81 F100 flare side custom with 300 six & T18

[Gary Lewis]

In the cool of the early morning (4am) I swapped car out and the Durango in the front blower motor stopped working and kind of know it was the resister & plug because playing with it the fan would start working for a bit.

Could not get the plug out of the resister so dropped the unit out of the duct and good thing wires into the plug had burnt. Got that working again but must have a wire crossed as fan blows high 1 setting before the high but it works!

Then the PU went in(5am), had a belt squeal on start up & PS would make a noise every now and then and with 2 new belts time to check. The 2 new belts were a little loose but the ALT was tight and it still squeals.

I will have to see if it does it with the AC off as it is the same belt I had before the AC.

I then moved onto wiring the truck for trailer brakes & power to the 7 blade trailer plug outback that I also had to wire up. A lot of over & under to pull 2- 10ga wires, trailer brake & 12 volt power, to the rear and make all nice nice with split loom and wire ties.

Out at the plug I have a Tee that ties in the trucks rear light harness that I will wire into the 7 blade plug along with the brake, power and a heavy ground wire.

Now going by the colors marked on the plug the wire colors did not jive with the paper that came with an adaptor I also bought. Nothing other then the ground was on the right blade?

A quick Goggle for RV 7 blade wiring and I was back on track.

Now I could not install the brake controller because it needs a pig tail.

I guess they figured you buy a new car / truck and in the glove box is the pig tail to go between the car / truck harness and the controller. Well our old trucks don't have this and did not know the controller needed it. The wires are pulled inside and tied off out of the way and 1 day after work I will pick up the pig tail. I also need to pick up a breaker for the 12 volt power the one I had would not work.

By 2:30 it was 94* in the garage and I was done for the day, did not even pick up the auto electrical supply box.

Dave ----

You got a lot done, Dave!

Maybe not all you hoped to do, but a lot nonetheless.

As for the wire colors, it is amazing to me how many variations there are for the same plug! One time I wired the one on Big Blue using the color code on the connector. Wrong! The brakes on the trailer came on with the turn signal. Like you, after Googling it I figured it out.

[FuzzFace2]

You got a lot done, Dave!

Maybe not all you hoped to do, but a lot nonetheless.

As for the wire colors, it is amazing to me how many variations there are for the same plug! One time I wired the one on Big Blue using the color code on the connector. Wrong! The brakes on the trailer came on with the turn signal. Like you, after Goggling it I figured it out.

Yes a lot done mostly the hard part, pulling the wire under the truck.

I still need to mount the controller but 2 screws and think 4 wires and done and the breaker for the power wire should be easy also.

Yea I first went but the female plug then looked at the paper that came with the adaptor and was

I think the file I had in my box was when I wired a truck based on the trailer wiring that was wrong but at the time I only pulled my trailer nothing else and no one pulled my trailer so it was ok.

If it was not so hot I would have pinged out the Durango plug and may still do that, so I know the PU is wired right.

Think I have time as I have not towed anything since I moved down here.

I had to rent a U-Haul to pull my trailer to pick up the trucks, Durango was at dealer for heads and why the PU is a back up now.

Dave ----

[Rembrant]

You got a lot done, Dave!

Maybe not all you hoped to do, but a lot nonetheless.

As for the wire colors, it is amazing to me how many variations there are for the same plug! One time I wired the one on Big Blue using the color code on the connector. Wrong! The brakes on the trailer came on with the turn signal. Like you, after Goggling it I figured it out.

Yes a lot done mostly the hard part, pulling the wire under the truck.

I still need to mount the controller but 2 screws and think 4 wires and done and the breaker for the power wire should be easy also.

Yea I first went but the female plug then looked at the paper that came with the adaptor and was

I think the file I had in my box was when I wired a truck based on the trailer wiring that was wrong but at the time I only pulled my trailer nothing else and no one pulled my trailer so it was ok.

If it was not so hot I would have pinged out the Durango plug and may still do that, so I know the PU is wired right.

Think I have time as I have not towed anything since I moved down here.

I had to rent a U-Haul to pull my trailer to pick up the trucks, Durango was at dealer for heads and why the PU is a back up now.

Dave ----

Dave,

I just went through all of the pictures of when you built the metal floored bed, and I must say that was some impressive work. By the way...this project thread just isn't the same without you doing these massive sheet metal builds/rebuilds...haha, just kidding.

Are the bed floors the same height above the frame between the Stylesides and Flaresides? What did you do for bed floor crossmembers between the floor and the frame?

