Gary Lewis

Interesting! It has been a long time since I've seen stuff like that.

I think you are wise to have the axle checked by a pro. He may say they are old grandmothers worrying about nothing, but at least you will know. And if he says what I think he'll say, which is that you have a problem, then you can think about the long-pinion upgrade as part of it.

A 2" sending unit should have the Bullnose resistance range. The range changed in '87 and I think by then all of the sending units were larger. But if it really does have the wrong range you can fix that with a MeterMatch - both Jim and I are running those. As for starvation, my '96 tank doesn't have baffles and I don't have any problems. I wouldn't worry about it. I think your 33 gallon tank will work fine with an external pump and plumbed-in return.

A hole in the water into which you toss money? Or "The best day in your life" is the day in which you buy/sell a boat. Yes, I know about boats. If it has been sitting that long then the fuel system is toast. And getting a tank the correct size may not be easy. Best hope it isn't rusted through. As said in the text, a black outdrive is a Mercruiser, and that's better than white (OMC) or gray (Volvo Penta). But check the outdrive for water in the fluid before attempting to use it. Plus, the water pump impeller on it will be questionable. And so the others know I warned you, take spare tires and plan to pack the wheel bearings. I'd not start on a 180 mile trip w/o servicing the bearings on something that's set for 10 years. Oh, and lights. Back then the lights were a major, MAJOR problem. They always got wet and then rusted/corroded and wouldn't work. Plan to fix them for the trip home, and a pair of magnetic LED lights with their own wires would be something I'd consider so you don't have to try to repair the whole system on that trailer.

Bill - Is this what you are talking about? I think it is what I got from you.

Here are the slots in Dad's truck. I can get measurements if you want to add them to your truck, but they are needed to hold the side trim pieces that help hold the headliner up.

If the pinion nut comes loose the pinion will get sucked in on overrun. This usually means the tip chews into the carrier, and if that gash gets deep enough the carrier splits. AMHIK. That's exactly what I'm worried about. And why I think he should have a pro look at it. There may not have been too much damage to this point and the gears might be salvageable. Or they may be so far gone that he'll be stranded in the back of beyond if he tries to use them. I'm certainly no pro and couldn't judge how usable they are. So I'd want a pro to make the call.

Jim is right, pulling the pinion is major work. And if you do it a rebuild of the diff is required as the mesh of the pinion to the ring gear has to be reset, and that is best done by a specialist. And he is also right that you may get by with just retorquing the pinion nut. But that won't tell you if damage has been done, and if it has then further driving will eventually lead to failure. You can pull the rear cover on that axle and inspect the ring gear to see if damage has been done. You'll want to drain the fluid out as it'll all come out when you pull the cover, and when you drain it you should look in it for metal shavings or flecks. This might be an area for that specialist you mentioned as he'll know how to torque the pinion nut and test the backlash and resistance. Plus he'll know what to look for when he pulls the cover.

I don't follow all of the Bullnose pages and groups that I used to, but when I did there seemed to be a lot of posts about the Bullnose 5.0 EFI trucks. Usually some kind of electrical issue, or running issue related to idle, etc. Fuel pumps and fuel tank selector valves are common topics...or fuel systems in general. I think most OBD1 vehicles fall into boogeyman territory...in the case of Ford trucks that would be 1985.5 to 1995. That's just my own opinion. I see a lot of them around here converted to carburetors. Once they start having problems, most backyard mechanics can't figure them out. Thanks for getting us back on track, Cory. Yes, the OBD-I trucks are obtuse. The systems work fine when everything is right, but when things go wrong they can be a bear to diagnose. They have a computer, so all the inputs need to be working or they get their knickers in a twist. But they aren't sophisticated enough to provide simple info on what is wrong with things, like an OBD-II system. So you have to run the key-on/engine-off tests and fix those problems and then run the key-on/engine-on tests and fix those. But of course, you just get numbered error messages, as indicated with a blinking light, that you have to look up instead of having the code reader give you the crux of the message. As said, when everything is working they are fine. Maybe not quite as good as an OBD-II system because most of the OBD-I systems are speed density while most of the OBD-II systems are MAF. The difference is that speed density assumes that at a given RPM, atmospheric pressure, and throttle opening it knows how much air the engine just ingested. But any change in the intake, exhaust, or cam timing makes that assumption null and void. Instead, MAF actually measures the air being ingested, so can handle modifications. But for a stock, or nearly stock, vehicle the OBD-I systems work well. They just aren't as easy to maintain as a dumb carb system or a very smart OBD-II system.

I'm glad you ordered the repair bearings! You were prepared. And I'm glad the noise is gone as well. Good job! But how are the brakes? Are they improved?

