81 F100 flare side custom with 300 six & T18

Dave - We didn't change the centrifugal advance.  What we changed was the initial and the vacuum.  We backed the initial timing down from 18 to 14 to kill the kicking back on starting.

Atlas75 wrote

Dave, did you replace the front cab supports when you did the floors, rockers and cab corners?  I’m looking for information on how easy or difficult that was.  I think I will have to replace all of those things in my future.

Thanks!

Carl,
No I did not need to replace the cab mounts just the floors and that was because they had pin holes.
Mostly the edge of the floor to rockers, rear door post at rockers and cab corners where bad.
I just thought it was easier to replace the full floor and just a part of it.

All the pictures I took are posted on my site here http://cars.grantskingdom1.com/index.php/1980-Ford-F100
Dave ----

I can under stand the kick back on start up but you still end up with more total by 2* and how did that stop the pinging?

I never had kick back on start up but the pinging has to stop before it hurts the motor.
That is why I will stop the pinging for not and when I get the time really go over the timing, vacuum and AFR and if I can get better MPG great!
Thanks again
Dave ----

Proof I use the truck.
After the weekly trash had to pick up a raised flower bed for the wife.
Dave  ----

Ahhh, the 'garbage truck' in its natural environment!  

That looks more like a potting bench than a flower bed, but what do I know?

I am not a gardener or farmer so you might know more than I do
The wife was asking me all kind of questions on what to fill it with (dirt) and what mix.
Told her she needs to talk to people that do this all the time and not a truck driver.
I am just the grunt on this project LOL
Dave ----

The obedient husband - with a truck.  Well done!

Got out early from work, well not really in at 2am and home by 10am.
Little nap and being a nice day outside I figured it was time to finish a few things on the truck.

First was the trailer brake controller. I had all the wires run down the frame to the rear and inside to ready to be hooked up but did not have the pig tail to complete the wiring at the time.
Well with pig tail in hand it was time to mount the controller and wire it up.
I did the mounting and son did the wiring he did a way nicer job then I would have.
I did not hook up to the trailer but I don't see why it would not work.
I also wired in a breaker to the power feed to the trailer plug to charge trailer battery if needed.

With that out of the way and still a little time left in the day again with help from my son we installed the air fuel ratio gauge. It works but I did not drive it other than to move it into the house garage from mine.
I hope to get the truck out tomorrow to see what the ratio is and see how much adjusting I need to do.
I also need to check the timing as I still have a little spark knock and that would also change the AFR.
Dave ----

More layers of the onion.  Feels good, doesn't it!  

So what have you found with the AFR gauge Dave? I'm still contemplating getting one. I'm happy with the way the truck drives at the moment. Just annoyed with the leaky pan gasket and the below par fuel economy. I'm thinking that an AFR gauge will just open another can of worms and have me chasing a rabbit down the hole...

Sac79 wrote

So what have you found with the AFR gauge Dave? I'm still contemplating getting one. I'm happy with the way the truck drives at the moment. Just annoyed with the leaky pan gasket and the below par fuel economy. I'm thinking that an AFR gauge will just open another can of worms and have me chasing a rabbit down the hole...

 I think you are right on that rabbit hole.
I have been having a little bit of pinging at steady speed but did not have a timing light to check really good till a little while ago.
I adjusted the vacuum can but driving to work, 1am, the pinging was so bad I had to disconnect the vacuum line to the dist. Think I went the wrong way? LOL

I need to get the timing controlled then will work on the AFR.
A link to the thread on the AFR gauge & timing issues.
http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/Air-Fuel-Ratio-gauge-and-now-have-question-td91060.html#a91282
Dave ----

New carb has been ordered from Ebay should be here in a week.
I went this route because of how I got the carb that's on the truck.
It was missing screws and had sheet metal screws in some holes.

Then when I go inside for the rebuild it also had parts put in wrong or not at all.
So with all that and the carb runs way lean, gauge just shows dots across the face, when getting up to speed (told it should run a little rich) and 1 day it rich the next way lean its getting replaced.
Dave ----

Well back a few weeks ago when I lowered the rod / jet to lean the carb out some, it did run better, I found rust in the bowl.
I also found when driving it the accel pump seamed like it was not working.

