Gary Lewis

Oh, and I should also say that Granger got back and doesn't have a switch like the original fog lamp switch. So, we do need to improvise.

Ron - That may work well. But, you may not have to grind very much. Here's a shot of the backside of a knob. For reference the arm that goes in that spring retainer is .070" thick and .155" tall, although the opening is slightly bigger. And the knob measures: .510" x .510" on the back .340" x .450" on the front .560" long .25ish opening if the spring retainer were removed handle goes in .440" So, if you could thread the handle and put threads in the knob it would be easy. Don't know the shaft diameter of the handle, but the OD of #10 is .190", #12 is .216, and of course 1/4" is .250. I'm thinking that you could remove the retainer, place a lubed screw in there, and run JB Weld in around it. Pull the screw out when the JB Weld sets and screw the knob on the handle using a nut to lock it in place.

Yippee!! Can't wait!

Ron - could you post some pics? Then I could draw it up.

Ron - I agree we don't have to use a stock-style switch, especially since none are available. But, I'm not sure how well the switch you linked would work. My concern is due to the handle appearing to be an add-on over the original handle. So, if you grind it down to the width that the knob needs will the add-on then fall off? Or, maybe you mean just grind the end down, the part that the knob slips onto? In that case it should work, although you will see the larger handle behind the knob. Another very minor problem is that the hole in the dash is something less than 1/2" and that switch is 1/2" where it goes through the dash. However, that isn't a big problem as the hole can be enlarged. But it will have to be enlarged to the right as the hole in the dash doesn't align perfectly with the hole in the instrument bezel, as shown below. This shot was done with the camera as close to straight out as I could get it, and you can see that the hole in the dash is to the left of the one in the instrument bezel, and presumably the one in the fog lamp bezel.

Welcome to the Bullnose Forum! What part of Okiehoma? I'm in Skiatook, and have guys from the forum at my shop frequently to swap parts, do a bit of work, and maybe a little bench-racing. And, I host an annual All-Ford Truck Show & Swap Meet in Sept. This year's meet had people from CA, AZ, CO, KS, and AL, as well as lots of Okies. Plus, Tim Meyer was here with several engines as well as many goodies, including his aluminum Cleveland block. And we had a welding equipment demonstration where you could try your hand at welding and plasma cutting. Next year's will be on the 15th and is being billed as the international one as guys from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Germany, and Poland have said they plan to be here. Y'all come! As for the conversion, you are right that you need the DS-II harness, a blue-grommeted box, and a DS-II dizzy. And the carb can be any 2100 or 2150 that has a transmission connection. However, there are lots of different 2100/2150 carbs. You'll want a non-feedback design, and one that is sized correctly for a 351. But, there's another question to answer - are you keeping the EGR? That's pertinent because the jetting was changed when EGR was introduced as the engineers assumed exhaust gas would dilute the mix so they had to add fuel. So, if you keep the EGR you'll want a carb that was jetting for that, which would be from the mid-70's on. But if you are ditching the EGR you'll want an earlier carb - unless you plan to put a wide-band air/fuel meter on and then tune the carb. In any event, if you don't have a use for the VV then I'd put it in my "museum" or "eclectic collection" of carbs. On the vacuum connections, I have a page that explains what you need here: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/vacuum-systems.html. But, that assumes that you don't want to hook up all of the emissions stuff that was originally on the truck - if it is still there. If you do you'll have to use your vacuum routing sticker, the one that looks like the ones shown here, to re-plumb to the new carb. Post a pic of your sticker here and we can help.

Jim - I don't have a fog light switch yet. The original switches are no longer available, so we are looking for a replacement. And it is looking to me like I'll use a tank switch suitably modified to mount with screws from the front. But, it takes an odd connector, which I need to liberate from Huck. As for spreading the load while jacking, I'm going to have to think about that......

Thanks. Links to vendor's websites frequently get broken as they update pages, change the catalog, etc.

Welcome, Chris!! That is a wonderful story on your truck. Sure glad you got it back, albeit with some mods. But, I'm sure you can put it back the way you want it. And, it is a good looking truck! No wonder you wanted it back. Is that your son in the pic?

Glad you got the lights working, but it worries me that you got the wrong connector initially. Perhaps we need to document what connector actually worked for you? Do you have the part number? And, thanks in advance for the potential parts run. I just sent you an email re how to get in touch with me.

"80/" means it fits 1980 through at least the end of the catalog, which was 1989.

Gary, you wrote the rules of the game! I think it really should be that I "write", or maybe "re-write" the rules of the game. I bought the white '82 in order to learn about these trucks before getting Dad's truck. Then Rusty came along and $500 for a running 4wd truck was too good to pass up, although I didn't know that there were lots of problems lurking. So I bought Rusty and sold the '82, and then got Dad's truck soon thereafter. And about that time I was given the '50. Then a trip in Rusty pulling the boat convinced my wife I needed a new truck for long-distance towing. And the last event was Big Blue coming available, albeit in Florida, so he was added to the fleet and Rusty was sold. So, that's how I went from having no pickups to having four in a very few years.

Not quite sure how to take that. Was the "something" that worked out Bill getting to use the heater core, or you having a spare when a tire went flat? Or maybe both? Anyway, that was an ugly place to change a tire. I have a small bottle jack in addition to the original screw jack, but usually don't have anything on which to place the jack. Maybe I'd better add some small pieces of ply to the tool box.

I recently posted: But, all of that is if my other efforts are in vain. I've contacted the following: Grainger Industrial Supply: Sent them an email with Jonathan's pics and explained what we need. Allied Electronics: ditto Digikey: ditto and they've already responded that they don't have what we need, which didn't surprise me as they are mostly electronics, meaning miniature switches. Subsequently Allied came back and said "We have 2,048 switches. You can pick the one you want and order on-line." I've ordered a lot of stuff from Allied over the years, but I'm done. As for simple help and you get a response like that!? So we still have Granger as a possibility. Beyond that, I think I'll try to modify a tank switch.

