What did u do to your raptor today?

[NateMob]

They are top notch. Definitely worth a look.

Being Velcro backed it still supports the weight while bouncing around offroad?

 

[03svt]

I would sand the blemish's with sand paper , starting with something coarse, nothing grittier than 120 grit and work up to 3000 wet sand paper, then start polishing with a good polishing compound. I'm no expert, there are some on here that might have a better idea. I was able to get a semi-gloss finish from mine with using 3000 grit wet paper and then used turtle wax polishing compound by hand. I would think an electric polisher of some sort should be able to get a mirror finish without a doubt. There must be a way to do it 100%, hopefully somebody chimes in with some expert advice.

Yup agree. This is what ive used to polish many item not on my vehicles cause i dont like the chrome style lol. Have done a few gun barrels and feed ramps etc. if you have a mini buffer use a wool or stiffer pad first then go to a softer one for final polish.

Thanks fellas I appreciate the advice. I will try some of this on the inside of the covers. For now they are probably going up as art on the wall of the man cave, they are pretty darn impressive as is.

 

[badm0t0rfinger]

I did check those out but wasn’t sure if they were good or not. I only have room under the drivers side rear seat since the subs under the other lol.

I have the rear seat cover/molle underside and its quality stuff. I've had it on there for at least 5 years now never had a problem.

 

[nipplesNchowder]

Today I fixed my right rear speaker that wasn't working. Checking continuity I found there is a fault somewhere on the negative speaker wire in the B-pillar, so I put in a #12 solid copper wire from the wiring harness in the floor of the truck to the speaker to bypass it. Not the correct way to fix it but I just used what I had and it actually seemed to work.

 

[BenBB]

Well at least I tried, took advantage of the weather this weekend to try to swap out valve springs as preventative maintenance. Didn't work out so well. Since I had two days to work on it and all 16 springs, I went ahead and pulled both valve covers, all 8 lower plugs and all 4 rocker shafts (mistake #1, shoulda just tried one side):

Scoped #5 cylinder and rotated engine to TDC:

Applied 140psi to cylinder:

Tried the cheap spring compressor on the first intake valve:

But the little bastard kept slipping off, cleaned the spring of oil and no dice, at one point I got about halfway to removing the keepers and the tool jumped off. Being the stubborn and/or tenacious type (i.e. d u m b a s s), I tried to adjust the tool a bit but...shoulda tried heat instead of vice and sledge (mistake #2):


Great. Jumped back on reassembly, which went surprisingly well. Torqueing the rockers to 10Nm then 20Nm then 60° went ok but the dial gauge I got is 1/2" drive and the only 10mm sockets I have are 1/4" drive and naturally I couldn't find the adapter from 1/2" to 3/8". Luckily 60° is point to point on a six-sided bolt so all I had to do is etch a tiny mark on the rocker rail one bolt point tighter, mark my socket at a point and place it on the next point, and tighten mark to mark. No bolts broke or stripped, that was a relief. I did get to clean up my valve covers and plug wires but that's about all I accomplished. Buttoned up and fired right up, good girl.

Anybody know what tool I should try next? OTC? EWK? Or just save up for a rebuild with a Whipple? Sacrifice something to the grease gods that I don't break a valve spring before then?

 

[CoronaRaptor]

Well at least I tried, took advantage of the weather this weekend to try to swap out valve springs as preventative maintenance. Didn't work out so well. Since I had two days to work on it and all 16 springs, I went ahead and pulled both valve covers, all 8 lower plugs and all 4 rocker shafts (mistake #1, shoulda just tried one side):
View attachment 331510
Scoped #5 cylinder and rotated engine to TDC:
View attachment 331511
Applied 140psi to cylinder:
View attachment 331512
Tried the cheap spring compressor on the first intake valve:
View attachment 331513
But the little bastard kept slipping off, cleaned the spring of oil and no dice, at one point I got about halfway to removing the keepers and the tool jumped off. Being the stubborn and/or tenacious type (i.e. d u m b a s s), I tried to adjust the tool a bit but...shoulda tried heat instead of vice and sledge (mistake #2):
View attachment 331514

Great. Jumped back on reassembly, which went surprisingly well. Torqueing the rockers to 10Nm then 20Nm then 60° went ok but the dial gauge I got is 1/2" drive and the only 10mm sockets I have are 1/4" drive and naturally I couldn't find the adapter from 1/2" to 3/8". Luckily 60° is point to point on a six-sided bolt so all I had to do is etch a tiny mark on the rocker rail one bolt point tighter, mark my socket at a point and place it on the next point, and tighten mark to mark. No bolts broke or stripped, that was a relief. I did get to clean up my valve covers and plug wires but that's about all I accomplished. Buttoned up and fired right up, good girl.

Anybody know what tool I should try next? OTC? EWK? Or just save up for a rebuild with a Whipple? Sacrifice something to the grease gods that I don't break a valve spring before then?

Dang! All I did was drive to the next town for cheap gas, was on sale there from 1.52 litre down to 1.39 a litre! Didn’t run into any problems like you. I don’t think I would attempt what you did, kudos brother!

 

[Pyro3601]

@NateMob I have strapped my ruger precision rifle and my FD12 as well as a light axe, first aid kit, tow strap, and various pouches to them, out bombing fire roads and fields while camping or hunting and have never had them pull loose. They attach very very firmly.

 

[CoronaRaptor]

Well at least I tried, took advantage of the weather this weekend to try to swap out valve springs as preventative maintenance. Didn't work out so well. Since I had two days to work on it and all 16 springs, I went ahead and pulled both valve covers, all 8 lower plugs and all 4 rocker shafts (mistake #1, shoulda just tried one side):
View attachment 331510
Scoped #5 cylinder and rotated engine to TDC:
View attachment 331511
Applied 140psi to cylinder:
View attachment 331512
Tried the cheap spring compressor on the first intake valve:
View attachment 331513
But the little bastard kept slipping off, cleaned the spring of oil and no dice, at one point I got about halfway to removing the keepers and the tool jumped off. Being the stubborn and/or tenacious type (i.e. d u m b a s s), I tried to adjust the tool a bit but...shoulda tried heat instead of vice and sledge (mistake #2):
View attachment 331514

Great. Jumped back on reassembly, which went surprisingly well. Torqueing the rockers to 10Nm then 20Nm then 60° went ok but the dial gauge I got is 1/2" drive and the only 10mm sockets I have are 1/4" drive and naturally I couldn't find the adapter from 1/2" to 3/8". Luckily 60° is point to point on a six-sided bolt so all I had to do is etch a tiny mark on the rocker rail one bolt point tighter, mark my socket at a point and place it on the next point, and tighten mark to mark. No bolts broke or stripped, that was a relief. I did get to clean up my valve covers and plug wires but that's about all I accomplished. Buttoned up and fired right up, good girl.

Anybody know what tool I should try next? OTC? EWK? Or just save up for a rebuild with a Whipple? Sacrifice something to the grease gods that I don't break a valve spring before then?

How many miles on that dirty engine?

 

[BenBB]

How many miles on that dirty engine?

189,742 and zero issues...just wanting to keep it that way heh.

 

[CoronaRaptor]

189,742 and zero issues...just wanting to keep it that way heh.

It's a good idea! When you figure out how to do it, you'll be able to do mine when I visit, lol.