Well, finally got some time to address my 4wd actuator on front axle. Went ahead and ordered the upgrade kit from old Thermal to newer style. Used Dorman 600-600 harness and Dorman 600-601 actuator.
Removed thermal actuator, cleaned threads, installed new spacer plug. Applied threadseal to new actuator and wind into housing and tightened. Went to plug the "plug and play" harness in, and the 2-pin plug that connected the old actuator was a different style. So I had to cut the plug pigtail off the old actuator, cut the plug end off the new harness, and splice the old pigtail onto the new harness with dual wall heat shrink connectors. After confirming the Blue wire was indeed power, and black was ground. The brown wire they suggest to run to 4-pin plug on top of tcase. Looked like P.I.T.A. to get at, so I ran the brown wire up to engine bay, over to driver side along top of firewall and through firewall under brake booster (hole drilled, rubber grommet installed). Once in cab, had to lengthen wire 10" (used red as I had no brown), and attached to the rightmost pin on the DRK GRN labelled connector under dash. This pin is powered by the 4WD 25amp fuse, and is key-on switched power.
I haven't drive tested the truck yet, as it's still on stands while I fight off an extremely stubborn fuel filter. But I did push the switch while in the air, and could here the actuator engage. So that's good. Although my 4x4 buttons in the dash have started acting up as well as of last week. If you push in on the dashboard underneat the switch, the LED will come on and you can use the switch. As soon as you let go, the lights go out and switch function is gone. If not one thing, it's another right.
Attached pics of old / new actuator, and the location I ran the brown (now red) wire too. Don't mind the compustar auto start hanging down, I'm also trying to figure out why that keeps blowing it's 25Amp fuse if fan is above low setting. Maybe my fan draws too many amps, at least compared to the newer vehicles this brand-new compustar is likely meant for. Not quite sure how I'm gonna address that yet. Maybe put a 30amp in lol.
Removed thermal actuator, cleaned threads, installed new spacer plug. Applied threadseal to new actuator and wind into housing and tightened. Went to plug the "plug and play" harness in, and the 2-pin plug that connected the old actuator was a different style. So I had to cut the plug pigtail off the old actuator, cut the plug end off the new harness, and splice the old pigtail onto the new harness with dual wall heat shrink connectors. After confirming the Blue wire was indeed power, and black was ground. The brown wire they suggest to run to 4-pin plug on top of tcase. Looked like P.I.T.A. to get at, so I ran the brown wire up to engine bay, over to driver side along top of firewall and through firewall under brake booster (hole drilled, rubber grommet installed). Once in cab, had to lengthen wire 10" (used red as I had no brown), and attached to the rightmost pin on the DRK GRN labelled connector under dash. This pin is powered by the 4WD 25amp fuse, and is key-on switched power.
I haven't drive tested the truck yet, as it's still on stands while I fight off an extremely stubborn fuel filter. But I did push the switch while in the air, and could here the actuator engage. So that's good. Although my 4x4 buttons in the dash have started acting up as well as of last week. If you push in on the dashboard underneat the switch, the LED will come on and you can use the switch. As soon as you let go, the lights go out and switch function is gone. If not one thing, it's another right.
Attached pics of old / new actuator, and the location I ran the brown (now red) wire too. Don't mind the compustar auto start hanging down, I'm also trying to figure out why that keeps blowing it's 25Amp fuse if fan is above low setting. Maybe my fan draws too many amps, at least compared to the newer vehicles this brand-new compustar is likely meant for. Not quite sure how I'm gonna address that yet. Maybe put a 30amp in lol.
