Jolene - 1983 F-150 Rescue

What's "all"???
Can you even get a Canadian non-egr carb adapter?
Beyond that I'm pretty sure you need vacuum for power brakes, PCV, distributor advance and climate control.

I don't think evaporative emissions are going to make a difference either way, but you might offer those parts to someone who actually does have to pass emissions

wasteland_jack wrote

What if I just remove all of this smog equipment? I already can't pass DEQ and just run around Portland with no plates because they don't pull you over here anyway. What are my chances that my smog output will improve after removing what is probably 50% non-functioning dead weight?

Been wanting to do the Gambler 500 for years, things keep on getting in the way. Might be able to do it next year with my Dodge pickup. Not $500 but it looks the part.

I'd replace the vacuum lines and the tees and trees before getting at the smog equipment. When you start ripping that out you will unfortunately create more work for yourself and it may not be the problem in the first place. If you have the emissions package with all the tiny capillary lines, my condolences.

I have a sandblasted exhaust manifold for $50 + shipping from CA if you want it. Though it is possible you may not be able to get the A.I.R. pipe off yours without destroying it, $100 part if you do.

@tcbaklash - I watched your Youtube video (Ford 300 Bronco Engine Build) just now. Thanks for the great content! I saw it linked in your profile description.

This truck is a constant source of joy in my life, Gary. Thanks for running this site. This truck now purrs like a kitten. A loud one, however, since there are still tons of holes in the exhaust.

The highway was totally jammed up in a winter snow storm in Portland, and I pulled seven cars, two trucks (a couple of those parking lot queens with low-profile tires), and one double-tank semi up the off ramp of the local highway. It was a glorious night! On a different day, a loader dropped 2900 lbs of compost in the bed, and the truck idled out of the lot like it was holding a bed full of feathers. Delightful.

Here's a quick status update of my current problems.

Fuel vent lines: I discovered that these rusted away to nothing near the tanks. I can't find a replacement anywhere. Do you know where I can find replacements for both front and rear tanks?

Tires: I bought some Dick Cepek tires from a private sale. It was cheaper to purchase the tools from Harbor Freight that I need to change my tires out myself, so I got a manual tire change stand and a static balancer. I'll let you all know how that goes.

Flywheel: I notice that the flywheel is damaged in primarily three places. Why does the flywheel stop only in these three places? I read in another forum that I can "clock" the flywheel 15 degrees around so the starter can grab some fresh teeth in all three places. Is this possible? How can it be done?

I have learned that I need to move to Wisconsin in the fall. I can't take the truck with me unless I ship it. :(.... I'm going to keep fixing this baby up until I'm forced to make a decision.

Best,

Jack

no, you cannot "clock " the flywheel in every case. the only exception to this might be the 300 because it has a neutral balance. even still I'm conditioned to mark all rotating parts before disassembly so to be sure to put them back in their balanced position. so, the idea of intentionally changing that is not natural to me. but get a price for a new one and you may be surprised how reasonable they are along with a rear main seal and consider that as you contemplate all the work involved to get to the point of removing the flywheel.

The flywheel stops in one of a few spots because that is where the engine is coming up on compression once you turn the key off.
If a 300 does have evenly spaced bolt holes (no V-8's do because of balance) then the very least you could shift it is 60°. 6 bolts x 60 = 360°...

I don't know of any company that reproduces the vent tubes
I would probably buy a roll of thin metal brake line and find some bits of fuel hose (likely Tygon) to connect it at the tank rollover vents and the charcoal canister.
This stuff is easy to bend into place and if the existing retainers are rusted out you can zip-tie/zap-strap it where it belongs.

the 3/16 brake line is about as good as it gets

I am replacing my exhaust. I removed the old parts with impact tool and sawzall, and I'm now on the hunt for new parts. I should have ordered a new exhaust before removing the old one, but my local Oreilly's guys didn't know exactly what parts I needed, and neither did I. I wanted to measure all the pipes so I could order only what I need.

When I removed the old exhaust, I noticed a lip at the front end of the old pipe that the oval collar fits over to secure the exhaust pipe to the manifold. It appears from the pictures that new pipe ordered on line or at the store does not have this lip. Am I correct? Is the lip necessary? If so, is there a tool I can get to form it?

