WHYDTYTT: What Have You Done To Your Truck Today?

[LARIAT 85]

Thanks guys! I'm glad to be able to save some of these one year only parts. Who knew Bullnose trucks could have so many differences between the years?

Those are neat! They must have been VERY difficult to locate. I have never seen a set in person before. Are they hard plastic or rubber?

Shaun and his 1980-only arm trim pads and Rick and his 1985-only upper trim molding. It's cool that we have our own specialties.

I agree with you and think they should have been available on all the upper trim level trucks, except I would say for the years 1980 - 1984.

I am partial to the swanky, full-length upholstered door panel inserts found on the top-of-the-line 1985/1986 Lariat models. I don't think those arm pads would work with this style:

https://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/file/n118366/door_panels.jpg

The set on my F150 was found in my local junkyard. I hadn't seen another set available until I found these on Ebay. I think the Explorer versions are the hardest to find as I've never come across a set for sale, or in any junkyard. I've only seen them in pictures in for sale ads.

They are an aluminum base, with foam padding, and then a vinyl cover. They mount similar to the early aluminum woodgrain door trim; tabs are stamped out of the aluminum and the tabs fit through holes in the panel, to which you then bend the tabs to retain the trim panel to the door panel.

I can agree with 80-84 and then 85-86 having the cloth inserts. If I didn't find these, I was planning on picking up some 85-86 cloth inserts and reupholstering them with some form of a southwestern "Aztec" pattern.

The 1985/1986 XLT Lariat door panels are a bit different as well to fit the insert inside. They are completely flat, plain, and straight across underneath with a simple rectangle cut out.

The 1981 - 1984 door panels have a decorative raised area for the speaker area on lesser model trucks, and I *think* the higher trim models mounted the woodgrain insert trim panel over it.

The lesser model 1985/1986 door panels are the same as the 1981 - 1984 door panels.

 

[salans7]

The 1985/1986 XLT Lariat door panels are a bit different as well to fit the insert inside. They are completely flat, plain, and straight across underneath with a simple rectangle cut out.

The 1981 - 1984 door panels have a decorative raised area for the speaker area on lesser model trucks, and I *think* the higher trim models mounted the woodgrain insert trim panel over it.

The lesser model 1985/1986 door panels are the same as the 1981 - 1984 door panels.

See, I never knew that. I don't think I've ever paid that much attention to the higher trim door panels on the 85-86 trucks. That's good to know!

[Dorsai]

The 1985/1986 XLT Lariat door panels are a bit different as well to fit the insert inside. They are completely flat, plain, and straight across underneath with a simple rectangle cut out.

The 1981 - 1984 door panels have a decorative raised area for the speaker area on lesser model trucks, and I *think* the higher trim models mounted the woodgrain insert trim panel over it.

The lesser model 1985/1986 door panels are the same as the 1981 - 1984 door panels.

See, I never knew that. I don't think I've ever paid that much attention to the higher trim door panels on the 85-86 trucks. That's good to know!

So today I came up with a neat little mod for my truck:

Yep, that’s duct tape holding the cylinder in position. I’ve been having some oddball electrical problems recently - no windshield wipers or washer, no temperature or fuel gauge, and no radio. I’d been putting off troubleshooting those issues, but last night I discovered that the truck wouldn’t stay running unless I held the key in a very precise position after starting. I wouldn’t have worried about it except I already had the robotics team’s robot loaded in the back for transport to a practice session today.

So I’m guessing it’s probably the ignition switch down on the steering column that is at issue here? Any other suspects I should look into?

 

[Gary Lewis]

So today I came up with a neat little mod for my truck:

Yep, that’s duct tape holding the cylinder in position. I’ve been having some oddball electrical problems recently - no windshield wipers or washer, no temperature or fuel gauge, and no radio. I’d been putting off troubleshooting those issues, but last night I discovered that the truck wouldn’t stay running unless I held the key in a very precise position after starting. I wouldn’t have worried about it except I already had the robotics team’s robot loaded in the back for transport to a practice session today.

So I’m guessing it’s probably the ignition switch down on the steering column that is at issue here? Any other suspects I should look into?

Yes, it pretty well has to be the ignition switch. And while we have the alignment info from the factory shop manual on the page at Documentation/Electrical/Ignition, I'm doubting that is the problem. I say that because it seems to have gradually happened - right?

That tells me that there are only two culprits - either the nuts holding the ignition switch in position have loosened, or the switch has gone bad.

