Rembrant

Considering how well my existing Bosch grinder has lasted, I may just buy another one for familiarity sake. I wouldn't have believed it, but Bosch actually still makes the exact same unit. It's short and light which makes it easy to hold with one hand, and has a thumb trigger that locks. The one I currently have was dropped out of a scissor lift 20 years ago. The case on it was cracked so the boss cut the cord and chucked it in the garbage. I dug it out of the garbage and bought a new case cover and cord for it. That would have been in the late 1990's, and I still use the thing on a weekly basis.

Well, we all get used to using different things don't we?...lol. Even after 20 years of being married, my wife and I still disagree on what route to take to get somewhere...lol. I've been using Walter disks for years on everything. Same for grinding and flap wheels. It's just what all the industrial shops stock around here I guess. https://www.walter.com/en_CA/products/abrasives/cutting/zipcut I need a new angle grinder. I've been using a Bosch grinder for 20 years now, and it wasn't new when I got it. The angle drive is noisy and the lock pin is just about useless. Trying to wait until Christmas to replace it.

Ron, I'm pretty sure mine is as Steve83 described....there might be a little bit of paint in there, but not a lot. My truck didn't even have much paint on the firewall for that matter...but that's how they did 'em. Did you replace the foam seal between the cowl panel and the cab? Mine crumbled apart the first time I removed the cowl (to install the hydraulic clutch brace). I bought some stuff locally and cut it all to fit. I knew I had pictures...but you can't see down inside the cavity very well. Looks like it's fairly "blue" on mine. The truck had been painted before, but they didn't remove the cowl panel (They actually painted right over the washer fluid nozzle...lol).

Ron, I'm pretty sure mine is as Steve83 described....there might be a little bit of paint in there, but not a lot. My truck didn't even have much paint on the firewall for that matter...but that's how they did 'em. Did you replace the foam seal between the cowl panel and the cab? Mine crumbled apart the first time I removed the cowl (to install the hydraulic clutch brace). I bought some stuff locally and cut it all to fit.

Ron, I believe I still have the flap valve from the left side of my exhaust, and it's a low mileage piece...only 30k on it. I'll check my parts bin at work and see if it's still there. I may have tossed it, but if it's still there you're welcome to it as a spare (if you don't already have 1 or 2...lol).

Ha! All I buy are the flat ones. I can't stand the ones with the depressed center. I use 5" x 3/64" with 7/8" hole. I use zip cut disks so often I'd be lost without them. When you live in the land of rust, you become a real craftsman with an angle grinder and a zip cut disk...lol. While everybody is off discussing the best penetrating oil and trying to figure out what socket to use on a rusted hex head, I've already cut it off and hammered it out...lol. My tip for using zip cuts is to not put too much pressure on them. You barely need more than the weight of the angle grinder to make a cut. If you press on them too much you'll eat through the disks too fast. In any case, Pete is 100% on the removal imho. Personally, I probably wouldn't even try to salvage it. If chopping parts of the bumper off make it easier to get to the welds on the frame, then that's what I'd do.

LOL. I wish I could haul more junk home!

Looks pretty good from afar.

Yes I'm sure all of the different width wheels fit just fine. I was just pointing out that the description was a little vague since there are different wheels that basically look the same. If you were looking for something specific, you need more details.

Thanks for the info guys. So there's no way to know what the above wheels are without seeing the part number stamped on the inside, correct? By the way, does the above Ebay auction show a shipping price to you guys in the US?

I'd be curious to know the Bullnose production numbers, overall and per year...that would be interesting. I'm also curious...back then the trucks were built at several different plants. One in Canada, and 3 or 4 in the USA? would they start production of a new model in some kind of synchronized fashion between all plants? Or would they have done a run starting at one plant. I guess I'm just curious, did the Bullnose trucks hit a certain region first, or did they send them all over.

These wheels in the listing below are only noted as being from an IFS Bronco... https://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-BRONCO-FACTORY-STEEL-WHEELS-FOR-IFS-4X4/333259600374?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649 Are they 15x8?

