Gary Lewis

Hopefully I will answer everyone’s questions... The cluster itself will interchange (white shell is the same). The circuit films are the same, even the ones with electric speedometer. The 1980 medium duty have the green film and different indicator light pinning just like the light pickups. The later medium duty had an electronic 75 mph speedometer. I don’t know if there is a way to make this work with a tone ring rear end, but that might be a project for someone who is good with electronics. The trim piece below the steering column does not fit our trucks. The column axis is slightly shifted and the opening is longer on the Medium duty trucks. Trent is modifying one to fit, but it requires cutting and gluing plastic, fabricating a mount for the cable pull plate etc., it’s anything but a direct bolt-in, and generally too small for gauges. Jonathan - Thanks. So, that's what Trent is doing - including one for me he said. And, while it may be too small for gauges, I want one for a switch or switches. One for the PTO function feeding to the EEC-V system to up the idle speed on Big Blue, both for alternator output while winching as well as for compressed air output while airing up. So a switch and an indicator, bright enough to get your attention, would be great. Cory - I'd still like to have it, as well as the bracket behind it if reasonably possible. But, there's absolutely no hurry.

Yes! That's what it is. That is the hole for the drain plug. It seems you have the TC incorrectly indexed.

Nice looking truck! Tell us more about it? And go to the New Member's Start Here folder and introduce yourself?

Nice price, but it is a shame that the harness is cut on the wires going to the oil pressure and temp senders.

Well, I just got a new Ford publication today called Ford Truck Body Builders Layout Book 1985. And it has a lot of interesting info in it - including engine dimensions. I'll get them scanned some day, soon I hope, but will have to farm that out for two reasons. First, I'm going to start powder coating parts for Dad's truck as well as for a friend almost immediately since the grandtwins left today and I must get something done. Second, the pages are something like 11" x 15", and my scanner isn't big enough. Until then you'll have to take my word for these dimensions. And, heed the notes as these are the outside-to-outside dimensions. And compare those dimensions with these, which are also said to be outside-to-outside. I don't know the source of these, but I do know the source of the ones above. So, once I get the pages scanned and up on the website I'll have to go to Keith Dickson, of FORDification where I got the table below, and suggest they aren't spot-on. And here's a teaser of one of the pages from the book:

Notice that the needles on this cluster are all still orange? Being a fire truck, this thing probably spent 95% of it's life parked indoors. I think I'm going to grab this one just to have as a spare in case I buy that truck I've been looking at (or a different one later) with a 300/6. Never hurts to have spares. That thing looks to have lots of goodies.

I think we thought they were used in Canada before the EGR system was a requirement.

Yes, cutting the ears off, rounding the edge of the rib, etc.

Adam - You are right, you can't really figure it out inside the cab. The shunt we've been talking about shows on Page 17 here (Electrical/1985 EVTM/Charge & Power Distribution (Gas)), right below the ammeter in the illustration. Note that one end of the shunt hooks to the starter relay/solenoid, and the shunt is a black/orange wire. From the solenoid end of the shunt there is a red/orange wire going to the ammeter, and from the other end of the shunt there's a yellow/light green wire going to the other side of the ammeter. The voltage that is created across the shunt when current flows in it is extremely small. Way, way less than a volt. So small you almost can't measure it with a DVM. And, the ammeter is so sensitive that if you put your DVM on the resistance setting and try to measure the meter you will probably damage it. In reality, when you replace the alternator you need to disconnect the wires going to the ammeter and replace the shunt with a piece of larger wire.

So, am I going to be able to use that under-the-column bezel? And, do I need the bracket that is behind it?

I can't find that one in the catalog, but it does look to be the right one.

So you can't use the whole cluster together, but you can the individual gauges? Or?

Congrat's!

Wow! I would have never thought that you could clean that cover's looks up that much. But with a bit of Dremel work to round the ridges the way they look in the center of the cover and no one will know.

Gary, Consider it done man. I'll grab it next time I go by. I might grab one or both of the clusters if they're worth anything at all. Thanks! Just let me know how much it is and how much shipping is.

I'm pretty sure they will work. And, if you aren't interested in the bezel under the steering column with the knob and light then I sure would.

The connector is plastic so it shouldn't be a problem up against the boot. Looks like you are good to go.

As you probably know, Randy, there aren't many, if any, aftermarket 2bbl intakes for the 351W. The only aluminum 2bbl manifold I'm aware of is from Ford. But, be careful with what you find there. Many people were not aware that with a mix of aluminum and steel/iron they needed to run a good anti-freeze. And w/o it the intakes corroded badly where the front and rear coolant passages meet the heads. Brandon/Bruno2 repaired his intake with JB Weld, but it took a while. So if you are shopping that's the first place I'd look to ensure what I'm buying isn't badly pitted. Otherwise it'll leak coolant.

You are making excellent progress! Congrat's! As for the torque converter, it is ok to pull it forward with the bolts. BUT, the bolts should not take much force to turn them. You should snug them down in a pattern where #2 is across from #1, and go around that way so you don't cock the thing and cause the knob on the front to bind in the pilot hole.

If the yellow Painless wire comes from the Tach terminal on the coil, then it does go to the dark green/yellow wire going to the firewall. And the black/light green wire is grounded to tell the tach that it is getting a signal from a V8. Otherwise it assumes it is a 6 cylinder engine.

Thanks, Tim! And here's that video to which you linked:

Thanks, Jim. It is fixed.

I should have given you the whole video via Youtube. I'm not sure you'll see the comments at the bottom, so there they are: So it is going to some customer. But I don't know more than that. However, I'll ask Tim to comment.

I think you have it all, Jim. But, just in case here's the 3G page: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/3g-conversion.html

That's the little 3.2L/232 CI Essex V6. Didn't last long, fortunately. http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/38l-232-v6.html