flint54

What are the two ~6" x ~12" black things under the hood insulation?

True, in terms of "R" value, but also keep in mind that to block radiant heat only takes a reflective barrier, hence the foil. Also, the foam bonded to the door skin dampens transient vibration. At least in theory, and probably close to trivial below mach 4, but it was only $20 bucks. I've replaced the vent wing seals (boy, was that ever fun!!), and upgraded to the '97 door seal, and added a 1/4" by 1/4" foam "shim" behind the door seal bulb to position it more prominent (better contact with door), but I still haven't totally licked the wind noise above 60mph. I'm probably expecting way too much.

I have had success using heavy grease if the key fits snugly, and if that didn't work I've glued them in. Check the keyway in the balancer for burrs that might be dragging the key.

You could use it on the floor, but consider that any product that is adhesive bonded to the floor would make it very difficult to perform future inspections for moisture/rust. Also, it would compress over time and become less effective. If you use it for the floor, consider leaving the "peel off" film in place so that it can be lifted at a later time. It would be great on the rear wall.

Wanted to insulate the doors to lower inside heat and reduce noise. Many expensive products (like dynamat) to choose from. I found an ideal and inexpensive product. It's called Duct Insulation, and is an adhesive-backed, closed cell foam about 1/8" thick with an aluminum foil face. Waterproof, cuts easily, and conforms to surface changes. Made by Frost King, product number FV516, and available at Home Depot for around $18 for a 12" by 15ft roll. Recommend installing in four pieces, upper forward, upper aft, lower forward, then lower aft. Left about 1/4" gap at the bottom so as to not block the drainage. Took about 30 minutes per door.

" I hate having the AC turn on when you switch to defrost...." I noticed that too, and my guess is that the design folks intended to dehumidify as part of defrosting. Since RH goes down as temp goes up anyways, I don't think AC is needed for defrost, and I don't like running the compressor any more than I have to. Next time I'm inside there, I'm going to see if there's some obvious and reversible way to change controls so that AC is not switched on in the defrost setting. Anyone done this before?

I think the MJ belt adjustment is a PITA, and wonder if anyone has ever successfully converted to the spring-loaded tensioner so common on other vehicles?

Underneath the bed is the equalizer where the front cable engages the two rear cables. The front cable can be adjusted to increase or decrease tension. Before cranking up the cable tension, I recommend you check the rear cables to make sure they're not screwed up (like mine were).

While a 2200 lb payload sounds appealing, don't forget the GVWR limitation. Put a ton in the bed and you'll probably need a quarter mile to stop.

Yeah, I meant to add that caveat, but hit the "send" button a little too quickly. Thanks for catching my miss.

Quoting from the FSM: "CAUTION: Cylinder head bolts should be reused only once. Replace the head bolts if they were used before or if they have a paint dab on the top of the bolt."

Regarding the POR-15, it's relatively thin and spreads easily. I think a pint would do the floor pans, but, you will probably want to do more places eventually. I would spring for a quart. Also, I've been keeping it in the fridge in between uses and then warming it in the oven when I want to use some. As noted, the can groove where the lid fits must be kept wiped clean or the lid will bond closed and never be removed again. I agree on the marine cleaner being an awesome degreaser! I used a misting squirter on the garage floor and then mopped to remove 20 years of crap with amazing ease.

Ok, I've followed the procedure. It didn't really take all that much pressure to cause the "click". Outcome is: a) I can actually lock up rear wheels, but barely, and no time soon. Cannot lock fronts. B) the brake pedal is still solid but not until nearly halfway down now. Fluid is still full. Prop valve lever is horizontal, and when I de-pin the rod I can operate the valve, with some resistance. I need to study my FSM to see if there's a fluid flow diagram. I also need to (and will) do the double booster mod, along with new MC just for good measure. Might be awhile (project #3), but will report results when finished. Also going to measure before and after stopping distance for comparison.

92 Eliminator, 4wd, 4.0, 5spd. New shoes and pads, drums and rotors are within spec. Rears adjusted for minimal audible friction when on jack stands. New booster (too bad I didn't know about the double booster mod when I did it). Very solid pedal, no leaks anywhere, system fully bled at all four wheels. All four wheels will lock with truck on stands. Now, the mystery: On the road, no matter how hard I stand on the brake pedal, I cannot lock up the wheels. Truck stops okay, straight line and all, but I cannot lock up any wheel, period, with all the force I can muster. Any thoughts?

