Last year I was still offering my '77 F150 4X4 as "FOR SALE", but even with inclusion of new bed sides, tailgate, doors, trim, lights, rubber, 10 new tires, 2 sets wheels .... and a 400 on the stand people wanted me to "give it away" .... so back in the fall when a group by for Red Head Steering boxes popped up here, after years of putting it off .... I ordered. She steers sweet now, phenomenally sweet actually, better than she has since 1986. She has 78-79 style steering and just 105K miles.
Well, she has never been a great stopper either and for years I have been thinking of the F-350 upgrade I read about on a Bronco sight years ago. She still has the original FoMoCo front brake pads I think, but I did reline the rears a few years ago.
Well, I have ordered in the last week .... and received .... in anticipation of my '77 F150's brake upgrade, most of the parts that will include:

Quote:

Booster and master cylinder. The '78 Ford F-350 tandem booster (dual 9 1/4" diaphragm) is a direct bolt in that requires only a brake line modification. 1978 F-150 / Bronco will need the booster from a '78 F350 4WD or 2WD. The 77 F150 is same as 78 Bronco or F150 in this regard so I ordered OEM part 50-3311.

The Bronco master cylinder uses a 9/16"-18 threaded nut and the F350 master cylinder uses a 3/8"-24 threaded nut. Easy fix. The brake calipers are a huge part of the upgrade. 73-78 Ford full-size car (Thunderbird / Elite / Torino) will work. OEM part SLC-182 and SLC-183

From AAP, (where I work PT and get a slight empl. discount), $173.85 (of which I'll get $40.00 core chgs plus $2.00 tax back.)
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Thunderbird caliper has a 7/16"-24 inlet hole and the Bronco caliper has a 3/8"-24 hole. Aeroquip part FCM2929 is the correct adapter, labeled as -3 AN male to -4AN, .... as the -4 AN end has 7/16-24 threads needed and they are steel.

Pack aluminum crush washers part Aeroquip part FCM3513.

On the opposite end of the flex hose you'll need Aeroquip part FCM2936 to adapt it to the 3/16" inverted flare steel line. These are steel as well.

From Amazon, $48.75
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This fitting goes into the caliper where the banjo bolt would go on the bronco caliper. A #3 AN stainless steel flex hose with 90 degree bend on one end to clear upper ball joint and straight on the other. Earl's Performance part 63011714ERL .

Front frame to axle Hose (have new rear hose) use a 63010114ERL 14" long SS braid line with -3AN strait fitting both ends.

I will cover the exposed Earl's SS line with something when I install it.

And use two 972054BERL brass tees -3AN branch to two .375-24IF outlets. .... I will just plug the unused port at frame mounted fitting.

From Summit, $112.70
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I may also use the following which we offer at AAP ........
⦁ Rear Wheel Cylinders for a F350 Dorman W18984 and W18985 which are same outside as stock but with 1-1/16" diameter pistons versus 15/16" stock.
⦁ Front Brake Pads WAGNER Part SX50 Severe Duty.... retainer kit DORMAN Part HW5545 .....
⦁ Speed Bleeder Pair DORMAN Part 12701 Dimensions: 3/8"-24 x 1-3/16" (need 4, same fits front or rear)
⦁ Rear Brake Shoes WAGNER Part # ANA263R Severe Duty or WAGNER Part PAB263R {#PAB263RNA} Thermo Quiet (11-1/32 x 2-1/4" rear drums,)
⦁ Rear Brake Spring Kit WAGNER Part H7041 or DORMAN Part HW7225

I am going to aim to take a few pics as I go along, just ignore the rust.

I have a buddy that said he'll help me on the painting end when I get there, we'll see ..... may yet be a Rustoleum or Tractor Supply Equip paint job ....

 

Well, here it is November 17 and 6 months have passed, and I have a pile of parts stacked on a bench. Have both Tbird calipers, F350 booster and MC and 3 Earls hoses and adapters and junctions and F350 rear wheel cylinders and some brake line tubing.

But I really have near new stock type brake hoses on both sides and from frame to axle on the truck now, so I put it off. Today I compared the '79 T-bird calipers I have new and my '77 F-150's frt calipers and I see that by just minimal clearencing with a Dremel .... and avoiding the machined surface around the fitting area .... I can notch the '79 Tbird calipers to correctly lock in place the '77's OEM style brake hose fittings which I'll use with 7/16-24 Banjo bolts. (note, as on 12-13-13, that light clearencing with Dremel chore is done) The '77 uses 3/8-24 banjo bolts in this duty, so I would just have to enlarge the holes in the fittings .... if I did decide to reuse the factory style hoses.

