Operator1

I also want way more than a tired 302, that is just what I have on hand. In my mind I would get the truck together, use the 302 until I can get something better, and then put the 302 in a go-cart for my kids.

A link bar attached to that adapter, running to the opposite side of the chassis, would be really helpful in my opinion, especially when using a dropped Pitman arm.

It is a much stiffer frame, fully boxed and wider. It came from the factory with air ride, but it has been converted to coil springs at some point (A popular way to avoid the costs of fixing broken air ride). A-arm front suspension and 4-link rear with substantial sway bars. The truck being a lot lighter than the navigator might mean that the ride isn't luxurious, but I will do something about it if it's too bad. It also has better brakes, and a huge gas tank that I hope to retain. The wheelbase is within an inch of a shortbed bullnose. One crazy idea i have is to build a "unibody" like the trucks from the '60s, just because I like those, and I think this frame could be stiff enough to support it. The Navigator also has the steering box attached in the way you guys told me about, with the tubes through the chassis. This isn't a terribly practical plan, But since I have the stuff sitting around, I think it will be fun. It will also condense my fleet of junk down a little bit. If I could end up with a nice driving bullnose for a daily driver, That would be great! I have a 1940 Hudson that I put on a 1997 Tahoe chassis three years ago, and it works really well. Body swaps have always appealed to me for some reason.

Wow, I didn't realize it had been so long! Rosebud is still in progress, slow as it may be. The plan is evolving, though. I gave the engine a fresh set of rings and bearings, a Comp 212/212 .480/.480 cam, and a Street Demon 625 carb. I still wanted to try out a quick fuel 450, but i got the Demon at a pretty nice discount. It's running good, but blows bubbles in the cooling system. I knew I should have gotten the heads checked out. Since last fall, I've been using it to move other junk around the yard, and havent made any more progress. In the meantime, I bought an '00 2wd Lincoln Navigator with a locked up engine thinking I would use its undercarriage for my '55 F100. The more I think about it though, I like the bullnose better than the '55. I also bought an '82 F100 2wd with thoughts of building a Bullnose truck with similar specs to a first gen Lightning. This truck had a 302 that was locked up, so I took it apart to see what was going on. I found a little bit of water in the #8 cylinder, and a bent connecting rod. It also had an AOD transmission, so that has been added to the parts pile. So as it stands right now, the plan is to use the Navigator chassis, piece together a body from the '86 and '82, use the Rosebud engine and the AOD to build the truck that I want. I have never considered myself very good at bodywork, but it looks like I'm about to get some practice.

Yeah. I’m tempted to just replace the bearings and let it ride.

Now that’s what I call tech right there! There’s not many forums out there for any vehicle that can take it to that level.

No tilt wheel. But I know what you’re talking about. The funny shaped piece that hooks to the rod. At first, the starting circuit wasn’t working, so I checked the ignition switch and it was good. So I unplugged a plug under the brake booster to check for continuity through the NSS. That was good. After I plugged that plug back in the starting circuit has been working fine. Gotta love old wiring. On the engine, I have checked random spots all over the cylinders in all directions and have seen 4.003-4.004 consistently, except right at the top measured vertically they are 4.007-4.008. 1/2” below that they are right back to 4.004. Due to budgetary constraints I will probably do some honing, rings and bearings, and throw it back in there. It’s killing me to not do a nice build on it, but there is just too much other stuff to fix.

I did manage to figure out from the casting numbers that it's a 1989 engine. It has a flat tappet cam in it but the holes for a roller lifter spider are drilled and tapped. the flexplate had "1983 t bird" written on it in paint marker, so now I'm worried that it could be a 28 oz. plate, because I can't find any numbers on it, or any info that I feel good about, on the web. I thought the cylinders looked like they had been washed down, so I got my dad to look at it (I'm 41 and have studied this stuff since I was 9 and his opinion on engines still means more to me than my own). He said it looked like the engine had sat long enough for the cylinders to start rusting before it was put to use again. That makes sense to me because even though the walls look bad, the biggest spot I have found in a cylinder is 4.008". I've been going over the electric system today, while I think about what to do with the engine. Removed the EEC harness first. Next, I had to figure out why a starter button had been rigged up with a piece of extension cord. The "why" isn't so obvious, as the original wiring for the starter seems to be working. The worst wires so far are the ones coming from the alternator. Twisted, taped, and melted wires for everyone! I have a 1-wire alternator laying around, so I might just try to swap it in there. This truck is so dirty, I'm starting to think it may have been buried at some point (a'la Lone Wolf McQuade). I've been pressure washing more and more as I dig deeper into this thing. Today I found a wrench in the bottom of the right front fender.

Yep, after doing some pressure washing, I can see it.

That is how it appears to me, it looks like the box only touches the frame around the bolt holes. Mine already has tubes in the frame. They are just between the frame rail and liner though, not all the way through like Gary described. It also looks like someone has welded on this crack before, but only a little spot at the bottom. I promise not to brace it up with a tree branch:nabble_anim_handshake:

Yep hone, dingle berries, dingle balls, bunch of grapes, people call them all kinds of stuff. The cylinder walls look like they’ve probably seen some ether. They aren’t scarred, but like it’s been run dry. A popular method to stiffen the steering box in the Jeep world is a brace running from the passenger side frame to the bottom of the gear box, clamped around the area where the sector shaft exits. I was thinking of some version of that, but anything can happen when I get a day off to work on it again. The thick tubes through the frame do sound like a better mounting method, but it seems like that would just move the stress point without some additional stiffening to go along with it. I can assure you that whatever I end up with will be some jackleg trash, but hopefully strong trash.

Well, I guess the pictures are optimized for lying down.

I haven't forgotten the Bullnose, but my Jeep got jealous of all the time I was spending with it. Having appeased the latest round of Jeep problems, it's time to get back into Rosebud. Pulled the engine to change the oil pan, gaskets, seals, and whatever else I find. Tore into it and found the bores to be 4.004" more or less. They could stand to have a bunch of grapes run through them. Pulled a main cap, looks like I will be buying some bearings. Removed the steering box to assess the cracking situation. I'm gonna come up with some sort of reinforcement to stiffen that area, I surely don't think just welding up the crack is going to be enough. The steering shaft was also really sloppy at the rag joint. I'm gonna try to clean up the wiring and plumbing under the hood while I'm in there.

I wrapped that fitting up in the thick yellow pipe tape today. Tighten, steer, repeat, until I finally saw no more seepage. Ended up with it a lot tighter than I expected.

I did check the tag on the Front axle and it said 3.50. First time I've seen that gear in a TTB.