Ben's 65 F250 build(Farm truck to Street truck)
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04-22-2012, 07:07 PM
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Ben's 65 F250 build(Farm truck to Street truck)
I have been the proud owner of a 65 F250 Camper Special for the last 3 years. I picked it up from a co-worker of my brothers that doesn't remember why he purchased it since he only likes Chevy's. Not sure on that one. It was fairly straight and had little rust but it did have moss growing everywhere which is common for the Willamette valley here in Oregon.
I cleaned it up and did a tuneup to make it a daily driver. Working from home makes it perfect for me as I don't drive it often so it is a very functional daily driver to get me to the store and what not around town. I also love the thumbs up and nice truck I get all the time. It is nice to see older vehicles appreciated.
The first thing that gave me issue was the fuel pump. I am the type who likes the old look but wants to use modern when ever I can to replace parts. It was logical to me that a electric fuel pump was just the way to go. I plan on upgrading the engine in the future so might as well start with fuel delivery.
One note about this, The electric fuel pump is loud if you have not heard one before. Mine is located in the driver side frame rail under the drivers seat so you do it hear it at idle and sometimes when you are going down the road slowly. At speed it just disappears into the symphony of mechanical goodness.
Truck was running great and I was driving it all the time. Really fell in love with it.
Around Christmas this year I decided it was time to put some work back into the truck to get it where I wanted it. I ordered a MSD distributor, Edelbrock intake manifold, Holley Carb, and decided an electric fan would be a nice touch.
That took the motor from this:
To this:
Of course before I could drive it witht he motor upgrades something unforeseen would have to happen which was the front driver side drum wheel cylinder died. It was time to do a disk brake swap. With help from this forue and its very helpful members I sourced the parts I needed and switched the front to a 79 F250 setup. Even added power to those brakes so I could stop on a dime.
The latest updates have been some Hella glass with H4 bulbs:
And new tires since the fronts were rubbing after the disc brake swap:
But now the fender gap is to big since I went with such a low profile tire. I was expecting this and it was a good excuse to pick up dream beams and bring the rear down also. Hope to get this going before June.
I plan on moving the bolting point for the ibeams up about 2 inches so I can grab 5 inches of drop in the front to remove all but 3/4 of an inch of fender gap in the front. For the back I will see how it sits before going lower then what the bolt on's do. Maybe a c-notch in the future fr the truck, only time will tell.
Such a nice day in Eugene today I couldn't get an work on the truck done since I just wanted to sit in the sun. I put this together while stting in the backyard waiting for my ribs t finish. Maybe next weekend, I still have another fuel tank to remove from under the bed, truck had a total of 52 gallons fuel capacity when I bought it.
I cleaned it up and did a tuneup to make it a daily driver. Working from home makes it perfect for me as I don't drive it often so it is a very functional daily driver to get me to the store and what not around town. I also love the thumbs up and nice truck I get all the time. It is nice to see older vehicles appreciated.
The first thing that gave me issue was the fuel pump. I am the type who likes the old look but wants to use modern when ever I can to replace parts. It was logical to me that a electric fuel pump was just the way to go. I plan on upgrading the engine in the future so might as well start with fuel delivery.
One note about this, The electric fuel pump is loud if you have not heard one before. Mine is located in the driver side frame rail under the drivers seat so you do it hear it at idle and sometimes when you are going down the road slowly. At speed it just disappears into the symphony of mechanical goodness.
Truck was running great and I was driving it all the time. Really fell in love with it.
Around Christmas this year I decided it was time to put some work back into the truck to get it where I wanted it. I ordered a MSD distributor, Edelbrock intake manifold, Holley Carb, and decided an electric fan would be a nice touch.
That took the motor from this:
To this:
Of course before I could drive it witht he motor upgrades something unforeseen would have to happen which was the front driver side drum wheel cylinder died. It was time to do a disk brake swap. With help from this forue and its very helpful members I sourced the parts I needed and switched the front to a 79 F250 setup. Even added power to those brakes so I could stop on a dime.
The latest updates have been some Hella glass with H4 bulbs:
And new tires since the fronts were rubbing after the disc brake swap:
But now the fender gap is to big since I went with such a low profile tire. I was expecting this and it was a good excuse to pick up dream beams and bring the rear down also. Hope to get this going before June.