Or most likely, I will go ahead and use the Earl's braided hoses and fittings and just do the clearancing so that if I did blow a hose, I could replace with std '77 brake hoses?

I'm working a lot the last few months, more than I wanted, and it seems I will up to Christmas ..... but after the New Years, I will cut way back and hopefully get a chance to get back on this project.

 

I forget to update here .....

Lately I've noticed that my dash lights were very dim, and that when I turned the **** to bright, just before turning on the interior lighting .... they would go out all the way. I guess they had been like that a long time, just recently when driving home the few times I drove her to work, when it's dark this time of year, that I noticed it.

I did order some LEDs but they'll fit many applications, not sure I'll use them now, after seeing how fragile a gage cluster that's been stored for 25 years is .... and so I pulled a bulb holder from my accy oil pressure gage and tested voltage at the socket and max just before that spot where they went out was 10 volts with motor running and over 14 volts at the accy plug. My accy gages are wired to work with the dash illumination.

So that dead spot near the max area of the dash light rheostat was the culprit. Today, I removed the battery cable, reached under and pushed the button and pulled the headlight **** / stalk out, pulled the radio ***** and a couple nuts, move tach and vac gage, removed the dash screws and pulled the outer dash trim off.

I then undid the headlight switch nut and eased the switch out underneath, and unplugged it.

I looked close, no burning what so ever, headlight switch is like new even though it is the OEM 1977 switch still. I used a ohm meter and can see that it was just an accumulation of debris that killed my dash lights. I used some folded 1000 grit paper to clean contacts on the round ceramic insulator where the coil tops out and cleaned the "rubbing" terminal, and then several applications of electronic cleaner in the several places, really a good cleaning, and hosed her down inside well .... put back together .... works great, lights are much brighter, and volt test shows getting full voltage now at bulb holder for oil press gage.

Updated after dark .... Tonight after taking the '07 for a drive to Logans for supper and then Walmart and then through Gypsy Hill Park to look at the Christmas lights .... we came home and I went out to the '77 and tried the lights .... WOW .... I don't know when they last were that bright! It's certainly been years since I could read the odometer at night so easy.

 

It's amazing how satisfying something so small can be sometimes, isn't it?

Good to see work is still progressing!

 

Yeah .... you are right ..... I really was surprised a few weeks ago when I replaced those 25 year old sealed beams with new Sylvania Xtra Vision sealed beams, all the reflective stuff had fallen off of or simply deteriorated from the reflectors .... talk about good lights .... and I guess the extra light out front really made dash lights looks even dimmer .... Haha.

I really need to update this thread more often.

 

I have been noticing that the old girl has been getting louder in the last few months and really .... getting a bit embarrassing. So, a few days ago I crawled underneath to investigate, saw that while the pipes were still sound, the mufflers were both rotted and one had open places in the side seam.

In 1986 when I bought this truck with just 35K miles it was purchased about 40 miles away and it had then, two Cherrybombs and side exits, it was "loud" .... too loud .... and way-way too loud for a Trooper. I drove it home and parked it until Dale could make a system locally, he charged me $160 for custom duals with "lifetime warrantied" Turbo mufflers located midways. Over the years since, he's replaced the mufflers at least 4, maybe 5 times, but the heavy walled aluminized 2.25" OD steel pipes have always lasted a couple sets. I always paid him for the pipe sets he made, the last maybe 8-9 years ago .... but he has never accepted a dime for mufflers or labor when just installing new ones. I know he would still stand behind them, but he's changed suppliers a couple times and I suspect he'ld do so out of pocket .... neither of us expected that I'ld keep the old truck so long. Dale is close to my age, and so I figured he's done enough.

So I measured and purchased two Thrush #17713 Turbo Mufflers at work and a couple short pieces of 2.25" ID pipe with a swelled end and today I cut the old mufflers out and saw that I had some clamps at hangers that were reuseable and I had 6 new ones to use .... so I installed my new mufflers and about 7" of extensions and after all was back in place, tightened it all up.

Checked for leaks .... WOW, she sounds "civil" again!

A good coating of VHT Silver that I had from a task back in '09 (I date all my paint cans when I buy them) and ....
.... I gotta say, gonna enjoy driving her some this week for a change. She sounds so much better!

