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1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

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Gary Lewis

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

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Surely not between Heathrow and Gatwick? Not too many winding roads, unless you didn't take the motorways. Maybe Stanstead?

Anyway, I loved my Miata. It was as reliable as a rock and so much FUN!

Watched a few episodes of The Larkins last night and saw a cool Healy, probably a 100. I know they take fiddling with as a college friend had one.

As for the Mini, when we lived there in the late 80's I thought I wanted one but after testing a few, as well as a 2CV or two, I realized that I didn't have the time to work on them, and they needed it.

But not long after moving back the Miata came out and I had to have one.

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

nic55kel

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

Yes Heathrow and Gatwick were my main centres of operation. The M25 motorway was still in its early stages then and I don't remember ever using a motorway on that job. I was mainly taking packages to and from the airports to other destinations: Crawley, Dorking, Tunbridge Wells etc.

Yes English cars in that time period required lots of attention. My mini hated the rain and I always had a can of ignition spray in the car. The distributor was on the front of the engine behind an open grill and guaranteed to get wet in the rain.

Bob near Winnipeg

1986 F250 Lariat extended cab 300 T18 2WD
1979 Honda CX500
1992 Oldsmobile 98 touring sedan
2007 F250 6.0 4wd

Gary Lewis

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

Administrator

When we lived there Heathrow was huge, and they've since added Terminal 5. I used it a lot back in the day, but after moving away I tended to avoid it if I could as I needed a few miles under my belt with a hire car to get my drive-on-the-left bearings again, so I liked flying into Gatwick better. Besides, my client was in Hastings so I got used to the A roads down that way - including through Tunbridge Wells

As for English cars, my Yank boss took me aside early on while we were there and, knowing that I was mechanically inclined, suggested that I buy a Jaguar. They were cheap as they frequently needed the laying-on of hands. But since he worked me late each day and we wanted to explore the country on the weekends I didn't follow his lead. And I'm glad I didn't. Instead we bought a Nissan Prairie.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

nic55kel

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

Not buying an old Jag was probably a good idea, although they sure were gorgeous cars.
I remember as a kid of 6 or 7 burning down the newly opened M1 in my Uncles 3.8 Mark II.
We hit 120 mph indicated with 7 of us in the car, 3 adults and 4 kids, no seat belts of course.
Legal back then, wonder what the fine would be today!

It always took me a couple of days to transition to driving on the opposite side of the road every
time I changed continent. Below is how I remember the car.

Bob near Winnipeg

1986 F250 Lariat extended cab 300 T18 2WD
1979 Honda CX500
1992 Oldsmobile 98 touring sedan
2007 F250 6.0 4wd

grumpin

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

Nice car! Great story!

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: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

Administrator

In reply to this post by nic55kel

Beautiful car!

And yes, it took me a couple of days of driving to get back in the swing of things. But it was worse when coming back home. Apparently you let your guard down when "home" and think you know it. I found myself on the wrong side of the road the first time I drove back in the States.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

mat in tn

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

This miata is certainly not underpowered! In fact it quite a handfull. We like to build a little crazy now and then.<nabble_img src="F9F53850-5CBC-4919-82C3-4AD5D2F95828.jpeg" border="0" alt="Miata"/

mat in tn

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

mat in tn

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

mat in tn

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

phone not responding

nic55kel

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

This has been the worst Spring for many many years.
First the snow and then the rain, things are just starting to dry up now.
Picture is of a bridge over the river on the main highway to North Dakota as of this morning.
You can almost make out the top of the railings on the side.
Floodwise we are fine where we are but we did have a culvert wash out nearby on a well used road.

Hopefully I can get started on getting the cylinder head done soon.
I had inguinal hernia repair surgery in February and still have to take it a bit easy.
Can't be throwing that 70lb. head around.

In the meantime I have been working on getting my MIG welder set up.
Price of 25% CO2 and even 100% CO2 gas at the welding store is expensive.
But if one goes to the fire extinguisher place the gas is much cheaper and quite often they have refurbed
cylinders for sale too. So I am going to give it a go with 100% CO2. Just needed to get an adapter from
the CO2 bottle to the regulator.

Bob near Winnipeg

1986 F250 Lariat extended cab 300 T18 2WD
1979 Honda CX500
1992 Oldsmobile 98 touring sedan
2007 F250 6.0 4wd

Gary Lewis

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

Administrator

Wow! That's a lot of water! Glad you are safe.

And you are right, after that surgery you need to take it easy. That head is way too much. Be careful!

