Date: Wed, 5 Mar 1997 20:44:16 -0500 (EST) To: fordtrucks-digest lofcom.com
From: digest-proc lofcom.com
Subject: fordtrucks Digest v97 n0014
Reply-To: FORDTRUCKS lofcom.com

Volume 97 Number 0014 fordtrucks Digest

Today's Topics:

Re: Ballast resistor
Duraspark Ignition Conversion Update.
F6 wheels
> F6 wheels -Reply
Thanks for info on 370 gas motor...
Auxiliary PCM for Ford/T444E (Powerstroke Diesel)
Ballast Resistor
41 Ford 3/4 ton
Website and List Update
List info specifically for AOL users
'47 Panel Delivery Truck
Re: '47 Panel Delivery Truck
RE: Electronic Ignition for FE Series?
thickness of metal floor in bed
Re: thickness of metal floor in bed
'90 351W Erratic Idle
Re: thickness of metal floor in bed
94 f150
Re: '90 351W Erratic Idle
Re: '90 351W Erratic Idle
Re: thickness of metal floor in bed
Re: thickness of metal floor in bed
Re: Duraspark Ignition Conversion Update.
Re: Duraspark Ignition Conversion Update.
94 f150 -Reply


* PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE THE ENTIRE DIGEST IN REPLIES TO THE LIST! *

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

>From nfinney earthlink.net Mon Mar 3 03:33:57 1997 From: Nick Finney Subject: Re: Ballast resistor
To: FORDTRUCKS lofcom.com

Roger Meier wrote:
>
> All fords built since 1939 or so that have a breaker point non electronic ignition have a ballast resistor, or did when they were new anyway. Why?
>

Okay. I figured out that my truck does have a ballast resistor. I was looking for a ceramic type of resistor - my truck uses a special length of special wire for the ballast resistor. Voltage at the "BATT" terminal on the coil while running is approx. 8 volts.

Is the purpose of having a two pin type starter solenoid (it has an I and an S terminal) to feed 12 volts to the S terminal (thus bypasssing the ballast) when the solenoid is energized?

This would provide 12 volts to the "BATT" terminal on the coil while cranking and 8 while running.


--
Nick Finney
nfinney earthlink.net

First On Race Day!


------------------------------
>From nfinney earthlink.net Mon Mar 3 03:49:45 1997 From: Nick Finney Subject: Duraspark Ignition Conversion Update.
To: FORDTRUCKS lofcom.com

Well everything seemed to go as planned, I am now using a Ford Duraspark I electronic ignition system on my 69 F100 with a FE 390. I pulled my points type distributor out this morning and swaped in a new electronic distributor from a 76 Ford F-100 with a 390, I mounted the module on the driver's side fender. I got the connectors/wiring from a 78 Pinto and the coil from a late 70's big Ford Something (couldn't really tell what it was :-).

I paid $32 for the distributor, $21 for the module, and 18.50 for the coil and wiring.
I am using a custom wire set for a 84 F-150 with a 460 (it was cheap and in stock), it fits good too. I got the lower base, cap and rotor for the large spacing Duraspark type cap - it fit with almost no problems, I had to slightly bend my steel fuel pump to carb line.

It was easy, the wiring necessary to get this to work is childs' play. I can't believe it was this easy.The hardest part was trying to get my hands clean coming home from the junk yard.

If you get a coil bring a DMM with you to the junk yard and check the primary,secondary coil resistance.

Next upgrade is a MSD 6T and a better coil.
--
Nick Finney
nfinney earthlink.net

First On Race Day!


------------------------------
>From mnatco en.com Mon Mar 3 08:18:47 1997 Subject: F6 wheels
> From: Mick Natco
To: FORDTRUCKS lofcom.com

Hi all, I'm new here,

I've got a '51 F6 dump truck with original 2 piece rims, and am having extreme difficulty finding something safe to replace them with.
Any suggestions?
Please help, my wife won't let me drive it till I replace those wheels, and I love my truck!

Thanks
Mick Natco

Mick Natco
mnatco en.com
voice 216-834-4757
fax 216-834-0370



------------------------------
>From payne platinum.com Mon Mar 3 09:59:30 1997 From: Ken Payne
Subject: F6 wheels -Reply
To: FORDTRUCKS lofcom.com

Go to our web page: http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.mindspring.com/~kpayne/ford and following the suppliers link. Members have submitted quite a few Ford Truck suppliers, most of them vintage. I've had very good luck with some of them, no bad luck with any (so far, haven't tried them all).



>>> Mick Natco 03/03/97 07:18am >>> Hi all, I'm new here,

I've got a '51 F6 dump truck with original 2 piece rims, and am having extreme difficulty finding something safe to replace them with.
Any suggestions?
Please help, my wife won't let me drive it till I replace those wheels, and I love my truck!

