-Deathrow Update Log-

[DemonMudder]

First is just the parking lights, second is with the fogs running, third is with the fogs and lightbar (yes the lightbar is angled up a little, cant fix that).

 

[WormsExplorer]

Very Nice sir.

 

[410Fortune]

I had those
Lights on my old 96 and loved them! I still have them on a shelf in case I ever own another gen ii

Keep up the good work!

 

[DemonMudder]

I had those
Lights on my old 96 and loved them! I still have them on a shelf in case I ever own another gen ii

Keep up the good work!

Worth the price in my opinion! Both the headlights and these fogs. I'll gladly keep going, trucks long from done, very close to finishing a few soon. Do think I need to invest in a higher end alternator, it's not even that old but a few months ago my gauge cluster leds began to flicker randomly, sometimes worse than others, still going as of now. Which does make sense with all of the stuff I've added to it. May be worth going back to looking into a dual battery setup.. going to see about testing my alt and battery to be sure first

 

[410Fortune]

Cheap leds will do that
I put led in my instrument cluster in the 97 f350 worked fine for a bit and then started to flicker. Eventually they were basically flashing and then were either on or off depending on where I put the dimmer. Eventually it got so bad I just removed them and went back to halogen

If you upgrade your alternator get a new unit not reman

 

[DemonMudder]

Cheap leds will do that
I put led in my instrument cluster in the 97 f350 worked fine for a bit and then started to flicker. Eventually they were basically flashing and then were either on or off depending on where I put the dimmer. Eventually it got so bad I just removed them and went back to halogen

If you upgrade your alternator get a new unit not reman

Definitely would go new for that. I thought about it just being cheap, they were from ebay, so probably. But they're the same as what's in the overhead lights, different shade of blue, but the same company and they've had no issues yet, which I still can't base off of since they see less activity than the guage cluster does. I'll mess with it and figure it out, or just swap the whole thing out, guy on facebook was custom making clusters.

 

[DemonMudder]

By the way, couple things, anybody ever tried swapping in a different overhead console? Something like the larger trucks hadzl, my brothers suburban interested me with all the pockets it had. I'll look it up as well. Also, weather stripping, I need one to replace the one on the glass hatch, leaks in at the top of the glass, can even see through the gap. There and both driver side doors, starting to leak a bit there too, don't seem to have any other spots. I read a while back about the rear windshield having trouble finding some for that, that no one makes it, unless that's changed. Suggestions before I just start layering up duct tape as makeshift weather stripping?

And on the overhead console topic, still need to fix the solder joint, but I went ahead and snipped the dimmer wire to it, the red/black one, so now it's always bright even with the headlights on at night.

An example of the suburban one, I could even cut out the far end and fab something to keep my temp guage and such up there. 1999-2002 Chevy GMC Truck C/K Tahoe Overhead Map Light Console GRAY 2 WIRE PLUG | eBay

 

[donalds]

The rear hatch is bent

Cargo Hatch thoughts and ideas, (and a funny/stupid story)

1997 Explorer with cargo hatch that stopped fitting correctly... The gap between the top of the hatch and the roof line of the truck was getting to be about one inch +, and water was getting past the cargo hatch seal. Took the entire hatch to a welder, who attempted to strengthen the hinge...

www.explorerforum.com

A start ^^
As for the leak that could be lots of places you will need to remove your head liner then get someone to spray with the hose
You sit inside and see the leak

 

[DemonMudder]

The rear hatch is bent

Cargo Hatch thoughts and ideas, (and a funny/stupid story)

1997 Explorer with cargo hatch that stopped fitting correctly... The gap between the top of the hatch and the roof line of the truck was getting to be about one inch +, and water was getting past the cargo hatch seal. Took the entire hatch to a welder, who attempted to strengthen the hinge...

www.explorerforum.com

A start ^^
As for the leak that could be lots of places you will need to remove your head liner then get someone to spray with the hose
You sit inside and see the leak

I'll look into that thread. For the doors though, haven't looked too closely on the rear one, but the driver side isn't like an actual leak by the look of it, it's just old weather stripping.

