"Rocky" - 1981 F250 Restoration

Cool, thanks. With that confirmed, doing some research I see more modern vehicles have gone to small tube-and-fin style coolers like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Steering-Cooler-Compatible-2001-2005/dp/B08ZB48KR9

Think this is worth installing or just skip it? I guess it's not doing any harm right now, I'm just making a mental list of future improvements I might make.

I don’t think it is worth it.

Got some stuff done today but no photos, it is nasty out and getting colder by the hour. It's all important punch-list stuff though:

1. Installed new Kicker door speakers. I splurged on a new audio setup from Classic Car Stereos. I won't be driving this truck daily but when I do, it'll be on long trips and I like my podcasts. I'll get the center speaker installed over the weekend then test it out.

2. Installed new license plate nuts/screws in the refinished bumper. I'll probably install it over the weekend.

3. Got my replacement grille and headlight surrounds partially mounted. I still need to paint the grille (the temp was too cold) and polish the top/bottom trim strips (I was too cold) so I didn't lock everything down, but it looks better.

4. Went through my (growing) "discards" pile and stripped any hardware or other useful items off them. (Old gross door panels, cracked headlight trims, etc.)

Doesn't seem like much now that I write it. It sure was cold and windy.

Yes, the front is poised to come through here in a couple of hours.  

How are you wiring the center speaker?  Does the Classic radio have a center output?

I ask because I really like the old-school way of creating a center channel: use the minus lead from the left channel and the positive lead from the right channel, or vice versa, to power the center speaker.  What that does is to put sounds that are common to both channels in the center - which is exactly what you want.

I'm running that setup in the shop and it works very nicely.  And over the years I've run that in many vehicles.

Gary Lewis wrote

How are you wiring the center speaker?  Does the Classic radio have a center output?

I ask because I really like the old-school way of creating a center channel: use the minus lead from the left channel and the positive lead from the right channel, or vice versa, to power the center speaker.  What that does is to put sounds that are common to both channels in the center - which is exactly what you want.

I agree, that's elegant, but this doesn't have a center channel output and I wanted to keep things simple. I just got one of those double-voice-coil center speaker options, it's basically two speakers in one. It has a similar effect, and I can use the fader to set how loud I drive it.

Yes, a speaker with two voice coils does the same thing, only better.  That way you have control over how much center channel you have, as you said.  

Speaking of which, there are a few options for that DVC center. LMC has one that doesn't really have a great pic but looks pretty close to the stock shape. Since I got new door Kicker speakers from Classic Car Stereos, I went ahead and tried out their equivalent.

Well, I misread the listing, must have been a late night. It's just two small speakers, not a DVC. And the plastic faceplate they supply was a bit warped and didn't fit my space very well. So I just cut out my own from a sheet of plywood. I used a piece of a paper to make a nice template of the dash speaker mount support, then promptly made it much cruder with a jigsaw with a dull blade and a certain lack of finesse on the operator's part:



It won't win any beauty contests but it's a solid mount that just barely fits perfectly without the speakers touching or anything having a loose or thing section (I hate rattly/buzzy speakers).

I'll post a pic tomorrow when the sun's up, but my sons got involved too. I had one masking the plastic trim pieces for some final paint touch-ups, and the other going to town with a metal polishing kit. Literally - he got the polish all over himself too  The focus was the aluminum trim around the front grille and windshield. It's.... better, not showroom but still an improvement. Aluminum is so soft... these pieces picked up tons of road rash, and I decided early on I was going to do "reasonable" efforts to restore each component, but not to "showroom" status. It'd be a waste anyway, this truck is going to spend most of its remaining life messing around on forest service roads.

I also re-hung the first of the HVAC components: the heat/defrost selector/diverter/box thingy, the three-outlet defrost-a-ma-jig that goes on top of it, and the aftermarket A/C evaporator "octopus".

I also put the climate control unit temporarily on the floor so I could hook up the control cables. I'm glad I did. The control cable to the heat/defrost box doesn't seem to "stick" well in the little two-fingered tab that grabs it on the box itself. The cable slides a bit as I work the controls. I need to tighten that up tomorrow, then start messing with electrical cleanup. Before, all this aftermarket stuff had add-on wires just floating all over the place. I want to label and wire-loom-tape it all so it's easier to maintain in the future. And some stuff that just doesn't fly the way I do wiring to redo:



I've also decided to remove the cigarette lighter port completely, and install a hidden dual USB charger. I never use cigarette lighters anymore, even as power outlets. All my big stuff is either battery operated (Dewalt inflator) or connects TO the main battery (utility winch, etc.). All my little stuff is USB now.

