fordtrucks80up-digest Monday, April 13 1998 Volume 02 : Number 137



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Ford Truck Enthusiasts - 1980 - 1996 Trucks Digest
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In this issue:

Re: F-250 [Chris Hedemark ]
Misc. problems on 87 F250 302cid EFI [Chris Hedemark
Re: F-250 [Chris Hedemark ]
Ranger anit lock, locked up [yhtlines surfari.net]
new trucks [yhtlines surfari.net]
F150 Manual to Auto Tranny Conversion [Stan Foy ]
RE: F-250 ["Harold Day" ]
RE: bent bumper ["Smeins, Larry" ]
F250 [Jim Cole ]
Re: F250 [Chris Hedemark ]
Rear end noise ["Mike Miller" ]
H/D Flasher ["jlohse" ]
RE: Bent Bumper ["Mike Mueller" ]
Re: H/D Flasher [Chris Hedemark ]
Re: B&M Shift-Plus for E4OD [Steven McCullough
Re: New Truck [Randall Wer ]
[ZUK] I'm outta here [ACMERCG ]
Re: fordtrucks80up-digest [Don Shrader ]
Re: Misc. problems on 87 F250 302cid EFI [Ken Payne
B&M Shift-Plus for E4OD [Ken Payne ]
Re: F150 Manual to Auto Tranny Conversion [Randy ]
Re: H/D Flasher [Randy ]

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 08:40:29 -0400
From: Chris Hedemark
Subject: Re: F-250

Scottie Schmidt wrote:
>
> Hi, a couple of days ago i asked what type of truck would be good for a 15 acre farm.
> I also asked the same question a couple of days before that, but no one replyed.
> So any way my grandfather the one who wants the truck says that he thinks a F-250
> would be good but would like to know what you guys think. So if anyone would like
> to reply this time it would be great.

Hey Scottie,

I just got home last night with my "new" truck. 1987 F250 2WD with a
302 and not much else (work truck... not many options). My dad was the
second owner. The first owner was a farmer and kept it for about
100,000 miles. The bed is really beaten up and abused now, but the cab
is still in *great* shape in the motor runs pretty good too. My dad had
about 1,500 pound of *something* in the bed (I forget what he said he
had now... I think he was doing fixing up his parking lot so it may have
been concrete or something). Anyway, the bed just kind of leveled out
but never really sagged. He tells me that handling *improved* with all
that weight back there. :-)

Anyway I drove it from my parent's house in Philadelphia yesterday to
Durham, NC. That old 302 was running *smooth*. Kept it at 75MPH most
of the way down without much trouble. Little blip of the pedal and
85-90 for passing was not hard to do. Speedo only goes to 85 but wife
was behind me in the Mustang and she said that I was pulling from her
when she was at 90 passing a tractor-trailer with me.

Unlike some other trucks I've been in, the F250 doesn't look like the
kind of truck that you wash your hands before you touch anything
inside. Again, it is a *work truck* inside and out.

I'm about to post a message asking about a couple of minor nagging
problems I'm having but remember this thing has at least 140,000 miles
on it and lived with my father for a couple of years, which means it was
neglected all that time it was with him. That said, I know that it's
never failed him, always starts, and can handle just about any kind of
load you'll need on a farm.

- --

Chris Hedemark - chris yonderway.com - http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.yonderway.com
"From the fury of the Norsemen, oh Lord, deliver us!"

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 08:59:20 -0400
From: Chris Hedemark
Subject: Misc. problems on 87 F250 302cid EFI

Howdy folks,

I picked up my truck this weekend. It is in better shape than I thought
it would be based on phone conversations, and was fine for the 400+ mile
drive home from Philly to Durham.

There are several problems with the truck, mostly nagging little
problems, and I think I have a handle on most of them.

There are a couple of others though that I don't know what to make of
and was hoping someone here may have already experienced the same thing
and successfully fixed it.

1) On a cold start, throttle must be nursed along to keep it running.
After it's okay to run on its own, throttle will surge up and down (no
more than about 1100 RPM or so at the high end and down to almost 500RPM
at the low end) for a couple of minutes until the engine is warmed up
and it idles smooth.

