FuzzFace2

Yea I have to make the rod a little shorter to see if that will fix the sticking. They don't seam to be dragging as I don't feel, see smoke or smell them when moving. It is the last 3 or 4 feet to the stop and you let off the pedal and the front just dips a little but as soon as the truck might roll backwards they release. I also cant get them to do it if I just move it a few feet and try again, it is strange? On the choke I will have to check but I know once the motor is running I can drive it with no problem with an OAT of 34*f to 40*f. It also is not short drives, 30 to 35 miles each way to work a good 30 min drive on the high way at 1am. I do have more tuning to do as all I have done so far is gas and go LOL Will see if I can check it over the holidays. Dave ----

I have driven the truck to work all week, mileage said 125 but think that may be low? Truck has run great, steering is getting better, darting left & right, but I could also be getting use to it. Some mornings we had misting and the intermittent wipers worked great. Friday coming home and Saturday going back in to work it was raining pretty good. I am happy I have not installed a rug yet. The windshield is still leaking even after I added more sealer so need to look deeper into that. But when I got in Saturday morning I saw other areas that were wet. Don't know if the firewall seams did not get sealed, did not leak when I washed the truck 2 weeks ago? 1 was behind the drivers kick panel so the "duck bill" may not be letting water out? And yes both sides are clean as that was done when I first started the rebuild. I also need to replace the HVAC vacuum check valve because when you pull away from a light you can hear the doors moving. The only other thing is after driving for a bit when you come to a light and stop you can feel the brakes stay locked. I think it may be the front but not sure as it does not do if when the truck is cold and if it rolls back just a little or the pedal up a short time it is ok. I am going to try and shorten the rod between booster & master to see if that does anything. And for the ones thinking it could be a rubber hose all 3 have been replaced, new booster & master also but I did play with that rod at some point. So in the 125 miles I am getting 12.49 MPG, first fill up when taking mileage. That is 65-75 on the high way going to work (4 miles going to/from high way) and the home trip on back roads with stop lights at 45 mph. I was hoping for better but the truck just got on the road so guess not bad for a start? Oh got my first thumbs up yesterday at a light Dave ----

Mine also looks like a Dee Zee organizer It came out of my parts truck and that was after it ended up on it's roof. Dave ----

I must be lucky as I have not had any issues with condensation. It could be that most of the time it is also warming up outside, no insulation in the garage and the sun beating on the roof to help heat the inside up and not air tight may let the water vapor out? Dave ----

Maybe this will pan out? https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1606537-bumper-options.html Dave ----

I was thinking the vary same thing .... the moon! But do you think it could be ones not knowing what they talk of that send it off the path? Dave ----

My inlaws had a shop, had a deep single bay, then a large 3 story bay (for boats) then next to that was a massive work area half covered with a loft. The uncovered half.... wood stove. used to get up early in the AM and get a fire cranking in that bad boy. Right now I have a dinky 1 car and am looking for ways to heat it up, need to pull the drywall down and put some R-13 in then blow in some insulation in the roof. I have a window ac unit for the summer, and a 4 inch vent through the wall I was thinking of using for a vent or maybe a vent-less wall mounted propane unit. If we ended up staying long term or I was at my "forever" home I would probably put in a mini split with heat and air. I use a 75,000 to 125,000 BTU propane heater to heat my un-insolated garage and it is not small. I can fit 1 car & 2 pick up's in the bay area and still have to work on 1 truck. It is this unit I have https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200178724_200178724 The other day it was 30* outside, 32* in the garage, ran the heater for an hour and it was in the 40's and that was go enough to start working in. Dave ----

Took the truck 10 miles into town to the USPS to mail back the steering box for my core. Did not know if I would make it back as the 16 gallon tank was reading pretty low before I hit the gas station just around the corner from the house. It took a little over 10 gallons, I know when the needle is on "E" I have 5 gallon left so it was low. I was also able to pump the gas in at full throttle so I guess I put the fill / vent together right on the front tank. Hope to see what is up with the rear tanks gauge and why its not working soon. Dave ----

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1976-1989-Ford-F-150-Seat-Belt-Extender-Extension/143257016376?fits=Year%3A1982%7CModel%3AF-150%7CMake%3AFord&hash=item215ac89838:g:46AAAMXQJ3xRczK1 Thanks for the link, I did not start to look for them so that helps. Now if it came in red that would be great! Thanks again Dave ----

Looks like you took a clue from the newer trucks as they use brackets to bolt the lights to and not the bumper, look good. Dave ----

I don't think you will get enough heat transfer with that set up and I have not heard of anyone having issues with a Offy intake and running water to heat it. As for the carb heating plate I also don't think it will work to heat the air to keep the fuel & air together. It was made to heat the carb as the carb would ice up and stop working, not heat the air. From what was posted the TBI does not need to be heated and they hint the same of the air but I say differently. Could some of this fuel dropping out of the air because of the cold air be over come with warm incoming air pulled from the exh. manifold or header pipe like the stock air filter did? Maybe and then when it heats up pull in cool air like the stock filter does. I still think you will need the bottom of the intake heated and I don't think having it heated when the motor is up to temp that big a deal to have to set up a valve to close with a knob on the dash. Go with a heating plate on the bottom of the intake and don't look back. Could also ask who is running the plate on an Offy over on (for give me) FTE in the 300 six engine area. There is also a few running TBI on their 300's Dave ----

