I figured it was time to start my own build thread after reading over all the awesome ones currently going on in this forum. I originally bought this truck as a parts truck for my 74 with the blown c6. Turns out, this truck is in way better shape with less rust so I'm going to be building it up and using the 74 for parts.

When I bought the 76 the brake booster and master cylinder were missing, the transmission lines had been cut up front, the carburetor was missing, radiator was missing, and the front brake calipers were bad. Thanks to my parts truck I was able to swap the radiator, master cylinder, brake booster, trans lines and carburetor. Turns out the old girl runs decent as well and has a little bit of a "thump" from having an aftermarket cam.

I started on this truck almost a year ago with virtually no money, no resources except FTE and my set of tools. Today I have a running, driving pickup that still needs paint, and a few other things but will take me wherever I want to go whenever I want to go there. It isn't perfect yet, but that's what this thread is for!

 

This is a video of my truck after I had got it, and swapped on all the parts from my 74. Note it is running rough in this video, the carb needed a cleanup. At this point I hadn't done anything to it other than what I said above, and had just gotten it running.

 

Good for you Tim, and you should have started this thread sooner.
I started on mine several years ago with not much money and a set of tools as well. It has taken me longer than I thought it would, but I have been doing it all outside as I have no garage or carport. I am teaching myself how to do body and paint, but I do have the ability to do the mechanical stuff. Good luck, I'm subscribed and here's a link to my build; https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...build-log.html

 

When i first got the truck, it smoked, due to bad valve seals. While I haven't gone in and replaced them yet I have went under the valve covers and cleaned out the oil ports out of the old brittle valve seals and replaced the leaky valve cover gaskets. This reduced the smoke from the engine down to a trickle, mostly when it has been sitting up for a few days.

The truck also had very little power when I first started getting it going again. This one however I cannot blame on the P.O. of the truck, as it was my fault. It had been so long since I had messed with an older Ford i forgot that the throttle linkage is adjustable. Turns out, it was run out too far and when you got on it, the throttle was barely opening. A few quick adjustments and it is now how it is supposed to be.


Next I started on my turn signals and tail lights, noting that I had no lights out back to start with. When I finally tore into it, the PO had gotten "creative" with the rear wiring and had hacked it all to bits. Needless to say I had to add the ground wires back to the rear wiring, clip and install new turn signal sockets (these were corroded beyond use) and install new bulbs. The front was in much the same shape, but only required replacing of one ground and one socket for me to get my front marker/turn signals back on. Presto! Both sets of lights restored and I didn't have to tear into anything major to fix it!

Finally, I moved onto the heater blower. The a/c had already been removed so it saved me a little headache in getting to the blower motor, but it was still quite the fight. Once I had gotten it out of the heater box it was rusty looking, but workable. Turning the blower motor offered little resistance except in one spot. I removed the squirrel cage from the blower motor and lubed up the shaft and dropped a few drips of 3-n-1 oil down onto the inside of the motor. I hooked it up directly to 12v at the battery and it sprang to life! Granted it was noisy for the first few minutes of operation, but it quieted down nicely and it should be ready to go back in the truck.

Now I just need to figure out why it isn't getting power to the motor when it is installed, but has juice all the way up to the relay under the dash. I'm probably sure that I've left out a few little things like swapping instrument clusters and finding an unmolested a/c stereo bracket in the junkyard, but those are fairly common fixes to these trucks. This is where I'm at so far, and you bet the next time I start a project (or finish my current one) I'm taking pics as

 

Still forgot to take pictures but I have been productive here lately. I've replaced both sets of universal joints in my driveshaft, reinstalled the blower motor, heater core, and a/c box so I have working heat again my truck.

Followed that up with some rudementary calibration of the carburetor. I don't have my vacuum gauge anymore to tune with, but I got it at least sounding better and not running pig rich at idle. Next I tweaked the timing a little bit to give it some more bark off the line, which I still havent' tested beyond digging a small rut in the yard from nailing the throttle a little too hard!

It seems the power steering pump is coming back to life, as it is starting to assist in turning a little more each time I drive the truck around, which is a good thing!

I think next if nothing else crops up I'm going to move onto fixing my side markers, and preparing my totally insane custom stereo install. Most folks will install a stereo, add some subs and call it good. I'm going to be doing something entirely different and flexing my nerd skills to the max.

It's still top secret at the moment, but if my math is right this should be an awesome project that practically anybody can do to make their truck stand out from the rest.

Anyhow enough ramble for today, I promise as soon as I can I will have another video and some pictures to show progress on things I've done! Thanks for reading!

 

Looks like a good foundation for a project. Good luck on the build nice lookn truck

 

Just a bump and to report some more carb issues. I'm trying to get this thing dialed in correctly and still not having much luck. I've connected my vacuum gauge and tried to tune it for highest vacuum i can get then back down 1 or 2 inches. Trouble is, the gauge is constantly swinging between 14" and 20" of vacuum and will not hold steady for anything.

It is also backfiring through the carb when you goose it quickly. However I noticed that when it does this, the vacuum gauge will settle out a bit. Not sure what I"m looking at until I get a compression gauge on it and check out what exactly is causing the issue.

I just wanted to throw this up and maybe get some opinions on where i need to go next.

 

It sounds like you may have a bent push-rod or bad valve. I'd pull the valve covers and see how things look.

 

Is it a rich or lean backfire?
How much play is in your timing chain, rotate the crank and see how long it takes your distributor to move?
Any of your spark plugs fouled?
You have good fuel pressure?

 

oh yeah and wheres these pictures you keep promising?!

 

The pictures i keep promising keep getting sucked into that black hole called being a wage slave lol. I've been under the valve covers before, and it all looked good under there valve train wise but I will admit that I didn't pull a few rockers loose to check the pushrods.

As far as the backfire goes, I can see a fine mist of fuel when it does it, and once got an actual burp of flame. It only seems to backfire when you stab the throttle from an idle. If you ease into it, it will rev up like normal.

Thus far I've changed the ignition coil. plug wires, cap, rotor, and been through the carb (full soak in carb dip with new kit). Only thing I haven't changed yet due to lack of time and funds was the plugs. I seem to have lost my 13/16 socket to get em out of the heads so I need to find or buy a new one.

I'll shoot a video before work tomorrow so you guys can see where I am with this thing and i'll let you hear/see it run so that should help with diagnosis.

Thanks for all the help, I really do appreciate it.

 

What I have learned reading is if it belches a decent fire ball and is red/yellow its a rich backfire. If it has more of a crack or sharp pop with a fast flame not a billowing ball like the rich misfire its a lean backfire. Also of note I have read that the accelerator pump could be at fault if you have a slight bog then backfire when stabbing the throttle from an idle because its not getting that initial shot of fuel it needs and creates a lean condition resulting in a backfire. Sorry I cant be of more help, but hopefully it gives you some places to look. I would get the plugs out and check them asap. Good luck.

 

Good luck, here's a link that might help you with the vacuum gauge reading.
TRS Magazine - Dealing with engine vacuum

 

in that link you posted, my vacuum gauge was fluttering more like the 2nd and 3rd ones on the left side of that page. I'm not sure precisely as I don't remember anymore but that is how it looks. I'm going to hook the gauge back up tomorrow and shoot a video so you all can see and hear what I'm dealing with here.

 

So I went and shot a video this morning of the truck idling. I'm hoping once I've got it running well enough I can take it out for some action shots to show you guys how it runs.


I sound terrible narrating this, having a cold and shooting a video do not go together. That aside, I hope you guys can help me figure out what is going on here so I can move along to other parts of my build.