My friend had an 85 f250 4x4 that he bought for 700 bucks a month or 2 back. It is a regular cab long bed with a 300-6, t18 or t19(not the np435) with a bad clutch, and a wiring NIGHTMARE. I'm trading him my f100 tomorrow for it and then the real project begins. My stepdad knows how to do pretty much everything semi-professional except weld, so were gonna fix the wiring and finish the paint.
To do list-
-re wire the ENTIRE truck and simplify wiring
- all gauges custom(except speedometer)
-fix/ replace dash and seat
-finish flat black paint job on truck and bed
-find out which transmission it is and replace/fix clutch(doesn't fully disengage, has to be started in gear)
- find out all the I to I possibly can about it(D44HD or dana50 TTB, which rear axle, if anything actually works, gear ratios)
-install radio & system.
-get it driving before June.

I have a 77 highboy I can pull parts from but I don't know what will interchange, I know the body won't buy what about switches, seats, and little things. In the future I want to either swap the 85 axles out with the D44HD(Solid axle) and D60 rear with matching 4.10s combo or trade set for a D60 front. I also might want to replace the 6 with the 400/NP435/ divorced 205 combo later on down the road after I build/ rebuild it and properly paint it. I'm also picking up a set of 16.5s with worn 35s Tuesday for it and I can't decide if I want to slap 37" military tires on it or SAS and 42" military tires. If i keep it long enough id also like to drop a super cab short bed on it or maybe extend the frame and do a SC/LB, id liketo know the wheelbases for each. RC/LB is 133"(right?) and a SC/SB is 133" also i think? Pretty much everything in this paragraph will NOT happen til mid-end summer(except the 35s).
Ill deliver pictures tomorrow around 10:30 for you guys.

 

1985 F250 with a T-18 4-speed transmission. The 460's and diesels got the T-19.

Your truck's clutch also isn't bad. If it can start in gear and go, then it's evidently grabbing and working just fine. Since your truck is an 85, your firewall is probably busted and will need to be repaired. Pop the hood and have someone push the clutch pedal in while you watch from the front of the truck at the master cylinder. The firewall will actually split along the bolt holes and won't allow the clutch to get full travel, resulting in "clutch problems" where it's not disengaging fully from the flexing firewall.

The other thing is that your truck, being an 85 with a 300, has a Carter YFA feedback carburetor on it. From the sounds of it, your truck is probably running in limp home mode with the timing and fuel mixtures locked where the emissions equipment has been ripped off of it. The solution? Do a DuraSpark II swap, and swap to the earlier electronic, breakerless ignition. Get rid of the computer.

To do this, go to a junkyard and get 1) A factory ignition harness from either an Inline-6 truck or a V8 truck between the years of 1976 to 1983, 2) an ignition module from the same year vehicles, 3) you can re-use your TFI coil, 4) get a distributor with a vacuum advance from a 300 between the years of 1976 to 1983.

It's an entirely plug and play swap.

I'd repair the wiring by replacing it with OEM harnesses from a junkyard. No need to re-invent the wheel by trying to "fix" what the Ford engineers were paid to design.

 

The wiring is a nightmare from the people he bought it from. Absolutely no gauges work but te aftermarket temp gauge and the ignition doesn't start anything. Also, just about every wire is a yellow wire lol.

Thanks clearing up the t-18/t-19 thing. I'm from the dentside section as you might e able to see.

About the clutch, the pedal goes all the way to the firewall and sticks also, still think master cylinder? I have an MSD coil on my 400 that I could rob if it would work, but are you sure I'd need it? The carb was spittin out gas and that was all that seemed wrong when I looked.

 

Starting from the outside and then going to the inside:






Wiring that is all goofed up:



The interior:


Oh the rust! Its not really all that bad, this is the extent of it minus a few other minor holes.


What axle is this? Sterling 10.25 or???? cant be a Dana as they are all 10 bolt covers and i do believe its a 3.73.


Which transfer case is this? NP208? Is it any good?

 

Crawl under there and clean off the circular tag attached to it. Looks like my 208F case

EDIT: These transfer cases are legendary for their durability in almost any application.

 

That truck is a wreck, in my opinion.

I'd pull the engine, the transmission, the axles, and the transfer case and scrap the rest of it. Sell what you pulled and get money to buy something else. I don't know what you traded for that truck, but if it was anything better than what you've got now, see about trading back ASAP.

Do a DSII swap and fix the wiring by getting OEM harnesses from donor trucks to replace the butchered up mess.

I'll guarantee you two things: 1) The firewall is more than likely (I'm putting a 100% bet on it) is busted around the bolt holes for the master cylinder and it'll need to be removed and a re-enforcement plate installed, and 2) that isn't the extent of the rust. It's probably rusted down to the cab mounts. Get a new cab, don't even bother fixing it.

 

Hey I'm a fellow highschooler but you did kind of get screwed on the rust bug thing. I traded a 90 Pontiac 6000 and will never trade back, so if thats the kind of situation you are in, I feel ya. first off kill the rust bug. I patch paneled and rust eater-ed the majority of my cab just to be safe. 300 I6's are good motors but not horsepower mongers...but they do wicked burnouts . To fix the wiring I would get a repair manual (I have three for my truck, including one on CD). I would replace the intake manifold, get an EFI manifold or header and a nice small four barrel on the 300 (What I was going to do if I got a 300). Hang in there and you'll have a nice truck. And don't feel bad I got a lot more to do before August 14th hits

 

Regarding the clutch, I have to agree with 1983F1503004x4. I found the same problem on my truck. You can find some pictures of what you're looking for here. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post12422185. Fortunately, Terrapin Mfg is getting back up and running so the reinforcement plates should be available soon. Rust can be a major PITA, but it can be conquered, with a little $$ and a lot of time and patience. Good luck with it.

 

It really wasn't as rusted out as the truck I traded. Once the wiring is Dow and whatever the clutch problem is is fixed it'll be solid. Yeah it's sorta 2 colors but he never finishe painting it. The truck I traded you could fall through the passengers side floor LOL

 

my dent was the same way before I fixed it. Rust converter should help ya out a bit. Any plans for performance/interior

 

Performance = mild 351 or the 351/400 I have. I want to do a 351w to put a 5 speed in it.
Were probably gonna fiberglass the floor smooth and finish blacking it out. It's going to be intirely black minus the ford blue engine and little things that'll be blue/silver. We've got a long way to go but well get there.

And whats 'rust converter'

 

I'll post a picture of the stuff after school of rust converter. And fiberglass on the floorpan? Really?

 

Fiberglass to fill in the pinholes, there is no big holes, the floors still solid just don't wunna cut t self on it when bare foot.

 

Ah okay well that works. Going to add carpet over it? And are you going to be putting in the 400 from the 77? I've heard them are crap engines but it would have a bit more omph than the 300 I6 has.

 

People who say the 400 is a crap engine are just very uneducated. There's an almost free solution to fix the low oil pressure(some sort of epoxy over one of the passages), and you can get near 375 horses with a cam/timing chain/headers/intake manifold/carb and 9-10:1 compression. Just gotta know how to build one, it can be done. I'm trying to actually trade the 400 and np435 for a 351W so I can use my current t18 and not need to change everything over to a mechanical clutch setup. Plus I like the Windsor more.