I am getting ready to paint my truck and will need a new Cargo Light Gasket when done. NPD truck parts only have 67 to 79 gaskets. Bronco Graveyard doesn't show them and the dealer doesn't show it either.

Any ideas where I can find these? I did a search here and only found that I could put silicon on it but I would rather have a new one that looks nice and will hold up for another 20 years.

Thank in Advance.

Lee

PS - I know I still haven't put new pictures up. We lost the cord to download the pictures and are tearing the house apart to find it so I can get them up.

2WD to 4x4 conversion is done, lift is installed, truck is completely stripped to bare metal and Rust Bullet is about to get put on as sealer/primer coat. I built the bed remover which worked great so I can just lift my bed off by myself and strip the underside, frame etc. The truck has been stripped inside, underside and on top. THis will enable me to completely seal it in with this new Rust BUllet which is supposed to be the ultimate rust preventative. Recall this is a California truck and I have yet to find one speck of rust and want to keep it that way when I move to harsher climates.

While I have the interior out, I have also been upgrading it. I am putting in a rear seat lift and wired in a Viper Alarm with remote start.

While farting around, I also built a dual air intake for the rig to open up the air flow in to match my headers and 3" exhaust out. Not much left to do after the paint is done other than stick in the electric fans but having a hard time swallowing the $400 price tag for the 295/298 Flex-fan they claim is the only one that will fit properly for this 86. After that, I need to decide what gear ratio to move it to as it seriously lacks torque with the larger tires. It is 3.55 now and I can't make up my mind if I should go to 4.10 or to something even bigger like 4.5. It is a 302 EFI with the AOD tranny.

I will get pictures up soon as I can.

 

I searched and searched and couldn't find one either. I ended up making one out of 1/16" thick soft silicon rubber gasket material (red) that I had on hand. Used a razor blade and an Exacto knife. Not perfect, but it stopped the leak into the cab. I found three different ones in U-pull junkyards but they all came apart in the removal process. If you find a source please post to this thread.

 

I know Dennis Carpenter sells a cargo lamp kit, including the gasket, but, they don't list the gasket seperatley. Perhaps a phone call to them would be in order.

 

Thanks, that looks like my best bet. I wouldn't mind having a nice clear lens either but $125 is a bit steep.

Thanks again,

Lee

 

The last time this happened to me, I went to Ford and was told that you could only get the gasket with the lens.

I went to the wrecking yard just a month ago cause I was getting tired of seeing the silicone goober keeping my cab dry, and got one out of a 1992 F-250 for mine, Gasket was in excelent shape and so was the lens. $5 bucks for both.

 

Lee, when you stripped the paint did you remove the wheel well moldings? I did when I painted my truck and broke a couple of the plastic molding clips. I can't find replacements anywhere. Do you know a supplier that sells wheel well molding clips for an 86 F150? Thanks

 

I think they sell them here locally at the paint shop here but I haven't looked yet. I know they have all kinds of clips and retainers for various moldings and saw many of the ones that go on our trucks but not sure they have everything. I took all the moldings and clips off the donor Bronco that I used for my 4x4 conversion and was hoping I would have enough extras to not have to buy any.

When I get done and have everything back together, I will come back here and either let you know if I was able to buy them there at the paint shop or if I have any extras left over I can just mail you assuming you only need a few and I have enough.

I recall those things were tough to get off. 2-3 would pop right out then there would always be one stubborn one I just couldn't get. I ended up twisting one of my moldings because I couldn't get one of those clips to let loose or even break. That is why I took all the moldings off that Bronco so I would have spares. It seems that at least on my truck, some of the female retainers were plastic while others were metal. ( Those little push in things that sat in the holes for the molding stem to push into) I am still trying to decide if I should lean towards using more metal ones or the plastic ones. My thinking is to use more plastic ones since they won't rust or scrape paint as they vibrate unlike those little green metal ones that have sharp edges.

When you did yours, how did you get the big side clip off that is just in front of the door on the fender? ( that big butterfly looking thing that has the one spring leg sticking out) It is bolted on with a nut in the back and I could not get that thing off at all. I finally took it off when I had the fenders off but now am worried I will have to remove the fender again to put it back on or else just use a regular push on style retainer. I wanted it off to paint so I would get full protection and coverage. There are only a few of these bolt on ones, 4 I think on each side with one in the front and rear of each of the large straight molding pieces. The other ones had holes to get to the nuts but the ones at the back of the fender just forward of the door seem didn't have anything I could see. I would hate to risk scratching my paint by having to take both fenders off again. I am heavily leaning towards just using a push on retainer like the rest of the middle sections use.

