WHYDTYTT: What Have You Done To Your Truck Today?

[FuzzFace2]

I have a good friend who was a body shop owner. Retired now, but he gave me a reason why masking paper was better than newspaper for painting. Quite simply, the newspaper is slightly porous and can bleed through. Masking paper is not as porous. Made sense to me.

That is one thing you have to worry about but if you fold over the edge of the paper about 2 inches then put the tape on holds off bleed thru. That is the way dad told me to do it and never had any bleed thru.

The other thing they say is fiber lint getting into the paint job from news paper. If that ever happened I never seen it but back in the day with single stage it had orange peel so it would be hard to see.

I could get away with news paper as "I" (not a pro) will be painting the truck in my garage so dirt / dust & bugs is a bigger worry.

I also don't has access to news paper. Besides not being a pro might as well look /act like one when masking for paint!

Gary, good to hear BB got an award with out even trying LOL.

Everyone else I see have been busy working on their trucks, well done guys.

Me have not touched mine .... been to damn hot!

Dave ----

I got a great fathers day gift from my son, a little late but still great!

It was a Tee shirt but not just any Tee saying something like "greatest dad" oh no!

It was one with a picture of what my truck will look like when done ... duel tanks and all!

He got it thru https://www.customcararts.com/

Dave ----

[Gary Lewis]

I got a great fathers day gift from my son, a little late but still great!

It was a Tee shirt but not just any Tee saying something like "greatest dad" oh no!

It was one with a picture of what my truck will look like when done ... duel tanks and all!

He got it thru https://www.customcararts.com/

Dave ----

Dave! That is REALLY COOL! He really knocked it out of the park!

[Rembrant]

Didn't get much done today, but I did manage the small feat of removing the stripped fill plug in my 8.8 rear diff. (The square drive was stripped, not the threads). Holy heck was that thing rusted/seized in there.

After every other attempt failed, I hammered a 3/8" pipe nipple extractor in there, welded it, and out it came....and even then, it was still stiff turning for the first little bit. And...it took more than one try at welding it...my first few attempts broke off.

So, first question is, does anybody have the part number for a replacement 8.8 fill plug? I understand Ford used these diffs on a lot of vehicles for a lot of years, so hopefully it is not obsolete. Otherwise...it looks like a 1/2 NPT plug? In my searches I did see somebody commenting that the Ford plugs have a magnet in them? This one in my '84 doesn't appear to have one. Maybe the magnets were added later on in the 8.8 diff lifespan...

Second...anybody see any issue with having welded the plug in the diff? I had the ground on the extractor, so I can't imagine I'd have had any arcing through the bearings or gears? I'm sure it's fine, but I was a bit leery of welding in situ. I know it's already done, but still...I worry...lol.

And third, I have 2 jugs (1L ea) of SAE80w90 gear oil. Is this stuff OK for an 8.8 open diff? I assume yes, but wouldn't mind a second opinion.

[Gary Lewis]

Didn't get much done today, but I did manage the small feat of removing the stripped fill plug in my 8.8 rear diff. (The square drive was stripped, not the threads). Holy heck was that thing rusted/seized in there.

After every other attempt failed, I hammered a 3/8" pipe nipple extractor in there, welded it, and out it came....and even then, it was still stiff turning for the first little bit. And...it took more than one try at welding it...my first few attempts broke off.

So, first question is, does anybody have the part number for a replacement 8.8 fill plug? I understand Ford used these diffs on a lot of vehicles for a lot of years, so hopefully it is not obsolete. Otherwise...it looks like a 1/2 NPT plug? In my searches I did see somebody commenting that the Ford plugs have a magnet in them? This one in my '84 doesn't appear to have one. Maybe the magnets were added later on in the 8.8 diff lifespan...

Second...anybody see any issue with having welded the plug in the diff? I had the ground on the extractor, so I can't imagine I'd have had any arcing through the bearings or gears? I'm sure it's fine, but I was a bit leery of welding in situ. I know it's already done, but still...I worry...lol.

And third, I have 2 jugs (1L ea) of SAE80w90 gear oil. Is this stuff OK for an 8.8 open diff? I assume yes, but wouldn't mind a second opinion.

First, you won't have hurt anything with the ground on the extractor as the current will have not gone through anything but the cover of the diff.

