New truck buying excitement….First relax, do not show your enthusiasm to the seller! Act as if it is easy come, easy go. Here are some basics for checking out one of these rigs. Lots of mental notes to take! A written checklist is also OK to bring with you if needed. BE READY TO START MAKING A LIST TO DISCUSS WITH THE OWNER.

Basic Visual Inspection: TITLE TITLE TITLE 1st CHECK THE THE PAPER TITLE vin, AGAINST THE DVRS DOOR (WARRANTY PLATE) vin, THIS IS NOT, I SAY AGAIN NOT THE VIN PLATE! And then check the DVRS side B PILLAR white sticker (SAFETY STANDARDS CERTIFICATION LABEL) below the striker bolt. THE ACTUAL VIN IS STAMPED ON THE FRAME in 2 places! AND IT IS NOT ON THE DASH EITHER.

If the paper title vin does NOT match door tag, WHY NOT? If the door is a different color slow your roll and be ready to dig deep. Ok so was just the plate changed maybe? Does it have hollow mount rivets? That is what OEM use, NOT some standard pop rivets. Or the door was changed because of an accident. Why?

The white sticker has the vin and it should also match. It is made to not peel off with out falling apart, so it is hard to switch them. But if they do NOT match, time to go vin hunting on the frame.

Do a bumper to bumper visual inspection; this is also time to go on “Visual Hack Patrol” – All those so-called “repairs” made by previous owners. Look for duct tape, household wire nuts, electrical tape, wood screws, wires that go to nowhere.
Any leaks on the ground? What about the drum backing plates (wheel cylinder) or the pinion seal(s).
Look for loose, missing, or broken hardware like lugs, lug nuts, fender and bumper bolts, and bell housing to engine bolts. Feel around for soft or cracked hoses – radiator hoses degrade from the inside. Crimp it with your hand and it should have the same firmness all the way around.
How do the radius arm bushings look? Rock the truck back and forth, any squeaks??? 4x4, ck the trac bar bushings.
Are the tires evenly worn? Any leaf springs broken? All the glass good? Bed liner in it, lift up the end and look under it for rust. Tailgate work?
Fluid Check.
Engine oil check, is it full and relatively clean. Or does it smell musty and old? Look like a milk shake?
Coolant, is there an oily sheen? Does it look like milkshake?
Check level of auto trans, power steering, and brake fluid.
Ask if there is anything on the engine that has been heli-coiled?
Note any newish parts. Any “it’s been rebuilt” stories, show me a receipt.
Pre-Operation note: The BRAKE lamp light in the instrument cluster has nothing to do with the emergency (parking) brake being on! Meaning, if you set the park brake, DO NOT LOOK FOR THE LIGHT TO COME ON LIKE NEW VEHICLES!
Check for brake pressure, pedal low? Pedal sinks to floor? Comes back up slowly? Park brake work, if it’s a standard trans, that’s a biggie. Ask the owner BEFORE you put it on. It might NOT release. Check when truck is running and in gear it it’s an auto. The brake light on the dash will NOT COME ON WHEN YOU SET THE PARK BRAKE….
Ask owner battery condition then, turn on the (key) ignition system to the 1st position (no engine start). Turn on everything - exterior and interior lights, dash lights (rheostat to the left to brighten), turn signals, hazards, heater controls, blower fan, wipers, horn, a/c radio. Does everything work? What about the gas gauge?
Turn it all off, then Start Engine. See if elec choke works. On initial start you should get the RED brake light and the RED seat belt light, they SHOULD go off after about 8 or 9 sec.

Fire it up and let it idle and just listen to it. Ck oil pressure. Get out of the cab and get your head under the hood. Any leaks? Ticking sounds? Exhaust leaks/tail pipe blue smoke? Knocks, thumps or rattle? Hand blip the throttle and listen, ck oil pressure again after a few minutes of idle time.
Squeeze the radiator hoses... they should not be pressurized. Hard hoses may mean a blown head gasket. Now get back in and turn all that pre operation stuff again. Does it all still work?

Let the owner drive it first and ride shotgun and just look, listen (have the stereo OFF) and get a feel for the truck, see how it drives. Does the owner chase the steering wheel all over the road, does it pull or any grinding noise, when he brakes? Does the transmission shift ok? Take over on the return drive and note how it tracks, turns, accelerates, and stops. Note the temp gauge and oil pressure reading....and is the heater working (hot air)? A/C blow cold?
CAREFULLY, do a aggressive stop with your hands lightly on the wheel...does it track straight without assistance? Does it pull to one side or the other, any grinding noises? Park it and let it idle for about five minutes to check if it overheats. What does the temp gauge read?

Shut it off for 10 minutes and then restart it. Hopefully it starts right up. If not, then it can be a vapor lock, a carb that needs to be rebuilt, or defective ignition components like an ICU or coil.
Odd but… take note how clean or unkept the sellers property is or even their own vehicles. That's a sign on how detail-oriented they are. Ask every question about the truck, has it been wrecked, maintenance history, previous owner’s ?
Cash talks, and BS walks or at least leaves without the truck, be serious about the ALL the issues found and what you might OR WILL need to address as soon as you buy it. Mention that to the owner, he might understand or maybe not care at all. Have your 1st CASH offer in one pocket and the rest of what you are willing pay in the other. Flash the cash, in a stack of 20’s, 50’s or 100’s, that always make it harder for the owner to say no.
Have fun, but remember it’s not the only truck for sale, and try not get caught up in the moment (yea right it’s a Ford truck man!)

