FuzzFace2

I hate to say this but I dont think you will find any harness, there are 4 or 5 different harnesses on the truck. Main across the dash, frame rail to the rear, tail light, ALT and if you have AC AC harness is #5. Then you have radio speaker harness would be #6 And that is just from swapping harnesses between 2 1981 F100 trucks both with 300 motors, manual trans, 1 with AC & duel tanks and was a LB style side that went into my SB flare side now with duel tanks & AC. Now if you had part numbers for each harness you might get really lucky and track 1 or 2 down but I dont see any dealer spending time looking up anything for a 37+ year old truck unless you can give then numbers. Also AFAIK no one makes a "bolt in" harness for our trucks its a fit everything and you make it fit what you are working on. Keep us posted what you come up with and good luck Dave ----

I knew that but he did not say so thought I would have some fun "we" can not really give it a name not seeing it or hear more about it but the names come from the owners once they get to know it better. BTW nothing of mine has a name so it's pick up truck, Durango, Subaru, street Javeling or race car a Javelin also. Oh got a Gremlin that is called Gremlin LOL Some times I do give them a name when giving me a hard time but I cant say it on here Dave ----

I know as I had to drop the rear one because the float on the new sender took on gas and stopped working. I also did not want to undo the filler necks because I have the air vents working great for fill ups, no kick back / off when filling on the fast setting. I also dont have a lift so it's all on my back under the truck. The only thing nice having 2 tanks you can run 1 out of gas before dropping it Dave ----

When I first got my truck you could tell oil was leaking from everything! That is why I changed the valve cover, side cover & oil pan gaskets when the motor was out. Well once on the road it had a pretty big oil leak but could not really pin point it. I did have to take up on all the gaskets I replaced and that slowed down some of it. To clean the whole under side to make it clean again and so I could pin point the leak I bought a small 1 gallon pump sprayer and filled it with Simple Green and Awesome de-greaser mostly the Awesome. Started at the motor engine bay and worked my way back to the rear bumper all under the truck. I then used the pressure washer to wash the cleaner off, did a pretty good job but my truck was cleaned & painted on the under side as part of the rebuild. With it clean I kept a good eye on it and found the timing cover gasket was leaking out the top only when the RPM was raised off idle. Now that I replaced that gasket and it is getting warmer I want to do another "spray de-grease & power wash" then I can respray the valve cover * block as some of the paint came off with the washings. I think your motor would come pretty clean if done the same way. If no power washer park up the cleaners, paper towels and hit the local shelf car wash as they have a power washer spray. May not be as strong as a normal PW but better than nothing and it kees your drive way from getting old grease on it Dave ----

My box also leaked down the liner and dripped on the house garage floor where the truck is parked and it will not come off the floor I dont remember what I used on the plastic but may have been a putty knife? Then maybe thinner to wipe what was left off? I got as much of it as I could as my truck is all together and was not pulling it apart to wash this. Dave ----

When I started seeing the AFR readings I had to go looking to see what carb he was running. I wished my Carter v1 ran that lean and I had to fatten it up, its just the other way around If I ease into the throttle I can get into the mid 14's and have seen 15's but most of the time its in the 13's at cruise. WOT goes really rich. I really need to open my carb again give it a look over and lean it out now that I have the pinging under control. On the jets you ordered them for that 2150 carb and not a Holley I hope. I have seen it posted the thread pitch is different and the numbers dont go by the same number system. I am following good luck Dave ----

To me the hanger looks bent Dave ----

On the tank if you are going to look inside you need to look at the top of the tank besides the bottom. My 2 tanks looked good through the sender holes but once I got the truck on the road I needed to pull the top off the carb and it had really fine rust in the bottom. It made it pass 2 filters and 1 was pretty packed with rust and cant believe it let fuel through. Thing is I dont know what tank has the rust and I dont want to replace both not so much the $$$ but it being a pain as it not so easy to remove the bed. Dave ----

