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A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

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Gary Lewis

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

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Big Blue weighed 6560 a couple of weeks ago, inc 30 gallons of fuel, dual batteries, winch, air compressor, inverter, etc, etc, etc.

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

ArdWrknTrk

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

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Gary, 250's have thicker (heavier) frames, eight lug axles, E rated tires, etc.

I'd want to say a stock 351 F-150 4x4 is likely well under 5,000, but I don't know. 🤷‍♂️
Which is why I suggested John should.

Either way I don't think weight is making this poor truck deliver 8mpg.

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.

Gary Lewis

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

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Exactly. Big Blue weighs a lot more and still turns in almost 13 MPG - albeit with EFI. But it got 11 MPG with a carb.

Dad's 1/2 ton with a worn-out 351M and a C6 got 10. When I put Rusty's built 351M and a ZF5 in it we got almost 14 IIRC on a 3,000 mile trip to DE and back from OK and we had a load of furniture on the way east.

So a stock 351W in a 1/2 ton should get something like 10 - 12 MPG depending on the transmission and driving style. But not 8.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Machspeed

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

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This post was updated on .

In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

Well Gary, this on the rear end is interesting. I always assumed I had a 9". Need to crawl under that sucker and look at that.

As to the cam gear, I replaced the OEM timing chain and gears lasts Summer, and they were metal. At 100k, that chain had some serious slack in it too.

Not sure on the weight of my truck, but don't think it's 5k pounds. I'll have to look into that.

As to the Carb, I was able to use the factory kickdown and all with the Edelbrock 1406 Carb that I put on it. I'll get you some pics. This is a great carb, easy to rebuild, reliable, can't say enough good about it. My experience with Holley's has not been so good and I absolutely hated that factory carb. There is at least one member on this board whom raves about it, but I'll take this Edelbrock any day over that OEM junker.

John

"Blackie" - 1986 F150 4x4 - Mildly warmed over 351W HO - Original owner

85lebaront2

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

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In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

FWIW, my 1977 F150 2WD, originally a 300/C4 and 3.55 rear did reasonably well until I put the 11.5 ft Wolverine slide in camper on it. Highway speeds I had essentially 0" manifold vacuum which is why I ended up with the 390 Camper Special engine and C6.

With that combination, less camper, 16-17 mpg with a .030 over 390. I did have the correct Holley carb and DS-II distributor for that engine and a self designed dual exhaust using actual Corvair Turbo mufflers. Truck was pretty quick empty, but you had to be careful to avoid frying the rear tires.

Bill AKA "LOBO" Profile

"Getting old is inevitable, growing up is optional" Darth Vader 1986 F350 460 converted to MAF/SEFI, E4OD 12X3 1/2 rear brakes, traction loc 3:55 gear, 160 amp 3G alternator Wife's 2011 Flex Limited Daily Driver 2009 Flex Limited with factory tow package Project car 1986 Chrysler LeBaron convertible 2.2L Turbo II, modified A413

Jake Papageorge

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

In reply to this post by mat in tn

I would recommend looking into Rollmaster true roller timing chains. I have one on my SBC and after 21K, I had to take the front cover off to fix a failed timing cover gasket. That chain was as tight as the day I put it on! I don't use Melling chains, but the Cloys true rollers have really gotten cheap and flimsy over the years! Back in the day, they were the chain to use.

Jake Papageorge

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

In reply to this post by 85lebaront2

I got it from the door jamb sticker. You know, the one that gives you all the vehicle weight information.

Gary Lewis

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

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The certification label tells you what the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is, meaning the maximum weight the vehicle was designed to carry. Not what the vehicle weighs.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Gary Lewis

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

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In reply to this post by Machspeed

John - The 9" was used all the way through the Bullnose years, but in '83 the 8.8" was introduced and it was used on many of the light-duty trucks in place of the 9".

It is easiest to see this in the chart for the Broncos (U150) as they didn't get the heavier axles so the chart is simple. But I can't tell you why one vehicle got the 9" while others got the 8.8".

The easiest way to find out what you have is to look at the code on the certification label and then go to the page at Documentation/Specifications/Axle Ratios and look up the code. A 3.50 ratio is a 9" and a 3.55 is an 8.8". (Apparently the slightly smaller size of the ring gear changed the # of teeth they could have, changing the ratio.)