2) Engine is hard to start when warm. May or may not be related to #1.

3) Gas gauge is flakey. Doesn't matter what tank I'm on. It'll stay at
full for 150+ miles and then dance around near full. Suddenly it'll
drop to Empty, but by the time that happens you better hope the second
tank has some gas left in it because you are DONE. I suspected a
sending unit but this happens the same on both tanks. Anyone ever see
this and successfully fix it?

Also I want to do a few things with it to get it back to a more
attractive condition than it is currently in. Most of this is replacing
switches, redying the plastic moulding inside, etc. The big eyesore is
the bed. The bed is bent outward at the fore end from years of load
shifting, the tailgate won't open without reaching inside of it and
pulling on the rods, and the sheetmetal is splitting on the sides up at
the fore end seemingly from the stress of the nose of the bed being bent
out. There is no way I can put a cap on here without it acting as a
cistern every time there is rain. In other words, it needs a new bed in
a bad way. Can I use beds going all the way up to the redesign (meaning
up to a 1996 bed) or am I stuck with something earlier than 1992? I
think I can get a 1996 bed for a decent price but I don't want to bother
if it won't bolt up right.

Light bulbs: Just FYI - I robbed the high intensity 9004 bulbs from my
wife's Escort (now retired as of today). I left one stock bulb on the
passenger's side of the truck and one bright bulb on the driver's side.
BIG difference. the new bulb is 80 watt low beam and 100 watt high
beam. I got out of the truck and walked about 50 feet away. There is a
noticeable difference in intensity and coloration on the new bulb. I
think I have to move the battery to get to the passenger's side bulb
which is convenient because I have to replace the battery cables anyway
(they are in *BAD* shape). These are definitely going to be an assett
on those long and empty country roads. I'd like to couple these with a
set of auxiliary lights that will illuminate an *extremely* long
distance (as in beyond the high beams). Any recommendations?

- --

Chris Hedemark - chris yonderway.com - http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.yonderway.com
"From the fury of the Norsemen, oh Lord, deliver us!"

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 09:13:03 -0400
From: Chris Hedemark
Subject: Re: F-250

*Powerstrokeman* ... wrote:

> I think for a 15 acre farm an F-250 Heavy Duty would be the lightest
> truck I would buy. 8ft bed or flatbed just whatever you think would
> come in handy more often. Make sure you get a diesel, powerstroke would
> definately please you, but you won't find a powerstroke for less than 20
> grand. I don't thing gasoline engines are very dependable. Do not get a
> cummins. So I recomend a F-250HD diesel.

Not trying to start a Holy War, but I did think it appropriate to offer
a different viewpoint:

1) Ford gasoline engines are extremely dependable. I've got 140,000
miles on the clock approximately and the thing runs like a 40,000 mile
engine.

2) An F250 is an extremely capable truck. Unless you're towing a
gooseneck trailer, you'd be hard pressed to justify the purchase of an
F350 over an F250. The F250 is a lot easier to deal with when you're
driving to town, too. It's hard enough to park an F250 at the
supermarket but it's a lot easier than parking a dually.

3) The ford Powerstroke is, IMO, very weak in comparison to the
Cummins. Not to mention the Cummins engines run forever. If the Dodge
trucks weren't thrown together so poorly, the Cummins engine in that
truck would be far more tempting than it is. The new Cummins engines in
the Dodge trucks are supposed to be even better, but I can only speak
for what they used 1994 to 1996. Sorry, but all brand loyalties aside
the cummins is superior. I am *not* saying to forgo the Ford deisel
because it is a fine engine in its own right but I am pointing out that
your statement about Cummins motors is, IMO, tainted more by brand
loyalty than practical comparisons between the two.

An F250 will work fine, either gas or deisel. Make sure there is a
deisel station within a reasonable distance from your farm if you want
to go that route because you will soon tire of the truck if you have to
drive 30 miles out to get filled up. A gasoline engine is still a
viable option and depending on what kind of farm work you're doing (did
you ever say?) an inline 6 engine may end up being FAR more practical
(and cheaper) than any V8 or deisel motor. I've got 36 acres in North
Carolina, surrounded by other farms (everything from goats to cattle to
hogs to tobacco) and none of the other farmers I know have anything
bigger than a 3/4 ton truck with a smallblock V8 other than the horse
ranch a mile down the road that has an F350 powerstroke for pulling a
gooseneck horse trailer (a BIG one at that). Most of the other farms
are bigger than my place. They like their trucks just fine.

