One of last winter's projects mostly completed...

Skritch

Skritch

Moderator
...hey it's a driver again and the last 10% can get wrapped up when I figure out how to approach it !

One of last winter's projects (the other has been started on but that's another story) was to sort out and get the trans and clutch arrangement to my liking on the '94 5-speed truck AKA "The red one, AKA 5-GEARS. Got started FINALLY around May of 2012. Towards the end of December I finally got the 90% part of it completed. The mechanical, hydraulic part of it is good, the cosmetic part.....well okay but not real happy with it.

Trans is in, new carpet, center console installed, little details attended to.

Trans had the shifter location moved to the center shifter, factory clutch master cylinder, Modern Driveline slave cylinder, old hole in the floorpan for the forward shift location welded up, new hole cut for the center shift location.

A new ACC carpet ordered up and installed. Center console chosen to replace the center seat. With the shifter location moved back the center seat was just going to be in the way. Picked up a center console and found it was much better but still with the stick I chose and modified slightly the center console was still a little bit to far forward. Didn't hit the shifter, but rather in second, fourth and reverse the cup holders on the center console were a bit to far forward to be able to be used. Built a simple platform that moved the center console back 3 inches to have decent access to the cup holders. Cup holder issue not a big deal but to me if they are there I want to be able to use them without interference !

As for the carpet, it's advertised as molded carpet. Well, sorta. It's semi molded carpet, the tunnel area fits good, and that's it. At the back where there is an abrupt kickup in the floorpan and on both sides the floorpan slants away the carpet is lacking in fit. Also the factory carpet has jute padding from front to back while the ACC carpet has jute on the underside of the front half only. Installed it as it came knowing I can pull the back half of the carpet back up to lay down jute if I find it necessary. Now I'm not an experienced carpet man but found the ACC carpet a bit lacking. It is HUGELY oversized, not well molded for the F-150 floorpan, a bit shy on jute backing having only the front half covered on the underside. Somewhat unimpressed personally.

As I said, about almost complete, around 90%. Still have to find a shifter boot I'm happy with. Hurst has two sizes and both are rectangular. The larger one was in the truck when I purchased it. I have the next size smaller and it will fit but I'm still looking for something that will look nicer and more like it belongs there. Even thinking about a small platform to raise the shifter boot and make it round instead of rectangular. Also need to address the wiring coming down the stick for the line lock button on the T-handle. Currently I'm just using electrical tape to hold it on the stick. Don't have any ideas to make that appear more integrated. Does anybody have any ideas ?

Since it's winter time it only made a short little run with it all back together but so far I like it ! Seems a bit quieter in the cab as well.

So it's a driver again but this project not quite completed. With time I'll figure something out for the shifter boot and wiring on the stick.

Do have to connect the line lock hydraulically to the front brakes. Electrically, the line lock works just need to do a little plumbing.

Some other projects for the truck but this one was a big one hence taking me FOREVER to get it mostly wrapped up !

Scott

What ? Pictures, well yeah I got those....

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An' there's some more details over here....

http://www.nloc.net/vbforum/showthread.php/215985-another-night-shop.html
 
Lookin good Scott! Thanks for the heads up on the carpet. I had an ACC carpet kit in the shopping cart last night, but got sidetracked and never checked out. With the poor molding and missing half the padding, I think Im going to look elsewhere.
 
Don't know where else to go Derek. The Gen 1 crowd sorta raved over the ACC carpets. So I ordered one but not real happy with it as I've said. Don't know that there are any better out there for Gen 1's but Gen 2 and HD's could have other sources. I'm not a carpet layer either but just wasn't liking the "lack of fit" of the carpet. Even called A1Auto where it was ordered from about the massive oversize of the carpet. Understand the oversize but this was up to a foot oversize in areas and typically 8 to 10 inches. Normal I was told.

Curious to know if you choose another company how your experience is so post up when you get there from here !

Scott
 
Ya had that experiance with a rubber floor for a ranger ext cab (not mine). Cant remember the brand, but had to cut trim add all the holes, try to cut the jute pad etc. What a PITA of a day that was.
after that day of fighting with the ill fitting floor, I said I will hopefully NEVER do a afterthought kit again.
Same experiance as Scott with the "semi" molded.

When I got the SCab-L, the afterthought carpet had glued it self the floor literally, had to rip it out and scrape with a putty knife.
found a carpet with grass growing in it at the wreckyard.
cleaned the crap outta it.
fits perfect. looks 90/% plus. considering it had grass growing in it, I am happy.
 