Glacier is supposed to be a stunning area. I've not been, but have always wanted to go. Glad you are getting to do so. And I hope to see more pics of the place, although that first one is wonderful. The lighting is intriguing. But that 2nd one is yukky! Yes, I've been there, done that with Big Blue, and you then drive along wondering how you are ever going to get it clean again. And the truth is, you won't. But it'll come "clean enough" and you had a wonderful time, which makes it worth it. The tent is neat! I didn't realize that you are camping that way at times. Basically you are overlanding, although you aren't getting off the highways.

yeah, that was to you. ok, June. Thanks!

Wow! That's great! Can't wait to see the results.

Frame, shocks, and springs look great! And the wheels are excellent! The pinion nut backing off would cause serious problems in the differential as there's supposed to be a preload to prevent the gear mesh from changing. So you may be a candidate for a new ring and pinion. And there is the long-pinion upgrade. That was done on Big Blue before I got him so I can't tell you what all was involved, but supposedly it solved a problem they were having so might be something to consider - especially if you have to replace the ring and pinion anyway.

Did your truck come with a headliner? If not it isn't as easy as it might sound as the cabs with headliners are punched for the spring tabs for the trim piece that goes above the windows and the cabs w/o headliners weren't. At least that is the way I remember it. As for the headliner, I'm pretty sure that the headliners fit from 1980 through 1996. I say that because LMC sells the Highliner like I have in Big Blue and says it fits those years. However, they sell one for trucks that came with headliners and one for those w/o, so they must have trim pieces that will hold it up. And rear windows are similar if not the same for years. But places like LMC, assuming you can navigate their catalog, NPD, or the Bronco Graveyard might have the parts.

Welcome! Glad you joined. Nice truck! That's a lot of work, but it came out very well. Good job. Where's home? I ask because we have a map (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map in the menu) and can add you with a city/state or zip.

Wow! Such pictures! Yes, there are significant climate changes in various spots in North America. Some are well defined, and others are subtle. For instance, there's something between where Scott/kramttocs lives and where I live that causes him to get more storms & more moisture than here - in spite of him only being 200 miles NE of me. And I think that Five Tones Tune pic is of Devil's Tower. Right? You were in a very interesting part of the country. But the Rockies are special. They are one of my favourite places to go, and I'm glad the map shows you making several stops while there to enjoy them. And it appears that Big Brother is trucking right along! 2599 miles so far. Well done! Be careful and we'll see you in a few days!

Wow! They look great! So, are you headed to the show with it?

If you are off 7 degrees today you'll be off more, or less, tomorrow. Once the outer ring lets go it walks around and may eventually come completely off, destroying things as it does. So I think it is time to replace it. As an example, a friend of mine had an Opel Kadett in the 60's. Someone had installed A/C and then he'd done a tuneup. After the tuneup it ran poorly so he eventually brought it to my father. Turns out that every time the A/C compressor came on it slowed the engine so rapidly that the outer ring of the balancer slipped and the indicated timing changed. I'm not saying that yours is changing that often, but I do believe that it will change and the ring may eventually come off. And that's a bad situation. So I'd change it now.

Vinny - Was that to me? My birthday was in June, but thanks anyway.

Yikes! No wonder that the control wouldn't turn off. And you are right, it isn't going to be seen. Hope it holds.

My name is Gary, and I have a problem. 😎 Seriously, it looks good! Lokar is good stuff and it really makes things look well thought out.

Beautiful pic! Glad you got the fuel line sorted. But I wouldn't have thought of using a dime to drive them on. Apparently it spread the load nicely. As for the fuel, I like that plan. But have you thought about adding something like Sta-Bil? It helps stabilize the fuel, so I used it in boats when I put them up for the winter.

Oops, wasn't ready to post. Anyway, I think the swag has all arrived and now is the time to determine how to allocate it for this year's show. And my first approach is as shown below. But let me explain and I'd like your input, PLEASE! This year we have 11 trophies; 5 "classes" (1966 & Earlier; 1967 - 72; 1973 - 79; 1980 - 86; 1987 & Later) and 6 categories (Best Engine; Best Interior; Best Modifications; Best Paint; Crowd Favorite; Farthest Driven). And we have the swag shown in the spreadsheet below. Classes: Since we have 3 good gifts (jack, detailing kit, & air tank) which are worth about $50 each I'm thinking we'll put the two $25 gift cards from LMC together and get a $50 gift card so everything is even. Then let the winner of each class chose what s/he wants, and go in the order shown. Categories: Then the 6 categories will each get a $25 gift card. Koozies & caps: We also have a bunch of koozies and caps from LMC and I suggest we give one of each to each entrant. But as there are several styles of cap and colors of koozies I'm thinking we'll have the driver follow an escort to park the truck, and we are parking them by classes this year, and then come back and fill in the form, get the windshield card, and pick cap and koozie. Does this make sense? Better ideas? PLEASE COMMENT!

Oh no! My SiL, TJMac, was just about to order from them. Here's a screenshot from their website: