Gary Lewis

Well, I'm pretty sure the Terrapin made brace did, which is now NLA, but not sure on the KBG brace. Bronco Graveyard brace... Now discontinued Terrapin brace (This is the one I have in my truck) Different masters...I originally bought the wrong one by mistake. The braces have a slotted hole on the bottom, and two separate ones on the top. Pretty sure it fits both. Terrapin brace:

I'd seen those rollers and wondered if they were worth it. Thanks for the endorsement. (Btw, I'm glad you didn't mention the Noico 80 mil. Don't tell anyone, but that's one I'm leaning to. And their Red 315 Mil Liner on top of it, at least in some places.)

Thanks, Shaun. I'm thinking of at least doubling up on whatever I use in the form of damping material around the transmission hump and cover, just for that reason.

LMC Truck EVA Sound Deadener Kit The EVA Sound Deadener Kit is die cut for easy installation. Made from OE type, 1/16" thick Ethyl Vinyl Acetate (EVA) which is asphalt based material for sound dampening. Applies directly to the cab floor. Reduces road noise and cab harmonics to give you a quieter ride and also helps to insulate against heat and cold. To further insulate against heat and cold, use in combination with the Heat Shield Kits. https://www.lmctruck.com/1980-96-ford/fd-1980-96-eva-sound-deadener-and-heat-shield-kits Heat Shield Kit (jute and foil) Heat Shield Kit is die cut to match the EVA Sound Deadener Kits for easy installation. Consists of 1/4" thick, 24 ounce needle punched jute padding on one side which insulates against heat and cold. The other side has two layers of fiber reinforced aluminum foil reflecting up to 97% of radiant heat which helps to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Rock Auto EVA; Die Cut; Complete; 2 pieces Sound Deadeners help insulate your vehicle from road noise and engine heat. EVA material is an acoustic noise barrier consisting of Asphaltic Mastic laminated with a Poly Film on one side and Black Paper on the other. It has an average thickness of 1/8" and was most commonly used in all makes and models during the 1960's-1980's. ACC sound deadeners meet federal standards for flammability retardation. It's the perfect beginning when replacing your carpet and to increase its durability. P/N ACC 14615350 https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=5988603&cc=1121656&jsn=4 https://www.accmats.com/commerce/1986/Ford/F-150/Sound%20Deadener/ The ACC eva is twice the thickness of LMC's at 125 mils. This is the ACC Foil and Jute I put over the Eva and kill mat https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=5987793&cc=1121656&jsn=7 Then on top of that the ACC carpet is 1/8" and if I remember correctly has some insulation as well on part of it in the foot wells and hump. On the doors I'm not worried about the jute getting wet because foil side will be facing the moisture and edges will be taped. If this proves difficult I will put the plastic in between it, but I don't think it will be necessary. Good explanation. And good pics. Thanks! I'll bet that combination made a huge difference - right?

Would this work? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Battery-Tray-Driver-Left-Diesel-6-9-idi-1980-1986-Ford-F250-f350/174018782513?hash=item288453e531:g:xSAAAOSwyyhdbyDA I think that is the right battery tray. Here's my aux battery tray mounted, but I can take more pics tomorrow if you'd like.

David - I've only had 3 cups of Starbuck's strongest today, so I doubt I need more right now. Jim - I understand what you are saying. But I'm just going to focus on the quantifiable, meaning what the camera captures. (I'm assuming what it captures is what the eye can see, but will do my best to confirm that.) As I did yesterday, I'll put the camera on a tripod and use the self-timer to ensure there's no vibration and we get a sharp picture. And, as said, I'll start with the incandescent bulbs and blue filters as the baseline, and then progress from there.

Yes, it is all in the details. There are just so MANY details! On the voltage regulator/ICVR, when I did my testing some time ago I found that 5.4v brought most of the many gauges I tried to full scale with the 12 ohm resistor, so that's what I set this one to. But I'm not going to install the cluster just yet. As you may have seen in the other thread, I've ordered the HiPo blue LED's and will test them as well as other lighting options with both Big Blue's cluster as well as the other one I painted using the HiPo paint.

And, when I learn more from Bill I'll be back to correct and add more. Bill @ HiPo Parts has given us a code of BT15LK0313. It will provide 20% off any LED purchase over $20, until 3/20/20. I just ordered 5 of the blue LED's and used the code during checkout. Sure enough, it took the price of one LED off - $8.85. And he provided some background info on the bulbs. He said that the blue bulb I showed is similar to their 5 SMD bulb, which produces about 115 lumens. He couldn't say that my blue bulb is that bright, but as a point of reference, their 20PS bulbs produce 245 lumens. That bulb was designed by them, including the built-in bridge rectifier that makes them non-polarized, and it was made specifically for lighting vintage instrument clusters. It uses plasma SMDs, which are newer technology and produce a lot more light than older technology. So I plan to re-run the tests when the blue LED's come in. I'll polish some blue filters and use some incandescent bulbs to set a baseline. Then I'll swap in the HiPo Cool White LED's, then remove the filters and use the HiPo blue LED's. Then the Warm White LED's. Last, I'll stick my blue SmD LED's in. And, I'll do a comparison of Testors vs HiPo paints with the blue filters as well as the various LED's. Any suggestions on other tests?

