85lebaront2

I believe that is correct, I think I still have a bunch of long ones left over. Darth still has the 1986 extruded aluminum ones and they fit the 1996 interior pieces.

Yep. I thought the change was earlier, but the MPC says '80 through at least '89 were the same. The differences as installed are: (1) ignition switch (2) column to dash support changed, but column attaching points didn't (3) steering wheels changed in appearance (4) coupling at lower end of column was updated which may require the connecting shaft for the later column One more item, the column design (long tube with crash collapse sections) was the same from 1980-1991, change to the corporate "stub" column started with the 1992 Aeronose body.

Gary. on Darth where the threshold plates attach, the holes were rusted and a sloppy fit on the screws. I got some CRES nutserts and some nice CRES machine screws to match. I installed the nutserts and have been using the CRES screws ever since. This was done long before any of the other mods and updates.

Jim, worst part on Modine, I have one I took out of Darth, nice Modine, lifetime warranty. Two slight problems, the owner of the shop it came from had the poor taste to have a massive coronary just after his 65th birthday and die from it and Modine went out of business. I now have an SPI one.

Jim you are correct re the box, I have a steering box from a 1996 F150 on Darth and it was originally connected to the 1986 column and rag joint.

We've all seen evidence that you can do whatever you decide to do... And I vote for dual snorkels, once you have BB running though. Wouldn't want anything to delay the project now. I'll give you another option, Chevy used a spacer under the air cleaner on a number of Quadrajet equipt trucks, it is about 2" tall, on some it has the crankcase closure hose going into it. For the length of time you are going to be running a carburetor vs the total time you will be using Big Blue, why not just find one of those and use it to get the snorkels up high enough to clear.

FWIW, in 1994 Ford started offering an RKE system for the trucks. The system they used is from a Taurus and requires a little re-pinning of the power lock switches. It does not (originally) have a key pad, but the key pad input socket is on the module, and as one friend who owns a truck with the factory RKE system found, the key pad code is on the module so adding a key pad is possible. The other nice feature of the Taurus and truck units, the courtesy lights are also controlled by it so they will do a slow fade to off when all doors are closed and after about 20 min if you leave a door open. Here is the first one I installed on Darth: I actually pulled a door module from a 1996 Lincoln Town Car and it's key fobs have a trunk release button (not real useful on a truck), but wait, it will send an output signal when activated and I have a nice aftermarket remote start module I removed from a Dodge that can accept a + or - input to start the engine. On my 1985 Chrysler I had a very nice unit made by Design Tech in Northern VA that was a remote start, lock unlock and alarm system. Unfortunately Design Tech sold out to Directed Electronics who own a number of the aftermarket systems and most of the support vanished along with the quality. The prices went way up after that also. I had put several Design Tech systems on my vehicles and my late wife loved being able to start her Lincoln, later her Grand Caravan from inside the house to let the AC cool in the summer and the heat get started in the winter.

Since it is a 5 speed 4WD W/transfer LO range he can probably walk faster, and will have some brakes, E-brake if nothing else.

Gary, on the PS/AC belt, yes remove it, water pump and alternator should be all you need. I would "burp" the system by taking one heater hose loose and with the cap on, top off the system through it until water comes out of the heater core nipple. This should prevent any problems with entrapped air during the cam break in.

Since I had to get new filler necks anyway for the newer tanks (something about the 1986 necks not working on the 1990 tanks and styleside filler necks not fitting dually fenders) So I grabbed the ones from the Diesel Dually Donnie had because all the gas ones had the hosed cut. Since all gas is unleaded (except Avgas) the lack of the restrictors isn't important, besides Darth never had them anyway. I forgot that most AFBs have a front PCV nipple, too used to either Holleys or Autolites with spacers where in connects.

By me using 1996 harnesses and PDB all I have to do is look in the owner's manual and if, as I did the other day need to go further, I pull out my 1996 EVTM. The konvertible will be another story, it has a 1996 Dodge Stratus PDC so I could do away with all the fusible links and I am working on a 1990 J body inside harness.

Gary, that line is from the PCV valve to the plenum, the extra nipple goes to the VMV (Vapor Management Valve).

Put a straight up timing set in it, cheapest is a 1988-97 EFI one, it is a double row roller chain, no more plastic gears to break and jam the oil pump. To really get the most out of it, the air ports in the inside of 6 of the exhaust ports need to go. The two at the exhaust crossover are dummies and also need to be cut out. Your stock exhaust system is pretty good, if you take the flame arrestor screens out of the tail pipe (this is from an exhaust shop I have trusted for years) he said he could sell me a little bit better muffler for $250 (in 1994) or, I could knock the screens out and get the same thing. One item, another member on here put a different carb on and has a very difficult hot start, it acts flooded. The original bowl vent system on these vent to the canisters through 3/8" hoses and steel tubes when the engine is off. He no longer has that and all the fuel vapors end up inside his air cleaner and until he moves enough air it is too rich to start and run.