 

460/4 core radiator? Your truck most likely has the optional Super Cooling radiator (26 1/4" wide x 24 11/16" high). The top tank is HUGE, it's wider and deeper than the standard/xtra cooling & A/C radiators (that are 26 1/4" x 19 3/4"), overlaps the core
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Dana 44 front-If your truck has half ton internal hubs, chances are you have the three piece spindle nuts. The inner nut sets the tension on the bearing.
The lock washer slides down the slot on the spindle and a pin on the inner nut goes in a hole in the lock washer, and the outer nut holds it all in place. Sometimes, you get lucky and that lock washer slides right down and the pin in the nut goes right in a hole in the lock washer, sometimes it doesn't. Some Ford Dana 44s use a self locking spindle nut that does not require aligning the pin and makes installation much easier.
If you have the 3 piece spindle nut, a good trick is to try the lock washer and if it doesn't line up, flip it over and try the other side. The holes are lined up a bit different when the lock washer is flipped over. Often this will do the trick, but sometimes nothing seems to work. Especially, if you are trying to fix a broken axle on the trail.
The Ford spindle nuts eliminate these problems. The Ford spindle nut ratchets down and locks on every click. You can set the perfect load on the bearing with no worries of aligning the pin. You have to press in on the spindle socket to engage the teeth in the ratcheting nut. Works a bit different, but easy enough.
The only down side to the Ford nuts is the cost. They run about $15.50 brand new at the Ford dealership. The jobber price is probably a lot better than that, but most of us ,like myself, have to pay retail. It probably is not too hard to get the nuts at the junk yard, but to save time, I just purchased two nuts brand new at the dealership. My local dealership had them in stock, so there was no waiting. When I went to the dealership, I asked for the nuts for a '94 Ford F-150. I'm not sure what range of vehicles they might have been used in. The Ford part number is E7TZ-1A134-A.
One thing I had to do with the Ford spindle nut is remove some material on the tab that slides in the slot in the spindle. I guess the Ford spindle has a wider slot it it. I did this with an air cut off tool, but a file or a hack saw would work.
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Dana 60 full floater - Rear
wheel bearing adjusting nut - 50 -80 ft lbs, back off 1/4 - 3/8 turn. (Check for play).
lock washer - bend a tab or two over the adjusting nut, or use the same bent ones in the same place.
wheel bearing locknut - 90 - 110 ft lbs.
Axle shaft retaining bolts - 40 - 50 ft lbs.
Between 65 and 75 ft lbs.. spin... tighten.. repeat.. repeat... repeat... until torqued,, then back off 1/4 turn... put on lock washer.. put on second nut.. torque to spec.. then bend tabs over both nuts.. in either direction.. in at least two places on each nut
2 9/16 thinwall axle nut socket...1/2 inch drive
I bought mine at oriellys out of their catalog.
This one is for those of us with Dana 60/70's. The usual spindle nut set of 3 pieces (a nut, washer with tabs to fold over, and another nut) usually work alright, but there is an easier way to go. Ford part # E8TZ-1A124-A is all three of those in one. It is a one piece ratcheting style locknut that all you have to do is torque down and go. It takes a 4 prong style spindle nut socket. I have them on my front 60 and rear 70 and they work great. They cost about $15 apiece from my local Ford dealership.

 

With trans in neutral and clutch "out", the input shaft is turning and "internal windage" as the trans lube is swirled will still apply a rotation to the output shaft when there's nothing to stop it turning.... like when you slide the TC into neutral on the way from 2hi to 4lo.

Mine has a C-6 and while I can shift from 2hi to 4hi with trans neutral with engine running, I need to stop and place trans in PARK before going from 2hi through TC neutral to 4lo for similar reason.

The deal is when that TC hits neutral, there is nothing to stop it's input shaft from turning, and that means nothing to stop the transmission output from turning .... (except in my case when I place C-6 in Park the park pawl locks the trans output shaft) ..... and in your case, pushing the clutch in will minimize it. If your clutch drags a hair, you'll maybe need to shut your engine off .... in which case the clutch needs adjustment.
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There is a great HB complication thread here. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...mpilation.html This is to show you why a 77-79 aft fuel tank will not fit in 73-77.4 HB 1973/77 F250 4WD (High Boys), some 1973/79 F350's have the narrow 33 1/2" rear frame rails behind the cab. All other 1973/79 F100/350's have 37 1/2" frame rails. This is the width between the inner frame rails.

The Styleside beds used on 1973/79 F350's on the 140" wheelbase have the rear axle set back further, so these beds cannot be installed on anything else.

Styleside left quarter panels (bed sides): 1973/76's have exposed fuel caps, 1977/79's have fuel doors. The fuel tank filler tubes are different 1973/76 vs 1977/79.

1977/79 F100/350 F/R fuel door and hinge assy (D4LY-65405A26-A): Same as 1974/76 Thunderbird, 1974/79 Lincoln Continental Mark IV & V and 1977/79 Bronco.
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Changing the timing chain makes a world of difference on the 351M. The stock chains are retarded timing wise 5 degree, and just get worse as they stretch. Get a 71' chain with no timing retard and they are completely different motor.

 

As for the push button start switch. If you don't want to repair the wiring to use the key switch, one wire from the push button needs to go to a constant 12 volt hot and the other wire needs to go to the small "S" terminal on the starter solenoid.
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To adjust the safety neutral switch on the column.
1) Transmission in Neutral (chocked wheels)
2) Gear shift lever in Neutral
3) The switch with the holes lined up (use small drill bit to align it).
Once you have done all this......tighten the switch bolts up.
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When the trucks came with a manual trans, there was a dummy plug used to bypass the NSS switch. I've never been able to come up with a part number for the dummy plug. To bypass the automatic set up: Unplug the switch and discard or ignore. There are four wires in the harness plug, two each, red w/ blue trace and black w/ red trace. Run a jumper between the red/blue and red/blue, do the same for the black/red. That completely bypasses the NSS switch. Your truck will now start and the back-up lights will be permanently on. Now 0n to the backup lights.
In the engine compartment is a little U shaped jumper wire. It'll be located on the drivers side splash pan, just in front of the firewall where the wiring harness comes through. Unplug the little jumper, this will shut off the back up lights. There should be a back up light switch on the trans cover. Run two wires from the switch to the two wires that were jumped. This will get your back up lights working again.
Just a note, you could make a jumper plug out of the NSS. Cut the switch off the harness and splice the two pairs of wires. I just hate to cut these switches up. New, they're getting pricey. Here's the little jumper in the engine compartment.
EDIT: If you don't care about the back up lights, just jumper the red w/ blue trace wires. This will bypass the NSS but the back up lights won't work.
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TO FIGURE OUT WHAT SPEEDO GEAR YOU NEED FOR A TIRE CHANGE. http://jimroal.com/drive.htm

 

Hydro-Boost: 1972/79 Lincoln/Continental Marks / 1972/76 Thunderbird / 1973/78 LTD/Mercury Marquis/Grand Marquis (some) / 1975/80 Granada/Monarch & 1977/80 Lincoln Versailles (some). All use the Saginaw P/S pump that resembles a canned ham. Saginaw pump also used on all 1975/91 Econolines.
LTD includes Country Sedan/Squire station wagons and Mercury Marquis/Grand Marquis includes Colony Park station wagons.
FoMoCo 'downsized' the LTD/Grand Marquis in 1979, Hydro-Boost was not offered. Thought I'd come back and report my findings for the interested. Yes, the seal in question is technically 'a part' of the brake booster...yet it is sandwiched between the booster housing and the master cylinder.