Thanks, David. As for what I did today towards Big Blue's Transformation, not much. I've gotten hung up testing LED's and fluorescent paint, emailing with Bill @ HiPo Parts, and correcting posts. But, one thing I did yesterday was to stuff a DE-SWADJ voltage regulator in an ICVR can. I'd started the work on it quite some time ago but it got put on the shelf for some reason. However, when I realized that I didn't have another regulator and I wanted to finish the gauges, I revived the effort. It is done and it works. I've been running it for a couple of hours and the case is just barely warm. In fact, the warmest spot I can find on the case is 82F, and most of the case is below 80F. So the case and the ground/mounting tab are enough for heat dissipation. Having said that, I don't recommend stuffing one of those in that case. It wasn't easy and required separating the heat sink from the regulator, placing the heat sink in the case, and then hoping I got the regulator back on the sink correctly so the transistors touch it. Anyway, here's what it looks like while I'm testing:

UPDATE: I got a note back from Bill of HiPo Parts pointing out some errors in my testing. So I've added the following to the first post: And, when I learn more from Bill I'll be back to correct and add more.

That's one of the many things I like about the HiPo LEDs - no hot spots. At least, I don't see any. Their design of sending the light to the sides instead of off the end contributes to that. But a more reflective surface on the inside of the gauge cluster helps bounce the light around and, therefore, fill in all of the areas. On the filters, be sure to polish them. Bill of HiPo Parts told me that the surface of them breaks down from the heat of the bulb and that's what causes them to be opaque. But that if you use plastic polish on them they'll become translucent again.

I've not pulled the shifter on one of these, but the factory shop manual section is here: Documentation/Driveline/Transmissions/Manual Transmissions/T-19. It should help.

The page (Documentation/Electrical/Wiring Harnesses) currently only shows a few of the different harnii for these trucks, but includes the alternator to regulator as well as the cab harnesses. And while there were several for the charging system, the sheer number of cab harnesses is striking. I count 42 different cab harnii for the F-Series trucks, and it appears that the driving forces were: gauges vs idiot lighgts; single vs dual tanks; gas vs diesel engine. And then there were changes in the wiring for which no explanation is given, like the fact that each year got a different harness even though I can't tell you why save for the changes from 1980 to 81. And then 1985 had two sets - prior to 2/85 and after that. I know of some of the changes, like those in the HVAC controls that have different connectors, requiring a whole new set of harnii. But I don't know why each year had to have its own set of harnesses, so there must be other changes of which I'm not aware.

What isn't easily seen is that there are two different connectors where the cluster plugs in. The idiot light cluster has fewer pins than the gauge cluster. So not only is the cluster different, but the whole cab wiring harness is different. And don't forget, that harness runs from headlight to headlight on a Bullnose. Remember the discussion of the harnii? That there were 12 different ones in '85 and only 6 in '86? A large part of that reduction was due to dropping the idiot lights.

Well, this certainly is a PROJECT! Are you SURE that you can't use something like a 4-core radiator for a 460? (I know nothing about the diesels and their cooling requirements, but thought I'd ask.) As for instrumentation, if the cab harness isn't in too bad of shape I might be inclined to stay with it and source the right cluster. On the HVAC, I have some Bullnose stuff, both interior and underhood. But shipping might be pricey on it. However, it is an option.

No, Jim, you are quite accurate with your statements, and probably more so than I. And your contributions are extremely helpful. As for the Charge idiot light, I don't have any info on the # of trucks with them, but I can offer two observations. First, I've pulled a lot of these trucks apart, and only one of them had idiot lights. Second, Ford discontinued them for the 1986 year, so apparently they weren't selling well enough to warrant keeping all the extra cab harnesses around that it would require.

Shaun - Does the stuff on Ebay free have free shipping? From Amazon it does - to me 'cause I'm a Prime member. Scatch - Tell me more about the ACC Eva? I didn't find it on the ACC site, but I've seen it before. On your doors, w/o a vapor barrier won't you be chancing getting the jute wet? On the back wall, did the 87+ trucks have a bigger piece of carpet? I want that, for sure. And, speaking of 87+, I'm thinking of getting ACC carpet for a '90 with the high tunnel 'cause I have the ZF5. But I'm not finding "high tunnel" 5-speed. Am I missing it?

I wouldn't bother with the oil pump if your pressure is good. As for the deer, they seem to like Ford trucks. One did the same to Blue a bit over a year ago. Front fender reworked, passenger's door replaced, and rear door reworked. And, the same thing. He got up and ran away w/o exchanging info.

No, I haven't done anything to make it reflect better. If you look closely you can see that the cluster with HiPo paint is a little brighter in a couple of places, like the center of the tach and the temp gauge. That cluster is just a bit whiter than Big Blue's cluster, and I think that's why it looks brighter. Maybe I should paint it? As for fluorescing, I didn't really think the paint would. But I wanted to test it. Nope.

That's what Blue has.

Thanks. I added another mat or two, increased the font size, and most importantly, added a price per sq ft calculation. That's the eye-opening figure. Basically there's a 2:1 ratio from $1.61 Killmat to $3.60 for X-Mat. Still doing research.....

Excellent! Thanks.

I've put a smaller file on that page. Please see if it helps.

The 435 measures 4.837". Thanks that is also close to the 4.848 that I am looking for. My plan and trans swap is put on hold till my son and his family find a place to live as the wife & I most likely need to help out with $$ Dave ---- Hope things work out with your son and his family.

I am "storm shelter" testing. I have two places in the shop that can be dark - the storm shelter and the utility room. Today I picked the storm shelter, but if I redo this I think I'll go to the utility room. It is much bigger and it would be easier.