Get some use out of the Red Head ..... and soon maybe I'll get a chance to tackle that brake upgrade deal .... tiring of seeing all them parts stacked up.

 

Nice update. I am looking to re-do my exhaust set up in the near future. Have any pictures of your truck?

 

I am sure I had a whole album just for the '77 ..... but all I can find is a short one for the '07?
Edited 012114 ..... found them, all 4 actually, both trucks, both old and newer ones in gallery and in albums.?


If you are looking for pics of exhaust, I don't really have any great ones....
.... but how my exhaust guy did it was he brought left side down off manifold, crossed under rear of engine like stock, then turned to rear and ran it past transmission on right side with right side pipe to behind transfer case where he took left side back over to left and then two mufflers and back up over axle and he went straight out back. I later cut the rear pipes about 24" from rear bumper where I had put some hangers, got him to make two pipes which slip up over them, swelled ends, put a 90" turn to each side in front of rear bumper, then in that leg between 90 degree turn and tip, about half way, put a 30 or 40 degree bend so when installed, tips point down and to side from under fender.

My front pipes and mufflers now, and tail pipes to near rear are still great, he did it over 10 years ago (I just replaced mufflers) and used some thick walled aluminixed exhaust tubing that's still very solid .... but at the very rear where rear tires kick up trash .... they have suffered more exterior rusting.

 

Well, to continue .... reference:
I mentioned some place other that I had heard and felt a "rumble" under some conditions. A few years ago (not so many miles really as from 2003-2011 those 8 or 9 years I put only a few hundred miles max a year on it and after retirement with state in 2010 and then starting at Advance part time, I started driving it more .... and then more-more after I installed the Red Head Steering box) my '77 had developed a rumble in the drivetrain on coast or light throttle, it went away under hard pulls. Sounds to me some like a U-joint that is worn bad and free to wobble under no load but self centers under load.
I checked for looseness in U-joints, none found then and I greased them all (F&R) .... so I thought it was a transfer case bearing maybe, found the oil level low in the 205, topped it off and then hauled a trailer of furniture to Muscadine, Al. (600 miles away). In the trip, the trailer being a large box with two axles, made me pull it most of the way (windage and weight) except on long down grades. I noted then that the rumble was still there, figured I'ld have to rebuild the TC before long. Coming home it still rumbled, just more as I had no load on her.

I guess that a U-joint was going bad because the year or two later, (very few miles), I was under her checking fluids again one day and grabbed the rear driveshaft to pull myself under and felt some play. Rear U-joint at differential was dry & very loose. I replaced all three that day and center bearing. The front and center were "maybe OK" but the rear one that was loose had ground the rollers to brown dust. Funny, most all of my rumble disappeared too .... odd ain't it .... NOT

I still had a heavy rumble feeling under specific circumstances .... and I had checked / greased U-joints again, support bearing, TC mounts, etc .... still a rumble and usually only when turning right and accelerating medium hard or harder .... none though if very soft accelerating. none when driving down the road, not coasting, not under power WTH?
I also noted that even straight or on a right turn, if really mashing on it from a stop, I could make it rumble very lightly sometimes.

Well, when doing those mufflers in that post I made reference to recently, I noticed some small rub marks on the front driveshaft just a couple inches behind the yoke for the front U-joint at the Dana 44HP front axle. I slipped forwards and looked closer, the rubbing marks were immediately beside where the exhaust pipe from the left bank manifold drops down and turns across under the rear oil pan area. Where it clears the front drive shaft it does so with maybe 1/4" clearance. The pipe just did show a mark where it had contacted the front DS as well. I think on those hard rights with throttle, between engine torqueing up against motor mounts and front axle trying to turn truck right, it was using up that 1/4" clearance and the rumble I felt was engine / exhaust vibes against DS transmitted through axle / linkage / steering to floor, steering wheel, ... and me.

I have long ago noticed that the right front tire sat further outwards than left front tire in relation to the fenders when viewed from the front, the track bar is a fixed length, nothing was loose, I have poly urethane bushings in there (whole front end kit, still tight). It's just how the trucks are built. Well, I parked the truck on level one day last week and measured the differences and found that the right side was 3/4" further out towards edge that left. I thought about it and decided that a spacer 3/8" thick placed between the frame mounted track bar mount and frame on the driver's side would pull the axle back to the left 3/8" thus taking 3/8" off one side and adding it to the other, that should center the axle and give a bit more room between that front drive shaft and exhaust pipe where there was only 1/4" space.