I did not do a write up on just the bumper mod but kind of did it in my truck build.Sorry I did not see this earlier It starts here and may run a few pages http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/81-F100-flare-side-custom-with-300-six-T18-tp15348p23129.html I should have made the opening just a little larger to give the light more room for adjustment, I thought I did when making it. What it looks like done Dave ----

Nice job getting the lights to work. Have you tested it out on the road yet? That reminds me I need to adjust / aim my head lights and add the relay harness I have. Dave ----

I have not pulled out the old dirty black belts to see if they are any longer as I have not had time. I did check the passenger belt and it is just as short. If the black belts are the same I may either need to find a set from a newer truck in the JY or add extension to what I have, only need like 6" to be good. Dave ----

I am trying to get it to loosen up took it to work today even calling for showers. The intermittent wipers worked great. I am looking out for a ZF5 for the truck. A rebuild kit is $130 for the T18 and still no overdrive so thinking putting that money to the ZF5 is the way to go. Dave ----

I got to say that steering box is heavy! Even heavier doing it on your back, using 1 hand to hold it in place and the other to get bolts started. I went with the Blue Top box if anyone wants to know. Pulled the box, flushed the pump, install box and bleed the air out of the system. Just bleeding the system the box felt tighter. The road test went great, cant believe how much a box could change how something steers. There is still a hint of darting but I can live with it as it is no where near what it was and could go away once the kingpins loosen up some. Now to run the rear tank dry so I can see what is up with the new sender reading empty! Dave ----

I don't think they pull out that easy if at all and would not risk messing it up and then have to splice in a different plug. I would just cut the lines and use short rubber hose to put it back together. Before you get into that check the only cable the control uses as I think different years used different cables and the way they attached, or maybe that was on the non-AC trucks? Dave ----

Send 2 to me You are a good man Gary not many would do that. On some smaller items Ford sold them that way. Most of the time small items pack of 10, I would ask where the 10th is . Dave ----

I hear you have to look at the total area of the ports between the 2 manifold models. The DP one has to have less, read smaller ports / less area, because of the divider in the runners. So the DP will not flow as much with the smaller ports. Now this can be a good thing or bad thing. Bad, is it can choke the motor as it cant pull enough air into the motor. Good, because the air flow is high the fuel will not drop out of the air and pool on the floor of the intake. Dave ----

When I got home from work I was surprised to see a box from Blue Top so if I don't have to work this weekend you know what I will be doing. Dave ----

OK so a hand full will be driving them but most I think have them for weekend runs to the dump or get dirt, stone, wood for home projects. I had a 76 E350 I added a 2nd tank but with a 460/C6 pulling a 2 car trailer to races you needed it. Dave ----

Finding a 4x4 ZF5 with the SBF bellhousing is the hard part. It is my understanding that they are somewhat rare and decent used ones are expensive. Reamer has one in his Flareside...I'm sure he could tell us what they're worth. I thought the 460/diesel ZF5 was much more common, but maybe Gary can comment on that. Plus, with Ray's truck being an '82, there'd be a fair amount of extras required to install a hydraulic clutch transmission. Still, anything is possible... On a later Bull with factory hydraulic clutch, it's an easier swap for sure. Mine being an 81 and 4x2 I would need to do the same work for the clutch and I am starting to look for the needed parts for the SB ZF5 swap as I don't want to rebuild the T18 in my truck. Dave ----

I was thinking if just starting out on this new "path" why spend the money on EFI when you have a working carb and for what return? Same with the trucks, was looking at what "I" think would work best and why. You doing dump runs with this trailer or is the junk being thrown in the bed of the truck for the dump run? Sometimes someone will see something and a light bulb will go off and say "why did I not think of that" Dave ----

I am with you but ....... I can see their point also. If the ring slipped on these old dampers when you put it on "O degs there and you are at absolute TDC" it may not be. That is where the piston stop comes into play to check of it slipped or not. Also when deg a cam you have to be 100% sure of TDC and why the piston stop. Ray, I have done it your way and never had issues with getting the motor to fire up. Dave ----

That was my thinking also on the DP intake, you want the open one. BTW I don't think you will get that much more power from the 300 by going with the Offy, headers / EFI exh manifolds and EFI unit over the stock carb & EFI manifolds but that's me. I love the way mine pulls with the stock carb, EFI manifolds and T18 transmission, its not a 460 but will get the job done. Its a back up to pull my car trailer. Now I can see why you may want to go with the C6, you have it, can get it gone thru and ready to use cheap and it ups the tow cap of your truck. We know the weak link right now is that SROD and some have hinted to go with the NP4xx? but if me and was going to swap to a stick I would go with the ZF5. You get the low first gear for starting off with heavy loads, just like my T18 or a T19, but you get over drive. Only thing I don't know is how hard it will be to find a ZF5 with 4x4 trim? The C6 will need a kick down rod and what I seen posted can be hard to find the parts to work with a factory 300 and then you want to go EFI too? I don't know if a cable setup will work or not? Maybe ask your buddy? I know you said the wife would kill you but I thing a F250 long bed would be the way to go. You can put 8' ply wood / sheet rock in the bed laying down, longer boards for the gate down. Add a rack and you can then carry longer boards and ladders, and if you want still pull a trailer. I know a van will not be a 4x4 but all tools etc. can be locked up inside out of weather and sight. Will carry long boards and add a rack up top even longer boards than the P/U could carry. How often would you be using the 4x4 when working? No work outside in snow on decks or siding. Anything inside I would think could wait till the roads are clear. 4x4 P/U you could add a plow and do plowing in the winter but that adds wear to the truck. My head is spinning so I know yours is. Good luck Dave ----