Gary Lewis

Almost certainly. Other things to check would include all of the exterior lighting and aiming the headlights. And if you were looking for something else to do, the headlight wiring harness might be a good thing to do. You'll have bright lights for the trip. I hadn't considered aiming the headlights, but that's not a bad idea - I don't know if that's ever been done on this truck. As for the wiring harness...I've considered that off and on over the years, and I recognize the benefit of doing so. But I like having an unmolested truck; there are fewer and fewer as the years go by. I'm not sure I want to start down the modification road without good reason. Bear in mind as you consider the headlight relay harness that it prevents a potential meltdown of the wiring near the headlight switch. The connectors on the switch and wiring tend to lose connectivity over time. More specifically, the high current through the less-than-perfect connections causes heating, which causes them to lose their "spring" which causes the connection to get worse, which causes more heating, which...... I've not had it happen, but I do know several times in various forums we've diagnosed a headlight problem as a bad switch or bad wiring due to heat. Some found the connector on the switch itself burned, and some found the wire(s) close to the switch were melted - sometimes into another wire, causing a short. And, the power feed from the battery to the switch does not go through a fuse, just a fuselink, so it has some power. The original wiring and connectors were marginal when new - and they are now far from new. Ford changed that design several years after our trucks were made and put relays out under the hood so the switch and associated wiring just carries the pull-in current for the relay and not all of the current of the headlights. And that's exactly what the harness does for our trucks. Some of the harnesses that are commercially available are plug & play, meaning they can be added w/o cutting any wiring. That's the way I made mine, and it worked extremely well - the harness plugs into the headlight wiring on one end and into the headlight on the other. And if later you decide you don't want the harness in there you can unplug it and go back to the stock wiring.

Yes, it is certainly going to look great. And, it'll win lots of shows, just not the one this weekend. But, it'll be worth waiting for.

Yes, Erik is both accessible and willing to work with me. Actually, he wants to work with me as this kit is very new and they've only installed it on one Bullnose truck - and that required modification of the kit as well as twisting and bending things like I'm doing. Apparently the original design for that front bracket/spring hanger had it too far forward for the SuperDuty springs. And now, with my discovery yesterday, he's afraid they moved it too far back. He said they've sold the kit to a few "others", but I got the implication that they were kids that would modify them to fit, regardless. So he's very happy to work with someone who will consult with him when the problems arise and collectively figure out what needs to be done to resolve it. In the end he wants the kit to be "right".

I think so as well. I still have oil and coolant to change, but that’s trivial. My biggest problem will be resisting the urge to futz with something else. Is the spring compressor tool on order? Nope! It’s sitting on my workbench next to the valve holder tool, waiting for it’s moment of glory. Excellent! So the games begin on Saturday? Other things to check would include all of the exterior lighting and aiming the headlights. And if you were looking for something else to do, the headlight wiring harness might be a good thing to do. You'll have bright lights for the trip.

Thanks, but the first round of rain just dampened up. My brother, who lives in southern Kansas, said they got 2 1/2", and here in Tulsa where we are for the day they said they got lots of rain. However, there are more rounds coming. And, Ray Cecil just texted to say the wrenching session on his MiL's car isn't going to happen 'cause the car is toast. So I'll be back inside the shop tomorrow on the RSK. But, can you show us how you are shortening the wires? Pics?

And you have plenty of time to do it. I think your truck is going to be ready long before the time comes. Is the spring compressor tool on order?

I sure hope the view is worth the climb. It is enough hassle having to massage the frame on Big Blue, but if I couldn’t get ahold of Erik or if he didn’t return my call I wouldn’t be happy.

That would be cool! But, three Webers would run into serious money, and then there’s the linkage and tuning. Two 2150’s, or two of anything, will be enough fun. 😉

I’ll try to remember to be gentle with the brakes. And I really appreciate all the work you did to remove and ship the parts, as well as to share them. 👍

Jim - Didn’t catch it, but you are right, it is the surface area. Jonathan - I know I’m going to like the later style M/C over the cast iron one, and since I have the one from the F450 I’ll use it. It’ll look SERIOUS under the hood. 😉 And, I’ll bet I like it. I’ve never liked the brakes on Big Blue as they are soft and have too much travel, and I’ve always been impressed with how hard and quick those on Blue are. So to have BB’s quick and firm will be a joy. 👍

Right you are! Well spotted.

