Rembrant

That’s odd that the total is less than that of the front.

Gary, They are snips from my 1984 FSM. I can get you better ones out of the 85 FSM, it is much clearer, like a modern PDF. I just have a habit of going to my ‘84 manual. Not sure which trucks showed this rating...maybe just the lighter trucks? Are the numbers not present on the 250’s? I bet if you look in a newer F150 owners manual or info packet you will see more details on this axle reserve capacity weight rating. There is a little blurb about it in my 1980 manual, I think that’s the only one I have.

Welcome aboard. You're certainly not alone in having a Bullnose that is rough around the edges...most of them are this way now 40 years later. Extra thumbs up for the truck still being intact at all in Upstate NY...I've seen the rust over there, it's brutal.

This guy has sold quite a few Ford trucks, and nice ones too. This one obviously had a camper on it, at least at some point (toggle switch under dash for camper lights). Anyway, she's pretty clean looking. Big money too. https://www.ebay.com/itm/393133635251

It's kind of hard to explain, but I will try. When I put the fenders back on the truck, I used stainless motor alignment shims that we have in kits in the shop. They are fine, except they have a tab sticking out that factory shims to not. Anyway, I didn't realize it at the time, but these tabs sticking out on both side interfered with the hood springs when closed. The hood was hard to close, but I slammed it closed anyway (several times). So I think what happened was that when I did this it bent the outer edges of the hood UP, thus causing the middle of the hood to bow downwards. That's all I can think of at least...the hood was resting up again the wall on its side...so maybe it got hit then when it was just sitting around.

I've never heard of this stuff before, but it is oddly advertised in this Bullnose Ebay auction... https://www.ebay.com/itm/274660351429 Manufacturer's website shows them using it on frames and everything... https://ruggedrestore.com/pages/barricade-sprayable-bedliner Looks like a bottle a quart of oil would come in.

Nice old F150 on Ebay. It has some expanded metal wrapped around the tailpipe...kinda odd looking. Homemade spark arrestor or something?... https://www.ebay.com/itm/164715143300

I have a set of these I will probably be getting rid of at some point...if I ever get to the interior. The doors were changed on my 1980 F150 at some point in it's life, but the 1980 door panels are still in it (and the lock sliders are inoperative).

Bent it on the truck in about one minute. I did the center, and then once on each side of center, and boom, the hood is all aligned evenly with the cowl again.

They represent the front axle reserve capacity in pounds, and the total vehicle reserve capacity in pounds. Think of it like this: The reserve capacity of the axles is the amount (in weight) that can be permanently added to the truck, before it would be considered to be over its rated empty capacity. For the guys like me with a little 2wd Flareside, you wonder what in the heck would anybody add to the front axle??...But it is referring to things like aftermarket bumpers, bush bars, winches, snow plows, etc. Total vehicle could be something like a ladder rack or boat rack, headache rack, tool box, etc. It's the way all manufacturers rate their vehicles. If your front axle reserve capacity is only 27 lbs (like it is on my 1984 Flareside), then I couldn't install a 150 lb bumper and then go complain to the Ford dealer about unusual tire wear on the front end. They'd look at my truck and say warranty denied.

That's great Gary, thanks. I'll likely just run a new hose with a filter one it and stick it out of the way. Haha! Jim, as much as I enjoy this stuff, my patience is wearing thin with it at times...lol. It really is way too much work...to rip apart two rotten trucks to build one rusty one, that is, a thousand some hours later, just now becoming a truck that's just barely worth rebuilding...lol. No joke. I still need to build a bed for it...it still needs a floor patches, cab corners, etc, etc, etc. Anyway, it's all good...like anything else I have my highs and lows. Still, it feels good to revive an old clunker that a hundred other guys would have sent to the crusher without a blink of an eye. I was feeling in the mood to rebuild something, and I tell ya, it has been like drinking from a fire hose. I wanted a drink, but maybe not a deluge.

Hey Gary, That is exactly what I did with the rear diff vent! This one is hanging off the front diff though...where does it normally go?

Oh, I meant to ask...I didn't get under to look yet, but I assume that is a vent tube hanging down underneath? Where is it supposed to be attached? Is it supposed to have one of those little black vent caps in it?

