Gary Lewis

So, Big Blue needs the nose higher?

Well, apparently no one out there has any thoughts. Anyway, yesterday I pointed someone on FaceBook to the HVAC page, only to discover that it was a mess. The logic of the layout for the page was suspect, some illustrations were on the wrong tab, and the Parts List tab had very few parts listed. So I spent a lot more time than I should have re-organizing the page and adding tons of parts to the list. So, please see what you think: HVAC Systems. It isn't done, but I could use some other eyes looking it over. Please? Also, I added the TSB for the hydraulic clutch/firewall cracking issue: TSB's: High Clutch Effort.

That's a much better look. We watched the made-for-TV movie about the Branch Davidians, and there was a Bullnose with a later bed in it. Saw it several times - and didn't like it.

I wasn't going to say it in case you bought the truck, but I would want the wheelwell openings to match. I've seen several Bullnose trucks with later beds on them and the mismatched wheelwell openings bugs me. (I don't know why I didn't spot that immediately.) And good luck on the Lincoln!

I wasn't going to say it in case you bought the truck, but I would want the wheelwell openings to match. I've seen several Bullnose trucks with later beds on them and the mismatched wheelwell openings bugs me. (I don't know why I didn't spot that immediately.) And good luck on the Lincoln!

The 1987 fenders have a larger radius wheel opening, with a slightly different lip. If you look at the 1980-1986 fenders, and then the 1987 you can see the difference. The Bullnose Flareside rear fender openings are contoured the same as the front fenders. Now I see the difference. Ok, thanks!

That truck has the rare one year only 1987 Flareside bed on it...or at the very least, the 1987 fiberglass fenders. How can you tell? I'm curious.

Yes, a different truck for every purpose. A Flareside would make a cool daily driver. I'd like to try a 300 six with lots of tricks on it with an OD tranny behind it - but not the ZF5 since they shift so slowly. As for a tire-smoking V8, I wouldn't start with a 302 if that was my goal. Go with a 351 to get the stroke and, therefore, the torque.

It certainly is a nice looking truck. But, again, the question is what you want to do with the truck. This one is 2wd, diesel, auto. The heavy engine and the lack of 4wd mean it isn't going anywhere in the snow and probably not even just offroad. A 2wd 460 is said to get stuck on wet grass, and that diesel must weigh about the same. The diesel, being non-turbo'd, will pull LOTS - but slowly. And I've read that the low RPM of the diesel doesn't couple very well with a C6 since the torque converter is always slipping, and especially so at low RPM. So, while a diesel can be very frugal, I don't know that one with a C6 behind it would be. But, perhaps someone who has one will chime in?

Yes, that is a good combo and would have made a nice truck. But, just hide and watch and another one will come along. What do you want to do with the truck? To me, that makes all the difference in what you buy. If you want to drive it and get decent MPG then you want a smaller engine, and probably not the C6 tranny. If you want to feel the power then you want something with a bigger V8, but it won't get the MPG. So, what you want to do with the truck is the key.

That's $3200 Canadian, which is just less than $2500 US. Why would you want the 300 six? It is a truck engine with lots of torque down low. But it won't accelerate like the 351 HO, and the HO has the least emissions "stuff" of the small V8's. The 460 had similar emissions, but it was only available in an F250 or 350, and now you are talking heavier trucks that ride like a truck. Anyway, not trying to talk you into it, just making sure you see the options.

Nice! But don't miss this one. $2000 cheaper, but lots further away. And it is a 300 six vs the 351 HO.

Glad it helped. Please let us know how the repair goes. You might have a new profession.

I like it! That's a very nice truck and $2478 US is a very reasonable price.

Gavin - You are now on the map. And that shows me that you aren't far from Ray/Notenoughtrucks. Maybe you two can have coffee some day. As for the XLS, I do not believe there is anything in the VIN nor on the certification label that tells it was built as an XLS. But if you find the build sheet it might. Those are sometimes found between the foam and the springs at the bottom of the seat, under the carpet, stuffed in the dash above the glove box, or in other seemingly random places. But in my work trying to decode a few build sheets I haven't seen anything on there that would say XLS. So, perhaps a Marti report would? Jonathan/FordF834 is pretty savvy about the XLS trucks, so maybe he knows?

I actually installed a Terrapin brace in my 1984 when I installed the new clutch master and line, etc. My truck also had the smaller of the two Ford repair braces installed previously...I assume through Ford as part of the TSB some 30 years ago...I dunno really. That Terrapin brace is a lovely piece, well made and plenty strong for the job. I had a bit of an issue with mine as it didn't fit the contours of my cab perfectly. I ended up cutting the angle portion off and then welded it back on at a slightly different angle/location. In any case, it's rock solid now. Edit: Part of my interest in having these parts on hand is that I'm casually looking for another Bullnose project, and having the parts required for a manual trans swap really opens up my options. Back when I was looking for the truck that I have now, finding one with a manual trans was tough. Furthermore, there seems to be way more early Bullnose trucks for sale up here than later, so finding a complete 84-86 truck or parts truck is not nearly as easy as finding, lets say, a 1980-1981. When I search across the country, there's usually lots of 1980-1982 trucks, and then they taper down hard from there. Most of the time, I don't find any 1985-1986 trucks. Interesting on the plastic guard for the steering box input shaft. I assume then that mine is from a different vehicle...I dunno. I'll take some pictures of it when I swap them out, which won't happen until I get my new RedHead steering gear and new steering shaft (later this fall I hope). Now that you mention cutting your brace and welding it back I think I remember that. (Man, what I'd give to be able to remember like I used to. But then, I can't remember how I used to remember. ) Yes, post some pics of the other plastic guard. I'm curious. Interesting on finding the later Bullnose. I'm not in the market so hadn't been keeping track. But I'll start watching.

