This is what I'm talking about:



Are these in the Ford Service Manuals that cost over a couple hundred bucks? Or are they in some other book or collection? Lastly, are they available on line somewhere?

 

The one you posted looks like it came from an instruction sheet from a carburetor rebuild kit.

The ones you find in most after market car repair manuals are reprints from the Ford Shop manuals.

 

OK, so get the service manuals and I'll have all the diagrams? Looks like I'll invest in a set. I see some manuals that are on DVD's that are MUCH cheaper - are those all inclusive of the actual manuals?

 

I have a DVD service manual that I purchased off eBay. It is the complete factory manual, and is shipped from overseas due to copyright infringements. However, you can't beat the price and you can print all day long as the whole thing is a giant PDF with chapters and the like. All of the wiring, computer diagnosis, and exploded parts diagrams are included. The only thing I don't like about it is that the hyperlinks in the PDF don't work like they should. I only bring this up because the PDF is HUGE and you have to do a lot of scrolling/skipping pages. I do think you can bookmark pages, though, but I haven't tried yet.

 

I find it easier to use the paper manuals as every thing is one chapter. The DVD do seem to jump around and it takes me longer to find something.
But most everything that is the paper manual is on the CD or DVD.
The DVD most of the time cover more than one year and may also have cars along with the trucks on it.
The CD will have only one year and only have trucks on it.

You can print from either CD or DVD but you have to scan the paper manual if you want to work on something without getting grease on the pages of your manual.

I have paper manuals for ever truck I have owned and some of the cars. I also have CD's and DVD's for most of them but they are not available for trucks older than 1992.

When I talk of CD's and DVD's these are not PDF copies, they are the FORD issued ones.
They are also not in the PDF format.

 

I would prefer to have the factory DVDs, but they can be quite costly. In any case, the material in the one I purchased isn't a PDF copy of anything: I think whoever decided to create the DVD simply decided to use PDF because it is friendly across all platforms and is a universally available program. Even so, I still would prefer the factory electronic copies as everything would work as designed. Again, back to price.

 

I think the DVDs are a great way to store info in an easy, compact way. But I have yet to be able to run a DVD & fix a car. So having said that I like manuals I can set up on the bench with me. Hell I can barely work a DVD. We bought a new cheap DVD player the other day. By the time I got it working my B/P was 300/200. not really but it felt like it. Where the hell are the "RENT A KID" Centers when you need them. If I would of had a 6 year old I would of been in great shape.

 

Ah, that was great, Craig! I've used mainly hard copy manuals, like Haynes, in the past for just about everything. It wasn't until my 1996 made it's way into my hands that I purchased a DVD based manual. So now, I look everything up on the DVD and print it off before I go work on my truck and use my Haynes as needed for quick reference if I've missed something.

 

I definitely would rather have the actual manuals, but as someone already mentioned - the price.......... I've been looking on Craigslist and garage sales and such to no avail. I've also been searching for Ford dealerships that have closed thinking they might be getting rid of some. Just trying to be creative!!! Might just have to bite the bullet and shell out $200 or $300.

 

You might try for these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1996-FORD-F-150-F-250-F-350-BRONCO-F-SUPER-DUTY-SERVICE-SHOP-REPAIR-MANUALS-/141071212821?pt=Motors_Manuals_Literature&hash=item20d87fe115&vxp=mtr
And this is the best one for trouble shooting:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1996-Ford-Taurus-F150-Mustang-Mark-VIII-Ranger-diagnostic-service-shop-manual-/310732015182?pt=Motors_Manuals_Literature&hash=item485912464e&vxp=mtr/

 

Ha ha - I just saw the service manuals about an hour ago on e-bay. I'll try and get those. thanks!!!