I plan on moving the bolting point for the ibeams up about 2 inches so I can grab 5 inches of drop in the front to remove all but 3/4 of an inch of fender gap in the front. For the back I will see how it sits before going lower then what the bolt on's do. Maybe a c-notch in the future fr the truck, only time will tell.
Such a nice day in Eugene today I couldn't get an work on the truck done since I just wanted to sit in the sun. I put this together while stting in the backyard waiting for my ribs t finish. Maybe next weekend, I still have another fuel tank to remove from under the bed, truck had a total of 52 gallons fuel capacity when I bought it.
Last edited by limpysmalls; 04-25-2012 at 03:47 PM. Reason: Made the pictures smaller
#4
04-23-2012, 08:49 PM
In your pictures of the fuel pump there is quite a bit of hose showing. I would replace as much of that as possible with steel line.
Looks like a nice build keep posting large pictures that we can actually see.
Garbz
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04-25-2012, 11:04 AM
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Sorry the photos take to long to load for you. This thread even loads on my phone in just a few seconds so I didn't think they were that large.
Garbz, you are right about the fuel line. Like I was saying the truck had 3 fuel tanks when I bought it. The stock one behind the seat, one mounted in the bed on the passenger side, and one under the bed on the driver side. The previous owner did not have a key to unlock the gas cap so he never used it. When I switched to the electric fuel pump I took this tank and its line out. There was only a small stretch of hardline left after all the tanks were added which went from the mechanical fuel pump to the carb. I replaced all the soft line with new and plan on running hardline and shielded softline once I decided if the tank stays behind the seat or I do something else. I would like to add a sub to the stereo, nothing crazy just 1 ten but there is not much room in the cab for something like that. I have been reading about the bronco2 tank install and may do something like that.
I added a Lokar throttle and kick down cable the other day. That is a real nice set up. It took a little bit to adapt it to the truck but in the end I got it all working. I had to take the brace off the fire wall that holds the throttle pedal to the firewall. I cut of the upper bolt hole so the brace did not come up past where the throttle cable needed to come through the firewall. For the Lokar cable the hole in the fire wall needs to be directly lined up with the pedal while originally the hole was offset to the left about an inch. I bolted the remaining bottom part of the brace back in to keep the pedal assembly stable. It looks very nice.
Garbz, you are right about the fuel line. Like I was saying the truck had 3 fuel tanks when I bought it. The stock one behind the seat, one mounted in the bed on the passenger side, and one under the bed on the driver side. The previous owner did not have a key to unlock the gas cap so he never used it. When I switched to the electric fuel pump I took this tank and its line out. There was only a small stretch of hardline left after all the tanks were added which went from the mechanical fuel pump to the carb. I replaced all the soft line with new and plan on running hardline and shielded softline once I decided if the tank stays behind the seat or I do something else. I would like to add a sub to the stereo, nothing crazy just 1 ten but there is not much room in the cab for something like that. I have been reading about the bronco2 tank install and may do something like that.
I added a Lokar throttle and kick down cable the other day. That is a real nice set up. It took a little bit to adapt it to the truck but in the end I got it all working. I had to take the brace off the fire wall that holds the throttle pedal to the firewall. I cut of the upper bolt hole so the brace did not come up past where the throttle cable needed to come through the firewall. For the Lokar cable the hole in the fire wall needs to be directly lined up with the pedal while originally the hole was offset to the left about an inch. I bolted the remaining bottom part of the brace back in to keep the pedal assembly stable. It looks very nice.
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04-25-2012, 02:47 PM
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#7
04-25-2012, 11:06 PM
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#8
05-07-2012, 05:11 PM
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With all of the new electrical items I am running it was time for a higher power alternator. I looked into a GM 1 wire as that sounded like it would be very easy. After some research I realized it was not going to be. The case has to be adjusted and was not a direct bolt in. The better option and the way I went was a Ford 3G alternator from a 94 3.8L Mustang. It was direct bolt in and the wiring was very simple once I thought about it for a bit. This version of the 3G alternator makes 130amps, the ears are 7 inches a part and it bolts right in.
The old alternator was a 60amp unit since my truck is a Camper Special;
Old alternator out of the truck;
The wires you don't need after the conversion;
Because the 3G alternator is internally regulated you do not need the regulator that is mounted to the radiator support on the drivers side. I removed it and all of the wires since I am ultimately going for a clean engine bay look.
I destroyed the pulley from the old alternator pulling it off. After nearly 50 years it did not want to be separated from its friend. Lucky for me my brothers friend has a ton of random slick parts including a very bling v-belt pulley which he would never use because it is shiny. I was hoping to keep the dual belt setup I had before but finding another dual v-belt pulley short notice was not going to happen.
