First Post

[svt2205]

Now, I finally got around to paying attention to the color combo on my dash. So, the grey pod will work.

Now the next question comes to custom tuning. Which tune would be most appropriate for plowing?

Thanks for the help on this

[Jackpine]

That's a nice looking interior, Dfishrmn! I can see why you would be unhappy with the grey pod color. I'm going to guess though, that the "texture" of the pod is close to what is in your dash - right? The older, black pods had a texture that was completely different, so even if you got the color close with paint, it still looked wrong (at least on the newer trucks).

Plowing tune? That's definitely one for the Mad Doctor! But, I'd guess some modification of a towing tune. Would you be running the truck in 4WD Low to perform this task?

- Jack

[Dfishrmn]

Originally Posted by JackandJanet

That's a nice looking interior, Dfishrmn! I can see why you would be unhappy with the grey pod color. I'm going to guess though, that the "texture" of the pod is close to what is in your dash - right? The older, black pods had a texture that was completely different, so even if you got the color close with paint, it still looked wrong (at least on the newer truck)

- Jack

Yeah, the texture is real close. I just added a picture of the pod with the new paint to my albums. It isn't exact but is a lot closer than the grey. I bought it at Gladwin Paints but may be available at other outlets. I think it ran about $14. It's made by SEM. Easy to apply, just wipe the pod with paint thinner, let dry one minute, and paint. No primer.

[Jackpine]

A lot better than the grey, in my book! Still, I can see it's a little too "warm". I wonder if Ford sells any matching paint? Seems like they should, doesn't it?

There's also this internet source: http://paintscratch.com/ They seem to be able to match any OEM colors and can even account for differences in assembly plant locations. I doubt you'll have any luck finding a color code for your dash (other than some generic thing for "tan"), but maybe if you contact them they'd have some ideas.

Maybe, if you sent them the part of the panel that the headlight switch mounts into, they could mix a color match.

(You can see how "obsessive" I get over things like this, can't you)?

- Jack

[Dfishrmn]

Originally Posted by JackandJanet

A lot better than the grey, in my book! Still, I can see it's a little too "warm". I wonder if Ford sells any matching paint? Seems like they should, doesn't it?

There's also this internet source: http://paintscratch.com/ They seem to be able to match any OEM colors and can even account for differences in assembly plant locations. I doubt you'll have any luck finding a color code for your dash (other than some generic thing for "tan"), but maybe if you contact them they'd have some ideas.

Maybe, if you sent them the part of the panel that the headlight switch mounts into, they could mix a color match.

(You can see how "obsessive" I get over things like this, can't you)?

- Jack

I looked at Paint Scratch first but all I can find are exterior colors on their website. The Ford dealer said they don't carry anything for interiors. Other auto paint dealers said they could custom match for about $50 for a 4 oz. can. I can live with this for now, depending on lighting sometimes you can't really see the shade difference. If anybody else out there has sources I think other folks in this situation would appreciate it too.

[svt2205]

Originally Posted by JackandJanet

That's a nice looking interior, Dfishrmn! I can see why you would be unhappy with the grey pod color. I'm going to guess though, that the "texture" of the pod is close to what is in your dash - right? The older, black pods had a texture that was completely different, so even if you got the color close with paint, it still looked wrong (at least on the newer trucks).

Plowing tune? That's definitely one for the Mad Doctor! But, I'd guess some modification of a towing tune. Would you be running the truck in 4WD Low to perform this task?

- Jack

I'll only end up in 4 low if I screw up and bury my truck... again. The plow blocks a ton of airflow from the radiator, so there's potential to run on the warm side. Not sure how it all works, but a tune that offered more low end grunt all while not adding too much more heat to the motor would be great. But I'm the last guy on the planet to have a clue about this stuff.

[Jackpine]

Originally Posted by svt2205

I'll only end up in 4 low if I screw up and bury my truck... again. The plow blocks a ton of airflow from the radiator, so there's potential to run on the warm side. Not sure how it all works, but a tune that offered more low end grunt all while not adding too much more heat to the motor would be great. But I'm the last guy on the planet to have a clue about this stuff.

I don't have much of a clue either about plowing! All I know is, I moved several tons of snow from my driveway and walkway when I was stationed in Pennsylvania, then got to move several tons more when the snowplow came by and put up a wall between me and the street! :cry: When we left Pennsylvania, I left my snow shovel as a "housewarming" present for the new owners!

I would have guessed though that 4 low would be the gearing of choice. Again, shows what I know - nothing!

But, I bet Bill can take all these (sometimes conflicting) requirements into account and he'll give you what you need.

You should post some pictures of your rig. Heck, I should do the same!

- Jack

[svt2205]

This is my truck.

[Jackpine]

That's a pretty impressive piece of hardware, Henry! Is it hard to mount on the truck? (Looks a bit heavy to me).

However, it looks to me like it doesn't really block the airflow into the radiator much at all. I suspect any overheating you'd get would be due to running at high RPMs and very low forward speed. Still, you're performing this operation in winter, when the air is cold, so I'd expect things to stay relatively cool.

One thing nice: with the Gryphon you can monitor your Cylinder Head Temp (CHT), Oil Temp and Transmission Fluid Temp (TFT) and you'll get a digital readout that tells you exactly how hot things are getting. I wouldn't even bother with the Coolant Temp. It's not actually measured at all but is inferred from the CHT. Don't be surprised when you see the oil temp go up quickly when the engine is under load. Mine shoots up close to 250 degrees when I'm pulling my trailer up a long incline in a lower gear range, but the CHT stays around 212-214 under those conditions.

- Jack

[jerodr]

That thing is awesome! I'd like to have one here in Texas just to see how people react.