fordtrucks80up-digest Tuesday, February 17 1998 Volume 02 : Number 062



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

ALLDATA Service Manuals [David Anderson ]
Radio Problems [JDavis1277 aol.com]
Re: fordtrucks80up-digest V2 #61 ["Union Auto" ]
Re: Vibration on Highway ["David J. Baldwin" ]
Car/Truck Pricing ["Casey Vandor" ]
Tires [John Cassis ]
Re: ALLDATA Service Manuals [Allan Goldarbit ]
Difference in 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton frames ["Beaman, James"
Re: Radio Problems [bgap RAPIDNET.COM]
1995 f-150 pinging/knocking???? [JEFF WHITE/PA ]
Ignition Switch Indentification [David Anderson ]
Mechanic in Denver Metro area? [peakbzsrvc juno.com (Mike Mueller)]
Re: Mechanic in Denver Metro area? [David McDonald ]
Re: Radio Problems [Randy ]
Re: Mechanic in Denver Metro area? [Randy ]
Re: Car/Truck Pricing [bgap RAPIDNET.COM]
Re: ALLDATA Service Manuals [Ken Payne ]
Re: Mechanic in Denver Metro area? [JSC721 aol.com]
Re: 1995 f-150 pinging/knocking???? [JSC721 aol.com]
Re: Radio Problems [JSC721 aol.com]

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Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 08:36:37 -0600
From: David Anderson
Subject: ALLDATA Service Manuals

I am considering buying a service manual on CD ROM from ALLDATA corp for
my '90 F150. I am mostly interested in the Technical Service Bulletins
that are included. Can anyone comment on the usefulness of ALLDATA's
product? Are the TSB's complete enough to be useful? Are TSB's
available anywhere else for free? This CD ROM will cost about $25.
Thanks - David

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

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 09:56:25 EST
From: JDavis1277 aol.com
Subject: Radio Problems

Need some help. The factory original radio in my 1990 F-250HD SC Diesel
Lariat (AM/FM/Cassette/Stereo/Clock) has gone nutso. The symptom is volume
swing from very low to very high. This happens at all volume settings, with
the engine running or stopped, with the key on or at ACC, with AM, FM, or
cassette, with near or distant stations. I've checked antenna connection,
voltage, radio harness connections and plug-ins, and battery connections.
Everything I've checked is OK. I would like to keep this truck factory
original so would like to repair this radio. Any suggestions would be
appreciated. Thanks, Butch Davis-

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

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 09:43:43 -0600
From: "Union Auto"
Subject: Re: fordtrucks80up-digest V2 #61

You can order a 1998 Splash. Your dealer lied to you.

Nathan Bernard
Union Auto, Inc. Ford Mercury
Union, IA 50258
- --Original Message-----
- -----------
>
>Date: Sun, 15 Feb 1998 08:56:55 EST
>From: Milllken aol.com
>Subject: Re: fordtrucks80up-digest V2 #59
>
>Josh, You say you have a 98 Splash? Thats kind of odd because a salesmen
>told me the Splash package has been discontinued for 98,the last year was
97.
>Your truck has the Splash logo on the side, shortened front coil springs
and
>front and rear stabalizer bars? Please E-mail me back because if the
salesmen
>is incorrect my wife wants one .
>
>------------------------------

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

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 09:36:53 -0600
From: "David J. Baldwin"
Subject: Re: Vibration on Highway

Randy wrote:

> Brian D. Barnhart wrote:
> >
> > I've got a 95 F150 with a 5.0l engine and it has developed a problem.
> > On the highway, going anywhere from 60 to 70, the truck starts vibrating
> > like crazy and the engine sounds like its really being stressed.
>

Snip

> I determined it was
> the rear U-joint. Went to the auto store (driving conservatively) and
> got a new one, came home and a half hour later of easy labor I was
> once again testing it out. Yep, that was it. That little 'ol $12
> U-joint.

Snip.

I second this motion. I've had the same experience but with a Ranger 4X4.
4X4s are worse because of the high prop-shaft angles. I'd bet this was it.
Might check out the condition of the transmission mounts while you're down
there.