So...aside from the so very constructive, 'just buy a new brake booster' advice, if anyone desires to do a cheap and effective vacuum leak fix on their booster, assuming the leak is originating from the front seal, you too can order the part in question from Power Brake Exchange in Miami, FL. (305-635-1120). $3 seal which cost $6 to ship out. You'll need to have the Bendix (or other makes) part number which should be on the seal. Talk to Tim. Saved me $100.
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Trans issues?
Check the vacuum modulator and the line that goes to it.
Check the line for kinks or other problems, make sure it hasn't come off.
If the line checks out, take the line off where it connects to the modulator. If trans fluid leaks out, its bad. If no fluid, it still could be bad. They're simple to replace, disconnect the vacuum line, remove one bolt that holds the clamp in place and the modulator comes out. It has an o-ring seal.
Modulators are identified by the color of the stripe. Pretty much the "go to" one is the black stripe. If they don't show that one in the catalog, go with the green stripe. Avoid the pink stripe. That one is a dual diaphragm version that has two vacuum line going to it. If by chance you have one of these, replace it with one of the other two and use the vacuum line that goes to direct manifold vacuum, cap the other line. When you pull the modulator out, be careful. There is a pin that goes in the modulator. Sometimes it comes out with the modulator, sometimes it stays in the tranny. If it comes out, don't lose it.
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Cab and radiator core support bushings
D3TZ-1000155-B .. Absorber (rubber cushion) - Lower radiator support and lower front & rear cab mounts / Obsolete
CARPENTER NOS OBSOLETE PARTS in Concord NC = 800-476-9653.
PARTS INTERNATIONAL in Farmers Branch TX = 888-727-0418.
GREEN SALES CO. in Cincinnati OH = 800-543-4959.
WESLEY OBSOLETE PARTS in Liberty KY = 606-787-5293.
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D3TZ-1000396-C .. Absorber (rubber cushion) - Upper radiator support and upper front and rear cab mounts / Obsolete
PARTS INTERNATIONAL
CARPENTER NOS OBSOLETE PARTS
GREEN SALES CO.
WESLEY OBSOLETE PARTS
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Just an update on current bench stock.
"D3TZ-1000155-B.. Absorber (rubber cushion) - Lower radiator support and lower front & rear cab mounts / Obsolete
> MUSTANG'S ETC in Van Nuys CA has 1 = 818-787-7634. <
> CARPENTER NOS OBSOLETEPARTS in Concord NC has 13 = 800-476-9653. <
PARTS INTERNATIONAL in Farmers Branch TX = 888-727-0418.
GREEN SALES CO. in Cincinnati OH = 800-543-4959.
WESLEY OBSOLETE PARTS in Liberty KY = 606-787-5293.
No one else has any.
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D3TZ-1000396-C.. Absorber (rubber cushion) - Upper radiator support and upper front and rear cab mounts / Obsolete
PARTS INTERNATIONAL
CARPENTER NOS OBSOLETEPARTS None
GREEN SALES CO.
WESLEY OBSOLETE PARTS
No one has any.
Green Sales Co. doesn't have any.
Parts International was purchased by Bob Allen Ford
Wesley Obsolete Parts was purchased by a guy who only sells on ebay."
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Dual Horns from a 1992 - 1997 Ford pickup truck or Bronco. Louder than the ol single.

 

Starters & Distributors –if you have a 351M/400 pull off the factory distributor and the factory starter. Why? Because they will bolt on and work perfectly on your new 429/460 engine. If your 429/460 has a points-type distributor (most pre-1975 engines) then you should reuse your Bronco's Duraspark II electronic distributor.
One other neat little item you can use on your 429/460 is a 92-93 7.5L F-Series gear-reduction starter. They are smaller, weigh less, and have more torque than the standard full-size Ford 351M/400/429/460 starters. If you plan to install headers on your Bronco with a 429/460 engine, then the gear-reduction starter will give you a little more room to work with in a cramped engine compartment. You can purchase these starters from most auto parts stores for around $200.00.
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If you have a cracked door panel don't throw it away, you can easily fix it with Threebond Plastic Repair Kit. It's mostly used by motorcycle guys for repairing cracked fairings, but it works great on door panels. It has super glue and fiberglass cloth and makes the repaired area stronger than new.
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The GREEN with RED stripe wire coming from the cab connects to the 'I' input of the regulator. Note that if this truck was originally wired for gauges, the GREEN with RED stripe wire is sourced differently. If that's the case, you should make that clear.

The STA stud on the back of the alternator connects to the 'S' input of the regulator. If you have a factory electric-assist choke, the STA stud also branches to that.

The 'F' output of the regulator connects directly to the FLD stud on the back of the alternator.

The large output terminal of the alternator (sometimes labeled BATT or B+) connects to the battery side of the starter solenoid through a fusible link as well as the 'A' input of the regulator.
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That tool box is in a 69-71 truck NOT a 73-79, but it might fit? If you can find one.

 

This is for a mid ship tank, 4x4 truck fuel tank support that always rusts out and are about IMPOSSIBLE to find.

