Rembrant

Very nice. I love 31's on a 4x4 Bullnose.

I believe it. I sure do miss a console and cup holders on the old bench seats.

By the way...something to note, I see in the details about the Lee pump that it has Metric threads? Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that means that the Bullnose pressure line won't fit it? You'd have to order a 1992-1996 high pressure line, or swap the fittings on the pump itself. Somebody on here went through this....do you remember Gary? Bruno maybe? Somebody got a CII pump from a 90's truck, and found out that the Bullnose high pressure line wouldn't thread into it. He swapped the fittings between the old and new pumps, but you could also order the newer line...the steering boxes were all the same from 1980-1996 anyway. The CII pumps were identical as well....except for that one little change to Metric threads. I think...

Some refurb 15x8's showed up on Ebay yesterday or today as well, as I get alerts when they're listed.

Good morning gents, Has anybody ever heard of or used this custom built C2 Power Steering pump by Lee? https://leepowersteering.com/products/ford-cii-power-steering-pump-replacement I was doing some research this morning as I will be adding some type of aftermarket steering to my '52 this winter (undecided between a traditional style PS box, and a rack and pinion affair). A couple of the aftermarket kits I looked at suggested between 800-1200 PSI was required, and some say simply that 1200 PSI is required. The output pressure of the old 80's C2 pump never really occurred to me before, so I figured I better look into it. All I really found was the info linked below...with no idea if it is accurate or not? https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/32717-what-max-p-s-i-does-a-typical-ford-power-steering-pump-create.html#post219815 In short... "The Ford CII pump (F150-350, Bronco) flows 1.5 gallons/minute at 740 psi. The pressure relief is in the pump and set at 1400 to 1500 psi. The Ford Saginaw pump (E100-350) flows 1.8 gallons/minute at 620 psi and its relief valve is set at 1350 to 1450 psi." Gary or anybody else, can you confirm if this pressure data is correct? If this information IS correct, it raised another question for me: Why is the Saginaw power steering pump swap so common, if the pressure is lower? I realize they are smoother and quieter in operation, but everybody claims that they perform much better (easier steering, etc). Anyway, just curious on that... I know the Saginaw power steering pump swap is very VERY common...but the Ford factory parts for this swap are getting really hard to find, at least around here. I see that the 1992-1996 E-series had a factory Saginaw pump and serpentine belt, so that would make for a nice factory installation, but finding that bracket is going to be a no-go around here. Our junkyards are full of old service vans, but they're newer ones with the mod motors. So the Lee pump, while not cheap obviously, seems like the easiest/simplest solution to needing higher pressure, unless you guys can educate me on other options (for a later 5.0 SBF with serpentine drive). And why is the Saginaw pump so much better? It must have a higher operating pressure, and the info linked above from FTE is indeed incorrect? Thoughts or comments, good or bad?

Thanks for all the help gentlemen! I finally located the transmission I wanted and just paid for it this morning. It’s quite a drive away, so I won’t pick it up for a week or two. In researching these transmissions I don’t think I have ever found so much confusing and/or conflicting information before lol. Anyway, whether it’s right or wrong, I ended up with a 4R70W out of a 1996 F150…or depending on who you talk to, it is an AODE-W. I guess at the end of the day, it’s an AOD-E with 4R70W internals. It seems like the wide ratio units are a little more desirable…they have lower 1st and 2nd gears, and they did not show up until 1994 in the F150. They were also used in cars like the Lincoln and Thunderbird, but it seems only or mostly with the modular engines. So the best chance of finding one (with the wide ratio) and the SBF bolt pattern is to get one from a 1994-1996 F150. Problem is, it seems like most of these F150’s have E4OD’s in them, so the AOD-E/W is at least somewhat rare…with the SBF bolt pattern. I looked at three 1993-1996 F150’s and they all had E4OD’s in them. According to some sources, the trans was called the AOD-E up to 1995, and then in 1996 started being called the 4R70W. I dunno, it’s an odd topic to research because it seems like a lot of people disagree about them lol. Some people say that the 4R70W was never used behind a SBF, but an AOD-E with 4R70W internals is the same thing, I suppose. I read that the wide ratio units were developed for the modular engines since they have less Low end torque than the SBF series. Depends on who you’re talking to, I guess…

Great pics! I would love to have that truck. It sits perfect.

