Those tailgate parts can be a real PIA!

Good on ya for taking the time to do it right!

 

Thanks, it is a big PITA today my back was killing me form being bent over the tailgate for a few hours. But it feels good to get something like that done after getting a bill of health stating i would probably just need to replace the whole thing. Now i know hot to get in there and fix a simple problem.

 

Just been slowly cleaning under the hood painting the inner fenderwells. Getting decades of gunk and grime off. I also have ordered a kit to swap out the manual drums for power disc brakes. 4 Pistons on each caliper. I figure that should be a fairly noticable upgrade. Its a blast, I have fun just putting some music on and going to town on the motor with some rags.

Its so much easier to work on then that newer stuff you're working with (lol). Can you believe instead of a motor to squirt washer fluid, its a little pedal you pump like a squirt gun

 

Nice, i would paint my engine bay but i need to wait till i pull the motor to rebuild it. So it's just a pedal huh? I didn't even know with my bronco that the high beam switch is on the floor... My washer motor doesn't even work, and i didn't know the mustangs used a pedal. You Brett, if you really wanted to be cool you would clean out the washer fluid container really good then take the hose and rout it through the fire wall and under the dash into a coupler with an additional 2 feet or so of hose and fill it with soda or beer or something, that way when your thirsty... Hehehe i might actually do that with TGM when i decide to fix the pump. I don't have any spray nozzles anyways so it would just puke fluid back into the rain drains.

BTW guess what the used car manager at my work just bought

Thats right a Raptor I thought it was a customers car till i asked our general sales manager and he said the guy just bought it yesterday from another dealership that took it into trade. While the wash bay was occupied i took it for a spin around the block and it has to be the softest 2010 pickup suspension i have ever felt, yet stiff over sharp bumps. It's awesome. And of course more pictures.

Not sure what these switches do, their just labeled Aux1-? so they must be programmable

Nav and everything, Plus lots of buttons to play with. Also it is the SVT model

Lots of room in the back with 3 seats.

I didn't drive this far but the bit i did it really went nicely. Unfortunately this truck has been used and abused, there is a lot of scratches in the paint and a few pretty bad dents and scuffs on parts. There is a big dent in the tailgate like someone dropped and axe on it or something. Although i do think it is a very nice truck to drive and would be lots of fun on a long bumpy road.

Now then for my next trick, i have been mulling over a plan for about 2 days and i decided i am going to paint my rims... But it is going to end up being the "redneck back yard rattle can" paint job. Tape off the rubber and spray the rim with rustoleum primer then a semi gloss black or matte black. THEN i have this


It is 150 feet of 1/4" wide Vibrant Green pin stripe. I bet you can guess what my plans are for this I hope to run it around the inside of the rim kind of like how the red line is on the black rims. I hope the vision in my head is able to be transmitted to the actual product. I have never done this but i figure it will be a fun learning experience for me.
Of course i will take pictures and i will try taking good ones, i just hate trying to get my phone with either dirty gloves or trying to fit gloved hands in my jeans pockets. But painting is another story, usually i have grease on my gloves so this time it might be better.

GJ

 

Haha nice. I painted the rims on my 78. Came out well. Rustoleum takes forever to dry fyi.

The Raptors is supposed to be beat on.

 

Does it only take long to dry on rims cause when i did the hood and roof on my 88 ranger it dried pretty quick, almost faster than the 5 minute blue paint i used.
I figured it would be best to use it over regular flat black cause it will prevent rust and i is porous to soak up the paint going over it. Though i have never painted rims before i think the hard part is cleaning and moving the tires around cause their heavy.

 

So i finally was able to fill my tank once more, this is the second time since i have owned it. It cost me $72.70 to get 18.64 gallons. I had half a tank and this topped it off. I am going to burn a bit of gas then re fill it and try to see how my MPG is with my normal sometimes crazy driving.

SO that leaves me to this, do you guys think i should just say i have 25,596 miles or should i say 225,596? I was never told the original miles and this is what is on the ODO, the trans is rebuilt and the motor is probably 1/4 rebuilt so i don't know the true mileage. I doubt it but it could also be 325,596 but im not sure.

Also I am wagering bets on what my mileage will be, my bet is somewhere between 5-8 mpg. And my contribution to the pot is a Rep point to the correctest person(s). If i win i get a rep point for winning, if you win same for you. Any takers?

Edit: Also don't mind the oil pressure gauge, it is a bit funky. I think i need to look into changing the sending unit.

GJ

 

for $7 get a vehicle history report, that's how I found out my true mileage (im mileage exempt, as I'm sure you are).. though I'm not sure it will work for a 78'

It's hard to tell with age.. some of these old trucks, people can park them at 100k because of a big repair, then them getting saved later on and you getting it shortly after (my 1980 was this way, sat FOREVER with sorta low miles because a tree fell on it)

Broncos are also good '2nd' vehicles for A LOT of people that don't get driven much..

oh, 400 and 351Ms are notorious for showing low oil pressure, there are a million threads on it. You saw my 400, it was dang smooth and always showed low oil pressure!
The 80 I bought with a 351m, ran great, low oil pressure.. people usually just relocate the sender or put an aftermarket sender in a different location.

It is technically poor oiling of the motor and it's something that should be fixed in an eventual rebuild (again, you need to research on this one) but it doesn't mean your motor is broken, it was just a small design flaw and it's not really hurting anything. Most newer motors have the pressure sender closer to the pump anyways, with the 351m and 400 they put them in the way back of the motor, so you're getting worse case pressure on your gauge!

 

Regarding those engines and the oil gallerys, amongst a lot of great upgrades, have a read here: Ford 406 Engine Build - Hot Rod Magazine

 

Ya i figured that it was just the sender unit, i would have heard if it was low oil. Even though the exhaust leak sounds like a valve or lifter i'm sure the deafening knock of non oiled everything would have been noticed. I am not really worried about it but it would be something to fiddle with in the future.

 

I vote for 6 mpgs!

 

Hmmm what?.

 

Greusom, man, low oil pressure rarely ever means low oil. This is a common misconception, don't make the mistake of thinking they're that much related. Your oil could be 3 quarts low and still showing good pressure

and usually your sender is fine, a replacement wont fix it. Honestly, after a certain year the rest of us usually go in and buy your sender for our trucks because yours is honestly superior to the switch ford put in newer motors.

Use your dipstick, look at the quality and level of your oil and try to ignore the sending unit until you can swap a different gauge in and possibly put it in a location closer to your oil pump (towards the front of the motor)

 

and 8mpg should be easy with a 400 if you drive right.. I'm gonna guess 8mpg+ city.

 

Ah i see, Like i said, i wasn't really worried about it but eventually i will address it. I would probably get 10 mpg from my 400 if i drove nice and moved to the correct size tires. Currently my carb isn't really adjusted correct and it runs not as smooth as it could, There is a lot of things i could do to improve mpgs. Thats why my guess is about 5ish :P