Hi all,
I just bought a 1981 Ford E-150 with an I6 and a 4 speed manual. When I saw the truck in person my friend who was with me said, "you don't pick easy projects, do you?"

With that in mind, I'm starting a list of what to work on. I was able to drive it 475 miles home (great!) and almost went deaf and definitely inhaled enough exhaust fumes to kill a small child (bad) - but the issues at hand that I'd love to tackle would be:

Turn signal - left side turns on, but doesn't flash. On the way home while my buddy was getting some food I was playing with it - on the right side I can hear the relay click, but the left side I hear nothing. I'm thinking it's the relay, but I'm not sure. In addition the stalk is flimsy, it really doesn't "click" into the left or right positions. Normal or abnormal? If abnormal, what do I do to resolve? (working on getting a shop manual, wanted to wait until I actually had the van before sinking ~100 in a paper copy of one. I am mechanically inclined and will be tackling all of this myself.)

Next is the windshield, cracked in a bunch of places. Scheduled an appointment with a local glass place. That should be around $400. Thankfully it's just glass and not anything tech sensitive. Not much anyone can help me with here

Next is sound deadening. I'm going to start to cover the vehicle with Dynamat to start with, but the doghouse cover isn't sitting flush, the gasket that seals to the bottom is in bad shape. I'm going to insulate that on the inside along with some fire resistant foam to block out the sound. That's actually probably at the end, fixing the exhaust manifold should help a lot, I bet.

And on to the cluster - it has no blower doors for the front! I think I want to rip out the temp control from a better equipped E series and connect up all the ducts so I have front, floor, defrost and all of that. The controls I have are basically heat, and that's it. I'd like to add AC but that's an issue for later on. Anyone do this, and what parts would be needed?

Steering - definitely needs an alignment, someone put off road or snow tires on it. It's a 2WD setup, cmon. I'll be getting a new set of tires (all weather). Any suggestion? Also, the steering wheel has a LOT of play. Yes, I've driven vehicles with loose steering and this is definitely not "normal" (I've driven an 89 Econoline and that steering was just fine). The steering on this truck is awful. I'd love to tighten it up. Suggestions?

On to the cluster - lights aren't coming on - headlights come on, dome light comes on, cluster lights are kaput. Guessing this is a fuse (maybe...?) or perhaps a relay that kicks voltage to the instrument panel. Not sure, any ideas?

Oh, I guess this is lastly, but I plan on replacing the exhaust manifold with something that is less restrictive and not prone to cracking. I'm betting the one in there right now is cracked as well as leaking, before I start driving this more often I'd like to take care of that. My brain is already.. not good.

 

Yes, start with replacing the flasher or better yet just swap it with the emergency flasher to test and resolve the issue
Replace the turn signal switch with a NOS Ebay switch (if you can still find one) for some fairly big money these days
About 77 bucks over the dealer counter 20 years ago (about 175 on Ebay now)
I doubt you will find any other exhaust manifold for that van that will fit (like a header)

 

Check the 5 amp illumination fuse for the cluster lights inop, and check the headlight switch rheostat function
Check the drag link for the loose steering and the other tie rod ends too
Check the king pins and the radius rod bushings
The radius rod bushings on those older ones are a pain to replace but yours are most likely shot
That allows the wheelbase to change which makes them wander real bad
Good luck, have fun in your new van

 

Emergency flasher is working, so I bought a new relay for the turn signal. Thanks!
I bought a new turn signal switch from Amazon for about $70. It's - link included. It should do the trick. Hopefully it's not 100% garbage. We'll see, I guess. Has to be better than what I have now.
Exhaust manifold will need to wait a bit; My wallet is telling me to slow down, my heart is telling me to go F my wallet. Conflicting feelings... haha. I need new tires and the suspension is garbage, and the exhaust system as a whole is in need of replacement and from what I've seen upgrading to an EFI manifold and going to 2.5" should really help open the engine up. We'll see. Still reading and absorbing information!!

Thank you so much for the warm welcome. I really appreciate it!!

 

Check the 5 amp illumination fuse for the cluster lights inop, and check the headlight switch rheostat function
Check the drag link for the loose steering and the other tie rod ends too
Check the king pins and the radius rod bushings
The radius rod bushings on those older ones are a pain to replace but yours are most likely shot
That allows the wheelbase to change which makes them wander real bad
Good luck, have fun in your new van

Any idea where to purchase the old style glass fuses? I'll get a bunch of replacements so I have some spares and go out there with my continuity tester to see which fuses are blown and which are a-ok. Thanks for the suggestion. I took a look at the fuse panel yesterday and said, "yeah, I need some fuses" and promptly closed up the van.

I'll definitely check the drag link, tie rods ends, king pins and radius rod bushings. I'll probably replace them all. Suspension parts don't last forever, this was an 81. I'm sure they're all shot to S***. Thanks for the suggestions. Not sure about cursing here, so I'm censoring myself. You get the jist though

I plan on having a ton of fun, thank you for the warm welcome and suggestions. I'm excited to get started! I replaced the gas cap that was missing half of its rubber seal on the top, so the improvements have begun!!