Last week then, I made a 3/8" thick flat steel spacer (I didn't have any 3/8 stock handy, so I used some 1/8" and 1/4" scrap pieces and welded edges in places), 5-1/2 long, 2-1/2" wide, with two holes along center line 3-1/2" apart, each holes center 1" from the end. The top bolt is a 7/16" and the bottom is a 9/16 bolt. I made my two holes 1/2" on top one and 5/8" on lower one. I found when I installed it that I needed to grind a little bit there where my new spacer interfered with the lower rear mounting ear of the steering box .... a few seconds with grinder, removed maybe 1/8" for ear clearance and some more paint.

Last night, after work and supper, before temps fell, I pulled the truck around to my basement concrete patio and jacked the front up, set frame on jack stands, let front axle ease down and hang on shocks, used various sockets and air wrench and breaker bar and removed the factory bolts.

The frame has a spacer piece inside the rails, the nuts are on the inside face with a flat steel plate under the nuts. Factory bolts are just about 3/8" exposed threads, meaning if I wanted exposed threads I'd need longer bolts. Factory were maybe 5-1/4", I'd need 5-1/2" but 6" would work. I used a grade 8, 6" long 7/16 bolt and locking nut and a grade 5, 6" long 9/16 bolt and locking nut I had on hand. I looked for a grade 8 - 9/16 bolt, but could find none in the length I needed. FoMoCo used grade 5 bolts in both places, so I should be OK. I painted my new bolts long shanks. I also added some washers along with the plate inside after putting the spacer between the frame and track bar bracket, making sure that I had enough threads to tighten nuts. I tightened all up and even added a second nut tightened against first as I just "had them".




Took her for a test drive to see if any rumbles left, I could not get it to rumble, not even on hard right turn start from stop. Noted steering wheel position, I knew it would change when I shifted axle, went home and popped steering wheel off and set to correct straight ahead. Before, there was max 1/4" at pipe to frt drive shaft (likely close when Dale made the exhaust up last time years ago)..... now ..... there is plenty of room .... and the front axle looks centered.

Long post, took almost as long to write as it did to do .... but I was scheduled to work today at my store delivering but boss called to say deliveries cancelled due to snow storm so I stayed home and am just sitting here watching it fall, playing here, watching FOX news (fair, balanced, & very pretty ladies).

 

Well, even with a ton on her the front driveshaft does not rub / contact the exhaust down pipe any more!

This here is also why I am gonna do that brake upgrade this spring that I mention at the start of this thread. For the last several years, I hadn't been sure I was gonna keep the old girl, I figured I'ld sell her and all my accumulation of body / engine / trim parts and engine and even after purchasing the list of brake parts listed up top, I still thought I might sell her.

But since I've been driving her more this year, after the carb update, FPR addition, timing sorted out (set at 34-35 degrees BTC max total with vac undone, then connect vac), exhaust repaired (sounds GREAT BTW!), radio fixed, SkyFi XM enabled, RHStg and seeing how she is driving / running so good at only 105K .... no question but that I'll keep her.

We built our Log home in 1990-91 ourselves and in 1992 I built in a harth for a new Vermont Castings Reliance Wood Pellet Stove. In the last 20+ years, the old girl has brough home pellets from wherever I could find them, in the early years it was Stuarts Draft and later, Covington. almost always 1 ton per trip, once or twice it was a hair more, 73 bags once (2,920 lbs) .... but for the last 10-11 years I've just had my local Co-op deliver Hamer's (labled as Statesman in later years) from Lexington (15 mile one way, 3 tons at a time, $10 more per ton).

This year, wife and I didn't order more, we decided to burn up the large stash we had accumulated over the years in the shed (a little left over each year) and we were down to a few bags.

So it's been 10 years or so since I last hauled a ton or more on her and so yesterday I aired up the old girls tires (just a few short years old, near new actually) 48 rear and 45 frt, drove to work (PT/MPP at AAP now) .... and at lunch .... went to Co-op and they loaded 50 of the 40 pound bags on her while I wrote the check inside. They was fast.

Today, I will unload them on the carport .... she still hauls a ton really well... but I'll tell you .... even though she stops OK and as easy as I am on her when loaded, I still would have liked having the brake upgrades done! Old C-6 with Transgo kit I installed in 1986 still shifts well though.