- --

Chris Hedemark - chris yonderway.com - http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.yonderway.com
"From the fury of the Norsemen, oh Lord, deliver us!"

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 05:37:11
From: yhtlines surfari.net
Subject: Ranger anit lock, locked up

"Re: 94 ranger antilock brakes

>Same thing happened to mine. The control valve was bad. It's located inside
>the left frame rail near the fuel filter. It'll cost about $300 for the
>dealer to replace it. The part itself is about $200.

If this is the problem, please get it fixed, as a spin out with locked
rears is not pretty. I did it twice with a jap truck with out rear antilock
(I could write a book about what Mitsu did not know about building a
vehicle). The second time I hit a retaining wall head on/sideways as a
result. Dave Lampert

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 05:39:47
From: yhtlines surfari.net
Subject: new trucks

Saw the local dealer finally received a shipment of the new full sizes
F250s. They seem to look ok, but the reference to a warmed over Dodge comes
to mind, like they had no specific styling in mind. OTOH, the new four door
Ranger came out looking quite nice. I thought it would be awkward looking,
but nope...Dave Lampert

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 07:32:50 -0600
From: Stan Foy
Subject: F150 Manual to Auto Tranny Conversion

I've been lurking in the background here for a while and have gotten a lot
of good information from the list by just watching and reading. But now I
have a question that I haven't seen come across the list so I'll throw it
out there and see what comes back.

I recently purchased an '85 F150 4X4 with a 351 and manual transmission. I
am thinking of converting it to an automatic transmission and replace the
TTB with a straight axle from an F250. There are a number of trucks being
'parted out' in the local papers here, would it be a matter of finding a
candidate F250 and swapout the transmission, motor, steering column, dash,
steering and suspension components? (With a re-tune to match the auto
tranny, is keeping the existing 351 an option?)

If anyone has done this, or has suggestions -- please e-mail me.

Many thanks.
======================================================================
Stan Foy Work Stanley.A.Foy cdev.com
Snowshoe on the TEN Nascar2 server. Home stanf rmi.net
Snowshoe in the OFL WC league. http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.whit.org/stanf/72
======================================================================

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Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 08:55:51 -0500
From: "Harold Day"
Subject: RE: F-250

During our farming days, my father was an avid GM and Chevy fan, so was my
uncle. They used the C/K 10 which during those days was equivalent to the
F-150. Many times I've seen them overload those trucks with a bed full of
feed corn, or other material. An F-250 should fit the bill nicely.

The use of a truck on a farm will really depend on the type of farm. Most of
the use we had was hauling feed and other supplies. The long bed was the
most used. An F250 should be very effective as most of your hauling
shouldn't be that heavy. Hay bales, feed corn, fencing supplies, tack, and
trailer hauling was most of the use we had on the farm.

Oh, I was a Chevy man too, until I bought my first F-150 in the 80's.
Thought I was going to be dis-owned, but dad drives a Dodge now! Go figure.

Harold
84 F-150 XLT Supercab.

>> Hi, a couple of days ago i asked what type of truck would be good
> for a 15 acre farm.
> I also asked the same question a couple of days before that, but
> no one replyed.
> So any way my grandfather the one who wants the truck says that
> he thinks a F-250
> would be good but would like to know what you guys think. So if
> anyone would like
> to reply this time it would be great.
>

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 08:34:22 -0600
From: "Smeins, Larry"
Subject: RE: bent bumper

I bent the front bumper on 95 by hooking a tow chain to the frame last
fall. It twisted the bumper so one end angled down and was much lower
than the other end. First I put a 2x4 flat under the low end and pushed
it up with a bottle jack to remove as much of the twist as possible.
Then I unbolted the bumper from its brackets, jack not in place at this
step. The bolts are in slides to correct up/down alignment. I put
washers on the bolts as spacers to correct the twist, the number
requires experimentation. With the spacers and slide adjustment no one
would know the bumper had ever been bent.

