New Member - baddog8it

What a great site!  I'm the proud owner of a new (to me) '85 F350.  It's 2WD, crew cab, 460 carbureted big block, C6 AT.  Just had it a few weeks now.  For it's age, it's in phenomenal shape - the head liner is still intact!  Starts and runs great.  It does have a major oil leak that originates just above the oil filter.

My intent was to purchase a vehicle that I could use to tow our next camper (or possibly carry a truck camper), have room for kids/grandkids, and is old enough to be exempt from emissions testing, simple enough that I can work on it and still has parts readily available.

Pluses are that there are NO electric locks or windows.  There is NO computer.  I have nothing against EFI or electronic ignition - I just want them independent of each other and not be programmed by someone who has different objectives and desires than myself.  Nothing worse than being in a vehicle and not being in control of what it's doing.  I want to drive my vehicle - I don't want it driving me crazy!

So far, I've done the following:
  Oil & filter
  Air filter
  Finish removing thermactor system (one of previous owners had started)
  Replace horn
  Adjust all 4 door latch posts
  Replace backup light bulbs with the brightest LEDs available
  Take up slack in throttle cable

This weekend I intend to remove the current oil filter situation.  I'll remove the filter and the current oil cooler adapter and replace it with a 90 degree remote oil filter fitting.  I'll mount an Amsoil dual remote bypass filter set up with an oil thermostat setup so that the oil cooler still functions.

In the near future I intend to address the following:
  MAJOR leak in the rear gas line (front tank line is fine)
  carburetor wants to idle high (constantly kicking the throttle to get it to idle down)

Long term, I see the following:
  replace the exhaust system - is currently a single 2" pipe!!
  replace inner door panels that are dry rotted
  fix A/C
  replace kick panels and incorporate the kick panel vents

One thing that causes me great concern is that the only fuel available in my vicinity is E10 (I'm in the St. Louis metropolitan area where ethanol blended fuel is mandated).  I would have to drive 30+ miles one way to find a station that carries real 100% gasoline.  Even then, I would have to buy premium.  There does not seem to be the concern that there once was.  I'm guessing that it's mostly due to the fact that people have thrown away their mowers, weed eaters, vehicles and other engine driven equipment that was most susceptible to the problems that the alcohol brought.  I've been treating my gas with fuel additives - not sure how much good it's doing, but I don't want to buy a new carburetor (at least not until I can afford an add-on fuel injection system).

It's a long post.  There's so many topics that I want to cover - I'll leave them for specific posts in the appropriate forums.

Pictures to follow.

How do I get a pin added to the map?

Welcome!  

Your '85 is very similar to my '85, although yours has 4 doors and mine has 4wd.

We can diagnose things, like the idle speed, in another thread.  But, you may have a fast idle linkage hanging up.

As for the oil leak, you have the oil cooler in front of the radiator, right?  (Later ones were oil-to-water.)  I'm guessing that adapter's gasket is bad.  But it seems like you have a good plan to replace it.

On the fuel situation, check the biggest problem I've seen has been with the hose material that couldn't stand the ethanol.  On Dad's truck one hose was so gooey that I wadded it up in a ball and it stayed.  But, it was leaking air in while the engine was running, killing the pump's vacuum, and leaking gas out when the engine was off.  However, you should have the nylon lines, so shouldn't have hose problems.

As for the map, you are on it.    I was tempted to put you at Tower Grove Park since that's where the house is my son and DiL sold yesterday.  But, the map is really just to get a good idea of where people are, so unless you don't want to be shown essentially watching the Cards that may do.

As far as trim level, the emblems on the bed sides say "Explorer", and the emblems on the front fenders and the dash say "XL".

Nice looking truck!  

I hadn't seen the "turbine wheels" in 8-lug.  I kinda like them.

As for the Explorer, that was a limited-time offering each year, and was put on top of the other package, like your XL or my XLT.  And there were 4 levels: A, B, C, & D.  Take a look at the brochures here: Literature/1985 Literature.

Also, note that you have an "early" 1985.  That's easy to tell because of your side trim, which was apparently discontinued later in the year.  Notice the difference between the two brochures.

I see that you have the good towing mirrors.  Big Blue's mirrors work, but yours are out further and will be much better as they'll let you see what's close to the back of the trailer.

Yes, the oil cooler is in front of the radiator.

The multitudes of coolers had me a bit curious.  The fuel lines, power steering, oil filter and oil cooler connections all congregate in the same area - very busy place, plus hidden above the 'axle'.

The beast has had a new radiator installed, and it's clear that at one time there were oil lines hooked up to it, but it's since been removed.

Yesterday I stumbled across a picture of a power steering cooler in the LMC catalog - that cleared up one of the mysteries.

This weekend with the relocation of the oil filter, things will become much clearer.

Unfortunately, the wheels are for 16.5 inch rims.  That size tire is a bit harder to come by.  I'd hate to be out on the road away from home and have to wait a day or two to replace a tire.

I'm debating hard on whether to put the money into new wheels so that I can go back to a standard 16" rim.

I've heard that 16.5's are getting hard to find, so I'm glad I have 16's.  But you do have a spare - right?

Have you found this?  Engines/385 Series