Last weekend I checked the and accel pump was not working so I pulled the carb.
It did have a little rust so I don't want to install the new carb till I find what tank has the rust issue and I get that fixed.

I could not find why the pump was not working. When testing on the bench it was working just fine?
I cleaned what little rust out of the bowl then using my Motor's book for pros I adjusted the rod / jet assy and the float before putting it together.

Installed the carb back on the motor along with a see through gas filter so I can see what tank has go the rust.

I also made adjustments to the vacuum advance can on the dist. It was pulling in to much timing and to soon and I was getting a lot of pinging.
Between the fixed carb and the timing change the truck runs pretty good again.

Before I pulled the carb I added 1qt of ATF to the oil and ran it around the block.
It was sitting in there while I did the carb & timing fix then changed the oil & filter.
I even greased the kingpins & tie rods. All go for another 3000 miles LOL.

I took the truck to work Monday and was happy with the AFR but could be a little leaner.
On the way home it run a little richer, warmer OAT of 70*f, it was 45*f when I went in.
At WOT the gauge never went any leaner than high 16, low 17 this time and I tested a few times on the high way and back roads.

Yesterday, Being truck is running good it was time to power wash the motor & under side so I can look for the oil leak that is coating everything. I got it clean but ran out of time to check for the leak so that is up next when I have the time.
Dave ----

Sounds like you’re on it! I’d wait on the carb too, just to make sure it’s getting clean fuel.

My poor truck is falling apart faster than I can fix it
Last week or more the AC compressor was cutting on & off, a sign it is low on charge.
Now that the temps will be in the 80's this week and its not working I need to fix it.
I have seen some oil & dye, before the power washing, around a fitting on the compressor, hope bad O-ring.
Going to try and fix this over the weekend.

Yesterday when opening the right door to put my work stuff in at 1am the inside light did not turn on?
I played with the switch and still nothing so maybe bad bulb?
Nope it worked with the left door so need to look into this now also.

Truck has been running great with this last carb cleaning and re-adjusting but may try and lean it out just a little more, its been running between 14 & 15 on the gauge on 10% gas.

I have not checked on the oil leak since the power washing. When you are out the door for work at 1am when you get home 14 hours later the last thing I want to do is look for a leak LOL
So it looks like I will be busy this weekend.
Dave ----

I almost forgot my temp, oil and maybe gas gauges have been reading up & down, mostly down.
Once or twice the temp & oil gauges have read where I think they should, in the middle.

I think the IVR is going out I just dont remember what truck this one was from but going to give the other a try. Then again if I was smart I would get a new one being its a pain pulling the dash apart.

I also have 2 LED dash lights that are not working like they should and will look into them also.
Dave ----

Maybe get the SWAD-J solid state regulator Gary is using?
I thought they were only $15?
Definitely not sinking near their capacity.  👍

Got out early from work and being its getting warmer (read hotter) I (hope) fixed the AC and recharged it.
I pulled the fitting at the discharge line of the compressor and the O-ring almost fell off.
My son helped as he went to school of this stuff. He did say he wanted supper cooling & supper heat with a 5* spread but only getting 3*
Again could not hook up the high side to see what is going on but he thinks I may have added to much oil to the system the first time.
On a road test it got down to about 36* / 37* with OAT of about 80*
I do hope its fixed.

I also saw oil on the front cross member again and need to get back under to see if I can fin where its coming from.
Dave ----

The other day I topped off the washer fluid and found the container was dried out and cracked so I dug out my other one that came off my truck but did not use it as it was covered with paint and the inside was a mess!
I soaked the inside for a day or 2 with Awesome Cleaner and it came out pretty good.
On the outside I used a Scotch pad and Awesome to get most of the paint off.
I then used a little thinner on a rag to get the rest off.

I was going to pull the pump and clean it better but it would not come out so I bench tested it and it ran so I will give it a shot.

Was not quite done when it started to rain but I got it installed and topped off.
Thing is the washer part did not spray so will need to look into that. With the rain I could not hear if it was running or not but I know the old setup did so I am pretty sure it is getting power.

Also gave a quick look for the oil leak from above and it may be coming from the pan where it meets the timing cover? I need to get under to give a look but truck was out side and it was raining.
It never ends
Dave ----

FuzzFace2 wrote

It never ends Dave ----

Maybe we need a new emoticon?