85lebaront2

Earliest car I remember my parents having was a 1948 Pontiac, straight 8 and the 1st year Hydramatic (for Pontiac) They bought it new to replace the 1941 Buick Special dad bought after WWII to replace mom's 1939 Chevy. Mom hated that car, every time they had a little extra money it would break something. My first pickup was a 1958 F100, tank behind the seat. I could fill it in the rain without getting wet. As for safe gas tank locations, the full size Ford wagons and sedans had the tank vertically behind the rear axle where it was in between the frame rails. That was one reason those big land yachts were popular demolition derby cars Between the space between the front bumper and radiator and the gas tank location they where hard to kill.

Oh yes, my daughter's first car was a 1975 Pinto Pony MPG, she drove it back and forth from Newport News VA to Radford VA. It had the "recall shield" in front of the gas tank. I always found it sort of strange the focus on the Pinto tanks, at least it was underneath and not the trunk floor like Falcons, Comets, Mustangs and Cougars. I had both a Falcon (1964) and a Mustang (GT350, 1966) and the Shelby actually developed rust holes in the sides of the tank top. Was interesting to drive until I replaced the tank.

If you need to go down in size it looks like a good option, it will also help low speed transition. European and some Asian carburetors have used varying size venturiis (Weber calls them chokes) to adjust for air flow based on cylinder volume, rpm etc. Biggest issue I used to see on large carburetors on smaller engines was the "throttle lag" when flooring it, primarily Carter and Rochester 4G series due to the mechanical secondaries. This was corrected by the Quadrajet with it's air valves and secondary metering rods. An interesting side note, one of the first "4 barrel" systems was the 1941-42 Buick Compound Carburetor, consisting of 2 Carter or Stromberg 2 barrels, front being the primary and rear the secondary. It wasn't done for performance as much as fuel economy (WWII gas rationing).

It was in the "Automatic transmissions" Word document. I will also send you an ATSG technical service information. The TV adjustment is spelled out and has diagrams.

Gary, I thought I had done a piece on the AOD and TV cable/rod adjustments. It is supposed to be done with a spacer and pressure gauge, the rod uses a block between the TV adjustment bolt and the carburetor lever, the cable uses a slotted spacer that inserts between the cable end and the part on the linkage. Both are used to create a pressure rise at the TV test port. In the absence of these, the old way of setting the Hydramatic TV linkage works, it is a shift feel adjustment. Too much TV pressure and it will shift late and hard and be extremely "touchy" on downshifts, too little and the shift will be early and soft (slipping). The AOD should be able to get into 4th (OD) by 45 mph with light throttle, earlier than that and it will hunt between 3rd and 4th, later and it will want to kick down when accelerating at light throttle. If you are going EFI, a 4R70 or 75W unit (electronic AOD) could be a better choice, or use an aftermarket controller. The latter allows more flexibility in tuning the shift points.

Yes, but the 351 HO was a 4 barrel Holley 4180 like the 460 and was built through 1987 on the pickups. Interesting was the use of an Aluminum intake manifold.

Jim, I thought about you when writing that, but not having a 4WD (and not wanting one) I didn't want to post anything 4WD specific and be wrong. I did the pan drop on Darth when the pump strainer clogged a number of years ago. The trick to the oil pump drive is some heavy grease to hold it in the distributor shaft while you get an oil pump bolt started. I usually took the pickup off the pump when reassembling things.

I have pulled the oil pan on Darth a number of years ago. It is a royal PITA to do as the exhaust pipe has to be removed, anything on the engine top that may hit the firewall. Once everything is loose, I usually take the radiator loose so it will lift with the engine. Remove the mount nuts and jack the engine up as far as it will go without breaking anything. When it is as high as it will go, place blocks between the exhaust manifolds and the frame. This is necessary due to the mounts actually hanging down and under the oil pan flange. Once the mounts are off and the oil drained, remove the dipstick and tube (early ones are held in by a 5/8" hex then they are pressed in with a O-ring). At this point, the pan can be dropped by removing the bolts, it will not come completely off at this point. In order to get it completely off, the oil pump and pickup have to be removed and dropped into the pan allowing the pan to be slid forward over the cross member and removed from the front. The rear seal is a rope seal on the early engines and a two piece rubber lip seal on later ones. In order to change either, the rear main cap has to be removed and number 2,3 and 4 need to be loosened enough to let the crank drop slightly. If you have the rope seal, there is a special puller that screws into the upper seal to coax it out (good luck with that!), the rubber lip style should be staggered slightly allowing it to be pulled out. If you are replacing a rope type seal with a rubber lip one, the retaining pin in the lower cap has to be removed. Old mechanic's trick on rope seals: Using a punch and hammer drive the old upper seal ends up into the block, tightening it, use pieces cut off the old bottom section to fill the resulting gaps. Install the new lower seal portion and using a good sized hammer head to work the new seal into the lower cap until it is close to flush and use a razor blade to trim the ends flush with the cap. Oil the new seal and temporarily install the rear cap and torque all the caps. Rotate the crank a few turns and while you do this, take a good look at the timing chain. Once you have done this, remove the rear cap, examine the rope seal and if everything looks good, take some sealer and put a thin layer on the back portion of the cap behind the slinger groove to prevent leaks. To replace a rubber lip seal, the old upper needs to be removed and same for the lower. In reinstalling or replacing a rope one, the split in the seal needs to be staggered in relation to the cap to block face, it is called out in one of the TSBs regarding the 460 rear main seal as it is the last Ford engine built with a 2 piece seal.

