@Mike1 you’re a real good guy. I appreciate all the help for a neophyte like myself. Should we cross paths, drinks are on me

 

You look like you have a side loader trans not a top loader. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a 3spd with the 4th gear being an OD.

 

That two prong plug should be the backup lights
Jumper the two wires and see if the reverse lights come on
That is the original plug (it sounds like) that my RUG also has and uses
Researching your problem is where I found the shifter mounted ones
I was new to the Ford game when yours was built, and I know little of the systems yours uses for reverse lights
I know no part numbers for any of that stuff, Find Annaleigh? or number dummy?
4 speed manual trans vans sure are unicorns, doubt you will ever find one in a junkyard to rob parts off of
Have fun with it
We used to say "you can fix old Chevys using Ford parts (like the wiper washers on a 69 Camaro)
You might just want to use some aftermarket toggle switches to get reverse lamps and such

 

I don't know if this will help with anything but Here ya go........

There were two different types of these 4 speed overdrives.

1) RUG SR-OD ~ Single Rail 4 Speed Overdrive: 1978/83 F100/150 & 1978/87 E100/250. The OP's 1981 E100 version is the RUG-CL (as stated in post #1).

2) RTS TS-OD ~ Top Shift 4 Speed Overdrive: 1983/87 F150 2WD/4WD & Bronco.

Here's a pic (upper) of the 1980/83 F100/150 RUG SR-OD shift mechanism:

 

 

Great job Mike1.
The op should hit the like button for that one et al.
That sure should help him
The bottom left picture in post 35 shows the bracket and the 15520 reverse lamp switch and bracket
That photo might not be his setup but that is the shifter mounted one for sure

 

@manicmechanic007

Well glad I could help someone. You guys gave me a lot of help with my fuel system on mu 90 E150, was hoping to pay it forward a bit...LOL

 

@manicmechanic007 @Mike1 YES! Post 35 is definitely my transmission. Thank you both for paying it forward... I'd love to do the same. Part of me is saying "just put a 5 speed in. Find a 5MODR2 and just do it" - but I need to weld in some holes that I've found - the worst being around the pedals.

It's nice to see I have a number for the shift boot. I see 15520 as the bracket, but what/where is the switch?? Hmm.... I'll keep looking. Time to do some google fu! (Side note - I'm recovering from a concussion so I apologize if I am repeating myself or anything stupid, having people to talk about this means the world to me. Seriously)

I do have some rot at the front of the fenders (any ideas if it's worth welding or if I should buy a pair of fenders on ebay?)

The goal is getting all the lights working, and getting the truck to the point where all the stock stuff is working. The 5A for the dash lights seems to be OK, I ran a continuity check on all the fuses one day, and I bought a whole bunch of new ones. Also, the truck didn't come with lights that come on when you open the doors so I bought some of those... ah, the fun. The suspension is also a hot mess. It's such a project...

1. Lights! Get the dash lights and reverse lights working! The rest work! Waiting on one gasket for the side running lights and those are done! Need to clean up the contacts on the front drivers side though as it's going in/out, I think a wire brush should fix that nicely)
2. Dashboard! I bought a new dash with vents that doesn't have any cracks. My vehicle is... extremely basic, I want heat, the ability to turn the heat to where I want it, and AC. Not going with R12, my dad does have a can though (he was an HVAC mechanic)
3. Body! My main goal is to remove all the rot and to get all the holes plugged. After that I'm probably looking at layering the whole truck with sound deadening (maybe will do the dash when the old one is off)

I really need to study the differences between the 79-83 / 84-91 refresh. I'm surprised there are so many differences. My new wiper motor should be coming soon which I'm excited about - it works but boy, is it lousy and noisy. I have replacement floor pans that I found for $50 so let's see how well they fit / how thin the metal is. I need to find a welder and probably learn to TIG. I also need a welding helmet and some welding appropriate clothes. Should be fun. I'm excited to learn a new skill. Been watching lots of videos. Do you know if the heating controls for the 79-83 are the same as the 84/91? Do I need a new blower for AC, as mine doesn't have that? Looks like I'll be running vacuum lines (I have all the duct work for the new ducts, and there will be massive cleaning going into that!!)

4. Suspension! Every single piece of rubber on that truck is dry rotted, all the bushings, all the everything.

5. Exhaust. New headers and new exhaust system. I don't want to die in a 1981 E150 (no offense to the van, I love it already, but... yeah.)

6. New wheels! Same rims, I like the factory ones. Maybe get them re-chromed (hubcaps). Get a wheel suspension, and enjoy it for a bit.

Thanks again for everything. I'm sure I'll be back!!

 

@Mike1 @manicmechanic007

Found the part!!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/155323067583

 

Take care of all of the mechanical and electrical first, then worry about the cosmetics.
It's hard to determine if you need new fenders or if the ones you have can be patched without pictures, most aftermarket panels are not the same quality metal as the OEM panels and sometimes they don't line up very well either.
Instead of TIG, you might find that MIG is easier to deal with and is much more common in panel patching than TIG is.
As for your electrical, pull every ground you can find and make sure you have solid clean connections especially from frame to engine and frame to body. Add extra if you find a good spot for them. I've always said you can't have to many grounds especially the older vehicles.

