Gary Lewis

Tell me more about the plug and play fusible links? Bussman makes fusible links that look like little relays. They come in bladed, or stud mounted formats. Interesting! Do you know if they make a fusible link that plugs into an ATO or Maxi fuse slot? If so that would make the integration of the power distribution center even easier. Just replace a fuse with a fusible link in the PDC and cut out the fusible link in the wiring harness. I'm Googling for them but haven't found them.

Did you look inside it? In the back of my mind there's a nagging thought that the '87 Broncos were transition vehicles - some Bricknose and some Bullnose. Was the interior Bull or Brick? I'd take it for the $3000 as I'd like to have a 300 in the stable. And, I'd like a Bronco. But I'd want a Bullnose interior. And converting the exterior would then require painting.

Dunno. Haven't seen that before. But those are AWFUL pics. So, let's see. Can have an F100 in the rare green color with a 5.0L for $2750. Or can have an F350 w/a 460 and a bright yellow paint job for $2900. Let me think about that for a millisecond.

Interesting truck. Excellent price. Good place to start something like I'm doing instead of converting an F250 to an F350. Factory air suspension? Haven't seen anything in the literature to say that was an option. Perhaps. Or, maybe it was added while the truck was in Area 51? The thing to the right of the steering column, below, might be a CompuCruise. However, the one I had in our 1980 Citation was essentially reversed to that with the keypad on the left and display on the right.

yes, finals time so probably get to it just before Christmas. Just had my last unit test in derivative calculus yesterday. Have a paper due this weekend, calc final next Thursday, and a research paper due the following weekend. Then freedom (less work and kids). That gives me nightmares! My degrees are in Math and Physics. But I hated Calc and Diff E. Good luck!

There are several lengths of Helicoils, from .375" to 1.125". But the one I keep finding in stock has the .562" coil in this kit from Amazon. Given the alloy, is a .562 long coil going to provide enough bite on the alternator?

"Another trailer queen?" Gary's brother knows him pretty well, doesn't he? No and yes, in that order. Part of the "pretty" is to prove to my son it is a new engine and will NOT leak. He's been all over me like stink on skunk that I can't take Big Blue off road because it leaks oil. As late as last night he said "It won't leak oil, right?" So if he can see a shiny engine, albeit beneath all of the accoutrements associated with EFI, he'll realize it is new and doesn't leak. Another part of it is that I like assembling things that are "new". Pretty. Not rusty. So this is fun for me, and after all, that's what a hobby is all about.

Hadn't thought about the alloy. And I assume you meant "it doesn't take a nice thread". So I'll get a Helicoil. Thanks.

I've used plate glass instead of a surface plate - 'cause I didn't have one. Worked perfectly.

Been there, done that on the pry bar, bolt, and nut. Which is why I want to tap it. But, 7/16" or 12mm? I'm thinking 7/16" will do. But maybe 7/16-20.

Don't think it'll matter.

Did the rats eat the wiring to the neutral safety switch? Will it turn over in neutral, but not in park? You can jumper the pink & lt blue (?) wires in the cab to avoid that whole leg of the start circuit. If it works then, you've narrowed it down to a few feet of wire. It could also be the ignition switch adjustment, or the pot metal actuator is broken. Close, Jim. Red/light blue, as shown here:

Yippee! I'll get to meet you next year! But, I'm confused. What is warped? The phenolic spacer? Did new gaskets fix it? And, hope you get well soon!

No prob, Jim. Yes, this one has to pivot as that is the belt adjustment. Ok, here are some measurements on the alternator and the arm: Hole In Alternator: .398" Slot In Arm: .482" And here are measurements on bolts I have, with the smaller measurement being the root of the threads and the larger the top: 3/8": .330" .370 10MM: .347 .386 7/16": .378 .430 12MM: .418 .463 The only bolt that is going to have full engagement is a 12mm. I checked and it will pass through the slot of the arm with about .020" clearance. Am I better off using a nut? Or Helicoil it? Or use a different alternator?

Wasn't my truck. Instead, it was my neighbor's Jimmy. He ordered in a "bed bar" from Go Rhino that looks essentially like the one below. However, it also has on top of it an electrically-controlled light bar. With a push of a button the lights lay down. Anyway, we got it all unpacked and started installing it, only to discover that the left rear "leg", the one closest to you in the picture, was the wrong part. In fact, instead of pointing down as the right one does, it pointed up. What had happened was they'd sent two right rear legs. Boy was he bummed! You wouldn't think that a boxed system would have wrong parts in it, but it sure did. However, I gotta tell you that a "bed bar" and a "headache rack" are very, VERY different things. The legs bolt onto the cross piece with 3/8" bolts - one per leg. Compare that with the headache rack Hamm0ckjames is selling here, where he says "The rails are 4x4x1\4 angle iron, the pipe headache rack part is 2 inch pipe and the square tubing is 1 1\4."

That's a serious headache rack! But shipping isn't going to be reasonable.

Fuel injection systems usually have an idle air controller (IAC) that bleeds air around the throttle. The computer pulses the IAC to keep the engine idling at the preset RPM, despite the A/C system coming on, the tranny going in gear, the power steering pump requiring power, etc.

Thanks, Jim. Had a discussion about the PC'ing of parts with my brother today. He asked if I was creating another trailer queen like Dad's truck. I assured him that while the engine is going to be a jewel under the hood, I was just about done with the PC'ing. However, then I got to thinking about a few other things that need attention. One is the fuel rail. As we discussed in this thread, I have two fuel rails - one that takes a 3-screw regulator and one that takes a 2-screw regulator. Having re-read the posts there I guess I'll go with the 2-screw rail because that appears to be the latest design - which has screws accessible from the top instead of the bottom, and two o-rings instead of one. But that rail is the one that needs the most attention, so I'll have to blast and powder coat it. May try the new epoxy/finish coat trick in black. Oh yes, Jim - you've suggested tapping the ear of a 3G alternator, but I've forgotten what size. I've measured the hole and compared it to a 3/8 tap and I wouldn't get full threads. But, it looks like 10mm would work. Is that what you've suggested? After all, it was your alternator.

And here's what the engine looks like with the PC'd parts gently installed:

I don't have the 1985 Explorer Program brochure scanned in, and it is too big for my scanner. But, in looking through it I find no pictures whatsoever of a Flareside Explorer. No mention of a Flareside at all in the text, at least that I can find. Having said that, the Flareside is mentioned in the price sheet I've embedded below. But, in the brochure it says: An Explorer name badge is included on Packages "A", "B", and "C". The Explorer tape stripe has been eliminated and replaced in 1985 by an Explorer Tu-Tone paint treatment.

Success!!!! The brackets came out looking just like all of the other Silver Lining'd parts. Here's a comparison of the alternator bracket and the valve cover: And here's the alternator bracket by itself: Here's the AC/PS bracket: A couple of pulleys and the other alternator bracket: And last, the various fasteners to hold all those pieces, as well as some others, on:

Happy to do so! If you come here now we have Verona, Italian, and French. But perhaps we can stop at your place some time and take you out? (But we've discovered that it is less expensive and a lot faster to fly to Florida and rent a car there if needed.)

80/86 F100/350.U150 - - w/unleaded gas EOTZ 10890-A

Hmmmm, those are on their way to Oklahoma. You saved more of my money. Thanks!

It is hard these days to know which ones really are both legal and good to use. From what I read many of the LED headlights may SAY they are DOT approved but aren't. And they may well put out a lot of light, but also blind the on-coming driver. I think that's what the Afeax advert is saying.