I was given a 1984 ford f150 two wheel drive that has been parked for two years. It was an old work truck for a construction company. He said it smoked but little else. My plans are to start it and see what it needs. I need to know what to do to safely start it. It's a dad project. Then, I am going to paint it and put some small wide tires on it and drive it. I love ford. I had a 1986 f150 we called old blue. It was four wheel drive. I gave it to a dealer to sell and he sold it alright, kept the money and left town. I realy miss old blue. I am going to make a project out of this one. Any advice?

 

well start with the carb overhual it, and fuel system because of varnish(old gas)my guess if its smoking it needs new seals i got a truck that sat for two years and ended up replacing the whole fuel system($890 for sombody eles to do it)

 

Great! Thanks for the reply. I guess that I will need a battery butr I worry about the oil and how to prvent damage to the motor if it has not been started in such a long time.

 

change the oil now
once its running right, change it again
a diesel treatment might be a good idea too

 

No, it only has six, but if it runs I'le be happy with that.

 

You and I are in the exact same boat....2 years of sitting...see my thread called "2nd opinions needed now" for more details and stuff that might help.

My oil was new with low miles on it when it got forgot and neglected 2 years. There seems no contamination to it of any kind other than a little black. Feels good and slick on the finger tips. So I may try to start mine with the 2 year old oil in there and change it when its hot. They say hot oil will drain more crap out- Than cold oil. So I'll get it running again, carb adjust if necessary. Check choke operation, all that- THEN change the oil. Twice is really overkill unless u don't mind forking out for an extra oil change to cover your paranoia.

 

Thanks for the reply. I am going to need a real good body man in Grove City, Oh. Do you know one? Any suggestions for tires and wheels. I want a sharp truck, and a real good dad project.

 

I think we found the great body man.

1- you need a good body man
2- You want a good daddy project

Dealing with body men and mechanics gets expensive in a hurry.

You can fulfill #2 the Daddy project by doing what you can yourself. Thus you've found the highest quality body man in town and know what your getting for your money. A fender replacement here. Take some trim off and work at the rust there. Cheap drill and grinding paper setup. sand gradually smoother, spot prime to keep your work rust free til you get the whole thing free of rust and damage. Like me, I'm no welder. But I don't like heavy putty jobs. So I'd just take it in for specifics, cut and fit in this aftermarket quarter panel I got here. Local Body guys are plentiful and unless you've drank with them for years, its russian roulette finding one who won't clean you out and slap a paint job over a poorly prepped surface.

Then, in your dreams, if it ever gets to the point of being paint worthy,...check with the paint guys, they have paint jobs for all budgets. You indeed get what you pay for.

However, forget all that....a moment ago u had a pig of a truck parked for 2 years that smoked and wanted to know about holding your breath and starting it . The engine....Now your already thinking Mag wheels and Fuzzy Dice? Go to a tire/rim store. They'll hook u up,,,then when leaving ask them where the 2nd hand shop is so you can aquire an orange brimmed hat and a purple coat to match the fancy wheels and fuzzy dice.

I guess we're not in the same boat. I just want a reliable truck moving again for primary transportation. IF I had deep pockets for wheels and fuzzy dice I'd just make a few phone calls.

If I had tire and schmancy rim worries, I wouldn't be here knocking my head against a wall figuring out where and how to connect the VDV kneebone to the SA-FV legbone, to the PVS thighbone.

Don't put the cart before the horse.

 

Great, You have to have a vision to know where to start and I think I do. You are right. This is a "dad project" and I am going to have fun doing it myself. No fuzzy dice or orange coat. Just one project at a time. The rest will come. I need before and after pictures though. Thanks for putting the creative juices to work again.

 

First, Welcome to FTE, Bruce and a big thumbs up to you for taking the challenge of saving an old Ford from the wrecker.

