Operator1 Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 So here goes my build thread...The before pictures: First order of business is to get her standing on her own 4 wheels. There were some new axle bearings and seals in the cab, but I had to get some retainer plates. Meanwhile, I picked up some wheel cylinders and put the brakes together as best I could: Got the retainer plates and pressed the bearings on, shoved the axles into place: I didn't have the U-bolts for the rear U-joint, so she will have to move around the yard in 4wd for now: Now she can move under her own power, and I can think about what to do next: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1986F150Six Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 Good start! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 Yes, good start! I literally LOL'd as I saw the pics of the hubs. I just came in from unlocking the same hubs on Big Blue and have the grease on my fingers to prove it. So, what are the plans? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpin Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 Yes, good start! I literally LOL'd as I saw the pics of the hubs. I just came in from unlocking the same hubs on Big Blue and have the grease on my fingers to prove it. So, what are the plans? That's top notch, gotta gun rack in 'er! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Operator1 Posted April 18, 2019 Author Share Posted April 18, 2019 Yes, good start! I literally LOL'd as I saw the pics of the hubs. I just came in from unlocking the same hubs on Big Blue and have the grease on my fingers to prove it. So, what are the plans? I hope to make a decent driver out of it. Next up I will see how well I can get it to run. Check everything out, I know absolutely nothing about the history of this thing. Go through the carb, get an earlier accelerator cable on there so it will fully cycle the throttle, get the choke working. Once I feel ok about the engine I will be able to see how well the transmission works. I have to remember to check and see if the axles have similar gears, I know that some bullnoses came with 9” rear ends, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t in ‘86. The 9” has 3.50’s so I hope the front will be 3.55 (I think that’s the closest I can hope for). Good news, I drove it across the yard and it didn’t act or sound funny. The right front spring appears to be weak or collapsed. Sorry to ramble, but maybe it will help to document my first impressions. Can’t even start thinking about the body and interior yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted April 18, 2019 Share Posted April 18, 2019 I hope to make a decent driver out of it. Next up I will see how well I can get it to run. Check everything out, I know absolutely nothing about the history of this thing. Go through the carb, get an earlier accelerator cable on there so it will fully cycle the throttle, get the choke working. Once I feel ok about the engine I will be able to see how well the transmission works. I have to remember to check and see if the axles have similar gears, I know that some bullnoses came with 9” rear ends, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t in ‘86. The 9” has 3.50’s so I hope the front will be 3.55 (I think that’s the closest I can hope for). Good news, I drove it across the yard and it didn’t act or sound funny. The right front spring appears to be weak or collapsed. Sorry to ramble, but maybe it will help to document my first impressions. Can’t even start thinking about the body and interior yet. That's a decent plan. Peel the onion. As you go along you'll find lots of things to do, but getting the basics done first is a good approach. On the axles, the 9" was still in use in '86, although not as frequently used as earlier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Operator1 Posted April 18, 2019 Author Share Posted April 18, 2019 On the axles, the 9" was still in use in '86, although not as frequently used as earlier. That’s good to hear. I thought they were all 8.8s by ‘83 or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Operator1 Posted April 18, 2019 Author Share Posted April 18, 2019 On the axles, the 9" was still in use in '86, although not as frequently used as earlier. That’s good to hear. I thought they were all 8.8s by ‘83 or so. Just checking out the VIN decoding section, and it appears that my truck was equipped with the 300. Any tips on identifying the 302 without tearing into it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted April 18, 2019 Share Posted April 18, 2019 Just checking out the VIN decoding section, and it appears that my truck was equipped with the 300. Any tips on identifying the 302 without tearing into it? ID it so you know from whence it came? I don't have a clue. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Operator1 Posted April 22, 2019 Author Share Posted April 22, 2019 I got the rear driveshaft installed over the weekend, and started looking closer at the engine. Got rid of the drop base air filter that was sitting on the choke housing. I put a manual choke conversion kit on it, bent the “bracket” that the accelerator cable is anchored to with a hose clamp, into a shape that gives the cable a straighter pull on the throttle, and set about checking how the carburetor is adjusted. While doing these things, I realized that it has a TFI distributor. So I guess all the carb tuning in the world won’t get rid of the off-idle stumble. Awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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