Rembrant

Great thread topic, even if it is a rant! These days, the only thing I go to the Ford dealer for are the FL1A oil filters...lol. I have purchased some Bullnose parts from one of the two local Ford dealers, and there ARE some old guys in there...but they are not much help. They tell me that they very rarely ever deal with anything older than 10 years old. The other Ford dealer...the one I rarely ever go to is zero help. Last time I went in there and said "1984", the parts guy let a big sigh out, like I was just about to waste 20 minutes of his precious time. Anyway, it is what it is. But there's more... I buy a lot of my Bullnose parts from a CarQuest that is close to my work...I believe they are owned by Advance Auto?...I'm not 100% sure. In the past year or so, they seemed to have dropped a lot of inventory. I used to be able to walk in and get just about anything I needed, but these days much of it is order-in only, or not available at all. Pretty soon, I'll have only two parts sources...Rock Auto, and LMC, and I'll be at the mercy of the shipping gods. Another issue, somewhat related...and probably only an issue up here in Canada, is the availability of single stage paints. Due to new national VOC rules in recent years, single stage paints have been outlawed, and most medium to large body shops won't (can't) even spray the stuff, even if the wanted to. It's base clear or nothing at all. Smaller shops and back yarders are still able to buy it, but those guys are also getting fewer and farther between. I've bought a lot of single stage paint lately to touch up my old 1980 F150, and the guy at the paint shop I use told me a few weeks ago that next year they are getting a new paint mixing system, and all of these old paint codes from the 80's and older will no longer be available. The only option will be to scan the old single stage, and try to find a close enough match in Base/Clear. Sign of the times...

The truck did have the Swiss cheese frame but it was rusted badly, broken, and bent. I simply wasn’t worth fixing. The 1995 chassis I bought was also rusty, but less rusty lol. I cleaned it up and repaired it. As Shaun says, it way easier to swap the 4x4 gear and drivetrain imho that to swap the whole frame/chassis.

Yeah agreed, my mileage is pretty miserable, somewhere around 10-11. I thought that was low, but I looked it up and that's pretty much what they were getting in 1981. The 95 I am looking at shows 14/18 with a combined rating of 16. That's probably about what my 2006 F150 with the 5.4 gets. So would definitely consider swapping the entire drivetrain. I bet the 95 version of the 351W was putting out better power/torque numbers as well. I have a 1995 frame in my 1980 Flareside. The Bullnose front bumper swap has been done a few different ways, but I personally chopped the front ends of the 1995 frame off, and welded in Bullnose frame "horns" to mount the front bumper: The only other issue I ran into was the very tail end of the frame only has one set of holes for the bed, and the Bullnose frame has two sets of holes (the second set is only for the "old" Flareside bed, which didn't exist in 1995). I drilled the extra two holes and bam, done. There was also one small "flare" I will call in the 1995 rear most crossmember...I don't even know what it is for, but it interfered with the Flareside bed rear sill. I gave it a couple smacks with a hammer and made some clearance...haha...the frame, not the bed. So my truck is a 1980 F150, with a 1986 300 inline six, sitting on a 1995 F150 chassis with the 1995 5spd, axles, differentials, etc.

But, my truck is (ostensibly) an 81 2WD, and does not have kingpins. So is that proof that my frame is not an 81? Bumper mount concerns aside, are the 92-96 suspension, engine and trans mounting points the same as an 81 (or maybe an 82-86)? I remember going through this with somebody else not all that long ago, but I think the 2wd changeover from kingpins to ball joints happened in the last production month of the 1981 model year, so it is possible to have a ball joint front end in an 81, IF it was built in the last month. I think… Do you have the stamped steel I-beams? Are they hollow? Or solid? Front bumper issues aside, yes the 1992-1996 frames are basically the same as 1980-1991. I had to drill a couple extra holes for the rear most mounting bolts of the Flareside bed, but that was about it.

Check to make sure the coil spring seats are on the correct sides. The one on the passenger side is a little thicker/taller than the driver's side. If somebody happen to mix them up left to right it would throw the left to right height off by a half an inch or more.

From my highschool graduation year (1990) LOL:

I used to run Baldwin oil filters on a Nissan diesel pickup I had years ago. The Baldwin ones were double the size of the regular filters, and less expensive as well. That was years ago now...but I always thought they were good quality filters.

Gary,I know they’re available in 3” wide. Couple good things…you can control how tight you clamp them, and you could always use thicker rubber pads in them if you wanted to.

I mean like these clamps below Gary, this is what our local spring shops sell: https://www.npdlink.com/product/clamp-leaf-spring/104805 I just meant to weld them to themselves...once you bend a tab over, you could squeeze it in place with a C-clamp, and tack it in place. You'd squeeze the clamp in place anyway...and hammer the tabs over normally, but take the extra step to weld the tabs down.