The 3G alternator does touch the block when mounted in the upper location like our old alternator was. The solution to this is to run the lower alternator brackets that come on the 65 Galaxie, which you can purchase online from C.R.A.P.
When wiring the new alternator the yellow wire connects to the power stub on the alternator, the white wire goes to the stator "S" terminal on the alternator and the green/red wire needs to be connected to a switched 12v source. Most people connect it to the green/red wire from the "I" terminal of the old voltage regulator. Since I wanted to pull all of those wires I tapped it into the 12v switched wire I have running from the fuse panel to trigger the relay I have on my electric fan. I did not run a ground like the wiring diagrams you see online show since there was not enough clearance between the alternator and head. This should not be a problem since the alternator is bolted directly to the block on the bottom.
I plan to set up a 12v switched distribution block up in the next few weeks so I do not have so many things being triggered off of the same wire. Right now the Electric fuel pump, choke on the carb, remote turn on for my amp, the fan relay, and the "I" terminal of the 3G alternator all run off the same line. I know this is bad and will be fixing it right away. For some reason my ampmeter in the dash is still working. I think someone must have wired things differently. I see that there are some newer butt connectors under the dash, not sure why.
Everything runs great and I have 14.5v at idol at the battery. I also ran it with the headlights, emergency flashers, heater fan and radiator fan running with no problems.
The finished install looks good and works;
I found tons of info on this forum and the net about how to do this, search is your friend.
Ben
The old alternator was a 60amp unit since my truck is a Camper Special;
Old alternator out of the truck;
The wires you don't need after the conversion;
Because the 3G alternator is internally regulated you do not need the regulator that is mounted to the radiator support on the drivers side. I removed it and all of the wires since I am ultimately going for a clean engine bay look.
I destroyed the pulley from the old alternator pulling it off. After nearly 50 years it did not want to be separated from its friend. Lucky for me my brothers friend has a ton of random slick parts including a very bling v-belt pulley which he would never use because it is shiny. I was hoping to keep the dual belt setup I had before but finding another dual v-belt pulley short notice was not going to happen.
The 3G alternator does touch the block when mounted in the upper location like our old alternator was. The solution to this is to run the lower alternator brackets that come on the 65 Galaxie, which you can purchase online from C.R.A.P.
When wiring the new alternator the yellow wire connects to the power stub on the alternator, the white wire goes to the stator "S" terminal on the alternator and the green/red wire needs to be connected to a switched 12v source. Most people connect it to the green/red wire from the "I" terminal of the old voltage regulator. Since I wanted to pull all of those wires I tapped it into the 12v switched wire I have running from the fuse panel to trigger the relay I have on my electric fan. I did not run a ground like the wiring diagrams you see online show since there was not enough clearance between the alternator and head. This should not be a problem since the alternator is bolted directly to the block on the bottom.
I plan to set up a 12v switched distribution block up in the next few weeks so I do not have so many things being triggered off of the same wire. Right now the Electric fuel pump, choke on the carb, remote turn on for my amp, the fan relay, and the "I" terminal of the 3G alternator all run off the same line. I know this is bad and will be fixing it right away. For some reason my ampmeter in the dash is still working. I think someone must have wired things differently. I see that there are some newer butt connectors under the dash, not sure why.
Everything runs great and I have 14.5v at idol at the battery. I also ran it with the headlights, emergency flashers, heater fan and radiator fan running with no problems.
The finished install looks good and works;
I found tons of info on this forum and the net about how to do this, search is your friend.
Ben
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05-07-2012, 11:11 PM
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Great looking Rig
Im in the middle of the nearly exact process, Edelbrock intake, 4v, MSD billet, flamethrower 3 and a 130 amp Dizzy. And yes, a loud as hell electric fuel pump
That was a huge mistake. Trying to figure out a way to rectify it. There are quiet pumps out there, but I cheaped out and purchased a jegs one that was pre-set for my application.
Now I'm chasing down the loss of oil pressure...am dropping the oil pan in a couple days... have to get my floor jack back home.
The brake job... I need it bad,
That was a huge mistake. Trying to figure out a way to rectify it. There are quiet pumps out there, but I cheaped out and purchased a jegs one that was pre-set for my application.
Now I'm chasing down the loss of oil pressure...am dropping the oil pan in a couple days... have to get my floor jack back home.