Gentlemen, I happened to see this truck below on FB the other day...if the owner happens to be on here, my apologies for grabbing the picture! Anyway, he mentioned that the wheels were 15x8 from a 1988 Bronco. Can anybody tell me any more about these, like what years they were available and on what vehicles? Are the trim rings and center caps still available in the aftermarket? Anybody know what the offset or backspacing is? How would one ID these wheels if/when buying them online, like on Ebay?

I think the aftermarket replacement ones are in the $500 range too, no? I know they're bloody expensive. And, out of curiosity, was the chrome trim the same from 1980-1996? I've looked at it on other (newer) trucks at the junkyard and I thought that the 90's was a slightly different version? Hard to say though, without having two of them side by side to compare.

lol. Well, there's always that potential '77 Bronco project, right?... Mine was complaining yesterday because I went to look at an '81 CJ7 "project"...lol.

That sir is a slippery slope if there ever was one...lol. Once you start with just one part...

Yes sir, absolutely, but with aftermarket parts it doesn't mean that the clocked location is 100% correct. I remember the fit being a bit sloppy, so maybe it's not kosher...

Curious to hear whats going on here. That must be the original '86 351 is it Ron? That 1pc rear main seal indicates after 1984 or so...

Hi Randy, Everything worked fine before the tank and sender swap, so it has something to do with the new setup. I was thinking about it some more, and with you mentioning the bending of the float arm I am convinced that is what is wrong with mine. I did test my new sender before installation, but something I did not do was put the new sender beside the old one to compare the height and bends of the new float arm. My tank fills just fine...I can run the pump on full speed (or at a decent speed at least) the same as with my old tank. I think the problem is simply that the range of my new sender is -50% to +50%...instead of 0% to 100%. If the tank fills fine at the beginning, then it should also fill fine at the end...at least I think it should. My plan is...when I get my truck back from the body shop I need to rectify this before I reinstall the bed. I'm wondering if, with the fuel filler hose removed if I can reach in there with a rigid wire (like a metal coat hanger) and operate the float while it is installed? I'll have to try and figure out where full is, and then bend the float arm to suit that. Further adding to this theory is that when I really stuffed the tank full last time, every time I came to a stop (and the fuel in the tank came forward) the gauge would momentarily read full. So either the arm needs to be bent, or I need to rotate the sender in the hole?

I suppose this is a stupid question, but what happens if you remove the plastic vent tube from the filler neck all together? If you ran the gas nozzle slow, theoretically it would be better without the vent tube, right? The vent tube is just to help you fill the tank at a faster rate? I'm wondering if that little metal support in my new tank was too big and has allowed the plastic vent tube to push further into the tank?...Hmmm... I'm going to check that, and if need be I'll bend that little support a little bit to make sure the vent tube stays high.

Man that's a lot of work in a short time!

I'm part of the 44% of the 18%! I'm here mainly for the forum.

Well, there was a member on here a while back, and he was posting on Facebook as well, but he bought a 1980 model somewhere in the Mid West (I think?) that had a VIN ending in 00001, and there was some discussion(s) about whether it was the first Bullnose or one of the first, but I don't think that there was any way to confirm that. I believe he even contacted Marti and they told him that there was no way to confirm it. I'm pretty sure that same truck was put back up for sale a few months after that. Does anybody else remember this besides me? I'll go search now and see if I can find it... Here is the thread, if this works... http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/Might-possibly-be-the-first-bullnose-to-roll-off-of-the-assembly-line-tp16678.html

Well, there was a member on here a while back, and he was posting on Facebook as well, but he bought a 1980 model somewhere in the Mid West (I think?) that had a VIN ending in 00001, and there was some discussion(s) about whether it was the first Bullnose or one of the first, but I don't think that there was any way to confirm that. I believe he even contacted Marti and they told him that there was no way to confirm it. I'm pretty sure that same truck was put back up for sale a few months after that. Does anybody else remember this besides me? I'll go search now and see if I can find it...

According to UPS you shall see them a week from today;). Let me know how the MPG challenge goes!