Hi bnickel if I knew where to find them I'd have no toes left myself LOL you should see some of the sillyness in the new ford stuff it makes you wonder WHY???? why do it like that ?? there's got to be some reason that defies obvious logic because I can't explain it You would think that making only one park brake handle would save $$ and headaches other thing that gets me is the "Henry Ford " factor lets make it easy to assemble but to hell with taking apart to fix all body mouldings/trim is made to install fast on the assembly line but try taking it off without breaking anything same with wheel bearings now they're hubs and bearings no more regreasing all because they're faster to put on the line sorry just venting rough day fixing fords hope your console install goes easy for you
oh i understand comepletely, that's one reason i decided not to be a professional mechanic after only a few years doing it. ever try changing a starter on an 86 IROC without a lift, it's worse than trying to change one on a mustang II. i broke my hand on the iroc (it was my brothers) and thye mustang II i had to take the starter apart to get it in place and then reassemble it once it was up in there. it would have much easier if i'd had a lift or even another jack or at least one jackstand. i know, i know never get under a car without a jackstand but i was having to do both of them parking lots. i still managed to get the starter in the iroc even with a broken hand but i've never let my brother live it down and that was almost 20 years ago
Hi again bnickel I can appreciate what an egineer has to deal with I've built a few street rods/v8 rangers,v8 broncoIIs,modified mustangs over the years I imagine they have regulations bean counters etc... to contend with but at times it just doesn't make sense why things are done the way they are I go home at the end of a hard day open the hood of a classic mustang ...breath a sigh of relief...and love working on cars again I know that technology has improved our cars a lot...believe me I love e.f.i. I'm just finding some things poorly executed on the new cars engine/powertrains are pretty much bullet proof now we have modular v8s pushing 500000 kms (sorry Canadian eh)and running fine but its just like scotty says on star trek"the more you over take the plumbing the easier it is to stuff up the drain" its the little things added on that screw up and leave a bad feeling about the car I'd love to be able to buy a new mustang without a/c .power windows ,power seats, think of the weight savings=power to weight ratio just give me the basic go fast mustang as an option I't will not happen for a while yet until then I build/modify my own and love doing it p.s. I did an intake gasket on the last generation camaro (trade in here) a few years back glad I'm not a g.m. technician got to go ................its classic mustang time
i also have been involved with a few engine swap projects. we put a 350 in an 81 toyota 4x4, a 327 in willys jeep, a 327 in a 58 chevy truck, an isuzu 2.6 in place of the original 1.8 in an isuzu pickup and let me tell you putting the chevy motors in the jeep and toyo were much easier than swapping a different isuzu 4x4 into one made for a smaller isuzu motor, call it a big block 4 cylinder swap if you will, it actually would have been easier to swap in a v8. we're about to do that same swap again but in box trooper and this 2.6 is going to be turbocharged and the trooper has an oddball trans/transfer case combo plus the trans crossmember is an integral part of the frame and doesn't unbolt. then after we do that one he wants to put a cummins engine in his 73 charger
Put me down in the "why two styles????" crowd. One version of the 99-03 F150 4x4 has a 7-pin plug hanging out in the left frame rail, hidden by the spare tire; this is to install a matching socket which cables to a "trailer plug" (OEM or aftermarket) for connecting lights/brakes/etc. The other version has a simple little 8-pin plug like you'd find for a late-80's TPS and MAP; feeding rear lights and a little 4-pin flat trailer plug. The brake wiring comes back from under the hood to this connector; but doesn't come out.
Guess which one my truck has? I guess I'll be using the old "splice-a-tap" crimps to install the trailer brake power line to my 7-pin trailer outlet. Can that stupid plug be so expensive that it's actually cheaper to design/build/stock/install an entirely different cable assembly??????