81 F100 flare side custom with 300 six & T18

Well Sunday I started with a few little things.
Used Velcro to hold the behind the seat storage to the back wall so it will not bang around.

I then looked into why the dome light did not work. Turns out I just needed to splice in the trucks wire to the dome light wire running down the "B" pillar and it now works.

With them done I moved on to the Ebay clock install. This took a few days as I cold not find the plug.
The plug in the area had the wrong colors and tested out as the under dash light plug.
The plug with the right wires had something in it. One end went to the harness and the other down into the darkness.

A little more digging and found the end of the wire with a plug that was attached to the bottom of the dash edge. I swapped the 2 plugs top / bottom then had to figure how to mate it and the pig tail on the clock together. Wound up cutting the plug off the wire harness and used butt connectors.
Other that needing to replace the 15 amp fuse I popped in checking power on wires the clock works.

Dave ----

Well done, Dave!  You are into the mopping up phases.  Lots of little things to sort out.  You are really getting there.  

Thanks
Putting off the NP435 transmission swap by doing little things LOL
I have new sun visors to dye red, put together and install.
Then fix the A pillars dye and install.
If I have the windshield fixed from leaking, guy that installed it did a crappy job  I will either get carpet, keeps the noise down, or rubber mat, easy to keep clean.
Dave ----

I have been enjoying the truck by driving it to work all last week and trash runs 2 weeks ends now.
The truck started marking the garage floor so need to check into that at some point.

When I checked the oil level I got milk shake on the stick and a little under the fill cap but none on the rockers or head that I can see thru the oil fill cap.
I don't see the coolant level low and the factory temp gauge makes it to the first line or maybe the n in normal.
It has a new stat but don't remember the temp at this time but even if it was a 185* it should be hot enough to boil out any moister on the 30 to 45 min ride to and from work.
I need to check that the PCV is working as it should to pull out any moister.

On a good note I have been keeping track of mileage and I am up to the low 14 MPG.
Not great but better than the 12 MPG I first reported. The only thing I have been trying to do is keep the speed to 65 MPH in a 70 MPH area with everyone doing 75+ MPH.
The RPM at 65 - 70 MPH is 2300 to 2500 RPM with a 2.75 rear gear and 1:1 trans gear. Remember the truck was built when the max speed limit was 55 MPH.
Dave ----

I envy you getting to drive your truck.  And working out the issues.

As for the milkshake, it does seem like it isn't getting thoroughly warm.  Maybe the PVC system, or maybe just a 180 degree 'stat?

Woot woot!

Another Flareside back on the road.

Good going Dave!  

Working the kinks out is just another layer of the onion.... to Gary

But I would say you've bettered the wise old owl and licked your way to the center of the tootsie pop.
Now you've reached the candy center, and get to enjoy the effort it took to get there.

Gary Lewis wrote

I envy you getting to drive your truck.  

So do I. Severely.

As for the Milkshake part, I don't have a solution, but wasn't that a known Ford thing back in the day? I pumped gas at a Texaco for a few years in highschool (late 80's) and we always joked about all the Fords and their milky dipsticks and oil filler caps. They were usually all cars like Crown Vic's and such, but still.

Thanks guys,

I been putting off the NP435 transmission swap because
1- it is a heavy beast
2- I do like driving the truck after 4 years of working on it.

It rained a few days I took it to work, so glad I did the intermittent wipers. I don't worry about the rain as I built the truck to drive.

As for the milk shake I have a little digging to find out why.
The easy part is to check the PCV if working. I am teeing off the top to get vacuum to the charcoal canisters. I had to put a Holley jet in that line as it was pulling too much vacuum and caused a vacuum leak. I wonder if I need to go smaller on the jet, it was the smallest I had on hand so would need to make something up.

Next would be to check the stat to make sure it is not stuck open and that it is a 195*.
I think I remember before I got the truck on the road the temp gauge going up close to the middle of gauge but I think I still had the old radiator?

I also need to tighten the ALT belt a little as it makes a little noise on start up, new belt.

I need for it to warm up a little bit more so I can paint the new sun visors I have and get them installed.
Then I can get the inside mirror mounted. The mounting tab is off the glass and I had a truck the glass shop put the tab on in the wrong place and could not use 1 of the visors and I don't want that to happen to this truck and why I need the visors installed.
Dave ----

Yeah, I fully understand the desire to drive it after so many years of working on it!

And you are right, that tranny is heavy.  I can carry it, but lifting it up into place ain't gonna happen at my age.

I'd think centered is centered?  

I mean, the visor mounting bosses are stamped into the roof, aren't they?

Gary Lewis wrote

Yeah, I fully understand the desire to drive it after so many years of working on it!

And you are right, that tranny is heavy.  I can carry it, but lifting it up into place ain't gonna happen at my age.

You are a better man than me, I used the cherry picker to get it out of my Durango as I felt it was too heavy to lift by myself.
I had help getting it in.
Dave ----

ArdWrknTrk wrote

I'd think centered is centered?  

I mean, the visor mounting bosses are stamped into the roof, aren't they?

True but if it is mounted to high on the glass then it can block them from being used when the mirror is in place.

It just came to me a member has 2 trucks I can check less than 5 miles I can get measurements from.
If I can remember I will do that.
Dave ----

I can lift and move a ZF5 from the floor to a skate.  From what I've read the NP435 comes in around 125 lbs, but the ZF5 is around 175#.  