That is probably the W/BK wire and goes from the "S" terminal on the alternator to the choke cap. It provides the 7.5V to heat or assist in heating the choke. It may have originally been sheathed and in some clips on the valve cover bolts to keep it off the exhaust manifold. While you are doing a "wiggle test" grab the top portion of the carburetor and see if it is loose on the throttle body as this is a common problem on the carbureted 4.9L engines.

The 1990 can be taken apart, the 1996 one no, it's the only copy I have. I believe you said you have a 1986 one. 1984 4.9L EEC, charging and ignition pdfs along with a corrected EEC pinout spreadsheet are on their way to you.

I can scan what I printed from AllData today so you can add it if you want to. BTW, how is the scan of my owners manual coming?

One minor item, you are looking at the 1986 EVTM, not the 1984 EVTM. 1986 was the last year for the 4.9L FBC system and it was an EEC-IV unit. I am looking at my information right now. Circuit 4, the stator 7.5V output for the choke, does not actually go to anything on the FBC system other than being in the test connector. I assume that was done so the 7.5V can be easily verified on the 1G alternator without having to get at the alternator connections.

Very glad you made it through safely. I don't and haven't lived on the Gulf coast, but am on the East Coast, now on Virginia's appendix (Eastern Shore). I haven't been through a major one here yet, but have been through a number, first I remember well was Hazel, we were in Dahlgren VA and the eye went right over us. Isabel did a number on SE Virginia, we were lucky, only lost power for 32 hours, but she shut the area down pretty badly. My two antique Onan 4K generators got a workout following Isabel. One was in Chesapeake where my son and several other friends had gone where one had a big house. House was fine, big tree took out the power lines so they were on the generator for a week, the other was in NW Suffolk where a good friend's little Coleman set threw a rod. He just needed a way to keep his food safe. We are technically in a trailer as it is a "manufactured home" and sits on pedestals under what was the trailers the halves came on. It is a post Isabel setup, meaning the floor has to be 3 feet off the ground. We would go (and have) to the garage (40' X 40' Steelmaster building with the front (door wall) built to local hurricane requirements (some of the highest on the East Coast). Local codes compliance head stopped by one day and made the comment that it was probably one of the safest places in the county.

Darth has an new LKQ bumper for the 1990 front end. It fit quite well once I got the bent brackets straightened out. I don't think it is quite as sturdy as the OEM Ford, but it isn't Chineseum either. I do have a friend I can ask, he owns a MAACO franchise in Hampton VA, You can message me with what you need and I will forward it to Dale.

You do realize that the EFI system adjusts for altitude automatically. At least having an AFB on it means metering rods can be easily changed.

I have had similar problems with Ford and Chrysler turn signal switches. Problem seems to be a combination of wear and oxidation of the contacts in the switch. I would try some contact cleaner (Radio Shack used to have a good one) and spray it in and work the switch (you will need to remove the wheel to get at it fully). Beyond that it becomes new switch time.

With the switch I listed, Chrysler 2.2L carbureted engines it keeps the idiot light if used, and powers the choke without using a relay. It will even work on a 2G alternator or a 1G.

You need a source that will not heat the choke until the engine is running. If you had stuck to Ford parts it would be easier, but since you chose a GM alternator, the solution is a normally open oil pressure switch, not one that grounds. GM and Chrysler both used them GM on cars with electric fuel pumps, Chrysler on the early carbureted 4 cyls. Chrysler's is a 3 terminal with one for the idiot light and two NO pins for the electric choke.

Actually I believe it stands for "take out" where a harness branches.

One item I ran into on Darth, or it might have been another vehicle, the brake light switch was in two versions, manual brakes and power brakes. The difference was the strength of the return spring in the switch. The other item, a stiff return on the pedal from excessive friction at the pivot can make the brake lights stay on as the spring in the switch isn't strong enough to overcome it.

The problem with the Bullnose sun visors is lack of an inner support for when they are stowed. This makes them bounce on the springs that provide the friction to kepp them in position. The place for them was in the roof on Darth (1986 crew cab) and I was installing a 1996 Opal Gray interior so I drilled both holes (guide pin and screw) on each side and did the same on the headliner. The 1996 visors are lighted and seem to have stiffer "swing" springs on them.

The drill is exactly the preferred method on these. The Motorcraft one I installed on Darth years ago came with a plastic pin to hold it in the neutral position. The MLP (manual lever position sensor) on the E4OD adjusts in a similar fashion.

Glad everything worked out. I hope I never have to go through something like that.

Interesting finds on these locks, panels, grommets etc. I don't know when the change to what I have on Darth came, but the opening for the inside handles have "fuzz" in them, like a push broom would have only shorter. I know it makes it a lot easier getting the panels off and back on as you can remove the handle first and reinstall it last. The later doors also use the same inside handles front and rear and I replaced the plastic ones with the metal ones for the earlier doors I also used the older linkage release system on the newer front doors so I do not have the problem with cable stretch.

One thing I found in helping a friend with his 1955 Dodge truck project. Many of the "universal" wiring kits are essentially GM wiring, color codes etc. Good part is Chevrolet, like Ford sticks with circuit numbers and generally colors. If you can find wiring diagrams for a similar Chevrolet you can cross the colors over for lights, wipers etc. Where you hit problems is connecting the Ford parts to the harness as any plugs are GM style. He used a Painless wiring kit and steering column so had essentially Chevrolet connectors. They do make a very comprehensive kit, but it is more for the custom or street rod market.