 

[CDW6212R]

The rear quarter glass will leak often at this age, I have smeared Ultra Black along the top edge of three of my trucks. The OEM sealant gets hard and slowly loses the connection, and water trickles inside.

The rear hatch weather stripping isn't available at all. I'd like to find another application like a bigger Ford that may have it available. The Expedition might be worth a look.

 

[CDW6212R]

The rear quarter glass will leak often at this age, I have smeared Ultra Black along the top edge of three of my trucks. The OEM sealant gets hard and slowly loses the connection, and water trickles inside.

The rear hatch weather stripping isn't available at all. I'd like to find another application like a bigger Ford that may have it available. The Expedition might be worth a look.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

+1 for the hatch damage thought... similiar to mr alligator, the spot welds are flexing and its becoming a pain... maybe someday itll get fixed... and idk if you need it but How to: Weatherstripping (and interior plastic trim removal)

 

[Fix4Dirt]

The rear quarter glass will leak often at this age, I have smeared Ultra Black along the top edge of three of my trucks. The OEM sealant gets hard and slowly loses the connection, and water trickles inside.

The rear hatch weather stripping isn't available at all. I'd like to find another application like a bigger Ford that may have it available. The Expedition might be worth a look.

there isnt any non OE available? idk anything about weather stripping other than i just order what it says to, but theres no universal length/size? just curious, as someday I may do it

 

[CDW6212R]

I didn't find anything at all when I was hunting those kinds of new parts 5-10 years back. I managed one hatch weather strip in the whole country, but I'd like to have found at least one more. Those kind of obsolete parts are more trouble with older vehicles, than body parts or drivetrain etc.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

yeah cant find any either

 

[DemonMudder]

Well I guess it's still that bad, I'll figure out some way of doing it that'll work, tired of water trickling in the rear mainly.

Also, had no luck finding a thread with a different overhead console, anyone know someones has swapped it for one from a different vehicle, or fabbed one (more than just adding switches).

 

[CDW6212R]

To fix the leaking window seal area, it may be best to find a used seal that looks to be in great shape. The one on my latest 98 is very good except that it fits loosely, I need to take it off to squeeze the seal tighter, or put a tiny amount of RTV in the top section of the channel to hold it in place.

The compass console is fairly simple how it fits and mounts. The headliner is just cut closely to the perimeter, and there's just a few sheet metal screws holding it up there. If there is enough of the roof cross bar sheet metal up there to mount onto, almost anything could go there.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

not sure if this is what youre looking for, but i believe member paul had switches added up there, forgot if he had the OC or not though

 

[DemonMudder]

not sure if this is what youre looking for, but i believe member paul had switches added up there, forgot if he had the OC or not though

Not great with people's actual names here, so I'm not sure but every thread I read her in the modified explorers section tagged with overhead console, was just the oem console, people adding switches to it, the dimmer mod like I just did, and such.

 

[DemonMudder]

To fix the leaking window seal area, it may be best to find a used seal that looks to be in great shape. The one on my latest 98 is very good except that it fits loosely, I need to take it off to squeeze the seal tighter, or put a tiny amount of RTV in the top section of the channel to hold it in place.

The compass console is fairly simple how it fits and mounts. The headliner is just cut closely to the perimeter, and there's just a few sheet metal screws holding it up there. If there is enough of the roof cross bar sheet metal up there to mount onto, almost anything could go there.

I needed to make a junkyard trip for a few things anyway. I'll take a look around. I am going to measure out the space up there and compare it with ones from like the expedition, tahoe, excursion and suburban. Really like how the suburban one looks, not going to lie there, the tahoe one is similar, but shorter and more likely to be easily thrown in.

Why do I always have to find so many projects? So many that some are put on hold for a whole dang year when they could be done in an afternoon, for example these past couple of days of progress made