New 86' F150 4X4

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New 86' F150 4X4

emunder
66gtk - Things were going pretty smoothly with Bob until the truck was going to be shipped. He told me about 2 weeks after I purchased it that they were getting ready to ship the truck & the AC compressor froze up so they were going to replace or rebuild it before it was shipped out. I figure well that's fine...at least it will be new! They kept delaying shipment so just for the hell of it I went online & found about 5 compressors in about 15 seconds, all under $200.00. At this point I questioned him & he did not have an answer. Just that his parts guy is good at sourcing parts & there must be a reason for it and they ended up sending it out to be rebuilt. At that point he put me in direct contact with his parts/repair guy. Needless to say I got the truck about a month and a few days from when I purchased it. When we were offloading it yesterday we noticed there was a weird toggle switch at the bottom of the dash on the driver's side. My girl asked me what it was for & I was like dunno...probably for some exterior lights that are no longer mounted who knows. Then we notice the AC is not working. I call him at this point and they tell me I have to flip that toggle switch for the AC to work LOL! So it was obviously rigged & not wired the way it should have been but it works I will say that. My only issue with the AC now is when I put it on high it hardly blows out of the vents. Thinking maybe an issue with the blower or maybe a clogged condenser coil?

Bob had this truck advertised as though it was a low mileage original from an estate sale. After checking it over late yesterday that is definitely not the case and anyone that looks at it would know this easily. First of all the truck has been repainted. There is over spray in multiple locations which is a telltale sign. Motor has also been painted & detailed. Over spray around some of the surrounding vacuum lines. They (or someone) also undercoated the underneath so it is very hard to tell the condition but it does not appear that there is an issue with rust eating through anything so that's good. I guess I'm upset simply because the truck was advertised as a low mileage original and this is just not the case. The truck has obviously been repainted & there is no telling how many real miles are on the truck.

The good:

Body is straight & paint is in good shape. Doesn't appear to be any rust issues as far as I can tell except a little bit in the engine compartment on the fire wall where it was not painted & you can see the original paint. Truck runs strong w/ no miss fires & I don't think there are any vacuum leaks. There is nothing leaking from the bottom of the truck so no fluid drips. Clutch seems strong & shifts fine. I need to check the 4 wheel drive but I just got it late last night. AC & heat works. Interior is in good shape. Looks like I may need to paint the interior door panels but otherwise pretty clean. There is a dash cover & that is also in good shape. Looks like they put a seat cover on at some point but it is also in good shape, no tears, etc. Rubber flooring is in decent shape. All the lights/turn signals ect work. Gas guage works. Glass is all in great shape, no cracks.

The bad:

AC compressor is rigged with that toggle switch & there seems to be a lot of other wiring under the hood that has been messed with & non-original. But hey...it is a 33 year old truck so that is to be expected. At least it runs good & everything (mostly) works as it should. Tach is not working, I'll have to look into that. Again...the air is hardly coming out of the vents so this is an immediate thing that needs to be addressed since we are right in the middle of our Texas summer. Noticed it is wet under the passenger side flooring. Not sure yet where the leak is coming from...heater core possibly? The truck does not overheat. Took it for a drive yesterday so not sure where it is coming from...ideas would certainly be welcome. Truck pulls to the right pretty bad. Not too concerned with this since I am planning on changing out the ball joints & replacing the steering components. At that point I will get an alignment & go from there.

Sorry so long winded on this post. All in all it is a decent truck, straight, good paint, & runs good so I am going to move on & just start addressing the issues. Guess my immediate concerns are getting the AC to blow harder, figuring out why & what it is leaking into the passenger floor pan, get the windows tinted so it's not so hot in the truck, & then start addressing the steering issues so it is aligned & not wearing out tires. At that point there should be no issues driving it around. I would like to look into some of these wiring issues and maybe getting the things fixed that are rigged up. There are also a bunch of electrical plugs that are not plugged into anything....dealer upgrades maybe that are not on the truck? Don't know & not sure how hard this is going to be to get taken care of...may try & find a local mechanic that works on the old ones. Wiring is not my forte'. I will get a bunch of pics taken & uploaded also so y'all can see the things I am talking about.
1986 Ford F150 XLT 4X4. 300 I6 w/ 4 speed manual.
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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

