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Subject: 80-96-list-digest V3 #343
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80-96-list-digest Sunday, December 5 1999 Volume 03 : Number 343



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

FTE 80-96 - Re: Clear tail light lenses
FTE 80-96 - Re: Rear spitting fluid
Re: FTE 80-96 - Is this legal?
Re: FTE 80-96 - Re: Clear tail light lenses
FTE 80-96 - Amp meter not working?
Re: FTE 80-96 - Stall on cold start
FTE 80-96 - Grandpa's Remedies
Re: FTE 80-96 - Grandpa's Remedies
FTE 80-96 - Re: Transmission Knocking?
Re: FTE 80-96 - Grandpa's Remedies
FTE 80-96 - Vaccuum line's
RE: FTE 80-96 - Re: Transmission Knocking?
Re: FTE 80-96 - Vaccuum line's
Re: FTE 80-96 - Grandpa's Remedies
FTE 80-96 - Wide tires and lift kits....legal?
Re: FTE 80-96 - Is this legal?
Re: FTE 80-96 - Is this legal?
Re: FTE 80-96 - Grandpa's Remedies

=======================================================================

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Date: Sat, 04 Dec 1999 11:41:25 -0600
From: "Bill P"
Subject: FTE 80-96 - Re: Clear tail light lenses

I was getting my truck inspected last week. I live in Texas. While I was=
there, a guy came in w/clear taillight lenses. The inspector told him to=
go home and put the red ones back on. In Texas, the LENS has to be RED,=
no matter what color the bulb is. Just my 2 cents worth of experience.
Bill P.
'81 F-150



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Date: Sat, 4 Dec 1999 13:34:09 -0500
From: "Mark Salvetti"
Subject: FTE 80-96 - Re: Rear spitting fluid

Joe, as Bob Donovan mentioned, water could have gotten in the rear axle, and
be displacing the lube out your vent tube.

What does the fluid look like? I had an old truck that got water in the
rear. The gears churned the oil/water mix into an emulsion, and I had a
brown foamy goop oozing out the vent. I expect you'd be seeing the same
thing if water is your problem.

Mark Salvetti
1986 F150

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Date: Sun, 05 Dec 1999 06:16:47 +1100
From: les williams
Subject: Re: FTE 80-96 - Is this legal?

ken haley wrote:

>
> Roof-mounted driving lights are illegal. Any light over 55 watts is illegal.
>
> Also, you can only operate 6 white lights from the front of a vehicle at the
> same time. This means 4 headlights and a set of driving lights.

So that's 55 watts X 6 = 330 watts max high beam lighting ? No seriously, What
do you guys use for high beam?

Geez, I'm running 740 watts over 2 headlamps and 2 driving lights on high beam.
Low beam is 2x100 watts thru cibie inserts. Yes, very carefully aligned, so as
not to cause trouble. But don't be silly enough to come at me on H/Beam, you'll
have multiple Q.I. filaments imprinted on the back of your eye balls.

regards

Les
Lost in the Land of OZ

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Date: Sat, 04 Dec 1999 16:00:55 -0600
From: Jim Cannon
Subject: Re: FTE 80-96 - Re: Clear tail light lenses

At 11:41 04/12/99 -0600, you wrote:
>I was getting my truck inspected last week. I live in Texas. While I was
there, a guy came in w/clear taillight lenses. The inspector told him to
go home and put the red ones back on. In Texas, the LENS has to be RED, no
matter what color the bulb is. Just my 2 cents worth of experience.
>Bill P.
>'81 F-150

The inspector can tell the guy to go do that, but the law in Texas does not
require red lenses, only that it emit a red or amber color. Quote:

Sec. 547.323. Stoplamps Required.

(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a motor vehicle,
trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer shall be equipped with at
least two stoplamps.

(b) A passenger car manufactured or assembled before the model
year 1960 shall be equipped with at least one stoplamp.

(c) A stoplamp shall be mounted on the rear of the vehicle.

(d) A stoplamp shall emit a red or amber light, or a color
between red and amber, that is:

(1) visible in normal sunlight at a distance of at least 300
feet from the rear of the vehicle; and

(2) displayed when the vehicle service brake is applied.

(e) If vehicles are traveling in combination, only the
stoplamps on the rearmost vehicle are required to emit a light
for the distance specified in Subsection (d).

(f) A stoplamp may be included as a part of another rear lamp.

Unquote.

These same basic word are used in the sections describing what needs to be
there for rear "tail lights" and rear turn signals.

There is also a requirement for red reflectors, as mentioned by another
post, that the clear lenses lack.

Check out http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://capitol.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/codes/TN000099.html

I still think they look dumb, but they are legal.