[Dorsai]

Yes, it pretty well has to be the ignition switch. And while we have the alignment info from the factory shop manual on the page at Documentation/Electrical/Ignition, I'm doubting that is the problem. I say that because it seems to have gradually happened - right?

That tells me that there are only two culprits - either the nuts holding the ignition switch in position have loosened, or the switch has gone bad.

Good point - I hadn't considered the possibility of the nuts coming loose. That would be an easy fix, although I'd have to question why they'd come loose now after all these years. I'm planning to deal with this over the coming week as I have time, I'll report back on what I find.

Indeed, problems have been building for a while. Back in February I had a strange no-start situation - I'd taken the truck to the robotics workspace to load up field elements (large wooden structures that are mockups for components of the game that the robots play) for transport to the school, but when I tried to start the truck up after loading nothing happened:

That's actually not quite true - when I turned the key to start, it sounded like one cylinder fired one time, THEN nothing. Given that the truck had been working perfectly up to that point, my quick diagnosis was that the Duraspark module (the one you gifted me the last time I was in Skiatook, in fact) had given up the ghost. It would have been a boss move to have pulled my spare out from behind the seat and fixed it in front of a studio audience, but unfortunately the last time I cleaned the truck out I'd left the spare in the garage where it did me no good. So I ran home, grabbed it, hooked it up and the truck started perfectly. Total downtime was maybe an hour, problem solved...I thought.

Fast forward to early April and it happened again - one brief cough, then nothing. I wasn't buying that my brand-new official Motorcraft module had *also* suddenly died, so I started poking around under the hood. Nothing was out of place, connectors were all plugged in, etc etc. So after 20 minutes or so of scratching my head I tried starting it again...and it fired up perfectly. That's when the gauges and windshield wipers went out.

Needless to say, I'm hoping the real problem is the ignition switch - I'm really not looking forward to an electrical deep dive on the truck if it isn't!

[Gary Lewis]

Good point - I hadn't considered the possibility of the nuts coming loose. That would be an easy fix, although I'd have to question why they'd come loose now after all these years. I'm planning to deal with this over the coming week as I have time, I'll report back on what I find.

Indeed, problems have been building for a while. Back in February I had a strange no-start situation - I'd taken the truck to the robotics workspace to load up field elements (large wooden structures that are mockups for components of the game that the robots play) for transport to the school, but when I tried to start the truck up after loading nothing happened:

That's actually not quite true - when I turned the key to start, it sounded like one cylinder fired one time, THEN nothing. Given that the truck had been working perfectly up to that point, my quick diagnosis was that the Duraspark module (the one you gifted me the last time I was in Skiatook, in fact) had given up the ghost. It would have been a boss move to have pulled my spare out from behind the seat and fixed it in front of a studio audience, but unfortunately the last time I cleaned the truck out I'd left the spare in the garage where it did me no good. So I ran home, grabbed it, hooked it up and the truck started perfectly. Total downtime was maybe an hour, problem solved...I thought.

Fast forward to early April and it happened again - one brief cough, then nothing. I wasn't buying that my brand-new official Motorcraft module had *also* suddenly died, so I started poking around under the hood. Nothing was out of place, connectors were all plugged in, etc etc. So after 20 minutes or so of scratching my head I tried starting it again...and it fired up perfectly. That's when the gauges and windshield wipers went out.

Needless to say, I'm hoping the real problem is the ignition switch - I'm really not looking forward to an electrical deep dive on the truck if it isn't!

There are four different sets of contacts in that switch, although the schematic below only shows three, and they don't all make/break at the same time. I've seen plenty of times when a truck has started and is running but the accessories don't work. Usually rolling the switch back a bit more brings them on.

In your case you are getting power to the R/LB wire, but probably not to the WH/LB wire that goes to the Red wire on the module - except in exactly the right position. So I'm thinking the switch has gone bad.

Good luck, though. I'm sure you'll get it fixed easily.

[mat in tn]

Good point - I hadn't considered the possibility of the nuts coming loose. That would be an easy fix, although I'd have to question why they'd come loose now after all these years. I'm planning to deal with this over the coming week as I have time, I'll report back on what I find.

