Rembrant

Gents, I soon have to have a custom drive shaft made, and in order to measure the length, I need to know how far to insert the slip yoke into the tail of the transmission. The slip yoke I have is not original to the transmission, but it's supposedly out of a '98 F150 2wd with a 4.2L, so I'm assuming it was either an M5OD 5spd or another 4R70W like the one I'm installing in my truck. Anyway, that doesn't matter. There's a rust line on the yoke so I know where the travel ended, but I don't know how much that travel was. I'm guessing between a 1/2" and 3/4"?? This truck will be sitting fairly low, with a pretty limited suspension travel...and it will never be used to haul any weight in the bed other than the odd lawn chair or duffle bag. Anybody know what that should be? Or if you happen to have a 2wd with an AOD, how much of the exposed slip yoke is shiny?? lol.

The trick I use for removing the old rubber bushings is I use a drill. Either a 3/16" or 1/4" drill bit, whatever fits, and keep drilling the rubber out. You might have to work the drill bit on an angle sometimes, but it usually only takes a few minutes and then I knock the center sleeve out. Then you can use a hammer and chisel a remove the bushing outer metal shell. If it looks like it will be tough, you can cut a slot in it with a hack saw, and then it will peel out of there even easier. As far as the rear spring front bushing not lining up with the hole, it's probably because of the resistance in the rear shackle when you're trying to lift the axle. It's driving the spring forward of the mounting hole in the bracket? My 2 cents...for what it's worth, is that I would pull the springs out of the truck for service. If the axle u-bolts are really rusty I just cut them off and replace. The local spring shop will make up new ones pretty quickly, and they're not expensive. If the nuts will unscrew and you can re-use the u-bolts, then 100%! The lower bolt in the rear shackle should be removeable isn't it? Then you can deal with the upper bolt with the spring pack out of the truck. For reinstallation. I'd install the spring on the frame first (forward bolt first, then the shackle bolt second), and then lower the truck down on the axle.

Here's a picture from the build underneath!

Interesting story...how's your German? I follow this page on Instagram called Custom Garage Wippenham as they had posted some pics of a street rod similar to my 1952 Merc pickup. Looks like they're a custom shop in Austria. https://custom-garage.at/ They posted some pics yesterday of what looks like an F150 with an electric conversion? Funny thing is, I remember seeing this truck for sale a year or two ago. Looks like it was built and sold in Canada. I'm sure I posted it on here because I remember the wild blue paint job, but I can't find it. Anyway, I did some digging around and found the following webpage detailing the conversion: https://elektroautor-com.translate.goog/?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US The webpage will show part 3 at the top, but scroll down and you'll see parts 1 and 2 also. You might have to click upper right translate button...it seems a bit slow for me. Happy reading! Lots of information there.

It took me a minute, but I remember removing it on my '84 a couple years ago.

That thing used to be an exhaust mount, back when the truck still had it's original exhaust!

Big box arrived from Summit yesterday, and this new carb was one of the items in it. I have been wanting to try this carb for several years now. It's a 500CFM 4bbl with annular boosters. For the carb nerds...I guess the old Autolite 4100 became a Holley 4010 briefly, and is now being sold under the Summit brand. I'm quite excited to try it. I have to install a TPS on it, and fingers crossed that it works...more to come on that. My goal has always been MPG, which is why this carb has been on my radar. MPG was important to me a few years ago, when gas was cheap by comparison...ugh. Anyway, what I'm aiming for is the best engine operation from idle to about 2500 RPM as that is where I'll be 99% of the time. This truck is just a cruiser.

100%! They look great. They look like they're in very nice condition.

And thanks for letting us still hang out Gary! My '52 Pickup project has a lot of my Bullnose knowledge going into it, and I'm still a Bullnose nerd at heart. I get Rick's point though. I don't really visit the Lounge thread either. I assume Rick means topics that are not automotive related at all...perhaps?

'87 Carbed 460 F350 100% belongs on here! Only difference from a Bullnose is the dash and the headlights!

I bought this fan (3 row version): https://shop.championcooling.com/1948-1949-1950-1951-1952-Ford-F1-SKU-4252FD They have this page for fans... https://shop.championcooling.com/Shop/Fans And this is the shroud page for my rad, and they show an upgrade to the SPAL fan too. Not sure what their standard fan offers are. Maybe you can tell by looking at them? https://www.championradiators.com/Ford-Truck-radiator-shroud-1942-1952-FD I have the rad already as I needed it for fitment purposes, but I haven't read a single word on fans yet until reading your experiences. To be honest, I had this plan to run the stock clutch fan, which turns out to have been wildly optimistic lol. That's why I haven't studied the fans side of the install yet. I also have a second issue...I'm not 100% sure that I will even have enough room for a "pull fan" on the engine side of the radiator. I might have to install a push fan on the outside of the radiator. Looks like the SPAL option is a low profile, so that might be the way to go. I'm really hoping to be able to run a pull fan on the inside as a push fan might make installing an AC condenser difficult later on. I also have no idea how the fans are controlled, but I did read a comment the other day that all of these fans come with their own thermal switch? The radiator doesn't have any ports for an immersed style temp sensor. If you have any recommendations, I'm all ears. Looks like 16" is what they off to go with their shroud.

