USA parts run - EFI conversion,C6 overdrive, Northern Cali parts info please!

Hello people,

Am based in england and am currently in the process of restoring a 1981 ford f-250 shasta RV. I’ve got as far as I can with the parts I can find/restore around there. So am currently in the states (northern California) in order to try and grab all the remaining bits I need….
There are a lot of them!

Aside from the thousands of small bits the main big ones are …

A hood
A d/s wing
a d/s door

everything needed to convert the ford 300 over to EFI, (have been looking at the holley sniper, but to keep costs down will try and see if I could just pull whats needed from a later efi truck).

and ideally, (might be being a bit optimistic here), a second hand overdrive  -to mate with a c6- (11mpg is not great in the USA but in here in England where gas is twice the price is significantly worse!)


I understand my destiny probably lies in various pic-n-pull’s but I thought I’d ask the community if anyone by any chance knows of some sort of Ford trucks ‘super guru’ living somewhere in Northern California who I might be able pay a visit to, for some sort of a one-stop shop?

Also if anyone had any info on possible sourcing of a second hand overdrive, -new ones seem to be big $$$s- (to mate with a c6) or any good shipping contatcs would be massively appreciated!



Thank you so much as always.

Doni



 

doni10 wrote

Hello people,

Am based in England and am currently in the process of restoring a 1981 ford f-250 shasta RV. I’ve got as far as I can with the parts I can find/restore around there. So am currently in the states (northern California) in order to try and grab all the remaining bits I need….
There are a lot of them!

NOS = very expensive [just for comparison purposes]

A hood

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-OEM-Ford-1980-1986-Truck-Hood-F150-F250-F350-1981-1982-1983-1984-1985-Bronco/401284866266?epid=1322695985&hash=item5d6e7120da:g:o-YAAOSwr~lYq31J

A d/s wing

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-OEM-Ford-1980-1986-Truck-Bronco-Front-Fender-1981-1982-1983-1984-1985-F150/402471658982?hash=item5db52e25e6:g:KDQAAOSwGMVfd5vr


Thank you so much as always.

Doni

thanks. but $750 a piece!

pic n' pulls it's gunna have to be!

Still holding out some hope for the 'super parts guru' .. :)

Have you hopped on Facebook Marketplace? Not sure how many tools you have available, but sometimes people offer parts off of trucks there and you may be able to cross a significant amount of stuff off of your list that way.

Another option is to hop on Car-Part.com and search the area you're in, and for the parts you need. You might be able to find a NorCal junkyard that has what you need.

One item to look at, the 4.9L (300) EFI systems went through a few changes, the early ones had a cooling fan operated by a temperature switch on the fuel rail. It blew air over the injectors after the engine was shut down to prevent vapor lock. Later models run a higher fuel pressure and did away with the cooling fan. Another item to consider, later 4.9L models were built with the E4OD transmission which is 9" longer to the mount pad, but only 3" overall longer than the C6. If you can find a later E-series with EFI 4.9L and E4OD that would give you what you want as far as OD and will also give you a lock-up torque converter which can make a huge difference in engine rpm. In my case with a 7.5L (460) in 3rd, loaded TC clutch disengaged, 2700 rpm at 54 mph, lockup engaged, 2200 rpm at 54 mph. This was loaded F350 towing a heavy trailer also loaded up a fairly good grade. Picture just for reference, beast still got right at 10 mpg.

Thanks for the heads up about Facebook, and the car parts website. Wanst really aware of then but will be sure to check then out.

Hey Bill,

Thank u so much for the info. Does sound like the e40 might be the way to go...

Can I ask is the torque converter clutch engaged by a button on the dash? Presumably just used for highway cruising?

So going this route, ideally I'd find a late e_series then from it grab: the

-transmisson
-computer
-wiring loom to 02 sensor and air intake sensor
(I'm guessing) cylinder head with fuel rail
-fuel tank with high pressure fuel pump
- are the distributors on these e-series vacuum advanced or do they work with the computer?

Am I missing anything else here?
Lastly if u have any idea how the transmission is marked so that I recognise it's the right one with the TC clutch would be great.

Sorry a lot of questions I know! 😃

Excited about these possibilities!
Thanks again.

---

Transmission is computer controlled, has a bank of solenoid valves and is a beast. It is 11:00PM here so I will get some pictures together for you tomorrow.

Ok, here are the promised pictures, this is a 7.5L (460) E4OD so the front part of the case is different.
3/4 front view, you can see the valve body electrical connection near the back.

