I just got a 1977 F100. It has a rough black paint job, but not much rust, (at least for Michigan)

I went to look at it just poking around. I knew it had a smallblock from the factory and was now a 300 I6, but when I got there I found a EFI I6 from a 90s truck, with the newer trans too. It shifts very well, I think it has a shift kit, but no proof.

Anyway, it starts up and runs great. Needs a muffler for now. A full exhaust will be in order some day. Its a 2.5 in straight pipe exiting right underneath the passenger floorboard. Super loud and droning.

All the lights work, except one or two bad bulbs. It's a pretty nice truck, especially for $1000.

I'm enjoying it. Just cant wait till I get a muffler for it, and plates and insurance so I can actually drive it instead of letting it sit in the driveway.

Hope you guys can see this picture.....

 

Welcome to FTE, lots of good people here and lots of info. These two threads have a lot of useful info.
Any plans for your truck? Looks like a good start.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...then-some.html
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...mpilation.html

 

Not really any specific plans other than fixing the exhaust. I'm gonna paint it eventually and fix all the rust and dents. But for now it's fine.

My brother has some 2001 f350 axles he wants to stick under it with a small lift. I think that'd be awesome but I'd need a transfer case, and a little more horsepower to make it reasonable.

I'm sure it's asked a lot, but how tough is it to turbo a 90s EFI I6? I love the EFI motor and to swap a v8 back into it, I'd probably use a carb and as I said I really like the EFI motor. It runs so nicely and starts right away every time time. Even if it's not forced induction of some sort, are there any other good hp boosters? Besides exhaust? Maybe a good intake? Cold air? Ram?

Anyway, thanks.

 

I just did some part number searching and it appears my 300CI I6 is from a 1989 F150 2wd. It has a C6 trans.

If I were to buy a new MAF computer would it plug in and play as long as I added the extra wires for the MAF inputs?

BTW, Does anyone know of a way to possibly hook up the factory gauges on the dash with teh newer motor? I'd love to be able to get rid of the small aftermarket oil pressure, voltage, and coolant temp gauges.

Also, the fuel tank has been replaced with a between the frame rails (in the very back) type, and the fuel gauge doesnt appear to be hooked up to it, where would I find the wire for the gauge, what color is it, and can I just hook it up to the current tank?

 

Welcome! Might wanna handle that rust quick. The disease spreads like a bad zombie movie.

 

I'm not too worried about it right now. It won't be driven in the winter so it shouldn't spread too quickly. I will take care of it eventually a little at a time. Once it's registered and I can drive it regularly. Since then I can switch between my f100 and f350 when I need to work on one or the other. Since I had a carpet you can't really tell till you get under but it appears that the floors are not in good shape, so once it gets repainted and fixed up I'll probably dig into that more.

 

The fuel tank sending unit ground wire was fatigued off, so I replaced that, and now I found that the wires that should lead into the dash and connect to the circuit board for the fuel gauge are missing too. One of them was fatigued off and hanging, the other just gone. So that might be part of the reason the fuel gauge doesnt work..... lol

I need some pictures of the back of a 77 radio. My radio is missing, and I'm trying to figure out what plugs my harness has. Since the 1989 F150 harness was spliced into the 77 basically everywhere when the engine swap was done.

I did find the antenna plug, though.

 

I was poking around today, and I started the truck, and pushed on all the spark plug wires while running, and two of them had an unusual ticking vibration that was basically in timing with the plug firing. Well, turns out, those two plugs had loosened off. I could feel the air coming out the hole.

Anyway, tightened those up and checked them all, and the truck now has a noticeable amount more horsepower. In fact I even did a couple burnouts, a small drift coming out of my driveway (on a dirt road though...) and then I went and did some donuts in the mud in my backyard... It didn't do that stuff before.... lol

BTW, does anyone have any good cold air intake ideas for this truck? Keep in mind its a 89 300 EFI in a 77 truck.

How about filters? K&N work fine?

I believe I got my Fuel gauge working yesterday. The needle went up when I hooked the wires up, now I just need to run it some more and get some fuel through it, and see if the needle moves, and if its accurate. Seems to work so far.

It has Motorcraft BSF44c plugs, which appear to be the correct plug according to all my research so far. Is there a better one?

Washed and vacuumed it out today too...

 

Radio doesn't really have a connector, input to the radio is just two power wires (one ignition and one dimmer) and one pair of speaker wires plus the antenna. Radios were wired in parallel style, so yes you can have more than one speaker. If you're installing an aftermarket radio you'll need to tap into a constant power and then everything else will run off of the aftermarket radio.

 

I picked up a radio for it. But I haven't been able to look at putting it in. I kinda think jut looking at it, it's the wrong one based on size but i think the one that was in there before was custom anyway so te mount in the dash currently isn't factory either. I will see soon.

 

When you say you picked up a radio for it, do you mean that you picked up an original or close to it radio, or did you pick up something more modern?

To install something modern in it, you'd normally have to cut the dash some. If there's something already modern in it and you're taking it back to original style radio, you're gonna need to pick up a junkyard radio/heater bracket or do some special rigging.

 

It's an oem radio. It should go right in. But as I said I haven't been able to fit it in yet, so I'm not sure. It looks about about the right style but the size seems to be slightly off. But I'll see when I get the chance to stick it in there.

 

So my truck had a modern custom radio in it at some point and somebody but the dash out to fit it. So my oem radio won't go in without some new dash parts. I might have a radio sitting around that'll fit it. Just would have o figure out the wiring. But te trucks still way too loud to hear music anyway..... Lol need to finish up the exhaust then explore any of the other main noise causing places. I think the floor and firewall are the main places other than exhaust.

Because it's loud loud! Not just exhaust. Just engine noise coming from everywhere.

 

yea, these old trucks are just loud. lots of noise from engine bay through firewall, road noise and exhaust. You can put sound deadening throughout your truck. (start with firewall and stick it everywhere. Under the carpet on cab floor, behind seat, behind door panels, etc. It will def help. Also new rubbers for all the doors and windows will make a huge difference as well

 

The wiring is simple. Buy a new heater/radio bracket and come back for the wiring tips when you're ready.