After that experience Corey I'd have more of a tendency to pull out the existing carpet and seriously pressure wash it, scrub it, something. My impression is the factory carpet is far better than at least my one experience with aftermarket carpet. In my case though I couldn't reuse the carpet as it had a big hole cut in it for the forward shifter location on the trans so I needed another carpet. If I have need of another carpet I'd look harder at finding an OEM carpet, either used to clean or new if they are still available.

I didn't mention there were no holes in the carpet but that was pretty easy to locate the holes to punch through the carpet. Decent instruction sheet with the carpet too.

Scott
 
Yeah Ive heard decent things about ACC. Guess Ill take out the old carpet, and see what a good shampooing will do. Had a little water issue with the sunroof after the first rain of the season, and coincidentally for other reasons I didnt drive the truck for a while, so when I got in it one day, there was some mold growing on the carpet in a few spots. Who knows how it looks underneath in the padding =-/
 
SonicHD said:
Yeah Ive heard decent things about ACC. Guess Ill take out the old carpet, and see what a good shampooing will do. Had a little water issue with the sunroof after the first rain of the season, and coincidentally for other reasons I didnt drive the truck for a while, so when I got in it one day, there was some mold growing on the carpet in a few spots. Who knows how it looks underneath in the padding =-/
Click to expand...

Ya it will clean up better than you think, I used a garden hose with a stream nozzle as round one, then a brush with the typical carpet spray cleaner (the yellow/red can of "tough stuff") is my favorite, then the steam cleaner,The "wreckyard" carpet was very very dirty,and came back to life great. just having the carpet outta the truck will do wonders for cleaning it good.

of course I did mine in the summer when was warm and sunny so it would fully dry out between cleanings.
 
Out of curiousity Corey did that OEM replacement have jute padding on the underside of the entire carpet ? I know it fit nicely !

Scott
 
Its been a couple years, but I think it was about 90% covered. and seems like it had different density padding on the trans tunnel.
all was glued to the carpet and clean cut around things, "laser cut"? maybee, dunno, but fits the floor like a glove and locks in when in the correct spot.

I have had same results at work with other new OEM carpets, right outta the box, they just fit pefect, no need for it to "relax" like the aftermarket stuff.
 
A year later so guess bringin' this ol' thread back from the "deceased".....

Finally found a shifter boot I like. Just don't like the Hurst shifter boots so I looked off and on over the past year. Spring, summer, and fall didn't really count for looking much as I used this one as my "daily driver" over those months and it's not like it's the only truck wantin' attention !

So I found this Lokar shifter boot. I like it a bunch....

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Scott
 
Skritch said:
No, that's next winter's project. The parts and pieces are now all here for the install. Next year.......

Scott
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What??!!?? The F.A.S.T. Master in the House and you didn't take advantage of his skills???????? I know Ed didn't just stop by to drop off parts and crash a Romantic Valentines Candlelit pizza party with Gatorades... :nana:
 
IVSVS said:
What??!!?? The F.A.S.T. Master in the House and you didn't take advantage of his skills???????? I know Ed didn't just stop by to drop off parts and crash a Romantic Valentines Candlelit pizza party with Gatorades... :nana:
Click to expand...

Yep Jim, the F.A.S.T. master in the house and all I got was a bunch of cleanin' up of the "stuff" in the shop to have EE stop by. 'Course he did give me a number of pointers in what to do to prep the "little red truck" for next winter when he returns for an install. He was up in our neck of the woods for a training seminar sort of thing for F.A.S.T. and no time to do an install. Current plan is to have EE back up next winter to do a pair of '94 red trucks. Corey's turbo truck and my 5-speed truck. I don't have to deal with that extra Optashift thingie (no auto you know). Picked up a used F.A.S.T. classic that EE had layed his hands on. It's sittin' here in the shop in a couple of boxes awaiting his return. This coming fall I'll have some work to do to the truck in prep for him. Both trucks should be here in my shop for him to work his "magic" on.

The parts were still crossing the country while he was here anyway. Maybe next time we'll have some clear skies so he can witness the jagged mountain range called the Cascades that are east of us by 10 miles. He did get part way up Mt. Rainier though plus some other "tourist traps" around Seattle. Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, the original Starbucks store, etc.

Scott
 
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