How is it possible to weld these new pipes together? I had to cut the old pipes out because I couldn't snake them out. But if I can't pre-weld them and can't get to the top of the pipe when they are already in place, how do I do it?

What I removed was the same replacement kit that I see for sale online. It was held together with U shackles that were so rusted that I couldn't get them off. Do I need to weld the new pipes, or should I just use the same assembly method as what I removed? It seemed like there were many gaps in the old system from which exhaust could escape, and I definitely smelled exhaust in the cab whenever I sat in traffic.

Also, just to check, the parts I will need for a gas tank replacement for the existing midships tank is:
- a new tank
- sending unit/pickup combo
- lock ring and seal
- Can I use the existing filler neck, or should I replace that too? It's in good shape.

If I am adding a new tank in the back (which the truck has provision for):
- a rear tank
- new straps
- sending unit/pickup combo (and figure out the wiring)
- lock ring and seal
- filler neck (on rock auto, I see a "fuel tank filler hose" and "fuel tank neck." I believe these are the same thing.)
- My truck does not have a filler valve that I can attach a neck and cap to. I can't find this valve anywhere. Does anyone have a source? Oh wait! Pick N' Pull!

Best,

Jack

Hi.
Fuel hose and filler neck are 2 different items . In the filler neck there is also a Nylon hose that is essential for letting air out of the tank when you are filling gas.You need both. Broncograveyard.com has both and tank kits.
Greetings Stein

first off you should be able to get a bolt together kit from end to end for this truck. I make all of my own as I too prefer welded joints so I build in either ball and flare connections or v bands. unless you have the twin efi exhaust manifolds you will not have a y pipe and it is possibly the simplest there is. certainly, you can use the u bolt muffler clamps and they have been the standard for decades. use good muffler paste in each joint and be certain that each male fits completely into the socket. tap them tight with a rubber mallet or hammer on wood then set the clamp. doing this will be almost as good as welded.

I finally found a bolt-on muffler kit on Rock Auto that was in stock. The project ended up needing some modification, because the old catalytic converter was more than twice the length and 10% wider than the new one I ordered at Oreilly's. The cat mount and cat shield wouldn't even come close to fitting on it, and there was no way I could modify either the shield or the cat to make it fit. I made it all work in the end, and the new exhaust is mounted!

A second issue was that I found a large hole in my exhaust manifold. It's a 1.5"x3" rectangle between cylinders 2 and 3. I still need to pass DEQ with this thing, so I plan to just JB Weld a piece of metal on there, go pass DEQ, and then replace the manifold as time allows. Any objections or advice? The noise of the motor and the exhaust getting into my heat/air when the vehicle is stopped is a low priority for me.

I also have a question. When I removed section of exhaust pipe from the manifold, I noticed a little valve door inside that diverts exhaust flow away from the tailpipe and sends it somewhere else. It's spring loaded and is adjustable from a little knob on the outside of that section of pipe. What is the purpose of this valve? Where is the exhaust being diverted to?

Happy 4th of July!

Jack

I have been away far too long. anyway I noticed that nobody answered the question. the diverter valve is there to divert exhaust gases (heat) away from the exhaust pipe until it circulates around the base of the intake below the carburetor first in the effort to warm up the intake and fuel air blend until operating temp. there is a thermostatic bimetal coil on one side to close it when cold and a return spring on the other side to pull it open as the coil warms up. these have been known to rust stuck in the closed position on trucks which have been sitting too long. kills power and mileage.

Merry Cristmas, all!

Thanks for the answer to that question @mat in tn! My diverter valve is fortunately not rusted shut.

My rear suspension is sagging on the passenger's side, and I believe it is causing uneven wear on a rear tire. I'm looking at replacing the leaf springs and rear shocks. Is there anything I should replace or examine at the same time? Does the group have any favorite brands?

A common simultaneous replacement from my research was the sway bar.

Another part I plan to change is the timing gears. I don't know what mine looks like, but my timing jumps occasionally. The job also looks fun. I've seen a few videos where people don't pull the engine, but instead just remove the radiator to access the front of the motor. The rest of the tools used by those people for that job are all readily available. Feel free to drop advice for this task if you have it.

