has anyone got some pics of cd players they have installed in ther trucks?
I have a 79 150, and am trying to install a cd player but not sure how.
any help would be great.
thanks

 

I dont have a pic but i put mine in my truck. The way ive always installed cd players is the way my pops showed me, so im not sure if its the right way but its always worked for me and for my friends that i installed cd players into. It would be extremely helpfull if you had a test light. Ill assume you have one. If you dont thats ok too.
Ok, normally you have 3 wires that plug into the truck: constant, switched, and ground. The "constant" refers to constant power, thats for your memory. You need this so that your cd player remembers your radio stations, what track you were on on your cd, audio presets etc. The switched is only on when you turn on your truck or your accessory. This is so that you dont drain your battery. The ground, is of course, for ground. You should have a manuall that tells you which wires which, and in most occasions its listed on the cd player itself.
1.) Now what you do is get your test light (if you have one). With your truck turned off completely, no accessory either, check to see which fuse has power (your brake lights will). Now take that "constant" wire and carefully wrap it around the fuse and plug it gently back into the fuse box.
2.) Ok, now that you have the constant hooked up its time for the switched. Again, with the power turned off check to see which fuse has power and which one dosnt. When you find one that dosnt have power with the truck off, turn it on and see if it has power then. If so then you have your switched.
3.) Now to the ground. This one is easy. Find metal, and attach. haha. Seriously though thats about it. It needs to be a good metal surface though, no paint, if its got paint or anything other than shiny metal, scratch it off. 90% of the time a cd player stops working its because of a bad ground. So just look for some random screw thats in your truck wrap the ground wire around it and screw it back in, try to make it tight.

So thats it, your cd player should turn on now. I didnt proof read this so its probably confusing as hell. If you need some help feel free to message me.

 

oh yeah, if you dont have a test light let me know, you dont need one, but i just typed so freakin much i dont feel like explaining it unless i have to

 

I'm not so sure he wanted a complete installation instructions.

Basically,
You have to trim out the area in the plastic cluster bezel to mount the DIN mount for the CD.
There are also bezels available that have the space ready for the CD Player from FTE sponsors.

Just search "Cd player" in this forum and read the results if you are in a hurry.

If you want help with the wiring and the instructions aren't included, just ask and we'll let you know where to hook what up.

 

Dennis,
Which sponsor carries that bezel?

 

Mine was easy. I took the bezel off and laid it aside. Remove the heater controls from the metal mounting bracket then remove the bracket. You'll need to cut off the piece of the metal factory radio/heater controls bracket that held the factory radio. I used a pair of sheet metal shears and it worked fine.

Remount the now modified bracket into the dash and reinstall your heater controls.

Your CD Player should have come with a single din metal sleve on it. You'll need to use a dremel or a sharp knife to carefully cut the plastic area in the bezel where the factory radio mounted. cut it just to the point where you can slide in the metal sleve for the cd player. ( it should be a tight fit but not bent) Then bend the tabs around to lock it into place. You could get fancy and use hot glue around the perimeter of where the metal sleve meets the inside of the plastic bezel. I've seen it done, but I didn'd do it on mine. Wiring wasn't too bad, I wanted my cd player hot all the time so I simply spliced into the hot wire of the cigarette lighter and connected my 12v switched and 12v constant there. Doing that helps me to remember to remove the faceplate from my cd player when I stop the vehicle. (theft prevention)

I don't have any pictures right now but I guess I should take some.

 

If I understand these posts correctly, on the old style vehicles with mechanical type push button radios (the type where you tune in your radio station then pull out the preset button and the push it all the way to set the preset), there is no constant power source, only a switched power source (and a ground), so two wires instead of the three found on newer vehicles (and aftermarket cd players).

If that's the case a constant power source would have to be added to preserve the memory in the new cd unit.

Where is the best place to add this constant power from or should you take it right from the fuse box and add a new circuit?

 

Memory wire to lighter wire or direct to battery.

I prtefer to run both the HOT (red) and the yellow (Memory) to the battery with shielded coax cable.

This allows me to listen to the music with the key off (engine off) and the cable is shielded to prevent un-wanted alternator or ignition noise.



Original radio wiring: One set of 2 wires was for Radio Power..the other for Radio Light (blue/red stripe)

 

Heres the one in my 76

https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...105965.520.390

I used a piece of aluminum cut from a road sign, screwed it to my dash, and mounted the CD player to that.

I dont have a good pic of the one mounted in my 77, but I used an installation kit from Walmart. It worked good also.

I kinda wish I keeped the factory AM radio in that truck, it looked so nice

https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal.../31855.520.390

 

I knew i shouldve left this thread in the graveyard. j/k

 

for bctom i have a 78 f100 i tapped into the cigerrette light for the memory lead. and used the switched power and ground leads for the the unit .

 

Thanks, I'd like the radio to be off when the key is off, saves on batteries.

 

so how did ya anchor the radio from behind to keep the bezel against the dash?