"Rocky" - 1981 F250 Restoration

[taskswap]

It is looking great! And I agree, maybe Big Blue needs your help.

I've been kind of quiet lately but I haven't been idle, just mostly messing with small tasks and not actually finishing anything. I figured I'd share a status update for the curious.

Right now Rocky is driveable but his role has changed. The original plan was for him to be "the back-woods hunt truck I don't mind scratching," but now that I've swapped campers the new setup fits the RAM better, and that was always my long-distance driver anyway. It has little details like air conditioning and 4WD that make it a better long-distance driver for camping. :)

But now Rocky has another purpose. I don't actually like driving the RAM around town because it's so bulky in a parking lot, takes awhile to warm up, etc. So Rocky is turning into my "daily driver", and it's a lot of fun for that. That means I've adjusted my priorities a bit. For instance I still want to install a front winch at some point, but it moved down the list a ways. Here's "what's next" for me to improve the general drivability:

1. The heater is just going crazy. I know installing a shutoff/bypass valve on the heater core is a common mod, and I'll do that. But I also want to look into my fans/push-pull controls because nothing I do seems to change it - temp slider, air-direction control, nada.

2. Rocky is all over the road, so I'm definitely going to do the power steering box plus probably some new tie rod ends and whatnot and an alignment once all that is done.

3. The parking brake is somewhat functional now but still not great. I need to adjust it some more.

4. Shifting is... not great. I already replaced the shifter-cane alignment pin, which helped, but the shifter forks feel crunchy and the 2nd and reverse gear "gates" are hard to find. It's also "quiet and well behaved" in 4th but loud and gravelly in 2nd so I figure a rebuild is in my future. I just haven't decided if I want to tackle this myself or have it done.

5. Persistent oil leak. Just a drip a day, nothing major, but annoying enough to be worth some time. I threw a bottle of Stop-Leak into it last night just because why not, but I may also hit some common/easy items like the cylinder cover gaskets and whatnot. (I have them, why not install them?)

6. Finish the painting. To be honest I kind of hit my "good enough" saturation point here, from afar it looks pretty nice but up close it's blotchy and there are noticeable areas where I didn't do enough sanding. But family and friends unanimously prefer the red/white over the solid red so I need to add a stripe to the side where I didn't do that. I also have some roll-on Herculiner bed liner to apply.

7. Do something about the rear gas tank.

8. Do something about the front gas tank sender. I've thought this truck was near E since I bought it, but after nearly overflowing the filler after adding only 7 gallons at the station, I now believe my sender is reading wrong. I have a replacement to install, I was just dragging my feet because it seems like a pain. :)

Hope y'all are having a great spring.

[FuzzFace2]

I've been kind of quiet lately but I haven't been idle, just mostly messing with small tasks and not actually finishing anything. I figured I'd share a status update for the curious.

Right now Rocky is driveable but his role has changed. The original plan was for him to be "the back-woods hunt truck I don't mind scratching," but now that I've swapped campers the new setup fits the RAM better, and that was always my long-distance driver anyway. It has little details like air conditioning and 4WD that make it a better long-distance driver for camping. :)

But now Rocky has another purpose. I don't actually like driving the RAM around town because it's so bulky in a parking lot, takes awhile to warm up, etc. So Rocky is turning into my "daily driver", and it's a lot of fun for that. That means I've adjusted my priorities a bit. For instance I still want to install a front winch at some point, but it moved down the list a ways. Here's "what's next" for me to improve the general drivability:

1. The heater is just going crazy. I know installing a shutoff/bypass valve on the heater core is a common mod, and I'll do that. But I also want to look into my fans/push-pull controls because nothing I do seems to change it - temp slider, air-direction control, nada.

2. Rocky is all over the road, so I'm definitely going to do the power steering box plus probably some new tie rod ends and whatnot and an alignment once all that is done.

