getting a plow on her

[diymirage]

thought i would start picking you guys's brains now, because im new to this and im sure ill run into some issues along the

 way 

i bought a 7'6" meyer plow for my 87 bronco 

(the truck allready has bags up front) 

the plow is old and beat up, but complete and affordable (i will need to reskin it next year) 

it came off  a 83 F150 so it should bolt right up...right ?

i found a manual for the lift frame but nothing for the lights or pump, so that will be interesting 

so first question, where should i mount the pump ?

this is on that does NOT have the pump mounted to the lift frame 

any other suggestions, im all ears 

(i did read all the links posted in the "2 inch receiver" post 

 

[miesk5]

Yo,

See PARTS & INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS MEYER SNOW PLOW MOUNTING 1980 To 1983 FORD BRONCO, F150, F250, F350 4x4 ...

PDFwww.storksplows.com › docs › 2012/10

End user must be given this instruction sheet prior to delivery of this Snow Plow. The equipment you have just purchased

But pump and light info is in another document. See if you can read more about those documents in the instructions. ...

I believe most mount the pump in place of the ac compressor.

Or maybe tge smog pump?

Both the 87 and 83 use v belts, correct?  If so, that saves modification to a serpentine system; or other way around.

 

[diymirage]

thanks Miesk 

but i think the frame i have matches these instructions better 

the pump i have is electrical, so all i need is a big lead and a big ground, so no pulleys or belts to deal with 

but since it is not mounted to the frame like you often times see, i need to decide the best place to mount it 

17081 Mtg. 1-615 R5.pdf

 

[diymirage]

got a few minutes to play with her sunday, the frame went on pretty smooth 

ive decided to move the washer and coolant reservoir and mount the pump right along the inner fender there 

then the only issue will be wiring the pump in 

does anyone have any idea how that should go?

(ill post some pictures after i have time to resize them)

 

[miesk5]

Yo,

See http://www.meyerplows.info/meyer-plow-wiring-diagrams.html

Will bbl.

 

[diymirage]

thanks Miesk 

i had looked at that one before and couldnt find it (it appears someone replaced the stocker with a Monarch 693...which you would never know without the pictures) 

i did send an email to the Smith Brothers earlier this morning and they identified it as a Monarch 

im now chatting with the guys at Monarch (who are only 20 miles up the road from me, fancy that) on how to wire it in 

 

[miesk5]

Yo,

Great!

Please start a new thread on the installation [SIZE=23.9997px]after you complete it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=23.9997px]Not many Bronco owners have done this themselves.  [/SIZE]

 

[diymirage]

you got it 

my plan for tomorrow will be to fab up a mount for the pump and get that wired in 

i should be able to at least see if the up/down works (that cylinder is mounted to the frame) 

my idea is to make a little frame from flat stock, going up 7 inches from the shock mount, then across 12 inches or so to mount it to the fender, and slap the pump on there 

now once, that is all done (and wired in) the only remaining is a cross member that connects the bottom of the plow frame to the truck frame 

im not sure if the 83 F-150 it came off is much different from the 87 bronco, but the cross member interferes with my steering linkage 

i may have to chop it up and re run it 

(man, i wish i had a welder) 

 

[diymirage]

progress progress progress 

i got the mount for the pump fabbed up (man that was fun, i love fabwork) 

it doesnt look pretty because the only tools i had on hand were a bench vise, a hand held drill and a cut off wheel but it sure looks sturdy 

i got the pump mocked up but i got to move her over an inch or so to make sure the hood hinge doesnt rub up against the hose 

i also wired in 4 of the six wires, this is enough to power the pump, and lift it, but not to angle the blade 

(the angle cylinders are still mounted to the blade and i didnt want to risk shooting hydraulic oil everywhere) 

the lift cylinder is mounted to the lift frame and is now part of the truck, so i tried that out, and we got lift 

im very excited about that because i dont like electronics very much  and i was a little intimidated by trying to wire this up 

i need to run to the store and get some nuts and bolts 

i should be able to finish most of it up tomorrow 

(except for the lights, in still waiting on switches and relays to show up) 

the last hurdle will be the cross member 

i think i know how it goes, and i think i need to cut a section of it out, but im not looking forward to doing that with my little cut off wheel 

if i ever figure out how to resize pictures ill post some up 

oh, and if there was any doubt left this plow came off an F150...i just placed the control box on my armrest and the old, non plyable wireloom followed the contours of the floor perfectly 

it looks like it has been there all its life 

 

[miesk5]

Yo d,

http://www.irfanview.com is a good free image resizer.

To post a pic from your PC, TABLET, etc., just below the reply box in lower right corner, click More Reply Options

Screen will change
See Attach files
pick out the pic
Click Attach This File

or click, Try our advanced uploader (requires Flash 9)

...

Great progress!

 

[diymirage]

well i got the frame on 

i still need the cross member, but i will have to ponder what to do there 

i think i might be able to buy a few sections of angle iron, and bolt it on, to complete the triangle 

(but i will worry about that later) 

i also managed to get the bumper back on 

(sorry, no pics, by the time i got that one, the kids had ran off with my phone) 

it is just sitting on there right now, and i dont like the way it sits 

i either need to figure out a different way to mount it, or use it as an excuse to buy a fabricated bumper...but if i go that route, it will need to be a one off, in order to make it line up with the wheel wells (the lift frame mounts in between the truck and the bumper, pushing the bumper forward a few inches) 

tomorrow i will finish up mounting the pump (i got it moved over now, and in the final place) 

then i will solder the wiring back up, and run some heat shrink tube over it 

if i can muster up the testicular fortitude to get the moldboard off the trailer tomorrow i think i can pretty near finish her up 

 

[miesk5]

Yo diymirage,

Great diy!