Definitely check the rear shackle mounts for rot in the pockets and rust jacking against the frame.
Closely examine the shock mounts inside the frame and at the axle.
I've used Dorman kits to replace these (comes with nuts and bolts to replace the rivets)
Dorman got wise and has bigger drain holes.  💡

I've never changed timing gears in situ on a 300 but definitely have with V-8's.
I imagine the I-6 is longer?
You need a harmonic puller. I can't think of anything else, but hopefully someone who owns one will chime in.

I replaced mine back in summer. in the truck after considering it for a few days. honestly i found out that i was wrong and it bugged me
I rebuilt the engine twenty years ago and was certain I had installed a steel gear but when I removed the cover and saw a silent gear with twelve teeth missing, I was reminded that my machinist talked me out of steel due to noise. this was the most difficult gear to remove. on the 300 six cyl the gear is a press on fit. best to remove the gear from the cam on a hydraulic press. this is why the cam cover/mounting plate has two bolts and they are accessible through two 1" holes that allow the wrench to go through and the bolt to come out. this requires the removal of the lifters, pushrods. the hydraulic press is to proper install tool also if you are this far. i did install a steel gear this time as I made that decision while waiting to be recovered from the side of I85. yes, it is noisy. however, it has toned down after a bit of Miles. Maybe it's just time to remove the muffler. 

mat in tn wrote

I replaced mine back in summer. in the truck after considering it for a few days. honestly i found out that i was wrong and it bugged me
I rebuilt the engine twenty years ago and was certain I had installed a steel gear but when I removed the cover and saw a silent gear with twelve teeth missing, I was reminded that my machinist talked me out of steel due to noise. this was the most difficult gear to remove. on the 300 six cyl the gear is a press on fit. best to remove the gear from the cam on a hydraulic press. this is why the cam cover/mounting plate has two bolts and they are accessible through two 1" holes that allow the wrench to go through and the bolt to come out. this requires the removal of the lifters, pushrods. the hydraulic press is to proper install tool also if you are this far. i did install a steel gear this time as I made that decision while waiting to be recovered from the side of I85. yes, it is noisy. however, it has toned down after a bit of Miles. Maybe it's just time to remove the muffler.

Matt I would like to know how can teeth be missing on a 300 timing gear set up?
I think I have seen it posted 1 or 2 others also had it happen just dont know why?

I had to replace the timing cover gasket, think was last year on New Years Eve, because of a oil leak.
At that time I looked over the gears and they looked good so new gasket and no more  oil leak.
I have seen it posted to get the gear off the cam can be a bear, hope I never have to.
Dave ----

well what ford designed as their "silent gear" is a steel crank drive gear mated with a composite cam driven gear. the composite has a steel core to press onto the camshaft, but it is "set" molded into a fibrous material that is easily mistaken for Kevlar/fiberglass. it is very hard. and very strong yet not near as strong as steel. with mesh helical gears the idea is that the stresses are shared across more than just one tooth at a time. but if one gets weak or fractured it does not carry its load and the following get the added stress. in my case i was at highway speed driving home from work and the engine stuttered, backfired, and shut off without the first clue. we checked for fire thinking coil. then checked for rotor rotation just to be thorough and realized this was not a roadside fix

I see cast iron, aluminum, and steel options for timing gears. After reading for an hour, all I see are personal accounts on Ford threads with opinions and old wives tales, but no science stating why one might be better than another. Are these three options essentially equal? Is any of the three a clear winner on this motor?

Aluminum is bonded to plastic teeth on the cam gear (this is how it came)
Steel is used for the crank gear because it has 1/2 the teeth it sees twice the wear.

You want to run cast iron against cast iron

But this is like distributor gears which also come in steel, iron or composite depending on what your cam billet is made of.

Steel timing gears are on the way, as well as new seals for the pushrod cover, valve cover, and timing cover. Cork seals were suddenly on sale for about $2 a piece on Rock Auto's wholesale closeout.

I just pulled off my bed liner. See the dirty/clean pictures below. It doesn't seem too bad for an old truck, but what would be the best way to prevent more corrosion?

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jpg file too large for this antiquated forum software to process.
Use the 'big size' button in the 'insert image' drop-down.....

Are you putting the liner back in?

I would say a phosphoric acid treatment like Kleen-Strip concrete & metal prep or Ospho.
It changes the rust (iron oxide) to iron phosphate creating a layer that won't continue to corrode.
You can then paint or oil it.