80-96-list-digest Thursday, May 14 1998 Volume 02 : Number 171



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Ford Truck Enthusiasts - 1980-1996 Trucks and Vans
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In this issue:

RE: FTE 80-96 - F350 4x4 Problems
RE: FTE 80-96 - New to Fords
FTE 80-96 - rough shifting in 5 sp on '94 f150
Re: FTE 80-96 - Special spindle nut
Re: FTE 80-96 - performance/mileage improvements, '95 f150 w' 300 I6
FTE 80-96 - new 96 f-150
Re: FTE 80-96 - Wheel Bearings
Re: FTE 80-96 - new 96 f-150
FTE 80-96 - Anyone else have firewall cracking problem?
FTE 80-96 - Bio/ Diesel Vs. 460
FTE 80-96 - New to Fords
FTE 80-96 - RE: Ranger Brake line
FTE 80-96 - RE: 1997 Recalls

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Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 14:30 -0600
From: "Chad D. Cassetty"
Subject: RE: FTE 80-96 - F350 4x4 Problems

My .02 worth:

The bed is weak. I installed a Gaylord's Custom Lid (hard fiberglass
tonneau cover) on my 95 F150, and it came from Gaylord with two humongous
"L" brackets to strengthen the front of the bed to the sides. Of course,
this doesn't help you much. All I can say is, your right. It is weak.

C'mon, Ford, cowboy up!

Chad Cassetty, CNA/CNE
Network Administrator
Holley Performance Products
P.O. Box 10360
1801 Russellville Rd
Bowling Green, KY 42102-7360

Phone (502) 782 2900
Fax (502) 745 9590

email: chadcassetty holley.com

URL: http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.holley.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Hunt [SMTP:80-96-list ford-trucks.com]
Sent: Thursday 11:51 AM
To: 80-96-list
Subject: FTE 80-96 - F350 4x4 Problems


Hello all,

I have a '94 F350 Crew Cab XLT 4x4 460ci ("Brutus") with 55,000 miles on
it.
I special-ordered the truck with ALL the good stuff (H.D. everything).
It
gets a lot of attention and comments and is faithfully maintained to the
point people "can't believe it's so old!" Although I'm really happy with
the truck, it does have a couple of problems:

1) I had a light-weight toolbox ("TrukTrunk") in the bed (this gets
important later). I don't carry heavy power tools or anything in it;
just a
few "emergency essentials" for life out here in the "wild west." The bed
started cracking where the box mounts to the bed, and down into both
front
stake pockets, through both the inner and outer bed panels. I removed
the
toolbox and it's been stored in my garage ever since. I visited my Ford
dealer when the cracks started (late '95) and was jerked around for over
7
months. I finally heard from a "Regional Manager" that told me my claim
had
been disallowed the first day I took it to the dealer because I had
"modified" the vehicle by adding an "after-market toolbox." They wanted
$1300 to repair the damage, which I won't pay. Upon inspection it is
obvious that (1) the bed metal is too thin and/or weak, and (2) NONE of
the
corners are square, so the inner bed doesn't really support the outer
bed.
The manufacturer of the toolbox says he's seen this on a Chevy S-10 but
would NEVER think it could happen to one of the big Fords. He
won't/can't
help either, so I'm stuck. Any suggestions?

2) I'm experiencing an irritating "popping" sound in the front end of
the truck. From what I can see, the sound is made by the tie-rod
"jumping"
as the slack is taken out, which of course occurs all the time. It's not
unusual to have two-three "pops" just turning into a driveway.
I took Brutus in to the top front-end shop in town, and they said there
was
nothing they could do... the sound was inherent to the "full-floating
tie-rod on a live axle." The noise is not only irritating, but an
embarrassment. Anyone have a fix for this (that doesn't cost a mint)?


Thanks!

Rick
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| Richard R. Hunt | E-Mail: rhunt holmans.com |
| Holman's, Inc. | Voice: (505) 343-0007 ext. 241 |
| 6201 Jefferson St., N.E. | Fax: (505) 343-3562 |
| Albuquerque, NM 87109-3431 | WWW: http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.holmans.com/ |
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Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 13:33:04 -0600
From: "Dave Resch"
Subject: RE: FTE 80-96 - New to Fords

>From: Elizabeth Alleruzzo
>Subject: FTE 80-96 - New to Fords
>
Yo Liz:

Welcome to the club!

