Rembrant

I talked to a local guy today that has Ford truck parts. He said he didn't have a V-Belt AC system for a 302, but that he did have a couple serpentine systems to fit the 302. Hmmmm..... Can you run a serpentine system without a smog pump? Shorter belt? Or do you have to get a delete pulley?

David, thanks for this. Looks like everything is there except the crank pulley.... I have it saved for now, but it's looking like a very good option right now.

OK, fair enough. I was just comparing the two...or pictures of the two, and was curious. I stole a picture from Dave's conversion, I hope he doesn't mind. It looks like the outer rectangular hole on the passenger side is the same between AC and Non-AC. The hole closer to the engine appears to be very similar...slightly shorter on the AC cab. At a glance, it looks like you'd just need to the cut the 3rd hole, and of course a few extras for coolant hoses and screw mounts, etc. Anyway, no big deal...I wouldn't mind some mild modification work, but if it's too much than it's easier for me to discard the idea.

Correct, however that's where people like me come in. I prefer the long bed trucks. Heater core must be leaking...lol. I only noticed because I was looking at pictures of AC parts, but the heater core is bypassed.

Gentlemen, I have been actively hunting for AC parts for the past several years and have pretty much decided to go with some kind of an aftermarket AC system combined with some factory and dealer AC components to finish the dash. Scott has been super helpful in helping me source some dealer AC vents and pieces. Finding a parts truck around here with factory or dealer AC has been next to impossible. Finally, what pops up locally this week but an '86 being parted out with factory AC. The cab components are still all intact, but everything between the evaporator and condenser is missing. So there's no accumulator, no lines, and no compressor nor the brackets to mount a compressor. So, my questions are... I am aware of the cab differences. Could one simply modify a Non-AC cab by cutting the 3rd (middle) hole in the firewall? If changing the firewall like Dave did is the only solution, then that is pretty much a deal breaker as that not something I really want to do. From what I can tell from the Cert Label, the parts truck dash is Chesnut in color. Looks like a light tan to me. Any issues with painting this dash blue to match my interior? I see many of the AC parts are available aftermarket, like the lines, the accumulator, evap and condensor cores, etc. Is there an aftermarket supplier for the pumps? What about the necessary mounting brackets and pulleys, etc for a 302? Difficult to find/locate? If all of the above questions pass the test of being possible, what other issues would there be? Other common failure parts (controls?) that are NLA and impossible to find? Any thoughts or comments good or bad would be appreciated.

Don't forget Ford freaks that the Bullitt Mustang is up for auction later this week! https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0120-397388/1968-ford-mustang-gt-bullitt/ Snagged this photo from the local FB Classic Car groups. One of the members is at the auction.

Back on the block again? https://www.ebay.com/itm/174146902722

This old girl looks like she's fairly well preserved. Bidding is already under way. https://www.ebay.com/itm/202868046833 I know we all have different tastes (and thank god for that...lol) but I think this truck is a real beauty. I like them relatively plain like this one...but with the factory rally wheels (which appear to be the 8" wide version) and the height/stance. Perfect, I love it. I'd rock that truck exactly the way it is. Being a 4x4 with 351 in this condition, I betcha this thing goes for decent money.

Hey Scatch, I probably missed it along the way, but where did you buy this carpet? LMC? Did it come with any padding on the backside or no?

That's looking great! Once you get a bunch of the big jobs done, the little ones fall into place pretty quickly.

Sorry, my bad...if I go down into the shipping calculator area and enter the zip code I use (04619), then yes, it worked. DUH. I guess it depends on how the seller sets up the ad/auction. If they are free shipping, they just show free shipping. Sometimes it will auto-calculate shipping to Canada (if the seller has it enabled to do so). If they have it set up so that they only wish to sell/ship in the US, then it usually shows me that the item is not available in your country or may not be available in your country.

Well there you go Gary, that documentation confirms that when I weighed my truck it was pretty accurate (I calculated the weight without driver and without fuel to be about 3385 lbs iirc), and the specified 4X2 weight is 3424 lbs. It also confirms Ray's estimate on the weight of the 4x4 components as the same truck in 4X4 is specified at 3825 lbs curb weight (exactly 400 lbs heavier than a 4X2).

Holy smokes, 80 bucks shipping within the US. That seems steep. Ok, thanks Dave. I was just curious if it was showing Free Shipping within the US like they often do. If the seller selects that they will ONLY sell/ship within the US, it doesn't show me any shipping, nor does it let me calculate it because my location disqualifies me. I can ship big stuff to Maine, but I can't always see what the shipping estimates are. Thanks!

Ray, I actually weighed my '84 Flareside, and it was just under 3400 lbs. That was with me NOT in it, and I believe I calculated it based on the fuel tank being empty. Not sure how a 302 compares to a 300 in weight though. You'd have the add weight of the transfer case, front driveshaft, and front diff and axles, wider springs, etc. I think you'd be pretty close to your 400 lb estimate once you added it all up. I did post about it, so I'll see if I can find the thread back when I did it. Edit:...Here is the link to when I weighed the truck. http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/My-1984-F150-2wd-Flareside-Project-Blue-Mule-tp4515p14566.html

Nice trucks. That blue interior is pretty sweet!