The brake job... I need it bad,
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05-11-2012, 02:26 PM
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#11
05-11-2012, 07:48 PM
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I am using the Holley red label pump and it does have rubber grommets that isolate it from the frame where I mounted it. When driving you can not really hear it unless you are listening for it specifically. I think the problem is just having it right under the drivers seat. When I move the fuel tank the pump will move also and then we will see how it is.
Ben
Ben
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05-12-2012, 11:30 PM
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05-13-2012, 10:58 AM
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Mine is sounding better today. I added a switched 12v fuse panel under the hood to run everything and the sound coming from the fuel pump is more consistent now. I haven't had a chance to give it a good drive to see if the strange blinker hesitation I am having when going over 40 is gone. Have to do the Mother's day thing today. Maybe get a chance in the afternoon.
You should do the brakes, it is an easy swap if you grab everything you need form the same donor vehicle. Th guys on here said I should by a donor for the swap but I don't have the room. I found a 78 and just took everything I could think of while I was there. Truck stops on a dime now and looks nice. I went with the dual piston brakes from a F250 to keep my bolt pattern the same all the way around. It looks mean from the front now with the low profile tires and the huge brake calipers. I think I might use some of that caliper paint to make them a nice shiny black when I swap in some dream beams.
Ben
You should do the brakes, it is an easy swap if you grab everything you need form the same donor vehicle. Th guys on here said I should by a donor for the swap but I don't have the room. I found a 78 and just took everything I could think of while I was there. Truck stops on a dime now and looks nice. I went with the dual piston brakes from a F250 to keep my bolt pattern the same all the way around. It looks mean from the front now with the low profile tires and the huge brake calipers. I think I might use some of that caliper paint to make them a nice shiny black when I swap in some dream beams.
Ben
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05-13-2012, 04:05 PM
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Looking good! I used the same Lokar kickdown- Really nice! A LOT easier to deal with, especially when the transmission isn't original to the truck. The Edelbrock intake and Holley carb was already on there, along with the MSD ignition. Starts right up and purrs like a kitten, 'till you tap the gas, that is!
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04-04-2013, 12:51 PM
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Been having some issues lately, coming to you guys for some trouble shooting. The truck starts up fine the first time but after it gets warm it will not restart. Just cranks and cranks. The stater had gone bad a few months ago so I got one of the blue mini starters off of ebay hoping it would help. Definitely worked good and helped to get it to fire almost immediately on e the first start but did not fix the hot start issue.
I have checked the fuel filter and it is good. The electric pump is putting out the right pressure and when it is hot I am not getting vapor lock. Pulled the fuel line off the carb and put it into a gas can, plenty of fuel coming out. I am thinking maybe got a bad carb from Holley, I know it can happen. Anyone with other ideas to check would be great.
One of the things I am concerned about is the amp gauge in the dash. Sine I upgraded to a 3G alternator and removed the voltage regulator that came on the truck I have noticed that the amp gauge is getting really hot and steaming up every time I run the truck. When the electric fan runs, the gauge gets pegged above 60 amps. Not sure this has anything to do with my hot start issue but I am sure it is not safe to have that heating up so much under the dash. Can I bypass this gauge completely or swap it with a voltage gauge that can handle the higher voltage and amperage that the new alternator is putting out? Will a new gauge slide into the hole already there or are the Ford gauges a unique size?
I have been searching for answers online but have not found a definite answer. You guys are the best for this so I come to you.
I have checked the fuel filter and it is good. The electric pump is putting out the right pressure and when it is hot I am not getting vapor lock. Pulled the fuel line off the carb and put it into a gas can, plenty of fuel coming out. I am thinking maybe got a bad carb from Holley, I know it can happen. Anyone with other ideas to check would be great.
One of the things I am concerned about is the amp gauge in the dash. Sine I upgraded to a 3G alternator and removed the voltage regulator that came on the truck I have noticed that the amp gauge is getting really hot and steaming up every time I run the truck. When the electric fan runs, the gauge gets pegged above 60 amps. Not sure this has anything to do with my hot start issue but I am sure it is not safe to have that heating up so much under the dash. Can I bypass this gauge completely or swap it with a voltage gauge that can handle the higher voltage and amperage that the new alternator is putting out? Will a new gauge slide into the hole already there or are the Ford gauges a unique size?
I have been searching for answers online but have not found a definite answer. You guys are the best for this so I come to you.