Larry

>Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1998 20:33:52 EDT
>From: Croth2
>Subject: bent bumper

>Somebody told me that you can adjust how your bumper sits even if its
bent.
>Mine was bent on my 89 F-150 4x4 , and last night I hooked a chain onto
that
>steel frame piece that the bumper hooks onto, and I pulled a 65ft Elm
tree out
>of my driveway, which resulted in screwing up my bumper even more. Is
there
>any truth to what I heard about the bumper being adjustable? If so how
do you
>do it?
>any suggestions?--> Tim

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 10:45:45 -0500
From: Jim Cole
Subject: F250

Whats wrong with the cummins? I'm trying to decide between the PowerStroke
and the Cummins for engines.
I've heard people on the Ram list talk about Cavitation Errosion on the
PowerStrokes but I'd like to hear what the Ford folks say about the cummins.

I'd trying to decide between the Ford SuperDuty 250 or the Ram 2500. Please
dont get into a pissing match between the dodge and ford. I'm looking for
facts. consumer reports does rate the ford better but I think I like the
styling of the ram better. We're talking $30,000 vehicles..I dont make
decisions like this lightly.

Thanks
- -Jim

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 12:17:08 -0400
From: Chris Hedemark
Subject: Re: F250

Jim Cole wrote:

> Whats wrong with the cummins? I'm trying to decide between the PowerStroke
> and the Cummins for engines.

[donning asbestos underwear]

> I've heard people on the Ram list talk about Cavitation Errosion on the
> PowerStrokes but I'd like to hear what the Ford folks say about the cummins.

The Dodge list is still around? Cool. I started that mailing list in
1995. It was originally run from a Pegasus mail client and some scripts
and grew WAAAY too big for that. After I ditched my Dodge (keep
reading) I passed the baton to someone else.

> I'd trying to decide between the Ford SuperDuty 250 or the Ram 2500. Please
> dont get into a pissing match between the dodge and ford. I'm looking for
> facts. consumer reports does rate the ford better but I think I like the
> styling of the ram better. We're talking $30,000 vehicles..I dont make
> decisions like this lightly.

Jim, my truck was a 1995 Dodge Ram 2500HD V10. Aside from the engine,
the V10 and Cummins trucks shared almost every other part. I also had a
few good buddies with the Cummins in their rams.

The body on the Dodge is tough. I slid accross ice and totally crushed
a brand new Ranger from behind during an ice storm. Aside from a new
bumper, grill, one headlight, and headlight bucket my Dodge was fine
(and even the bumper wasn't hurt all that badly).

Suspension wise the Dodge is actually a nice ride for a heavy duty
truck. Put some real tires on it and it softens up nicely. On a 4x4
model you can use 255/85R-16 tires on the stock rims and still carry a
heavy load. This tire is about 33" diameter. I didn't throw all that
much in the bed so I went with 285/75R-16 tires which need a wider rim
but otherwise fit fine and give a great ride with excellent traction.

Sorry to say it, but my Ram flat out beat all other trucks in races
including Lightenings. Of course that's not what I bought the truck for
but when folks would see "V10" on the side they would always try.

Now, onto the problems. Inside of a week of buying the truck I lost my
coolant temp. sensor, one of my brake sensors (on the middle of the
highway during a panic stop... almost rolled the truck because only ONE
of the two front brakes engaged!!!), and intermittent wipers. Later on
the truck smelled bad, and it turned out water was leaking into the cab
so they had to replace the weather stripping and carpets. Then they did
it again 6 months later. After 20,000 miles the trans was wasted
(common story with Cummins & V10 powered Dodge trucks). Three
windshields cracked in that period of time due to "stress cracking"
(always while sitting still overnight).

Also, I had an insider from Chrylser feeding me information that
confirmed my suspicions. This insider was very reliable and got me
information MONTHS before the magazines knew (my web site cracked the
story on Durango several months before Motor Trend or anyone else).
Anyway he sent me some information that looked reliable enough that
basically confirmed my suspicions that Chrysler gave poor warranty
service as a matter of corporate policy. Before I owned that truck for
one year it was GONE. I bought it in August and sold it in March after
the transmission blew.

