Jump to content
Ford Transit Connect Forum
   

jrm223

T.C. Member
  • Posts

    645
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    24

Reputation Activity

  1. Thanks
    jrm223 got a reaction from BSJBSJ in Solution: Blower Fan noise, dash vibration and MICE   
    A puller isn't actually needed. Lift the long part of the wiper arm up 90°, so it's sticking up in the air, then gently rock the mount back and forth while pulling up. The spring tension when the arm is laid on the glass makes it nearly impossible to pull the arms off by hand, but when the arms are sticking up into the air, there's no tension to hold the wiper arms onto the shafts and they come off easily. Figured that one out when I had to replace the front struts last summer, lol. 
  2. Like
    jrm223 got a reaction from sarah.thib in General Grabber AT2 upgrade   
    I really didn't notice any increase in road noise up to 75MPH on the way home and I don't have any rear interior, either - no foam/vinyl floor, no plastic panels, etc. So mine is already a bit noisier than most cargo vans here, but not loud by any means. I did get one pic before leaving work with a parking lot light plus camera flash for some brightness.
     

    Edit: Oh yea, I also noticed they don't break traction as much on pavement or gravel. Same situations that had the traction control going crazy before, even when the Conti's were younger & meatier than now.
  3. Thanks
    jrm223 got a reaction from OLDSCHOOLFOOL in Insulating rear doors?   
    I insulated my solid (windowless) rear barn doors with Roxul rockwool on the bottom half of the doors, and the little wiring cavity that's about halfway up the wall behind the plastic panels, too. One of these days, I might get around to insulating more of my van using Rmax foam panels for the larger areas. 
  4. Like
    jrm223 reacted to connectvanplans in Side Mirror Replacement / Camera + Monitor Modifications   
    Long time, no update. It's been what, almost a year? Good news though, I finished the project!

    Lets see, when I last left off I had printed the first side mirror insert prototype and while the fit was a total failure, I succeeded in learning several things. 1) My method to attach the mirror insert was poorly thought out and 2) accurately measuring the intersection of the contours and surfaces of the stock mirror base was beyond my ability.. or maybe patience.
     

     
    Here I'm ripping pieces off the prototype to see which features actually "fit". Basically none, lol. It was here that I decided I needed to use Photogrammetry to approximate an accurate 3D model of the stock mirror base I could model to. The programs I used to accomplish this is Meshroom and MeshLab. Unfortunately, I needed a computer with an NVIDIA graphics card for the Cuda cores required by Meshroom to compute the Photogrammetry operations. This was the major reason for the long break, I was basically waiting for the latest gaming laptops to drop.
     

     
    I didn't take any of screenshots of the Meshroom and MeshLab operations, but the first step was taking a series of photos in orbit of the static object you want to model on an overcast day. I took about 80 pics. The painters tape was to help the program pick up the contours as it apparently doesn't perform well with black surfaces. Anyway, that all went well and I was able to import a fairly accurate solid model to prototype with.
     

     
    Second prototype printed in PLA, a much better fit! A couple adjustments to the screw locations (black marks) and we're in business. Noticing the large slightly recessed circle - I decided to not leave legality to chance and remain in compliance with my state's mirror laws with some ~2 inch diameter convex mirrors.
     

     
    Getting closer - by this point I figured out my printer's ASA settings and was able to produce nice quality finished parts with UV stability. Filament is Jet Black ASA Prusament. The cameras shown are the 140 degree viewing angle option which ended up being perfectly suited for the application. I should also say, these parts didn't end up being the finished parts either unfortunately...
     

     
    Wire staging - a few extra things pictured here as I ended up installing my hardwired rear view camera and camper security monitor at the same time (the camper monitor being the reason for the RCA splitters coming off the side mirror monitors).
     

     
    Wire routing is a real chore.
     

     
    Foam tape was installed to prevent excessive water egress, particularly at speed.
     

     
    The attachment is exactly the same, but the new "mirrors" are noticeably lighter :).
     

     
    And the final product! Notice the mirror and camera had to swap positions AND the mirror had to be aimed relative to the driver's head position, otherwise the physical mirror would have been nothing more than an ornament. My initial thought that the convexity of the mirror would cover any misalignment was totally wrong. In actuality, each LH and RH mirror insert part needed custom/individual aiming so the LH and RH parts are unique besides being a mirror of each other.
     

     
    Closeup.
     

