Rembrant

Gary, that's a good question. I'm up and down on wheels all the time...bit of a moving target I guess. I may go with the factory Bronco wheels (the 15x8 ones) if I can find 4 of them. Otherwise, I might switch from the steel chrome to an aluminum set. Right now, my main goal is to get the old truck driving a little better, so getting round wheels has moved further up the priority list.

It does look good!

Yup, the EFI and Feedback carb trucks had harnesses passing through that hole. My '84 just has an oval rubber plug in there. I grabbed a spare oval plug out of an '86 at the junkyard last year just to have on hand. I figured that sometime I'd be fixing an old EFI truck and would need the plug to convert it to carb.

I'm not watching it Gary, but I do usually go back and check on them via the forum to see what they sold for. I just look at this stuff while I'm having my coffee in the am in case anything interesting pops ups.

I was thinking about buying one of these things a few years back when I was still working on motorcycles a bit. Seemed like a good way to clean carbs and small parts like that. I don't remember why I didn't buy one, but it was probably due to lack of space and that I stopped working on bikes. Nice job Scatch! Parts look nice and clean. I'm still doing things the old school way I guess...with cans of brake clean and piles of old toothbrushes...lol.

This old girl looks to be very well preserved. Part of a "Private Collection" the auction states... https://www.ebay.com/itm/113944119115

Nice lookin' 1985 F250 here. Lack of AC might be a deal breaker for some, but I love seeing that nice black frame and a body NOT rusted to bits... It's not perfect, but curious to see where it ends up with no reserve. https://www.ebay.com/itm/153707139470

I think I've come to the realization today that one of or several of the wheels on my truck are not round. I've had them balanced a couple times, and the last time the guy told me that two of them had a bit of a wobble to them, so he put them on the passenger side. He didn't think that they were that bad, but best to put them away from me as much as possible at least. Anyway, still getting some shaking at a very specific speed...or speeds. It's not the tires because I had them on my previous black soft-8 wheels, and they were quite smooth at that time. Not a big deal at the moment, but it's something I need to rectify if I'm going to make this thing more enjoyable to drive, and drive long(er) distances.

Ok, so I finally got back at this today (briefly). I plugged the PCV valve hole, and then covered the oil filler hole with my hand (with a thin leather glove on) and there was indeed a gradual pressure build up. No vacuum of any kind. According to my vacuum gauge, which is by no means a precision instrument, I'm pulling 18" vacuum at idle. That is about the best that I've gotten with it. I seem to recall this being the best vacuum we were able to achieve on the dyno day as well, but my memory could be fuzzy on the topic. The idle speed screw is backed out all the way, and the idle is currently at about 840/850 RPM. I can't find a vacuum leak anywhere. I plugged everything. I've gone around and around with MAP gas spraying on the carb and intake, etc. I plugged the brake booster vacuum line, and it was fine...nothing changed. The only thing that pulls the idle down a little bit is plugging the PCV valve...which I assume is normal? Isn't the PCV valve a controlled vacuum leak of sorts? So...I guess this means I'm back to suspecting the carb again...and the primary or secondary plates not closing properly. With the idle speed screw backed out all the way and with maybe a 1mm gap (0.040"), I can actually close the throttle a little more manually...and the idle does drop a little bit...but I don't want to force it any harder than I have been. I don't know what stops the primary throttle plates travel when they're not hitting the idle speed screw. I seem to recall there being an adjustable stop in there, only accessible from the under side of the carb...one of those things that is "factory set"... Anyway...my new O2 sensor kit shows up on Tuesday and will take all of 5 minutes to install, so I'll finally be able to see what's going on with this thing...at least in how it's breathing anyway. Stay tuned.

Gary, What happened to the handle on your window opener?...lol.

It's just a plastic ring with a little lip on it. It should have a relatively snug fit on there...at least the original Ford ones did. I found the Moog aftermarket replacements were a little loose, so when I did my bushings I reused the old plastic parts. With such low mileage on the truck they were like new anyway. I'd make a plan to replace them and the bushings. Not urgently, but soon-ish.

So many things I could say about this story....but I am trying to exercise maturity....so Ill quit while I am ahead. I'm starting to get offended by some of the asking prices I'm seeing for Bullnoses...lol.