Then later yesterday evening, as sun getting lower, one coworker had returned from lunch (Jeep) and another had started evening hours (newer two tone) and a customer's '79 beater .... I made a group pic.

 

I know that I can still get "refills" for my '77's OEM wipers, but the arms don't apply a lot of force any longer and even the new refills I just installed last week fail to make good contact across the whole of the blade when wet.

So, recalling that some many months ago I had purchased two newer style hook arms that fit 1991-96 Ford F-150 PUs and maybe others, today I decided to shorten and fit them with new blades.

Start with two # 42631 wiper arms, they have the hook end and fit the wiper shafts of our '73-'79 dentsides. You'll also need two 16" wiper blades to fit new hook ends as well as two new 1/8" stainless steel pop rivets.

First, I needed to determine "how long" they should be. I removed my stock blade / arms and assembled one #42631 arm and 16" blade, I slipped it part way onto the wiper shaft and saw that this combo needed to be a hair over 3" shorter to not hit the top rubber of the windshield.

I settled on 3-1/4" (3.25).... then I:

• Used long needle nose pliars to unhook springs.
• Drilled out the rivet with 1/8" drill.
• Spread the crimped end open to seperate arm parts.
• Marked narrow shaft for new rivet hole 3.25" away from original hole.
• Drilled the 1/8" hole.
• Cut exactly 3.25" off narrow shaft.
• Drilled a second 1/8" hole for spring, and chamfer this hole as a round spring hook will use it.
• Bent end with spring hole up slightly for spring hook clearance.
• Reassembled arm halves and test for spring to hole fit .... then and secure with new 1/8" stainless steel 1/4 or 5/16" long pop rivet (you can use a small screw and nut, but I doubt athat an aluminum pop rivet will last long).
• Used aluminum vice jaw protectors on vice to re-squeeze crimp of lower arm onto narrow beam part.
• Used same long needle nose pliars to hook hole in spring retainer and rehook in position.
• Applied some never seize to shaft splines and install with wipers in parked position.

They will just cross over if clocked in a lower park position and provide a good 1-1/2" overlap if parked one notch high. Now you can find new blades anywhere in a wide variety of styles. I parked mine one notch or tooth high on the shafts as if clocked to park low, they "slap" the lower windshield rubber on a wet windshield.







I need to touch up my shiney stainless steel pop rivet. I tried them in the rain that started towards the end, they swipe clean and you can tell the springs apply more pressure.

 

Today I swapped in a new Airtex #60007 Fuel Pump, the old girl acted like she was starving for fuel near the top of the big grade on the way home last week .... and the old one was swapped on back in the early '90s I guess.
I bought this replacement back in June 2013 when she did the same thing one day but then I found a cracked rubber fuel line with signs of seepage (lucky no fire) .... no old dry fuel lines on her now.

 

Glad to see you're still wrenching. I've about quit. Starter went out on the son's car and I actually took it to Cash's and had them do it. Did crank up the Bronco and Mustang today and let them run for awhile. Son drug home a camper trailer frame and two oil drums to make a barb-q trailer. Place is starting to look like a junkyard! Want to start on that, but looks like weather isn't going to co-operate again. If it wasn't for Netflix I'd be in the looney bin.

 

Cool adaptation and something I gotta do for my camo'ed truck for its stealthy look.

It'll be included in the next Tech Thread update! Thanks.

 

Don't give up! You got a great place for it.

I'm fighting a cold, if this snow is what they say I'll need to get out and I don't want to "have to" use the snow blower if I am coughing and sneezing .... so I decided I needed get off my butt and fix the suspect fuel pump before the temps drop tonight. I might go in to work part of a day tomorrow, hate to drive the '07 as I just recently got it cleaned up after last mess.

Still gonna do that big brake upgrade this spring, even picked up a compressor driven vacuum pump type bleeder set up at HF .... as well as a portable shop engine hoist for that 400 and them doors.

Thank You for the kind words and you are Very Welcome at the same time. The new arms and blades work so well, no missed sections, and so easy to pop in new technology style beam blades if desired.

The hardest part was spreading the wrapped around part to free up the part that must be removed and shortened, I used a small chisel with a anvil top for back up and they spread OK doing one direction then the other. Open up just enough to remove the narrow beam portion from it's grasp and then later you can alternatively simply use a hammer and anvil to close them back up on the shortened arms, a bit of semi gloss black paint and done.