     
    Voilà. Each monitor base is mounted with both screws and double-sided tape to/thru the A-pillar tweeter grill, they take up zero windshield viewing real estate, and are on independent switches so they can be shut-off if the screens are annoying, particularly at night. The cameras themselves are switched to the "house" battery so I can use them with the security monitor in the back while the vehicle is not running. All in all, I'm satisfied with the results. This project was a hell of a lot of work, but I can say I've accomplished all of my objectives so yeah ?.
  5. Haha
    jrm223 reacted to mrtn in Solving the 4x8 problem   
    It could scratch the interior panels.
  6. Thanks
    jrm223 reacted to Don Ridley in Can I add OEM Cruise control to vehicle that came without it   
    Click the computer chip icon.
    Save every module configuration before making any changes 
     
     

  7. Haha
    jrm223 reacted to Willygee in Cabin air a lot of choices..   
    I should have stated cabin air filter..my bad.
  8. Thanks
    jrm223 reacted to Bcole7 in Always hot power outlet   
    Thanks for the reply. When I shut the vehicle off that outlet stays on for 15 mins or so and then powers off. So I’m guessing this is a feature in the newer models. I doubt it’s drawing that much power in that amount of time to shut it down. I had a dodge before this and like you I would come out Monday morning and realize I left my unit on. Never had a problem with the battery. 
  9. Haha
    jrm223 reacted to Fifty150 in Dashboard Reflection on Windshield   
    I got an inexpensive camera set from eBay.  I mounted it on the roof, right above the windshield, centered approximately with the steering wheel.  The drivers side viewpoint corresponds with the OEM backup camera on the drivers side above the license plate.  Since the windshield was already blacked out, I used duct tape and secured the power cable right down the windshield edge in the groove where the weather seal is, slips right alongside the hood hinge, and to the fuse box.  To run the RCA cable for the video feed, I drilled a hole through the roof and headliner.  I mounted the screen on the dashboard right in front of the steering view, to simulate what I would see if the windshield weren't spray painted black. 
     
    Now the only problem is that it's a backup camera, with a reverse screen image.  I have to turn left when I want to turn right.  
     

  10. Like
    jrm223 reacted to Van Kits in Camper Conversion Cedar Planking Ceiling-No glue-No new holes   
    I was always afraid to make a mistake so I didn't want to use glue. I also didn't want to make new holes in the van. It took forever to make sure I only use the existing holes for rivnuts and still have the cedar planking ceiling I've been dreaming of. 
    https://youtu.be/FeSpucwYLW0

  11. Haha
    jrm223 reacted to Fifty150 in Dashboard Reflection on Windshield   
    Last week, as I was in Sacramento working on recalling Newsom and electing Caitlyn Jenner as the next Governor, I noticed that there was a terrible reflection on my windshield.

     
    Right before my very eyes, was the Krispy Kreme I got for free because I had a vaccine card.
     
    Erik Estrada, who was riding in the 3rd row, behind the tinted windows, said that his cousin Stevie might know a guy.  So we headed over to NYC to see what's up.
     
    Stevie's guy was up in Calgary, and couldn't enter The US, because Canada hasn't vaccinated him yet.  The only thing to do was go over there.  He had the fix.  He had this spy coating for the glass which eliminated the glare and reflection 100%.

     
    Now my windshield looks like this.

     
    By now, Bruce Penhall was getting grumpy.  His wife kept calling, and nagging him about what time he was getting home.
     

     
     
     
     
     
     

  12. Like
    jrm223 reacted to JackGrimshaw in Platform Overland Style Roof Rack   
    Whatever rack you decide on,I suggest you install a mounting channel to spread the weight using the existing holes covered by the plastic plugs.
    Here is a picture showing a rivnut on the inside of my 2016 TC that secures the chanel for my Weatherguard adjustable ladder rack.
    As you can see,this "trough" has a lot more support than the thin sheet metal of the rest of the roof.
    Using  rivnuts in the existing holes also means not having to remove interior trim or drilling near side airbags
    (View is passenger side rear hole showing roof and side wall just forward of rear door)

  13. Thanks
    jrm223 reacted to windguy in Cargo weight   
  14. Thanks
    jrm223 reacted to Durty_Flaanimal in Platform Overland Style Roof Rack   
    100% agree. 
    RTT should be fine when parked as long as total load doesn't exceed the listed limits while driving.    
  15. Thanks
    jrm223 reacted to BSJBSJ in Cargo Tie Down Points   
    I didn't want to listen to D-rings flapping around so I bought a bunch of fixed M6 & M10 Lifting Ring Eye Bolts on Amazon. 
     
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PPMR8D8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
  16. Like
    jrm223 reacted to JustinVP in Oversize Tires   
    I can confirm that Forscan now works great for adjust speedo for larger tires.
     
    Running 215/65r16 Geolandars I bumped it up to 2070 circumference and it's bang-on perfect now when compared to a GPS speedo app on my phone. Based on prior threads I only changed the circumference, no other settings.
     