Thanks. I think it is the wheels that make all the difference.

And the Simpson has an actual needle, with a mirror behind it, that lets you see changes in the reading. Those were the days, my friend. We thought they'd never end.

Ohhhh, that's a GOOD price! (And, it reminds me that when Ray comes over tomorrow maybe we should set my canopy up over his MiL's car. Can't get it in the shop 'cause BB is frontendless, and it is supposed to be nasty.

My Craftsman just won't die, so I haven't found the justification for a Fluke. But that's what I'll buy when/if the time comes.

I'm thinking it is the 2nd from the left, but am not sure 'bout that. I'm guessing the bulb may be burned out if it doesn't come on with the key.

For the last several days we've been under an extreme heat advisory. We are now under a flash flood watch. Working outside looks to be no fun at all. But, you are having fun, fun, fun with no T-Bird to take away! Those wires are just a bit to BIG! That's going to take some WORK and patience.

The heater actually works great, once I've driven the 10 or so miles down the highway needed to get the thermostat to open. That, of course, also means the block heater had been running all night...… The block heater does prevent having to scrape off frost on those cool-ish mornings, so that's a nice feature. Yes, I remember you said that the engine is slow to warm up. But didn't know you have a block heater. That's cool! Or, maybe warm? And Jim's right, there is the swap meet. But you said you have dealer air, right? I have some factory air stuff, but nothing for dealer air installs.

Ok, probably best to work this one thing at a time. So lets do map lights. I've included the wiring diagram, and it looks like the dome light and map lights are on two different fuses. Have you checked Fuse 8? As for the emergency brake light, in '81 there was no switch on the e-brake pedal. I've included both the wiring diagram for that as well as the following page in the EVTM that tells when the light should come on for the emergency brake. Does your light come on when you turn the key to On?

Tomorrow will be cooler, Paul. But dealer added A/C is going to make things difficult. However, A/C season is almost over, so you'll be able to drive it this winter - if the heater only worked.

Yes and yes, guys. The dead-blow doesn't leave marks, so gets used a lot. The sledge and a 2x4 carries a bit more punch but only gets used when the dead-blow can't get it done even with many blows. As Erik said, these trucks were crudely-built when new, and they are far from new. Judging by the camper tie downs and the 5th wheel hitch bracket in the bed, this one has been used. And with a 460, two batteries, and a winch sitting up front, as well as probably a big camper hanging over the cab, the front suspension has been carrying quite a load. So it is no wonder that the frame is wonky. I'm not thrilled by the work it is taking to install this kit, but I am certainly glad that bracket will be on the front tying everything together and the straight axle won't be trying to contort things on every bump.

Oh, I see! What a difference!!!!

Very true. I've come to the conclusion that it is wise to pay someone that knows the correct bits to put together for a given application. Someone like Tim or Scotty that lives and breathes a specific engine is invaluable. I told Scotty what I want to use the engine for, that I have the F3 heads, will be running EEC-V and want to burn regular pump gas to tow and offroad with, but still get "good" MPG - for a 460. And with that he knew what pistons, deck height, cam, etc. And, he strongly recommended headers.

It says it has a 5-speed tranny, and the shift lever looks like a ZF5's. If so, his statement about "the reverse gear just went South about two weeks ago, but those old trannies are cheap and easy to find" is a bunch of baloney. My ZF had a broken reverse gear and a few other issues, and the rebuild was $1000 - on top of $500 for the tranny in the first place.

I've put a later clock in an earlier truck by pulling the wires & pins out of the two connectors and mating them. A bit of heat shrink around each one and electrical tape around all of them, and who needs a connector? They use the same wire colors with the exception of the early one having a LB/R that comes from the instrument dimmer while the later one has a BR wire that comes from the headlight circuit. In other words, the early clock gets a variable to dim while the later one just gets nothing or 12v to dim.