I see yours is Jeff mine is Dave Dave ----

Welcome Ian Lets see a picture or 2 of the truck when you can. Dave ----

I did a little more digging on the cables I listed the part numbers for and happy I got the last set from Rock Auto as they were listed for my truck. The cable set I just got from Rock Auto are Raybestos BC93343 cable lengths 60.380 / 47.625 80 to 91 F100 & F150 BC93232 cable lengths 93.250 / 80.432 80 to 83 F100 The other set I bought but thought the spring were also to long are Raybestos Note this is for the van not the F1xx trucks BC93524 cable lengths 54.440 / 38.125 80 to 91 E100 & E150 BC93014 cable lengths 66.880 / 51.000 80 to 91 E100 & E150 So I will need to mark the boxes that are in the parts bin for what they fit as I will forget if I have not already LOL Dont know how I got ones for a van? Dave ----

Ok first the truck 81 F100 Flare side rear drum brakes size? large bolt pattern. The rear Ebrake cables I dont know who I got them from but the springs that push the arm back were way to long and could not get the drums on. The cable set I just got from Rock Auto are Raybestos BC93343 & BC93232 and both have springs that measure 5.5" The other set I bought but thought the spring were also to long are Raybestos Note this is for the van not the F1xx truck see below BC93524 & BC93014 and both have springs that measure 6" I did not lay them out to get a length of inner & outer cables as they are still wire tied in the boxes and dont want to open up all the way just yet. I dnot know why the different part numbers as I am sure I ordered all cables for my truck based on what the web site had posted. The plan is to use the 5.5" springs cables and hope they work better than the spring cut ones I have on the truck now. Again I think I am getting coil bind as the pedal will not go any more but the truck can still be moved forward and if on a little hill backwards it will roll. For what its worth hope this helps others. Dave ----

Sorry a little late but from the hard line to the pump on the motor I used 5/16" and most likely used the same for the tanks to hard lines and at the tank switch valve. Before I had fuel in the tanks I tried 3/8" hose into a gas can on the inner fender just to move the truck and it would not pick up fuel from the can even with 2 hose clamps. Once I used 5/16" hose it started pulling fuel from the can. I dont remember what size I used for the evap system, maybe 1/4" or smaller? Dave ----

Will someone tell my wife I was right for a change When I got my truck it only had a cat used as a muffler and when I got it off it was not plugged but was starting to break up and I am sure would of plugged the muffler if the truck had one. Dave ----

Cory, that is looking good On the heat shield I was thinking the same as Gary, use 1 of the flange bolts to hold it. I did not look to far on this site on the size of his starters end to end and I dont know if mine would be the same as any of the others because of the nose / bolt parts could be different. https://www.robbmcperformance.com/products/starter_home.html I have 2 of his starters, no pinion support in the drag car and have a pinion support on the shelf for a higher compression motor if I ever build one. Its a great starter and the customer support is also great from what the AMC guys that needed to use it have said, I have not needed to use it. Dave ----

I had nothing to go by on my truck so when I got the new cables I figured I was good to go ..... wrong! On the length of the new cables I also think the inner part were to long as I had to take up (shorten) the front cable besides the spring. As I was typing this it just hit me I may have cables on the parts truck axle, thing is getting to it as it was pushed under the Gremlin and stuff piled around it Will see about going out to the garage, 25*f here after it being in the 70's, to see who the latest cable are made by and part numbers. I will also try and dig through my binds and find the 2nd set of cables, who made them and part numbers too. Dave ----

Oh dont get me started on the Ebrake cables. I dont remember who the first set came from or who made them but the spring was so long it hung down below the backing plate so there was no way the drums would go on. I cut the spring shorter just so I could get the drums on but I think they are still to long and coil bind as it dose not hold vary good. I got a second set again dont remember from who or made them and the spring also looked too long. I never took them out of the package. I just got a set from Rock Auto think Raybestos or Wagner and the springs look like they will work. I have not installed them yet so cant say for sure on the fit. I can check on who makes them tomorrow. Dave ----