Top from the rear, it is hard without having a C6 next to it to see the difference, it is 3" overall longer.

Here is where the C6 rear crossmember attached, the E4OD mount is 7" further back.

Here is the E4OD mounted under Darth.

One item you will need to be sure you can find, the actual shift linkage from an E series with the E4OD that is the same style as your C6 (mechanical rods and cross shaft or cable). The other item, you will need the transmission crossmember and gusset plates as it ends up being further back along with the front part (or whole assembly) of the propeller shaft. Make sure if you have a mechanical speedometer drive that the E4OD you get has at least the hole in the extension housing for the driven gear.

On the torque converter clutch, it is unlocked by the brake lamp circuit, when the PCM sees 12V there the clutch is released. If you want a manual unlock, you could use a diode in the brake light signal circuit to prevent the brake lights from coming on and a toggle switch from an ignition on feed to the same pin. I personally prefer to let the engine torque do the work like a manual transmission. I have the program in my EEC-V PCM set to need 80% throttle to unlock. The early E4OD pickups (1988-1991) had an OD lockout switch on the dash, it was a momentary contact with a light, pushing it would turn the light on and cancel OD until you either pushed it again or turned off the ignition, 1992 on it is at the end of the shift lever.

If you can find an E series with the 4.9L and E4OD and the same shifter/speedometer system as yours, it will have the EFI system also as the E4OD needs a computer of some kind to control it.

Good luck and if you have more questions, I will try to answer them for you.

Hello, Doni.  Welcome over.  My father's family is in Sandford, Devon.  I'm in NorCal, too, in Sonoma County just outside Santa Rosa.

Where are you base-camped?  If we know, I/we might be able to index inventory at the local or proximate-to-you Pick-N-Pulls and help you allocate efforts.

Although the local P&P lot at Windsor has a couple Bullnose residents, neither are 300's and transmissions are not generally listed.

Good luck.

Bill thank you so much for taking the time to write that up for me.
You weren't joking that thing really is a beast!!
Look forward to shipping that back!😙 - really though, sounds perfect in terms of the TC clutch and effective OD.
Am gunna start researching exactly which e-series came with that tranny then start tryna hunt them down.
Will let you know how progress goes.

Thanks again ✌️

Hey dyn?

Thanks for getting in touch and for your kind offer of assistance!
I'm currently up in Humboldt staying with some family friends, but have a car and for the right parts am now than happy to travel anywhere. It takes me an hour to get to the supermarket here so another little bit to get to some much needed parts would be no bother at all! :)
As for what I'm after, it sounds -from bill's advice- that what I'm searching for is a late model 300 e-series, and also a bullnose f series/bronco (maybe those ones in Windsor could work if they're not too rusty?? - I need a hood, a d/s wing and d/s door) that I could pull some body parts and trim from.
If at any time you come across either of those, if you could please shoot me a message I'd be eternally grateful!
Devon's a beautiful part of the world. Seemingly shares a lot of weather with Humboldt! :)
Hope you're good mate.

Thanks again.
Will be sure to post any updates on my parts quest here.

Hey dyn,

So I've managed to find a 1981 f150in my local wreckers.
For a hood, fender and door they're asking 300$.
Seems alright to me? as they all seem to be in really good condition.
Was just going to double check please. As I mentioned the truck in question is a F150. I suspect i already know the answer to this but just to double check (it would be too classic if I only found out otherwise after having shipped everything to England) are body parts between all the bullnose 150s 250s and broncos all interchangeable?
Thank u.
I suspect this would be common knowledge for you guys over here!
Hope your good mate. Thanks again.

I keep forgetting yours is on an F250 chassis. Here that style was rare, most of our class C motorhomes are on an E350 chassis built as a cutaway and delivered to the RV manufacturer basically front end back through the doors and maybe 6" of sides and a roof to the same area.

You should be able to find some 4.9L, 5.0L or 5.8L trucks with the E4OD, but you will need the computer from a 6 cyl to mate with everything. Be sure to get the transmission cross member and frame gussets when you find one.

Hey Bill,

So after much to-ing and fro-ing I've decided to bite the bullet (/the shipping costs!) and find myself an e40d.

I've got a few last questions for you on the matter please!

1) do all e40ds operate the same - with regards to the torque converter lock- or are some years better than others.
2) in those pictures you sent before I can see two spots for electrical connections - 1 on each side? - (is that right?

Thanks so much.
If I ever get this transmission set-up up and running I will name it bill in your honour!