Shop Time w/T.W. Friends. Torque wrench on spark plugs, we need answers so cast your vote now

I had a 76 f100, 1st was definitely low. Always started driving in 2nd.

 

Remember them? I still have em in my 2010 Tacoma haa

My buddy had pretty much the same truck and yeah I liked the green colour

 

Well fellas, I'm going to log out and study the Service manual for that quad. I owe it to do some diagnostic testing and oil change. I've had it since new in 2005 and only issue was 1 fouled spark plug and I proactively changed the drive belt.
I sure hope Creed is doing ok.
I'll drop in tomorrow. Sunday this weekend is Corvette work day.

 

Forgotten vehicle trivia for the day:
First gear was around 6 to 1 so a second gear start was the norm. The manufacturer called it a creeper gear, consumers called it granny.

Interesting, Ford (and Dodge too) had 1,2,3,4,R on the shift knob, GM labeled their compound low transmission L,1,2,3,R.

 

On the old IH trucks we had in the family business when I was growing up a granny-gear/bull-low start was referred to as "Startin' in the basement".

 

I'll take it!

 

Good morning I do remember different shift knobs with the L , can't say I heard of starting in the basement, those two comments make a good start to the day.
Get some coffee in me and head for garage.

 

Don't forget about the ball cooler on the older vehicles! Shame they did away with those...

Manual transmission, ball cooler, and crank windows!

My '95 Eagle has all of these features. Kids nowdays would lose their friggin' minds




Had a guy come look at it that wasn't even 20 and couldn't wrap his mind around it. I was dying inside from laughter...

 

Those were not ball coolers ....

 

Ball coolers imo were the pinnacle of vehicle design.

 

There was a study on this a few yrs back....But were for all of the crotches

Crotches. Along with feet, the human crotch probably represents the greatest challenge of the human body when it comes to thermal management. The crotch is the lusty armpit of the legs, and they do get hot. At least one major carmaker is aware of this, and came to usfor advice. Let’s not let them down.

Now, as you can imagine from the fact that I even typed the word ‘crotch’ here, the carmaker wishes to remain anonymous, but this is a sincere request for what we, the great Jalopnik Hive Mind, thinks about this concept.

I can tell you that the request for input came from a very well-known and large automaker, and specifically from someone in their technical development department, focusing on the car’s interior. Here’s what they asked, verbatim (but edited to remove any hint at what company):

Alright, so the idea comes from my [vehicle]. It has, for lack of better term, a driver crotch vent. Which, to me, is extremely useful in the summer months! For both men and women alike. I suppose seat ventilation can aid in a similar effect, but this is simpler and easier to implement.

I’ve asked opinions around our office, and not many people have experienced the ‘crotch vent’, so the consensus is hard to come by. So my questions comes if others find this vent extremely under-appreciated in vehicles today. It has come on other vehicles as well, but my experience is solely with the [vehicle].

Have you or any of your colleagues had a similar reaction or experience with the ‘crotch ventilation’ (or am I crazy)? I got the idea to ask you because you and your colleagues probably have a greater depth of knowledge with this era of vehicles, in addition to just new vehicles.

Crotch-cooling vents have been around for quite a while, even pre-dating modern HVAC systems; I know the 1952 Beetle is well-known among VW geeks as being the only year of the ‘crotch-cooler’ vents, and I know a number of old trucks had these as well.

Personally, I like them; on a really hot day, sometimes the groin is the best focus for your cooling efforts. When I worked from my house in LA, and didn’t have central air, sometimes my wife came up with the idea of putting a pair of my boxers in the freezer. Putting them on was like having an A/C enema, and it was fantastic. A crotch-vent could accomplish similar magic.

 

Just look what the Hell I started

 

I mentioned this a few weeks ago when Fargo was talking vacation, but a Wrangler with side steps with the doors taken off provides the best natural ventilation I've ever experienced, to the point where I would consider getting one as a 3rd vehicle and just leaving the doors off.

Ventilation there is important and should be talked about more. My dads ac seats in his silverado are helpful but not the same as having a direct shot vent. Ball vents ftmfw

 

my '02 has auto windows...

 

There is even crotch cooler events....

 

More cast iron history:
International "Light Line" trucks - pickups, Travelall wagons and Scouts had a amazing variety of manual transmissions:

1) base 3 speed with shifter on the wheel or the floor
2) compound low 4 speed like the big 3 we already talked about
3) 5 speed with compound low and 1:1 fifth
4) 5 speed with road gear low and overdrive fifth
5) The diamond: 5 speed with compound low and overdrive fifth

The 5 speeds were medium duty truck and bus transmissions installed in pickups, talk about overkill. This kind of building was IH style, serviceability was engineered in, the light trucks seemed to have about 100 grease fittings. Even the thermostat housing was cast iron.

Sadly International Harvester exited light truck production in the spring of 1975.

 

I'm very much lacking motivation to take this quad all apart today. First check without removing the rear fenders was current draw and that's about double what it should be. Something's awry somewhere

 

From second gen Tacoma to driving my 3rd gen, the wifes first comment was the directional capabilities of the new vent style.
I think today's work on the quad is going to consist of a oil change, dropping the skids for that and just look over real good for possible short somewhere.

 

Almost. Back "in the old days" air conditioning was a very expensive option so the common folk of the day made do with windows and kick panel vents.

Engineers of the day weren't dumb, they knew that 90% of the cars sold would not have air conditioning, so the cars were designed to:
1) have good ventilation when moving
2) be quiet with the windows down at highway speeds
Look at a car built up to the early 1970's, the windows are recessed in the door frame.

The kick panel vents were very effective, both driver and passenger had one and they moved a giant volume of air at even a modest speed.
How effective? The first date I picked up in a car was wearing a dress, when we got on the road the vent blew her dress up into her lap -- I got to see her knickers on the first date!

As air conditioning became more common, and more importantly fuel economy became a priority the vents were removed and windows were moved to be flush with the vehicle exterior for more efficient air flow -- this is why all modern vehicles are so damn loud with the windows down. In my 66 Ford you can easily carry on a conversation on the highway with the windows down, it is only loud when another car is right next to you.

 

Signature forum question: Any electrical mods?

Doesn't seem there would be that much to draw when running, just the ignition?
Can you pull fuses and isolate?