That means I have an ash tray gathering dust so I'll probably clean that out and convert it to either a small storage compartment or just an open tray for stuff like small flashlights.

taskswap wrote

I've also decided to remove the cigarette lighter port completely, and install a hidden dual USB charger. I never use cigarette lighters anymore, even as power outlets. All my big stuff is either battery operated (Dewalt inflator) or connects TO the main battery (utility winch, etc.). All my little stuff is USB now.

That means I have an ash tray gathering dust so I'll probably clean that out and convert it to either a small storage compartment or just an open tray for stuff like small flashlights.

On the lighter outlet I just got 1 of them USB dual port thingies I plug in to use to charge my phone.

As for the ash tray that is where the lighter part is along with a small screw driver and a few other things I cant remember now but I can close it and just have the charge cord hanging out.
Dave ----

It'll be interesting to see how the speaker works.  Not being a true dual voice coil unit it'll have left and right channels in the center, but obviously the stuff that is in both channels will be louder.

As for the USB charger, I put a dual USB-C/A charger in the spot for the lighter and ran key-on power to it since I don't want the power to be on at all times.  But I haven't figured out a good use for the ash tray itself as everything I've put in it rattles or falls out.

Gary Lewis wrote

It'll be interesting to see how the speaker works.  Not being a true dual voice coil unit it'll have left and right channels in the center, but obviously the stuff that is in both channels will be louder.

As for the USB charger, I put a dual USB-C/A charger in the spot for the lighter and ran key-on power to it since I don't want the power to be on at all times.  But I haven't figured out a good use for the ash tray itself as everything I've put in it rattles or falls out.

Yeah I was disappointed at having bought the wrong thing, I've never actually used a DVC speaker and was looking forward to testing out its sound quality. But in the end it's never going to be a Harman Kardon custom sound system. I'm going to run the door speakers on the front L/R channels, and the center on the rear L/R and just fade them out a fair bit.

As for the charger I'm going to do the same, put one where the cigarette lighter normally goes. I do have a good plan for the ash tray though. My wife got me a deck of cards as a stocking stuffer one year and it became like my good luck charm, it always goes in whatever truck I take hunting. I don't use them that much actually (by the time I'm done with a 10-mi circuit I'm pretty wiped out and in no mood for cards, usually) but it's a fun thing to keep there. And I usually keep a small headlamp handy. I think they'll both just fit.

One thing I didn't think through very well is the wiring to the doors. I think my particular truck was orginally what the EVTM calls the "Mono Radio" system. That is, the center was actually THE speaker. My doors have some small holes where wiring could go through but they're crudely drilled - it's super hard to get a bit in there. It looks more like somebody found a sharp object and hammered it through. I have those door-wiring "boots" on the way from LMC but I need to figure out how to clean up the holes, and I don't really want to dismount the door. But maybe it's best if I do. Not sure. It might be the only way. I have a few good step-drill bits that are short, and a right-angle adapter, but I think those two together are still too big to fit in the gap...

Not much to report today but just trying to do "something" on the truck every day. Today was one of those days where everything seemed to go wrong. It was warm but very windy so you couldn't even set down a paper towel without it instantly flying away. I tried messing with some wiring, but realized I didn't want to go very far with under-dash connectors until I had my door speakers/locks sorted out, and then I decided I couldn't go much further with THAT because I want to put "boots" on the wires and they haven't come yet.

I did get one shipment I've been waiting for: the replacement shifter alignment pin for my T18. I'll post pics tomorrow, but mine was totally chowdered up and I had so much play in the shifter cane it was hard to find the gears. When I first bought the truck I actually thought 4th gear was stripped out until I realized I was just not getting it into the right spot.

But it all went sideways. I got the pin in there all right but not the shifter cane. I guess I misread or misunderstood the process because I thought I was supposed to have it in neutral before removing it. Apparently it's 2nd gear you want. So my 1st/2nd fork is misaligned and I couldn't get it lined back up again. I'll have to sort it out tomorrow.

I also got Husky floor liners, supposedly for this truck, but I hate the look. They're thin, not shaped super well, and with my new insulation, the driver's side interferes with the driver's side gas pedal. I've also now realized I need to double check the gas pedal linkage to make sure I haven't disrupted anything because it won't depress at all, barely a few millimeters.

So a setback all around but I'll get back to it tomorrow. Hope you all had a good weekend.

Sorry for your problems.  Been there, done that.  Or, as Dad would have said, "I feel for you but can't quite reach you."

Hope you get the tranny sorted.  Those kinds of things where you have to take apart what you've already done aren't any fun.  And the throttle linkage is a pain as it is hard to depress it and see what is happening under the hood at the same time.

So I hope you get everything settled soon and easily.  

We all have times like that when the truck just seems to fight being worked on, be it parts or the truck or previous owners' modifications.   Cold weather just adds to the bad that happens.  

You're having good ideas.  I like hte idea of repurposing the ashtray area.   I don't think mine has been opened in months, but not ready to mess with it except maybe a plug in charger adapter next spring?  

