84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

classic Classic list List threaded Threaded
92 messages Options
12345
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

844rd
This truck was bought at Ray Ford in Shreveport, LA in 1984 by my dad. I remember going with him to get it. It's a base model and came with an AM radio. He used it for a work truck (he was in construction) so you can imagine the 2.47 read end did not work well for him but great for me. In 1985 I got my driver’s license, dad got a new truck and let me drive the 84. I had no idea at the time that I would keep it the rest of my life. Still mostly stock. Many years ago I put seekers in the door with a am/fm cassette radio. The interior is still OEM. Dash pad is in great shape except the speaker. Seats set great although material is badly thin and will get redone soon. In August of this year I had the motor rebuilt, replaced the feedback carb. with non- feedback. the emissions stuff was not working anyway and been driving in limp mode for a while. Still have the EEC IV TFI ignition with the map and o2 sensors hooked up. No EGR or air pump. New started, P/S pump, radiator, all of which was original. Still have the OEM A/C compressor and still blowing cold air. Also replaced the Clutch which has had a few. Only went up a tad on the tires from 215 to 235. Just put in new taillight housings in (much better).

Things to get done very soon:
1. New steering gearbox
2. Get the TFI ignition checked out and see what it would take to convert to the DSII.
3. Windshield has a leak. Rust across the top were you glue it in. Having that redone next few weeks.
4. Crowl seal to be replaced. (liked the way Gary done his).
Other things to do:
1. Pull out floor mat and prep the floor. Looking at going with carpet. What color of blue will match?
2. Experiment with dash pad speaker. Might try a speaker cover it would stick op a bit so not sure yet.
3. Replace dash lights mine are green and dim. Saw Gary's blue LED's plan to do that.
4. Would like to add a tach. Maybe junk yard find. Need to research how it will hook up. I bet someone here knows.
5. New toolbox. One of those narrower ones (about 13" wide)
6. Paint the breather housing.
7. See how the choke does this winter and if I need to try and rig the stove pipe tubing up.
8. See about making some sort heat box forTFIr breather tub or just let it hang down on top of the
Manifold. Live in South AR. any thoughts on this?
Carter YFABad spot in dash. HELPStove pipe port & were is the other port?Crowl seal to be replaced
Kevin 84 F-150 300 i6 Manual 3 speed overdrive 2.47 rear end
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: 84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

Rembrant
844rd wrote
4. Would like to add a tach. Maybe junk yard find. Need to research how it will hook up. I bet someone here knows.
I installed a factory tach in my 1984 F150. I bought a complete instrument cluster like the one linked below (with a tach).

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-1986-Ford-F150-250-350-Bronco-Truck-Instrument-Gauge-Cluster-w-AUTO-TACH/163213857048?hash=item26004dd118:g:v2UAAOSwkHJbfEUI

It's a pretty straight forward swap. If you have these trucks in the junk yards in your area, maybe you can find a cheap one.

Don't forget to read up on all the details for new (better) bulbs, and also how to paint the gauge needles with nice new bright orange paint.
1994 F150 4x2 Flareside. 5.0 w/MAF, 4R70W, stock.
1984 F150 4X2 Flareside. Mild 302 w/ 5spd. Sold.
1980 F150 4X4 Flareside. 300i6 w/ 5spd. Sold in 2021.
1980 F100 4X2 Flareside. 351w/2bbl w/NP435. Sold in 1995

Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: 84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

844rd
WOW thanks. Never thought about getting the whole cluster. Heck I've seed just the Tach alone for 65.00. 120.00 for the whole thing would be well worth it, can even get a trip odometer which I don't have now. Looking at putting blue LED's in when I do it. I will study on the orange paint thing.
Kevin 84 F-150 300 i6 Manual 3 speed overdrive 2.47 rear end
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: 84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

844rd
Oh another thing, it should plug and play even though not auto trans? That would great to get it, the bulbs and paint the needles in advance and just be able to do a quick swap.
Kevin 84 F-150 300 i6 Manual 3 speed overdrive 2.47 rear end
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: 84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

Gary Lewis
Administrator
In reply to this post by 844rd
This is a wonderful story!  Your father purchased it new, and you will have it the rest of your life.  