Jim Cannon
Houston, TX "A Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech
'29 Ford Model A Phaeton and a helluva' engineer!"
'80 Ford F-150 300 I-6 2WD '63 Buick Riviera 401 V-8
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Date: 4 Dec 1999 15:42:08 -0800
From: "David W"
Subject: FTE 80-96 - Amp meter not working?

The amp meter reads the current flow to and from your battery with ONE
exception, that being your *starter motor!* The starter can draw hundreds
of amps while in use, especially a very cold or hot engine. In a properly
running engine it only takes a second or two of cranking to start. But its
very cold and your truck takes 6 seconds of cranking to start. Lets say its
20 degrees and you pull 600 amps while cranking (I like easy numbers, ok?).
600 amp draw for 6 seconds = 1.66 amp hours! Including losses for
conversion of electrical back to chemical energy, 2 amp hours would need to
be replaced in your battery. Your amp meter might show a 20 (10? 5?) amp
charge for the first few seconds after your truck starts, your needle would
hardly be off of zero after that...so it IS working right!

Driving down the highway with your lights, radio, heater/ac all running you
are probably pulling 20-30 amps. But your alternator is providing the
juice...not your battery...so the ammeter should be close to zero, showing
ONLY the charge to or from the battery. You go to a stoplight, you might
show a 10 amp discharge...or maybe five...or none.

If you want to check your gauge, leave your headlights on for an hour with
the engine off. When you start the engine, you will show a pretty beefy
charge. Or, with the engine off, disconnect your alternator. Then start
your engine. You will show a 5-10 amp discharge JUST from the electronics
running your engine. Turn on your lights, fan, etc, watch the discharge go
to 20-30 amps or more. DONT do this very long or you will need a jump to
start.


> Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 12:29:24 -0600
> From: Quicksilver
> Subject: Re: FTE 80-96 - AMP GAUGE
>
> Hi, I'm new to this list and also drive an '87 F-150. My Amp guage isn't
> working either. I know my alternator is charging because I have driven
for
> 3 - 4 hour trips and it is still running strong. If someone has a fox for
> this, please e-mail me direct because I'm in digest/slacker mode.
>
> - - Mark Reimers


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Date: Sat, 4 Dec 1999 17:51:57 -0600
From: "Shawn & Jennifer Clark"
Subject: Re: FTE 80-96 - Stall on cold start

This type of stall seems to be a feature on many of the older F-150's. My
1991 w/302 had the problem until I changed to NGK spark plugs. (I made a
long "testimonial" post about this change a month or two ago.) It used to
stall on cold starts like this regularly, but it has not done it once since
the plug change. Nothing else I tried worked and I was left scratching my
head. I still cannot explain why the plug change would fix this problem
except that the plugs seem to fire consistently better than the stock
plugs. It seems strange, but all of us seem to describe the same basic
problem. Dies on first fire up after sitting cold, then runs OK after
restart. I could keep mine from dying by giving it some gas just after the
starter kicked out, but it bogged pretty badly.

Shawn Clark
e-mail: sd&jkclark tyler.net


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Date: Sat, 4 Dec 1999 20:31:56 -0500
From: "Michael McCarthy"
Subject: FTE 80-96 - Grandpa's Remedies

Anybody ever hear of this?

Burn Out Carbon in a Motor! Disconnect windshield wiper tube from intake
manifold. Substitute another tube leading to a container of hydrogen
peroxide. Allow this to be drawn into idling motor. Excess oxygen will burn
out the carbon deposits.

Michael McCarthy
Export, PA


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Date: Sat, 4 Dec 1999 20:39:35 EST
From: Spruce1495 aol.com
Subject: Re: FTE 80-96 - Grandpa's Remedies

I have heard of using a water mist technique. Spraying a mist into carb
venturis at mid-range rpm. Supposedly water is denser than gas and does not
vaporize completely thus breaking down carbon deposits in comb chambers. This
is an old remedy, too. I've not tried it !!
spruce1495 aol
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Date: Sat, 4 Dec 1999 20:53:43 -0500 (EST)
From: ebm altavista.net
Subject: FTE 80-96 - Re: Transmission Knocking?

At 02:32 PM 12/3/99 -0500, you wrote:
Mike,

If you haven't changed the trans fluid in 160,000 miles, and the thing still works, you are:

1) crazy;
2) lucky;
and 3) it's time to change your transmission fluid ;)

- - Ed


> FTE 80-96 - Transmission Knocking?
>
> Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1999 17:11:09 -0500
> From: "Michael R. Dunbar"
> Subject: FTE 80-96 - Transmission Knocking?
>
> Recently when working under my truck with the engine running, I noticed what
> sounded like a mild knocking noise coming from the tranny. I haven't had the
> chance to look into it, nor am I sure where to start. The clutch is fairly
> new, only has about 3,500 miles on it. However, the truck is approaching
> > > 160k miles, I'm wondering if I need to change out the fluid in the tranny?
> > > Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.
> > >
> > > Mike Dunbar
> > > 89 F-150 XLT Lariat Std. Cab, Long Bed
> > > 4.9L I-6, 5 spd manual transmission
> > > White River Jct., Vermont
> > >
> > > "Just remember, the wheel's spinning but the hamster's dead"
> >
> >----------------------------------------------------------------
> > >


