I just recently bought a 1984 F350 to replace my 86, they are both duallys, both diesel, but the 86 is a C6 trans, and the 84 has a 4-speed manual. now here comes a couple rubs with the 84:

first, the 84's steering column is sloppy. we're talking about an inch rotation within the segments of the column itself. this isn't an adjustment issue or a loose linkage issue. its almost like screws or the potmetal casings are damaged and loose. I can't currently afford to rebuild my manual column professionally and I cant find a kit, but I have the 86. not only did the 86 column fit me better in the truck, its actually a fairly tight steering column. so the question here is can I install the auto column and remove the gear shift lever and have it work in my manual truck? Or is there a rebuild kit/manual that I can get to rebuild the column myself?

second, the wiring is crispy, to say the least. both trucks have issues with the wiring, but I cant seem to find a diesel-specific harness I can buy. I was wondering how hard it would be to splice in the headlight switch harness and the fuse panel from the 86 (even with its corrosion in the wires (former Bonneville Salt Flat Racing Association rescue truck) into the 84 (which is burnt in several spots and has alot of circuits not working)?

if pictures would help, I can take some later when I get home to the truck. Just let me know what you need pics of.

 

The automatic column will work, that is what I am still running in my truck when I did the manual trans conversion. Couple of things though.

1. Even though you take the shifter lever off, you still have to go under the hood and tie up the shifter arm that is above the steering box. I tied mine up with a piece of wire. If you don't, the arm will fall down and the column will think the automatic trans is in gear, and will not let you turn the key off and get the key out. The lever must be in the park position for the keyswitch to work freely. Of course the automatic is gone, but the automatic column doesn't know this.

2. You will not have the little white button under the column to push like you do now with the manual column. I consider this to not be a problem at all, but thought I would mention it. The problem in #1 and what I am discussing now all has to do with the locking steering wheel feature they came out with. They did not want you or someone else to be able to turn the key to off as you are going down the road and have the steering lock to where you could not steer. So they interlocked the shifter lever with the automatic so the tranny would have to be in park (truck not moving) before you could get the key turned to off and lock the steering. On the manual trucks you have to reach under and push the little white button to do the same thing. Just an extra step I guess to make sure you want to lock the column on a manual truck.

 

so it sounds like using the auto column just means the column lock wont work, but everything else will. Is that right?

 

If I remember right, the column lock works also. It activates when you turn the key back to off. Everything will work as normal, as long as you keep the lever tied up in park.

 

Some 70's cars and maybe trucks that had manual transmissions had a rod from the column to the revirse lever on the trans so the trans had to be put in revirse before the key could be turned all the way and pulled out.

Well you get some butt head when doing a clutch job would not put that rod back in place and another butt head would drive the car go to turn it off and the key not go all the way so they force it busting everything up in side.
All they had to do was tie that part at the bottom of the column up and all would be peachy.
I can tell you it was no fun rebuilding that column after butt heads got at it.
The transmission I installed, WC T5, dose not have any levers on the out side and you cant find that rod if it did.
Dave ----

 

perfect! sounds like I have a good temporary solution until I can have the manual column rebuilt