Okay so here's what has been done, the tranny and transfer case is off of the truck, being worked on, the speedo cable has been unhooked obviously, the bellhousing and flywheel are both off, other than that, it is just sitting.

I took the driver side dash panel off because the tabs that held it tight to the dash frame were cracked off and i found a good one at a junkyard, so i had to unplug the plug that goes to the glow plug fuel in water and whatever the last one lights. unplugged that, had to take the plastic collar off of the steering collumn to get the old dash panel off and the new one back over it without cracking it, there are wires that run up the steering collumn that the corner of the dash panel where it raps around the collumn grabbed sort of and may have moved then but nothing like cutting into the wires or yanking them 3 inches away from the collumn trying to free it. No frays or cuts, i also zip tied the wires together and then to the collumn before i put the collar back on, plugged the wait to start light etc. back in, and absolutely no power. THE ONLY power that i get is from the dome light which is a very very faint glow like it has been on, course the bulb could be out and that is just a grounded circuit or whatever you call it, no wires running to it. runs by itself.
No lights, no buzz when turning the switch, no radio, not even the horn works.

ONE battery responded to a boost charge and the other acted like it didn't need any charge when the needle didn't move at all, i'm clueless as to what i've done, would it have anything with the tranny and all being off. i have no idea.

opinions?
help please

 

Have you put a volt meter on the batteries? I'd start there to make sure you have good power available. If it reads 12v with everything off, turn the headlights on & see what it reads. If the voltage doesn't change, but the lights don't come on, there's a wiring issue somewhere. If the voltage goes way down, then there's a battery/charging issue.
If it's a battery issue, disconnect the batteries one at a time & test again...

 

The passenger side reads 12.63 both ways but the lights never come on.
The passenger side has a post that came out of it's seat when trying to pry the cable off because the previous owner has tightened a bolt on there that wasn't meant for it, so the post came out a little bit, just enough to crack it open. but we tapped the post back into the seat with a plastic hammer, without lights it reads like .6 and with like .3
Do BOTH batterys have to be operating fully for anything to happen? it's just really confusing me

 

One bad battery can drag the other one down...
I'll PM my phone number to you. It'd be a lot easier to talk rather than try to carry on by posting...

 

I just don't understand how with one battery being fully charged the dash lights wouldn't even come on. i don't assume that would take much power, i mean you don't hear the click for the glow plugs either. nothin

 

Maybe your ignition or you shorted an inline fuse

 

Okay so left it on the boost charger for an hour or 2 and went back to check, openned the driverside door and the dome light was bright as can be as opposed to before where it looked like it was about burnt out. and tried the lights and they flashed on and then died off.

Dead batteries? hadn't checked them until now but one is June 05 and the other is May 05
thats 7 years :x

 

Yeah, sounds like batteries...

 

That is a wonderful thing!
Not for my wallet, but for my poor ignorant mind...
Lets turn this into a battery thread!
Are Ford motorcraft batteries worth buying? how much do they run? i now know to go with a 1000cca batt where as i think both that are in mine are like 850 cca and like 725 the other number, car batteries?

I'd like to have motorcraft but i also don't have a LOT of money to spend, i just need 2 reliable batteries (:

 

I bought my batts and oriely auto parts 1000cca 850ca 3 years ago.... they are now 131.00 a peice. I have the same batt in my bronco and expedition all same part #s for all the years of cars that I have

 

131 a piece?!
haha um. might be headed to walmart (;

 

Ya thats the going rate as of yesterday but 3 years ago they were like 105.....

 

@ phy how is or was your truck going with the double steering wheels? What did you end up doing with that project?

 

well advanced auto carries "autocraft" batteries at 1000cca's with the typical warranty
and oreily's carrys superstart batteries at 1000cca's

Anyone recommend if i should look elsewhere for a more reputable brand?

 

I got mine at Walmart, they'll be just about the same everywhere though.

If you search around and read a lot about batteries, you'll get oodles of opinions on which brands people like, and everyone is different. There is also only like 3 battery manufacturers anyways.

Just keep a copy of your receipt in your truck and a few years down the road when the batteries are hurting again, swap em in.