Came across this while looking at trucks for sale this morning. Looks like he removed the AC pump and installed a second alternator. Kinda cool I guess if you needed the extra juice. https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1480666948&siteLocale=en_CA

Question for you Jim since you're in the NE... What does this Ebay ad show you for shipping charges if any? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wheel-15x8-Fits-85-91-BRONCO-114899/292424196485?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

If you're lucky, your existing cable will fit/reach the other transmission. When I switched from my original 3spd manual to the 5spd manual, I was lucky as both transmissions were almost the exact same length. I think the 5spd was 3/8" longer. So the speedo drive gear was in roughly the same location...maybe an inch or two further back, but I was able to use my existing cable. Also, both trans were slip yoke, so my original driveshaft fit without modification. Reverse switch is easy to deal with also. The plugs were different between the two trannys, so I just spliced a new plug on the truck harness. Done like dinner. You should be able to use your existing mechanical clutched bell and associated parts on the new trans also.

LOL...yes, of course. Sorry, by calling it Sodium Chloride I thought you were referring to applying it in liquid form. I've seen where some places spray it from a tank truck. If they're still loading it into dump trucks there like gravel, then we are doing the same;)>

Still the good old fashioned rock salt used here, ugh. Yes Alaska for sure, but also Montana, North Dakota, and Washington are all north of me. Michigan UP (and the tip of the mitt), plus parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Idaho, Oregon, etc...lol.

Yes, exactly...it's a little tall for the 302 if you're just cruising at 65 MPH and hit a hill. Almost guaranteed to have to down shift. If I'm over 2000 RPM it's much better, but I'm also going faster and have more momentum to get up the hills. Problem is, I just don't drive at 75MPH. The good thing is that 4th is still 1:1, which is exactly what it was before, do down shafting isn't drastic or anything. On flat ground though, the 5spd is nice. The 302 doesn't have much power below 2000 RPM, so it's a bit of a dog there. If it's up around 2500 RPM, it pulls very nicely, but I'm talking 4th gear...I don't think I've ever hit 2500 RPM in 5th.

Haha, tòuchè!! Actually, if you follow the longitudal lines Jim, there are a few US states that are north of me...lol. By southern parts I mean southern US...probably South Carolina or something like that. This guy I know bought a southern '84 F150 4X2 and then converted it to a 4x4, so the 4X2 front end parts were discarded. The condition of the parts, compared to what you'd find around here, is amazing. There is quite a backyard industry here of guys that go down south and buy an old pickup, and then load it up with junkyard parts and then come back and sell some of it or all of it. Truck beds and gas tanks are the most common, but doors and fenders show up too. I had to laugh when disassembling these parts. You just take a socket and a wrench and take them apart. Here it's a whole process...lol. You need torches, zip cut disks for your angle grinder, ball peen hammers and drifts, breaker bars and 4' lengths of pipe to put on the breaker bars, etc, etc.

Hi Dave, I did the tranny swap and motor at the same time. I had the engine dyno tested, but the dyno didn't start reading until 2800 RPM, so I don't really know what the numbers are below that point. It made 335 TQ at I believe around 3100RPM, and before the build up I believe factory spec for TQ was around 250, in the same RPM range. It was my HP that took a big jump from the factory spec of about 135 to 300, but that was at 5000+ RPM. Ford did build the trucks with the M5-R2 and 3.08 (and taller) gearing, so it's not like it's a custom set-up by any means. Actually, the truck my trans came out of was a 1991 F250 with a 302 and I assume 3.08 gears. The speedo cable drive gear in my trans is specifically for 2.75-3.08 diffs, and my spare M5-R2 is the same as well, so it was a common configuration. I shouldn't say that I find the gearing all that tall. I guess what I should be saying is that it isn't geared low. It feels pretty normal to me, like any other manual trans pickup from the 90's when 5spds were still common. The ZF5's were in the heavier trucks, and I've never really driven them, so I don't really have anything to compare to.

Dave, I'm running the M5-R2 with 3.08 gears, but my tires are lower profile...I believe 28" OD. I find it geared a tiny bit on a tall side, but it's perfectly fine for what I do with the truck. I don't haul anything, and the little 302 is built up a little bit. I think it's right around 2000 RPM at 65-70 MPH...I don't remember exactly where it was. I really like the trans, and I'm hoping for some good MPG numbers when I can finally get testing it again in the spring. I bought a spare trans a while back...it was local-ish and cheap-ish (at $150) so I grabbed it. It's pretty grungy looking, but it was my plan to rebuild it when I run out of other rehab projects.

So, got some parts back from sand blasting this afternoon! I am so happy to get these parts you have no idea. I was after the Bullnose swaybar mounting brackets, and ended up getting a set of really nice radius arms in the process. I have new radius arms in the truck now, but they're 1987-1991 radius arms, and with them I also have to run the 1987-1991 radius arm bushings. These Bullnose arms will allow me to swap it all back to correct 1984 stuff. It's not that it matters much...these parts don't need to be correct, but I'd rather have the right stuff whenever possible. Part of the package also included a set of southern I-beams. They're in really nice condition too...you can even see the Ford markings on them. They're actually much nicer than the ones in my truck currently, but no way am I going through the trouble of swapping them in...my existing beams, as ugly as they are, have all new ball joints and pivot bushings. In any case, I can't wait to get the new arms and sawybar brackets installed. I've had the powder coated swaybar and crossmember with mounts laying in my office for a year or more now.