Several things:

Your pics aren't as big as they could be, and if you want them to be full sized you need to add width="100%" to the code that gets generated when you insert a pic.  For instance, inserting a pic of Big Blue generates this code, but without the "<" and ">" before and after:
nabble_img src="After_Wash_and_Wax_Front_Quarter_-_Smaller.jpg" border="0"/

But to make it as big as possible I add the above text like this, although I made it bold for emphasis here:
nabble_img src="After_Wash_and_Wax_Front_Quarter_-_Smaller.jpg" border="0" width="100%"/

On your speaker hole in the dash, Ron/reamer has a plastic patch or repair that you might like.  See it here: http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/WHYDTYTT-What-Have-You-Done-To-Your-Truck-Today-tp148.html  However, what you have isn't too bad.  Big Blue's is far worse.

Steering box: Ford's design used the case for the front bearing, but after several thousand miles the case wears.  You can buy a "rebuilt" steering box, like from Cardone, but they don't do anything about the worn case.  However, both RedHead and Blue-Top bore out the original case and install a true bearing.  So the box is really better than new.  RedHead has gotten some bad reviews of late, but I don't really know if there's a problem.  Blue-Top appears to be run by a previous RedHead employee and is getting good reviews, but someone recently said they were out of product when he contacted them.

Interior: The interior colors are shown in Specifications/Interior Paint

Choke: I'd try it the way it is before worrying too much about it.  However, if you can find the right "stove", which is the sheet metal that goes around the exhaust, that would be the best solution.


Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: 84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

Rembrant
In reply to this post by 844rd
844rd wrote
Oh another thing, it should plug and play even though not auto trans? That would great to get it, the bulbs and paint the needles in advance and just be able to do a quick swap.
The auto trans gear indicator part is just held in place with a couple screws. 10 seconds to remove, and you can pop the manual trans blank in its place.
Those parts are all interchangeable...EXCEPT maybe the 1980 truck stuff?....Gary will know, I think there is something different with them? 1981-1986 are all the same as far as I know.

You could install only the tach in your existing instrument cluster, or you could swap in the whole cluster and just change out the auto indicator to the manual blank filler plate. Either or.

I liked the fact that the extra instrument cluster gives me some spare gauges in case I ever need spare parts later on down the road. I bought a complete 1984 Bronco cluster for $75 USD. They come and go on Ebay, so the prices will vary.

Might be a $20 item at a junk yard...some guys seem to have good luck with this stuff. Junk yards around here barely have anything older than 15-20 years, so the Bullnoses are long gone from a used parts stand point.
1994 F150 4x2 Flareside. 5.0 w/MAF, 4R70W, stock.
1984 F150 4X2 Flareside. Mild 302 w/ 5spd. Sold.
1980 F150 4X4 Flareside. 300i6 w/ 5spd. Sold in 2021.
1980 F100 4X2 Flareside. 351w/2bbl w/NP435. Sold in 1995

Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: 84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

Rembrant
Oh...and I seem to recall there being a tach wiring difference between the 6cyl and 8cyl...maybe somebody else can comment?
1994 F150 4x2 Flareside. 5.0 w/MAF, 4R70W, stock.
1984 F150 4X2 Flareside. Mild 302 w/ 5spd. Sold.
1980 F150 4X4 Flareside. 300i6 w/ 5spd. Sold in 2021.
1980 F100 4X2 Flareside. 351w/2bbl w/NP435. Sold in 1995

Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: 84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

1986F150Six
Administrator
Rembrant wrote
Oh...and I seem to recall there being a tach wiring difference between the 6cyl and 8cyl...maybe somebody else can comment?
 The tachometers are one and the same, but the 8 cylinder wiring harness provides a 2nd ground, which "tells" the tachometer it is for an 8 cylinder engine.
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: 84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

Gary Lewis
Administrator
In reply to this post by Rembrant
Yes, the early 1980 trucks had a different pinout on the instrument connector. But that can be changed if you wind up with one of those clusters.  Late 1980 through ‘86 were all the same.