 

[FuzzFace2]

Dave,

I just went through all of the pictures of when you built the metal floored bed, and I must say that was some impressive work. By the way...this project thread just isn't the same without you doing these massive sheet metal builds/rebuilds...haha, just kidding.

Are the bed floors the same height above the frame between the Stylesides and Flaresides? What did you do for bed floor crossmembers between the floor and the frame?

Thanks on the floor.

I enjoyed doing that kind of metal work like the firewall for AC, the floors / rockers / cab corners, etc.

On the floor I tried to get measurements from members and I don't know if they did not know what I was asking or what as I did not get much replies. I had nothing to go by of the flare side bed so I just winged it and it turned out great.

I used the style side floor with its cross members left in place.

The cross members from the rear going forward all lined up with the frame of the short bed.

Now mine was a long bed so it had to be shorten and IIRC the vary front cross member that was left had to be moved back a few inches. Or I had to remove it from the part I cut off to shorten.

That was not hard as I drilled out the spot welds, that is why I think it came from the shorten part, and then used the holes to plug weld it back to the floor I used.

If you do some measuring of your flare and a metal floor you will see all the bed holes are in the same place it was just the shorting I had to deal with and that front cross member.

Now I had to use spacers for brackets for the steps to bolt to the front cross member. They are pretty solid but I would not go standing on them.

Out back I used the rear sill outer sheet metal, the only thing left of mine, and welded it to the rear of the metal floor & rear cross member of the style side floor. This took a little bit of work to make it look factory. Someone else did a metal floor and did the rear pan a little differently but can't remember how he did it?

It just turned out that the style side metal floor & cross members were the same height as the flare side cross members & wood to bolt the sides onto the floor. I used string down the door body line to make sure the fender body line were even.

My metal floor also had LineX bed liner that I kept in place to protect the floor.

Hope that answered some of the questions.

Dave ----

[Rembrant]

Dave,

Do you have any pics of the T18 shifter? Curious what it looks like in the cab. Did you remove that trans yet? I might try to mock up a t18 shifter but i can’t seem to find any pictures of what it looks like.

[FuzzFace2]

Dave,

Do you have any pics of the T18 shifter? Curious what it looks like in the cab. Did you remove that trans yet? I might try to mock up a t18 shifter but i can’t seem to find any pictures of what it looks like.

Lets see this is the NP435 I did bend this a little because of the over drive.

This is the T18 handle

If you need more I can get them for you.

Dave ----

[Rembrant]

Lets see this is the NP435 I did bend this a little because of the over drive.

This is the T18 handle

If you need more I can get them for you.

Dave ----

Dave,

Came across this in VA, maybe you've seen it...steel floored Flareside.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/193526578902106/?ref=saved&referral_code=null

It's got me back to thinking about this again.

I wonder how shitty it would look if a fella had to use a Non-Ford steel floor? I mean ribs are ribs...but a non-Ford floor obviously would not have the bolt holes in the correct locations.

You used the floor from a long bed, right? How did the bolt holes line up? What did you do there?

[ArdWrknTrk]

Dave,

Came across this in VA, maybe you've seen it...steel floored Flareside.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/193526578902106/?ref=saved&referral_code=null

It's got me back to thinking about this again.

I wonder how shitty it would look if a fella had to use a Non-Ford steel floor? I mean ribs are ribs...but a non-Ford floor obviously would not have the bolt holes in the correct locations.

You used the floor from a long bed, right? How did the bolt holes line up? What did you do there?

Tabco sells half floors with no holes drilled but I can't imagine international shipping.

https://tabcoparts.com/pickup-trucks/ford/pickup-bronco-1980-1998/60174.html

I bought my bed floor from some mill in PA.

I use these manufacturers because their panels are just as thick as stock, and they come 'dead soft'.

Tabco is even galvanized.

 

[FuzzFace2]

Dave,

Came across this in VA, maybe you've seen it...steel floored Flareside.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/193526578902106/?ref=saved&referral_code=null

http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/file/n80914/127456558_10224280667992725_3209408302120533154_n.jpg

http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/file/n80914/127600831_10224280668672742_8528441005978873764_n.jpg

It's got me back to thinking about this again.

I wonder how shitty it would look if a fella had to use a Non-Ford steel floor? I mean ribs are ribs...but a non-Ford floor obviously would not have the bolt holes in the correct locations.

You used the floor from a long bed, right? How did the bolt holes line up? What did you do there?

Cory, Sorry I did not get this sooner but no I did not see this.