Lately when I start the truck I get a little belt chirp from the ALT and been to lazy to tighten it up well that changed yesterday.
I got around to tighting the ALT belt and in doing so found the top bolt a little loose.
It would not tighten up, it goes in from the front because of the EFI manifolds so found a lock washer & nut to get it tight.

I also found the PS belt a little loose so tighten it up too.

In doing so I found something that will be an issue when I install the AC compressor.
1 of the small mounting plates missing. I heard something a while back hit the bottom of the truck now I know what it was. Thing is I don't remember where this happened so cant go looking for it

I adjusted the idle mix as it has been idling a little ruff. About a half turn rich and it is smooth again.
Also checked the PCV to see if it is working as I have a "milk shake" under the fill cap and in the dip stick tube. It is working as it should so need to check the Tstat to see if it is getting up to temp or not.
Dave ----

So many layers on the totally-taken-apart onion.  Lots of little things to deal with.

On the mounting plate, do you know which piece?  And is this your layout?

Gary Lewis wrote

So many layers on the totally-taken-apart onion.  Lots of little things to deal with.

On the mounting plate, do you know which piece?  And is this your layout?

Man that is the truth on the onion! When I nut & bolted the truck I did not even think of the little plates on the AC bracket

That is the wrong picture as my setup is for the 83 or 84 setup IIRC think it is this one.

Part 2888 or 19D896 I do have one I can use as a pattern to make one if I have to.

I also see the hose support 19B890 that I do not have that might be nice but it is that plate bracket I need more to hold the compressor.

The compressor also has what Ford calls manifolds that I for got the part numbers for.
I need to look into getting the AC working before it get too hot here.
Thanks
Dave ----

Ok, lost one of the 2888/19D896's.  Maybe someone has one.

Think I will remove the 1 I still have and see if the welder at work has a piece of scrap I can use to make a new one.
Being it is a flat plate with holes and a slot it cant be that hard to make just some time is all.
Unless someone does have an extra they would like to sell?

Then again based on the picture and the years / models that use that setup if I can ever get my butt to JY or 2, I might find one along with the compressor manifolds I need to hook the hoses to the compressor.
Thanks.
Dave ----

Did some work to the "project" today.
Moved the Javelin back to the house garage so I could be close to my tools and not worry if I made a mess on the floor.

I picked up a heater bypass valve to stop hot air coming out the vents or when the MAX AC is on.
Cutting the heater hoses and installing the valve was the easy part of the whole job.
Had a heck of a time trying to get the vacuum hose for the engine bay to inside but after an hour it was inside.

Then pulled the dash apart to hook the hose to the HVAC control and where the real trouble started.
I did not have the early control as mine was gone when I bough the truck and a member picked this later one up for me. It works and has duel tanks and that part works too.
So I had to find how to hook up this valve and found it will only work on MAX AC.
That is ok for now as I don't have AC and when I do I will most likely run it on MAX AC and this valve should make it colder.

Got it hooked up go to test and other than fan on defrost I get nothing??
In checking I have no vacuum to the control? Remember that hour on getting the hose inside? Well I poked few holes in the supply line so got that fixed lets try again!

Every thing is not working but the new bypass valve?
I can push the lever by hand to bypass and it will stay there but remove vacuum and put it back on it will not move the lever? It has a spring to return it to non-bypass and it is to strong for the vacuum to over come it.

So I pulled the vacuum part of the valve off the body and looked into what could be done to make the spring weaker, lever moves real easy so don't know why the heavy spring and for a $20 valve if I broke it no big deal I would make it a manual valve with a cable (should have done this to start).

Got it apart and I start cutting the spring and get it to a point vacuum will pull the arm. Super glue it back together test it and I get no vacuum on the white hose I tee'd into?
The 2 halves are not sealing so had to pull it apart again and make adjustments so it would seal I HOPE!
This time I used JB Weld on the 2 halves and it went together tighter so I think it may work this time I HOPE but I want the JB Weld to set up good before I put it back in service.

In between glues setting up I had a rattle I could not find the last time I went looking. Being it was warm last week and I had the windows open I could hear better where it might be coming from.
Sure enough I found a lower left front shock bolt / nut loose.
Have not taken the truck for a test but I am pretty sure that was it. Not bad if that is all that came loose on a full rebuild LOL.

I also had (I hope) an oil leak that looked like coming from the lifter cover so took up on the bolts and cleaned off the oil with carb clean. Now I got to repaint the block

Also looked into when my oil pis gauge stopped working and it looks like the new Standard sender went bad. Also the temp gauge has been reading really low but I cant remember if I changed it out or not?
So I will need to pick up 2 new senders at some point.

I also went looking (again) for the transmission hump cover for the SROD trans and I cant find it   For the life of me I cant remember what I did with it when I pulled the parts truck apart years ago? I want to find it as I think it will work great for my next project on the truck.
Dave ----

Your issues, few as they may be, are not filling me with enthusiasm for finishing my project... I know I'll probably have similar issues, one or two leaks and most definitely the odd replacement part failing out of the box!

But I'm sure you've had plenty of satisfaction out of 'finishing' it too, so I'll keep chugging along.