Mid ship fuel tank support cradle part # D7TZ9K134A - Reinforcement Assy. And more info in it here. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...ank-mount.html
And mid ship sending unit info D9TZ-9275-A (replaced D7TZ-9275-H & D8TZ-9275-D) .. Fuel Sending Unit-Use w/Mid-Ship Plastic Fuel Tank / Includes float, filter screen and gasket / Obsolete

Marked: D8TF-AA, AB, AC, DA; D9TF-AA.
Applications: 1977 F250 Regular Cab 4WD from serial number Y20,001 (not a High Boy) / 1978/79 F150/250 4WD Regular Cab / 1979 F350 4WD Regular Cab.
D9TZ-9275-A =
JST AUTOMOTIVE in Lebanon TN = 615-443-3086.
COLLECTORS AUTO SUPPLY in Oroville WA = 800-414-4462 (only number listed).

D7TZ-9275-H =
ANTIQUE AUTO SUPPLY in Arlington TX = 817-275-2381.
WESLEY OBSOLETE PARTS in Liberty KY = 606-787-5293.
GREEN SALES CO. in Cincinnati OH = 800-543-4959 / 513-731-3304.

D8TZ-9275-D =
JST AUTOMOTIVE
GREEN SALES CO.
WESLEY OBSOLETE PARTS
D9TZ-9275-A is the correct one for 1979 F350 4wd regular cab midship tank?
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99-03 Power Stroke/Super Duty BACK seats that will work in the front of a 73-79 reg cab. Unless you're pulling from an XL. The newer XLT-King Ranch trucks all have a 2 piece back seat that folds up, so I don't think they'd be able to be put in.
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The Warranty Plate has the VIN and misc codes stamped on it. It's located on the left door face below the latch.
The white Safety Standard Certification Label was introduced in 1970. It was glued to the B pillar (door post) below the striker plate on trucks.

 

This may seem out of sequence but before taking your truck apart.... ALIGN THE BODY PANELS!
When you're satisfied with gaps and positioning, drill 1/8-inch alignment holes at hood and door hinges, brackets, and at body panel overlaps and flanges. Or sharpie mark them, the door and hood hinges if you are going to pull them.

For example, this is the cowl to inner fender bracket and it is adjustable vertically and horizontally. Therefore two holes are required. The same applies to the hood hinges. Insert the drill bits to index the part and bolt it down... it is EXACTLY where it was before removal.

If you don't like random holes, the hole(s) can be hidden under the washers. I just dab and wipe a lil black RTV to seal it up. Or before pulling the hood or doors, scribe or sharpie the hood hinge position (all the way around) on the underside of the hood. Pulling the doors, scribe or sharpie the hinge placement on the cab, leave the hinges on the doors.
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That jumper wire pic is for the lights when you are working a NSS switch: Just a note, you could make a jumper plug out of the NSS. Cut the switch off the harness and splice the two pairs of wires. I just hate to cut these switches up. New, they're getting pricey. Here's the little jumper in the engine compartment

 

Ford 460 front to rear sump oil pan conversion

I purchased a Ford Racing Engine Swap Oil Pan and a set of Milodon pan bolts for my truck, which has a big dent in the side of it where the front differential hit it. (Previous owner doing jumps). It didn't go exactly to plan.
When I pulled the pan, I soon realized that you need a new oil pump. The old siphon tube presses in on the bottom; you need the type with the two bolt flange on the side. So I ordered a Ford racing oil pump as well. (Priority shipping was expensive). I found that the new main bearing stub doesn't have a nut or lock washer (3/8" flange nut), also the kit doesn't come with a gasket for the siphon tube or bolts for that matter.
During installation I had to remove a broken bolt, I used a set of Irwin screw extractors which worked great.
About an hour into trying to figure out why I couldn't get the four larger(5/16) bolts into the ends of the pan, I pulled it down and found that the new one piece gasket will only accommodate the 1/4" bolts like on the sides, but not the 5/16". I ended up drilling the inserts out with a 5/16 drill bit.

Parts needed for conversion:
Oil Pan: Ford Racing M-6675-A460 (Summit or Jegs)
Oil Pump: Ford Racing M-6600-A460 (Summit or Jegs)
Oil Pump to Engine Gasket (Included with Oil Pump)
Siphon Tube Gasket: Fel Pro 11792 (Summit, Jegs, any Auto Parts Store)
1 of each - Grade 8 (3/8" - 18 Thread) Black Flange Nut for Main cap bolt (True Value)
2 of each - Grade 8 Black (5/16" - 18 Thread) Flange nut & Lock washers. (True Value)
Oil pan bolts: Milodon 85010 (Summit or Jegs)

Additional Steps:
If your 460 has the 4 larger bolts, 2 at the timing cover, 2 at the rear main cap, You will need to drill the holes in the gasket using a 5/16 drill bit.
You have to man handle the new dip stick tube to get it to fit.

Review:
Although I ran into problems, the overall product is outstanding! The Milodon bolts are a little bit shorter than factory, but they look great against the black Ford racing oil pan. The pump pressure using the Ford High volume oil pump is also great, it is reading on the high side of normal on the gauge. The clearance is outstanding, and I will never attempt to use a four piece gasket with RTV again on an oil pan.
You can perform this conversion for around $250, well worth the time and money. Don't forget to buy oil and new filter.

AND You will also need a reverse sump oil pickup tube/screen and the special stud (1/2" -13 x 3/8" -16 x 4 11/16") used to mount it to the main bearing cap.

Trans and motor mount info:
If you have an auto trans and a complete donor car, its pretty easy. To do it on the cheap, get the 460 Lincoln engine AND the torque convertor from the car. Or buy a new convertor that fits that car. Get a pair of 360/390 motor mounts, oblong the two holes on the motor mounts with a chainsaw file or whatever works for you and they bolt on to the 460 block diagonally You will notice that the stud on the 360 mount is not centered so you want that stud toward the back of the 460. If you flip the 360 mount upside down it puts the stud toward the front you want it toward the back. Now you notice the top corner of the 360 mounts are in the way of the exhaust manifolds. You need to put them on a band saw and cut off about an inch or so from the top corner of the 360 mount so it clears the manifold. Cut one mount at a time so you cut the right corner off. Remember the stud needs to be toward the back of the 460 block. If you set your bandsaw up to cut a 45 degrees and you cut one and than the other the same way, one will work and the other won't because you cut the wrong corner off. If you hold them up to the 460 block you will see what I'm talking about.
So with the 351M removed, pull the 351m convertor out of the trans and put the 460 convertor into the front of the trans. and put the 460 in the truck. The studs on the 360 mount will drop into the frame perches in the truck and the trans will bolt to the back of the block and the convertor will bolt to the 460 flexplate.

