NEW! Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) database begun

[FORDification]

After much delay in making this grand unveiling, I've decided to go ahead and bite the bullet and hit you all with a surprise addition to the site that I've been working on for about a month so far. It's coming along nicely...though it does have a ways to go yet. Rather than wait until it's completely done, I've decided to let you watch as the section grows.

And just what am I talking about?

Well, I've begun the very ambitious project of posting the entire collection of 1966-1973 Ford Technical Service Bulletins (TSB's) to the site! And I'm not talking about a fuzzy scan of the original or just an article listing...I'm assembling an entire TSB Article Database, with full searchable text and hi-resolution scans of any diagrams associated with the article.

Needless to say, this isn't something I'll be able to accomplish in a few weeks or even a few months. This will be an ongoing project that I'll keep adding to as frequently as possible. And as I've said, it's coming along very nicely so far. I mean, I just started this about a month or so ago, and as I type this message, the TSB database currently has 225 articles. However, this is a combination of the TSB Index Listings and the actual TSB articles themselves. I've been cranking out between 6-10 new articles every night, so it's actually adding up fairly rapidly.

I've had the idea to do this for quite some time now, but how to actually implement the idea was a major stumbling block. At first I started just scanning each individual article and posting each article as a graphic. This was a lot faster than manually typing (or using OCR software), but I didn't like the idea that the articles wouldn't be searchable. While you might be able to find certain articles you needed by reading the article titles, any parts numbers or technical information included in the article couldn't be archived as searchable text. So that idea got nixed.

Then I tried quite a few different Content Management Systems (CMS) but all were too difficult and clunky....very time-consuming.

So after wasting nearly a month trying out different things only to toss them out, I decided to work with software I knew something about. I've been modifying the same phpbb software that this forum runs on, adjusting it to be more of an article depository than a discussion forum. I don't have the layout quite like I really want it yet, but I'll be continuing to make some adjustments on it's function and appearance as this project progesses.

At the moment, the search function for the TSB Database needs to be tweaked a little...it's not always finding certain keywords, mainly due to the way they're entered into the database. But I'll be tweaking this a bit as things progress, too. In the meantime, you might just want to spend some time going through the whole database, checking out what's been entered so far....which is mostly the 1968 TSB articles. I'm almost done with the '68s and will continue with the '69s. If I were to try to make a semi-educated guess on this project's completion, based on the progress rate so far I'd optimistically predict it's completion in about 6 months or so.

The plan is as follows:

1) To get a complete TSB article listing for each bulletin release. (Typically, each TSB release contains 6-20 articles.) This way you'll at least know what articles are/were available.
2) To post a complete searchable text article (with accompanying graphics as required) for each TSB article that pertains directly (or indirectly) to the '67-'72 F100, F250 and F350 trucks.
3) Once all the truck-related articles are entered into the database, I'll then get started on entering in the automotive-related articles as well.

The target objective is to eventually have a COMPLETE searchable database with all Ford Technical Service Bulletins released between '66 and '79.

Now, I don't have ALL the TSB releases...but I've got probably 80%-85% of the '66-'79 releases, and I'm continually keeping my eyes open for the Bulletins missing from the collection and will add them as I find them.

To those of you who have no idea what a TSB is, I decided to scan and post one at random, just so you'd have the visual. I grabbed TSB #22, dated August 4, 1972. This 8-page TSB also includes a 4-page Technical Service Information (TSI) insert. The scans were posted to the following URL:

http://www.fordification.com/lit/TSB/example/tsb-ex.htm

Anyway, without further ado, here's the link to the TSB Database:

FORDification.com Technical Service Bulletin Database

I'd be interested in hearing any input on this project. Just keep in mind that it's definitely a work-in-progress. Right now I'm more interested in digitizing the information first....that is, getting it entered into the database...before I worry much about making it 'pretty'. After the info is entered, I can then start tweaking things to make it more user-friendly. It'll happen...eventually.

[19674x4]

very cool. full of lots of good info

[ford4x4fun]

Keith, Looks like you have been hard at it. I think this is a great add to the site. My

[TheEskimo]

Man, don't you ever rest?

[1971ford]

wow

thanks Keith!
must of taken quite some time!

[smclaren]

Keith ... you're a machine !!!

[Ranchero50]

Very cool. Learned something already on the TSI about the headlamp bulbs having more wattage on the newer trucks and possibly causing a battery drain. Always wondered why the halogens caused the voltmeter to drop a good bit on the ranchero.

Jamie

[seattle67]

Thank you Keith, what an awesome addition!

[427blackpearl]

very cool keith . cant wait to see what is next.
you should be a history guid at a ford museum

[kaptnkaos]

Thanks Keith...

This is an awesome addition to awesome forum...
Thanks for all you do...
YOU ROCK !!!

KaptnKA S

[floyd67]

that is alot of work thanks keith

[td]

ver very cool stuff! Thank you Keith.

[HH Henderson]

A great idea that will be a big help to all of us.
Thanks for your diligence.
HH

[DuckRyder]

Sweet!!!