I also cant look at it as a don't have a FB acct. to log in but that may be a good thing as I may be living in my garage with no heat and its getting cold out there

That floor looks like it was done pretty nicely.

I would like to know what was done for the rear sill / panel and the front sill with the running boards as that was the hardest part for mine.

As for used a non-Ford floor I think you are right on the bolts but also note where the bolts go there are spacers so when tighten the floor will not crush.

The other is how wide the floor is. When I cut the sides off I ended up right at the seam where the sides & floor met. So it gave me an edge on either side of the floor to "trim" up to.

Yes I used the long bed floor cutting the front off to make it a short bed.

My bed has 8 bolts (4 down each side) the 3 from the rear were the long bed bolts and lined up with holes in the frame.

The front bolts I think I had to drill the floor but I used the long bed front cross member that I cut to make the floor shorter that had the spacers in them and spot welded them to the floor to line up with the holes in the frame. The floor "pan" also had the indents where the bolts needed to go just no holes.

Dave ----

[FuzzFace2]

Dave,

Came across this in VA, maybe you've seen it...steel floored Flareside.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/193526578902106/?ref=saved&referral_code=null

http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/file/n80914/127456558_10224280667992725_3209408302120533154_n.jpg

http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/file/n80914/127600831_10224280668672742_8528441005978873764_n.jpg

It's got me back to thinking about this again.

I wonder how shitty it would look if a fella had to use a Non-Ford steel floor? I mean ribs are ribs...but a non-Ford floor obviously would not have the bolt holes in the correct locations.

You used the floor from a long bed, right? How did the bolt holes line up? What did you do there?

Cory, Sorry I did not get this sooner but no I did not see this.

I also cant look at it as a don't have a FB acct. to log in but that may be a good thing as I may be living in my garage with no heat and its getting cold out there

That floor looks like it was done pretty nicely.

I would like to know what was done for the rear sill / panel and the front sill with the running boards as that was the hardest part for mine.

As for used a non-Ford floor I think you are right on the bolts but also note where the bolts go there are spacers so when tighten the floor will not crush.

The other is how wide the floor is. When I cut the sides off I ended up right at the seam where the sides & floor met. So it gave me an edge on either side of the floor to "trim" up to.

Yes I used the long bed floor cutting the front off to make it a short bed.

My bed has 8 bolts (4 down each side) the 3 from the rear were the long bed bolts and lined up with holes in the frame.

The front bolts I think I had to drill the floor but I used the long bed front cross member that I cut to make the floor shorter that had the spacers in them and spot welded them to the floor to line up with the holes in the frame. The floor "pan" also had the indents where the bolts needed to go just no holes.

Dave ----

Well I have been using the truck to / from work and trash runs with the weekly trash.

Last week my son went with me. first time using the truck in a week it started right up ran great to the dump but as we waited our turn we could smell gas.

Pulled it out of the way pop the hood and see gas dripping pretty good on to the manifolds, not good unless you want to start a fire!

I only had a small screw driver but was able to take up on a clamp for 1 of the fuel filters and it stopped the leak so we could get home.

Today my son forced me to look into this but I also wanted to adjust the high speed rod / seat to see if that would help my MPG.

Pop the top on the carb and was shocked of the mess I saw in the bottom of the float bowl, RUST!

The tanks looked great inside when I installed them of what I could see but 1 or both got to be rusty where I could not see :(

I sucked all the gas out of the bowl then used a flat blade screw driver to get most of the rust out.

I cant believe how thick the rust was yet the motor ran great. A few sprays of carb clean and clean rags got it pretty clean.

I did a full turn CC as I think I was told to do and will see how it runs and adjust from there.

My son use cleaner and back flushed the 2 filters. The first one was full of junk.

He also found the short rubber hoses for the first filter to be bad so I replaced it, they were new when I was putting the truck together.

I check the operation of the choke and that is working as it should.

Back a few weeks I adjusted it a little richer to get the fast idle to work and it did the trick but my MPG went from mid 14's to mid 13's not happy.

I hope with the high speed rod / seat adjustment that will pick up a lot.

I found the oil low so topped that up then got the truck up on ramps and my son took up on all the pan bolts and had to replace one that fell out.

I also took up and the valve cover bolts as they were loose also.

I hope between the 2 I have slowed down the oil drops.

I also have a head light out. none on the shelf I pulled what I thought was a good one from the spare radiator support but once out I could see it was bad.

At that point I said I would buy 2 new ones someday and replace them both.

The truck started and run fine moving it from my garage to the house garage. I will take it for a ride when I do the trash next weekend and hope it is good.

Dave ----