 

interesting! I’ve heard about TIG being more finesse for thinner stuff but I’m sure I can pick up MIG okay.

also regarding the electricity, I didn’t even consider the big 3 (or 4). I did this on my late brother’s 2000 Elantra - a cheap as hell car that is surprisingly robust for what it is. I’ll get some aught wire and get that in there, probably when I do the reverse switch. Super excited about that.

the plan is mechanical and electrical first, the rest is just my brain overthinking what I want as the end result; you can just ignore me there

 

@Mike1 @manicmechanic007
Howdy!

Just wanted to let you know the switch came, I installed it, the plug wouldn't fit, I cut off the end and attached some insulated spade connectors to it, cleaned the contacts on where the bulbs go and BOOM! I have reverse lights!

The only lights that aren't working are the dash lights - I noticed the radio wasn't working either, but at this point I have the whole dash removed (and the duct work removed) to replace it with duct work that has forward facing vents and is vacuum controlled. I think this is going to be a tough one, but I purchased the vacuum manual so hoping I can figure it out.

While the dash was out I replaced the wiper motor (wow, the old motor must've been on its last legs, the new motinor is much smoother and quieter!) and removed the parking brake pedal (which was very broken). I ordered a new parking brake pedal and ordered new cables for the front and rear, the rear ones arrived, once the front arrives I'll be installing the new pedal and will hopefully have a parking brake which would be nice considering it is a manual transmission.

By any chance do you guys know of where to get a replacement gasket to the doghouse? I believe thats where my fumes are coming from, the gasket is in very bad condition and I'm trying to find one so it seals against the metal better. Hopefully more parts arrive by the weekend and I can post more progress! Thank you again for your help, without it I'd still be stuck!

 

Will probably just have to order the stripping and cut it to length.

 

@Mike1 Thank you kindly. By any chance, any idea on a shift boot? The one I have is torn... basically I'm looking to seal the engine and outside elements as best as I can to prevent any noxious smells from coming in the vehicle. I bought one for a F150 of the same generation but it was way too big. I suppose I could just pop some sheet metal screws into it or drill holes and throw a bolt and nut on it from underneath, but using the holes that are there would be my first choice. If you don't have a suggestion, that's ok! I figure I'll just measure what I have and purchase something as close as possible. I also need to replace the gasket for the clutch line (solid metal) that goes to the transmission.

With that said, things are coming along nicely. When I install the new ductwork I plan on putting in some cabin air filters... not a huge deal but clean air is a wonderful thing. I suppose another question is the vacuum system - the vacuum manual is OKAY in terms of tracing the vacuum lines for the heater and AC system, I'm just wondering if I need to purchase more actuators or anything like that. The duct work I bought out of a 1990 has an actuator on both pieces of duct, so that's kind of nice. The Thermostat (I guess that's what I'd call the temperature and vane control) has the vacuum connections on it, if you're looking at the controls head on, the vacuum cables I can see are:

Orange / White / Green / Purple (tied into brown)
Blue / Empty
Red / Brown (tied to purple)

I really like adding features that didn't come with the vehicle to "upgrade" it. To me, a functional HVAC system that provides nice hot air in the winter and nice cool air in the summer is something I deemed necessary. I guess I'm just a stuck up brat when it comes down to it, haha. That's really the only "extra" project I'm doing before I start fixing the holes in the interior of the vehicle. The bumpers have taken their fair share of damage and behind the rear bumper there is a decent amount of rot so I'm not sure how that's going to go, but I may as well get the interior floor sorted first - the rest of the interior metal looks to be in very good condition as far as I can tell, and that's going back to the firewall.

Oh, I was able to buy a prop rod clip for the hood so I know it will stay in place. I'm waiting on the plastic piece that "pushes in" and holds the base of the prop rod. Do you know if there is an area in the hood that holds the prop rod? For example, in another vehicle I have there is a plastic piece riveted into the hood that perfectly holds the prop rod. On my hood, it's just pure metal, no insulation, nothing, just the holes that came from the factory. There is one hole that's sort of bent and the prop rod sits in there OKAY but it leaves me kind of nervous. In an ideal world, I'd like to install pneumatic rods to hold up the hood, I installed a kit in another car (I keep the prop rod around as a just in case) but it's a really nice thing to have!

I'm also starting to look at a radio for the vehicle; this weekend I think I'm going to tackle the "big 4" and upgrade the ground and positive terminal to 1/0 wire. I bought new battery terminals to hold the heavier wire and it'll be nice to know that the electrical has a nice solid connection all around.

 

Sounds like you're doing fine with the upgrades.

If you have a picture of the shift boot that would help. In post #35 the boot seems to be square, the retaining ring is round. Makes me scratch my head a little bit. I did find this universal boot: You'll probably have to copy and paste the whole link into a browser..... https://www.carparts.com/search?q=Shift_Boot&vehicle[cylinders]=6&vehicle[liter]=4%2E9&vehicle[submodel]=Base&vehicle[model]=E-150_Econoline&vehicle[make]=Ford&vehicle[year]=1981&filters[universal]=false

The prop rod just goes into a hole on the hood. I don't believe there is another plastic piece that it would slip into.
The prop rod holder was a good find, Maybe you can post a link to that if they had extra as mine is gone also.