Hey guys,
Earlier this year I bought a 1981 F-100 Ranger xlt 4x4 and have enjoyed slowly putting her back together. When I bought her all her components were in the engine bay were disassembled. The previous owner had the 302 re-bored and had purchased new cylinder heads, new pistons etc. The entire entire had to be reassembled. So with the help of a Hanes manual I put the engine back together. Now I need help.

Does anyone have a pdf of what goes to what? or can take pictures?

The 302 looks extremely small in that engine bay and I dont know if I am missing parts or what. I'll take a video and post it a link to it.

Any help would be appreciatted.

 

After 1979, no F100 was offered in 4x4. Your truck is either an F150, or an F100 with a 4x4 swap, or an F150 with F100 fenders, or an F150 with F100 emblems, or an F150 with an F100 cab.

As for your question, we're gonna need pictures or that video before we can even begin to guess what you're missing.

 

Thanks Shaun... hmmmm ...well today when i get home i will make sure to do all that. For sure its got the Ranger Lariat emblem on the dash. No exterior emblems. I looks like your truck. except no hood letters.. not even holes for them. with the same color patter/design.(except in blue) but like i said i will get that up today

 

Sounds like the front clip has been swapped out, or the emblem holes filled in and repainted...

Post the VIN number, or the GVWR code on the safety certification Label located on the cab, below the door striker bolt on the drivers side, and we can decode what you have from that.

 

the easiest way to figure out what you're missing and what needs to go where is to take a walk around the junkyard and study a few of these trucks around there. any f100-350 with your engine will look the same under the hood, exactly the same from 80-83, and not too different for a number of years around that. the 70s had a different body but much of the same equipment under the hood, for 84-up they used a different style radiator, and a couple years later they injected it, but still most of the bolt-ons will match. look at several and that'll help you quite a bit

 

Wheel Base-117; GVWF Type F140; Body FB4; Trans- K; Axle H6

Vin Code is hard to see but what i got is 1FTDF14G2BRA5504

Thanks for the help!!

 

I have tried that but in my area all you really have are the bigger trucks (250's, 350"s) no luck and some of those are even EFI so it's kinda tough to compare

 

You can have a lot of stuff missing, and the truck will still run ok. Are you trying to get the accessories back on the front of the engine(power steering pump, alternator, A/C)?

 

1FTDF14G2BRA5504

1FT = Ford Truck USA Complete Vehicle
D = Brake Class D = 5001-6000lbs
F14 = F-150 4x4 Regular Cab
G = Engine = 351M
2 = Internal use only
B = Year of Manufacture 1981
R = San Jose Truck Plant - Milpitas Ca.
A5504 = Production Sequence number


Wheel Base - 117 = 117"

F140 = F-150 4x4 Regular Cab with a GVWR of 5500

Body Code: FB4
F = Ranger Lariat Bench = B/Cloth and Vinyl
B = Interior Color = Blue
4 = Back of Cab Code = Styleside

Trans K = Automatic C6

Axle H6 = Limited Slip Rear / Ratio 3.50:1 / Capacity 3750 lbs


So you have a 1981 F-150 Ranger Lariat, 4x4 regular cab, Short Bed with a 351M, and a C6.

hmmmm.... Not a F-100 Ranger XLT with a 302...

Previous owner swapping parts methinks...

 

Your truck was built at the same assembly plant as my truck, and 81-Explorer's truck.

It does sound familiar to mine, except yours is a shortbed. Mine used to be an F100 Custom, until I converted it to 4x4, upgraded the suspension, upgraded to the Ranger Lariat trim level, and upgraded to a 400 and a C6. My truck has parts from at least 50 different trucks.

You need to definitely take pics or a video, it's hard to tell what you have in the engine bay now, although we know what *should* be in there.

 

Mostly yes. I have the alternator, starter... i might need a new power steering pump. a/c not so much. down here in south texas a/c is needed but this truck would be a fishing truck before anything else.

 

This is what I got from the decoder:
Your VIN number: 1FTDF14G2BRA15504
World Manufacturer Identifier - 1st, 2nd, 3rd Positions:
Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company, USA
Make: Ford
Vehicle Type: Truck (Completed Vehicle)
Brake Type and GVWR Class - 4th Position:
Brake System: • Hydraulic brake system, Class D, GVWR 5,001-6,000 pounds, None
Line Series, Chassis Type, Body Type - 5th, 6th, 7th Positions:
Line Series: F-Series - F150
Chassis Type: 4x4
Body Type: Regular Cab Styleside
Engine Type - 8th Position:
Engine: 5.8L (351cid)
Cylinders: V-8
Fuel Type: Gasoline
Horse Power: TBD
Model Year - 10th Position:
Model Year: 1981
Assembly Plant - 11th Position:
Assembly Plant: Hermosillo: Hermosillo, Mexico
Production Sequence Number - 12th - 17th:
Sequence Number: A15504

 

Should I be worried if it does indeed have a 302 in it..... the truck seems really big for that engine? I need to post pics... stay tuned

 

The 302 is ok for everyday use and occasional careful heavy use. Not so good for heavy towing and a lot of heavy use. The tranny you have will last forever though.

 

Was it a 351M or a 351W?

VIN engine code G: 1980/82 351M (8 valve cover bolts per side) / 1980/85 351W (6 valve cover bolts per side-same as 302).

1981: First year F150/350's were available with 351W / 1975: First year Econolines were available with 351W / 1977: First year F100/350's were available with 351M (and 400).

1980/83 F100: Largest available V8 = 302. No 4WD or Super Cabs available. Some have 5 lug wheels on a 4.50" bolt circle. Some have 5 lug wheels on a 5.50" bolt circle as do all 1953/79 F100's.
In two words: Im Possible! What VIN decoder did'ja use to come up with this BS?

First 3 digits of VIN: 1FT = Ford Motor Company USA Ford Truck (Complete Vehicle).

No first 3 digits of a truck VIN decode to Mexico until the 1990's, then the first digit would be a 3

11th digit of VIN: R = San Jose CA Assembly Plant. CA hasn't been part of Mexico since 1848.

No assembly plant code listed for Mexico in the 1980/89 Ford Truck Parts Catalog, because Ford trucks weren't assembled there until the 1990's.

FIRST FoMoCo vehicle assembled in Mexico and sold in the USA: 1989 Mercury Tracer. 3MA = Ford Motor Company S. A. (Mexico) Mercury Passenger Car / Assembly Plant code R = Hermosillo Mexico

Fordzilla80: 1976 = Last year for F100 4WD.