Ok, that snip-it leads one to believe that it is almost certain to be a 4R70W behind a 5.0 in a 1996 F150 pickup. Thanks Gary. I mean, the 5.0 never really showed up in a "work/HD" truck anyway...so it's likely to be the Lighter Duty 4R70W, which is what I'd want anyway. I think the stand alone controllers for them work pretty well ya?

Right. I read that it was in the 1995-1996 F150's behind the 5.0, but I've also read that it could be the E40D...but if that's the HD option, it would be odd to be in an otherwise plain Jane F150 with a 5.0...imho.

Ok, I've located a guy that is parting out a 1996 F150 4x2 with a 5.0 and unknown transmission. He's getting back to me tomorrow with a picture of the certification label. Is it likely to have the 4R70W? I think that would make a nice little package for my '52 Merc. I have more or less committed to pulling the flathead and Chevy 5spd and swapping in a nice 5.0 with an Auto trans w/OD. The old 239 flathead works great, but it's a slug and adding an auto trans, power steering, AC, etc is troublesome and expensive.

I'm back into reading about transmissions. I'm liking the idea of an electronic auto (with OD) that I can operate with a stand alone tuner. I don't want to get into custom making parts if I don't have to, but the following kit is available for my flathead: https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Flathead-V8-to-Ford-C4-Transmission-Basic-Adapter-Kit,11051.html So...it says for adapting to Ford C4, C6, and AOD. If it fits those three, wouldn't it also work for later electronic versions, at least up to 1996? The E40D was from 1989-1996? I see there is also an AOD-E, and the 4R70W? Should I be looking for a truck transmission, or a car transmission? Any advice, good or bad?

But where's the rust???...This is like fake news! Glad you got it fixed up. The term freeway caught my attention too. It's not a word that we use up here. I guess we don't use Turnpike either. Everything is either a highway, or secondary rod or rural route. Are there any toll highways in the southwest? I've traveled all over the US...the only two states I have not stepped foot into are AK and NM, but the only toll highways I ever remember seeing were in the Northeast, and in and around Chicago. When I think of tolls, I think of I-95 north and south, and I-90 east and west...lol.

Gary, You just made my day, even if it ends up not going away...lol. At least I can have some hope. I've read reports of where it went away after 300-1000 miles.

I'm baaaack... As of late last night, I finally have the old '52 back in business, but it looks like I may have traded one problem for another. Transmission is back in with new 10" clutch and pressure plate, new ARP bolts, new throw-out bearing, new bronze pilot bushing, and new ring gear on the original flywheel (which I had re-surfaced at a local engine shop). It is now nice and quiet...ring gear is not hitting the starter shield, obviously...but now I have a bad shudder when pulling away from a stop in forward or reverse. Once the truck is moving, all other shifts are smooth, and driving down the road it's as smooth as it was before. The only issue is pulling away from a complete stop. If I'm already rolling, even just a little bit, it is fine. I am usually really fussy about re-assembly...but I have to admit that I did forget to clean the surface of the pressure plate. It did have the preservative residue on there as I remember seeing it, but anyway...in my haste I forget to clean it off. I did some Google searches, and it appears that some people claim that a shudder will go away as a clutch gets "broken in", but just as many people claim that the shudder never went away without replacing something. I don't believe it is anything external as the issue was not present prior to me swapping out all of these parts, and the shudder starts before the truck even moves, so I can't blame bad u-joints and leaf spring bushings (I've read that some people found these to be an issue). Any thoughts good or bad from the experts and the 'been-there, done-that" crowd?

Well, it took two weeks, and orders from multiple vendors from far away and just down the road, but I finally have all of the parts to get this thing back together (hopefully, at least...I could always find more trouble as I go as we all know...). I made three trips across the city yesterday to pick up items at the courier, and the post office, and then to drop off parts at the machine shop, and then pick up again, etc, etc. Anyway, I have a new ring gear on the flywheel, and the 70 year old flywheel has been machined and is silky smooth again. I just installed a new Oilite bronze pilot bushing bushing this morning (It mounts in the flywheel, not the crank). I'll be laying on the cold concrete all day today!

I don't know if Rick will see this and chime in, but I'm pretty sure he's running 255/70r15 tires on his 2wd F150 with 15x8 factory rally wheels. My '84 F150 2wd had 275/60r15's on 15x8 wheels:

I saw this one too Gary LOL! My mother bought a brand new Pinto in 1980. Last year they were made. My grandfather was working at the local Ford dealer at the time. I learned how to drive stick in that car in 1987 when I was 15. Drove it up and down the driveway a few hundred times lol. I later got a Lada and perfected my shifts lol, but it was just a yard car.