Keep going - I'm loving the updates.

Thanks guys. Yeah, an old mentor and friend used to tell me "push yourself until you start making mistakes. Then it's time to stop." Good wisdom.

A fresh start changes a lot. Yesterday I did realize what was going on with the transmission - I had seen it in a few photos and videos online before I ever took off the shifter cane. And I had tried using a screwdriver to move the 1/2 fork back to center but it didn't budge. Today, taking off my idiot hat, I used a small pry bar better shaped for the task... and did it sitting in the driver's seat. You know. With my foot on the clutch pedal this time. Popped right down.

So the shifter cane's on and it feels GREAT now, definitely a "truck transmission" but I can very easily find all the gates and there's very little play in the cane.

I know I've seen some discussions here and on other forums about the magic pin that goes in these things. Since it's just a steel pin and waiting a few days to buy one online is frustrating, I decided to record its measurements for posterity. The one I bought was 0.249" dia x 0.590" L. I didn't measure the hole but the obvious assumption is it's a 0.25" hole and this is a machined fit. If your hole is worn you might want to go a thou' wider. I don't have a hardness test set but it is definitely "file hard". I've seen comments about repurposing old drill bits for this and I think that makes sense. If I was going to grind one, I'd maybe use a regular 1/4" bit and spin it in a drill/drill press with some emery cloth to just take it down a tiny bit.

The amount of wear on mine was dramatic. I'm glad I dealt with this now, it was a really simple repair and could have been a real problem. Depending on the angle you look at my old pin, it looks about ready to break...



Also for posterity, the "weather pad" that goes on top of the housing (which is IMPOSSIBLE to find the name for without scouring the parts guide - it's a Ford part, not a Warner one, and is specific to certain model years) is E0TZ-1012130-A "Transmission Cover Weather Pad". I personally think you could cut this out of any weather-resistant foam, it's just preventing ice and road grime from building up on the top housing. And I actually think you could make it a little bigger, but here are some measurements anyway:





Pad is approx 5.75" square with about 1.25" rounded corners. The hole in the center is 2.875" dia. The entire pad has a subtle taper to it with the top narrower than the bottom (both the sides and the center hole). But this could be a coincidence, as it's very roughly cut and made of three 1/2" and one 1/4" layers of what looks to be a soft neoprene foam (total thickness 1.75") glued together.

I would say you'd want this to be an oil-resistant material but it's clear Ford didn't do that. The new pad is VERY soft and spongy. The old pad was hard as a rock and brittle. It's clear all the grease it was full of has been deteriorating it (that's why I wanted to replace it).

Remaining tasks before "closing the floor" back up:
1. Pull the top plug of the tranny and top up the transmission oil level as suggested by others here (easier to fill from the top, while I have it all open).
2. Replace my back-up switch and plug (waiting for the mail). The old one was damaged.
3. Insulate the top of the transmission access plate.
4. Decide on what to do with my shifter knob. It's in really rough shape but I hate all the other options available. I may try to polish it and repaint its letters.

Changing the subject a bit, I haven't posted this as a "today progress" item yet because it was a lot of baby steps to get here, but I've been chipped away at gussying-up the dash, instrument panel, and various pieces of trim around the interior.

So far it's gone well, with a few minor exceptions. I've generally been doing the following:

1. Clean with soap and water.

2. Review and repair any "worth repairing" cracks (usually around screw holes) from the back side with epoxy and 1 ply of fiberglass. If I didn't already have this stuff I'd probably just use plastic cement and it would be fine, but I've done a lot of fiberglass work in the past so I have the supplies already.

3. "Paint" with either Black or Doeskin "SM Arnold Leather, Carpet, Vinyl & Hard Plastic Refinisher". I am over the moon about this stuff. It doesn't stick to everything - it's no good on the armrest foam for instance. But for hard plastic and vinyl surfaces it does an amazing job. These parts look brand new.

4. Use a silver "paint pen" to re-line the edges of trim rings that have that. Touchy work but it came out OK.







Earlier I mentioned that this didn't work well on a few parts. Here are two examples. These aren't just hard plastic. They appear to have been covered with some kind of foam ("soft touch?") or vinyl layer that's falling apart now. They won't take paint and the top layer isn't coming off well. I got some of it with a scotch-brite pad in the sink. I may have to try sandpaper next. These lower-A-pillar and seatbelt-retractor-cover pieces have turned out to be very difficult to find. I occasionally find them on eBay or in the yards, but usually in just as bad shape and nowhere near worth the asking price.







What I may try to do is sand them down to remove that top layer completely, then hit them with some kind of textured paint. Even if they don't look stock, if they look at least consistent I think it should be better than my current options...

To me, the trick is to know when I'm starting to make mistakes.  Sometimes I'm so far into it that I don't realize I made a mistake two hours ago and should have stopped then.