Amen to that!!! Haha, I know, right? I've been dealing with a couple projects lately that have really made my job unfun. If I got fired today, I'd let out a big sigh of relief...lol.

Yes...lol, is it that obvious??>.. I had to take the wife's wheels to the dealer for service this morning, so I wasn't in a rush to get moving. She wants her winter tires and wheels installed, and it was due for oil change, etc. I normally stick the winter wheels on myself, but apparently the TPMS sensors in her "old" wheels don't work with the newer gen car, so on top of the usual service, I'm also laying out $200 for new sensors this morning. There's no sign of winter anywhere yet....it was a balmy 65F at 6am this morning. Any real snow is still a solid 2 months away, but we'll be seeing some black ice before too long;). 'tis the world we live in. TGIF!!

Ha! My inspection and ran out in June or July, I forget which now, so I've been running around without a valid inspection sticker on mine. My plate is up to date, so I'm all good there. I've been thinking of getting the Antique Registration, in which case I'll no longer need the safety inspections, but I don't know if I'm going to bother with that yet. Once you get the "Antique" plate on there, you're technically only supposed to be taking the thing to car shows, or casual afternoon cruises on the weekend, etc. I don't think it matters much...I doubt it's enforced at all, but still...I want to be able to drive the truck to work without any fuss, even if the "normal" registration costs a lot more. I don't think any of it really matters much as the police would likely never pull over a classic truck around here, not randomly at least.

Are you referring to the trim that only on some 1985-1986 trucks? Or something different? You can spot that one pretty quickly as it is below the signal light in the front fender, and runs right over the key hole in the door. If you're talking about something different, then ignore my reply...lol. https://richmond.craigslist.org/cto/d/mattaponi-1986-ford-f150/7000898898.html https://greenville.craigslist.org/cto/d/spindale-1985-ford-150/6993948719.html https://macon.craigslist.org/cto/d/yatesville-86-f150/6993256730.html https://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/d/tucson-85-f150-ford-lariat-truck/7003550850.html

Oh...that thing is nice. Way WAY out of my price range, but still nice to look at.

I'm happy with how my truck handles for the most part, but I'd love to have rack and pinion steering. If somebody comes out with a kit for that I'd be on it. I know the Crown Vic chassis is a common swap for us 2wd guys, but that's WAY more work than I want to get into for this truck.

Oh...there was also this one...this is the one I meant to post the first time. Be nice if you could find out who is going to disassemble this truck...it's a 1985 diesel...

Oh, I see. So you want another Flareside to live in? Might be a bit cramped in there. Should probably look for a crew cab...lol. PS: There is a blue '84 Bullnose (Reg cab, long bed) 4x2 for sale locally that I really want. It's a 300/6 truck with 4spd, and it's the same color blue as mine. I by no means need another truck, but now that mine is mostly all finished, I don't want to use it as a truck...lol.

Another blue Flareside....pffft!... Everybody has one of those! Probably a good starting point for a project truck. Easy for you six and a half footers to get in and out of Ray...lol.

I saw this one on Facebook the other day in Illinois. Not sure if 1983 would work, but it's a diesel F250 4x4 with dual tanks. Guy has the whole truck for sale, but you never know, it may end up as a parts truck...

You guys have me thinking about trying my 4500 RPM tach for a while. It came out of a 1985 F800 Fire Truck that had only about 28,000 original miles on it, so it didn't see much action over the years. I believe I asked this before, but the 4500 RPM tach is a direct swap into my existing factory cluster right? It would be going from a V8 to a V8. I believe that F800 had a 429 engine in it...does that sound correct for an '85? I'd like to try it for a while and see if I like it better than the 6000 RPM tach. I don't think I've had the engine above 3500 RPM since I put it in there, and I spend the majority of my time between 1500-2500 RPM.

Forget about the parts for a second. What if the whole truck is made out of rust? Asking for a friend.

Wow that diesel one sold for $110 bucks. Nice. I still have a 4500 RPM gas tach I pulled out of a 1985 F800. Curious what they sell for...not nearly as much as the more obscure diesel tachs I suppose. I may install it in my truck sometime just to get a better reading on the RPM's I use...which is usually only the lower half of the 6000 RPM tach I have now.