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

85lebaront2

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

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In reply to this post by Jake Papageorge

Example, as I posted, weighed Darth on a certified scale here in town where grain trucks are weighed. Weight, almost empty tanks and only an aluminum camper shell. 4 of my wheels are now Ford Alcoa aluminum ones which reduces my empty weight. Here is my sticker from the back of my left front door:

Note the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) it is 10,000 lbs, now take the tare weight off: 10,000 - 6400 = 3600 lbs capacity which gives 1.8 tons on a nominal 1 ton truck.

Now, try adding the front axle GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) and the rear axle GAWR together. 3900 + 7400 = 11,300 lbs and subtracting my tare weight of 6400 lbs you get 4900 lbs or 2.45 tons.

Bill AKA "LOBO" Profile

Gary Lewis

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

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And here's Big Blue's certification label. It says the GVWR is 8600 lbs, but the truck actually weighs 6560 lbs. So it can carry 2040 lbs, which needs to include the driver, passenger's etc.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Machspeed

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

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In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

Gary Lewis wrote

John - The 9" was used all the way through the Bullnose years, but in '83 the 8.8" was introduced and it was used on many of the light-duty trucks in place of the 9".

The easiest way to find out what you have is to look at the code on the certification label and then go to the page at Documentation/Specifications/Axle Ratios and look up the code. A 3.50 ratio is a 9" and a 3.55 is an 8.8". (Apparently the slightly smaller size of the ring gear changed the # of teeth they could have, changing the ratio.)

Curious, and wanting to know if I wasn't loosing it or not, crawled under the truck today to look at that rear end and then pulled the code off the cert label. I knew I had a 9" but could have sworn it was 3:55. Anyway, code is H6 which I guess designates it as a 9" with 3:50 gearing. I guess I'm only half loon instead of full loon.

John

"Blackie" - 1986 F150 4x4 - Mildly warmed over 351W HO - Original owner

Gary Lewis

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

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Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Jake Papageorge

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

It also tells you the VIN number and when you plug the VIN number into PTS, it gives you ALL the vehicles information including the curb weight.

Gary Lewis

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

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That sounds like a cool site. Can you give me a link so I can use it?

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Jake Papageorge

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

Unfortunately, you need to be a Ford Dealership Technician, Technician Trainer or Ford Engineer to have access to PTS>

Gary Lewis

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

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Bummer! Can you take a pic of trhe kind of info it shows? I’m just curious.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Jake Papageorge

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

Sure! When I get back to work (Kiddies are off for summer vacation) I will be happy to! If you like, and you want to IM me your VIN, I can get the vehicle info for your truck. It shows a massive amount of information, but.......pretty much all the info on the PTS site is available on the build sheet I found under the carpet in my truck. The big difference is that instead of just getting the codes, you actually get it all printed out for a person who does not know the codes to be able to decipher.

One thing that really bums me out is the lack of generic repair information that they post on PTS for a truck this old. I was only lucky to have access to the OE repair manual that we had in our archives. You should see this thing! You go to the electrical section, and the wiring diagrams fold out into a huge sheet for every variant of these trucks. I don't know what I would have done without it! It has been so long since I have had to look at one of these things (the paper manual) that I almost forgot how to use it! LOL!!!!

Gary Lewis

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

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Jake - Thanks for the offer. I did email you the VIN for Big Blue.

As for the build sheets, I have it for BB but have not been able to fully understand it, as you can see on our page at Documentation/Specifications/Build Sheet Interpretation.

And speaking of our pages, you are aware that we have three Electrical & Vacuum Troubleshooting Manuals (EVTM) on the site. Right? You can find them at Documentation/Electrical/EVTM and then the specific manual - 1981, 1985, & 1986. I have the EVTM's for the other years but just don't have them on the site - yet.

In some ways the EVTM's are better than the fold-out sheets, which I also have some of, in that they break the individual "systems" up into one or two pages and disregard other things that might also connect. That makes them easier to follow, but at times it can be very confusing since you might not realize what else connects to that system.

We also have the 1985 and 1986 fold-out diagrams on the site at Documentation/Electrical/Wiring Diagrams, but you really have to zoom in on them and that makes it really hard to follow. It isn't easy on the paper itself, but it is a lot easier than on a computer.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

85lebaront2

Re: A Week Long Restoration turning into a Summer Time Adventure! 86 XLT Lariat Explorer

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In reply to this post by Jake Papageorge

I will send you Darth's VIN although I do have a pretty good idea on what he was built as since I am apparently only the 3rd owner and the first was a local horse breeder, Delmar Stables located in Suffolk VA.

Bill AKA "LOBO" Profile

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