1986F150Six
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Sounds like a neat and doable project. Come to Skiatook, OK in Sept. for the truck show and get lots of hands on advice!
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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

ArdWrknTrk
Administrator
In reply to this post by emunder
I saw they didn't even bother to remove the tailgate cables when they painted, in your intro post!  ðŸ™„

There can be a few reasons for water on the passenger side.
AC condensate drain clogged.
Cowl vents clogged.
Cowl caulking perished.
(Easiest to most difficult in order)


The AC condenser is in front of the radiator.
The evaporator is what gets cold. (in the cab)
Post a picture of the black plastic plenum under the hood. We can tell if AC is factory or dealer.

We can also get your controls to engage the compressor clutch.
That's just shoddy work and an insult if you paid what I imagine.   🤯

There are some diagnostics plugs left empty, and because this truck shares a harness with other models (efi too!) there will be some dead ends.

Lastly (if I remember it all!) It's not uncommon for leaves and junk to make it into the ductwork causing not only low flow but catching fire on the blower resistor.
Unscrew the hex screws holding the blower motor in and then reach inside the plenum and feel around (endoscope camera if you have one)
You'll likely find the problem.
 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.
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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

ArdWrknTrk
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Oh!
I mentioned the cowl seal in your intro post.
(this keeps water out of the engine bay and out of the air cleaner on V8 trucks)

Gary has a write-up about how to do this.
I've been using garage door seal for decades. It works and looks good.
 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.
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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

emunder
Thanks guys I really appreciate it! I will get some detailed pics taken & uploaded after work.
1986 Ford F150 XLT 4X4. 300 I6 w/ 4 speed manual.
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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

Rembrant
emunder wrote
Thanks guys I really appreciate it! I will get some detailed pics taken & uploaded after work.
We love pictures!

It's a great looking truck. You'll get the bugs worked out of it, that's no big deal.
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

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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

emunder
Ok here you go! Quite a few. Let me know if you guys want some close up's of anything in particular.





















1986 Ford F150 XLT 4X4. 300 I6 w/ 4 speed manual.
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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

kramttocs
Administrator
This post was updated on .
Good photos!
Looks like dealer a/c although most of those I thought either replaced the center control with an a/c unit or they had an insert with two dials that went in the cubby to the right of the steering wheel. Others will know more though.

Edit: nevermind, somehow I completely missed that the center control is a dealer A/C unit


I'd take a good look at the firewall near the wiper motor and to the right of the brake booster. It looks like there may be some signs of the cowl caulk failure mentioned already in the thread.
Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio
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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

Rembrant
In reply to this post by emunder
Hey Emunder,

One of the experts on here will have to confirm, but I'm guessing what you have is a dealer installed AC system?

There is a certification label on the door frame on the driver's side of the cab, very close to where the door striker is. Is it still in good condition and readable? This will tell us all of the basic build details of the truck...if you haven't figured it all out yet.

PS: Something else you might want to read up on when you get bored is the cab reinforcement brace for the clutch master cylinder. There was a recall on this back in the old days since the hydraulic masters caused a crack on the firewall. It's certainly nothing to panic about, but if you're keeping the truck it's something worth looking into.
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

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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

kramttocs
Administrator
Speaking of those reinforcements, I've seen a few of the small ones in the JY so worth a look there first but you can get the big one from Bronco GY: https://shop.broncograveyard.com/83-91-Ford-Bronco-Ford-Truck-Firewall-Clutch-Repair-Bracket/productinfo/34010/
Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio
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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

Rembrant
kramttocs wrote
Speaking of those reinforcements, I've seen a few of the small ones in the JY so worth a look there first but you can get the big one from Bronco GY: https://shop.broncograveyard.com/83-91-Ford-Bronco-Ford-Truck-Firewall-Clutch-Repair-Bracket/productinfo/34010/
That's a decent price. I bought mine from Terrapin, and it's more expensive. I didn't know about the Bronco Graveyard piece at the time.

http://www.terrapinmfg.com/firewall%20fix.htm

My truck had the small brace installed previously.
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

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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

kramttocs
Administrator
Funny, I was actually trying to remember the name 'Terrapin' so was googling it and the Bronco GY listing showed up. I never knew they had it there either.

