Gary Lewis

A couple of thoughts. First, why not use something like this SEM panel adhesive instead of "body seam putty"? Second, have you considered using the later seat base as explained here? Documentation/Interior/Seat Interchangeability. You might be able to put your seats on one of those, and they use the original mounting points.

1982/86 F150/350

85/86 F250/350 - - w/8500 GVW w/A/C "From 12/84" 300 six E5TZ 14289-D

And, a C6 with 4.10 gears? Mated to a non-turbo'd (yet) IDI? It would tow, but the MPG's would not be good.

Can't be an original '82 w/a 460 since they didn't come out until '83. And didn't the D60 in front come out in '85? So, while it would be a good starting point, it isn't ideal.

82/86 F-U100/350 — w/gloss black option (RH) E2TZ 13064-C (LH) E2TZ 13064-D painted gloss black

Nice finds!

That is improperly advertised. It is for F250's and F350's, not F150's.

All depends on how early I get out of bed David, and how much coffee I can get in me before 5am;). That determines my level of attention to detail (in the morning). Coffee is good! Ask Gary. Yep!

Do you think the one that wouldn't torque down is stripped? Or what? Anyway, hope it works!

According to the MPC that's a 1987-only harness: 87 F-U150/350 8 351 E7TZ 14289-E But I don't know why.

Hopefully y'all are following the discussion re fuses vs fuse links in the other thread. Most of my day was spent on that, but I did try re-clocking the alternator - and it didn't work. Does anyone have any tricks for getting the windings out? They don't want to budge, and if I can't get them out I'll just leave the clocking alone. However, I did discover that one of the brushes is rather worn, so I want to replace them. Anyone know a good place from which to get them?

I like the idea of the studs much better, after I thought about it, than my idea of screws. Getting the screws in the right spots from 3 1/2" away would NOT be easy. But, if you are reprinting, you could print in the threads. I did it on the dash patch.

It would be nice if you could find some 3 1/2" long #10 sheet metal screws. At least that's what the length looks like it would need to be. However, the longest I have are 2".

Coming in from above should do it. The ideal would be from the back to suck it into the taper, but then you'd see the holes if you didn't use it.

Scott - That is COOOOOOOOL!!!! I really like it! I may want to do something like that for Dad's truck as I have to figure out where to put the overdrive switch, and had been thinking about down there. Did it slip into that spot pretty easily? How do you secure it in there?

Ok, 81f100custom, I've read all the links. The Starquest guys appears to be just like us, another group of guys that are struggling through this but don't have any specific technical credits to their names. But White Products and Wire Barn are not just guys like us - they are manufacturers and/or vendors. However, their pages are identically worded, so it suggests that they may have gotten the wording from elsewhere. Maybe an official site? In any event, it does carry some weight. And while fuse links aren't specifically rated, like fuses, there has to be a current rating range for each size. And the automotive engineers then select the fuse link to fit the current the devices on that wire will pull. That's the "engineering" they do. However, some of us are "re-engineering" these trucks. For instance, Fuse Link L was sized to support the headlights as well as the other lighting. But I'm moving that current off to fused relays, and that's probably about half of the current on that circuit. Similarly, I'm going to power the HVAC blower's high speed, where it pulls the most current, via a fused relay. And since the A/C-Heater circuit is fused at 30 amps, a bunch of amps are going to be pulled off of Fuse Link M. So, I'm playing "engineer" in this case. But, I'd like to do it correctly, and appreciate your input. It has given me more to think about.