>Questions: 1) Tires are 8.5R 16.5 They seem awfully
>narrow and rides kind of "squirrely". If I go to 16in wheels
> >and get 245 or 265 tires, will that improve the ride stability?

Not sure exactly what you mean by "squirrely." The stock tire size for
F250s w/ 16" wheels nowadays is LT235/85R16. They are just a tad wider
than what you have now. Most 235/85s will take up to 80 or 85 psi max
pressure to achieve their max load (weight) rating. If you keep them near
the max pressure (say 65-70 psi), they will ride harder but give you
optimum mileage (less rolling resistance). If you air them down a bit (say
to about 40-45 psi), assuming you're not carrying loads that require the
higher pressures, you'll get a less harsh ride and a little better
cornering grip, but they'll wallow a bit more w/ sidewall flex and won't
give as good fuel mileage.

A 265/75 or 285/75 tire will put a lot more tread on the road, so if it's
the right tread design (highway or AT, not serious mud tires), you'll get a
little better grip for both cornering and straight line traction. OTOH,
the wider tires also run slightly lower pressures and have increased
rolling resistance over a narrower tire.

>2) Has no airconditioner - does a Ford shop need to put one
>in or can an independent air shop do it? Would air significantly
>decrease my already low mpg (10-12mpg)?Is it worth it if I only
>need it in the So.Cal.summer?

You could put in the A/C yourself, if you want to. You should be able to
find the parts you need at a local junkyard. As for its affect on mileage,
that would depend a lot on how you used it and how you drive your truck.

Only you can decide if it's worth it. Look through the local junkyards and
find a truck in the same vintage as yours (80-83) and w/ the same engine as
yours and A/C and take a look at the setup. Adding A/C will add
considerably to the underhood clutter. Try living through this summer
w/out A/C in your truck and see how you like it. Then, take all these
things into consideration and make your decision.

>3) Since the truck has barely been used for ten years, what
>(if any) parts might be going bad from idleness? I've noticed
>that most the rubber and felt seals in the windows and other
>places are dried out and crumbling so I'm replacing those.
>Other than the obvious hoses and belts, are there more parts
> >of this type I should check out?

As you noticed, anything rubber deteriorates w/ age. A couple of other
common problem areas on a truck that old are the vacuum hoses on the engine
> and the fuel lines.

Any cracked or leaking vacuum lines (either rubber hoses or plastic
fittings) will adversely affect the engine's performance (and possibly its
ability to pass e-tests). When replacing engine vacuum lines, it's a good
idea to double-check the vacuum routing shown on the emissions label
diagram to make sure they are connected correctly. When I got my truck,
all the vacuum hoses were screwed up and many were cracked and leaking. It
would barely pass the (relatively liberal) Colorado tailpipe e-test.

The fuel lines on early 80s trucks use both rubber and steel. All the
rubber sections, beginning at the top of the fuel tank(s) all the way to
the fuel pump and carburetor should be replaced. You'll have to drop the
fuel tank from its frame mounts to get to the top of the tank. I think all
the early 80s F trucks used 5/16" fuel line, but you should check to see
what you've got on yours.

Another item you should attend to on an older truck is the carburetor. A
well adjusted and clean carb will contribute to improved performance,
better mileage, and lower emissions. If your truck has the stock
Motorcraft 2V carburetor, it is very easy to rebuild and if it needs it,
cleaning and rebuilding it will make a huge difference. A rebuild kit
should only cost about $20 at any parts shop.

>4) Just how good of an mpg should I be able to attain if
>everything is working fine? Am I already at my limit? My
>weekday driving is street - stop and go. Weekends are for
>the desert and mountains - dirt roads, camping, long distance
>highway.

You don't mention what engine is in your truck. In my 1980 F250 4x4 w/
351M V8, when everything is in good tune and I'm on the fairly level
highway under optimum conditions, I can get 12-14 mpg. Around town, I'm
lucky to get 10 mpg at best. In anything less than perfect tune, city
mileage drops to around 8.5-9 mpg.

