arduino, I've already written the sketch and run it on a simulator.  It functions perfectly.  And while the 2N2222 transistor would work well, I was wanting to use a shield that would handle that function w/o having to do much wiring.

And, I do plan to run a display with the Arduino.  I intend to use a radio bezel from a medium-duty truck that has room for switches and a readout at the top.  The switches will run things like the on-board air compressor, additional lighting, OX locker, etc.  And the readout will provide info on battery voltage, air pressure, etc.  And, it'll also be used if a parameter that is being monitored goes out of specs, like battery voltage, oil pressure, coolant temp, etc.

But I hadn't thought about the diode on the gauge.  That's a good idea.  

Here's a shot of the radio bezel I intend to use:

[nic55kel]

Sounds like you have most of it figured out already. I have now read that whole fuel gage thread and will respond there.
Thanks again for this great forum.
After reading the Darth Vader thread I don't expect the responses of "not worth it" or "too much work" that I was getting elsewhere.

Nic55kel

[Gary Lewis]

nic55kel wrote

After reading the Darth Vader thread I don't expect the responses of "not worth it" or "too much work" that I was getting elsewhere.

Nic55kel

No, it isn't likely you'd get that response here.  We try to help each other and may point out issues with their plans, but we don't usually poo poo them.

[Rembrant]

Gary Lewis wrote

No, it isn't likely you'd get that response here.  We try to help each other and may point out issues with their plans, but we don't usually poo poo them.

Pretty laid back bunch here with a "live and let live" attitude. There are a lot of Bullnoses being dragged out of fields and barns these days to be lovingly repaired, and they usually need A LOT of work. I don't mind admitting that I'm one of those guys that paid way too much for a truck that needed way too much work, so I'd have a hard time giving anybody else a hard time...lol.

And besides, trucks being "ugly" is trendy these days...lol, so that shouldn't be an issue either.

[Gary Lewis]

But we do like to give people contemplating transplanting a French heart into an American truck a hard time.  

On dragging trucks out of fields/barns and restoring them, that's an expensive and time-consuming endeavor which is best used on trucks with sentimental value.