- --
Best Regards,

Dave Baldwin
Dallas, TX
- --------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 07:06:01 -0900
From: "Casey Vandor"
Subject: Car/Truck Pricing

Microsoft has a pretty informative car/truck pricing site, along with a
bunch of other auto buying related stuff. I don't work for them or nothing,
but though it was a pretty good site.

www.carpoint.msn.com

Casey

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

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 10:57:06 -0600
From: John Cassis
Subject: Tires

I've had Kelly Safari AWR's, Firestone Radial ATX's, Wiede Climbers (mud =
type pattern), and BF Goodrich Radail All Terrain TA's. The two that =
were the most quiet in my opinion, even after they were pretty worn were =
the Kelly's and the BFG's. The only thing was that the BFGs were much =
better handling on the road and dont seem to make the truck as bouncy. =
Anyway my 2 cents worth.

John Cassis
93' STX 4x4 3.0/5-speed

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

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 12:34:46 -0500
From: Allan Goldarbit
Subject: Re: ALLDATA Service Manuals

David Anderson wrote:
>
> I am considering buying a service manual on CD ROM from ALLDATA corp for
> my '90 F150. I am mostly interested in the Technical Service Bulletins
> that are included. Can anyone comment on the usefulness of ALLDATA's
> product? Are the TSB's complete enough to be useful? Are TSB's
> available anywhere else for free? This CD ROM will cost about $25.
> Thanks - David
>
> +--------------- Ford Truck Enthusiasts - 1980 - 1996 ----------------+
> | Send posts to fordtrucks80up listservice.net, |
> | List removal instructions on the website. |
> +----------------- Site: http://www.ford-trucks.com -----------------+


I had Alldata for a Subaru Impreza. It cost $30 and was a total ripoff.
the only real service info in it was some information on changing the
brakes. Otherwise, it waw useless. Almost a completely blank disc.

Allan

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

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 11:46:52 -0600
From: "Beaman, James"
Subject: Difference in 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton frames

Some may remember my question a couple of months ago asking what the
difference is, dimensionally , between the frames of 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton
Ford trucks. This weekend, I got out my dial caliper and learned that the
steel on a '92 F150 is about 0.180" thick whereas my '92 F250 measured to be
0.250" thick. All other dimensions I could verify were the same. Just some
information you might be interested in.

James Beaman
james.beaman lmco.com
Houston, Texas

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

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 10:53:16 -0600
From: bgap RAPIDNET.COM
Subject: Re: Radio Problems

go down to your local junk yard and get another one. They are too
costly to repair!!! Our local yards have these radios for about $75 - I
believe they also cross over to fit a Taurus and maybe others, so their
supply is greater than your demand, something to remember when you are
dealing with them.

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

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 14:37:18 -0500
From: JEFF WHITE/PA
Subject: 1995 f-150 pinging/knocking????

have a 95 f-150 w/5.0 L ,5 speed and at around 2,000 rpm it sounds like i=
t
knocks,pings,or rattles.check static timing and perfect at 10 before.has
anyone had this problem before?do those hand held code scanners work.i ha=
ve
a 90 aerostar and a 95 aerostar and according to the box it will check th=
e
codes on them also.do they work?would like to hear from anyone who has on=
e.

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

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 15:31:06 -0600
From: David Anderson
Subject: Ignition Switch Indentification

My 1990 F-150 experienced the fire associated with Ford's defective
ignition switch before I purchased it. An entire junk yard dash board
was installed to fix the fire damage. What I don't know is if the
switch contained in the new dash is a replacement switch or an old
defective one prone to another fire incident. Anyone know how to
identify a "safe" switch by looking at the switch from under the dash?
I know that Chrysler's recall replaced van tailgate latches are marked
with a purple paint spot. I'm hoping for something that simple here. -
David

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

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 18:50:45 EST
From: peakbzsrvc juno.com (Mike Mueller)
Subject: Mechanic in Denver Metro area?