The new larger bushings went in without any drama at all. I cleaned the springs eyes out with a flapper wheel on the drill, wiped a dab a grease in the hole, and pressed the bushings in. They're nice and tight. Springs are back on and and everything is torqued in place. I even took the forklift and set a pallet with a few hundred pounds on it on top of the frame to squat it a bit while I tightened everything down. Bolted the crossmember and upper shock mounts all back in place, spent another couple hours welding, and then finished painting. The old frame is now plated in various spots on the inside to strengthen and reinforce it. Oh, and I stuck the Flareside bumper on it. I guess that ends the 1995 frame swap...it's all complete now, more or less. I had to enlarge one set of frame holes for the bed...second set back from the cab were just small holes with plastic pads snapped in them. It wasn't much, but more or less enlarged them from about 7/16" to 5/8" (for the 1/2" bed bolts, or what were originally the slightly smaller M12 bolts). There really won't be any way for people to tell that it has a 1995 frame other than where I modified it to fit the Bullnose bumper on it. The rear upper shock mount holes are a little different...they are indented on the 1995 frame...not sure when that started, but my 1984 frame is not like this. I assume Ford did this since it was such a problem area for rusting? "Lift" the shock mount off the frame a little bit and get it room to let the dirt and debris fall out. Now I'm waiting for boxes from LMC and RockAuto with a bunch of odds and ends and misc rear braking components. After that will be fuel tank and rear shocks. I've already started working on the Flareside bed at home. I'm feeling confident that the old heap will be on the road this summer....it might not be pretty, but it will be mobile.

I spent quite a bit of time getting my sending unit to read correctly, or semi-correctly. I had to bend my float down quite a bit, so much so I also had to bend the pickup tube down further as well. It works now, not perfect but close enough.

I pulled the cowl again and it was fine. It was the hood that was bent. I stuck a 2x4 under it and it very easily bent back up. All good now. I didn’t think it would bend that easy but it did. Thanks guys.

Well, now that you mention it...the lower windshield trim is a bit loose. I didn't remove it, but I did clean all of the debris behind it...this truck was sitting in the woods for years, so the trim was stuffed full of needles and leaves, etc. I noticed that it didn't snap down into place, but I didn't try all that hard either. I'll have a good look at it tomorrow. Maybe there's something underneath the cowl (like the 12 pt 11mm socket I'm missing...lol).

I'll check it this weekend and let you guys know. I think I bent the hood, but I'm not sure I can explain how I did it...lol. It had to do with the shims I was using for the fenders. Not something I can explain in typing. I'll get a better look tomorrow and see if I can sort it out.

I ran VW diesels for years and was lucky enough to have had the one year wonder 2006 camshaft eating Jetta TDI lol. Anyway, a bunch of guys on the TDI pages did a lot of oil testing as this particular flat tappet application was very hard on cams and lifters, and the two top oils that performed the best in all of the tests were the Shell Rotella T4 and Mobil 1 TDT (Turbo Diesel Truck) 5-40. I haven't used Rotella myself, but it is a good oil for sure. I'm running the TDT 5-40 in my flat tappet 302.

Haha now that I reread that it is funny lol, but you knew what I meant, right? LOL. The heights should all be the same, maybe not the widths.

No shims Reamer, and the hood is even on the left and the right, it’s just that there’s a big difference in the middle. I’ll play around with it this weekend and see if I can get it sorted out.

A forklift, and two presses! We have the little manual one I use most of the time (12 ton, I think) and a much larger one that is electric/hydraulic...probably 30 ton or more...not sure. That's why I say, one way or another that bushing IS going in there...lol. Decision on the bed? Do you mean what am I going to do for the bed floor? I'm going to start working on the bed soon...

I just received my new bushings yesterday and that slit idea is looking better all the time...lol. They are indeed 0.030" larger on the OD, but they're a much heavier bushing. The outer shell on these is not thin sheet metal like usual, these shell on this guys has got to be 1/8" thick...it's definitely not going to give or deform in any way. Anyway, I'll get them in there one way or another. If they look like they'll be a problem I'll put a slit in them.

Ok, I'm going to pull the cowl and check to make sure that nothing is stuck under it. I've tried to push it down and even tapped it with a rubber mallet along the edge, and it sure seems like it's bottomed out. The screw holes are all lined up...at least I think they are. I'll check it, and if not, bend the hood. Thanks guys.

Stupid question but I can’t remember the answer... Can the cowl panel be removed without removing the hood?