North Idaho Driver

[Idaho Chris]

(my 300 I6 has had a drip for 17 yrs)

17 years? Damn! Well then, I should be happy that my drip has only been there for the four months I have owned her.

[Ranchero50]

Must be an I6 thing because my Cummins is leaking from both ends. Never had a V8 do it like this...

[Idaho Chris]

Finally, after almost two months of waiting for Dennis Carpenter to produce the correct windshield gasket, I gave up and procured a gasket from another company. DC had shown on their website in-stock dates of "Sept 1", and then "Oct 1". When on October 1st I again checked and found they had now pushed the date to "Nov 1", I finally gave up on DC. I wish they'd been honest from the start as I would have gone elsewhere months ago instead of driving with a bad windshield. At least the damage was on the passenger side, though it still bugged me to no end.

Windshield gaskets that accommodate the Custom Cab trim are hard to find, but I eventually found one at Eckler's Automotive out of Titusville, FL.

The guy that owns the local glass shop has been in business for 45 years and has seen a number of these trucks over that time. Even with his experience it took him and another guy 2+ hours to do the work. As others have observed, the trim must be installed on the gasket before the windshield is installed on the truck. I was a major pain.

I didn't know what I would find under the old windshield when it came out. Thankfully there was no rust needing attention.




While the glass guys struggled with the trim I cleaned up the surround. It is really in nice shape.





Last shot with the new windshield installed:




Good as new! It sure is nice to have a fresh new windshield. I don't know how long it will stay that way though. 60% of the roads in the county are gravel. I avoid them when possible, but sometimes there is no choice. Come to think of it, maybe I shouldn't be too concerned as most of the windshield damage I have had over the years has been inflicted on paved high speed roads.

[JoshT]

Looks good, hope to be doing the same in the next few weeks. Did you go with clear glass or does it have the shade strip across the top?

Out of curiosity, was there any manufacturer branding on the packaging from Ecklers?

I still can't get over the cutoff on those headlights. My 3G alternator upgrade is happening sooner than expected, so a set of those might happen sooner than expected as well.

[Idaho Chris]

...Out of curiosity, was there any manufacturer branding on the packaging from Ecklers?...

The gasket came in a heavy clear plastic bag. There was no branding. I did ask Eckler where the gasket was made and the guy I spoke with did not know. He said they sourced it from a wholesaler in Washington State.

The gasket fit correctly and appeared to be of reasonable quality. No regrets (yet).

My windshield has a small tint strip at the top. You can barely see it in the last photo if you look close.

[Manny]

Chris you can roll that seal in i have the faith. One thing you may find is to drop the mains loose not off. This lets the crank drop enough to give you a little more wiggle to roll it in. Working as a diesel technician I've rolled more bearings than i have ever placed into position

[Idaho Chris]

Chris you can roll that seal in i have the faith. One thing you may find is to drop the mains loose not off. This lets the crank drop enough to give you a little more wiggle to roll it in. Working as a diesel technician I've rolled more bearings than i have ever placed into position

I hadn't thought of loosening the mains. Nice tip. Thanks!

[Busboy]

I'd say loosening the mains are mandatory. I've done a couple of them and even then it's a tedious pain the rectal area.

[Manny]

Chris you can roll that seal in i have the faith. One thing you may find is to drop the mains loose not off. This lets the crank drop enough to give you a little more wiggle to roll it in. Working as a diesel technician I've rolled more bearings than i have ever placed into position

I hadn't thought of loosening the mains. Nice tip. Thanks!

Yeah it helps tons. You can sneak it in and stagger it. Thing is the fel pro seals on the package show it backwards of what you think it should. The only thing that stinks is i have not found a 300 1 piece gasket. But you'll get it.

[Idaho Chris]

Well it is getting that time of year where I close up shop in Idaho and head to Florida. I've put fuel stabilizer in the truck and pumped the tires to 50 psi to minimize flat spots. The battery is on a Battery Tender.

I am sure going to miss working on the old girl and driving her almost daily. At least she won't see any winter weather or salty roads.

I return to North Idaho in late March/early April. I will tackle the tail gate and the brake distribution block rebuild when I return.

This will be my last project update post until then, though I will still cruise Fordification.com and enjoy my old truck vicariously through the forum posts of others. Stay warm!

[jzjames]

Great! Lotta good pics and information here. Thanks for putting it up.

[hfdco4]

Safe travels Chris!

[popeyes71]

We will miss the progress of your truck but some warmer weather is always nice. Have a safe trip to Florida and we look forward to your return and progress on your truck.

[Ranchero50]

Ditto. I will say that after fighting flats for any years I finally just blocked my stored stuff up with 2x stock. Haven't needed to fill a flat tire for years.

[Idaho Chris]

Well Spring is here, and I am back in North Idaho as of a couple of weeks ago. Damn is it nice to be back in the Rockies after the zoo in Florida. Sometimes I wonder if escaping the cold Idaho winter is worth the traffic and congestion in Florida!

All good with the ol' truck. She's right where I left her and no sign of rodent damage or otherwise. Tires still round and holding air.

Started right up (no ethanol in my gasoline!) and me and my best buddy went for a little drive. Attached are a couple of shots parked at my neighbors place just up the road. Damn do I love this part of the country, and there is nothing better than seeing it at 40 mph on the back roads with my dog in the bed.







I have a bunch or projects I need to get after around my place before I can start on the truck again. I'm hoping to tackle the tailgate replacement this summer as soon as I get freed up.

I've also got a lot of reading to catch up with on the forum...missed you guys!