In my opinion, this truck was slapped together by a bunch of unskilled
apemen. Nowhere near the fit & finish of a comparable Ford truck. Of
course, many other people had GOOD experiences with their Dodge trucks
so I am only one opinion. After I posted my whole story on the Ramtruck
mailing list, though, I got a TON of private responses relating similar
tales. These people thought they were alone with their horror stories
and they were not.

The Cummins is the only decent part on the truck, because DODGE didn't
make it. In fact, Cummins had to SEVERELY govern the performance of the
B engine in the Dodge trucks before Dodge would even install them
(because of a known problem with tranny being weak). A couple of people
I know purchased a kit that the Ramtruck mailing list knows as "The
Gizmo". A cummins truck with The Gizmo installed as well as a 4"
cat-back exhaust was able to pull on 5.9L V8 trucks and with a bit of
tuning probably could have run with my V10. 20,000 pound trailer is NO
PROBLEM for Gizmo-equipped engine on a Dodge 3500.

And the cummins will still run strong after the truck is rusted into the
ground and forgotten.

- --

Chris Hedemark - chris yonderway.com - http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.yonderway.com
"From the fury of the Norsemen, oh Lord, deliver us!"

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 09:30:45 -0700
From: "Mike Miller"
Subject: Rear end noise

The rear end in my 85 F250 4x4 6.9l 4sp is acting like a locked front diff.
It is a Dana limited slip 3.54 (code G3). Runs fine in a straight line, but
at low speed, making a turn the whole truck lurches just like it was in 4
wheel drive - I'm pretty sure the rear gears are jumping. Is there a common
cause for a limited slip rear end to lock up? What am I looking at to fix
it? It seems to be worse when going forward than when in reverse.

mike miller

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 10:09:38 -0700
From: "jlohse"
Subject: H/D Flasher

Within the last 2 months their was a discussion concerning where to find a
H/D flasher for the turn signals, that was more audible. I cannot recall the
recommendation.... Anyone know where to find this H/D flasher (or
recommendation) ??? 96 Ford 350 460

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 98 10:22:11 PDT
From: "Mike Mueller"
Subject: RE: Bent Bumper

Fordsters, Croth2-
I have adjusted the Front bumper on my 89 F-150 to be a little higher and=
level. The only thing you can adjust is the up and down. My bumper was=
tapped on the drivers side which put a scuff in the black plastic and =
dented a little of the chrome beneath. You couldn't tell it was bent exc=
ept for at the end of the drivers side the whole bumper twisted downwards=
. Start looking around and this is quite common. It doesnt take much. =
I tried to adjust the twist out of it but no matter what I tried I could=
n't. I ended up swapping bumpers with a buddies 90 F-350 crew cab dually=
!
He was trading it in and the truck was pretty beat so they were giving =
him next to nothing. His plastic trim was torn up so I swapped just the =
chrome bumper. Now my bumper is lookin good, untwisted, and right up nex=
t to the grill.

Thanks!

Mike Mueller
The Leasing Dept.
Equipment Leasing and Funding
www.leasingdept.com


>From: Croth2
>Subject: bent bumper

>Somebody told me that you can adjust how your bumper sits even if its =
bent.
Mine was bent on my 89 F-150 4x4 , and last night I hooked a chain onto =
that
steel frame piece that the bumper hooks onto, and I pulled a 65ft Elm tre=
e out
of my driveway, which resulted in screwing up my bumper even more. Is =
there
any truth to what I heard about the bumper being adjustable? If so how =
do you
do it?

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 13:39:19 -0400
From: Chris Hedemark
Subject: Re: H/D Flasher

jlohse wrote:

> Within the last 2 months their was a discussion concerning where to find a
> H/D flasher for the turn signals, that was more audible. I cannot recall the
> recommendation.... Anyone know where to find this H/D flasher (or
> recommendation) ??? 96 Ford 350 460

Pep Boys has one, but it isn't all THAT much louder. If interior noise
is your reasoning for wanting a louder flasher this might not work. If,
however, you just want something a little louder than stock then this
should work okay. I got by with this when my keychain kept growing and
growing and the jingling keys were louder than the turn signal. The pep
boys flasher was able to rise above the keys rattling, but probably
wouldn't be enough to rise above a loud deisel or stereo.

