Oh, yeah, work. I remember those days in the past... Thanks for working and paying taxes. I get my SS deposit by the second Wednesday of each month. You're the man...

 

Well today was a great day to work if it wasn't for the pain... we ran the truck for the longest amount of time yet (about 10 or so minutes) and I was able to find most of the vacuum leaks! I also found another issue... The fuel selector valve IS actually working! If you recall in a previous post we switched the fuel lines on the valve because we didn't think it was working. With the lines switched I set the selector to the front tank so I would have a working fuel gauge. The thought was that the valve was stuck in the rear tank position and switching the lines would allow the fuel to flow from the front tank. Well I was idling the truck and I ran out of gas, flipped the switch back to the rear tank and was able to get it started again.
My buddy and I started to dismount the new tires from the Jeep rims they were on and old tires from the brown wheels and put 1 of the tires on the Ford rims. After we got it mounted and filled with air I checked for leaks and boy were there leaks from the bead... We took that tire off the rim and I found that there was a lot of rust in the bead so I cleaned that with a wire brush and tried again... Success! Did the same with the next rim but this time my buddy decided he wanted to outdo me with my fall last week and managed to hurt himself breaking the bead on one of the tires... After that we ended up slowing down quite a bit. This truck is starting to prove a little difficult.
I also ended up buying a plow for it today, now I need to find a controller, wires and truck side mount. I have a lead on a mount that is pretty local so now I just need to figure out the wiring.

I actually remembered to take a picture today LOL! Don't mind the trash on the ground, most of that was from the wind blowing a loose bag around the last few days.
The front tire is one of the new ones on the ford rim.
Also the shine is after I took my buffer to the paint with rubbing compound. You can see the difference between the front of the hood and fender. I think she'll clean up real nicely.
You might also notice the new mirror bracket on the door...

 

Looks like a tight area to work in. Hopefully with the nice weather today and tomorrow you can make some progress.

 

Oh it's very tight... I mentioned I fell a week ago this past Thursday, well it was on the driver side. I forgot about a block that was moved and I tripped on it carrying a tool box... Needless to say I was not feeling well afterwards, Hell I'm still having trouble with my shoulder today...
I had planned to get a lot done today however, my mother's cat decided he had other plans and I had to bring him to the vet... He's ok but that killed most of the day along with needing to do some lawn mower repairs. I did manage to get to NAPA to get some vacuum line but had to order another part that won't be here until Monday ish. I want to get a couple of more things done in the back before I pop the bed on so we'll bang those out tomorrow.

 

So it's been slow going, still... We rebuilt the carb, completely this time but she's still not running right. It need to be running rich just to run and she's backfiring through the carb. this tells me that the timing is off I have not changed the cap, rotor or wires as they look to be good but they also look to be original to the truck (138K miles). She's stumbling and spitting due to being rich. I'm pretty sure I have the NeverSpark system.
What should I be doing to test or adjust? I've forgotten how to work on these old trucks

I'll post a better update later tonight...

 

I stole this for you, Thanks Dave,

Good to hear you got it running again.
Now you can time it. I would start at 10* BTDC as a start.

If no light you can use a vacuum gauge and adjust for highest vacuum.
If it pings or kicks back on start up, mostly hot, kick the timing back a little.

Once you have the timing set and the idle use the vacuum gauge to adjust the carb.
Do the same, highest vacuum.
Dave ----

Here's the thread,
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...justments.html

 

Thanks Max... That info will help.

We worked on her some more today and determined that the NeverSpark module was on it's way out as the timing light was very sporadic... New module installed and the truck started to run better, but was still not right. We got it to idle smoothly with the vac gauged and timing light but she's not perfect. My buddy is thinking that the accelerator pump is still out of adjustment as she's still popping through the carb and stuttering when I punch it but not as bad as before I.E. no fireballs. If I get on the throttle easily she is fine, just when I kick it hard...
With rain in tomorrow's forecast and a couple of appointments Thursday we won't be able to get to her again till Friday. We will also be putting the bed back on and a couple of other things but for the most part, other than the running issues, she's just about ready for the road.

 

Why would you go from a 351 to a 302? The seal is relatively inexpensive and not that hard to change. Not entirely sure if the starters are the same or not but you can squeeze more torque from the 351 than you can the 302. Also are the calipers not the same on both trucks along with the brake lines? I would check part # before spending unnecessary money. This is just a suggestion but is there anyone around you that can do sand blasting? With everything off the frame they could have it done in less than a day. Food for thought and good luck.

 

I actually abandoned the idea of swapping the 351 for the 302. I have no given up on the idea of getting an IL300 but for now I'm getting the 351 fixed.
When it comes to the brakes I'd rather put parts on that I "know" are good so I went with all new. Only thing left that I have not replaced on the 84 in regards to the brakes are the booster, hard lines from the master to the proportioning valve, the proportioning valve itself and the front pads. Front pads look like they were changed very recently and had almost no wear on them.
Yes sending it out to be blasted and coated would've been much quicker but in all honesty I've only got a couple hundred into the materials and just my time. Sending it out would've cost at least a grand plus I have the satisfaction of doing it myself.

 

Too bad you aren't closer, I have a running 300/6 out of a '79 F-150 in my storage unit. And, I still have that tailgate.......

 

If you have a full size air compressor then all you would need is a 55gal plastic drum, some sand and a wet sandblasting rod. You would have to remember to treat it as you go. Otherwise it would just flash rust before you're done. You could set the bed off and work towards the back but throw something over the cab to protect windows and such. Food for thought. Also most companies will come to where you are.

 

It’s probably a good idea to shut off the engine while it’s in storage.

 

Smarta$$

 

The project completion just keeps getting pushed further and further away until now!
Today's the day! I am going to the DMV and transferring the plates from the 86 to Ol' Red this morning...
Are there still issues that need to be addressed? Yes but I will be the point that I can drive her a little. I'm still having carb issues but she's running to the point that's it's driveable. She still lean pops if I get on it too hard sometimes indicating the need for more adjustments but I'll bring her to a friend who will give me a little help.

After I get back from the DMV I will be getting a couple of people to help me put the bed back on and get the lights working. I still need to finish up the wiring for the trailer lighting and the aux lights under the bumper. I still have a vacuum leak in the HVAC control area that I'm not able to figure out so I have that line capped under the hood. I've been struggling to figure out how the heater box comes out so I can check the lines and door valves but I'm starting to think it might be the controls themselves. The wipers are still struggling but are working enough for now.

I'll get some pictures a little later today once she's moving around. I also did find some more rot yesterday that I didn't see before. The passenger side rocker channel under the aluminum door sill cover is gone Oh well I guess that's just something else for phase 2...

 

It's been a while since I've had to endure the NYS DMV but man, no thanks ever again.......