 

[diymirage]

got her up and running 

the only thing that is not working as it should is the angle 

when i hit the button, i can hear the pump running, so it has to be a valve issue 

ill double check my wires and see where we are 

i drilled a few extra mounting holes to get the bumper back on (see pic) 

it put the bumper up a little higher and looks better then the stock mounting location and it doesnt look half bad 

its only on with two bolts but its kind of a moot point with the plow in front anyway 

i also attached some pics of the pump mount 

its not as fancy as i would have wanted, but with the limited tools i have, it will have to do 

 

[miesk5]

Yo d,

That looks good!

Which wiring diagram did you use?

I am bookmarking your plow project for future reference. 

 

[diymirage]

well, the diagram is only for the pump, and since i dont think you would be very likely to find this pump with a used plow, but i do think it would make an excellent replacement if you end up with a plow that needs a pump (or if you like the idea of mounting the pump under the hood, out of the elements) 

so, the guys at Smiths Brothers identified my pump as a monarch 693 

http://centralparts.com/snowplow-and-salt-spreader-parts/snowplow-parts/hydraulic-snowplow-power-packs/monarch-power-packs/monarch-power-pack-w-control-box/10958/

then, i called the guys at Monarch, and they emailed me a few different PDF files, one of which being a 54 page wiring diagram for all their power units, and different control boxes 

on page 7 i found the pump i had (since the controll box was wired in allready so no need to skip to page 36) 

i wired it up following the diagram as it was on page 7 and all is well 

(i can email the PDF file if you're interested, but it is too big to attach) 

 

[Skitter302]

diymirage, got to looking into my links a found the product I was looking for to help your nose heavy Bronco.

http://gabriel.com/product-search/light-vehicle-detailed-specs/?partnum=34057

I used the Monroe version of these on a different vehicle and I got a 2" lift on my nose. Hopefully these will give you a 1" pickup to help with that weight. Just a thought.

 

[diymirage]

thanks skitter, but im going to pass on those for now 

fact is, i had the bronco scheduled for a 4 inch lift earlier this fall, while my mechanic replaced a busted torque converter 

turned out the transmission was shot, and that took most of his time, and most of my budget to fix, so even though it is not ideal now, im getting her lifted in the spring as soon as his schedule clear out 

(this guy is a big mudracer and knows his stuff, im sure once he picks a lift kit for me, he will adjust the front end to make up for the added weight of the plow) 

so, for now, this will have to do 

in the mean time, i got the final piece of the puzzle on 

this last brace was a real challenge, partly because it looks like it might should have gone on first, and i kinda did it last 

there are two ears that bolt up to the frame (i pushed them snug up against the sway bar mount) 

these were the only new holes i had to drill (not counting the ones for the front bumper) 

once these are one, they bolt to the cross member which then goes toward the bottom of the lift frame and ties it all together 

it looks like this is the piece that triangulates the pressure form the impact of pushing snow to the frame of the truck, and keeps the lift frame from folding under the truck 

i know the bolts i used look small, but they are in fact small block mopar motor mount bolts, and the same bolts hold my nearly 500 foot pound 408 in my duster, so they should do the trick 

i also got the high beams wired in , but i think those are the only (good) bulbs i have in there, ill have to check that once it stops raining 

while working on it, i ran into a weird problem 

i think my starter solenoid checked out on me 

i went to move the truck and when i turned the key i heard the click click click you would expect with a dead battery 

then when i let go of the key, the truck started cranking over 

i turned the ignition off and it kept cranking 

it didnt stop cranking untill i pulled the positive wire from the solenoid (the big one from the battery, not the little one from the ignition, i pulled that one first, and it just kept cranking) 

at any rate, i replace the solenoid and it starts again as it should BUT now the battery light on the dash is on, and the battery is not charging 

(there is no difference in voltage measured over the battery with the engine running or of) 

i presume i fried the alternator ? 

i got it pulled of the morning, and ill have it checked out over at autozone later tonite, but i figured id see what you guys have to say 

 

[miesk5]

Yo,

Does ignition Key have the usual spring back from Start to Run?
The ignition switch, mounted inside column's shroud is where the spring-back is provided, but the actuator(s) is often damaged. Ensure switch is securely mounted first.

Ignition Switch Mechanical Test

NOTE: Accessories such as radio, starter, etc. that fail to operate with the key in RUN, or that remain on when the key is turned off, may be the result of a misadjusted ignition switch ratherthan a malfunctioning ignition switch. Refer to Ignition Switch test and adjustment below..

NOTE: Do not apply lubricant to the inside of the ignition switch.
Test the ignition system mechanical operation by rotating the ignition switch lock cylinder through all positions of the ignition switch. The movement should feel smooth with no sticking or binding. The ignition key should return from the START position back to the ON position without assistance (spring return). If sticking or binding is encountered, check for the following:
burrs on the ignition switch lock cylinder
binding ignition switch lock cylinder
shroud rubbing against ignition switch lock cylinder
burrs or foreign material around the rack-and-pinion actuator in the housing of the ignition switch lock cylinder
insufficient **** on actuator
binding ignition switch

Ignition Lock Cylinder Adjustment & Ignition Switch Pin-Out & Logic Test
by Seabronc
..

 

[diymirage]

thanks, but im pretty sure the issue was in the solenoid 

(after i replaced that, everything worked as designed) 

the key does jump back out of "start" to "run" aswell 

and for the alternator...turns out when i swapped out the starter solenoid, i failed to attach ONE wire to the positive lug again 

i dont think i need to tell you guys which one