Wow! That thing is thirsty! Even Big Blue gets 11 - 12 MPG at 65 MPH. But he's running 3.54 gears and you have 4.11's. On the other hand, Big Blue probably weighs more with the front bumper, winch, auxiliary battery, and the toolbox absolutely full of tools. And then there are the massive tires which weigh 65 lbs each - just for the tire, not including the wheel. Anyway, to tune the idle mix use the vacuum gauge and dial it in for max vacuum. But turn each screw in 1/4 turn increments and then go to the other one to keep them roughly in sync. You should find that going clockwise/in will bring the idle speed and vacuum up, so keep doing that until the vacuum starts to drop. Back it up 1/8th to 1/4 turn on each and you should be at max vacuum. Then set your RPM with the idle stop screw. But, keep it low enough that there's no dieseling. Did replacing the fuel filter fix the problem? Perhaps that was the problem I was feeling where full throttle actually was bogging where 3/4 throttle wasn't? On the pinging, I'd dial the initial timing back to 8 or even 6. I think you have too light of springs in the dizzy and you are getting your mechanical advance too soon. So take some of that out with less initial advance. Oh yes: ICVR.

Superglue or E6000 (clear or black) should do the job. The dash had to come out, but I think I was doing other stuff back there at the time. Yes, that was the main purpose of the swap. The truck's original engine was so worn-out that I had to run WOT all the time, and there was no vacuum to operate the cruise or HVAC. Yes, I changed the inside box, and I had to block off its hole for the vent-window register hoses. But it was worth it for the positive & independent control of all the functions. https://supermotors.net/getfile/978978/thumbnail/hvac87.jpg Now that you've got me thinking about it, I might put it into the '93 EB Bronco I'm building... Steve - I like the '87/88 control approach to get the flexibility in the controls, but think I can get as much as I need with the Bullnose control and a few mods I have planned. Like the Heat Shut Off described on the HVAC page. Thanks.

Ahhh! That makes sense. Yes, look up the current draw of the accessory and then use the appropriate wire size. And, when in doubt go bigger. And, be sure to fuse the feed to each relay appropriate to the size of wire. As for the stator wire, now I understand. If you use adhesive-lined shrink tubing you can strip a section of the existing wire, wrap the new wire around that several turns, solder it, and then cover it with the shrink tubing. The adhesive lining will flow into the cracks and crevices and seal even when you have two wires on one side and one on the other.

Welcome! A real, true XLS!?!? COOL! Don't get me wrong, you'd still be quite welcome with any truck. But there aren't that many real XLS's out there. Where's home? Do you want to be on our Member's Map?

I actually went back to the Pick N Pull today for an extended lunch break...lol. Doesn't everybody go to the junkyard for lunch?... I grabbed a hydraulic clutch pedal(s) assembly. It was just a few bucks. If I don't end up using it on a future manual trans conversion (or hydraulic clutch conversion), then it will simply be spare parts for the '84. I also grabbed another yoke for the M5OD 5spd, and some other miscellaneous hardware, bolts, etc. Another item I decided to grab was the plastic guard on the steering box input shaft. This is a nice little black 2pc jobbie, with a bottom plate that fits on the steering box, then the guard fits on the bottom plate. I hadn't seen this style before. The one in my '84 is grey, and is just like a loose upside down bucket that is a real pain to move around because it jams against the frame. (Is my grey one a non-Bullnose piece, or are the both Bullnose pieces from different years?) If you convert a truck to a hydro clutch I'd recommend using a firewall brace. The Bullnose firewalls were designed for the forces created with a mechanical linkage and are known to flex and may ultimately crack when subjected to the forces from a hydraulic clutch. Ford came out with a reinforcement plate back in the 80's due to that problem, as described in this TSB, but it isn't easily found anymore. However, Terrapin Mfg has one that'll fit our trucks, and I think it is cheap insurance when doing the conversion. As for the plastic guard, I've never seen a gray one. All the ones I've seen are black. Perhaps the gray one is from a later truck or is aftermarket, I don't know. But it looks like you have a good one with which to replace it.

Welcome! Glad you found us. And, you are on the map: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/members-map.html

Yes, but not by much. And even then my link to the ampacity calculator was the wrong one - now fixed. Anyway, we seem to think alike. I think that's good for me, but maybe not for you.

Why do you need to "tie into" the stator wire. Is that circuit, the white/black wire, being used? I know the 5.8L HO had a choke relay pulled in by the stator voltage, as shown here (https://www.wirebarn.com/Wire-Calculator-_ep_41.html), but if you have that then you won't need your own relay. Right? As for a ground for the relays, assuming that the relays are supplying voltage to the circuits, all the ground circuit will carry is the coil current, and that's less than an amp for a Bosch relay. So 4 relays can't be pulling more than 4 amps, and this site says 16 ga wire would be good for a 17' run with only a 2% drop in voltage. In other words, it would be overkill. But I'm not sure what you mean by "accessory to relay". Can you ask that one again? And bus bar is the right term.

Excellent!