- ----------------------------------------------------------------
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Date: Sat, 4 Dec 1999 19:44:55 -0600
From: Mike Persell
Subject: Re: FTE 80-96 - Grandpa's Remedies

I once used a windshield washer kit with a very narrrow nozzle spraying
into the secondary venturi of a turbocharged engine. The system was
activated by a intake pressure sensor. Once it reached 4lbs boost the
injector would spray in water or alcohol, whichever I put in the
reservoir.


On Sat, 04 Dec 1999, you wrote:
> I have heard of using a water mist technique. Spraying a mist into carb
> venturis at mid-range rpm. Supposedly water is denser than gas and does not
> vaporize completely thus breaking down carbon deposits in comb chambers. This
> is an old remedy, too. I've not tried it !!
> spruce1495 aol
> == FTE: Uns*bscribe and posting info http://www.ford-trucks.com/faq.html
- --
Mike Persell
persell home.com

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Date: Sat, 4 Dec 1999 19:38:07 -0800
From: "Kevin Moore"
Subject: FTE 80-96 - Vaccuum line's

I have an 87 F250 with a 302. There is a group of vacuum lines that run
from the upper intake manifold, around the back of the engine and then to
the "can" which I think is the reservoir for vacuum. These lines also go
out and hook up the egr valve and several other valves. Each line is
colored a different color, red, green, black, etc. This has become very
brittle and is breaking. Where can I get a new harness like this? Is this
something that I would order through the dealer? None of the wrecking yards
have it because it stays on the engine when they sell it.

Please help.

Thank you.
Kevin Moore

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Date: Sat, 4 Dec 1999 23:05:31 -0500
From: "Michael R. Dunbar"
Subject: RE: FTE 80-96 - Re: Transmission Knocking?

I'll definetly change out the fluid. I only bought this truck in October
with 154k on it. I have all of the service records, but don't have the one's
detailing fluid changes.

Mike Dunbar
89 F-150 XLT Lariat
White River Jct., Vermont

"Just remember, the wheel's spinning but the hamster's dead"

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-80-96-list ford-trucks.com
[mailto:owner-80-96-list ford-trucks.com]On Behalf Of ebm altavista.net
Sent: Saturday, December 04, 1999 8:54 PM
To: 80-96-list-digest ford-trucks.com
Subject: FTE 80-96 - Re: Transmission Knocking?



At 02:32 PM 12/3/99 -0500, you wrote:
Mike,

If you haven't changed the trans fluid in 160,000 miles, and the thing still
works, you are:

1) crazy;
2) lucky;
and 3) it's time to change your transmission fluid ;)

- - Ed

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Date: Sat, 04 Dec 1999 22:19:25 -0600
From: Jim Cannon
Subject: Re: FTE 80-96 - Vaccuum line's

At 19:38 04/12/99 -0800, you wrote:
>I have an 87 F250 with a 302. There is a group of vacuum lines that run
>from the upper intake manifold, around the back of the engine and then to
>the "can" which I think is the reservoir for vacuum. These lines also go
>out and hook up the egr valve and several other valves. Each line is
>colored a different color, red, green, black, etc. This has become very
>brittle and is breaking. Where can I get a new harness like this? Is this
>something that I would order through the dealer? None of the wrecking yards
>have it because it stays on the engine when they sell it.

If you just bought several feet of vacuum hose from an auto parts stores,
do you think you can swap them out one at a time and get all new in there?
The hose will all be black, but you can spray the ends with some spray
paint to mark them with the correct color. Try it.


Jim Cannon
Houston, TX "A Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech
'29 Ford Model A Phaeton and a helluva' engineer!"
'80 Ford F-150 300 I-6 2WD '63 Buick Riviera 401 V-8
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Date: Sat, 04 Dec 1999 22:16:23 -0600
From: Jim Cannon
Subject: Re: FTE 80-96 - Grandpa's Remedies

Spraying a small stream of water into the carb or intake when under load
can help reduce knock (or pinging). This is old technology.

Many people talk about doing it to remove carbon from combustion chambers,
but I have never seen documented proof (like pictures) that it works, only
stories. This is the first time I have heard hydrogen peroxide mentioned.
If anyone has an old engine that they are going to rebuild anyway, I'd sure
like them to run a test on it before pulling the heads!