J.C. Whitney has several kinds. The more annoying types play music when
the turn signals are on. The less annoying (and less expensive) ones
give you a nice audible CLICK-CLICK.

On a totally different subject, I saw one of those newfangled
Expeditions going down the highway last night and he had turn signals IN
the side mirrors. It was actually behind the glass and totally
invisible until the turn signals illuminated. Nice trick! I wouldn't
mind something like this on my F250 for those people who love to tuck
themselves into the blindspots and hide.

- --

Chris Hedemark - chris yonderway.com - http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.yonderway.com
"From the fury of the Norsemen, oh Lord, deliver us!"

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 13:01:23 -0500
From: Steven McCullough
Subject: Re: B&M Shift-Plus for E4OD

Randy,

Thanks for the info - I was wondering it that thing would work or not - I
have tried with no luck to get info on the ATG Interceptor product which
was mentioned in the E4OD section of "the drivetrain webpage" (I cant
remember the link, but I know someone posted it before).

Where does the switch mount - is it easy to change settings? Also did you
have problems with lockup clutch shudder and did this help? A fluid filter
change has stopped that in mine for now.... and one more thing, does it
only effect shift quality or does it also delay the torque convertor
lockup - I hate the fact that the lockup sometimes comes so early that my
truck bogs down to around 1000 rpm.


Steve

1990 F150

>Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1998 08:19:13 -0700
>From: rockinghorse webtv.net (Randall Goolsby)
>Subject: B&M Shift-Plus for E4OD
>
>I recently installed one of these devices from Summit for my 94 Bronco
>EB.The device is a small electronic switch that is wired into the
>harness of the EEC-IV.It firms the shifting up considerably! There are 3
>settings on the device:Off; E4OD
> shifts like mush,as always.Pos.#1 shifts firm up a little bit and a
>definate engagement difference is noted both in the feel and on the
>tach(drops fast as opposed to dropping slowly as the clutches slide
>together) Pos.#2 is firmer yet.Not bruatally hard,but more than on the
>first position.I guess this is the one you would use for towing. True
>to the instructions enclosed it took about an hour to install,and this
>area of the truck was unfamiliar to me. Enclosed instructions are pretty
>good and show connection point locations for both gas and diesel
>applications.This was reccommended to me by a BigBronco list member who
>had tried it successfully also.The shift plus is available from Summit
>for 39.95 plus 4.50 for handling,and they paid the air freight.Their #
>is 1-800-230-3030.I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't tried it
>myself,but the damn thing works.I'm going to operate mine on position
>1,and recently changed the trans fluid to castrol synthetic.Hope this
>helps somebody. Randy 94 Bronco EB
>



Steven P. McCullough
Graduate Research Assistant
Section of Diagnostic Imaging Physics
U.T. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Office - (713) 792-0789
Fax - (713) 794-5272

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 11:36:21 -0700 (PDT)
From: Randall Wer
Subject: Re: New Truck

Your decision should really come down to what you want the truck for. You
definetly don't need a 1 ton to tow 5000 lbs. But a lot of people would
buy a 1 ton for the solid front axle. As for engines, I don't think you
can go wrong with a powerstroke, esp if it is coupled to a 5-spd. Lots of
power, but decent mileage too.

Randy Werth
1990 F250 4x4

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 19:10:41 EDT
From: ACMERCG
Subject: [ZUK] I'm outta here

Hello everybody,

Due to uncontrollable circumstances in my household, I will be leaving
these two lists and moving out. I'm still gonna keep my email because I can
access that from anywhere, but not often enough for the tremendous amount of
mail I get from these two lists. I want to thank everybody on the lists for
all the help with the F-150, The NIGHTMARE, and the recent 87 JX. As soon as
I get my own 'puter I WILL be back to share more horror stories, b*tch and
moan and to talk more s*it, so don't think you guys are totally rid of me! :)
For those of you out in SoCal, look out because I might just end up there in
June! Anybody got any job openings in the Lancaster/ Palmdale area? :)
Keep on wheelin!