 

The Standard switch should be fine
There is a trick to getting those wires down the column
I learned from a old master at the dealer I worked for
You cut the end of the old TS switch off about 2 inches from the connector
Then tape a piece of bailing wire to the harness you just cut the connector off of
Tape it well enough that when you pull the TS switch up and out, it pulls the bailing wire up and out
Then you need to take the new TS connector apart to get all the wires out
I used to make a quick wiring diagram (you take a picture or two) and it should match up color wise to the old connector
Tape the wires one at a time to the bailing wire to be able to pull them down through the column
One at a time so it comes to a point in the end where the wire comes out
That way you can pull them down through the column easier
Work that bailing wire back and forth until you have the wires pulled down through the column
Good luck and have fun with it

 

This is WONDERFUL advice. THANK YOU!!

 

You are sure welcome, let us know how it turns out.

 

Absolutely! I'm going to be taking pictures of everything as it goes along. I'm also looking at getting some front facing ducts along with some better controls, eventually getting AC in the truck as well.

One thing I noticed when driving was that the temp gauge only BARELY hit the normal range. I'm assuming the previous owner put in the wrong thermostat for this engine?

Oh, I'll be getting the windshield swapped out this week - not super exciting but it always bothers the crap out of me to see a vehicle with a messed up windshield. The one it came with has a significant crack across the passenger side and about three to four blunt force cracks - one of the cracks they tried to treat with superglue to stop the spread - it worked - but all around the crack the glass is frosted.

I'm waiting on the shop manuals to show up, once they show up I'll be more excited. Parts aren't cheap on eBay, I'm going to have to start finding some pick n' pull junk yards for parts

My list keeps on growing, I'm at a bullet list of 28 items with two done - replace the gas cap and purchase the shop manual... LOL

 

I offer this only because I am in the auto/truck glass business..........

Make sure the potential installer has a plan to deal with any rust of the windshield mask & pinch weld area. Given this van's year its quite likely there could be significant areas needing repaired or at least carefully attended to in order to stop the repaired area from developing rust. Have them share with you what adhesive they'll use (butyl tape or urethane) and what steps they'll take to seal any scratches they'll in inadvertently cause during removal.

 

And, you will want the windshield trim put back on, in fact tell them that first, because they need have the clips on the truck they bring out to do the job, none of them are suited for putting the trim back on, that cost extra and they know it, van looks stupid without it, leaves the glass edges exposed.

 

Hey all, just wanted to respond to @maples01 and @JWA - thank you both for your feedback!

I scheduled the appointment last Thursday for between 10:15 and 10:30, around when I got home. I got home at 10:25, and they were... 100% done. I was impressed.

They said that the truck had the original windshield installed and it was using butyl (I believe that's what he said - he said they don't use it anymore, if I recall) and they wound up using urethane. They leak tested the van and they were on their way, the grand total I believe was about $350 - $380. No more ugly cracks, it's starting to take shape... extremely slowly

They also reported that the frame holding in the windshield was in good shape - it's why I purchased this 1981 in the first place, the body was in very solid condition. There is a TINY bit of rust on the front fenders and the front and rear bumpers are a little beaten, plus there is a little rust/rot behind the back bumper. I haven't had a chance to go through the interior of the van 100% yet - someone was in the process of converting it to a camper (the back walls are done fairly nicely, there is foam insulation in the roof) but I plan on ripping it out and starting at ground zero so I can apply some dynamat to the bare metal for sound proofing before adding additional insulation. Depending on what I find when I disassemble it, the insulation that was cut for the truck may be going back in! Who knows?

For now I'm thinking of acquiring a TIG welder and potentially tackling the front fenders, I would say maybe it's about a 2"x4" patch that would need to be cut out. I've never welded before and I know TIG is more finesse than MIG, but you need to grow up and learn sometime, right? Or should I just find a body person who can take care of this? Thoughts? Comments? I'm open to literally anything.

One thing about the truck that I MUST ABSOLUTELY IMPROVE UPON is the heating/AC situation. The climate controls are bare bones and there is no adjustment to where the heat comes out of - I purchased a thermostat for a van that came with AC and heat, as well as the ability to adjust where the air comes out of. Does anyone know if the duct work that diverts the air is the same in the 79-84 as the 85-91 models? I'm also looking at actuators as well, based on the pictures I've seen they are vacuum powered... which is fine - I'm not a huge fan of it but I've dealt with it before and as long as the lines aren't torn to pieces it should be fine.

If anyone is interested in pictures, I'd be happy to post some. Also, did the 1981 come with a right turn signal lamp that was clear and the left was yellow? The lack of symmetry is killing me and I'm seriously debating removing the clear piece for a yellow piece.