So, another question I have is, how does one lower the rear of an F150 4x4 if he wanted to do so? This truck, from some angles, looks like the rear end is jacked into the sky. Now, I know the quick/normal solution to this particular problem is to raise the front, but I don't want to do that. I haven't found any 3" wide lowering shackle kits...not for a half ton at least. I see DJM makes them for F350's...but I don't know what the different is with them...I assume different bushing sizes. I guess it's not the end of the world if I had to cut/modify a set of shackles...but I really don't want to do that, either. I guess I could throw a couple bags of sand in the bed too, couldn't I?...lol.

Gary, A set of proper leaf spring clamps would work better than hose clamps, wouldn't they? Like these below: https://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/60884/10002/-1 https://dirtyhookerdiesel.com/i-14902715-dhd-600-417-dhd-leaf-spring-clamp-set-of-4-2001-present-duramax-diesel.html I have regular leaf spring clamps on the back of both trucks...you know the spring shop rubber lined style that you just bend the tabs over? You could use those also...squeeze them tight with a C-clamp, bend the tabs, and tack them in place so they won't/can't loosen. Just spit balling Gary...ha, I've never owned anything with leaf springs up front (Edit...not including Jeeps).

Hey Carl, the A pillar is the frame by the windshield, and the b pillar is the one behind the front door…here’s a picture…hope it works:

Thanks Gary, It’s a bit rough up close but it’s also 41 years old now, and what I’d call driver quality, so it’s ok for what it is. Not making a show truck out of it. I had an urge to build something, and now that I’ve done it the urge is gone LOL.

Then started on the passenger front fender and b pillar, a pillar, roof, etc. There are a screw holes everywhere on this truck ugh.

Tackled some rust today. Rebuild the drivers side cab corner, three holes in the b-pillar, two holes in the a-pillar, and one in the roof. Still have to budf/compound/wax the drivers door so it will blend better.

Hahaha. I like this comment! It reminds me of my three-on-the-tree steering column. I spent hundreds of dollars on obscure NOS parts that I waited weeks to get, and then carefully rebuilt the whole column, and in the end it worked about 3% better than before when it was all sloppy and loose...lol.

It sure does, I think the Bricknose window is even smaller (narrower) than the Bullnose window iirc.

The engine shop that built my 1984 302 used an ARP thread sealant (white stuff). The same or similar to Permatex high temp thread sealant afaik. My '84 302 was the same...the lower head bolt holes went right through into the coolant jacket. That change apparently happened early in the 1980's, and the previous blocks had blind holes for the head bolts. Some internet experts argue that the through holes only showed up on the roller block castings starting in 1985, but my flat tappet '84 302 had through holes.

Here is where mine sits when it is fully up to operating temp. A bit hard to see, but I'd say the needle is on the high side of the "N". When it is cold it reads in the middle, or a hair beyond...but once hot it drops way down to where it is in this picture. Running 15w40 currently. I have no idea what that pressure actually is...but the engine runs really smoothly and quietly. I know in the middle of the factory gauge is around 55psi? I'm maybe at 20psi at my low point? I know my 302 runs around 55psi when hot (according to my dyno day) and it reads in the middle of the factory oil pressure gauge.

The oil pressure reads fairly low on my 300 inline 6, but I read a comment online the other day that said for the 300, as long as the gauge is showing "any pressure at all", that it is enough...LOL.

David, Excellent internet diagnostics! My ignition switch actually IS sticking. Sometimes it stays too far forward after starting, and my signal lights will not work. I try to remember to turn it back, but sometimes forget. I betcha that is the problem. I will check and reply back. Thank you sir!

Ahh, OK...so you remove the rear window track first? I have to order some window seals, so I best get them moving so I can get at this and get it done. Thanks guys.

Chris, Out of curiosity, what is the current situation in California with a truck like yours? Would you be allowed to install an aftermarket EFI system, and still pass your road certification/smog tests?

Jim, Just the plain 2 speed standard wipers. I haven’t gotten back to working on this yet, but I do have a delay wiper switch and module on hand I can try if need to be rule out the switch. I’ll post the results when I finally get back to this.

Update: I swapped the ICVR with another one and no change. I installed a new coolant temp sender and cleaned up the connections and it is now working great. I cleaned up the connections for the oil pressure sender it is is ok, but reading a little low (I doubt it is the gauge’s fault, but I might swap the sender anyway). However, I noticed today that the gauges were all dead and at the lowest point below zero when I was first driving but they all started working again a little while later. Odd. I did have to boost the truck though, the battery was dead because I forgot the key on the other day.