Do you have this? D6TZ-6345-A .. Stud-Attaches pickup tube to #3 main bearing cap / 3/8" -16 & 1/2" -13 x 4.60" long.

 

For the dome light wire, hot-at-all-times power comes goes to the headlight switch as a GREEN with YELLOW stripe wire. Dome light power comes back out as a BLACK with BLUE stripe wire. The same color scheme is used at the door jamb switches. BLACK with BLUE stripe runs out to the actual dome light. BLUE with a RED stripe is instrument panel illumination. It comes out of the headlight switch to the fuse box, leaves the fuse box again as the same color and is distributed throughout the dash. There is no ground connection to the dome light switches or the headlight switches. These switches switch power, not ground.

1) Make sure you have 12 volts on both sides of the courtesy lamp fuse. This circuit is hot at all times, so it doesn't make a difference what position the key is in. If you have power on only one side, replace the fuse. If you don't have power on either side, then there is other work to do first.

2) Pull the dome light switches out and remove them. Make sure the terminal for the GREEN with YELLOW stripe wire in the connector has power.

3) Check the dome light switches for continuity. With the plunger all the way out (switch CLOSED), the switch should be shorted. With the plunger pushed all the way in (switch OPEN), the switch should be open. If not, replace the switch.

4) With power to the switch proven to be good, and the switches proven to be good, the dome light should light up. If the dome light does not light up, remove the cover and check for power at the dome light (not the side that's permanently grounded to sheetmetal) with the door OPEN. If you have power here, yet the bulb does not light up, replace the bulb.

This will prove out the door-side; if you get to the point that the doors turn the light on but the headlight switch will not, then we can cross that bridge.

 

COMPLETE FRONT CLIP REMOVAL Ok then here goes, this is just what works for me. I am going off memory and am a long way from my truck to go look. This worked on my none a/c 79 4x4 F250 w/standard transmission, more than once, and I used the same technique on a 79 Bronco with a/c and a automatic transmission. Painters tape on the door front edge when opened, and a little more plus the back edge of the fenders to prevent scratches. Disconnect battery and remove. Then drain radiator. Tag and bag each piece of hdwr, or stick it in a large piece of card board and mark it accordingly.
1. Make sure you park the truck where you can get both doors open. Or BEFORE you put it inside a narrow shop....Open each door and remove the one bolt on each side that is right between the hinges. Now put it in the narrow shop...lol.
2. Take a scribe or sharpie and trace a mark around the hood hinge positions on the underside and there the innerfenderwell 3 bolt brackets attach to the firewall or use the drill a hole/drill bit alignment method. This will be helpful come reinstallation/realignment time. Hood removal is really a 2 person job. If you go it alone, be careful, great way to scratch the hood/cowl. If the hood is all the way open, it is front heavy when you remove the bolts. I can’t really explain a 1 man job here, but it looks like a monkey f..in a football. Just get a helping hand for this, or use a engine puller UNDER IT. If the hinges are compressed once removed, be careful as they can pop back up easily and get a finger in the process. So just pull and unhook the spring from one end. 1st disconnect the hood ground on the passenger side and the hood light elec connection, if you have one. Make sure you make note of the stiffener brackets (under the hinges) position, if you have them. Ok hoods off. Or.....leave the hood on and go the heavy route.
3. At the very bottom edge/back side of each fender, is one bolt.
4. Make sure if you have the front fender/front edge to frame, small support bars (some do, some don't) remove them from the frame. I would remove them from the fender side also, just to prevent anything from getting bent.
5. Masking tape tag each electrical connection point on each side of the connection and mark them like (1-1), (2-2) or A-A, B-B and so on. There are 3? Main electrical connections on the dvrs side back by the fire wall, behind the hood hinge. Tape, tag, and disconnect.
6. There is an electrical harness that runs across the back side and above the fire wall on the passenger side and goes to the starter solenoid. Disconnect from solenoid (make sure you know make note, where each elbow plug goes on the starter solenoid.) There is a plug for voltage regulator, and then lay wiring on engine. Disconnect the ground wire from passenger side solenoid to eng block (remove from solenoid side).
7. Look over the area behind the headlights/behind the core support area (each side for 1 small square plug) and the windshield washer tank for a elec plug in the front end of the tank. And the rubber feed line that goes to the T up by the cowl.
8. Top and bottom radiator hoses from back side of radiator. Fold rubber hoses back out of the way and zip tie, so they do not flip back open. Is it a automatic transmission? Disconnect transmission lines from radiator and cap lines.
9. There are these 1” or 2” wide rubber straps (one on each side) on the back side of the metal inner fenderwells that attach to the firewall, disconnect from firewall.
10. Scribe mark where the bracket that support the inner fenderwells (where it attaches to the fire wall). Remove 3 bolts per side.
11. Now if you are lucky here, down on EACH side of the radiator there is one main mount bolt for the radiator core support. Lucky meaning, it will come out and is not all rusty and stuck. But if it is rusty, stuck and or the head is stripped. Time for the sawzall. Red Diablo blades here and carefully cut between the top of the frame rail and the bottom of the core support. These bushings and bolt parts are available. A torch is not a good idea here the rubber bushings will smoke/catch fire like crazy.
12. Have an old tire or some other similar support to set the front clip down on once removed. Put it under the middle of the core support/radiator. So you do not bend the front edge of your fenders.
13. I use 2 other FTE buddies + myself and we just pull the complete front clip off. Make sure the plastic inner fenderwell liners do not get hung up on the shock brackets. As far as by yourself, attach the cherry picker to the middle of the core support, it can be done with a piece of cable, some folks just pull the radiator and use chain. Make sure you triple ck all electrical connections and the core support bushings are free. Lift it up just a bit and ck the fenders, and then lift it up again, just a little. At 1st you are wanting to pull it more forward than up, so that the back edge of the fenders contact the back side of the tires. Like I said, it’s doable, but a PITA as far as a one man show. 2 guys can pull it way easier.
I am NOT positive on all the electrical connections, but that is the big stuff. I am sure some FTE members are reading this and will double ck me and chime in with what ever I missed. Or maybe they have a better hood trick?
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That tool box behind the seat tool is in the back of a 69-71 NOT a 73-79, but I think it might fit?
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You have to drill out the bottom frame hole just a bit to get a extension in there to get to the crossmember nuts.
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Intermittent wiper relay pic, if you are going parts hunting for the swap.