>5) If only some of the bulbs on the dash are out, should I
>replace all of them at the same time?

This is just my philosophy, but if you just got the truck and you're
starting over w/ it, why not replace all of them? It's a bit of a chore to
get the instrument cluster out of the dash, so you may as well replace them
all while you're there. From then on, I'd probably only replace the
defective one.

6) Why does the plastic washer-fluid/radiator-overflow
>container cost $71.00 from Ford? Geez -- it's just a small,
>cheap plastic box!

Yes, but it's a really nice, small cheap plastic box. Seems like I
replaced mine a few years back and it was about $40 or so from the dealer.
I'd recommend checking on the internet for parts places. There are Ford
dealers out there that sell at discount prices via the internet. At the
junkyards, unfortunately, plastic things like this tend to either get
picked over pretty quick or get trashed from exposure to sunlight or
weather. Still, junkyards are an excellent parts source for this vintage
truck.

>7) Are there any companies that have lots of accessories
>for my truck? All the books and magazines I have seen so
>far specialize in either vintage or new models.

Your truck's body style was produced from 1980 through 1986. The trim
changed slightly (subtly) in 1982, but the sheet metal remained the same.
The cab and door skins were the same for F-series pickups all the way from
1980 up to 1996. The pickup box exterior changed in 1987, and the front
clip (fenders, hood, grille, etc.) changed in 1987 and again in 1992. As a
rule, anything that will attach to the cab structure on a 1996 F-series
(cab fairings, sun visors, etc.) will work on your truck. Many of the
accessories that were designed specifically for the 80-86 series trucks are
just no longer in production. Sometimes, you can find these items at
junkyards or swap meets.

Personally, my favorite Ford trucks are the 1980-1983 F-series and
full-size Broncos. They were the first of the "modern" style trucks with
the last of the "old reliable" technology (carburetors, mechanical clutch
linkage, etc.). After a few months riding around in your Ford, it'll make
anything else seem like a tin can.

Good luck w/ your new truck.

Dave R. (M-block devotee)


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Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 13:01:08 -0700 (PDT)
From: Andrew Christopher Funk
Subject: FTE 80-96 - rough shifting in 5 sp on '94 f150

As this topic was brought up, I wanted to ask a few questions about it,
and I apologize for any repetion.
I have a '94 f150 4x4, 300 i-6, 5 sp. I experience what I would describe
as a rough shift (it almost feels like something is catching as I try to
shift) between 1st and 2nd gears. The truck has 59k miles on it. I
was wondering if anyone had any experience with synthetic transmssion
fluid making the shifts any smoother.

One thing that is strange about this problem, is that some days when I
shift gears, it feels very smooth, and other days it feels very rough. I
have not been able to correlate the rough shifting to anything (e.g
temperature, raining or not, etc.) Do other people who experience
rough shifting in this transmission (the Mazda transmission) find that it
comes and goes in this manner?

Incidentally, I have (as it sounds like others with the same problem have
done as well) established a method of slightly pausing between gears to
make the shift a little bit smoother, but this bothers me as being more of
a work around than a solution.

- ----------------------------------------------------------

Andrew Funk
Department of Physics
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403

afunk darkwing.uoregon.edu
http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~afunk


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Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 14:18:34 -0600
From: Ryan Dorman
Subject: Re: FTE 80-96 - Special spindle nut

Ryan Dorman wrote:

> It is possible to remove the spindle nut with a punch, but next to impossible to
> re-install it.
> Remember that a 4wd spindle nut is deep inside the hub not close to the surface
> like a 2wd.
> Trust me when I say buy the spindle nut socket. It's worth every penny.
>
> Casey Vandor wrote:
>
> > I am planning on putting premium hubs on this summer. Instead of a "special
> > tool" could I use a punch and back it off? Or would it be worth $20.00
> > (everything is spendier here...) to buy the nut? Seems to me on my old
> > Dodge 2wd, I just used a punch and tapped the nut off until it was loose
> > enough to back out by hand.
> >
> > Thanks
> > Casey
> >
> > = Ford Truck Enthusiasts ==============================================....

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