You said timing is set to what? If not at 10* to 12* BTDC, vacuum disconnected and plugged, bump it up. With no vacuum bring the RPM up from idle and see what the timing moves to. Now hook the vacuum up and bring the RPM up from idle and see what the timing moves to. Let us know what happens. You said new motor? Did you drive this truck with the old motor and if so how long was the truck out of service / not driven? Was it sitting inside or outside? Why was the motor replaced? I had a customers car the motor blew a head gasket or cracked the head, too long to remember now. Car was pushed in and out till a new motor was installed. Pushed it inside to do last little bit and fire it up and could not get it to start, wanted to but would not. We gave up for the night came in next day hit the key and it started right up. We also got flooded with water shooting out the tail pipe! The exh / muffler filled with water and being winter it froze and would not let the exh gases out so would not start. Sitting over night in the warm shop was the fix. If the exh was left open something could have made a home inside and it is plugging the exh system and not letting all the gases out and why only 40 MPH. A bad cat thats plugged and or coming apart and plugged the muffler will do the same. Dave ----

Note that NAPA and others carry 2 or more lines of parts. Most people want the cheapest so thats what is looked up and given out as a replacement. I went with top of the line NAPA relay and have not had any issues with it. Dave ----

I have KYB's on my 81 F100 Flare Side 4x2 and think the truck rids great for a empty truck. I dont know what was on it before or how it rode as I did not drive the truck before I pulled it apart for a rebuild or if they were any good or not when I pulled them off, they got filed in the big round bucket I got the shocks through LMC Dave ----

Do they make a colored shrink wrap? If so what if you got what hoses you can in the colors you want bot for the color you cant but can get wrap what if you did that hose in black and used the colored wrap on the ends and a few spots along the hose? Dave ----

Rubber gasket or cork? Dave ----

The issue is in v8 motors there is not a lot of room for the BIG HEI. The air filter housing hits and / or you cant turn the dist. enough to get it timed. Now on the 300 six there is nothing in the way so it is a lot easier swap from TFI to HEI. But going from points to HEI I just cant see doing as you can get a Pertronix unit to drop in place of the points and never have to do anything again. BTW I took a HEI from a GM 250 six motor and it was a drop in to a Toyota L/C 238 six motor and woke it up big time. Dave ----

Anything that has "Locker" in it's name is going to "lock" the 2 wheels together under power. When no power they will unlock and the wheels can now turn at different rates. I have a Detroit locker in the drag car so cant say how it is on the street but if the street car need a carrier it will go in. I also have a lunch box locker in my 75 factory v8 Gremlin. It replaces the spider gears and lock the axles together under power. As pointed out if wet out it could be a hand full at 92" wheel base if you were not ready for it to come around. I only had to move the car once with snow down, it did not go anywhere even with 2 rear tires turning. I have had 2 4x4's (86 K5 Blazer & 02 Durango) with factory LS or posi in the rear axle, dont know if they offered it in front? and loved them. I would lock the front hubs (K5) at first snow and drive as far as I felt safe in 4x2 mode then just move the lever to 4x4 and keep going. The Durango you just turn the knob on the dash. Neither truck was ever taken off road so cant say how they would do on a trail. Only thing I can see with a LS / Posi in the short wheel base Bronco is the SWB and it wanting to come around faster like my 92" WB Gremlin other wise I dont see any issues with it. Dave ----

I would say also look down in the carb on the rear to see if fuel is dripping in. No power valve in the rear so that cant be it. I wonder if a gasket is causing fuel to leak when the level is up to the normal place? I am guessing the carb uses a metering plate and not a block with jets as most Holley's do. Wonder if the plate could be warped? They are not hard to rebuild and if you follow what was posted you should be fine on the rebuild. Dave ----