 

SD leaf springs:
The leaf spring bushings are slightly larger than the original hanger, so grinding the bushing down is a reasonable solution. This only has to be done to the front of the spring. For the rear, I replaced the pivot bushings, and used an off the shelf Toyota poly bushing used in 80's era 4x4's. These bushings had to be modified a little to fit, but worked perfectly. By taking a small torch to the old bushings, they popped right out, and left a small metal insert in the pivot itself. I was able to leave this in there and not fight it to remove. This can be tough to remove while the pivot is still in the truck.

By taking about 10 thousandths off of the bushing itself, it went in with little trouble. This is almost a perfect fit. Then I lubed up the metal insert, and viola, it is the same width as the spring bushing, and a perfect fit. Front end is done, and everything lines up. Oh, if the leaf is equipped with a military wrap design, it may have to be either cut or removed to fit the smaller hanger of the highboy. Later 78/9 bolt on hangers are larger and fit the military wrap leaf. Longer front shackles will have to be made, and the new length should be right at the 5.75" mark. This will provide enough room for the spring to flex and keep the spring from hitting the frame. This has been a problem I have been working out over time. Quality material and thick steel has to be used here. Too small or thin and the shackle will flex.

For the rear, the popular thing to do is the shackle flip. Since this requires the removal of the rear hanger anyway, half of the work is already done. Now since the perfect donor hanger is to use the fixed hanger found at the front of the rear spring, this means that another hanger needs to be installed where this one was removed.
Step by step:
Remove both hangers, and throw the inverted rear hangers in trash.
Purchase, a longer hanger for the front of the rear spring. 1/2 ton, or 2wd hangers are longer and will provide more lift. Make sure that the width is the same as the spring. Chevy hangers can be used here too.
Align the 64" rear spring so the axle is centered in the wheel opening.
Install the newly purchased hanger in the front of the spring and attach to the frame.
Install the original front hanger in the very rear of the spring and hang the shackle from this. Bolt up and verify that all hangers are level. Use a quality fastener here.

This will net some pretty serious lift and much will depend on the rear spring that you use. This 64" spring is easy to find in the salvage yard, and will cost way less than new springs.

I am telling you, this system works and works well. Not expensive either. My front leafs ran about 500 bucks for the pair, a great friend gave me a set of leafs (thanks again ChaseTruck754) and my hangers ran about 40 bucks from the salvage yard. This clears 40"rubber, and flexes like crazy.
Rides well, I mean extremely well, and I still tow a car hauler with a rather large 1 ton truck with this truck.
When looking for spring hangers, don’t limit yourself to just this era of ford trucks. They are limited in numbers at the salvage yards and just try to find a new one at a dealership. That being said, you can use a later model spring hanger, the hanger does not care. I suggested that one look into chevy hangers, if you are going to remove the spring from a 2000 plus silverado, grab the front hanger too. Use this on the front of the spring, and then use the factory ford one on the very back of the spring for the shackle flip. This is a very inexpensive way to lift a vehicle and still use the comfort and versatility of the newer spring.
I used:
Front:
8" BDS front springs from a 99 to 04 "gas" Super Duty
Extended my front shackles, they now measure 6 inches from center to center
Custom front shock mounts (17" travel front shocks)
Stainless braided front brake lines
Crossover steering (Dana60F) and power steering conversion using Saginaw 16:1 box
U bolt flip
Rear:
Stock 64" long 3500 series chevy silverado rear leaf
2001 chevy silverado 1500 series front spring hanger mounted lower to provide more lift
Stock Ford front spring hanger installed in the very rear to accommodate shackle flip
Relocated shock mount to accommodate 14" travel shocks
Stainless steel brake line
1. They are quite simple, you will have to follow some of my old threads, or read some of the posts where we have discussed it in great detail. You will have to cut or remove the military wrap leaf to clear the small spring hangers, and you will have to make longer shackles. The SD springs use larger fasteners so you will have to drill the hanger to 18mm or step up to 3/4" bolts. The shackles are going to get drilled anyway, so you can go with the metric stuff or use 9/16" SAE.

2. My set up on the red 74 (now its a 74, as I have since sold the 75. I had two identical trucks a coupe of years ago, and they sort of evolved into one truck) is a BDS 8" front spring pack with 2 leafs removed. Custom shackles to allow for additional travel, custom front shock mounts using 2.25" diameter smooth body shocks, 17" stroke.
Rear is a bone stock 3500 series Chevy Silverado leaf pack with zero lift, stock 4 inch block and a shackle flip using stock hangers.
That’s it, it clears 39.5" boggers. Unfortunately I do not run bump stops so my fenders take a beating and are always wrinkled.

ADVICE#2
Now we are starting to see why alternative lifts are becoming popular.
With 10 inches, one could assume that you have a desire to clear 44" rubber right?
I only ask because, 10" SD front springs will give you greater than 10 inches of lift over your stock height.

You will have to grind the spring eye bushings a little to fit inside of the 75 spring hangers. A few minutes with a flap wheel and an angle grinder will make short work of this. You will also have to make longer shackles for the front springs. If you do not jump the truck, or get overly aggressive, you can get away with a shackle that is 5.25 inches. This will clear the frame, and allow a decent amount of pivot. The shackle angle will increase with the use of the longer SD spring, but this angle is good, and contributes to the better ride quality. At this time, you will probably want to replace the front pivot bushings. I can guarantee that your 30 year old ones are shot.
You will want to be aware that this extended shackle does affect "caster" so caution must be used when making this modification. Too long, and the pinion angle gets whacky, and the truck steers very slow.
You will have to remove the entire leaf that makes up the "military wrap". This is the second leaf in the pack. The diameter will not fit in the stock hanger. I have run with the entire leaf removed, and have cut the wrapped portion out of the pack. Removing the leaf itself allows for more flex. I have yet to encounter a failure, or bend a main leaf after a removal. I am pretty hard on my vehicles. After this, the spring mounting hardware will have to be addressed. The bushings are a larger diameter, and will require you to drill the hanger to a larger size. You can either drill to 18mm and buy an 18mm bolt for the front, or make the bushing larger to accommodate a 3/4" bolt. Since you are making your own shackles, you can use the stock size upper bolt, and drill the lower to the appropriate size.