But, the dash wiring is different between a truck with idiot lights and gauges. I think this one has gauges, so a full gauge cluster with a tach will bolt/connect right in.

As for the tach, they are all the same. But there’s a ground in the 8 cylinder’s engine wiring that tells the tach it is an 8 cylinder. So, any tach cluster with work with either engine.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: 84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

844rd
Great feedback all, I like the idea of the whole cluster and I always wanted a trip odometer. Like you said I can keep my old one for spare parts. Only thing I would like to keep the same odometer reading so can they be swapped out or change the new one?  
Kevin 84 F-150 300 i6 Manual 3 speed overdrive 2.47 rear end
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: 84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

Gary Lewis
Administrator
Yep.  The instructions are here: Electrical/Gauges on the Odometer Reset page.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: 84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

844rd
Thanks Gary..
Kevin 84 F-150 300 i6 Manual 3 speed overdrive 2.47 rear end
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Trip odometer

Sully69
In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
Hey Gary,
Anyone ever try and repaint the numbers on a trip odometer?
My 1980 f150 has one but if you want to read the numbers you'd have to plant your face onto the clear shield. Even then it would be a hard read.
I've been thinking of taking the number wheels out of an old Speedo to replace them. Haven't worked up the nerve, yet. Not sure if I really want to know how many miles I go per trip.

Sully
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: Trip odometer

Gary Lewis
Administrator
I've not heard of anyone repainting them, but from the instructions it looks like you might be able to remove the gears with the numbers on them.  That might make it easier.  But, not easy as there are lots of numbers to repaint.  Like 60 of them?

It might be easier to find a better odometer.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: 84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

1986F150Six
Administrator
In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
Gary Lewis wrote
Yep.  The instructions are here: Electrical/Gauges on the Odometer Reset page.
Gary, I believe I have a better copy of these odometer reset instructions and will bring with me to The 2018 Garagemahal Ford Truck Show, so you can scan, if you so desire.
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: 84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

Gary Lewis
Administrator
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: 84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

844rd
In reply to this post by 844rd
I got the new steering gearbox and new pitman arm installed. Drives much better now.
Gear Box
Now a question. When I had the emission stuff removed, so went the charcoal canister, But now I have the gas tank vent line just laying there. I feel like I should have a makeshift filter or something there. Ant ideas????Gas tank vent 
Kevin 84 F-150 300 i6 Manual 3 speed overdrive 2.47 rear end
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: 84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

Gary Lewis
Administrator
Isn't it amazing how much better they drive with a good steering box?  Huge difference on the ones I've done.

On the vent, you could put the charcoal canister back.  Or, put a small fuel filter there to keep the bugs and dirt out.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: 84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

844rd
Thanks Gary, I think I've got one of those little filters in the shed. I'll rig that up. I don't like having it open like that.
Kevin 84 F-150 300 i6 Manual 3 speed overdrive 2.47 rear end
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: 84 F-150 300i6 3 speed OD 2.47 rears 2WD

Rembrant
In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
Gary Lewis wrote

Steering box: Ford's design used the case for the front bearing, but after several thousand miles the case wears.  You can buy a "rebuilt" steering box, like from Cardone, but they don't do anything about the worn case.  However, both RedHead and Blue-Top bore out the original case and install a true bearing.  So the box is really better than new.  RedHead has gotten some bad reviews of late, but I don't really know if there's a problem.  Blue-Top appears to be run by a previous RedHead employee and is getting good reviews, but someone recently said they were out of product when he contacted them.
Hey Gary,

Been meaning to come back and reply here. What have you been reading about the RedHead box issues? I'm hoping to order one this fall...just waiting for the next sale...maybe Thanksgiving or at Christmas...whenever.
1994 F150 4x2 Flareside. 5.0 w/MAF, 4R70W, stock.
1984 F150 4X2 Flareside. Mild 302 w/ 5spd. Sold.
1980 F150 4X4 Flareside. 300i6 w/ 5spd. Sold in 2021.
1980 F100 4X2 Flareside. 351w/2bbl w/NP435. Sold in 1995

12345