Gary Lewis

Long-tube headers frequently don't fit these trucks very well. I have really expensive ($600) L&L headers on Big Blue and they are against the frame on the driver's side. So I'm not a big fan of long-tube, full-length headers. But the shorty headers might be a good compromise. Better flow than the factory manifolds but not fitment problems since they are a direct replacement for the manifolds. As for mufflers, I don't like glass packs nor Flowmasters. Glass packs can be harsh, and the Flowmasters I've been around haven't had a sound that was pleasing to me. I like Magnaflows as they have mellow sound and don't drone.

David - On the brake levers, are you sure it is D7AZ-2A737-A? Shouldn't it be D7AZ-2A637-A & D7AZ-2A638-A, as shown here? You can see the levers on the rear brake tab here: Driveline/Brakes. Are those the ones? If so, I may have a pair, but will have to go look and won't get out to the shop until Friday.

Not bad, but beat up a bit. What's the reference to a "420"?

Solid looking truck. Not sure I like all the add-ons, but it looks very clean. I'm watching it to see how high it goes.

Create a "project" or a photo gallery?

I can't see a part number to look up in the catalog. Not even a color. But the pattern on them doesn't look like what I would have expected on a Custom. Too fancy.

The handy dandy page (Interior/Boots) says it is for an 80 - 83 w/the 4-speed overdrive tranny.

Wow! For a measly $700 or so you can have a whole new look. And that's assuming the radio bezel goes for the $119 current bid - and there's still 3 days left on the bidding. Yippers!

Perfect! I knew I was missing something and that you were ahead of me.

Ray - This sounds very promising. VERY. But how are you going to accommodate the reversed range of the FDM: 22.5 ohms empty and 145 ohms full? You probably explained, but it went right over my head.

Glad the site is helping, and thanks for saying so. You are welcome. LOL! "There is only one application." That is hilarious! But, $300 isn't funny at all. Some place there is a discussion of the in-bed carriers, but I'm not finding it. Anyone know where it is?

I can't answer your question. All I can do is stir the pot. You probably know, but I have the illustrations and part numbers for the spare tire carriers here: Exterior/Spare Tire Carriers. And as you've found, while the illustration shows that 1A457 is for a 6' 9" Styleside box, the text section doesn't say that. In fact, the text section implies by the absence of any other info that it is for all bed lengths and Styleside as well as Flareside. Plus, the actual part number is E0TZ 1A457-A and it is called an Extension (Spare Wheel Carrier Support). But wait, the plot thickens! There is another mention of 1A457 in the catalog, and it happens to be with another Extension Assy. (Spare Wheel Carrier Support). This is said to be for 1983 through 1989 F100's through 350's, but it was replaced by (r/b) E3TZ 1A457-C. However, that part is for the little Ranger, not the full-sized one.

I understand. Fully. I have a stack of parts in the garage of the house that are my "swap meet" parts. I don't need them, but I don't have room for them. So, I need someone to take them. They went to my show/swap meet last Sept, but with the exception of some hub caps, everything came back. So, they'll go again this year. I don't want much for them, but just enough to keep people from just walking off with them.

That is good news! I'm not in the market for one as I have a winch bumper on Big Blue and Dad's truck will be more "sport", but if I were in the market I'd be part of a group buy.

You guys are doing a lot of work on this! I am impressed. But, won't there be a lot of electrical rewiring to use a later ECU/PCM? Or, is it just adding a few wires and changing out the ECU? And, any idea what ECU's? Just any '92 and later? Won't it have to be a 5.0L?

Thanks for the bump - and waiting this long.

Dave - There could be small differences in the bed sides, like the number of bolts fastening it to the frame. Didn't we realize there's a difference? And I'm sure there were others. I know the catalog is wrong in many cases, but I don't think it is in this case. But that is just my thinking.