Second, the plug should be a pipe plug, but it does have the square drive which makes it different. Anyway, the part number is 353051-S and it just shows as "Plug-filler or drain-extended head". Don't know if that has a magnet on it, but you can easily put one of the little button magnets on the end of it before installing it.

As for the lube, the literature calls for ESP-M2C154-A. But I would suspect that any good 80W90 gear oil would meet those specs.

[Rembrant]

First, you won't have hurt anything with the ground on the extractor as the current will have not gone through anything but the cover of the diff.

Second, the plug should be a pipe plug, but it does have the square drive which makes it different. Anyway, the part number is 353051-S and it just shows as "Plug-filler or drain-extended head". Don't know if that has a magnet on it, but you can easily put one of the little button magnets on the end of it before installing it.

As for the lube, the literature calls for ESP-M2C154-A. But I would suspect that any good 80W90 gear oil would meet those specs.

Thanks Gary!

The fill plug is in the front of the housing, not the cover. That's why I was worried about it. Plan B was to remove the cover and weld a fill plug in it, but I was really trying to avoid that. Anyway, thanks for confirming my thoughts that it should be fine.

I'll check around for plugs tomorrow. I know a place that sells the plugs with Allen sockets in them, but that female 3/8" square drive is going to be an automotive thing (I think).

Thanks for your help! Much appreciated.

[FuzzFace2]

Thanks Gary!

The fill plug is in the front of the housing, not the cover. That's why I was worried about it. Plan B was to remove the cover and weld a fill plug in it, but I was really trying to avoid that. Anyway, thanks for confirming my thoughts that it should be fine.

I'll check around for plugs tomorrow. I know a place that sells the plugs with Allen sockets in them, but that female 3/8" square drive is going to be an automotive thing (I think).

Thanks for your help! Much appreciated.

The old 1 step forward 2 back happened today.

Being it was going to be upper 90's, I was just going to tinker.

The battery was not charging and thought I messed up the wiring because the trucks wiring has a plug for the field & stator at the ALT but the ALT I have should have each wire going to studs.

My fix was to make a short jumper with spades to push into the plug.

With a mirror I was able what wire went to the field on the ALT but the trucks wires are all heat bleached to white! So pull out the ohm meter and check from regulator to plug and sure enough jumper wired wrong.

A little wire switch, plug regulator back in hook battery up and fire up the motor and I got to tighten the belt up! Put meter across the battery, inside gauge might as well not be there, and we have power!

I also had 6.5 volts at the choke stator wire

So 1 forward I let it run a bit to charge the battery wile I put tools away and pulled others out for the next job.

1 of 2 steps back - motor run long enough the temp gauge should have moved, yes it has worked in the past, it did not move this time? So will need to look into that at some point.

2 of 2 back - Ebrake would not hold and the new LMC adjustment part is taken up all the way so I picked up 1 of them cable shorting things. Installed it taking up all the adjustment on it also.

Press pedal down to a point I thought it would hold ..... nope does not hold.

Pressed pedal down more (to the floor) and it holds a little but no way it will hold the truck on a hill or pass safety so need to look into that too.

I hope it is not the cables at the wheels. When I installed them the springs were too long but may not have cut them short enough and could have coil bind?

Got to say once gas got to the carb, not much cranking, she fired right up and it has not run in weeks.

Being hot & sweat soaked I called it quits at that point.

oh it was 98*f in the garage when I closed it up.

Dave ----

[Rembrant]

The old 1 step forward 2 back happened today.

Being it was going to be upper 90's, I was just going to tinker.

The battery was not charging and thought I messed up the wiring because the trucks wiring has a plug for the field & stator at the ALT but the ALT I have should have each wire going to studs.

My fix was to make a short jumper with spades to push into the plug.

With a mirror I was able what wire went to the field on the ALT but the trucks wires are all heat bleached to white! So pull out the ohm meter and check from regulator to plug and sure enough jumper wired wrong.

A little wire switch, plug regulator back in hook battery up and fire up the motor and I got to tighten the belt up! Put meter across the battery, inside gauge might as well not be there, and we have power!

I also had 6.5 volts at the choke stator wire

So 1 forward I let it run a bit to charge the battery wile I put tools away and pulled others out for the next job.

