Why do you think the balancer was loose in the first place? Hope it's not the threads.

I think when I was messing with getting the timing close we broke loose the bolt. I just tightened it the other day and took the truck for a drive and no problems at all. Like I said the truck has tons of power.
Trav

Ok so yesterday took my brothers alternator off his 89 F350 and put it on my truck. Now my battery light is gone and my voltmeter works. It is still a 2G alternator but is a 80 or something like that amp instead of 65 amp. Once I get the truck closer to good and I have the money I will do a 3g swap.
Trav

Ok so a few updates. Being my truck sat 2 1/2 years with a broken out back window it had a rats nest and glass all under the seat.
So I took the bench seat out cleaned it all up (found $3 in the process).
Next I took some baking soda and water and cleaned the steering wheel. Being the last 2 owners had mechanics driving it the truck had a greasy steering wheel. Now it is in almost new shape hopefully will get a steering wheel cover.
Then as seen in the pics probably the previous owners did a hack job on the wiring to the tail lights so I removed all of the wiring to the trailer hook up for now. I will be putting a flat 5 on here since that is what our trailers use and I will be hauling just not as much as I did with the 86 F150.
I still have to wire up my license plate lights going with duals.
Next my dad straightened a license plate and painted over something I didn't like so now I have a license plate (it has the American flag next to the Arizona flag and underneath it says Apache junction even though I live in snowflake I go to Apache junction a lot (not with this truck)).
Also found out the speedometer drive gear in the BW 1356 t-case is gone completely. Need to get one and install it.
So I have a few more questions:
Does autozone, carquest, napa, or O'rielly sell the speedometer gear?
What bulbs do I need for the dash indicator lights?
What color should I paint my rear bumper (going to take it off and straighten it now that I see it is in better shape then I thought)? It is silver or black for the bumper?
Trav

I ordered a speedo gear from Summit a few weeks ago for like $10. The local places (autozone, advance, napa) would've had to order it and it was slightly more expensive.

Just checked all the auto parts stores around here nobody can get the speedometer gear that goes on the out put shaft of the BW1356 t-case. Checked a local auto repair shop no go there and checked 2 local trans shops 1 said no way the other said he might be able to and will get back with me. The one that I know had it went out of business. I would prefer not to order online. I may go to the local junkyard soon and check it out because of a few reasons.

Yesterday I picked up new chrome housing license plate lights for the back bumper at 3 dollars a pop wasn't bad. Today an auto glass company is coming to replace a windshield on another truck and he is going to check out why mine is leaking since his company screwed up the install in the first place.

started up my truck the other day and ran great then after about 30-45 seconds it started squeaking by the belt thought oh no bad water pump. Then I looked and listened hard it was the alternator that I just put on the truck from the 89 squeaking. so this one has bad bearings in it.

So when I go to the junkyard I need to pickup these parts:
possibly rear bumper
speedometer gear possibly (I know the guy he may give me it for next to nothing).
an alternator (might grab a 3G but need to know what is will work if I can't find a good 3g will just grab a 2g for now)
knobs for headlight and windshield washer
intermediate wiper switch (unless I have one right now my truck doesn't have intermediate wipers)
and that's pretty much it but probably won't be able to get all of them in one run.

Also my brother is going to let me have a CD/AM/FM radio cheapo one he has until I get a better one since this one is suppose to go into his B2. No idea if it works though. I have good speakers in the door and 2 more I am going to put behind the seat.
Trav

I'd buy a new alternator if I were you. You get what you pay for with those kind of things and they can cause a breakdown if not working. New ones aren't that crazy expensive and you don't have to worry about the rectifier or bearings going out.

Ya still thinking on all that.
Trav

ok so a couple updates. As I started driving it yesterday I found out that the alternator stopped squeaking and squealing. So what I am guessing is there was tons of dirt built up in the alternator making it make that noise. I think some more lube and some more driving it might go away.
Also took some steel wool and polished up my chrome tip that was starting to rust. Cleaned up good still has some pits in it but I can't help that and it probably will pit again anyways because of these backroads.
Took the truck for a drive and turned the heater on and looked down at the passenger sided as I saw a puddle form of water. So y'all know what that means Bad heater core. Overall the truck has tons of power I did notice when she is cold or first started she is very sluggish but once she warms up she just flys. When she was warmed up I tried seeing what she could do on the backroads and automatically flooring it from dead stop the tires spun. So I had to gradually build into it and got to 45mph or so (guessing since no speedometer) in probably about 3.5 or so seconds. Had to slow down though since backroads started to get a bit rough. Last time I am doing that though don't want to ruin her.
More to come hopefully a bit more work done today but don't know might have to work on the bike.
Trav

