On my way home from work I had a distinct burnt oil smell coming from the truck. Pulled the plug on the front diff, basically chocolate milk and the smell was horrid. I need to go ahead and just replace all the fluids in the;

Trans (4 speed manual)
Front diff
Rear diff
Transfer

1980 F150

What is the absolute top notch oil I can run in each of those?

I don't want to start a bunch of threads for every bug, there's alot. So here's a couple other questions if you guys don't mind

- I'm getting compression in the crankcase? Steam (looks like) coming from breather and dipstick gets unseated from the tube while running and steam(?) from there as well. Bubbles in the oil. Oil looks healthy otherwise, not milky, no white smoke or sweet smell from the exhaust.

- Heat tube for the carb is broke in half, is there a way to repair it or if there's a backyard remedy/part #?

- The front end appears to be sagging, top of tires are tipped in. New springs or small lift springs.. or? It's bad enough that when sitting idle and turning the wheel the whole front of the truck lifts according to which direction I turn. Turn left, left side lifts/right drops and vise versa.

- The vacuum advance on the distributor doesn't look like it's working as it should, when I throttle up sometimes it advances, others not and very jumpy. I think this may be playing a big role in the sporadic performance I've been experiencing.

I know that's alot.. sorry lol. I want to have her back tip top. Still learning alot about the mechanics of the truck, very different than anything I've ever owned or worked on.

Thanks so much

 

1) Pulled the plug on the front diff, basically chocolate milk and the smell was horrid.
Gear oil smells horrid when "fresh". Depending on environment and usage,it is best to purchase a Chilton's or Hayne's repair manual for specifics.
2)- I'm getting compression in the crankcase?
Is it "condensation"?
3)- Heat tube for the carb is broke in half, is there a way to repair it or if there's a backyard remedy/part #?
Dorman offers a replacement...in the "Help" display at the local parts store or on-line.
4)- The front end appears to be sagging, top of tires are tipped in.
Has it had a front-end alignment?
5)- The vacuum advance on the distributor doesn't look like it's working as it should,
Vacuum lines good?

In your "signature"....it is a good idea to list the specifics of your truck...
i.e. : 1980 F100 300 2wd 4spd. manual styleside shortbed

This gives folks an idea of what you have and how to answer questions.
Also...look through the stickys at the header of the Bullnose forum for a lot of helpful threads.

 

1. Truck has been sitting for six years, and have no idea when it was replaced prior to that. It did not have the consistency of oil, much thinner and milky looking. Smelled burnt. It's definitley not fresh.

2. Not sure? I was thinking compression because it is actually blowing the dip stick out of the tube. Push it back in and it pops right back out shortly after. I've only noticed this "steam" on cold starts, so I suppose condensation could be a culprit, I will have to check it while it's hot. And to note, it is also blowing a bit of oil out of the breather as well.

3. Awesome, thank you! Will have to shop around. O'Reillys didn't have anything at their store.

4. To my knowledge, no it hasn't been aligned since I've owned it anyways. For a 4x4 it seems like the front end is riding low. When I jack the front up, visually the camber seems to correct itself prior to the wheels coming off the ground. It's quite noticeable looking head on at the truck, that the tires are equally tipped in, as if it is sagging pretty bad. Same type of look you'd find on a lowered vehicle without an alignment done.

5. Yes, I replaced the vacuum lines to the booster and dizzy advance.

I'll figure out how to do the signature thing, meanwhile;
1980 F150 300 4x4 4 speed manual styleside long bed 3.55 gears carter carb ds2 long tube headers 31x10.5 15 tires. Other than that I'm not sure what else is going on with it, the PO was the original owner bought new in late 79, he said he rebuilt the engine and did some work to it, exactly what who knows. Visually it's been hacked up, vacuum stuff blocked off EGR deleted dead wires hanging everywhere etc.. and it's got a 110v power wire with grounded plug coming out of the block.. it was ran through the grill when I got it. Can't say I've ever seen that before.

Since I've found this site, after work I've pretty much been glued here reading and learning as much as I can. To the point that it's a little overwhelming haha.

 

From your response to a different post :
The way you described it with the gray paint and black accents, imo the black wheels would look much better. Atleast what I'm picturing in my head. I just got some new tires (31x10.5 15s) fairly aggressive tread from tireman for $580 installed. Not a bad deal at all. Also came with a 3 year blowout/leak warranty.