Help!
I need some quick help.
A good friend lives in the denver area ( I live in SF Bay area) and needs
work done on her Bronco.

The Symptoms: Oil pressure drops when the motor is warmed up and
the brake is applied. Any ideas on this one?

This is what she did: I told her it may just be an electrical gremlin
and she should take it to her mechanic and have a "diagnostic" done to
find out what is wrong. She took it to the nearest Ford dealer
(Broomfield), told them to do a diagnostic, explained the symptoms, and
they called back to day with the results. "Needs a new motor".

So she called me, I called them, and talked to the service rep. Nick. In
short, he explained that they checked the pressure and it was 14 at Idle,
35 above idle.

I asked him how they checked the pressure, the point being if
they tied into the electrical system wouldn't they would be getting the
same reading the gauge is getting? and the problem is one or more of the
following... Bad sender, bad gauge, bad ecu somewhere, or bad / faulty
pump or pressure switch. He didn't think they changed the sender or got
a reading from a mechanical gauge and was generally useless with his
information. The mech that worked on it was not there right now to help
either. I questioned the fact that before he suggested the motor be
replaced, the problem should be properly identified.

Nick: "Well the motor is tired, it has 107,k on it and it would be better
to replace it all".
At which point I asked what the diagnostic revealed as far as
leakdown etc.

Nick: "Oh, we didn't do a full diag. we just checked the pressure".
Then how do you know the motor is "tired?, says I.

Nick: "We just generally think the motor should be replaced".
I suggested that instead, wouldn't he think the better way, if
the pump is confirmed to be bad, would be to drop the pan, pull the pump,
and while they are in there, pull a rod and main bearing cap and see what
the bearings are like?

Nick: "Well, that's one way to do it, I guess".
Yes Nick, you can guess, that may be what your specialty is. Keep on
guessing!

So, as you can see, I need to send her to someone that will look at this
realistically. Any ideas on the problem, what to look for, or who to
take it to will be greatly rewarded in the Cosmic Karma sense. Thanks
for the ven-age space.

Thanks!
the truth is out there
(but Nick may never know)

Mike Mueller - Account Manager
Peak Business Services
Equipment Leasing and Funding Programs
Office (510) 274-1720 Fax (510) 944-0782
What can we do for you today?

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

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 17:26:15 -0800
From: David McDonald
Subject: Re: Mechanic in Denver Metro area?

I'm not sure of a good mechanic here in Denver, but I can give one shop
name to avoid like the plauge: AutoTek on Arapahoe Rd. Guys did a
diagnostic on my '90 F250 that was having ignition switch problems, and
estimated $300. I tore it apart myself, and all it needed was a dab of
grease on the actuator rod... Freakin rip off artists... I'll check with
a couple o friends around here for ya.

Whenever I've got problems that I don't want to tear into myself, I take
the problem down to Pueblo (2 hrs south o Denver, it's my hometown)
where a friend of a friend does excellent work for good prices. I have
had some good luck at Burt Ford on Arapahoe road. Never had em do any
work for me, but the service department sure has a great attitude about
people running in asking questions and needing to look at the service
manual library they have. It's how I found out that to pull the
alternator on a '89 Ford Probe, you have to remove the cat to get the
thang out! :)

Dave McDonald
dxmcdon uswest.com

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

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 20:43:02 -0800
From: Randy
Subject: Re: Radio Problems

If you can't find a suitable one at the junk yard, then try the
dealer. They can remanufacter it for you at about $125 I
think.....Josh? That may or may not take care of it, but you can ask
them. Sounds like the volume knob, or more likely the amplifier has
either a high or low resistance short OR the amplifier regulator
(maybe MOSFET) is shot and can no longer regulate the volume w/any
consistancy.
Hope this helps,
Randy

JDavis1277 aol.com wrote:
>
> Need some help. The factory original radio in my 1990 F-250HD SC Diesel
> Lariat (AM/FM/Cassette/Stereo/Clock) has gone nutso. The symptom is volume
> swing from very low to very high. This happens at all volume settings, with
> the engine running or stopped, with the key on or at ACC, with AM, FM, or
> cassette, with near or distant stations. I've checked antenna connection,
> voltage, radio harness connections and plug-ins, and battery connections.
> Everything I've checked is OK. I would like to keep this truck factory
> original so would like to repair this radio. Any suggestions would be
> appreciated. Thanks, Butch Davis-

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

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 21:09:39 -0800
From: Randy
Subject: Re: Mechanic in Denver Metro area?

