Gary Lewis

Gary, that's a good question. I'm up and down on wheels all the time...bit of a moving target I guess. I may go with the factory Bronco wheels (the 15x8 ones) if I can find 4 of them. Otherwise, I might switch from the steel chrome to an aluminum set. Right now, my main goal is to get the old truck driving a little better, so getting round wheels has moved further up the priority list. Jim - No, I don't want pics of a crunched bumper. I want pics of the lights installed in the new bumper. Cory - I'm glad your wheels are a moving target. Might aren't as the trucks haven't moved 2' in many months. Anyway, the stock aluminum wheels are nice, but by now usually need refinished. Anyway, I can see being "up and down" on them.

Good job on the bumper, then. As for the front clip, I understand the issue of being knee-deep in parts. So it makes sense to put them back on if it is going to be some time.

Yup, the EFI and Feedback carb trucks had harnesses passing through that hole. My '84 just has an oval rubber plug in there. I grabbed a spare oval plug out of an '86 at the junkyard last year just to have on hand. I figured that sometime I'd be fixing an old EFI truck and would need the plug to convert it to carb. Scott - Staring into the blast cabinet is therapy for me. Seeing the parts come out so nice and "new" is really fun. But, I do suppose it can get old. As for the brake controller, I've not been around that one. How big is the control head, meaning the switch assembly? Might be easier to find a place for than the larger ones. Concerning the rubber plug & hole, I've not been around one of the trucks with the wiring going through there to the computer. But that's good to know.

I asked this in the project thread, but how are you going to install the engine w/the front clip on?

Well, in the dark the bumper looks good! How does it look in the daylight? As for the front clip, you put it on before installing the engine? What do you use for an engine hoist? I find it much easier with my shop crane to have the radiator support, grille, and bumper off. What am I missing?

Nice truck. Wonder what it'll go for. Anyone watching it?

More and more details, and pretty soon it'll be DONE! Keep on keeping on.

Nice truck, but not for that price. I wouldn't be looking for an F250 4wd given my experience. But if I were that side trim would put me off.

Fords4life - Looks great! And that manifold is from a '93 or later engine. Cory - What wheels do you think you'll replace them with? Jim - Where will you mount the new lights? Pics, please!

https://www.amazon.com/Master-catalog-introduction-Edoardo-Weber/dp/B0007JV562

Amen, brother!

It does point to the carb. I don't think there's another stop for the throttle, although I've proven that I don't know much about a Holley, so maybe there is. But the plates are supposed to be aligned on the shafts from the factory so both of them close well. However, if you are able to turn the shaft a bit more and get the idle to come down I'm guessing that one of the throttle plates is misaligned and stopping the other one from closing. I don't recommend this as everything I've read says you shouldn't do it. But I've taken the screws out and put them back on many carbs and have gotten the throttle plates aligned nicely each time. However, you don't need to completely remove the screws or plates. You should be able to loosen the screws and shift the plates around to get them to close better or evenly. But the screws are probably staked such that you can't remove them w/o grinding them off - or risk breaking them off. So be careful. Anyway, with the idle at ~850 something's wrong and you've pretty much proven that there's no vacuum leak.

Yes, y'all figured it out. But at least Amazon thinks it is going to fit the '95 front suspension, so I doubt it'll be the switch. As for the window crank, I have short grandkids.

It's just a plastic ring with a little lip on it. It should have a relatively snug fit on there...at least the original Ford ones did. I found the Moog aftermarket replacements were a little loose, so when I did my bushings I reused the old plastic parts. With such low mileage on the truck they were like new anyway. I'd make a plan to replace them and the bushings. Not urgently, but soon-ish. I agree with Cory - soonish. As for the replacement part, I use Energy Suspensions or Prothane's polyurethane bushings. They will give a stiffer ride but more control.

Well folks, I'm home! Janey and I've been gone for a week, during which we drove 2067 miles to New Orleans, Houston, and the Texas Hill Country. Meanwhile I ordered a "few" parts. Here's the stuff that has already come in, with several more pieces due soon: And, I realized today while driving that I didn't order the caster/camber alignment kits. So just got these on order. What do you see a bit odd with the advertising?

Glad you got that one sorted. And thanks for the info.

If I remember correctly, that piece actually goes through that bracket, so can't fall out. But you are going to have some movement there, and will want to replace it soon.

Yeah, there are only about three axle capacities in use: 3500; 5500; and 7500. And most are 3500. Unfortunately, people don't understand that the trailer subtracts from the GVWR and usually badly overload trailers. But now that you know.... Anyway, you are going to love having a trailer.

Welcome, Kurt! Glad you joined. I took the liberty of adding you to our member's map (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map in the menu) since you gave your town. Your truck sounds like quite a project. Hope you are going to start a thread on it. And, how are you going to control the tranny? At first I thought you were doing the EEC computer trick like Bill has done and I'm doing. But then you said "4100". So, how are you going to do that?

That would be cool! One of a kind. Just told Janey this morning that as some of our trucks get done we will really have quite the show. Big Blue should be ready for next year. Scott has a build going, as do many others. So, build that thing up, load Little Blue on it, and come on down!

By the way, are you sure the 7000 lbs is the "load capacity"? I'd bet that's the axle ratings, as 3500 lb axles are common. But the trailer is going to be at least 2000 lbs, so the load capacity will be less than 5000 lbs - assuming those are 3500 lb axles.

Trailer weight spec's are here: Documentation/Specifications/Towing. I'd use the 1986 Towing Guide tab. But you aren't going to like the #'s. The best with a manual is 3900 lbs, and that's with 4.10 gears, and I don't think that's what you have.

The really rare stuff is like on Rick/Fonzie's truck. It shows on the cover of the early 1985 brochure, below:

That would be awesome for logging! But the diesels, and the 460's, didn't happen until late '83, and even then they may have gone mainly to CA. So an '80 diesel doesn't compute. Someone had to have transplanted it.

Didn't ask. He just wanted to know what type of u-joints an F350 had. I answered. But I didn't tell him the type of shaft doesn't really matter if it is hitting the crossmember.