3. The parking brake is somewhat functional now but still not great. I need to adjust it some more.

4. Shifting is... not great. I already replaced the shifter-cane alignment pin, which helped, but the shifter forks feel crunchy and the 2nd and reverse gear "gates" are hard to find. It's also "quiet and well behaved" in 4th but loud and gravelly in 2nd so I figure a rebuild is in my future. I just haven't decided if I want to tackle this myself or have it done.

5. Persistent oil leak. Just a drip a day, nothing major, but annoying enough to be worth some time. I threw a bottle of Stop-Leak into it last night just because why not, but I may also hit some common/easy items like the cylinder cover gaskets and whatnot. (I have them, why not install them?)

6. Finish the painting. To be honest I kind of hit my "good enough" saturation point here, from afar it looks pretty nice but up close it's blotchy and there are noticeable areas where I didn't do enough sanding. But family and friends unanimously prefer the red/white over the solid red so I need to add a stripe to the side where I didn't do that. I also have some roll-on Herculiner bed liner to apply.

7. Do something about the rear gas tank.

8. Do something about the front gas tank sender. I've thought this truck was near E since I bought it, but after nearly overflowing the filler after adding only 7 gallons at the station, I now believe my sender is reading wrong. I have a replacement to install, I was just dragging my feet because it seems like a pain. :)

Hope y'all are having a great spring.

I think Rocky will like being driven more once the little list things are fixed.

Keep at it and before you know it will be done.

Dave ----

[Gary Lewis]

I've been kind of quiet lately but I haven't been idle, just mostly messing with small tasks and not actually finishing anything. I figured I'd share a status update for the curious.

Right now Rocky is driveable but his role has changed. The original plan was for him to be "the back-woods hunt truck I don't mind scratching," but now that I've swapped campers the new setup fits the RAM better, and that was always my long-distance driver anyway. It has little details like air conditioning and 4WD that make it a better long-distance driver for camping. :)

But now Rocky has another purpose. I don't actually like driving the RAM around town because it's so bulky in a parking lot, takes awhile to warm up, etc. So Rocky is turning into my "daily driver", and it's a lot of fun for that. That means I've adjusted my priorities a bit. For instance I still want to install a front winch at some point, but it moved down the list a ways. Here's "what's next" for me to improve the general drivability:

1. The heater is just going crazy. I know installing a shutoff/bypass valve on the heater core is a common mod, and I'll do that. But I also want to look into my fans/push-pull controls because nothing I do seems to change it - temp slider, air-direction control, nada.

2. Rocky is all over the road, so I'm definitely going to do the power steering box plus probably some new tie rod ends and whatnot and an alignment once all that is done.

3. The parking brake is somewhat functional now but still not great. I need to adjust it some more.

4. Shifting is... not great. I already replaced the shifter-cane alignment pin, which helped, but the shifter forks feel crunchy and the 2nd and reverse gear "gates" are hard to find. It's also "quiet and well behaved" in 4th but loud and gravelly in 2nd so I figure a rebuild is in my future. I just haven't decided if I want to tackle this myself or have it done.

5. Persistent oil leak. Just a drip a day, nothing major, but annoying enough to be worth some time. I threw a bottle of Stop-Leak into it last night just because why not, but I may also hit some common/easy items like the cylinder cover gaskets and whatnot. (I have them, why not install them?)

6. Finish the painting. To be honest I kind of hit my "good enough" saturation point here, from afar it looks pretty nice but up close it's blotchy and there are noticeable areas where I didn't do enough sanding. But family and friends unanimously prefer the red/white over the solid red so I need to add a stripe to the side where I didn't do that. I also have some roll-on Herculiner bed liner to apply.

7. Do something about the rear gas tank.

8. Do something about the front gas tank sender. I've thought this truck was near E since I bought it, but after nearly overflowing the filler after adding only 7 gallons at the station, I now believe my sender is reading wrong. I have a replacement to install, I was just dragging my feet because it seems like a pain. :)

Hope y'all are having a great spring.