Mike Mueller wrote:
>
> Help!
> I need some quick help.
> A good friend lives in the denver area ( I live in SF Bay area) and needs
> work done on her Bronco.
>
Mike, don't know of anyone in Denver area, but my buddy used to live
there and he said his dad was at two different Ford dealerships in
Denver, one screwed him, the other fixed the problem. He says it's
(the good one) at Havanna and Alameda in Aurora, but he can't remember
the name, but she can check it out. Although 14 psi sounds low, as a
rule of thumb you only need 10 psi per 1,000 rpm of the motor. So,
figuring even a high idle of 1,000 rpm, 10 psi would suffice. The psi
dropping with the brake pedal makes me believe that it's due to the
vacuum pressure. The master cylinder is drawing vacuum pressure from
the manifold, but I cannot explain why that would affect the gauge,
sorry.
Later,
Randy

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

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 18:05:52 -0600
From: bgap RAPIDNET.COM
Subject: Re: Car/Truck Pricing

I didn't think this site was very good.

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

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 21:49:45 -0500
From: Ken Payne
Subject: Re: ALLDATA Service Manuals

I've got one (though not for a truck). Worth the cost mainly because
you have the information in a searchable form. Alldata has been doing
this stuff for years. TSBs are free on Alldata's web site, they just
don't give you the service information, simply what the TSB is.


Ken

At 08:36 AM 2/16/98 -0600, you wrote:
>I am considering buying a service manual on CD ROM from ALLDATA corp for
>my '90 F150. I am mostly interested in the Technical Service Bulletins
>that are included. Can anyone comment on the usefulness of ALLDATA's
>product? Are the TSB's complete enough to be useful? Are TSB's
>available anywhere else for free? This CD ROM will cost about $25.
>Thanks - David
>

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

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 22:33:15 EST
From: JSC721 aol.com
Subject: Re: Mechanic in Denver Metro area?

in reply to your ad,
i have a 89 f-250 with 107k miles and when my truck warmed up the oil
pressure dropped. it was a bad sender. put a vacum gauge on the engine and
make sure your reading is between 17 and 25 in. hg and thr gauge reading must
be steady and not jump around. low compression will be between 15 and 20 in.
hg . i have a 351w engine but buy yourself a vacum gauge at any auto parts
store it will give you alot of info on the life of your engine. by the way the
sender only cost about 9 bucks. if you have anymore questions e-mail me, and
good luck

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

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 22:56:22 EST
From: JSC721 aol.com
Subject: Re: 1995 f-150 pinging/knocking????

in reply to your ad,
i dont know about the code scanners but you can do it without it, you can hook
up an analog volt meter to the eec diagnostic plug (which is located on the
drivers side next to the air intake) its a 6 inlet plug and a 1 seperate inlet
plug right next to it(it is on my 89 f-250 anyway ) on the 6 inlet plug
looking at it take a paper clip open it up and jump the plug from the little
seperate gray plug to the 6 inlet plug. there is 2 inlets on top and 4 on the
bottom, attach the clip to the top right inlet. the erace up and go into
diagnostic mode. look at the check engine light and count the flashes to get
the codes. you can do this running or just with the igition key on hook up the
clip before you turn on the key. it will flash once pause then it will give
you your codes with less of a pause between the digits. i believe than on the
new models they will be 3 and 4 digit codes like 756 or 1605. buy yourself a
vehicle manual to find out which codes mean what. i have a chiltons ford f-
series 87 to 96 and its ok but i want a better on. all the scanners will do
is count the light flashes also. unless you buy a real good one so save your
money and just buy the book and use the check engine light as your guide. good....

---

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