85lebaront2

That's the only reason for how low they are. Lol. Back when CB radios were the "thing" I had a 102" whip on our 1955 Packard, it just looked right on that beast. Fun hooking a radio up though, 1955 Packards were 12V positive ground, in 1956 they changed to negative ground. The other interesting item, when the suspension leveled the electrical noise would drive you bats if you were using the CB. I still have two, on is a Pierce-Simpson Puma 23B tweaked to the legal max and 100% modulation, it's a crystal controlled model so it dead on frequency, I got accused numerous times of running a linear amp. The other is a Cobra I think, it was brought over by a neighbor who was leaving the area. It's a 40 channel with sideband.

Trick I learned from a Mercedes-Benz service manual. Their clutch master cylinder sits on an angle (picture where the pedal to cross shaft rod runs on a mechanical clutch). They say to use a piece of hose from the left front caliper (nearest one) to the clutch slave. Open the bleeder screw on the slave about 1 to 1 1/2 turns, then bleed the brakes through the clutch hydraulics. They also suggest mounting the slave with the bleeder on the bottom. Works like a charm, even told my boss to try it on his daughter's Fiat X19.

I have my reflective insulation on the inside of the cab. Front and rear footwells and an extra layer over where the exhaust runs. Keeps the floor a lot cooler in the summer.

Shaun, that is a 1995 plenum from an F450 Jim dismantled.

Gary, this is the 1995 F450 inlet housing. If you notice there appear to be screws holding the two halves together. The gray lever I would imagine snaps into the fresh air recirc door during assembly. If you separate the blower from the inlet housing then you can probably remove the door. Maybe you can figure out a way to make a replaceable air filter like newer trucks and cars have.

I wonder where that would put Darth, 1986 chassis, 1993 Sterling 10.25" with the wider brakes, 1990 front sheet metal, 1996 wiring (mostly, rear harness is extended from the 1990 F250). 1996 engine controls, 1990 E4OD, 1996 HVAC, 1996 interior except for 2001 Lincoln Continental front seats. 1996 bed and rear fenders.

Jim, I still have to investigate the thermostat, but I have a new 180F one on hand and a new gasket, so maybe even today if I get all of my other chores done. Question: How does one know that the radiator clutch fan is working properly? What am I looking for? I noticed yesterday that it started to get a bit warm on the gauge while idling with the AC on full. DRiving down the road it seemed to be fine, so I was wondering if it was an issue of air flow when not moving. More testing to come... Cory, if it is like Darth's, at low speed it makes a bit of noise hot, start accelerating and you think you're in one of NASA Langley's wind tunnels up to about 45-50 mph at which point the rpm puts the clutch in freewheel mode. I always use a thermal clutch due to the monster fan so that I get full benefit of it at low rpm/speed, but aren't running it at cruise.

Inner side = side toward the center of the truck, engine side for you overthinkers.

EDIT: THE ABOVE IS WRONG BECAUSE THE 1996 EVTM IS WRONG! The following is correct, with the M1 and M2 wires swapped: So tomorrow I'll graft the Bricknose connector onto the Bullnose wiring. Then I'll be ready to put the insulation on - assuming y'all think it'll work. And after that I can reinstall the plenum, add the evaporator, motor, etc. But not all of that will get done tomorrow. Gary, mine is only insulated on the inner side of the evaporator casing, the side that gets the engine heat. It goes under the bottom and over the top and is held onto plastic studs with large push nuts.

Ok, several items on the 1986 emission system, I am not sure if the CA spec setup is different from what Darth had originally. If the miss is erratic, not a steady misfire on one cylinder, I am with Jim on idle mixture. There is a Ford training manual here: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/1985-1986-fuel-system-adjustments.html that covers the adjustments. There is another section here: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/holley-4180c.html that covers the Holley 4180C in detail. On the emission plumbing, the evaporative purge system has a large (probably 3/8" hose) that runs from the purge control valves near the right front of the engine to a vacuum fitting on the front part of the intake manifold, it makes a tighter than 90° turn into the fitting and is prone to crack or collapse right there. One more item, EGR system, first the gaskets under the carburetor, there is a thick one on top of the EGR spacer, and a thinner one under the spacer. If the thin one gets damaged it can leak into the intake side and cause an idle problem. EGR should have no vacuum to it at idle.