1 of 2 steps back - motor run long enough the temp gauge should have moved, yes it has worked in the past, it did not move this time? So will need to look into that at some point.

2 of 2 back - Ebrake would not hold and the new LMC adjustment part is taken up all the way so I picked up 1 of them cable shorting things. Installed it taking up all the adjustment on it also.

Press pedal down to a point I thought it would hold ..... nope does not hold.

Pressed pedal down more (to the floor) and it holds a little but no way it will hold the truck on a hill or pass safety so need to look into that too.

I hope it is not the cables at the wheels. When I installed them the springs were too long but may not have cut them short enough and could have coil bind?

Got to say once gas got to the carb, not much cranking, she fired right up and it has not run in weeks.

Being hot & sweat soaked I called it quits at that point.

oh it was 98*f in the garage when I closed it up.

Dave ----

I took the old Blue Mule out for "Car Night" this evening, and even in her blotchy and grungy appearance, the old thing got lots of love from the crowd. Mostly cars there, but there were a few other old trucks around,...no Bullnoses though. One guy came over to talk and he has an 81 Flareside that he bought brand new...it's just in for paint now and he said he'd bring it out to car night within 2-3 weeks. Can't wait to see it! Everybody was surprised to see that the truck was an F150...seems most expected that it was (supposed to be) an F100.

 

[Gary Lewis]

I took the old Blue Mule out for "Car Night" this evening, and even in her blotchy and grungy appearance, the old thing got lots of love from the crowd. Mostly cars there, but there were a few other old trucks around,...no Bullnoses though. One guy came over to talk and he has an 81 Flareside that he bought brand new...it's just in for paint now and he said he'd bring it out to car night within 2-3 weeks. Can't wait to see it! Everybody was surprised to see that the truck was an F150...seems most expected that it was (supposed to be) an F100.

The Bullnose trucks are coming into their own. Bumps and Dents have been sought after, but more and more folks realize that ours are old trucks as well, and with their slab sides and sharp corners don't look like the newer trucks that are hard to tell apart.

When the guy with the '81 Flareside comes invite him to join the forum.

[1986F150Six]

Jim - Cool! I want pics as that may be the way I go.

As for what I did with, not to, my truck today - drove it to 16 places in "my little town", to borrow a Paul Simon phrase. I was taking the flier for the get-together around, and I got them posted in 14 of those places. But it took me almost two hours as I got into several conversations about trucks.

In fact, I think I recruited someone for this forum today. DeWayne, from Skiatook Auto Parts, if you are reading this you found the right place.

However, going to 16 different places meant a lot of low-speed turns, and I noticed a repeated clunk as I was turning. Seemed like it was pretty much straight ahead of the driver, and happened as I was changing directions with the steering. Guess I need to check things out. Maybe the frame at the steering box, or a rivet, or.... Wish I knew where there was a TSB on that.

Not today [last weekend], I had time to "play", so I did a few little things to my truck [i.e. adjust alternator v-belt, tighten valve cover bolts, check and replace a couple of rubber caps on intake manifold vacuum tree, etc.].

I want to encourage everyone to do this final item as we all know how and that it is important, but sometimes put this job off. I am talking about cleaning the duct work supplying air for the A/C, vent, heat, etc.

A friend [AbandonedBronco] just experienced a fire in his Bronco, which spurred me to do this task. Even though I have not heard any leaves being chewed by the fan or smelled burning leaves, I did find enough tender to have caused burning. It is only about a one hour job, so GET TO IT!!!

[Gary Lewis]

Not today [last weekend], I had time to "play", so I did a few little things to my truck [i.e. adjust alternator v-belt, tighten valve cover bolts, check and replace a couple of rubber caps on intake manifold vacuum tree, etc.].

I want to encourage everyone to do this final item as we all know how and that it is important, but sometimes put this job off. I am talking about cleaning the duct work supplying air for the A/C, vent, heat, etc.

A friend [AbandonedBronco] just experienced a fire in his Bronco, which spurred me to do this task. Even though I have not heard any leaves being chewed by the fan or smelled burning leaves, I did find enough tender to have caused burning. It is only about a one hour job, so GET TO IT!!!

Good point! I had smoke from my first Bullnose when I turned the heater on the first time. Sure enough, it was full in there. Pull the blower motor and vacuum it out.