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I just brought home an '81 F350 grain truck with dump bed, 400cid 4 speed dually with 52000 original km. Needs some minor tune up work as it hasn't been driven in 8 years but it runs good, starts easy, no smoke, and drives great, everything is nice and tight. I'm fairly certain it even has the factory front tires.
Now the bad, it has been a mouse hotel. The truck reeks of mouse and both kick panel/cowls are full of grain and mouse stuff. So is the heater. I remember from my other truck that I could not find a way to remove the kick panel vents, I think there was a bolt that I either couldn't reach or physically could not get all the way out. I gave up.
Anyone with recent experience that can offer advice on how to get the vent covers off?
IIRC those kick panels are held on only with sheet metal screws and there's nothing unusual there - although the parking brake pedal is an obstacle you need to work around.
Only trucks without factory A/C have those panels with the vents in them, and the channel leads up to the cowl area and down to rubber flaps that serve as drains. Trucks with factory A/C have the body holes covered with a somewhat flimsy plate that blocks the air into the cab.
If those are the original factory tires, that's bad, they're likely dry-rotted and unsafe.
IIRC those kick panels are held on only with sheet metal screws and there's nothing unusual there - although the parking brake pedal is an obstacle you need to work around.
Only trucks without factory A/C have those panels with the vents in them, and the channel leads up to the cowl area and down to rubber flaps that serve as drains. Trucks with factory A/C have the body holes covered with a somewhat flimsy plate that blocks the air into the cab.
If those are the original factory tires, that's bad, they're likely dry-rotted and unsafe.
Nice looking truck as well as the one in the background of the pic. It's very cool that it retains original rubber, but like Chris mentioned...not safe. As far as the 'Kick panels", that's a finger feel op.
Maybe it was the e-brake in the way, I just recall I removed all the screws I could see or feel and it didn't budge, I didn't want to break it so I gave up. Once I vac up all the mouse from the floor I'll dive in and get these ones removed, I don't know how I would clean them out otherwise. Nasty.
Maybe it was the e-brake in the way, I just recall I removed all the screws I could see or feel and it didn't budge, I didn't want to break it so I gave up. Once I vac up all the mouse from the floor I'll dive in and get these ones removed, I don't know how I would clean them out otherwise. Nasty.
Grab a pair of gloves and tear into it. Nitrile gloves work well in these situations.
I've pulled some of these in a junkyard, and I seem to remember some very sticky adhesive involved in addition to the screws. Once you are sure you have all the fasteners out you may just have to try some gentle persuasion with a screw driver or pry tool. They don't just fall out in your hands like you might expect.