    First time in Forscan was a bit nerve wracking when that warning message came up that said (paraphrasing): "don't do this, you'll brick your car". At least that's the impression I got. Ha!
  17. Thanks
    jrm223 reacted to Don Ridley in Turn on all interior lights (2016)   
    I said this before: the interior lights will have +12v on both terminals when they are OFF. One terminal is pulled to GND by the BCM to turn the lights on. The dimming effect happens when GND slowly increases to +12v.
     
    Some LEDs will dim, others will reach a threshold voltage and flicker then turn off. It depends on the LED driver circuit.
  18. Thanks
    jrm223 reacted to Don Ridley in 12v Rear Auxiliary Socket Connect 2019 van   
    You need a wiring diagram. Almost all electrical loads go through a computer module. The aux outlets may be controlled to set the timeout, switch on with ignition etc. I doubt you will find a wire that goes from the fuse to the socket. You may need to program the module for the new outlet.
     
    Nothing is simple any more.
  19. Thanks
    jrm223 reacted to JustinVP in Oversize Tires   
    Excellent! Adapter ordered and I’ll finally have a reason to mess around in Forscan. If I’m lucky maybe I can also find a way to permanently turn off that bloody backup sensor instead of hitting the off button all the time (bike rack is a permanent fixture).
  20. Thanks
    jrm223 reacted to DonShockley in Need ideas on how fill the steps on inside of sliding doors.   
    Here's some photos from this forum back in 2016 that I copied when I thought they might come in useful for working on my 2015. My apologies to the member who did the original post but I didn't think to make a notation at the time. Based on the file names I gave them at the time, they were from a 2015 cargo version.







  21. Haha
    jrm223 reacted to sKiZo in Toaster? Nah, couldn't be!   
    Is this thread in the right place? Some comments seem out of place as well. I was just asking if there's anyone maintaining this forum as it looks jumbled up and out of place. For instance, one spot is open to forum support and several new members posted topic in this forum based on issue with their vehicles. So those topics are in the wrong place. I merely asked if you or whomever owners or maintains the site would allow me to mod so I can clean this up for them, I have time and will gladly do so.
     
    Eagerly waiting your reply and no I'm not a robot but I played one on tv ...
     
     
  22. Thanks
    jrm223 reacted to Fifty150 in Toaster? Nah, couldn't be!   
    I have a 2016, and the brakes look like they could go another 5 years.  I've had cars where you could see brake dust on the wheels.  That's not the case with a Transit Connect.  Most of the ones I see on the road do not have front wheels covered in brake dust.
     
     
     
    Molle is a tactical gear attachment system.  You see tactical vest with Molle gear.  Is this guy rigging up his van for ammunition, tear gas, and weapons?
  23. Haha
    jrm223 got a reaction from mrtn in Toaster? Nah, couldn't be!   
    "will eliminate the massive amount of brake dust we're getting on the front rotors"
     
    I don't understand how he's getting so much brake dust on the front. Mine still look like nearly brand new, even though the van has 130K miles on it now - I bought the van brand new in 2015, so I know they're original. Whatever, though, he's their problem now! Haha

    Wait, I just got to user Kenton now being labeled a ... FOE!! Hahahaha
  24. Haha
    jrm223 reacted to mrtn in Toaster? Nah, couldn't be!   
    Heh. Here we go: https://fordtransit.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=92502&start=3870#p1724569
     
     
  25. Thanks
    jrm223 reacted to Nokay in New FTC/Van owner   
    With this post and the one I posted in brakes/suspension not getting responses I will just post updates to my build here. Feel free to move mods.

    Raised the front seats with 2” delrin spacers that my friend helped make since he’s significantly better at machining than I am and I’ve been crazy busy, sub under drivers seat, added the 2nd row single seat, A/T tires (215/65/16 Falken - Wildpeaks) and rebuilt the false floor with an access hatch (same friend helped chop the legs and make the adjustable feet). 
     
    I wanted to reclaim the space under the false floor and it needed to be strong enough to put motos in. We used the stock L bracket that the original floor was bolted to and dropped it down so that the new floor is flush to the rear and also bolts into said L bracket. Using pocket screws I attached a front piece so things don’t go in or out the front of the floor area. I didn’t put it under as there is more than enough support using the extrusion and it gave me a little more space.
     
    I figured out the stock rear strut length and am in the process of building some shocks.  Hoping I can pull the stock strut soon to dyno match the compression curve so I can install it once and have a great tune.  Going with an air shock to be able to pump it up when hauling a moto and/or other gear for trips and take air our when not hauling heavier loads.  I also ordered the TEMA 30mm spacer kit.
     
    I did a few other small things but I’ll stop boring myself.  Here’s some pics.
     
     

     


×
×
  • Create New...