It is fun driving these old trucks, but there are usually so many layers to peel to get down to the good that many people never really get there. But I think with your persistence you will.

The heater does sound like a bit of a problem, and just a shutoff valve probably isn't going to suffice from what you've described. Perhaps the temp cable is broken?

Anyway, you'll get there, and will have a truck that you really love.

[taskswap]

It is fun driving these old trucks, but there are usually so many layers to peel to get down to the good that many people never really get there. But I think with your persistence you will.

The heater does sound like a bit of a problem, and just a shutoff valve probably isn't going to suffice from what you've described. Perhaps the temp cable is broken?

Anyway, you'll get there, and will have a truck that you really love.

Hey guys, reviving this thread. We're getting into the phase I actually purchased the truck for - to be a "project" truck, but a mostly driveable one. With the price of diesel these days (and for fun) I've actually been driving Rocky quite a bit lately. That means I haven't been working on it much, so I've been quiet.

But the steering is becoming a big problem. I really want to teach my middle sons to drive stick in it, and I just don't feel it's safe for them right now. It wanders all over the road, and needs constant correction to stay straight. I know I need an alignment, but before I bother with that I may as well go whole-hog on the steering system in general.

Do you guys have any suggestions on things to add to this list / components to replace? Most of these steering components are pretty cheap and are easier to do while everything is apart rather than one-by-one. So I figured maybe I would just take a weekend and tear the whole thing down and replace literally as much as I can all at once...

Things I already replaced:

1. Front/rear shocks

2. Front coil springs

3. Coil spring "seats" (bottom pads)

Things I've either already bought or plan to buy shortly:

1. Gearbox (Blue Top).

2. Front axle bearings

3. Axle pivot bushings

4. Tie rod ends

5. Adjuster sleeves

6. Pressure hoses

Is it worth replacing anything else? Drag link? Cooler line? Pitman arm? I don't want to add to the landfill replacing something that never has issues in the first place (stuff that only breaks in accidents, like the radius arms - mine are fine). But this truck has been heavily used. Anything in the "this might be worn, inspect it before reusing" category almost certainly DOES need replacement by now. The only exception is the radius arm bushings, which were replaced recently. Everything else is 40 years old and definitely worn out.

 

[Pete Whitstone]

Is it worth replacing anything else?

The drag link does have a ball joint in it, so it would be worth at least checking. The other thing that made a big difference on my truck was the rag joint, I didn't see that anywhere on your lists.

I am told that the column itself can become "loose" and get play in it. My truck did not seem to be that way. Setting the toe, replacing the rag joint, and replacing the steering gear box pretty much addressed all my issues.

 

[taskswap]

Is it worth replacing anything else?

The drag link does have a ball joint in it, so it would be worth at least checking. The other thing that made a big difference on my truck was the rag joint, I didn't see that anywhere on your lists.

I am told that the column itself can become "loose" and get play in it. My truck did not seem to be that way. Setting the toe, replacing the rag joint, and replacing the steering gear box pretty much addressed all my issues.

What is the rag joint? Is that in the steering column? I know people have talking about replacing whole columns before as part of this...

[ArdWrknTrk]

What is the rag joint? Is that in the steering column? I know people have talking about replacing whole columns before as part of this...

The rubber joint where the steering shaft meets the sector box.

[Gary Lewis]

Hey guys, reviving this thread. We're getting into the phase I actually purchased the truck for - to be a "project" truck, but a mostly driveable one. With the price of diesel these days (and for fun) I've actually been driving Rocky quite a bit lately. That means I haven't been working on it much, so I've been quiet.

But the steering is becoming a big problem. I really want to teach my middle sons to drive stick in it, and I just don't feel it's safe for them right now. It wanders all over the road, and needs constant correction to stay straight. I know I need an alignment, but before I bother with that I may as well go whole-hog on the steering system in general.