I need to get out there and continuity test all my fuses; I found the emergency flasher relay (it works!) but was having trouble finding the turn signal relay. It seems if I remove the dash where the headlight switch is I should have better access and will be able to pop the replacement in. I'm waiting on the shop manual to replace the actual turn switch so it will actually stay in place instead of floating around. I would imagine a BMW driver wouldn't care but as someone who uses their turn signal it's driving me literally crazy!!

After doing some reading and looking at the exhaust in greater detail, I've decided to replace the exhaust from manifold to muffler - the engine was SO loud on the way home that my friend's dog was freaking the F out and he sat in the back with the pup - we both wound up using headphones to block out the noise. That exhaust manifold is definitely leaking and replacing the exhaust should help a lot. I was reading how the carb manifold has a tendency to crack so I'm looking for something with better flow and I think I want to upgrade the diameter of the exhaust to 2.5". Did the 1981 come with a catalytic converter? Although they're expensive I'd like to do the right thing and install one, even though this vehicle doesn't have a check engine light or anything along those lines.

Many thanks to those who respond, and to @manicmechanic007 for the super useful tip for running the wires down the steering column as well as his other advice with the steering. I'll be ordering the steering parts next and once those are installed I'll be putting on a set of all weather tires and getting a wheel alignment, then I'll be tackling the exhaust. I also need to re-run the emergency brake cables as they are either completely torn, stretched, or damaged so badly they don't work (car is parked in gear at the moment).

I'll definitely be back! Thank you all for the wonderful advice, it's a great feeling to speak with those who have done this work and know their way around things to help a newbie out like myself

 

Figured I'd post some updates since it's been a little bit and everyone always seems curious.

I found some rot on the truck, under the one floormat on the drivers side. It's a flat and not a curvy cut, so I'm hoping it won't be so bad.

I installed new wiper blades, they work! I added wiper fluid, that works!

I took the dash apart and installed the new relay for the left turn signal... then nothing. The ignition switch fell apart. I bought a new one for $12 on amazon, installed it, and nothing.

I closed the hood and dug into the service manual and started looking for fusable links, and sure enough the one to the battery was killed.

After trying to solder that wire for awhile I had a friend bring over a 200W soldering iron and it finally soldered. I cranked the truck and after some coaxing (2 weeks no start w/carb) it fired up. Awesome!

I lubed all the hinges and things are working better. Threw out all the carpet and stuff in the back. Going to wire wheel the interior soon enough to see what needs to be fixed, then I'll work on the outside.

In the meantime I replaced the weather stripping for both front windows (both totally shot), the windows don't shake and go up and down nicely. I'm happy with that. I need to replace the weather stripping for all the doors though...

I just bought all new lightbulbs for everything except the dome and the backlight for the dash. The dash isn't lighting up but I do have a spare rheostat now; I bought new dash pieces that have vents; I'd like to convert this truck to AC and have options to where the air blows instead of feet or defrost. All the plastic duct came along with the vacuum actuators so I feel good about.

Does anyone know about the switch for the wipers? I bought a dash piece that has intermittent wipers, I'm assuming that is controlled by the switch and not the motor, although the motor or the washer is really noisy; no bother, I bought a new washer spray motor and if I need to buy a new wiper motor I will. The fact that things are working better makes me feel better. It's going to be a long project but it's been fun! I've been having a blast. Having the service manual and fixing the fusable link was a real big one - most of my wrenching has been on newer cars with ODBII or when I was a child I wrenched with my dad on old school beetles which were a different beast - this is my first fusable link, so lesson learned. The wiring is... fairly easy compared to a modern car. Take your voltmeter, test for continuity, take it easy and repair where necessary.

Also, F*** the harbor freight soldering gun I got. It heats up nice but not nearly enough power to get solder on the heavier copper wire. Time to buy a real adjustable one!

Oh, I bought a steering wheel puller, so that's next to replace the turn signal issue. I replaced the relay, and now the left and right are blinking at different speeds so I'm going to purchase another new relay so they match. Not a big deal, the relays are cheap, the mismatching blink speed is killing me However, another issue solved!

 

When buying door seals, many companies call the side barn doors 'rear' doors, tons of fun when trying to buy gaskets for the doors on the 'rear,' or *** of the van, gaskets glue on, so get the yellow weather strip glue from your local parts store, wiper motor is under the vent at the bottom of the windshield, be ready to fiberglass it to stop water leaks, mine was full of holes at the ends, rusted my floor, wrecked the ECM, smart that Ford put it in the firewall under the heater, no way it would get wet there, getting floor panels is problematic as the doghouse design is constantly changed, getting it to seal after replacing the floor is fun. If your heater blower doesn't work, its the relay under the passenger headlight, don't hack the wiring, the starter relay has several fusible links for various power supplies to the van, buy a wiring diagram book from ebay, they are wonderful.

 

You should always replace those fuse links (not solder them)
They sell the special fuse link wire at parts stores by gauge size
They make that weatherstrip adhesive in black too.
I use the black on weatherstrips
The yellow is known as "gorilla snot" I use that on gaskets