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Hello, was lurker now member

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thing_in_a_box

Hello, was lurker now member

Hello,

I have been wandering around this site for a little over a year and finally decided to join. In December of 2018 I picked up my first truck, and what do you know it's a Bullnose. I wasn't kidding myself when I got this truck, it definitely needs work.

My goal is to restore it to factory conditions but swap out the C6 for a manual transmission. I'm a bit of a purest when it comes to restorations, however I will deviate from that as long as it doesn't irreparably alter the vehicle.

Currently I'm trying to scrounge up a manual transmission and spare engine, that way I can rebuild them but still have a driveable truck in the meantime.

-Patrick

Patrick in Merced Ca., 1980 F-250 Ranger, 4x4 Lariat Camper Special, Ford 400 and C6 Trans

grumpin

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

Welcome!

Dane
1986 F250HD SC XLT Lariat 4x4 460 C6-Sold
1992 Bronco XLT 4x4 351W E4OD
1998 GMC Sierra SLE K1500 350 4L60E
Arizona

Gary Lewis

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

Administrator

In reply to this post by thing_in_a_box

Patrick - Welcome! Would you like to be on our map? (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map in the menu.) I can add you with your permission.

We have a number of purists on here, and that's a noble cause. Hope you'll start a thread in the main section to document your progress.

Is that an '80 or '81? (The turn signals may be amber, which would be an '81, but it is hard to tell.)

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

thing_in_a_box

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

Gary,

Sure, don't mind being listed on the map.

It's an '80, assembly date was 11/79. As far as the turn signal lights go, I can't tell if the amber has faded or if that color around the rim is from dirt/rust.

Patrick in Merced Ca., 1980 F-250 Ranger, 4x4 Lariat Camper Special, Ford 400 and C6 Trans

Gary Lewis

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

Administrator

Patrick - You are now on the map.

But the turn signal lenses are the ones in front. Ford's Master Parts Catalog says that yours should have clear lenses. Right?

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

thing_in_a_box

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

Gary - Yes they are clear, sorry for the misunderstanding.

Patrick in Merced Ca., 1980 F-250 Ranger, 4x4 Lariat Camper Special, Ford 400 and C6 Trans

salans7

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

Oooo I like the truck! (I'm partial to 80-81 trucks, especially the higher trim versions)

Welcome!

Rembrant

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

In reply to this post by thing_in_a_box

Welcome aboard, and nice truck.

There are a few of us on here that have 5spd swaps...in my case a manual to manual swap, but either way the process is mostly all the same.

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

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

Administrator

Welcome, Patrick!

I really like that color combo.

Cory, i think the challenge may be finding a manual pedal assembly and the pivots/Z bar to fit a pre '84 (or '83 for 460 pattern bellhousing)

Gary knows quite a bit about trying to fit the Zf-5 S42 behind a 335 series engine.
I don't think the hydraulic clutch pedals will just bolt in to a 1980 truck, but I'm not too knowledgeable about the details of the raw cab of these very early ones.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Rembrant

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Cory, i think the challenge may be finding a manual pedal assembly and the pivots/Z bar to fit a pre '84 (or '83 for 460 pattern bellhousing)

Oh...that never even occurred me. If I was doing a manual trans swap, I would go hydraulic, and I also recommend a 5spd (which can only be hydraulic anyway). If you already had a donor truck sitting there with all of the 4spd manual trans parts you needed, and it was a mechanical clutched truck, then sure, by all means use it.

You can modify or fabricate a shifter for a 5spd so that it looks like a factory 4spd...that's been done before. However, the hydraulic clutch master cylinder might stick out like a sore thumb in the engine bay if one was trying to keep a truck 1980 original.

So, I guess there are three options:

1. 4spd manual trans with mechanical clutch (Would be original to 1980-1983)
2. 4spd manual trans with hydraulic clutch (Would be original to 1983/1984-up)
3. 5spd manual trans (ZF5) with hydraulic clutch (original to 1988-1997)

The 1980 cab should have a hole in the floor already for the mechanical clutch (With a rubber plug in it).
Hydraulic clutch would require drilling holes in the firewall (maybe not preferred).

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

Administrator

Gary made the Zf work with a mechanical linkage.
But he had the parts (and tools -mill, lathe, Tig welder) to piece it together.

I think that the '80 truck won't accept a hydraulic pedal assembly (bolt in)

I'm sure you can fit a clutch master cylinder to the 1980 cab, but you will probably want to do the firewall reinforcement at the same time.

Patrick states he's a purist, so there was no 5-speed or hydraulic clutch back then.
It's a T-18 or a NP 4-speed with the mechanical clutch in that case.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Rembrant

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Gary made the Zf work with a mechanical linkage.
But he had the parts (and tools -mill, lathe, Tig welder) to piece it together.

Oh...in that case I wasn't paying attention.
I thought Gary's truck was a factory hydraulic clutched truck to begin with.
He removed that and installed a modified ZF5 with a mechanical clutch mechanism?
Seriously?...
I must go do some reading.

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

Administrator

Not big blue.
That was always hydraulic clutch.

Whether it was his dad's truck (before he decided on the E4OD)
Or one of the others (like Rusty or Brownie) IDK

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Gary Lewis

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

Administrator

It was Dad's truck. I added a ZF5 and originally used a clutch release lever from the ZF5 with the original mechanical linkage. But the clutch pedal pressure was so high it was obvious something was wrong so I started looking at the release levers.

That's when I discovered that the hydraulic levers had far less leverage than the mechanical levers. So I cut an NP435 lever and a ZF5 lever apart and put them back together giving the ZF5 inside end much more leverage. It worked a treat. And I still have the lever should someone need it.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

Administrator

But this guy would need the pedal assembly, frame and bellhousing pivots, Z-bar, bellhousing, fork, floor plate, stick, boot and gearbox.

And a new column if he wanted it to look right.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Gary Lewis

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

Administrator

ArdWrknTrk wrote

But this guy would need the pedal assembly, frame and bellhousing pivots, Z-bar, bellhousing, fork, floor plate, stick, boot and gearbox.

And a new column if he wanted it to look right.

Yes. And the mechanical linkage is, as you said, a challenge to find. And if you do find a set it'll need a serious rebuild as they are always badly worn given the large number of moving parts and the lack of lubrication they got.

Personally, I'd go hydraulic clutch linkage. Much, much easier to find. But I'd do as you said and add the firewall brace, for sure.

As for it not being original, very few people know that.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

Administrator

Right
But I'm not the one who says he's a purist who doesn't want to irreversibly change their truck.
Cutting a hole for something that was never available, and modifying the cab to accept the later pedal assembly seem contrary to that.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

swampedout

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

In reply to this post by thing_in_a_box

Love that blue and white paint scheme!

Sam
1984 F250. 460. C6. 4x4.
MSD Ignition. Airbag rear suspension
Whole buncha problems

thing_in_a_box

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

I appreciate the heads up on what it's going to take to swap out the automatic for the manual. I know it would make my life easier if I just stick with the automatic, which would keep it true to the VIN, but since I'll be rebuilding everything I figured I might as well.

I've been looking around for a donor that I could pull a manual from, but either I've missed them or they've been out of my price range at the moment.

Patrick in Merced Ca., 1980 F-250 Ranger, 4x4 Lariat Camper Special, Ford 400 and C6 Trans

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Hello, was lurker now member

Administrator

Well, if you really are interested in decapitating your transmission tunnel I'm sure many of us could help you scrounge the parts needed.

I had been asking Ray about modeling the bellhousing side Z-bar pivot in CAD and having it in Shapeways library.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.