Did the small one not work? Or was it added too late? Or did you just want to get the big one while it was still available (this is my logic on a lot of stuff for these trucks)?
Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio
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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

Rembrant
kramttocs wrote
Did the small one not work? Or was it added too late? Or did you just want to get the big one while it was still available (this is my logic on a lot of stuff for these trucks)?
It was added too late and had been poorly installed imho. I had the steering column out as well as the brake booster and clutch master, so I figured it was a good time to install the big brace and hopefully never touch it again;).
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

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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

ArdWrknTrk
Administrator
In reply to this post by Rembrant
Rembrant wrote
PS: Something else you might want to read up on when you get bored is the cab reinforcement brace for the clutch master cylinder. There was a recall on this back in the old days since the hydraulic masters caused a crack on the firewall. It's certainly nothing to panic about, but if you're keeping the truck it's something worth looking into.
It was never a recall, but a TSB.
There were two reinforcements available.
If you caught before the firewall delaminated and tore there is a small one that requires contortion but only removing the clutch MC.

If the firewall is already bad (poor disengagement,  MC rises noticably when pedal depressed) then you need the big plate on the engine side of the firewall.
And that requires removing the steering column, brake booster and pedal box.

I've done enough of these to say it's no fun
 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.
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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

ArdWrknTrk
Administrator
This post was updated on .
In reply to this post by Rembrant
Do you still have it Cory?

It might make a nice forum*warming gift.  
 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.
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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

ArdWrknTrk
Administrator
This post was updated on .
In reply to this post by emunder
Good pictures!  

1) I want to apologise.
I saw what I thought was a janky battery hold down in the first photos.
I don't see any at all now.

In 1987 Ford went with a bottom mount clamp, but that requires an '87 on radiator support, battery tray and inner fender, and that uses a later style radiator...

So, it seems something was done, or I am hallucinating.  ðŸ˜ƒ

2) You really should get the fresh air flex ductwork to connect your air cleaner through the radiator support (and out to cooler air in front of the truck)

3) Another common issue with the clutch pedal is the plastic bushing that connects the master cylinder to the pedal arm.
If this plastic wears through or cracks, the pin it fits on will wear and need replacement.
$3 and three minutes, or pulling the whole pedal assembly out and welding the pin up.
You choose.....

The arm *should* still be available from Ford, but again it's contortion with wrenches and pry bar to get the old one off.
 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.
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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

ArdWrknTrk
Administrator
This post was updated on .
In reply to this post by emunder
That really is a whole bunch of spaghetti around the thermostat housing.  
I think I did better at Fifteen.
And now you have a hole in your damn knee panel!


Don't worry we'll get your AC sorted!

Edit: maybe your evaporator is freezing up?
Does it start out ok and get worse?
 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.
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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

Rembrant
In reply to this post by ArdWrknTrk
ArdWrknTrk wrote
Do you still have it Cory?

It might make a nice forum*warming gift.  
Haha...maybe, I'll have a look this weekend;).
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

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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

1986F150Six
Administrator
In reply to this post by ArdWrknTrk
ArdWrknTrk wrote
2) You really should get the fresh air flex ductwork to connect your air cleaner through the radiator support (and out to cooler air in front of the truck)

I agree, but for it to work properly, vacuum lines need to be connected to the temperature sensor located in the top of the air cleaner housing and to the servo motor located on the air intake snorkel. The ones on his [emunder's] truck are shown as being sealed with rubber boots.
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Re: New 86' F150 4X4

ArdWrknTrk
Administrator
Absolutely David.

I'm saying 'make it right'
But even wide open all the time (in summer) is better than sucking 250* underhood air off the exhaust log.
 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.
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