85lebaront2

You could just copy the entire 200 page micro-analysis from FTE:nabble_anim_blbl:

Gary, do you know the reason for Ford's 5.4V gauge circuit voltage? FWIW, the change to 12V was during the 1956 model year and it was obviously easier to add the ICVR then change all the gauges from chassis #xxxx on, since it worked fine, they used if for the next 31 years (1956-1986). The newer gauges are more like GM and Chrysler's older ones which would swing wildly on a partial tank, unlike Ford's which would gradually climb the longer they were on. If I had known there was a good solution to weird gauges, I might have kept my Tokyo by night instrument cluster in the convertible.

After getting the mechanical and electrical setup the way I wanted it, it was time for some interior work. Original interior color was a dark red, looked ok, but kind of dark inside. Since I had done the electrical upgrades I was able to use the later ignition switch with it's 5 power sources rather than the 2 from the same fusible link system the 1986 used and the 1990 also used. Mounting the dash required some work, 1986 and 1990 both attach the dash to the steering column and brake pedal support, the dashes are also mounted to the cowl at the windshield base. The difference starts here, the 1986 dash has 4 vertical screws holding a set of fore and aft braces that are hidden under the dash pad, the 1990 up has 4 angled screws and an alignment pin at the cowl. The 1992 up dash that I had decided on for several reasons, one being the OD cancel switch on the shifter, the other being the column in the 1980-1991 trucks sits at a slight angle toward the left side of the truck and due to it's design can't be repositioned without a lot of work. The 1992 up dash has a large cast aluminum steering column and parking brake pedal support that bolts to a brace on the left side of the cab and the left door post. There is nothing at all like this on the 1980-86 or 1987-91 cabs, and since I did not own a welder I was going to have to fabricate something. I used a piece of 1/8" flat bar to make a piece I could insert into the left A pillar so the casting's two rear outboard bolts had a location. Once that was done I stuck the stripped dash onto the previously built upper mounts and loosely mounted the casting to the side and installed the 4 M6X1.0 bolts w/washers attaching the duct assembly to the casting and supported the dash at the correct angle so I could locate the front bolt attachments. I used some more of the flat bar bent in a rough "L" shape to line up with the holes. I used one existing air box cover screw and added one for the lower bolt. After I had everything located, I took the flat bar sections off, took some M10X1.5 nuts and had them welded to the flat bars to emulate the nut plates Ford used. Ford actually says to R&R the dash on the 1992 up models as an assembly with the steering column by removing the 4 M10 bolts, two M6 bolts on the bottom and 1 more M6 at the right end then taking the 4 self tapping screws out of the top and with a helper rolling the dash and column back far enough to reach the HVAC cable and vacuum harness and antenna cable. This is after disconnecting all the wiring harness plugs. On the wiring, the 1992 up system has two bulkhead penetration connectors on the left side of the steering column, two smaller ones to the cab interior harness, one lead to the brake switch and on M/T trucks a clutch position switch, and another set on the right end for power locks, windows, roof clearance lights and the fuel pump inertia switch, both side have a nice big ground connection, also on the right end there are the HVAC electrical wires for the blower and A/C compressor, it is a 6 pin one basically the same as the older models and can be a royal PITA to get apart. The courtesy light wires have to be removed at both ends of the dash. The basic idea is the dash harness is no longer like the 1980-1986 models, no rubber grommet penetrations and everything unplugs. There were two lower attachments on the dash, one is a pretty strong brace from the top of the transmission tunnel area on an angle to the dash just about the edge of the driver's seat on split seats. The other is just inboard of the glove box on the bottom and is a thin bent flat bar that is definitely not structural and may just be there to keep any loose wires from hanging down. I left it off. Once I had the dash and column located I hooked up the lower steering shaft to get an idea where the boot and bearing needed to go where the shaft penetrates the firewall. It is in a rubber cone shaped piece so it has a bit of give. The actual column is referred to as a "stub column" and is pretty universal assembly. My 1994 Taurus has the same basic unit as did my 1990 Lincoln Town Car and 1995 Lincoln Continental. It can be built with or without a column shift, with or without a clockspring for an airbag and many different steering wheels. People have put later model clocksprings and super duty steering wheels with radio and HVAC controls. The steering column now sits parallel to the frame and sides of the cab and is a tilt wheel. The wipers are now on the combination switch and are actually controlled by a module on the right side of the dash near the glovebox. It uses a set of three rotary knobs for HVAC control rather than the levers on the older trucks and is much easier to reach and change when driving, there are two versions of the temperature blend door, 1992-1995 used a push-pull wire cable similar to the older trucks, in either late 1995 or 1996 this was changed to a pair of very flexible cables like bicycles use for brakes, these run left from the controls then back across the bottom of the dash and loop back from the right end to the top of the inside HVAC housing allowing enough slack to roll the dash back enough to remove the housing end.

Yes, I have never seen an early EFI without the reservoir. I actually had an 85.5 to repair, it wouldn't run because the ground plug was corroded. Once I fixed that it started right up and ran fine. Wiring, yes, pretty much so, I had actually sent that for you to use when you weren't sure what had been intercoursed with on Big Blue.

Very likely, Ford and and Chrysler were all offering LP gas options for trucks. We had a father in our scout troop who would loan us a GMC pickup with the 305 V6 and 4 speed Hydra-Matic that ran on LP gas.