At 19:44 04/12/99 -0600, you wrote:
>I once used a windshield washer kit with a very narrrow nozzle spraying
>into the secondary venturi of a turbocharged engine. The system was
>activated by a intake pressure sensor. Once it reached 4lbs boost the
>injector would spray in water or alcohol, whichever I put in the
>reservoir.
>
>
>On Sat, 04 Dec 1999, you wrote:
>> I have heard of using a water mist technique. Spraying a mist into carb
>> venturis at mid-range rpm. Supposedly water is denser than gas and does
not
>> vaporize completely thus breaking down carbon deposits in comb chambers.
This
>> is an old remedy, too. I've not tried it !!
>> spruce1495 aol
>> == FTE: Uns*bscribe and posting info http://www.ford-trucks.com/faq.html
>--
>Mike Persell
>persell home.com
>
>== FTE: Uns*bscribe and posting info http://www.ford-trucks.com/faq.html
>
Jim Cannon
Houston, TX "A Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech
'29 Ford Model A Phaeton and a helluva' engineer!"
'80 Ford F-150 300 I-6 2WD '63 Buick Riviera 401 V-8
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Date: Sat, 04 Dec 1999 22:42:10 -0600
From: Quicksilver
Subject: FTE 80-96 - Wide tires and lift kits....legal?

I don't mean to cause a stir, but I know LOTS of people in Colorado with
lifter vehicles and wider-than-the-body tires. And I've never heard of any
of them getting stoped because it is illegal. Are you sure it's "against
the law to modify your suspension in any way (including lift kits)..." and
"for tires to extend outside of the body"? I'd check that one again.

- - Mark

- --- Origional Post ---

Date: Fri, 3 Dec 1999 22:53:58 EST
From: FULSZBRONC aol.com
Subject: FTE 80-96 - Wide tires and lift kits....legal?

Since we've been on the subject of legal equipment on our rigs, it's
fairly obvious that law enforcement can be spotty on the little things like
reflectors and blue dots, but when push comes to shove, you can believe that
the boys in blue will write up all the infraction they can find any time the
spirit moves them.
In Colorado, it's against the law to modify your suspension in any way
(including lift kits), and it is enforced. When tickets are written, it's
usually because of injuries caused by excessive bumper heights, blinding
headlights at night, or when the vehicle ''looks'' unsafe. It's also a
ticketing offense for tires to extend outside of the body - this gets
enforced a little more regularly, but it's mostly the ''rice boys'' that get
gigged for it. Check you local statutes, you may also find that those nifty
smoke colored headlight covers are illegal... they are not illegal to own
here, just illegal to be on the vehicle when operated at night.

Alex
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- - Mark Reimers KB9ODG
'66 Bronco 170 I-6, 3-speed, 3.5" suspension lift, 3" body lift, 35" tires ...
'87 F-150 XLT 4x2 300 I-6, 4-speed, two working fuel tanks!(finally)
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Date: Sun, 5 Dec 1999 00:44:00 -0600
From: Blake Malkamaki
Subject: Re: FTE 80-96 - Is this legal?

>So that's 55 watts X 6 = 330 watts max high beam lighting ? No seriously, What
>do you guys use for high beam?
>

I like aircraft landing lights for driving on dark lonely roads. When it is
rain, they light it up like daylight. Really make it safer.

I hooked them up to an addition floor dimmer switch so the can be turned on
and off instantly. I also turn off the regular headlights so the alternator
keeps up better. I always dim them immediately if I see another vehicle
coming and have never had any trouble with the law.


Blake
Little Mountain
Concord, Ohio
Early Oil Well Historian http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://little-mountain.com/oilwell
http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://little-mountain.com
http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://little-mountain.com/blake
"Society is safest when the criminals don't know who's armed."
"An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject...."


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Date: Sun, 5 Dec 1999 01:31:28 EST
From: FLR150 aol.com
Subject: Re: FTE 80-96 - Is this legal?

In a message dated 12/5/99 12:50:00 AM Eastern Standard Time,
blake little-mountain.com writes:


rain, they light it up like daylight. Really make it safer. >>
Blake,
Where do you get aircraft landing lights from? They sell them over the
counter?
Later
Wayne Foy
'94 Flareside SC
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Date: Sun, 5 Dec 1999 00:26:46 -0600
From: Mike Persell
Subject: Re: FTE 80-96 - Grandpa's Remedies

I did it mainly to keep from detonating under load with the turbo
boosting. Detonation is one thing but when you detonate under 7 lbs
boost the tops come off the pistons. When I looked at the engine's
internals later I was shocked to see how clean the intake passages
were. I got the idea when I noticed that the engine ran considerably
better on cold foggy nights.



On Sat, 04 Dec 1999, you wrote:
> Spraying a small stream of water into the carb or intake when under
load > can help reduce knock (or pinging). This is old technology.
>
> Many people talk about doing it to remove carbon from combustion chambers,
> but I have never seen documented proof (like pictures) that it works, only
> stories. This is the first time I have heard hydrogen peroxide mentioned.....

---

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