Do you guys have any suggestions on things to add to this list / components to replace? Most of these steering components are pretty cheap and are easier to do while everything is apart rather than one-by-one. So I figured maybe I would just take a weekend and tear the whole thing down and replace literally as much as I can all at once...

Things I already replaced:

1. Front/rear shocks

2. Front coil springs

3. Coil spring "seats" (bottom pads)

Things I've either already bought or plan to buy shortly:

1. Gearbox (Blue Top).

2. Front axle bearings

3. Axle pivot bushings

4. Tie rod ends

5. Adjuster sleeves

6. Pressure hoses

Is it worth replacing anything else? Drag link? Cooler line? Pitman arm? I don't want to add to the landfill replacing something that never has issues in the first place (stuff that only breaks in accidents, like the radius arms - mine are fine). But this truck has been heavily used. Anything in the "this might be worn, inspect it before reusing" category almost certainly DOES need replacement by now. The only exception is the radius arm bushings, which were replaced recently. Everything else is 40 years old and definitely worn out.

I think you have a good list, but agree that anything that moves and wears should be suspect as well. But I'm not sure the hoses qualify. Still, when the system is apart is the time to replace anything like that, so it won't hurt.

[taskswap]

I think you have a good list, but agree that anything that moves and wears should be suspect as well. But I'm not sure the hoses qualify. Still, when the system is apart is the time to replace anything like that, so it won't hurt.

Alright so I obviously haven't gotten to the steering yet. Summers are tight for personal projects - we camp almost every weekend which takes time and money away from other projects (but for a good cause). So I was kicking around "what else can I do" and figured the fuel system would be a good thing to target. I have all the parts already.

My front sender "sort of" works - it reads about half the tank's range. (Reads E when tank is E, reads 1/2 when tank is full.) I already have the sender for it, but is there any way to replace this without dropping the tank? I've got like 14 gallons of fuel in there and nowhere to put it.

My rear tank has had no filler neck (the whole tube was removed) so I figured whatever was in there was trash. I have a new tank already, but the PO welded in a rear receiver under the tank so I can't do the swap without grinding that off.

So all that's stopping me is fear factor. I know they make non-sparking grinder discs but I can't seem to find any that are reasonably priced so I'm thinking of just trying to shield the area with wood and cloth to keep sparks from being thrown forward... I could fill the tank with water but then I'd have to dispose of 20 gallons of contaminated water. Sand would make it too heavy. So yeah anyway I don't know if there's a standard answer for this but that's where I am.

 

[Gary Lewis]

Alright so I obviously haven't gotten to the steering yet. Summers are tight for personal projects - we camp almost every weekend which takes time and money away from other projects (but for a good cause). So I was kicking around "what else can I do" and figured the fuel system would be a good thing to target. I have all the parts already.

My front sender "sort of" works - it reads about half the tank's range. (Reads E when tank is E, reads 1/2 when tank is full.) I already have the sender for it, but is there any way to replace this without dropping the tank? I've got like 14 gallons of fuel in there and nowhere to put it.

My rear tank has had no filler neck (the whole tube was removed) so I figured whatever was in there was trash. I have a new tank already, but the PO welded in a rear receiver under the tank so I can't do the swap without grinding that off.

So all that's stopping me is fear factor. I know they make non-sparking grinder discs but I can't seem to find any that are reasonably priced so I'm thinking of just trying to shield the area with wood and cloth to keep sparks from being thrown forward... I could fill the tank with water but then I'd have to dispose of 20 gallons of contaminated water. Sand would make it too heavy. So yeah anyway I don't know if there's a standard answer for this but that's where I am.

I have been successful lowering the front tank enough to get the sender out by using ratchet straps and by just unthreading the all-threads that holds the ends of the straps together. And IIRC I put a piece of plywood under the tank and then my floor jack under that. But it is scary to work under there with all that gasoline evaporating right there in front of you.

On the rear tank, I think if the sender is in and you cap the filler neck and the vent you should be find grinding. But I'd do as you suggested and shield things.