Hello to all!

[can0fspam]

Hi everyone, my name is Jake!

I'm from Colorado Springs, CO, and currently attending college in SC.

I have a 1983 Ford F-150 inline six. My interaction with other members online has helped me diagnose both the simplest and trickiest problems on this truck.

A few weeks ago I took a 1600 mile trip to Colorado, and in a few more weeks I'll be going back to SC. My truck always impresses me with how far it'll go when everything's in working order.

It'll be good to be a part of this community! I've used the diagrams and part numbers posted in the tech sections a lot already.

[Gary Lewis]

Jake - Welcome to the Bullnose Forum!

Nice looking truck. Tell us more about it. Is it a manual or an auto? Maybe you even have the upshift indicator we talked about recently? In any event, to be able to reliably take it on those extended trips says you've worked the bugs out quite well.

What are you studying? Or, what is your major?

 

[1986F150Six]

Jake - Welcome to the Bullnose Forum!

Nice looking truck. Tell us more about it. Is it a manual or an auto? Maybe you even have the upshift indicator we talked about recently? In any event, to be able to reliably take it on those extended trips says you've worked the bugs out quite well.

What are you studying? Or, what is your major?

Nice photo, Jake! Welcome!

[can0fspam]

Jake - Welcome to the Bullnose Forum!

Nice looking truck. Tell us more about it. Is it a manual or an auto? Maybe you even have the upshift indicator we talked about recently? In any event, to be able to reliably take it on those extended trips says you've worked the bugs out quite well.

What are you studying? Or, what is your major?

Thanks for the welcoming words!

The truck has the NP435 manual transmission, NP208 transfer case, and what I believe to be older aftermarket wheels on 31x10.50x15 tires.

The engine is pretty stock besides what I've replaced on and around it for maintenance. But there is no cat in the exhaust, so the air pump is not hooked up either (plus 0.7 horsepower!!).

As for the upshift indicator, I have heard of that feature before! Mine has a blank space in the cluster where it would be, on the far left. I think they only put that option in on F-100 models with super tall gearing.

I like to think I've made a big improvement in this truck's drivability. It's come a long, long way since I bought it, but it seems you're never quite done working. Still have some minor running issues and of course the paint needs attention, for whenever I get the time and space to go through that.

I am studying Mechanical Engineering! It was either going to be that or Electrical Engineering, but mechanical parts are generally more intuitive to me. I am a very visual person.

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks for the welcoming words!

The truck has the NP435 manual transmission, NP208 transfer case, and what I believe to be older aftermarket wheels on 31x10.50x15 tires.

The engine is pretty stock besides what I've replaced on and around it for maintenance. But there is no cat in the exhaust, so the air pump is not hooked up either (plus 0.7 horsepower!!).

As for the upshift indicator, I have heard of that feature before! Mine has a blank space in the cluster where it would be, on the far left. I think they only put that option in on F-100 models with super tall gearing.

I like to think I've made a big improvement in this truck's drivability. It's come a long, long way since I bought it, but it seems you're never quite done working. Still have some minor running issues and of course the paint needs attention, for whenever I get the time and space to go through that.

I am studying Mechanical Engineering! It was either going to be that or Electrical Engineering, but mechanical parts are generally more intuitive to me. I am a very visual person.

You are going to fit right in. I spent 2 years in EE at K-State, but finished up at a school in OK and the closest I could get was a degree in math and physics. But, I've been accused many times of being an engineer. Dad would have said "If that's a complement then I thank you." But, I'm not sure.

Did some graduate-level work and one course was on parallel systems, meaning how you can model a mechanical system with an electrical system. It is interesting how a capacitor works like a shock absorber.

As for the truck, what kind of MPG are you getting? David's six is getting close to 20 if I remember correctly, but he keeps the speed down and you might not want to do so on such a long trip.

Anyway, glad you found us!

[can0fspam]

You are going to fit right in. I spent 2 years in EE at K-State, but finished up at a school in OK and the closest I could get was a degree in math and physics. But, I've been accused many times of being an engineer. Dad would have said "If that's a complement then I thank you." But, I'm not sure.