Gary. I believe I mentioned that yesterday or maybe Monday. The 1985 EVTM was probably an early release before the actual EFI system was in production since it was a mid-year change, I would suspect that an update to that manual was released either by a TSB or manual update notice once the EFI production started. I have never seen a 1985.5 EFI truck without the reservoir and the system the 1985 models have. Look at your parts CD and see if the 6 port valve even shows up on the 1985 EFI engines, I will be very surprised if it does, because lack of the reserve capacity in the tank selector/filter/reservoir would have the Bosch HP pump starving for fuel. If the 6 port valve was adequate, why would the to LP pumps be needed? Mercedes used to have a Bosch pump back outside the tank that was low down where it could get fuel, I suspect the tank may have been baffled around the pickup to help make sure it didn't pull air in. FWIW, the 1987 Chevy trucks (first year for TBI) had a cup inside the tank that the pump stuck into, Chrysler did the same on their first TBI/MFI engines and had a jet on the side of the cup the return fuel went to so the cup stayed full.

I believe I sent you the original tank/rear chassis wiring from Darth.

I tried, I have an excellent picture of the original, even the dealer couldn't help. They were able to get me a new emission label so even though it diagrams a carbureted vacuum nightmare, the important piece is there "NON CATALYST" in big bold letters. We ended up using one of our calibration label makers and making one that way, it had to be in two parts because of the size.

These are the ones I took when installing the rear doors, rubber plug was there when I bought the truck in 1994, the hole above is for the rear door wiring.

Brandon, I used Rustoleum engine paint I believe, I will have to look at the can tomorrow when we get back, Ford blue as close I could get it.

Ok, now I put the 90 front end on for two reasons, first the PO had apparently parked by feel, second I needed the mountings for the EFI air filter and coolant/washer reservoir. The rear doors are from a 1996 F350 that a tree fell on. I salvaged the innards from both front doors so I now have four door power locks and windows on a 1986 truck.

Damn, I'm glad you told me the later doors won't fit. I must be like a bumble bee, NASA says they can't fly because the wing are is too small. Apparently no one told the bumble bees because they seem to fly just fine. I have a 1990 Left front door, a 1988 right front door and a pair of 1996 rear doors on my truck, no one ever told me they wouldn't fit.

What Gary is suggesting is exactly what I did on Darth.

You might also want to add the 1986 stuff as it has a slightly different system and add the EFI pump system also so those with the 1985.5-1986 5.0L engines can find their information. Nicely done though sir!

Steve, does your truck have a cruise control? If it does then the speed sensor is already there, if not it isn't too hard to add one at the transmission or transfer case end of the speedometer cable, it is a modified cable and gear holder with the sensor in it and you would need a pigtail from a later truck and wire it in.

I would try to stick with a Ford system as it works well on the later trucks. One question, since you are headed toward updating a lot of the EFI system on your truck and possibly rearranging the existing harness layout, why not go ahead and update to a later EEC-IV system? That gets away from some of the other 1985/1986 only parts and will give you some additional computer capabilities. The only additional piece needed is a speed sensor input as 1987-1995 EECs use that information to adjust some EFI programming. The other item, any exhaust shop can add an O2 sensor bung beyond the point where the two exhaust pipes join into one so it then monitors the whole engine. The heater circuit is pretty straight forward, an engine running 12V source and ground.

Gary, the original setup was battery negative to frame with a "flag" out the side of the cable, then to the engine block. The body ground is from the back of the left head to the wiper motor mount bolt. Just visible to the driver's side of wiper motor.

Steve, Gary has been going through the same research on Big Blue. What he has found is the later pump units (called FDM by Ford) will fit in the opening of the 1985.5-1989 tanks, but as I learned during my rework on Darth, the aligning tabs are in the wrong location. The issue he is working on right now is the gauge senders. Ford changed the gauge system from the heated bi-metal 5 volt system they had used since at least the 40s to a balanced magnetic gauge system, and at that point reversed the resistance direction on the senders. I believe he gave up on the idea of adapting the older senders to the newer FDMs and is working on an electronic solution that can be piggy backed between the sender or selector switch as needed and the cluster connection. If you are replacing the tank, a newer tank with pump can be ordered from any one who carries SPI (Spectra Premium Industries) products. Here are two pages from a 1993 service manual on the later FDM:

The FPR is behind the left side equipment from 1987-1991, from 1992-97 it is in the PDC, look at the 1996 EVTM. In the page you posted it is on the left side and is labeled "Fuel Pump Relay".

I know, I looked the parts list.

Damn, I thought the mirrors on my 1977 were the same heads as Darth has, type 8.

I believe that fuel rails up through 1989 should work as the three pumps were still used and I think the connections were in the same location.

Gary, the 1990 up system really does away with the over engineered 1985.5-1989 system. If you were to use the early low pressure in-tank pumps, even with a selector valve (would need to be 6 port), you would still need some sort of reservoir for the high pressure pump so it wouldn't starve on braking, steep grades etc. You could probably use some sort of moderate pressure container like an old GM VIR tank and have a tee for the return, supply into it and a dip tube to near the bottom for the high pressure (Bosch is what Ford used) pump. The 6 port valve would solve the selection portion and it would work just like the early Ford EFI systems did. It would only need to handle about 10 psi to be safe. The 1990 up just has two tees in the lines, one for supply and one for return, everything else is done in the pump modules.

Short answer, no, look at my white paper "Darth Vader" in projects and mentally reverse the process. First, VIN number location is different, second, 1986 dash is built up and installed, 1987-91 are a plastic dash over a metal matrix and mounting is different angle completely, pedal bracket is different along with parking brake pedal, about the only thing the same (and it requires you swap the bracket) is the steering column mount.

Here are the pictures I took earlier of the 1995 front fuel lines from Jim: I think blue is supply and gray is return.