Thought I'd start a thread to share some of the goofy / idiotic stuff we've found while working on older used trucks. I picked up my '89 F250 about half a year ago now and I came across an interesting bit of work from a previous owner while I was giving it some initial servicing / work to get it on the road.


I had had the truck in the garage on jack stands for a few days to pull the wheels off and check brakes, grease wheels bearings, check locking hubs and also replace a bad axle seal. After a couple days of this work I noticed a small puddle of atf on the ground beneath the transfer case, which had a wet spot around the drain plug. So a day or two later before I pulled the truck out of the garage I climbed under there to check things out. I decided to drain the tc and have a look at the plug / threads, which is when I noticed that there was no Teflon tape on either of the pipe threaded plugs. So I wrapped them up, put the drain plug back in and after coming up with an interesting contraption to pour fluid into the filler hole (I don't have a fluid pump handy), I filled it up and gave both plugs a final tightening (just snug). As I was wiping up and about to crawl out from under there I noticed a small crack in the housing, between the drain plug and the bottom of the case.


Seems to me like whoever had the fluid out of this thing before me didn't know they had to add Teflon tape to pipe threads. At that point the thing probably started leaking like I had seen, which is when they decided that it must not be tight enough and reefed in in as good as possible (it was pretty tight to get out). I ended up buying some of that "liquid metal" stuff that can be formed onto something and left to harden. Seems to do the trick and I don't think the crack will spread (knock on wood).


Anyway there's my story, I'd like to see what you guys have seen on your rigs!

 

Seems like a pretty typical situation. Sorry about your cracked case; at least some of those metal filled materials are pretty good.

One of the things I liked about my truck was that I could see how many parts the previous owner had replaced in the past year - alternator, thermostat neck, wiper motor, wiper control, radiator, hoses, belts, ignition parts, rubber brake lines, heater core, and other parts he had receipts for like the water pump.

Most of the installation work was done well, but a couple things were not working. Leaking fuel lines leaking were not too hard to fix, but I did discover one tank was not even hooked up and the selector was removed underneath. The front tank was actually full but not connected to anything - capped with a hose to connect outlet and return. The switch on the dash was taped down even though it isn't connected to anything! LOL

I think it was the leaking gas and the lack of working cab heat that put him over the edge. It had a brand new heater core, radiator, hoses, thermostat, and temp sensors. Why wasn't the cab heat working? Why wasn't the temp gauge on the dash working? Turned out that the brand new thermostat (SafeStat) was stuck wide open and the temp sensor was bad (not even sure it was the right part!). $25 in parts and now good to go , but even I was scratching my head for a while.

 

The previous owner on my truck ran six different pieces of wire for the old fog lights that were on it, that's about it.

On an 85f150 I had the carb was held on by bailing wire and zip ties when I picked it up

 

1989 ford 302. Previous owner obviously had valve cover leak and tried cranking them down and snapped bolts off into the heads. So the easiest way to fix was to weld the valve covers to the broken bolts.

Not the best time removing them..

 

LOL... That ain't in the manual

 

I found an adjustable vacuum leak on my 88. A T was spliced into the vacuum line running to the BPS, with the new line plugged into brass valve with a built in filter. Adjusting the opening on the valve adjusted the vacuum leak. I replaced the BPS, and removed the contraption, along with some other tune up work, and it seems to run fine, if a little wheezy. Still not sure why the PO put it in, but before I replaced the BPS, if I closed the valve down, the idle RPMs would drop, and the engine would stumble.
Never had any codes with it...

 

I had a Bronco once that I sold with 200K miles on it. One day I saw my Bronco at a stoplight and there was just a little smoke coming out from under the driver's side rear. I wondered, "what is back there that would smoke?" since the exhaust is on the passenger side. A year or so later, I found that Bronco on CL and bought it. When I got it home, I learned where the smoke was coming from. One of the POs (it had been thru 3 owners in the 4 years it was gone from me) had found excessive blow-by was filling the airbox with oil so he fashioned a road tube using heater hose that went from the valve cover vent all the way back down the frame and exited just in front of the rear bumper. I then found the vacuum line to the PCV valve plugged with carbon, I repaired that, and removed the road tube.

 

On my 88 I found the brake line taped to the axle tube.


On the 91 F150 the door handles are pieces of rebar hoping that if I fix the truck (probably won't) that the PO didn't weld it but probably did.


on the 92 F250 the entire exhaust is hung up by 2 chains with bolts.


on my 94 explorer the trailer brake controller (now removed) was hooked up with electrical wire from a house.


On a 90 Ford Econoline we use to have the ignition actuator broke and the PO welded a bar to the rod and you started it like that. LOL I never got the chance to fix it before it burnt up in the house fire.


On a parts bronco 2 we had the steering wheel was either a crescent wrench or vice grips.

On the 91 F250 I found a line for the overflow of the front tank to the rear tank. I guess that is one way to save fuel?
Their is probably more but those are the only ones I can remember right now.
Trav

 

My Bronco had the rear spring shackles and brackets replaced. In order to properly bolt the new bracket to the frame, you need to either remove the gas tank, or somehow fish the bolts up in between the frame and the tank. Apparently the shop that replaced them didn't want to bother with that, so they put two bolts in on one side, and tack welded the other side of the bracket to the frame. The gas tank is rusted out and leaking, so I will be replacing it this spring. While I have the tank out, I will be grinding the welds off and will properly bolt the shackle brackets to the frame.

 

1988 f150 found a couple missing pieces in the MM locking hubs, solution- brand new Warn hubs.

 

Changed my headlights out today on my 95. Drivers side was held in with zip ties because it had been replaced one time and they didn't buy the 3 new retainer clips.

 

My biggest discovery despite the fact that mine was horribly maintained up until I got her, she has become a well running tough as nails truck, least for a 302 that has been shown no mercy since the factory.

 

I hear you on that, previous owner took out the center gear in my lockouts so i wouldnt have 4x4 since i got it for a steal. Installed new mile markers and the truck never ran again....

 

Hit mail box today, warn premium hubs installed now,yes !!!! PROGRESS IS GOOD

 

After getting one home , years ago , after a trade . I found something . The brake peddle felt good but the brakes were not correct . Found the line going to the rear rusted out , folded and hammered flat against the frame ! It had new shoes and wheel cyl. on the rear also ....