It is relatively easy, but the biggest hurdle is that the plugs for the two clusters are different, so in order to do the swap the cluster you will also have to swap plugs (which also means cutting and splicing your cluster harness). I don't know if Gary has a write-up on here for this swap or not, but it has been done before. I sold a cluster plug with wires to a guy last year that was doing this very swap. You would also have to change your oil switch and replace it with an oil sender for the pressure gauge, but that's cheap and easy. No issues there. I'm not 100% sure on what wiring changes are needed to run the battery gauge, but the guys on here will know for sure.

Loved reading about the fans Scott. I have to install an electric on a new Champion rad in my '52. I haven't even read anything about them yet, but it's on my to-do list...probably in a couple weeks.

Nice truck! Just the way I like 'em...plain, bare bones, minimal options. She looks like a "Stripper"...as in base model with no options. Does it have power steering and/or power brakes? They were still options in 1980!

It certainly looks like a 302. That's a 5.0 upper intake. The 351 EFI upper intake had the Ford oval and a big "5.8" in the middle. The 5.8 would also have different intake ducting, and it would have been serpentine belt, etc. As far as I know (and Rick may correct me here) but I'm pretty sure that the 5.0 upper intake does not work with the 5.8 EFI lower intake...at least not well. They may bolt together, but the ports are quite a bit different. I'd say it's got the stock 5.0 in it, with an AOD, and more than likely a 3.55 geared 8.8 rear diff!

Back to New England?...craving some fresh lobster??...ha! My project has been moving really slow, and I hate it. Covid and new ownership at work have brought some significant changes to my life this past year that have had a big effect on my project(s). Less time, less money, and less space. It's not all bad news though, the silver lining is that some things have improved, so you sometimes have to roll with the punches.

That was likely a "GVOD", or Gear Vendors Overdrive: https://www.gearvendors.com/index.html I have done a couple 5spd swaps. They're relatively easy and inexpensive (usually) if you can find one.

I'm taking fewer pictures these days...lol. These ones above were a pretty quick repair that I wasn't too fussy about, but they give an idea of one way to do it. I bolted them in place with 1/4" bolts up on the "legs" I made. They worked well. If I had more time (and interest) I would have welded them, but for stuff that can't be seen once installed, I don't worry all that much over. It's more function over form!

Like Mat above, I have rebuilt the bottoms of a couple Bullnose core supports. You can bend up some 16ga sheet metal in the Vise and bolt it in place. Works great. Bend up a "saddle" for the bottom, and then bolt it higher up where you have good strong metal. I also made lower brackets to hold the 1985-1996 style radiator as well. The original 1980-1984 Bullnose style radiators have been hard to find for a couple years now.

That is what I should have done...hindsight is 20/20 eh Gary? Press...that's a good idea. Maybe I'll bring it to work tomorrow and put some pressure on it to see if it will flatten out. It's only 3/8" x 2" wide flat bar. It will bend. I haven't posted any updates on my non-Bullnose project lately (thanks for letting me still hang out here Gary!), and I must admit progress has been painfully slow. It's funny, sort of, but it all comes down to hours. For various reasons I won't bore you with, I used to be able to spend a good 25 hours a week on this stuff. Now I'm lucky to do 10 hours. It sure changes timelines and deadlines drastically...lol. This project has been a major learning experience (and eye opener) for me, and all things considered I don't think I'd do it again lol. It's easy to understand why you always see unfinished projects for sale. Anyway... I bought this engine and transmission crossmember kit that comes with mounts and everything for small block Ford and AOD transmission. While the kit is specific to the engine and trans, it's not really specific to the vehicle, so it takes some custom fitting. It's just bent pipe(s). The painful part is that you have to do a mock installation of the engine and trans to find the right spot for everything, and if/when it doesn't fit, you have to pull it all out again and re-do things. I've now had the engine and trans in and out of the truck three times, and my enthusiasm was really starting to drift off...lol. At the end of the day, I was trying to "have my cake and eat it too" as they say. I was trying to find the miracle sweet spot for the engine that required the least amount of fab work and cutting, but still leave enough room to use the stock clutch fan, etc. I finally got it to fit yesterday, and it looks like it will be OK. It's going to mean running an electric fan, and I'll have to relocate the battery, but they aren't really deal breakers. I ended up with the engine and trans offset to the passenger side by about 1.75" to leave enough room to clear the Toyota power steering box. I think it's going to be OK. Covered in dust...and doubtful she'll be on the road this year, but I'm trying!

Dave, I think it may just be a coincidence because the forum is working properly for me now as well, and it wasn't yesterday morning.

Great story! I love hearing stuff like this. My wife can't drive stick, and while I did try to teach her several times over the years it just didn't take, and she just doesn't like it. My current daily driver is a 2015 Tacoma with the 4.0L and auto trans, and she quite likes driving it. In 25 years together, it is the first vehicle that I have ever owned that she could drive. My vehicles have always been stick before this one.

I actually just bought a Champion 3-core radiator for my '52 Merc Gary, and it's quite a nice piece. The truck had a Champion radiator in it when I bought it, but it had dual inlets and dual outlets for the old flathead, and it did not have provisions for trans cooling. So I sold the original Champion rad for a couple hundred bucks, and then bought this one that is made to fit the '52 exactly like factory, but is ported for Small Block Ford and has integral trans cooler.

Cool stuff! Is that Burger King coupon from 1980 as well haha.

I just wanted to check back in here and let you know that this headlamp from Amazon has been an absolute game changer for me working on the old truck. I love this thing. It's small enough that it's never in the way, and I can always see! I always forget I even have it on and walk in the house and blind my wife with it...lol. Anyway, hat tip John for posting these up. It has gone a long way to enhance my garage experience! My 50 year old eyeballs can't see like they used to!