If the carpet has never been removed, the build sheet might be underneath. That's where I found mine, under the carpet behind the passenger seat. Also found a half dozen "extra" fasteners left there from the assembly line.

Regarding seam sealer, the product I've had good success with is called UNIFLEX, which comes in a standard size caulking tube. Here's a site with info: http://www.carsystem.ca/shared_files/ca ... 20_gb_.pdf It dries rubbery hard very quickly, it's paintable, and it goes on easily. I bought mine from a good auto body supply shop, and recall it to cost around $10 for a tube.

Would like to hear opinions on Linex vs Rhino from anyone who has done either. I've seen the thread on Brent's "paint-pull" from the masking, but I'm particularly intersted in experience over time, i.e., durability. Thanks!

92 Eliminator, 5spd, 4wd, <60K miles, completely stock: best on interstate @65-70mph = 23 mpg typical mixed driving = 18 mpg

Excellent thread - thanks! I should have noticed those when I had the wheelwells apart. Looks like the outflow drains behind the wheelwell closeouts, right onto the seam where firewall and floor pans join. Glad to see the tall dam around the vent inlet. Dismayed to see yet another damn pinch seam that traps water. And, some of which is well beyond arm's reach. Wish I had (or could afford) my own inspection borescope.

POR advocates the use of an "adhesion promoter" (my words for their product) when applying coatings over POR-15 but I have no experience with it. I've sprayed undercoating over POR-15 and time will tell how long/well it sticks. Someone else mentioned seam sealer, which I think is a really good idea for the "crotch" of the pinch seams, after they're scrupulously cleaned. I hate pinch seams. Where the outboard edge of the floor pan joins the inner rocker panel is a particularly susceptible one. While working underneath my truck I ask myself; "If I were a water molecule, how many ways can I find to penetrate this shell"?, and address every one I can imagine. Probably won't win the war, but will not give up without a good fight! I often dream about living in Arizona and having a large fleet of fine old vehicles, all pristine.

In reply to original message, floor looks perforated in several spots. What to do depends on your intention for the truck. If your desire is for best long term solution, I think nothing short of replacement, PLUS improved coatings, are in order. If your goals are uncertain or shorter term, less effort is ok. The worst would be to either do nothing, or to do a "lick & promise" fix now, only to do it all over again sometime soon. Unless the metal is entirely sealed from oxygen the rust will continue to grow, and in my experience primers and undercoatings are inadequate. New pans are still available and pretty cheap (~$40 each). POR-15 is a great product for sealing metals, but good surface prep is crucial. It's not cheap and not easy to work with. If you get it on your skin, only time (long time) or surgery will remove it. If restoration isn't your goal, I suggest wire brush the hell out of it, twice, followed by liberal application of either Ospho (or POR's zinc phosphate conversion coating), followed by a good degreaser such as "marine cleaner", then epoxy in metal patches as you deem suitable, then POR-15 both sides, then uncercoat bottom and paint topside. Lot's of labor, probably $100 or so in dollars.

The plenum cavity (fwd of windshield, aft of firewall) where the wiper moter is housed and the ventilation fresh air is sourced, is open to rain. I've looked for the logical outflow and haven't found it. There doesn't seem to be any intentional openings at the firewall, or in the wheelwells. I doubt it is supposed to flow through the vent system and out the blower drain (although it could). I'm wondering if it flows through the body cavity and out the rocker drains? Anyone know?

The stamped sheet metal retainers clamp the inner plastic flange of the flare to the fender/wheelwell shroud. The percussion-welded #10 studs have sufficient tensile capacity but are notoriously week in reacting torque. We had this same problem on spacecraft and evolved to a single piece component (base and stud machined from one chunk). The closer the nut is to the end of the stud, the larger the potential for bending/twisting load on this weak weld. Cleaning the threads first (wire brush, followed by PB blaster, followed by running a nut down, followed by more PB blaster) greatly improves the probability of safe removal. Looking closely at this installation, the retainers could be eliminated and replaced with just fender washers and #10 bolts about 3/4" long, but the retainers also add stiffness to the lip of the fender, if anyone cares about that.

Source was a JY in CA that has quite a few MJ's, but I won't speculate on whether or not they knew the difference. The price was right ($50 for the pair). The added leaf has a slightly steeper arch than the main leaf, without bolting them together, there's about 1/2" gap at the center - not much different. My original objective, a stiffer backside, will still be met. And, I'm trusting that none of you will ever tell.