Gary Lewis

Well, that was quick! Well done! So, let the comments begin!

Welcome! You beat me to it by posting your intro before I asked for it. Well done! Where in Newfoundland? I ask because we have a map at Bullnose Forum/Member's Map in the menu and can add you with a city or postal code.

Snotty - Welcome to the forum. But the email you were sent asked you to go to the New Members Start Here folder and publish an introduction before posting elsewhere. We do that because we have our guidelines posted there and want everyone to have had a chance to see them because we will hold you to them. So let's park this conversation right here until you post an introduction in NMSH.

I'm sorry, but the email you were sent specifically asked you to introduce yourself by going to the New Members Start Here folder before posting elsewhere. That's important as we have posted our guidelines there and we hold everyone to them so you need to have had every chance to see them. We will hold any discussion about a spare tire holder until you write your intro and confirm that you've read the guidelines.

Yes, welcome! Glad you joined. Hope you'll post some pics of your truck, but you may want to read the page at Bullnose Forum/Forum FAQ's on that subject as it isn't the easiest. Speaking of pages, we have a map at Bullnose Forum/Member's Map and we can add you with a city/state or zip.

In the vehicle??? or in the gun? Both. Made a huge mess on the shelf and a bit of a mess under the truck. That grease, whatever it was, was the worst. But all the greases I've used have separated over time in the gun. The stuff from Lube Shuttle hasn't, so far. And it has been almost a year.

You're right Chantal, working with a clean gun (and any tool, in fact) is much more pleasant. But I have to admit that, even clean, this tool I my most detestable one. Since I use it 3-4 times a year on my little Kubota tractor, I don't clean it too often and tolerate it dirty as it is. By the way, what's a good frequency for greasing a Bullnose? Jeff - I think the frequency depends on many things. Obviously one would be mileage, and the 85 owners manual says do that every 7,500 miles for steering linkage and driveline. But another thing is driving conditions, as the manual also says to do lube every 1,000 miles if you drive in water or mud. Another would be the type of grease you use. What I've been using previously had been separating in the vehicle and dripping a bit after usage. But the stuff I got with the Lube Shuttle doesn't do that, so I think it'll be good for longer.

Because the cluster is out is why I say now is the time to test from where the plug goes in all the way thru the cluster, IVR the gauge back out to the plug. Then again because you know the fuel and oil gauges work if you put power to the IVR and check at the temp gauge in and then out all the way back to the plug you will know for sure that part of the cluster is good before you go putting back in. Being it sounds like the new sender and wire back to the plug is good is even more reason to check the cluster. Dave ---- I assume I can use small alligator clips to connect to the plug, but how would I connect the wire to the ribbon? Yes, an alligator clip can easily connect to the sender. And if you are careful you should be able to use one on the ribbon. If I remember correctly the ribbon wraps around the connector and sticks out a bit, so you should be able to gently put a clip there. Gently. Or just use the probe from the meter to touch the trace.

Yes, that certainly IS nice to have a neighbor that will help! We have good neighbors, but they are busy and seem to rarely be around. So I feel badly about asking for help. Anyway, you are making progress. But what are you going to do about the rear cab crossmember? How bad is it?

I've not had a new one I installed break. I've had broken ones on trucks I've purchased, but after replacing them I've not had more problems. Is there a chance you are getting the wrong one? From the listing below there are ones for fixed columns and ones for tilt columns. And there are ones for 1980 - 83, 1984, and 1985 - 86.

John and I swear by our Lube Shuttle grease guns. Heretofore I've sworn at my grease gun.

Ok, that makes sense. So do a resistance test with the engine cold on pin 25 (ACT) and 37 (ECT) and there should be essentially the same resistance.

You've put Butler on the map.

So we are reading it correctly. And I see that ACT and ECT are the same resistance for the same temp, but does that mean Rene needs to do something? Are you suggesting that he ensure that he didn't interchange them in the wiring? Or, why did you mention it?

Rene - I see what you are saying. Where the 1989 column intersects with the Pin 25 row it says that's Ckt 310. And if you go over to the Circuit # column 310 is the ACT circuit. Bill - Are we reading it correctly?

Welcome, Rowdy! Glad you joined! Nice truck! And if you can get 14 MPG you are doing REALLY well. My 85 F250 can get to 13 with its EFI'd 460 and a ZF5, but not 14. Are you in PA? If so, where? We have a map (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map in the menu) and can add you with a city & state or just a zip.

You wish!

Nice truck. But it isn't worth anywhere near $110K!

Yes, we toured with that Yamaha. Got to Niagara Falls and Montreal at one point, and many smaller trips as well. Never, ever had a moments problem with it. Not sure how well it would corner as I didn't push it. But it handled nicely and I loved it. Fast, smooth, quiet, reliable. What was not to like?

That's quite a bike, Jim! And I agree that a shaft beats a chain for distance. My brother, cousins, and I had a good get together a week ago today and we talked about Water Buffalo, Kaw 900's, K1's, and the like. And all agreed that you could get on them one time and the chain was no longer properly adjusted. But my XS11 with its shaft drive would run and hide from most of those and never needed the drive looked after. But it wouldn't raise the front w/o provocation. However, it would run any speed you wanted all day long. Didn't ride any distance at 100, but certainly did two-up with luggage at 80 and it was almost dead quiet and completely smooth at that speed.

That's the trouble with modified vehicles. Even though Big Blue is well documented that doesn't mean that someone won't change something they shouldn't or put the "right" part on when they shouldn't. Installing a 1G alternator or the original style starter would cause all sorts of problems. And that also goes for fuel tanks. Imagine trying to put the FDM's into 1985 tanks - they'd go in but not index correctly. But I can't help but want to improve things! Why run a 1G alternator or the original starter when better ones are available off the shelf? Why be stuck with a fuel system that fails frequently and parts are hard to find? And on and on it goes.

That is really cool! They really did a good job on the Beetle. But I don't think I want Ford to "restore" Big Blue. Granted his EFI system is one of theirs, but they'd need my wiring diagrams on how I interfaced their 1996 EFI system to their 1985 wiring. However, if they plugged one of their ECU's in it would have a fit since it wouldn't find the EGR system nor the vapor recovery system. And they could probably figure out how I used their 1990 A/C system. Similarly they could work out how I used the ZF5 tranny they put in later trucks. But what would they do with the front & rear cameras? The bed cover? The tool box with the on-board air system? The inverter? No, sorry. I don't want Ford to restore it. I have Big Blue about where I want him.

You can tag Bill yourself. On the Assignment dropdown, below, just click the center one and assign it to 85lebaront2, like I've done. But I'll bet he's going to point you to the documentation he provided on our page at Documentation/Electrical/ELECTRONIC ENGINE CONTROL (EEC). There click the Pin Outs tab and then go to the bottom of the page and pick the EFI 5.8 tab. And on there I see 25 being ignition ground and 29 being ACT.

That really IS unique! Maybe there are two of them in existence?