Gary, I found a new valve for Darth's engine, I believe AutoZone had it. On the vacuum line to the plenum, it is a nice molded piece with one tee for the VMV connection. F3TZ-6C324-B

The one I got from Matt for Darth was bad out of the box, wouldn't run. No problem with a replacement though.

You really need to do something about those metal eating termites, or do you have Ferroticks up there?

Looks good as far as the pressure regulator goes, on the pump change near the end, look back at the FDM functions, it needs the return fuel to act like the jet well pumps, the returning fuel is used to pull fuel into the FDM shell. Chrysler uses a similar system on my konvertible except the pump sits in a plastic open top "tub" the return line goes to a check valve inserted in a jet in the side of the tub closest to the tank center where it blows fuel up into the tub until it overflows.

So, the FDM could easily be the problem as if the shuttle selector valve doesn't open the regulator can't work. And running the return into the filler neck or even into the 5 gallon gas can would prove that. However, I'd have to pull the line. I wonder if I couldn't put 5 gallons of gas in the rear tank and try it? Surely I wouldn't have a problem with both FDMs? As for the regulator you mentioned, I don't think that will work. I need to be recirculating the fuel to keep it cool, so need a return-style regulator. Besides, these pumps put out ~40 psi and Holley says that's too much for their original regulators, so might be for the one you are thinking of. I was more thinking of it as being used beyond the present regulator to hold the pressure to the carburetor where it needs to be with the return still operational.

With the pump running and the pressure regulator return run to the filler neck, that is when I would try pressure on the return line. It may be that it takes 11-12 psi to open the return check valve. There was a returnless regulator I used to use at Preston on the AMC Pacers before AMC issued a recall for hot start problems caused by the underhood heat. The fuel line from the pump to the Carter YF would develop so much pressure it would overpower the float needle and seat and flood the intake. The regulator had a glass lower and a dial to set the pressure, I do not remember the brand but it was a cheap part that worked perfectly. Maybe our parts research department can find one.

Gary, I have faith you will overthink it. You should be able to test the regulator with air, mount a gauge to one port air in the other, center open and bring the pressure up until it opens the center. If it does then set it where it needs to be and put it back on. Run the hose like I suggested to validate the setting. Also try pressurizing the return line and see if (a) you can get air through it and (b) what kind of pressure it takes.This is the FDM that was in the tank when you bought BB isn't it? Could be the valve is stuck and just needs a good shot of pressure to pop it loose.

Somewhere (I hope) I have a set for 1986 and 1990.

My wife picked up these one day at Walmart they have magnifying lenses and a pair of LEDs with rechargeable batteries in the ear pieces. And with the LEDS on.

Well, not an IT guy, but sired one, he is now IT manager for Olympus Foreign Parts (they cater to the high end imports, BMW, Porsche, MB, Jaguar). I studied engineering in college but washed out because the school was in the process of going from a Liberal Arts school to a technical school and between the math, engineering and being required to write 13 themes in one semester of English (not my bailiwick, my sister wrote my high school ones, and I helped her with math). I ended up enlisting in the Marine Corps reserve to avoid being drafted and getting an all expenses paid SE Asian vacation (funeral included if needed). After coming back from 6 mos. active duty I went back to school, but ended up without a good enough GPA to stay, worked in retail for a bit and went to a major Defense Contractor, was there not quite 4 years and got caught in some office politics and fired, went into auto repair finally owning my shop only to have my dad get talked into selling it out from under me. Went to the local Dodge/Mercedes-Benz/Jaguar/MG dealer and was there 3 years when a friend did some jawboning at the laboratory i Had worked in 1966-1970 and set up a job interview to get me back there, 30 years later I retired. At my retirement dinner, my supervisor (a Mechanical Engineer) made the statement that one other of his employees and myself were the two best non-degreed engineers he had ever met. I designed a few things including a complete rework of the torque wrench calibration equipment. Another fellow and I speced out, designed and built a controller for a hot tensile furnace that cost half what the furnace manufacturer wanted and interfaces with the tensile machine computer.

I started Dec 1966 and left Sep 1970. Went back Jan 1982, retired Nov 2011

I went into Autozone to get a headlight for a 1992 Ranger I was working on. The kid on the counter tried to sell me a replacement bulb. I informed him it had sealed beams at which point he said "it can't, the catalog (computer) says it takes a bulb". I asked to pull it and come out and show me how it installed at which point the manager told him the catalog was wrong and showed him how to report it. He then sold me the correct headlight.