There's so much overhang on the back. Unreal eh?

That's a blind hole. It doesn't go anywhere.

I don't know what is going on with those last couple pictures...the forum is re-sizing them and flipping them upside down... I've tried to reload them twice, and no go...

They sell these little under floor power brake booster kits. https://www.performanceonline.com/1948-52-FORD-F1-TRUCK-POWER-BRAKE-BOOSTER-KIT/ That is likely what I would do. You can get them for full drums, or front disk rear drum, or all four disks. They also sell firewall mounted brake booster kits too, but I think I'll at least try to keep the stock pedals and everything for now. Hello Gents, Few minor updates on the old '52 Merc... I added a set of wheels and tires more to my liking. The Cragar smoothies and plain small tires were not really my thing. Some of my friends really liked them, but we're all different, and I much prefer the 80's vibe of chrome with 60 series raised white letters, as inappropriate as they might be to some. ANYWAY.... This poor old truck had not been driven much in the past 15-20 years. Just an occasional Sunday drive, or a local car show or two per year, and it was barely driven at all the past couple years (due to Covid, etc). I don't think it liked me driving it so much...I did put several hundred miles on it in barely more than a week, because now she's in the hospital. It was making a slight "ticking" sound when the clutch was pressed, and I assumed it was a bad throw-out bearing. Do you guys call them release bearings? Anyhow, it wasn't getting any worse, so I decided to just nurse it along until the end of the season, since I might be making some big driveline changes anyway. Well that plan went south last Sunday when I was out for a drive. I stopped for a coffee, and when I started it back up, it started making a constant scraping noise....like metal on metal. I drove the old thing home, jacked it up and pulled the transmission. Turns out the ring gear was partially pulled off the flywheel, and it was therefore scraping on the starter shield. I took the flywheel to the local engine shop to have it surfaced and to have the ring gear put back on, and they happened to notice that the ring gear was cracked. So I have a new ring gear on order, hopefully arriving mid this week. There's also an issue with the pilot bushing. This truck has a Chevy S10 5spd in it...it's a BW T5 unit, but it was adapted to the old flathead with what looks like homemade parts. There are nice adapter kits available for the swap now, but I don't know if they were 20+ years ago when this swap was done. I'm having a new bronze Oilite bushing made (the one that was in it was brass), and due to the improper match up of this transmission and engine, I can only make the bushing 0.400" thick (it should probably be more like '0.750" think). I don't know if this matters? There's no radial thrust on a pilot bushing is there? Isn't it just a guide for when the clutch is pressed while the engine is running? Once the clutch and pressure plate are fully engaged, I didn't think there was any force being applied to the pilot bushing? ANYWAY #2.... I'm not 100% sure what direction I'm going with this thing yet. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to swap in a later model AOD transmission, and a later model 8.8 rear end. The flathead I'm not sure yet...it might get left alone for now, or it might get swapped out for a roller block 302. Still debating that. So fingers crossed for the arrival of all my new parts this week. Swapping back down to a normal sized 10" clutch and pressure plate, new pilot bushing and throw-out bearing, and we'll see how seh works. Stay tuned for more...I could be swapping more Bullnose parts into this truck before too long, so I'll still be somewhat relevant around here...ha!

Gents, A friend of mine has a low mileage 2wd AOD that was removed from a 1983 F100 or F150. It was behind a 300 inline 6. I'm planning to buy it for my '52 Mercury...but I know nothing about them. I might install it behind the existing 239 Flathead (there are kits to do so) and I might swap in a roller-block 5.0...still thinking on that one. Anything I need to know about this trans? What is needed for kickdown? Is it cable or mechanical linkage? I'm wanting an auto trans with OD, and preferably a Ford trans that will bolt up to a small block should I decide to go that route. I assume the speedo cable drive and everything is the same as all the other Ford transmissions of the era?

The 351 H.O. never did have EEC controls did it? I think they meant to say 5.0 instead of H.O.?... And I didn't think that the 351 H.O. had 60 more HP? I didn't think the jump was that big.

Not a physical change, but 1980 was the last year for the 10 digit VIN wasn't it?

They sell these little under floor power brake booster kits. https://www.performanceonline.com/1948-52-FORD-F1-TRUCK-POWER-BRAKE-BOOSTER-KIT/ That is likely what I would do. You can get them for full drums, or front disk rear drum, or all four disks. They also sell firewall mounted brake booster kits too, but I think I'll at least try to keep the stock pedals and everything for now.