May explain the need for an alignment...just wondering

 

Forgot to mention, this truck is my daily driver. 50/50 city/highway, don't really tow anything with it. I do make a delivery after work, typically 800ish LB payload only about 15 miles away though. Boy does it ride smooth with that extra weight! With winter rearing up I will be using the 4x4 often and as soon as I have new ball joints done I will use it for casual off roading.. nothing too crazy, it's the DD. Mainly though it's used pretty light duty.

 

May explain the need for an alignment...just wondering

It sat the same way before getting the new tires. And actually the old ones werent wore down, just had flat spots from sitting so long.

The reason I'm leaning away from an alignment as far as the camber goes, it's off bad enough there wouldn't be enough adjustment to get them standing up right and pics I've seen of other factory 4x4s, they appear to sit quite a bit higher in the front end. If I had to guess I'd say 1.5 - 2".

 

New ball joints will do wonders.

 

Looking forward to it. It sounds like it's falling apart going down a bumpy road, they are beyond shot. Meant to do it last weekend but the hub cover allen bolts are stripped.. so that's gonna be another job in itself getting those out.

 

1) just use 80-90 gear oil all around. An old truck doesn't need anything fancy.
2) check not only the pcv valve, but the tube and port below the carb for blockage.
It could be that the rings are stuck or shot but having good extraction can only help the situation.
4) check the pivot bushings where the beams attach to the frame. These will make your camber problems worse.
4a) jack the truck up from the frame and measure the unladen height of the spring. This will give you some idea of how much it's sacked.
5) Crane cams makes a replacement vacuum advance canister. Check the rest of the distributor for slop before throwing money away. You might be better off buying a whole rebuilt distributor, if you find the drive gear or shaft bushings are worn

 

I was told the transfer takes ATF, correct? I bought some 80/90 but didn't even realize it has the limited slip additive until after I got home - ok to use? I'm pretty certain the read isn't limited slip and if it was it's already shot.

Could you elaborate on the slop on the distributor? As far as what I'm looking for.

Thanks for the tips man will definitley check on that stuff in the morning!

 

I didn't realize that a Borg Warner transfer case was offered in 1980.
If it has an iron case (New Process) use gear oil, if it's aluminum/magnesium use atf.

You don't want or need LS fluid unless you have functional clutches in your rear axle.

You REALLY don't want a GL-5 fluid either.
Chlorine EP additiives will attack the brass synchros in your gearbox.
You can Google 'GL-4 gearbox oil' for explanations of what it does.

"The absolute top notch fluid you could use" is going to be something like Amsoil or RedLine fully synthetic gearbox oil.
At around $35 a quart it might be a much for your budget.

I suggest you turn your engine to TDC #1 and remove the distributor.
Inspect the gear on the bottom for wear and then try and wiggle it side to side.
Any discernable play is reason to get a new/rebuilt dizzy instead of trying to "fix" one that is worn beyond repair.

 

It is the alum/mag case. $35 a quart is nuts lol I didn't realize there was anything that expensive, so no.. won't be using that.

On my way home from work today the truck ran better than it ever has, wierd. Felt like I had an extra 50 hp, no hesitation or surging. It was a bit warmer today and always runs better than when its cold. Leaving a traffic light when i hit 3Rd gear at about 1/4 throttle the back end went sideways, thats never happened before. Road was damp but even still.

Checked the distributor and actually looks pretty recently replaced, but the advance looks much older.. like maybe the PO pieced it together. I wish it would run like that all the time! Gas needle barley budged, typically I'd use about 1/8th of a tank. Especially on the highway running 65 mph (speedo says 60 but have 31" tires).

 

Find a conventional gear oil that does NOT meet GL-5 standard.
Use Mercon-V in the transfer case.
Here's the advance kit for DSII distributors:
http://www.amazon.com/Crane-Cams-99607-1-Adjustable-Advance/dp/B000CCFYL6

 

Awesome, will do. Thanks for the help.

 

Vacuum advance working, or not working, makes a big difference to the engine's performance. So if the advance canister looks old & the timing isn't advancing consistently, you should replace it......you will get a good power gain at part throttle, & mpg improvement.

Regarding the wheel lean - the coil springs on these trucks all get soft with age & allow the front of the truck to drop, tipping the wheels in at the top; this is probably your problem......they aren't expensive to replace.
I would just get stock replacements for a DD. Some owners have used heavier springs to lift the front, but this gives a harder ride, & leans the wheels outwards at the top.

I replaced mine (from Rockauto) & it made a big difference to how the truck steered, as well as bringing the wheels back to vertical.