Second, a dose of reality. If it was a construction truck, it is going to be pretty rough and in need of almost everything. If he says it smoked a little, it probably smoked more than a little and definitely will need an engine rebuild or new engine. What I'm taking so many words to get at is this truck will likely cost you far more than you can get back out of it to fix up. So, this is to be a labor of love. Is this truck your favorite model year and style? Is it worth it to you to pay a bit more to have the experience of building your own? If so, then alright!

You say you want to get it started. Think through what you need this way. What does an engine need to start and run?

1. spark
2. air
3. fuel
4. For the first three to all be present at the top of the compression stroke. (timing)

To these add for the starter to turn the engine energetically enough to, well, start.

So, I would start with pulling the battery and charging/testing it. And probably replacing it, but if it'll hold a good charge, great. You'll find plenty to spend money on. Like new battery cables (hint).

While the battery is on the charger, pull and check/clean/gap the plugs. Replace if needed. BEFORE you go buy plugs or a battery and cables, while the plugs are out, squirt a couple tablespoons of new motor oil in the cylinders and turn the engine over a few times by hand. Without any compression, it should turn pretty easily using a breaker bar. This will get some oil on those cyinder walls - Lord knows they need it if this thing has sat for two years. If you can't turn the crankshaft, you might decide not to continue, and you want to make that decision before you dump a lot of money into the project. Find out if the engine is seized the first day!

Change the oil. Six quarts and a filter is what, ten bucks? It breaks down chemically over time and exposure to the air, moisture, etc. Who knows when it was changed last by the previous owner? When you start cranking this thing you want it to be lubricated. Besides, you want to check for coolant in the oil.

When you get a fully charged battery installed (clean, tight connections and new cables), test your compression. This will give you some clues what you are up against in terms of needed engine work. You also give your starter a workout/assessment.

Replace the clean, correctly gapped plugs. Disconnect the fuel line from the carburetor and the positive primary from the coil. Position a measuring cup to catch the fuel from the fuel line and turn the key to start for a count of ten. You should have at least a half a cup of fuel. Put on a new fuel filter, and reinstall the filter/line to the carb.

Reattach the primary circuit wire to the coil, and pull your number 1 spark plug. Clamp it to good ground. Attach the wire to the plug and have someone crank the engine. See spark? Good.

You're getting close. Put that plug back where it belongs. (Hey, you're using a torque wrench to torque your plugs to spec, right? Okay, good. Just checking.) Now, give it a go!

Okay, it probably won't start. 35l911 is right. You're probably going to need to rebuild the carb. Fortunately, the kit is maybe $20 and the can of dip is a bit less than that. Directions are in the kit. Take your time, lay parts out really organized on a clean workbench, be as obsessive-compulsive as you want. You can do it, as this is a pretty simple carb.

Now, give it a go!

Hopefully, it'll start at this point and you can start checking the timing and tuning the carb, etc. With any luck, you're only into it for less than $100. I would think that, if it runs, you can get $100 out of it if you've changed your mind. And if you haven't changed your mind, you've learned a lot about the condition of your engine and what it is going to need. If at any point something didn't go right (ie. no fuel to the fuel filter, or no spark) you'll obviously have to chase down why that is, but at least by approaching it systematically, you'll know what to look for. Somebody on here (I can't remember who off the top of my head) has a signature line that says "Test, don't guess." I think that's good advice. I hope you have fun with this Bruce.

 

Oops! On my way out I realized we're in the 80 - 86 forum rather than the I6 forum! What I said about the carb being simple to rebuild may or may not be true for you. That was based on my experience with the Carter 1 barrel on my I6. Please forgive my foolishness.

 

Peter; Thanks for the advise. I will take it step by step and I believe that this old ford will give me a lot of pleasure in the back of the garage. I wanted a projest that I can say that I did all by myself. A friend of mine back in N.C. took an old F100 right down to the frame and rebuilt it from the ground up. I am in no hurry and this is my dad project. There are so many great car shows in Ohio and I see people having a great time. Now that I am in my late forties I have slowed down and having the time of my life. Who know I might accidently learn something about this old truck. I hop you have found some measure of satisfaction in the knoledge you have gained and the help you have been in helping me. May it be returned to you one hundred fold.