I'm thinking of more possibilities for the Arduino since it'll have lots of left over computational as well as I/O power. And, here are two ideas: Bullnose sender to Bricknose gauges: The 1987 EVTM says that the Bricknose senders are 10 ohm for Empty and 210 ohms for Full. But, not knowing what the resistance of the gauge itself might be I've realized I can't calculate the current flow and, therefore, the needed pulse width. Ammeter to Voltmeter: I researched this idea a bit today. The ammeter obviously requires a negative current to show discharge and a positive one to show a charge. I tested one of my ammeters and what it took to swing it full scale was surprising: 0.15v @ .9 amp to go positive, and 0.17v @ 1.0 amp to go negative. I was hoping to drive it directly from the Arduino, but it will require a high-current source like the fuel gauge. And, I don't think it is very feasible. The issue is the requirement to have a reversal of voltages. One way to do it is to have a reference voltage, say 2.5v, above and below which another port swings. That's not easy, especially given the amount of current needed to take the ammeter to full scale in either direction. To create the reference voltage via a resistor bridge would require pulling more than 10 amps through the bridge - which would generate way over 100 watts. That's just not feasible. I need to rethink this......

Ok, now we are on the same page. And I don't have any manuals that will help you. Perhaps someone else?

I should back up a little here on the fuel filler door. Remember the flare sides only came with a 16 gal. side tank with the filler door on the front side of the left fender. I added the style side parts truck 19 gal. rear tank to my truck along with all the needed hardware to make it work. So I need to add the filler door to the rear side of my fender. Style side could come with 1 or 2 tanks even the short beds from what I have seen posted. If the truck had duel tanks the filler doors were mounted on the bed side panel 1 in front of the wheel and the other behind it. As for the doors & the opening: Depending on the year and I don't know what year this switch happened, they changed. The early years have flat doors and the opening had a "finger" cut out to open the door. Later years the door had the "finger" cut out and the opening was square/flat on all sides. Being both my trucks are 81's they have the early doors. And yes both the style side & flare side use the same door & opening from what I can tell. I will take 1 of the openings/doors and graft it on my fender and hold onto the 2nd assy.. Dave ---- Dave - The catalog shows one bed side for 1980/82 and then another from '83 through '86. However, I just compared Dad's 1981 fuel filler openings to Big Blue's and they are the same - both have the finger recess in the bed. A pic of Big Blue's is below. So, apparently that wasn't what changed between '82 and '83. And, the page in the link above shows only one fuel filler door for all of 1980 - 86. Having said that, I happen to have a spare door, the plastic piece, and maybe most of the other bits. Yours for the shipping if you want them - although it appears you already have the stuff you need.

Let's make sure we are on the same page. You said you have a reservoir/"selector valve". Do you mean the dash switch? Or, the valve shown below, right in the middle of the page, called the "Tank Selector Valve". You shouldn't have anything on the frame rail but the high pressure pump. Right?

Ok, I put up what the 1985 shop manual says on this page: Fuel Systems/Diagnostics. However, it shows just what the 1985 EVTM shows - that the 1985 EFI'd 5.0L had a 6-port fuel tank selector valve. But Bill says he's never seen one and thinks all the EFI'd 5.0's came without it. Besides, yours in an '86 and the '86 EVTM doesn't show one. So you need to ascertain if your truck has one. I don't think it does, so that procedure really won't help you. And I don't have a 1986 shop manual. Sorry.

Jim - At the very top under Options - Subscribe via email. Yes, I could clear-coat truly blasted aluminum, if that's what you mean. The confusion here is that the powder I've been using is Blasted Aluminum, so I don't know if you meant the powder or the aluminum with a blasted finish. But, it isn't always easy to put a coat of clear on a previously-coated finish. That's because the finish cuts down on the electrostatic attraction of the next layer. Given that, I like to use a powder that has the color but not the texture, and I think this Silver Lining is "it".

I think they looked like this before departing The Garagemahal... https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.ford-trucks.com-vbulletin/2000x1124/80-wp_20140913_001_2ad3095817af1ba8cccaa89bb8eabc388044e6b6.jpg Now I remember! Yes, we did PC them - Blasted Aluminum.

I have an '85 shop manual, but the setup you have came out mid-year so it may not have it. I'll check in a bit - after I finish this cup of French Roast and enjoy the sun coming into our sun porch while it is 17 degrees outside.