Indeed, problems have been building for a while. Back in February I had a strange no-start situation - I'd taken the truck to the robotics workspace to load up field elements (large wooden structures that are mockups for components of the game that the robots play) for transport to the school, but when I tried to start the truck up after loading nothing happened:

That's actually not quite true - when I turned the key to start, it sounded like one cylinder fired one time, THEN nothing. Given that the truck had been working perfectly up to that point, my quick diagnosis was that the Duraspark module (the one you gifted me the last time I was in Skiatook, in fact) had given up the ghost. It would have been a boss move to have pulled my spare out from behind the seat and fixed it in front of a studio audience, but unfortunately the last time I cleaned the truck out I'd left the spare in the garage where it did me no good. So I ran home, grabbed it, hooked it up and the truck started perfectly. Total downtime was maybe an hour, problem solved...I thought.

Fast forward to early April and it happened again - one brief cough, then nothing. I wasn't buying that my brand-new official Motorcraft module had *also* suddenly died, so I started poking around under the hood. Nothing was out of place, connectors were all plugged in, etc etc. So after 20 minutes or so of scratching my head I tried starting it again...and it fired up perfectly. That's when the gauges and windshield wipers went out.

Needless to say, I'm hoping the real problem is the ignition switch - I'm really not looking forward to an electrical deep dive on the truck if it isn't!

I really want to guarantee you that it's the ignition switch mounted on the column, but I know better.

there is a quirk that seems to happen over time though. the grease that is used inside the switch and also inside the workings of the column from the key cylinder. it gets pastey and clumps a bit and causes more drag then the return springs inside can handle. when this happens the key cylinder does not "spring" back as it should. more in cold weather then in hot. but that too is a symptom. Rebuilding the column is sometimes the only fix, but if you know where the springs are it may be possible to remove a cover and the wheel and spray cleaner and new lube with minimal intrusion.

[Gary Lewis]

I really want to guarantee you that it's the ignition switch mounted on the column, but I know better.

there is a quirk that seems to happen over time though. the grease that is used inside the switch and also inside the workings of the column from the key cylinder. it gets pastey and clumps a bit and causes more drag then the return springs inside can handle. when this happens the key cylinder does not "spring" back as it should. more in cold weather then in hot. but that too is a symptom. Rebuilding the column is sometimes the only fix, but if you know where the springs are it may be possible to remove a cover and the wheel and spray cleaner and new lube with minimal intrusion.

Very true. I'd pull the switch and clean it with electrical cleaner/lube and give that a try.

This kind of problem usually crops up late in the year as it gets colder and the grease sets up, but as warm as it is in Atlanta I was assuming that it isn't a lube problem. But it might be.

[Westerj]

Removed the console on F350 Ambulance. Back at it!! Yanked Drivers seat and the DIY seat frame (weldment made by ambulance fitters). Unwired the sirens in grille sadly. Just cleaning stuff up. Some screws on the center Grill (1985 F350 base) were really rusted. Saw the page here describing the front end grille - very helpful! Any thoughts on removing rusted/"stripped" modified Truss head screws that hold the grille on? Already ordered a box of #8 SS screws - "Phillips Modified Truss Head SMS 305SS - #8 x 3/4" - so.. that todays fun! Also - any source for the captive screw 'nuts' that these #8 screws go into? If I ever get the grille off, think I'll replace all the captive "screw nuts" - maybe generic? Thanks Everybody!

[Gary Lewis]

Removed the console on F350 Ambulance. Back at it!! Yanked Drivers seat and the DIY seat frame (weldment made by ambulance fitters). Unwired the sirens in grille sadly. Just cleaning stuff up. Some screws on the center Grill (1985 F350 base) were really rusted. Saw the page here describing the front end grille - very helpful! Any thoughts on removing rusted/"stripped" modified Truss head screws that hold the grille on? Already ordered a box of #8 SS screws - "Phillips Modified Truss Head SMS 305SS - #8 x 3/4" - so.. that todays fun! Also - any source for the captive screw 'nuts' that these #8 screws go into? If I ever get the grille off, think I'll replace all the captive "screw nuts" - maybe generic? Thanks Everybody!

I assume by "the page here describing the front end grille" you mean the one at Documentation/Fasteners & Illustrations/Radiator & Grille. On that page there is at least one of those captive nuts shown with a blue box around it. If you click that blue box it'll take you to the page for 385579-S2, and that page says "This is a stamped Tinnerman/U-nut that is for a #8-18 screw. It is 11/32" wide and .41" thick, and has a black phosphate finish. Fastenal has them as #11120280 and Auveco has them as 10666."