For the rear, you have many options here, but the best so far, is to ditch the stock leaf all together. You will probably consider a shackle flip, and since you are removing the rear pivot, you might as well remove and replace the front one as well. What I did was remove the front fixed hanger and mounted it to the rear. This creates a new mount for the shackle. For the front fixed mount, I replaced mine with a late Chevy hanger. It was longer and created more lift. These lift figures will vary depending on how you mount it to the frame. The longest hangers can create as much as 6 inches of lift when combined with a shackle flip.
Alright, so you have the hangers off completely, and now you have a few options. The best option here is to use a 64" long rear leaf, also from a late model Chevy truck. 2wd, or 4wd this does not matter, and it will fit the shackle, and hanger from your highboy.
I used the very end bolt holes as a reference for my new bolt holes. The very outside holes became the inside mounting holes. This required me to drill a bunch of holes for the new 1/2" hardware, but I was confident in axle alignment because I was able to use 4 existing holes. Shackle angle is at 23 degrees, and has a bunch of flex with a 2wd 1500 64" stock leaf. Longer shackles will change this, blah, blah, blah, you get the idea. Feel free to cruise around and see some of the other mods required for this complete modification.
Weight capacity is very limited if you use a 1/2 ton rated spring. The fix here is to use a 3/4 ton spring.
Lift figures will vary based upon different springs, and which hangers you use. It is very easy to create the 10+ inches of lift with this method of lift, and though it sounds rather complex, it is really pretty easy, as long as you can read a tape measure, and are careful to attach everything with safety in mind.
These rather flat springs really flex well, and offer a fantastic ride over the stock units. Because they are flat, they do a pretty good job of controlling the axle, and help to eliminate wheel hop. I can really lay on the throttle, and spin up the rear tires in any condition, and the axle does not hop. It does get a little weird if I lock the brakes up, but this has only happened once or twice.
While this combo sounds like a bunch of work, when compared to the amount of work required for a similar modification, the rewards are well worth the effort.
Shock lengths become the limiting factor, because the springs at this point are capable of more travel than the shocks can travel when using the stock mounting locations, but for the weekend user, the stock locations will be fine. For a more aggressive user, new mounts that are farther apart will be a benefit.
I am still working out the bugs for additional travel, but I am using just about all of the stroke of a 14" front shock. Not bad for such a large truck. Fenders really suffer (Thanks again to Steve / chasetruck754 for all of the fenders I keep crushing, lol), a little because of the additional flex, but this can be eliminated with the use of an aftermarket bump stop.
Guess I should state the obvious: brake lines, steering, drive shafts will all have to be addressed.
I use 8 inch lift front Super Duty Springs for a 99 to 04 gas truck.
1) Grind SD spring bushings to fit existing spring hangers
2) Drill hanger and shackle to accommodate larger mounting hardware.
a) Drill hanger to 18mm or 3/4". If 3/4" is desired, ream bushing as well.
3) Make a new shackle that is longer than stock. 5.25" seems to be alright as long as the shackle bushings in the pivot are new.
a) Replace shackle pivot bushings with toyota poly bushings, and you won’t have to remove the steel sleeve within the pivot itself. This is difficult to do. Using the toyota bushing eliminates the need to grind and remove the pivot. (Toyota 4X4 early 80's spring bushings are almost a direct fit.)
b) New center bolt can be 9/16" and all new hardware should be used. This will also fit the new spring very well.
4) Some springs will require the removal of the military wrap leaf. This leaf may be too large to fit inside of the front hanger. Removal also increases overall wheel travel.
5) Shackle angle is increased, so verify that the shackle will not strike the frame during suspension cycles.

 