81f100custom - I see you've replied while I've been working on my post, so I'll reply to yours in a bit. Ok, I've done some measuring. And I've included a chart from Offroaders that Jonathan pointed out. Plus, Scatch pointed out the calculator at WireBarn. I've used both of these on the observations below. However, the table doesn't say what voltage drop it is allowing, but I've been able to determine that it is apparently using a 3% drop for the conservative #'s and a 5% drop for the others by comparing it to the WireBarn calculator. Which voltage drop is "right" for our trucks? I don't know, but I think it varies by the device you are powering. For instance, lighting doesn't like much voltage drop or you lose a lot of light. On the other hand, the radio doesn't care too much, although you may have to turn the volume up slightly to accommodate a lower voltage. Also, I've found that the wire that Ford used is ~.135" in diameter for a 12 gauge conductor, and ~.175" for a 10 gauge conductor. And I'll probably have to fill that in for other gauges as we go on with this..... So here are two of the wire sizes and current capacities: Ckt 37: The yellow wire that goes from S102 is a 10 gauge and the run is 7' long to S208 that feeds both the ignition switch and the fuse block. (It is another 1' on to the switch and the fuse block, but they are fed by their own wires so that doesn't count.) The table below suggests that #10 can support right at 65 amps, but that would be pushing it. But the WireBarn calculator says that at a 5% voltage drop #10 can support 90 amps up to 7.68'. However, if you hold the loss to 2% you can only carry 40 amps for 6.91'. Ckt 38: The black/orange wire that goes from S103 to the headlight switch is a 12 gauge and the run is 8'. The table says 20 amps is about right for it, and WireBarn agrees that you can run 20 amps out to 8.69' with a 2% loss. On the other hand, WireBarn says #12 is good for 50 amps out to 8.69' with a 5% drop. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I've researched the slow-blow fuse idea. And I haven't found any - yet. I did find this page on the Littelfuse site that says "The MAXI® fuse uses “Diffusion Pill Technology” to provide predictable time delay characteristics and low heat dissipation." And then provides the chart below. So, I called Littelfuse. The first person I talked with didn't think they have slow-blow fuses in the Maxi size, but said he'd get a technician to email with me on it. So far there's been no response. Now I'll go read 81f100custom's post and reply....

I had planned to use Fuse Link M and the big yellow wire to continue to serve the aux battery. The reasoning there is that the EFI wiring has a very large wire running from the battery/my PDB to the EFI PDB on the driver's side. So I don't want to run a new wire just to replace it when I do the EFI. But you are correct that the headlight relays and the blower motor relay will take fuse links L and M, respectively.

Bill - I haven't had one fail either, but I've helped quite a few people on various forums or on Facebook that have had problems with fuse links. Maybe because they did something dumb, but it does worry me. As for where these things are, here's a pic of where all these things are. You can see that fuse links L & M are way down on the fender apron and would be difficult to change while on the road as you have to get to S102 and S103. And don't forget that all of this is normally covered with many turns of electrical tape. It probably took me over 15 minutes to get this much stripped back.

I'd say splices 102 & 103 are where I'm connecting and extending to the PDB. And, as you've figured out, they aren't under the dash. In Big Blue's case they are on the passenger's fender liner, and I'll show a pic in a bit when I get back from a meeting at church. But you kept L & M and replaced J w/a 60 amp?

It does look good, as Cory said. Gotta feel good getting that far.

What V6? I see a power steering pump that's bigger than the engine!

I agree with Shaun. And especially agree with getting a whole parts truck. You will save money by doing so, and can probably swap parts onto the donor and then sell it.

Ok guys, thanks for the input. You've given me a lot to think about. Jim - You said "I believe Bussmann & Littelfuse produce ultra slow blow fuses meant to replace them, and equivalence ratings are shown." I'll go looking for that info. Did we talk about it recently? Bill - Your Chizzler info is helpful. Summarizing: 20 gauge is 20 to 40 amps 18 gauge is 40 to 50 amps 16 gauge was omitted but 60 to 80 amps 14 gauge was omitted but might be 100 to 120 amps 12 gauge is 160 amps Scott - I will have to splice short pieces of wire in as well, but am ok with doing that. I have another harness from which I can get the same wire so the sizes and colors will be consistent. But, at this point I'm not addressing any fuselinks at the aux battery solenoid. All - I understand that fuselinks don't fail very often. But having gotten down to fuselinks L & M, which are buried pretty deeply in the harness, I'd sure hate to have to replace them while on a trip. (I'll post pics in a bit of where they are.) And, as shown in the schematic below, I'd really like to replace the stuff in the orange rectangle below - Fuselink J and the shunt. But if Fuselink J is replaced by a fuse then it needs to support both fuselinks L & M. So why not replace them instead and not have anything for Fuselink J?