They are calling for the same here also and I think rain to night.
Yesterday was a vary nice day so some local members and I went to a car show & lunch.
Today I am just lazy to get out to the garage. If I don't have work because of the coming weather I will get out there to do work.
Dave ----

 

Kramercd: Just came across this thread and will read it closely and follow it. I am doing almost EXACTLY what you are doing, and skimming through the thread quickly, it seems have had the same tribulations. My inline six is rebuilt and running (barely) with the Duraspark conversion and EFI exhaust mod. This was a five year process involving "help" from two "mechanics" with $$ sunk into it that would have bought me two crate engines! Now I'm slowly fixing rust issues. I'm looking forward to your feedback on the Prothane bushings. All my bushings are good except for the radiator support bushings. I can read the part number for one of the upper bushings -- E0TA 2500154 A. However, a google search yields absolutely nothing. (At least now future google searches may point to this post. LOL.) I've found replacement kits like the one you got fit into a round hole on the radiator core support bracket, whereas our trucks have a hexagonal hole (if it's not completely rusted out). I assume folks just weld in a new washer to provide a round hole to fit the new bushings. (??) Also, my rubber radiator insulators (that the radiator sits directly onto) are gone. My research suggests that the 1980-1984 insulators were different than the years after. I was wondering if you've had to source this item.

Looking forward to following your progress.

 

My rad support brackets were rusted through, ones off the 85 we're cherry. Haven't had to source the radiator clamp? Bushings. But if you start a thread title something like "number dummy help" and provide as much information about your truck as you can and what parts you're looking for, he can give you a complete part number and locations of that part if there are any left out there.

 

I'm back on the truck today, been having about 0 days off. Working full time again. Have been working a lot of 16s or I would have got some of that paint done. We've had some real pretty weather, and a little real messy weather. Nice day today, plan to get the engine primed at least. Decided to use AB's paint scheme, waiting on the red to come in. Did pick up some flameproof 2000* VHT for the exhaust manifold, and well, exhaust too I guess, we'll see how far it goes. New insurance company wants all the "unlicensed and non-operable vehicles removed from the premises". I'm going to call the underwriter here shortly, see if we can't come to an understanding.

 

Could you not get a set of Antique plates from your DMV?

In virginia it costs only $50 and they're good for at least 10 years, no safety inspection or stickers.

 

Friend of mine suggested the same thing. My truck is in the shop, they can't even see it, and it's registered. The only one that completely fits is my parts truck, and it's going to go away all by itself, when it feels like it I do have a 92 ranger looking awful ugly, but there's nothing wrong with it, and they have no way of knowing if it's tagged or not. I'm not going to do anything to make this insurance company happy, they're charging 3 times as much as the last one for a quarter of what we had insured before. And their list of demands is a lot longer too. They described the weathered cedar siding on the house as "rotten boards". I emailed them, but only because they won't answer their phone.

 

Funny I don't think my homeowner's insurance gives a crap about my ragged fleet, or at least they haven't asked me.

On the other hand, the county loves to ticket untagged vehicles if they are visible from the street. Thankfully the yearly registration stickers are quite small and difficult to view from the street.

I even have weathered cedar myself, sounds like you need a new insurance provider. Liberty doesn't care about my cedar or junk fleet!

 

Well, this is company number two, if it doesn't pan out I have an ace up my sleeve. But I'll only use my hole card if I have to.

 

Couple more parts to remove before I get to do a final cleaning then paint prep on the engine. Still trying to figure out how to jack up the front to do the front end swap. Got lots of seals and gaskets ordered. Pulled the timing cover, got a steel crank gear, but phenolic? cam gear. But that fiber gear looks brand new, no wear, all the lines are crisp, so I'm going to leave it. I was under the impression that they would both be resin gears? Red paint is in the mail, got the black and primer on hand, Hoping to get primer down tonight, but tomorrow or next month is more realistic. I ordered all the parts I knew I needed last night, got a couple more to add to the list now, forgot to order a couple of tools though. Will get those this weekend after I get paid again. Fighting the urge to just replace most everything small since I'm right here. Got a long way to go on this on and a lot more money I know she's going to need.

 

Thank you Clifton for the F-150 Emblems!

 

You have to post another picture when you get them on your truck.

 

I got the oil pan off last night, only spit the jack out once. Looked like it pinned the pan between the motor mount and the crossmember, but I can't see any damage to the pan. Rest of my paint and seals came in this week. But I'm at a bit of a standstill. I can paint the oil pan and the covers but I can't do anything to the block until either I get an engine hoist or build something to go on top of the frame to pick it up from above. Really didn't expect her to buck and roll that bad. Need a couple of more gaskets, and should probably order a rear mount for under the transmission. I think they were out of stock when I got the motor mounts. Had decided not to bother putting the new ones on, but now that I've seen the old ones in a bind, well, they're not long for this world.

 

Been suffering from lack of motivation. I'm going to say, if you are looking at doing a labor intensive build, factor in about 800% more time than you plan on because life always gets in the way. I should have plenty of hours next week, and if so I plan on buying an engine hoist from harbor freight. That should get the build back on track and I'll be all out of excuses to not work on it. Had a dream last night where I kept misplacing my truck. Finally I was riding with a buddy of mine looking for it and all of a sudden we were riding in it, but he was driving. I was looking at it, and it was all put back together, she ran good. But it was put back together with all the parts how they sit right now, only part of the interior being painted and parts being half swapped. Looked like Frankenstein's Monster. Felt pretty bad about how little I've accomplished so far when I woke up. Will have to do better. It's fishing season and I don't have a truck to drive.
Even worse than that, I had to borrow a Chevy to haul a refrigerator yesterday, sad day at my little hovel.

 

Man do I hear you on motivation!
Lately I have also been lacking motivation.
I got a little bit of motivation today and did some work but I ran out of welding wire so that put a stop to getting what I wanted done.
The hardest part I find is just getting out to the garage. Once I am there and start working I am there most of the day.

Were you drunk in your dream? Maybe sold him your truck and why he was driving it?
Oh I would say that was a nightmare not a dream LOL
Dave ----

 

He was driving so I could drink lol. The weather got miserable again here, just keeps raining. Really takes all the want to out of ya.