With great thanks,

Joe Downey
acmercg aol.com

Live every day as if it were your last, and someday you'll be right.



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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 20:19:13 -0700
From: Don Shrader
Subject: Re: fordtrucks80up-digest

Need advice on PAINT problem. I am the proud owner of a 1987 F150 I
bought new and loaded up with options I have always enjoyed. About 5
years ago I began getting more paint off than dirt when washing it.
Well, good Old FoMoCo paid for a "take it down to the metal" and start
over again paint job. Turns out most mfgs had PRIMER problems for
several years back then, like paint wouldn't stick to it.

After four years I am having what appears to be the same problem, it's
flaking off again. Do any of you have experience in dealing with Ford
on this issue? I believe they paid for a "good as or better than"
repaint on the truck, but it didn't last as long as the original problem
paint job. But, I don't want to be unreasonable on this either.

Any help on this would be appreciated.

Thanks,

don S

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 21:24:32 -0400
From: Ken Payne
Subject: Re: Misc. problems on 87 F250 302cid EFI

Forwarded for [Sheldon Belinkoff ]

> Can I use beds going all the way up to the redesign (meaning
> up to a 1996 bed) or am I stuck with something earlier than 1992?

I have aa '97 bed on my '89. Matches up just fine, fits perfectly.
However, if my memory serves me well, there was a major body change
between 1988 and 1989, so I'd look into the bed switch carefully.

- --
SCB
belinkoff earthlink.net

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 21:28:39 -0400
From: Ken Payne
Subject: B&M Shift-Plus for E4OD

Forwarded for rrk networkresources.net:

I just replaced the E40D transmission in my father's 92 with a ford
remanufactured one. The kit sounds great but with the luck I have had
with ford's automatic overdrives I think I'd be scared to do it. With a
new transmission does anyone have a suggestion about switching to synthetic
tranny fluid? I was figuring about 10,000 miles to let things get broke
in.

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 22:04:36 -0700
From: Randy
Subject: Re: F150 Manual to Auto Tranny Conversion

Stan,
I too am looking to swap in a straight axle into my F-250. Here are
the problems you will encounter. First, anything newer than '85 MUST
come from an F-350. The F-250 from 1980 and newer has always been the
f!$% $#%!$% TTB front-end. The F-350 from my sources indicate it TOO
had the TTB from 1980-1984 or 85 (can't remember), which means if you
can find an F-350 donor truck 1985(6) or newer you are in business.
It is practically a bolt-in deal. You should make sure to get the
front driveshaft and the steering components. Oh, one thing, is your
F-250 a heavy-duty? If it is you will have leaf springs so no
problem. I assume you'd have to fabricate spring mounts otherwise. I
sent a letter to 4x4 Power that they published a few months ago and
they also said your brake system should be able to handle the one ton
brakes that you'll have on the donor axle. I would be VERY careful
about which tranny you choose. The AOD (non-computer 4 speed) would
not be a good choice. I am basing this, not on my own opinion, but of
the opinion of tens of thousands of disappointed Ford truck owners.
Your best bet would be the venerable C-6 tranny (that's what I have),
not as good of gas mileage, maybe, but much more dependable. Hope
this helps some.
Later,
Randy

Stan Foy wrote:
>
> I've been lurking in the background here for a while and have gotten a lot
> of good information from the list by just watching and reading. But now I
> have a question that I haven't seen come across the list so I'll throw it
> out there and see what comes back.
>
> I recently purchased an '85 F150 4X4 with a 351 and manual transmission. I
> am thinking of converting it to an automatic transmission and replace the
> TTB with a straight axle from an F250. There are a number of trucks being
> 'parted out' in the local papers here, would it be a matter of finding a
> candidate F250 and swapout the transmission, motor, steering column, dash,
> steering and suspension components? (With a re-tune to match the auto
> tranny, is keeping the existing 351 an option?)
>

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

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 22:14:07 -0700
From: Randy
Subject: Re: H/D Flasher

Signals, which by the way are invisible to the driver! The driver
still has the full unobscured use of both mirrors...very cool.....

---

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