OK, time for another project. I have been looking for a long time and found this in New Mexico. I flew out to look at it and it was the cleanest truck I have found. We did the deal and I flew back home and waited on the shipper.

Here is the good:
Not butchered, still clean and not much done to it.
Truck super clean, no rust i can find on the body.
The original color was pale green, then it was gold, now it's white.
They did a pretty decent job on the paint, both inside and out.
Brand new rubber.
Both 4wd and posi work very well.
I got the title xfered and have the antique plate already.
All of the glass is perfect.
All of the gauges work(minus the front gas tank sending unit.)


now the bad:
Took the trim off of the side and threw it away when he painted.
Tailgate is aftermarket, doesn't fit very well.
Transmission kicks down too easily and leaks on the drive pretty badly.
AC compressor is in the back seat, no condenser.
Seats are little eddie bauers from a small Ranger I think.
Speedo doesn't work.
Front gas tank sending unit doesn't work.
Brakes are super super soft (front chamber on master cylinder was completely empty)
The PO put in a radio and did the dash hack, not terrible, but not great either.
Driver's side seatbelt doesn't work very well.
Steering is overly loose.

Now to start fixing. Starting off with the following:
Brakes
Steering
Air Conditioning

I'm juggling this in with the cj5 i just got a replacement engine in and fired up this weekend, so time is kind of limited.

I'll try to keep posting as I fix, i'm sure i won't do as well as some of the builds on this forum.

Go Ford!

MRW

 

Truck looks great !! Well done

Brakes - booster/MC look non-original so maybe you can get by with just some cleanup (flush lines,check each wheel for leaks, etc). If you go big on brakes than look at a hydroboost setup.
Steering - If it's the steering box, get a redhead/bluetop replacement.
Air Conditioning - Since the compressor is missing it would be a good time to swap in a Sanden compressor (more efficient, less drain on the engine)

 

I already have the upgraded compressor saved, just have to hit order.

I am going to start by taking the brakes apart and replacing shoes and rotors, etc. Then i'll figure out hydroboost. I've been looking at that, just haven't really dug into it.

I've got to get it up on jacks and get the wife to come saw on the steering wheel and figure out what the worst part of the steering problems are. I might go ahead and do tie rod ends while I am doing the front brakes, i'm sure they are not great.

I think the vacuum modulator on the transmission is probably bad, I have to take it off and see if I have any fluid in the line.

The PO said he bought a speedo cable, it hooked up to the xfer case no problem, but the end that hooks up to the speedometer doesn't seem to fit. Anybody know if there are different ends available?

 

which sanden compressor model would fit a 1977 F150 4WD 351?

 

Ok, I have a brake question.

I redid the front brakes, replaced rear brake cylinders (both sides), put on all new hardware, turned the drums in the back and replaced the booster and master cylinder with what are apparently the correct one for that year/model. The only things i haven't replaced are the proportioning valve and the brake pedal assembly.

I bled the brakes using my vacuum hand pump and got all of the old brown brake fluid out of the system.

The brake pedal still seems too close to the floor and the brakes are super soft. They will stop the truck, but barely and slowly. Once i get stopped, the pedal is on the floor.

The vacuum is pulling well and there is a difference with the vacuum hooked up and unhooked. The brakes never "pump up". Normally when sitting still you can pump the brakes up and get the pedal quite hard. Never happens with my current setup.

There aren't any leaks at this point, i am working on a smooth concrete garage floor and the master cylinder isn't loosing any fluid so i am quite confident of that.

Anybody got any suggestions on what to look at next?

I can post pics of the pedal later, as usual they are a bit difficult as they are hard to take under the dash, but it appears to be the original bracket and pedal.

 

And on a separate note, I got my wife to come move the steering wheel for me to see where the slop in the steering appeared to be. After a quick check on that, i turned the nut that holds the pitman arm on the steering box probably 1/2 to 3/4 of a turn. That was kind of scary since i'd been driving that truck down the freeway a few times. I need to clean off all the grease and see if there is a cotter pin or if it is supposed to be a lock nut or something. Doesn't seem like I should just assume it will stay there by itself.

After tightening the pitman arm and with the truck up on jack stands and not running, i got my wife to turn the wheel all the way to one side. That is when the power steering fluid started raining down from the engine. As she reached the full turn one direction(once again, without the engine running) the fluid came up the neck and pushed the cap off of the power steering pump. At that point, i noticed that the dipstick is broken off almost flush with the cap. I am afraid it broke off and then got chewed up and spread around in the power steering system.