Anyway, I will try to remember to come back here once I get everything together. If you don't want to wait, I would try your local auto paint shop or you could look up and call AV Auto Paint in Lancaster California which is where I go for my stuff. Their number is 661 942-0463 but be warned, they are high priced on everything. They were charging me $38 for stripper until I found I could get the same stuff at the Autozone for $22. I wouldn't buy too many extras if you do have to order them. -g-

Good Luck,

Lee

 

There is a special tool for removing those retaining clips. It can be had for a few bucks at any automotive store. Generally goes under the name of a door panel remover, but works as well on the inner plastic fender retaining clips. The should be replaced anyways, and NAPA carries a whole catalog full of them, along with various metal clips, nylon parts for locking mechanisms, and other things you might not think you need.

 

Yep, I was using one of those tools but the little plastic clips that go on the thin wheel well trim have to pull out of a retainer that is like a hollow wall fastener and a few of them were beyond stubborn and would not come loose.

The big butterfly one that I was also talking about can have the molding released with the tool but the retainer itself is bolted to the fenders and doors with a nut on the back. There are holes to get all but the back one on the front fender.

PS - I am ordering that cargo light. I didn't want to pay that much but it looks like it has a brigher clear lens also so I figured what the heck.

Lee

 

Lee, On my truck, the molding on the fender just in front of the door seam was attached with the push in type fasteners only. Even though my truck is an 86, like yours, I think Ford used different types of clips on the same model year. There were no bolts involved to attach this particular piece of molding to my truck. The clips (2) that were attached to the molding were flat rectangular pieces of plastic with a male stud sticking out. They fit into two of those green metal hollow wall type fasteners. NAPA sells these green female fasteners and calls them 1/8" tubular nuts. Item # 665-1937.

I used a tool that looks like a big yellow plastic door stop or wood splitting wedge to remove the wheel well moldings. I don't know what it's called, but the local county adult evening technical school by me had it. You insert the narrow end between the molding and the fender and slowly hammer the molding out a little at a time with a rubber mallet until it pops out. If your patient, the molding won't bend, the paint won't scratch, and you can reuse most of the male clips. Unfortunately, a few of the male clips broke, but 90% are OK.

I've looked in every catolog I have but can't find anyone who sells the male part of the clip. I'll give AV a call and see what they say. Thanks

 

AH, OK. If I ever have to remove this stuff again, I will get one of those tools. My tool that I was using was a generic trim removal tool with numerous things sticking out of it and a big handle. (Skinny little thing for windshield trim, larger U shaped thing for door handle clips etc.) Sounds like your tool is just for our wheel trim and that was missing off of the one I was using.

Hopefully I will know if I have any extra male clips in the next week or so. It is just a matter of getting the time to put this back together now. I will also check AV paint eventually since I have to go there and see if they have something to put my LOGOs back on. I need some sort of glue to stick the F150, Lariet and Fuel Injection logos back on the truck.

Good Luck,

Lee

 

I am going to a salvage yard this weekend to see if I can get any of the clips. I called AV and she said they only have universal type of clips. Hopefully, I'll find some at the salvage yard. If not, I may have to take you up on your offer. Thanks a lot for offering them to me.

 

Hey got kind of a silly question, but when your cargo light was leaking, did it come out at the windsheild? I just found that gasket shot, when I went to paint the roof to slow the rusting an flaking goin on up there until I can do better... I had been blaming the windsheild for the leak, and now that I found that, I may have been wrong...

 

No, Mine stayed in the back of the truck.

I just read a couple days ago that the little rain gutter seams over the doors are also prone to leaking. Apparently this is why the back corners rust but that is more forward and could be the culprit as well.

Good Luck,

Lee

 

My gutters are ok, just the rear was open. It rained last night, and the corners are wet, and so are the fors again. The way the structure of the roof is set up, I imagine it can run up there and run out between the panels,it alwats drips off the metal trim on the inside. Doesn't really run down the windsheild the way my dad's truck does, which is a known windsheild seal leak, can see daylight through there...