I am installing a 2000 Explorer CD/cass combo into my 97 F150. I have installed the required harness conversion. BUT, the metal guide that the plastic bushing fits on to align the radios are different. What do I need to install so the newer radio will slide onto this bracket?
The end of my antenna cable (dash end) is very bad. Can I replace the end or change the entire cable? If changeout is required, does anyone have a suggestion on how to snake it out and back in with the new one?
morobert15

 

Hi morobert15 and welcome to FTE

Can you use the plastic bracket off your old radio on the new one?
I dont think you can change the end of the antenna cable. What is wrong with it? Can it just be cleaned well?
If you end up replacing the cable you will need to remove the passenger's side inner fender liner to access it. Once that is out the way it's pretty much just pull the old cable out and fish the new one in.

 

Racerguy:
Thank you for the welcome. I just found this on the net, didn't know it existed. I live a couple hundred miles south of you. One of the first fords I owned was a 64 1/2 Mustang special car as I learned when buying replacement parts, super fast (this was 1971).
The end of the cable is pretty crusty and the armoured portion is not connected to the end plug. When I tested the new Cass/CD in the truck with the harness conversio I did not clean and test the AM side. I was just so happy that the CD and harness adapter worked because I bought it off e-bay. I will go clean and test the cable, it was pretty rusty and corrorded. At the same time I will take my flashlight to view the inner fender to see how hard that will be. Now the plastic guide. I have both. They work on the same concept but are mounted to the radios differently. One mounts on the bottom and the other mounts on the top of the radio. My assumption is that I might be able to get one of the metal guides that the plastic receiver slides on to from a newer vehicle and bolt it in. The hole that the radio fits in is the same from at least 97 to possible the 04s. The radio units are the same for those years and fit many different models (explorer, FXXX, mustang, tauraus and some others) with what it seems as minor modifications. I know many will ask why I just didn't go for an after market unit. Been there, done that, I like to keep them as stock appearing as possible as I know from past experience that so vehicle can really get butchered in this process and you can really pay for it later.
morobert15

 

Some radio units have a place to put the platstic guide at both top and bottom. You just swap it around for the application.

 

Thank you HomerWinzlow for your reply. I just checked both units and you are correct on the older unit, I can flip it. The newer one I can't. Like I told Racerguy I will need to do some research to look at what different metal guides Ford used for the plastic receiver and see if one will interchange. The older one is much larger then what will be needed for the Cass.CD combo because of the difference in physical sizes of the units. The face plate area is the same but behind it under the dash the older one has a large empty area which houses the CD unit on the newer model. On the older unit the metal guide takes up much of the empty area so the newer one would be much smaller mounted below the entire unit. It is either wrecking yard time to have a look see or dig through the expoded views of the different models drawings/prints at a dealer or some place. Anyone know if these are viewable online?
morobert15