I haven't posted for a few weeks, but my doghouse is off and I'm ready to begin on the cab. Since this is my very first tear down, I am moving slowly. Everything is cataloged and and photographed. I hope to add some photos soon.....
I have researched the forums and found some tips on switch removal, etc.(very helpful).
My question today is more for advice. Most of you have been where I am about to go and I was hoping you could tell me what worked for you and what didn't. I already have the seat and the floor mat out. The mat is original and came out in pretty good shape....although it is brittle in spots.
I'm planning on removing the switches, heater, etc. next. Any advice there? Anything I should look out for? Any particular order to the chaos?
There are other questions too....like how to store the headliner longterm (I thought about under my mattress. lol), how to remove the dash pad, how to remove the chrome trim around the dash and door panel, etc....those questions are out there now, but I don't want to get ahead of myself too much.
One thing is for certain: There is ALOT of metal work to do. Disassembly reveals all! But, this project is more like a marrige than a fling, so I'm not gonna let that get me down.
I appreciate the help guys.
Mike

 

bolts in plactic bag and tag them to what they go to, scot. tape on any wire you unplug and the spot you unpluged it from ( have a pad of paper and number what you unplug and the spot it came off of with the same number and record it on the paper with a short note next to it on where it go's) take pics (lots of pics) it will help you recall how things look when your trying to re install them. theres alot of great info on how to do a tear down on this web site, this is what has worked for me. (ive never done a old school tear down but this is what ive done for newer cars and theres alot more parts to deal with in them)

 

Air wrench helps. Just finished stripping mine this weekend. Heater was a piece of cake to remove. Painting the floor, kick panels, and tank. Then install power steering while the column is out.

Good luck with your project.

 

The pics are great! .....and it looks like we have the same truck! Mine has waaay more rust though. Once I figure out how to work my new camera, I will add more pics. All the pics I take are too big.
I still can't decide if I want PS or not. Arm-strong steering doesn't bother me, but while I have it all apart....... hmmmm. Sounds like there is no way to keep my original column. I'll have to do more thinking on that subject. I guess I'm just afraid of losing the 'original' look.
Good luck to you on your project as well. I'd love to see some pics of the new column when you're finished.
Thanks...... Mike

 

I would vote FOR power steering. Makes a world of difference. One day, I'll put in power brakes.....never seem to have the funds.

 

Well....I guess the guages, switches, *****, etc. came out ok. My only question is this: Could Ford have come up with a few more different ways for switches and ***** to come apart? hahahaha I guess they all made sense once I got them apart, but I found myself laughing a time or two. I think the ignition was the worst.
Still, it's a learning experience. Hopefully I can actually help someone else down the road.
I'll get the steering column out on Tuesday...just not sure which nut to loosen first! lol If I know me, I'll do it totally opposite of the easy way and not realize it until I'm done!
Mike

 

I am in the middle of doing the disc brakes/power brakes/power steering upgrade on my 66 F250 and will be doing this exact teardown next!

I would greatly appreciate any good advice you come across as you work on this. Be sure to share!

 

Well, I'm not as qualified to offer advice as most of the guys on here. But, I'm eager to offer any help I can.
My set-up is probably the easiest one there is....4 on the floor. I'm sure the 3 on the tree and auto guys have a little more challenge.
All I did was disconnect the rag-joint, remove the inner and outer plates on the firewall, disconnect the turn-signal wires, and then unbolt from the dash.
Pretty simple, really.
The topics of disc brake and PS conversions are covered as well as any on here. Tons of good info and tips in the 'search' function here. Everything from which years work best, to which brackets from which engines. Some posts make it sound like a plug-n-play conversion, while others make it sound more complicated. I guess alot depends on the set-up you have versus the one you want.
Good luck with your project and let me know how it turns out.
Mike

 

I am running 4 on the floor as well and I figured this would be about all that was required. In addition, I will be removing my bench seat and removing the gas tank to see what condition it is actually in. I'm sure that in 50 odd years it has never been properly taken care of.

Yeah I have made good use of this site for finding most of the information I need to do the conversion. I was able to source a 79 front end with the 8 lug disc brakes at junk and install it on my 66 in a single day. That was the easy part!

I have also installed the brake booster, new master cylinder, chopped the booster rod to the right length, installed the power steering gearbox (ford/saginaw box), and pump w/ brackets.

All of those parts were really not that difficult but now installing the brake lines is a TOTAL PITA! I pulled the 79 brake lines and am adapting those to fit properly on my ride. I have not found many resources that go into depth on the lines specifically so I am just proceeding with it in a way that makes sense to me: try to match the path as closely to the original as possible except that they now have to hook up to the prop valve which is set back a bit farther than the original t-joint location.

Once the lines are done I still have to pull out my steering column so that I can chop it to the correct length. Naturally this leads into pulling out my whole interior! Funny how one thing leads to another...

 

One thing DOES lead to another! It was that very issue that led me to just decide to do a frame-up resto-mod. The more I did...the more I began to see what needed to be done. I didn't want to ALWAYS be working this or that, so I intend to just get it all out of the way at once......well, over the course of a few years, anyway!
The only mods being planned are the brakes and the PS. I had considered relocating the fuel tank, but the behind-the-seat location worked great for years, so I can't see the need to change it. The brakes are a safety issue...the steering is for ease of handling, but the tank? Well, I've never heard of any explosions frome the "bomb behind the seat" and I hear that the gas-smell that folks complain about can be resolved by just making sure the filler-tube and sending unit gasket are in good shape. (I hope that is true) The fuel tank condition issue is one I've heard before. I have already replaced mine. The original developed some rust holes and repair just wasn't an option. I wish I knew the 'best' way to care for the tanks. I have heard that the best thing to do is to always leave the tank as full as possible if its going to set for an extended period.......that the worst thing to do is to leave them empty. I really don't have an answer. I will likely empty mine and seal it the best I can to keep moisture out. If anybody reading this has a method of treating the tank to prevent rust, I'd love to hear it.
I'm glad to hear that the suspension swap was a 1-day job. I'm still a ways away from doing that...just nice to know.
I'm more worried about the steering swap. When guys start talking about "cutting this and welding that" I get nervous. It's funny how a word like 'simple' can be defined in so many different ways.
If you're not already asleep from reading this......How much needs to be cut off of the '66 column in order to make it work? AND... Did the gear box bolt right in, or did you have to modify anything.

 

I agree completely! I will not be relocating the tank; I just want to assess it's condition and seal it if it is worth saving.

I have not done the column cut yet but, since you run the same set up as me, it is supposed to just be a single 2" cut of just the main rod. Trucks that are automatic or tree shifter have a much more difficult time attempting this conversion (I have heard it is much simpler for those users to just swap the donor column in its entirety).

Ok one modification: you will have to grind down the engine perch a little bit. This is really not a big deal and took me about 20 minutes of gingerly taking off some material and checking the mount back and forth. Once you take off enough material (not that much really) the gearbox will bolt right on. The only hangups about doing it in place like I did is that it is a little tight for a grinder (so be careful) and it looks ugly (but once the steering is installed it is pretty hidden). If I was so inclined to do a frame up, you could carefully measure out how much material you need to clear and do it really nicely while it is off the frame or you could purchase the correct perch (I read up on this somewhere; it is very similar to the original manual steering perch but slightly slanted toward the front of the truck and uses new holes too I believe).