Well yesterday replaced the heater core. Previous owner messed somethings up so I had to fix it right while I was in there. Got sick and tired of those stupid clamps not working so threw them in the garbage and put better ones on it. Heater is now a bit cold but I didn't run the truck that long. Tomorrow might take the truck up the road some guy is getting rid of some tractor tires and such so going to pick them up with my truck or the 89 F250 maybe both depending on if the wiring is put up in the 89 F250 or not. Should be a decent run to try her out. Got to still adjust my headlights but they seem to be fairly close kinda hard to tell with the Sylvania super whites I am running. Got a hitch I am going to paint up soon and throw on her so I don't have to ruin my bumper more plus a hitch is 10xs better to use anyways.
Trav

Update today that is going to change everything:
Sat on the side of the road till I got the 02 F250 to tow me home. Drove it on the highway transmission wouldn't shift pulled over checked fluid bone dry ran to the local store with somebody got ATF fluid threw it in there fired her up put her in reverse then drive and stalled out. Started her up again rod started knocking next thing I know it throws a rod. I think the oil pump may have been bad. Going to be a while till I get my 88 F150 back on the road. Plus before all this got a flat right now sitting on a spare right now till I can get my tire mounted on the rim.

(on top of all this the 07 Harley wouldn't start dead battery).
Trav

Wow, a bad day for sure. That stuff can happen with something that hasn't been on the road for a long time and has a lot of unknowns.

Think you're going to try to find another engine or just rebuild yours? Unless you're REALLY attached to it, it may be better to buy another running and driving truck and just use your '88 as a parts truck. Just thinking about how much $$$ you may have to sink into your/an engine, anything that may now be an issue with the trans now, and any more unknowns...

The truck has way to much sentimental value to me for multiple reasons. Not to mention I only have $800 including the purchase price in this truck and it has an almost perfectly straight and a rust free body and frame. Around here to find a decent running truck of the same era and close to the same shape would be $2500+ and that would probably be running rough. I figure fix my 88 F150 up then I know I have a dead reliable truck compared to a truck needing work and spend the same amount if not more to get it all in the same shape if not better. Besides I may have found a engine (94 bronco) with trans, t-case, pcm, intake, and more for $400 all though the trans I can't use the 5.0L I can and still have parts for later on going to MAF. Worse case scenario on the trans I will rebuild it but I think it is still good. To tell you the truth later on down the road I wanted to go a roller cam engine anyways and do the MAF conversion wasn't expecting this fast but oh well.
The conversion probably won't be done till summer or so. So more then likely I will be driving the 85 chevy or my moms 97 expy till then (which the expy is still fun to drive but not as much as my 88).


On a side note got some 70s chrome and black knobs for the headlight and wiper switch they fit great and look great. They were free. Also for free got a cobra 18 series fits in my cb mount got to still hook it up and all will do that after I get the engine fixed.
Trav

Ok so I have aceess to two different engines and trying to decide really on what to do.

My buddy has a 80s (believe late 80's) EFI 302 engine not sure if it runs or not but the guy he got it from said it does. Been sitting a bit so I would probably fix a few things (oil pump for sure this time) and he wants $100. This one is just like what I have I believe so it isn't roller cam.

Now another guy I know has a 94 Ford Bronco with a dismantle tittle he wants $400 for 302 engine trans (e4OD I believe not sure) t-case, PCM and all the intake and such. This one is a roller cam but this one is in a local sheriffs truck (actualy used by sheriff). Not sure if it runs supposly does but had bad wirring or something like that.

Like I said before I wanted to do a roller cam and MAF swap down the road but was hopping not this soon. I can deal with my truck being down for a while till I get everything but I can't spend a truck load of money just yet on this. Since my engine is probably shot I am not sure what to do. Which one do you guys think I should grab?
For the one my buddy has (out of late 80s) what would I do for getting parts when it comes to engine just say my year engine? Same thing with the 94 Bronco engine.
Thanks for the help guys.
Trav

Whatever engine you decide, you'll be just using what is called the long block. You want to swap everything else over from your wrecked motor.

When you need parts, you can tell the parts guys you have an 88'. Ford didn't change the short block for a looong time and they all take the same spark plugs. 94' is when the valve-train changed to roller rockers. If you use the 94', make sure the distributor gear is steel. If you use the older engine just use your current distributor gear.

Whatever you pick, pull the oil pan, pull a bearing cap and check it out. Also look at the cylinder walls. If you can, check compression before doing anything. No sense putting a completely unknown "guy said it ran good" type motor in there. If it looks clean enough to use, use it. New oil pump, gaskets, plugs, water pump, timing chain set (double roller type), and drop it in. Typically law enforcement pounds on their vehicles (but they are usually maintained well), keep that in mind.