Whitey....beautiful picture. Calm and serine. Very nice.

Bear.....sorry to hear that about your dad. I am going thru almost the same chit right now myself. I've been on my back since Tuesday. My body didn't like the hot weather. I was outside doing things, feeling good, when I got overheated. Afterwards, I took a shower to cool off. By 10 pm, I couldn't breath. My son wanted me to go to the hospital, but I've been thru this 2 times before in my life. Once in 71, and again in 2000. I'm better today, at least not flat on my back today, so that is a big plus. I was going to North Pole for the 4th, but as you can guess, that went to hell in a handbasket, quickly.

My neighbor is a natural remedy person, so she send me over some charcoal. That helped more than a freaking shot in the butt. I'm at least moving today.

Sorry guys, I just haven't kept up with what is going on here for a few days. I hope all is well, and everyone had a great 4th. I know I slept thru it. LOL

 

 

It's an ARE

 

That blue sort of sets the truck off. ARE should have that strip available. Here is a link I have for them when I did RV repairing. I was a repair center, so you may have to go to a local dealer to purchase. Anyways, how this helps

https://www.4are.com/#

 

July 3, - Welded up #4 primary (working on headers again, vs factory manifolds) . Kids been using the truck. Thursday (July 5), daughter calls, said they are leaking again, much louder than before lol. Well, I was heading out that way anyway. The same primary cracked (#4), this time across the bottom. Thought this might be a waste of time, the metal is paper thin in spots, like 32 gauge (lol), and was a PITA to weld the first time. Elaboration, I definitely couldn't wear helmet or goggs, had to cram my head back there in such a way just to direct the mig torch accurately....1 tack at a time. Couldn't readjust the goggs once properly stuffed, wedged and deformed. Used my reading specs and the darkest shades I had on hand, (old pair of Oakleys, remember those lol). Well, this is all a wash now, but hey, it lasted through the 4th, the truck pulled two wagons in the parade quietly. The funnest part for me was watching my daughter attempting to back those two trailers up in the staging area...hilarious. The parade was what inspired a quicky fix in the first place. I did think it would last much longer, - these things are just too far gone. Plan B, a work in progress.

So, replacing the headers, began pulling header bolts. Header bolts have small 12 point heads, between the points they are rusted, there's one with half the head missing lol. Welded a nut to the broken head, heated then reefed on it and busted the nut in two. No kidding, half the nut was inside the socket lol.

What the deal is, the bottom bolt heads are far from right now, can't right them enough to get a socket or wrench on regardless. Vice grips, no dice, nut weld is a fail as well, since they fused to flange or header plate. Not to mention, it's royal pain to work on with a headers ATTACHED! This is where I left off and want to burn this truck. Hell, I been fixing these things for many years, give me match, I'll light it lol.

I pulled the starter earlier, next up, cutting the primary's (sawzall), torching the remaining bolts heads to remove the header plate (if need be, they are fused pretty good). Shoot, the primary's are so rusted , I bet I could bust them off with a hammer lol. Starting out, best case scenario, -just #4 had a bad spot. In fact it did, the factory bead thinned out were it was cracked, you can kind of see it in the pic. NOPE! Michigan rust took them all, # 4 was just the first to go. Why is it always #4....the one crammed way it the back by the firewall lol.

The easy and logical, replace the headers with the same. They are good for a decade, -good enough for me. I'm curious how good the cats look inside. Very little rust on those ( SS HF's).

 

I wondered how welding would go based on the pic you posted previously. It didn't look like there was very much to work with. "Paper thin" was what came to my mind, too. Eh, pull the cab. That'll give you plenty of room to work!

 

Just guessing, I bet the metal there wasn't 16 gauge anymore after making the bends lol.

If I had something to lift the cab.....I might one day, - before my times runs out lol. Nah, not that into it, really have a hard hate for wrenching right now...that might be from working on exhaust. Yuh think! After seeing the header bolts literally fused into the flange, the knife of hatred made a twist. Or something like that. lol

 

Had an appointment to get an alignment done on the Escape this afternoon. Everyone recommended these guys to me so that's where I went with. I showed up, a bit early in fact.... cut some plans short in SLC to make it in time. I sat down for about 10 minutes and they told me they can't do it today. Effffff. They wanted to reschedule me, and I told her no thanks Now I'm at Big O getting it done.

Really wish I had access to a rack....

 

Yeah I really like this color blue. It definitely pops on the truck. Wasn't sure how I'd feel about it not matching. Thought I could always paint it if I hated it but for now I kinda like it. Again I can't complain for $60! I just needed something to cover the bed lol.

I found their website but I don't know which "series" I have. There are 2 that it looks like. I'm going to be needing the window struts Plus mounting hardware, the D ring (for lack of better term) that the window latches too, the window strip, and re key it. BUT if I never get to any of that it will still work for what I need so I'm happy; the perfectionist in me isn't lol

 

I like the blue, too. It goes well with your patriotic FX4 sticker!