You can if you want, I have two kids older than you and one younger. I can't say that I blame you for wanting to improve on the 1985/86 EFI system, what I am running and Gary will be is Ford's best system for these older push rod engines, the EEC-V that was introduced initially with the 1994.5 Powerstroke and in 1995 on the Lincoln Continentals with the 4.6L DOHC V8. Sounds like you have put a lot of thought into what you want from your truck and how to arrive there, that is half the battle. As Gary can tell you, he is a bit more on planning things on paper, but he has a degree, where as I was told by my department manager at my retirement, that I was one of the two best non-degreed engineers he had ever met, and we both worked for him. I have always been very good at visualizing what I want, even to being able to visualize it in motion, then making it work. I will be interested in how it turns out.

Forgot to answer the initial question, yes Darth's is insulated, apparently the later ones were, but the 1996 F150 and the 1995 F450 were wrapped in aluminum backed with some sort of insulation. Between that and the later style blend door, I can have cold air even after sitting on a hot day after driving with the AC on.

Gary, before you start cutting and grafting, look at the inside connector from the dash harness to the blower harness. It may be easier to do the connecting/grafting where it is inside the cab and protected. Your present harness comes out underneath the HVAC casing instead of through it. If you can use the 1990 harness and just disconnect the unused portions of the 1985 harness it might be easier. Resistor values may be different also. I seem to recall that at least the 1990 and newer have a fairly heavy connector where the underhood portion of the HVAC harness comes inside. I believe it is a 4 pin plug with .060" round pins. It is C203 on mine and has all 4 speeds passing through it. On the 1990 it is C203, but only has 3 wires, M1, M2 and Hi, Lo (ground) isn't wired through it. On the 1985 it is completely different, C602 goes to the switch and blower and C604 to ground, C603 is the blower connection. The reason those connectors are so hard to get apart, corrosion + heat = more corrosion + more heat. Once you get everything lined up, some grease to seal the connection from water will help

I have had pretty good luck with AutoZone Duralast new pumps and have them on Darth and my Taurus along with the project Chrysler convertible. I will say when I have to replace the one in the Flex, it will be with a new Motorcraft as the redesign of it a few years ago they now have a roughly 200K life expectancy.

If you use a normal GM alternator, they do use an idiot light to one of the two side pins. The fender mounted regulator is not needed with either a GM one wire or Ford 2 or 3G units as it is integral to the alternator.

1981, your truck probably had the old 2 cylinder York or Tecumseh compressor.

Damn, Gary, should have said something, I would have split a 10 pack with you.

https://www.ebay.com/i/133017173307?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-213727-13078-0&mkcid=2&itemid=133017173307&targetid=4580771607727094&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=395665090&mkgroupid=1234751768217321&rlsatarget=pla-4580771607727094&abcId=1129776&merchantid=51291&msclkid=a33fdfe8a5a516fa354781040be79c2f You used to be able to order them from Honest Charlie among other purveyors of oddments.

Or use an E-series compressor.

Gary, keep in mind I have a 1996 system in Darth, the complete 1995 system is the same, a factory R134a system.

Gary, the mount is M10X1.5 thread. Thread locker, I always used heat to break it loose, Acetone might work, try looking for a data sheet on the stuff, I imagine it was all originally Loctite brand but I suspect the patents ran out (unlike Ford's on the keypad for the RKE system).

No, I didn't, I was fighting with Mopar wiring. So much fun, unlike GM or Ford, circuits are alpha-numeric and the circuit designation can change from one year to the next, and even from one body to the next in the same year.

I will have to look at the Saginaw bracket tomorrow.

Interesting, I will have to look at my Saginaw bracket and I may be doing the same adapter making you are.

Gary, according to what Matt told me, the multi-pass has smaller tubes inside the big ones somehow exposing more surface area for cooling He got me one for a 1994-96/7 truck, I can hang meat in Darth's cab in mid summer here, and when I am doing that, there is enough condensation running out of the bottom that I have actually thought I had a heater core going from the flow.