This a story about changing from stock exhaust manifolds to fenderwell exit headers. Or if you are just changing stock exhaust manifold gaskets. Truck is a 79 F250 4x4 351M 4 spd.
The #1 thing in my book is to LUBE THE HELL outa those soon to be old exhaust bolts.
I would use PB blaster or Sea Foam Deep Creep. If the vehicle is not your daily driver, soak them as much a possible for like a week straight.
Use the red tube to get right in there, spray the top side of the bolt head and let it soak. This step is very important because you do not want to break off any of those bolts.
I have heard of heating up the bolts with a torch, good way to burn up your valve cover gaskets, and catch fire to your sprayed on lube, I always change them cold.
I even heard of starting the truck to heat up those bolts, great way to burn your hands and fingers. Remember LUBE LUBE LUBE, jack up truck to a comfortable working height, take off front tires. And do all the other safety stuff, block rear tires ect....
I start on the passenger side, it’s always easier. Do not try to "snap" torque the bolts loose, use a slow draw break torque. And use a quality socket, as straight on as possible.
If you break one, don't panic, you do not have to remove the head to fix this problem, at least I didn't, and I broke 3 on pass side and 2 on dvs side, on 1 truck and 2 and 2 on another.
If you do continue removing the rest of the bolts, hopefully with better luck. And then ditch that ol heavy stock factory manifold, do not throw them away those stock suckers are pricy especially the dvs side, why I do not know.
If there is any bolt left sticking out of the head after you remove the rest of them and the exhaust manifold maybe you can vice grip it and get it to break loose. Probably not, and you only gouge it up.
Some guys say they can weld a nut on there and get it out, those guys are luckier than me. If it’s broke flush with the head, just keep reading.
If you do break a bolt, use a GOOD QUALITY set of drill bits to drill it out. Use a center punch to make sure you start in the middle, VERY IMPORTANT. Start with a smaller bit and work your way up to a bigger one.
Match your drill bit to your tap size needed for the correct bolt size. 7/16 1/2 or 9/16 can't remember. I would then tap in new threads. As a tech note if you are going to re-tap the hole weld the tap into a old 3/8 drive socket that way you can get in there with a extension and get it tapped right the first time.
I WOULD NOT USE A EASY OUT, been there done that, broke it off in the hole, another long story.
If you are having trouble tapping in new threads, might be able to use a "helicoil" thread insert, easy to use, buy it in a kit, just have to drill out a bigger hole to insert the thread coil. Debur or run a tap in to clean out the old holes best you can.
Get new hardware, grade 8 or better, do not use the hdwr provided (junk) not enough washer face to the header flange. I got mine with a premade large washer, and use the lock washers with the little face to face lock teeth.
They are called Norlock fasteners, got them and my bolts from Fastenall, use some thick header gaskets from Jeff's Bronco Graveyard, pricy but awesome. Make sure you use anti seize compound on the hardware.
DO NOT have any solvent on your hands when you install the gaskets, it will cause a hot spot on the gasket and burn it up. Passenger side inner fenderwell will need a bit of trimming or bend outa the way for now, trim later.
2 people makes this part a lot easier, while you wrestle the header into position, from under the truck, your helper will align the gaskets and start the bolts, all hand tight at first.
If you are having trouble getting it in, try taking off the shock tower, 3 bolts ? Might give you more wiggle room, did for me especially on the dvs side. Evenly tighten down bolts, all the while making sure the header doesn't catch on anything.
Ck the clearance on the cab mount frame bracket to the collector area, grind the bracket as needed. Use a quality audioable Tq wrench, start at minimum working your way to max. STOP THERE, DRINK ONE BEER, AND GET READY FOR OTHER SIDE.
Ok on dvs side, remove dip stick and tube (plug pan to stop oil leak) and brake line coil from master cylinder to frame mounted proportional valve. Cap/plug all opening, brake fluid in the eye is a M...F....
Probably have to remove that brake line clamp plate from back side of shock tower, remember to take the tower outa the way also. Bend/trim inner metal fenderwell and install in same order as passenger side.
Reinstall all the other stuff you took off, remember to re-bleed brakes. Make sure nothing is touching your headers, spark plug wires, fuel line ect...I would start the truck with open headers, so you can soak up the fruits of your hard labor.
Some smoke is normal from all the lube and the paint burning off YOUR new headers. Let truck idle, blip throttle to scare the neighbors, again make sure nothing is touching the headers.
Decide if you are man enough to drive it around the block, let idle till all the smoke quits. Shut off and do a torque ck on those bolts. CAREFULL THE HEADERS ARE HOT!
The torque will be different due to the bolts being hot now, do a minimum tq ck. Start in middle and work your out.
Decide what exhaust system you want to use, cherry bombs, flowmasters, I prefer straights to stacks. If you are not going to do it yourself, make appt with muffler shop, have fun driving there. Remember you can install a Y-style muffler bypass with cap.
I do another cold torque ck then next day. And then again in a day or two after they settle in place from driving/muffler hanging on them. If you used those cool lock washers should have no problems.
I know this is long but hope it helps, have fun let us know how it turns out, and throw in a pic.
If you own a ½ ton go to this thread 7-24-2010 “My 460 needs to be heard” ½ ton swap with pics.

Also see post #52 for a recap on this.

 

use Rustoleum Industrial Aluminum spray paint, comes in a 33% more can. Used less than half can to do inner fenders for around $12 a can, the primer is about $8. It dries really fast, goes on thick, and never gets runs. I used Rustoleum Industrial spray paint for everything. I have painted all kinds of things like the fire walls on a 68 cougar xr7, 1956 ford, 1955 ford Crown Victoria, numerous parts, and a whole van for a friend.

It goes on really good with one coat, lots of coverage, 2nd coat has to be within an hour, or after 48 or something, I just do 1 coat. I tried other spray paint, but this is my favorite, for a rattle can job anyways. It's enamel, so it takes long time to cure. It does dull, and in a year I do expect to see rust coming out again, From Acklands Grainger.
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Cowl painting advice:
Poly is not the same as epoxy. You need to lay down an epoxy primer over the areas of bare metal, let dry, give a light scuff then you can either lay down a poly surfacer ( high build) over the whole truck to fill any imperfections then block smooth and then spray primer sealer over the high build, block smooth then top coat or you can skip the poly surfacer and just go directly to sealer over the epoxy if you think your body work is good enough. Then top coat.
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Ever seen a 77 grill on a 78/79 Bronco, it will fit just to be different.
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SD rear seat in a 79

 

Slotted (mags) or turbine/slots aluminium wheel lug nut info. Gorilla Automotive 75187 - Gorilla Lug Nuts
Summit racing • $10.99 Lug Nuts, Shank with Washer, 1/2 in. x 20 RH, Closed End, Chrome Plated Steel, Set of 4
Brand Gorilla Automotive
Manufacturer's Part Number 75187
Part Type Lug Nuts
Product Line Gorilla Lug Nuts
Summit Racing Part Number GOR-75187
Lug Nut Thread Size 1/2-20 RH in.
Lug Nut Seat Style Shank
Lug Nut Head Style Standard
Open End Design No
Lug Nut Shank Length (in) 1.000 in.
Lug Nut Shank Diameter (in) 0.740 in.
Washer Included Yes
Washer Shape Centered round
Washer Outside Diameter (in) 1.125 in.
Lug Nut Material Steel
Lug Nut Overall Length (in) 2.000 in.
Wrench Size Required (in) 7/8 in.
Lug Nut Finish Chrome
Quantity Sold as a set of 4.
The Gorilla #75187 lug nuts are the correct fit for your aluminum slotted mags.
They have the correct 1.000" shank length and .740" shank diameter to properly fit your wheel.
Be certain to buy the correct part number, Gorilla also makes the same lug nut in a .750" shank length and .685" shank diameter #73187, while these will "work"..
the wheel will not be properly centered.
correct: Gorilla 75187 Chrome Duplex Mag Lug Nuts 1 2 in x 20 RH | eBay
incorrect: Gorilla 73187 Chrome Std MAG Lug Nuts 1 2 in x 20 RH | eBay
You can also buy these locally at most parts stores.