Anyway, glad you are making progress.  And the idea of using a drill bit for the pin makes good sense.  But you got yours done with the purpose-made pin?

None of my trucks have had that foam piece, but I like it and wonder if something like that couldn't be made for any of the transmissions?

On your plastic trim, I think the soft stuff is just the plastic that's been killed by the UV.  I've had a lot of door panels that looked like that, and my solution has been to use 60 grit wet-or-dry and keep it wet or the stuff clogs the sandpaper.  You want to sand all of that stuff off, and that takes a lot of sanding.

But it leaves it smooth, which isn't right.  In the last I've just pained them with SEM, but they now have the Texture Coating, and that's what I'd use.  I think a couple of the guys on here have and you might find their comments by searching the forum.

Gary Lewis wrote

To me, the trick is to know when I'm starting to make mistakes.  Sometimes I'm so far into it that I don't realize I made a mistake two hours ago and should have stopped then.

Yeah... Me too!

Gary Lewis wrote

Anyway, glad you are making progress.  And the idea of using a drill bit for the pin makes good sense.  But you got yours done with the purpose-made pin?

Yeah, I found them at https://www.transmissionpartsdistributors.com/ for $6 for a 2-pack. I don't know what I'll do with the other one, I bet this is the original pin and the truck's just turned 30 this year. I'll lose this new pin before I ever get a chance to use it, I'm sure. If somebody wants this second one, Venmo me the postage and it's yours. But I really do think if you own a grinder and a hacksaw or cutoff wheel, a 1/4" drill bit could be repurposed to make one. You would't even waste the bit. Just cut it off the back end!

Good tip on the SEM texture, I hadn't noticed that in my searches. It's a little pricey but cheaper than replacing these parts. I'll give it a go.

Did a few final tasks today before it gets cold later this week. I replaced both tail light housings. One was broken and the other was dull. They came as a pair so why not? It went OK but the new housings didn't like the old screws, I heard some ominous crackling when I installed them. I have a few bulbs to replace so I'm sure I'll be in for some fussing around when I go to do that.

I also installed a new tailgate handle. The tailgate's had a rough life but I've decided to keep it as is for now. I'm VERY hard on my truck beds and being a bit beat up to begin with just suits me.  Eventually I'll deal with the rust in the bed and either DIY coat or Line-X it, depending on my budget at the time. For now I just wanted to get it to open and close properly. Well, I got it halfway sorted out, the old handle was definitely bent, but those little plastic clips Ford used for every push/pull (locks, latches, handles, etc.) never seem to be reusable. They always snap when I try to bend them even slightly to release them. I should have guessed this would happen but didn't order the clips so...

Finally I installed the new bumper. Well, halfway. Old:



New:



Why only halfway? Well, Ford must have made a change here in the 80's because while the chrome-head bolts that go through the back lined up, the main "frame" bolts installed from inside did not. This replacement came off an '83, I think (it was a long day at the junkyard when I pulled it). Apparently the frame on those was wider? Or something. There's about a 3" gap between the bumper's mounting brackets and the frame rails it should bolt to. I really want to keep this bumper so I guess I'll have to gin up some kind of spacer. Maybe I have some scrap square tubing floating around.

I think you may have the wrong bumper mounts.  But, it sounds like you know how to make it fit.  

Gary Lewis wrote

I think you may have the wrong bumper mounts.  But, it sounds like you know how to make it fit.  

LOL well, not really. But it's not off by much. I was too tired and cold to deal with it at the time, but it looked like about 1.5" on either side. I guess my options are to add a spacer to the frame, maybe via some square tubing, or to remove the bumper and weld in an extra mounting rib in the right location. It should be easy, I have the old one, but I'm not a very experienced welder so I might do better taking it somewhere. It can't cost that much - I had a guy tig up an aluminum intake manifold for me once and it was only $75.

I would have to do something like that even if I had kept the old one. Not only was the old one in rough shape rust-wise, but it also had a bunch of welds let go along the plate the ball normally attaches to. Somebody added an aftermarket Class III hitch to Rocky so I don't plan to use the ball for towing, but it's always handy knowing that attachment point at least "works".

Question for you guys, is there a preferred brand or style of rock slider / side step? This is one case I'm not into the original factory option, I want something more modern. Looking at the frame from underneath it seems farther from the edge of the cab than on my other later model trucks. Attaching anything directly to it would need quite an offset. So I assume this will need to be bolted to the cab floor or something? Wondering if there's a "just do this, its easy and solid" option here.

maybe i am missing something. does the bed from an 86 fit an 80 ?and if so how can the frames be different widths? all too often i see beds swapped from 80 on through to 96. same bolt pattern.i know that 60s and 70s trucks are different. and i have modified brackets to use older style bumpers before.