If we start the engine and turn back and forth, fluid will come up the neck, pop the cap off and then drain down all over the tie rods/axles, etc. Judging from what it looks like under there, it's been doing it for a long time. The steering does work fine, just seems to have an issue.

What is the PO had just been keeping it overfilled? I think i'm grabbing at straws there. I got new hoses just in case they are failing and maybe keeping pressure from flowing, thereby causing a backup and a puke problem? Haven't put them on yet.

 

Being that I work for Miller Lite, I like the light switch conversion

 

Good luck. The 1 ton dual diaphragm booster is a godmod as well, helps immensely.

 

If you didn't do it, i would replace the rubber brake lines. They can break down over time and cause a soft pedal. Then I would bleed bleed bleed the brakes.

On the steering, if it running fine, I would think it is just over full. Obviously hard to tell with a broken dip stick. I also believe that the pitman arm nut is just tight, no cotter pin or lock nut. Just lloked it up and that nut is supposed to be torqued between 170-230 ft/lbs.

 

Beginning 1973, the cable uses a clip to attach it to the speedometer.

Prior to 1973, the cable threads onto the back of the speedometer.

If you have the original cable and its housing isn't kinked, you can replace just the inner woven steel core.

Available from auto parts stores, cut it to length, coat w/a fine film of graphite, install in the housing.

There are two possible speedometer cables for your truck (1978/79 F150 4WD C6 A/T):

With part time 4WD, the cable (D7TZ-17260-J) is 82" long. With full time 4WD, the cable (D4TZ-17260-M) is 94 1/4" long.

 

Looks like i'll have to put a bit more *** on the pitman arm nut. I just put a crescent wrench on it to get it to quit moving.

As for the brakes, i guess i'll try brake lines next. I cant imagine how the proportioning valve could make it do what it isn't.

 

Success!!! The bleed bleed bleed advice was correct. After using my hand pump until my hand wouldn't go anymore. I went to the local shop that has a pressure bleeder. We pushed about a quart of fluid and air through the system and magically i have brakes. Unfortunately they are up to 1978 standards, but they work now. I might take off the master cylinder and screw out the adjusting rod just a bit to try to get a bit more pedal.

Anybody have any feel for how much adjusting results in what? I bought a new booster and master cylinder so no clue what adjustment it had from the factory.

While i was under the truck with the mechanic, he let me use his 1/2 impact to hit the nut on the pitman arm. I got at least another quarter turn. I can't remember general range of torque a well lubed 1/2" impact will deliver, maybe 65-70 pounds comes to mind?

Time for seafoam oil flush and new synthetic oil this afternoon. Also going to run a can of spray seafoam through the carb this afternoon.

After that, it's either leaky transmission, AC, seats, straighten front bumper, replace rear bumper, add trailer hitch, replace rear sending unit, correct dash that he hacked up to put in radio and didn't get back together all the way or speedo cable.. Haven't decided which project yet. Nice to be able to drive it finally. I probably should go with the AC.

 

I spoke with Curtis at Vintage Air and the firewall forward AC kit with the new compressor was $799.

I'm doing that same thing as everybody and looking at antique and vintage. Think as long as it's done correctly, either one will be good.

The truck is an AC truck originally, so the only chance i'm taking is the coil in the dash.

 

Todays accomplishments.

Seafoam run through carb. Smoked longer than normal, but finally cleared up.

Seafoam in oil, then changed to Mobile One High Mileage with slick 50.

PO decided that PCV wasn't necessary so he used two vent caps instead, I dug through all of the PCV valves at the car part store, but ended up having to order correct one.

I bought new spark plugs, have to cool down a bit before i can do that.

I found a new power steering cap, maybe it will seal better.

The transmission kicks down too early, but no surprise. He used a piece of a toilet tank lever to adapt the carb linkage to the kickdown lever.

Also need to fix fuel line before the truck catches fire and burns to the ground, you can see in the pic what it is.

The power to the choke isn't hooked up, but being as i'm in Houston and it's about 100 degrees, that hasn't been a real problem.

 

My back is now fused and I am mostly back in service. I actually got to spend about an hour this eve and start working on the front end. I got the front bumper off and got the headlight bezels (made in Taiwan) and the grill insert (made in Taiwan) taken off. I have to have the bumper straightened and rechromed. I have two holes to weld up first, i guess the PO put on some lights or something that are no longer there.

Have to see if I can find some original inserts.

PO must have gotten carried away grinding off mounting bolts. Not too deep, i'll probably just smooth out and chrome over.

One hole on each side I'll weld up before having bumper straightened and rechromed.