Did some graduate-level work and one course was on parallel systems, meaning how you can model a mechanical system with an electrical system. It is interesting how a capacitor works like a shock absorber.

As for the truck, what kind of MPG are you getting? David's six is getting close to 20 if I remember correctly, but he keeps the speed down and you might not want to do so on such a long trip.

Anyway, glad you found us!

Engineering certainly can be difficult. I am usually good enough at Math and Physics, but most of my knowledge is more practical, common-sense stuff than book learnin'!

Looking at conceptual Physics tends to confuse me pretty well until I understand how it works, but then it seems really easy. I guess I just have to keep studying the best I can.

I usually get around 17 MPG around town, but on my road trip my average was 19. Best single tank was about 19.8 miles to the gallon! I drove between 55 and 70 miles an hour the whole way. The latter was on downhill sections

[1986F150Six]

I usually get around 17 MPG around town, but on my road trip my average was 19. Best single tank was about 19.8 miles to the gallon! I drove between 55 and 70 miles an hour the whole way. The latter was on downhill sections

4 wheel drive w/o O.D. and over sized tires... that is quite good gas mileage. Have you corrected the speedometer for the non-stock sized tires? You may be getting better than you think!

 

[can0fspam]

I usually get around 17 MPG around town, but on my road trip my average was 19. Best single tank was about 19.8 miles to the gallon! I drove between 55 and 70 miles an hour the whole way. The latter was on downhill sections

4 wheel drive w/o O.D. and over sized tires... that is quite good gas mileage. Have you corrected the speedometer for the non-stock sized tires? You may be getting better than you think!

The transmission I have is a granny gear, not O/D transmission. But I am still surprised by what I'm getting!

Assuming the factory tire was 29 inches, I calculate my gas mileage by multiplying odometer reading by 31/29.

[Gary Lewis]

Engineering certainly can be difficult. I am usually good enough at Math and Physics, but most of my knowledge is more practical, common-sense stuff than book learnin'!

Looking at conceptual Physics tends to confuse me pretty well until I understand how it works, but then it seems really easy. I guess I just have to keep studying the best I can.

I usually get around 17 MPG around town, but on my road trip my average was 19. Best single tank was about 19.8 miles to the gallon! I drove between 55 and 70 miles an hour the whole way. The latter was on downhill sections

You sound a lot like me. I did the math and physics because I transferred schools and the new one didn't have engineering. But to me math and physics are just the theoretical part of what I love - hands on real things.

As for the MPG, you are really doing well with your truck. Those are excellent numbers for real-world driving.

These trucks are worse than the proverbial "barn door" since they have all sorts of recesses that trap the air. And even those that have an air dam, like David's, have such a small one that it is not nearly as effective as the recent ones. All of that adds up to speeds north of 65 MPH causing huge drags that kill the MPG.

[can0fspam]

You sound a lot like me. I did the math and physics because I transferred schools and the new one didn't have engineering. But to me math and physics are just the theoretical part of what I love - hands on real things.

As for the MPG, you are really doing well with your truck. Those are excellent numbers for real-world driving.

These trucks are worse than the proverbial "barn door" since they have all sorts of recesses that trap the air. And even those that have an air dam, like David's, have such a small one that it is not nearly as effective as the recent ones. All of that adds up to speeds north of 65 MPH causing huge drags that kill the MPG.

Yeah. My general goal for the future is to get thru college and get a decent Engineering job, so that I can make enough money to support my gasoline addiction, and enjoy my job in the process!

I was surprised to see the MPG from that speed of highway driving.

You can feel how un-aerodynamic it is when you get going fast. If you let off the gas, you start slowing down very quickly, even when going downhill.

It's even worse at high altitude; sometimes I can barely keep it at 60 with the headwinds out here.

I noticed a mileage difference depending on the speeds I drove. My best tank was out East on the slower roads, where I was doing 55-60 the whole time. With my gearing I'm doing around 2,000 revs at that speed.

Usually got high 18's around Kansas territory as the speed went up and the air density went down.