75 Ford pictures by jseim44 - Photobucket

For your viewing pleasure. Should be able to navigate photobucket from there and look at all my other junk if you want. Maybe you don't. The choice is your's

-Jake

 

Wow! It's been almost 3 months since I posted on this thread.

Not much has gone on lately I guess. Just making plans hoping that someday I'll have the money to see them through.

How about you?

-Jake

 

Well I took the '69 out and put it in "winter storage" so that leaves me enough room to get down to business out in my shop. Winter projects include:

The '71
Add power steering
Possibly swap front leaf springs with '75 - to make the 36's fit with no rub
Weld collector that's leaking on passenger side header
Build reciever hitch

The '75 (here's where the list get's lengthy)
Remove carpet
Replace dimmer switch for headlights
Align headlights
Fix sliding rear window (missing the trim pieces if anyone has some)
Clean up any and all extra wiring
Fix heater - switch doesn't work and has a toggle wired in to turn the motor on
Fix exhaust leak
Remove crappy muffler - install better one
Patch floor pan
Possibly swap springs to '71 - install 33's off the '71
Find cause of that nasty driveline vibration
Fix speedometer
Set timing
Tune carb

I'm sure there's more. Add in a John Deere 300 garden tractor with a broken rod that's already torn apart and a John Deere 317 that hopefully makes it through the winter on the snowblower before blowing up. Oh, and a house. Buy a house that's all remodeled and you STILL end up working on the darn thing!

Forgot how much fun it is to drive the '69. I wasn't sure what to expect so I had plenty of tractor weights on hand but the roads didn't warrant them. I did give it about half throttle on the street though and slid sideways at a manageable rate. Got out on the highway going about 60 and stepped on it up to 80ish to make sure it was running good. Either it was or I'm getting old because it made my ears ring. It's amazing how two engines with the same exhaust set up can sound so totally different. The '69 can easily be heard a mile away and sound like the meanest thing around while I can sneak out in my '71 and no one hears me leave......

-Jake

 

Damn, you've been busy Jake! Hey, did you see this?PARTING OUT VERY NICE 1968 FORD RANGER 360 MANUAL AC TRUCK CLEAR TITLE

 

No Pat. Those aren't things that ARE done. Those are things that NEED done! I've thought of some more too but they are escaping me at the moment.

And no, I didn't see that '68. Why must it always happen when I have no extra money? I tell you what. You buy it and I'll take the trailer and go get it and then you can come get it from me whenever it works out. Sound good?

-Jake

 

Yeah, I wish! It looks to be a really clean truck. If I didn't have everything already, I'd probably go take a look at it. And with my 06 possibly needed major surgery, money might get tight!

 

What's wrong with the '06?

I measured tonight to see if it's worth my time to swap springs. I will gain 1/4" on one side and 3/4" on the other. I guess I might as well do it. Here's to hoping everything comes apart halfway decent

-Jake

 

Possible head gasket failure. I'm blowing coolant (not much, but enough) out of the degass bottle. I'm thinking of taking it to a local diesel shop, and having them stud the heads, and install an aftermarket EGR and Oil cooler. The OEM stuff just isn't up to snuff.

 

I see. That sucks. Do those have an oil cooler on them? I know on bigger diesels water to oil coolers are pretty common. Don't know about on these 6.0's though. My service truck is an F-550 with a 6.0 and it's kind of a piece of junk. Don't get me wrong....it moves the 17,000+ lb truck around pretty good once to get it wrapped up tight. The bottom end is pretty lazy though. Mine also doesn't always like to start when the engine is hot.

Anyway....enough of that.

I got quite a few things done today. Swapped front springs and it went REALLY smooth. Only had three bolts that gave a little trouble but with just a little persuading they came out. Got the 36's on the '71 one and it doesn't rub the passenger side fender like it used to. Only problem now is I think the front sits higher than the back. Might have to do the rears too if I can't figure anything else out. I have 9x7 garage doors and it's about to the point where it won't fit anymore. I know it clears, but I'm not sure by how much - and I maybe don't want to know.

Then after I got that done I removed the crappy muffler from the '75 and fired it up. Sounds pretty mean. I have a glasspack out at the farm to put on it, just need to pick it up sometime. Then I tore into the dash. The factory HVAC controls seem to do nothing so I'm looking into that. I'd also had the instrument cluster out to replace some bulbs and when I put it back in the speedo cable didn't get hooked up good so I'll have to watch that this time.

I'm pretty pumped though. It feels really good to be out working on my junk again. I am thinking I might have to pull the engine out of the '71 because it needs a new pan and it would probably be easier to do that with it on a stand. Plus that's a good excuse to find a torquey cam for it. Not sure how bad it needs it though. Much to my surprise from a rolling start I can stand on it and she will blow the 36's off and start to wheel hop.....

-Jake

 

THIS THREAD IS USELESS WITHOUT PICS!!



Just saying Jake....LOL

 

All I have are crappy phone pics but I'll see what I can do. I need to have the wife find her old camera so I can use it in the shop as I have other projects I'd like to photograph too!!!

-Jake

 

Spring Swap pictures by jseim44 - Photobucket

Photobucket is testing my patience so there are no captions with the pictures yet, but I think you can figure out what they all are. Started building my hitch tonight for the '71. Hoping to finish that tomorrow night and *possibly* have the power steering set up on by the end of the week...

-Jake

 

Started on the powersteering upgrade tonight. Ripped the old junk out. Measured 87 times and cut the plate to put in the frame. Got it tacked in and test fit, looked good so I welded it in. Need to mount box, put on drag link, shorten steering shaft, and mount pump and she's ready to go! I'm ready to have this one done. It will probably be the best thing I've done to this pickup and it's the one I've put off the longest! I've had this pump and gearbox sitting around for over a year - since I scrapped the red 2wd.

Will also probably finish my hitch this week too. Should be able to pull a house down when done. Of course - I might need like a 12" drop hitch or something....

-Jake

Oh, I've got more awesome phone pictures. Wife found camera but the next thing is me remembering the darn thing! I'll get them loaded sometime when I'm tired. I'll make an album for power steering and possibly one for the hitch too. Hitch is nothing special, just mostly made from scrap iron we have laying around at the farm....

 

Guess who shoulda measured the drag link 87 times and didn't?

That's right. THISS GUY! It's about a half inch too short of what it needs to be. I guess it will turn tighter to the right than to left. I guess it will have to work for now. I guess it happens. I quit immediately upon this discovery.

I did however get the box mounted, and butchered the drag link. Need to mount the pump and shorten the steering shaft and I'm good to go!!!

Might loose steam on the hitch. Going welder shopping tomorrow.

-Jake

 

That stinks about the drag link, Jake. I need to send my PS box off, to have it modified for my 67.