I think all the dash frames had the hole, but I'll confess I haven't checked Big Blue's. And, since the catalog says the switch was 1980 - 84 it is possible that the '85 dash doesn't have it. Anyway, hope the machine shop can press the bushings.

Well, good and bad news. I do have two hinges on Huck, the '90, and they'll fit a Bullnose. But, the spring is broken on the left door, as shown below. And, I have two hinges from Bullnose trucks, but both are for the right door. So, long story short, I have three good hinges, but all are for the right door. However, all is not lost, Oz. If your hinges are the same as the ones shown below for the Bullnose then I may be able to remove the S-spring that keeps the door open. I say "may" as I haven't tried it, but if I can then it'll sure be less expensive to ship just the springs than the whole hinge assembly. Here is a 1982 (brown) and a 1985 hinge (blue) from the right door of a Bullnose, showing the S-spring that is depressed by the knob with the serrations as the door opens. Then, when the door is fully open, as it is on the blue hinge, the knob is trapped between the stop and the spring. And here is an odd retainer that probably needs to go with the spring - assuming I can get the springs out. And, for comparison, here's a good 1990 hinge. You can see a roller instead of the serrated knob, and the piece of metal between the nut and the roller is a spring. Once the roller gets past the end of the spring, as it is here, the door is held open. But, after a few thousand cycles of the door opening and closing, in this case the left door, the spring breaks and there's nothing to hold the door open.

Wonderful! Do you have a guestimate on what it'll cost?

Just got a call from Charley, the transmission expert. Turns out that Huck's transmission was built by Johnny Cash for his Caddy as it has an '89 this and a '90 that and, and and. He doesn't want to put it together with mis-matched parts, so will be looking for a mid-90's core that we can use. Having said that, there are parts in the transmission that we can use. For instance the center bearing has been upgraded to the latest style and the pump is also the later style. But the planetaries are aluminum and need to be steel. And the clutches aren't big enough to take the frictions it needs. In any event, I'm convinced I took it to the right guy since some people would have used what was in it. Others might have said I need to find another transmission. But Charley says he'll not use the case he had planned to use to replace my cracked one, but instead will find a good core to start with. That'll cost a bit more up front but will save money overall since there will be fewer parts to buy.

Yep. And, in theory I have two more. Huck, the 1990 half-truck that gave up his crossmember and will be giving up his roof for you, Oz, probably has the same hinges as the 89 and earlier trucks. According to this they all used a 1978-designed (E8) hinge. I have one door off so I'll pull that hinge and compare to those on Dad's truck and Big Blue. It runs in my mind that there was a change along the way but that they will interchange. I'll see and report back. (Perhaps I should just ship Huck to you instead of taking off the individual parts? )

Wait - I thought it was wrong if you DON'T have multiple trucks! What are you saying? Did I misunderstand the rules of the game?

Apps are cheap, but I use Photoshop Express on my phone. Yikes! That A/C system was GROSS! I'm glad you took everything apart and cleaned it, for your health's sake. And, I'll bet I know how filthy you felt when doing all of that as Huck was also that bad. Just working on him initially would almost cause me to retch. As for the engine timing, if it works then it must be right. And you can't really use David's numbers as his system is quite different than yours. Different centrifugal advance and different vacuum advance, as well as a different carb that is quite lean, and that makes a difference is how much timing it'll accept. So the only way to tune it is as you've done - play with it until it works best. And, by the way, you really don't know for sure that your timing marks are correct unless you check the damper's mark against TDC. So, you may have more than you think, but what you have works, regardless of what it is. Well done! On the noise, sometimes the pilot bearing causes noise - either in the pilot bearing itself or, more often, the input bearing on the transmission. A worn pilot bearing allows the input shaft to be positioned slightly differently each time the clutch is used. So if the noise is different after using the clutch then it might be due to a worn pilot bearing/bushing. And I'm glad you are getting the shift out of low range down. As you said, you should be able to move a mountain, and once you get that mountain rolling the close-ratio tranny will let you keep it moving smoothly.

Then the studs will be overly long. However, there's more than enough room below the instrument bezel to accommodate the length, so I don't think it will be a problem. Can you get me some dimensions on the rubber? I could at least draw it up in case someone wants to make them.

My father would have said "If that's a complement then I thank you." Seriously though, I have a spreadsheet I'm working on to tell me what sensors and wiring I'll need on a EEC-V system. So, I do see the need for off-line work and documentation.

Ok, so what did I do to/for/with my truck today? Not all that much: Fog Lamp Bezel: Hopefully finished the drawing of the bezel by fixing the mistakes Ron caught and then shipped him the file for printing, assuming it passes everyone's review. Fog Lamp Switch: Spent quite a bit of time looking through 40 of the 247 pages of switches on the Allied site. Got bleary eyed and decided to ask the professionals so contacted Allied, Granger, and DigiKey. DigiKey said they can't help. Allied said "We have 2,488 switches to choose from. You can make your choice and order online." Let's hope Granger is a bit more helpful. But, I do see a way we could use the normal tank switch with some modifications. Overlanding: Talked to a friend that sells this kind of equipment and got more info on tents, racks, storage, etc. No decisions yet, but at least I have more info to discuss with my son over Christmas. Then I started catching up with some of the posts on here, and found Bill's new post in his whitepaper on Darth. Wow! I'm loving it! But, I wondered how many words he's typed, so I put everything he's done on Darth into Word: 8 pages and 4,753 words. Way to go, Bill!

It does sit a little lower in the rear, or at least looks that way. But, other than that it looks pretty good.