Thanks
Mick Natco

Mick Natco
mnatco en.com
voice 216-834-4757
fax 216-834-0370



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



------------------------------
>From JLINETT SYSUBMC.BMC.COM Mon Mar 3 10:55:32 1997 From: JLINETT SYSUBMC.BMC.COM
Subject: Thanks for info on 370 gas motor...
To: FORDTRUCKS lofcom.com

Thank you Jim Hurd and Bob Wise for the info. I am glad to have such knowlegeable folks on this list. You are a great resource.

>From ads in the "Big Truck Trader" (Auto Trader group) I gather that the 370 was used until fairly recently, and perhaps even to this day.

I will try to contact the Ford rep I know in the next few days to let him know about this list.

Regards,
Jon in Houston


------------------------------
>From JLINETT SYSUBMC.BMC.COM Mon Mar 3 11:55:51 1997 From: JLINETT SYSUBMC.BMC.COM
Subject: Auxiliary PCM for Ford/T444E (Powerstroke Diesel) To: FORDTRUCKS lofcom.com

Hi All,

After 9 months of agony I am finally the proud father of an APCM (Auxiliary Powertrain Control Module) for my '96 Ford F-350/T444E.

This is an in-cab accessory which allows control of engine rpm for use with PTOs, for keeping the engine warm during cold-climate idling, etc. It also has a digital tachometer which is operable during normal driving. The box itself is about 4 x 6 inches, black plastic, with a one-inch tall LCD display. The installation kit was well thought-out and makes use of two existing trim screws and a new angle brace to an existing instrument panel strut. The result is very sturdy and attractive, behind and to the right of the shift lever, and under the trim piece that contains the ash tray. It is manufactured by Sturdy Corp., in North Carolina, but the instructions that come with it are from FoMoCo and are dated 1995.

When power is switched off to the box, only the Power and Ford buttons are lit. When power is switched on, all buttons and the display are lit. The same dull-green glow is used for illumination, regardless of the position of the headlights/interior lights. I thought it would be hard to see at night, but we went out for some Texas barbeque last night, and it was very visilble, yet subdued enough not to be distracting in the least. Someone was thinking when they put that package together.

There are several modes of operation, but after reading the instructions six or seven times (and I am a computer programmer, by trade) I am fairly certain I still don't fully understand the product. The ones I can figure out are:

* A four-memory engine RPM control. You can program each memory
with an engine speed between 1300 and 2500 rpm, and also a
"ramp up rate" which indicates how quickly the throttle should
be opened to get to that speed. The factory defaults are 1300,
1700, 2100, and 2500 rpm. Oddly, they are not programmed in
ascending order in the memories.

* A charge protection mode, which sounds like just the ticket for
use with winches, *big* transceivers, compressors, etc. This
provides a display of voltage while the engine is kept between
1300 and 1747 rpm to keep up with current demand of accessories.

* Fixed, elevated idle. (Ambulances, etc., I reckon.)

Most of the features can be programmed as either on demand (push a
button) or "power up" which really means while the emergency brake
> is on, clutch engaged (or Park for auto trannies), etc., etc.


Some trivia I've noted in the two days since I've had the APC kit:

* The idle, which we have observed to be eerily regular, really is.
It normally doesn't vary more than 6 rpm after warmup. Most
of the time it is right on 650 and bounces around only 1 or 2
rpm.

* When the A/C is switched on, rpms drop from idle by 20, and then
climb in one rpm increments until 650 is attained again.

* The tach in the instrument panel in my truck is right on the
money at 650 rpm, it's 1000 rpm low at 1500, and within 20 rpm
again at 2000. Haven't had time to check the calibration at
any other points.

Some notes on the installation:

* A couple of 7/16" wrenches and a philips screwdriver that really
fits the screws are the only tools required. The box mounts to
the main bracket, but the screws are self-tapping and the case
is fairly hard. The screwdriver will cam out of the screws
unless it fits perfectly. I had to try 4 different ones before
I got the right one.

* The instructions say to mount everything (install it) and then
run through the checkout functions. Not! I plugged mine in
and ran through everything before installing it. The cable is
plenty long enough to sit the box on the seat, or to mount it
elsewhere in case you might have used the appointed space
already.

* If you don't have cruise control, things are a little more
complicated (according to the instructions). There are
evidently several mod-levels, depending on year ('95 and up only)
transmission, and even F-150/250/350 vs. Super Duty, etc. Make
sure you get the right one. I am guessing mine came on a '97
F350 or Super Duty, but it seems to work fine on my '96.