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

nic55kel

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

Well we are past the peak of the flood but it will be a long time before the clean-up is finished.
Hasn't affected us much other than travel but we know people it has.
If you want to live on a flood plain don't be too surprised when it does.

I have pretty much completed my MIG buggy and I am very happy with how the CO2 bottle works out
for fit and size. 10lbs CO2 ~ 88 cu. ft. of gas.
Just have to do a bit of clean up on it and then the paint. Didn't put the welder on yet as it weighs over 50lbs
and I don't plan on lifting it on and off any more than I have to.
Its built mostly out of bed frame scrap angle iron. Not too heavy but very sturdy.

I have been watching Fitzee's fabrication videos and this guy gets me excited about body work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIzQYVi5Nis

For anyone interested in body repair I strongly recommend watching several of his videos.

Bob near Winnipeg

1986 F250 Lariat extended cab 300 T18 2WD
1979 Honda CX500
1992 Oldsmobile 98 touring sedan
2007 F250 6.0 4wd

Gary Lewis

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

Administrator

Glad you didn't have damage, but sorry for those who did. Must be devastating.

The cart looks great! And bed rail is one of my favorite materials. Very strong!

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

FuzzFace2

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

How did you cut the bed frame as I think a hack saw did nothing but knock some paint off.

Not many would use CO2 as a gas.
My first gas was also CO2 as a much larger tank than yours fell off a truck.
It worked pretty good for what I used it on but when I started welding sheet metal I went Argon gas.
Dave ----

Dave G.
81 F100 flare side 300 six / AA OD / NP435 / 2.75 gear
http://cars.grantskingdom1.com/index.php/1980-Ford-F100?page=1
81 F100 style side 300 six/SROD parts truck -RIP
http://cars.grantskingdom1.com/index.php/1981-Ford-F100

nic55kel

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

Hi Dave,

I cut the steel on my little band saw, so very little heat.

I understand that CO2 is less forgiving than an argon mix but here it is about 1/4 the cost
so I figure I will give it a try. It has to be better than 1/16 6011 which is what I use at the
moment on sheet metal.

The work you have done on your flareside is very impressive.

Fitzee the guy in the link in my previous post does all his bodywork with CO2 and his
videos are the best I have seen on how to do sheet metal work.

Bob near Winnipeg

1986 F250 Lariat extended cab 300 T18 2WD
1979 Honda CX500
1992 Oldsmobile 98 touring sedan
2007 F250 6.0 4wd

FuzzFace2

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

Wow band saw, a hand hack saw would not touch the frame I had, must of been different metal mix?

CO2 is a lot better than flux core wire because you can get thinner wire than you can of flux core.
Also you dont have all the weld splatter you then have to clean up.
If I was in the middle of welding and ran out of Argon I would hook up the CO2 as the tank is sitting in the corner just in case its needed.

All the welding on my drag car, rear axle tubes to the center, beef up the leaf spring mounts and fix the rust and open up the rear wheel openings for slicks was done with CO2 gas.

Thanks on the truck work.
I hope it helps others to get going on their projects or copy something I did for theirs.
Dave ----

nic55kel

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

This post was updated on .

My band saw had no trouble cutting it. Has what is known as a bi-metal blade on it.
Maybe you had a different type of bed frame. All the bed iron I have worked with has
been easy to work with.
I look for it and other steel I can use at garage sales etc.

Once I have tried CO2 I will let you know how it goes.

Bob near Winnipeg

1986 F250 Lariat extended cab 300 T18 2WD
1979 Honda CX500
1992 Oldsmobile 98 touring sedan
2007 F250 6.0 4wd

nic55kel

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

Well finished up my MIG cart and I have been practising. I have never tried 25% CO2/argon mix so I have nothing to
compare straight CO2 with but I am finding it quite nice on sheet metal - 20 gauge. Much easier than flux core.
Have had to learn to keep the nozzle close to the work to keep a good gas shield but very controllable and nice to stitch
weld with.

Time to get started on the truck again. I have been thinking about how to clean out all the gunk in the intake.
I think a hot tank is the answer. I have lots of old contaminated gas and diesel as a source of heat and just
need to weld up a tank that will accommodate the intake without being excessively large.
I have thrown together a burner and it works very well.

Puts out enough heat that I can forge steel so that is handy too.

Bob near Winnipeg

1986 F250 Lariat extended cab 300 T18 2WD
1979 Honda CX500
1992 Oldsmobile 98 touring sedan
2007 F250 6.0 4wd

Gary Lewis

Re: 1986 F-250 XLT 6.9 idi C6 switch to 300 4 speed

Administrator

The cart looks great.

But that burner looks awesome!

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

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