* Although the programming may take a while until you get it
set up the way you want, the physical installation is about
20 minutes worth, and would be faster if you weren't required
to go into wierd contortions trying to get under the dash on
a truck that sits so high. Save yourself some agony and make
sure you find the truck-side connector before you do anything
else. There are so many connectors, it is just incredible
under there. The one you want is black and round, kind of like
a DIN microphone jack. Once you get it on, it's very hard to
disconnect because it doesn't hang down very far beneath the
dash board. But that's ok, because you don't really need to
disconnect it to complete the installation. I just made a
couple of loops and zip-tied it in place, then connected to
the box.

Without going into the bloody details, (as a random act of kindness for the benefit of those who may know of my herculean efforts to obtain this part) I will just say that the APC kit from the Ford parts counter is right around $875, but is $199 when ordered with a truck. Since hardly any one knows the part is available from Ford, no one is ordering it on new trucks, at least none of the thirty dealers I called...

After much time and effort, the dealer ordered one on another new truck and sold it to me as a take-off for their cost ($169). Nevertheless, they did assure me that they will never go through this again, for anyone, at any price.

Regards,
Jon in Houston

P.S. I am posting this to the cummins list also.


------------------------------
>From rmeier connect.net Mon Mar 3 21:02:50 1997 From: rmeier connect.net (Roger Meier)
Subject: Ballast Resistor
To: FORDTRUCKS lofcom.com

>Is the purpose of having a two pin type starter solenoid (it has an I
>and an S terminal) to feed 12 volts to the S terminal (thus >bypasssing
>the ballast) when the solenoid is energized?
>
>This would provide 12 volts to the "BATT" terminal on the coil while
>cranking and 8 while running.
>Nick Finney

Nick,
Bingo.
Roger Meier



------------------------------
>From rmeier connect.net Mon Mar 3 21:35:39 1997 From: rmeier connect.net (Roger Meier)
Subject: 41 Ford 3/4 ton
To: FORDTRUCKS lofcom.com

>If anyone can tell me what colors the
>block, and other components (spark plug harness, oilbath, etc.)
>should be or direct me to a web site that could help I would
>appreciate it.
>Thanks, Devan Fort jonarc pld.com

Devan,
A fellow flatheader up in Oklahoma ( Ed Mulligan) has a page where you might find some information. Try visiting "www.fullnet.net/user/mulligan/fmain.htm". If you talk to him, tell him I sent you. If you find out what the colors should be please post it to the list, others of us would like to know.
Regards,
Roger Meier



------------------------------
>From kpayne mindspring.com Mon Mar 3 21:36:15 1997 From: Ken Payne Subject: Website and List Update
To: FORDTRUCKS lofcom.com

New to website as of March 3rd, 9:30 p.m. --->

1. Thumb-nails added to pictorial. Some corrections made and
pictures added/changed. Let me know what you think of the
new background with the Ford blue stripe on the left.
Check out the 46 Ford, it belongs to a list member. If
you want to show off your ride send me a picture, year model
does not matter.

2. Feb. 16-28 archive is on-line. I'm working on Feb 1-15
right now.

3. Music gone from supplier page, got bothersome after
5 billion times!

4. Update made to for sale/wanted page.

5. I'm posting messages about this list on several newsgroups
and I've registered the site with several search engines.
In addition the list has been registered with several list
finding sevices. I'm hoping to add more members with newer
trucks to the list by doing this.

6. After 3 weeks of operation with L.O.F. Communications as
our list server we have almost 150 subscribers! Growth
is no longer 10 per day like it was during the first week.
The list is averaging 2-3 new members each day.

Sorry the thumb-nails and archive took so long.

-Ken Payne
1967 Ford F100 Custom Cab, 390 FE V8
List maintainer, send me comments and suggestions.
Visit the Ford Trucks List Web Page (unsubscribe form is there): http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.mindspring.com/~kpayne/ford



------------------------------
>From kpayne mindspring.com Mon Mar 3 21:42:50 1997 From: Ken Payne Subject: List info specifically for AOL users To: FORDTRUCKS lofcom.com

When mail "bounces" back to the list server the email address that bounced is removed from the list. Due to an AOL limitation of 100 unread messages users subscribed to the non-digest version of the list could lose their subscription if they do not check mail for several days.

Currently the list generates 10-30 messages a day. If you are an AOL user and you check your mail infrequently it would be a good thing to switch over to digest format to prevent you from having to re-subscribe if you get "bumped off." I was unaware of this problem until a list member brought it to my attention.

-Ken Payne
1967 Ford F100 Custom Cab, 390 FE V8
List maintainer, send me comments and suggestions.
Visit the Ford Trucks List Web Page (unsubscribe form is there): http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.mindspring.com/~kpayne/ford



------------------------------
>From mmiller dryden.net Mon Mar 3 23:48:33 1997 From: "Mitch Miller" Subject: '47 Panel Delivery Truck....

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