I'm sorry to report that the whole cowl needs to be removed to get that nut. It's possible to unscrew it enough to get your hand in, but you just hit a plastic cover which is underneath the cowl, at least in my truck. The cover just has a few screws in it holding it on, I guess it's just so water can't get in and stagnate.
Unfortunately, despite the fact that I was able to figure that out, I still couldn't get the cowl off. The internal parts of the radio antenna were in the way. I tried to remove it without messing around with the window trim (as a] I don't have the trim remover tool, and b] I've heard too many horror stories about that bottom piece of trim to even want to try), and that radio piece was the -only- thing in my way... similar to how the nut is the -only- thing I need to get at to finish the job. I'm starting to think I should just pass this whole thing off as a loss? There are other things I need to attend to (AKA my brake power booster, and AP Spanish Homework), and this seems to be becoming more drawn out than it needs to be. Any suggestions?

 

the antenna is screwed to the cowl. You will need to remove the chrome, "Cap" to get at the four screws underneath. The cable unplugs from the back.

You do not need to remove the chrome around the windo to remove the cowl. However you will have to remove the hood, or move it out of the way. The cowl will move foward after it is unscrewed from the cab to clear the chrome piece. Carefull not to scratch anything.

 

Wow, thanks for getting to this sooner rather than later!

Don't give up, dude, you're really almost there! Besides, if you *do* give up,
you're *still* not gonna have a working defroster or heater. And, Winter is
almost here, how much do you wanna bet in about 6 weeks you'd tell yourself
how stupid it was to abandon it when you were *so* close to being able to
fix it but it'd be too late and your windshield & hands & feet would be frozen.

Yeah, somebody posted about popping off that chrome cover to get at the
screws holding the antenna on although I'm not familiar with the cable
unplugging from the thing. I have no idea what your truck looks like (overall
condition of the paint) but it sounds to me like it'd be best to remove the
hood (although I didn't do it but I don't care about my paint). Can you get
somebody to help you for a little bit?

Been thinking about it a bit... ya know, I guess I probably *didn't* remove
the chrome strip to remove the cowl, I guess my remembrances of removing
that thing were from when I got a bunch of body parts from a junkyard about
a year later. So, good move there.

Thanks again for the heads-up on getting at that thing (the nut) as now I
know what I'll be getting myself into.

I wouldn't want to give up if I were you but I understand how you're getting
frustrated and have got other things in life to deal with, too. Remember,
nothing worthwhile comes easily....

-chris

 

I honestly don't remember the details of how I removed the cowl to replace the
wiper motor, but I remember that getting the wiper arms off was my most
irritating problem. Concerning the hood, maybe I just disconnected the side
springs from the body and propped it up from the front using a 2x4? Might that
work?

-chris

 

Yeah, I'm not too concerned about getting the hood off. My dad is usually around at some point and could help me with that, and from what I've seen, it might be one of the few things I'd have to do that's actually straightforward (no hidden nuts in ridiculous places). I guess really all I'll have to figure is that internal antenna part, and 81-F-150-Explorer already gave some advice on that for me a few posts up. May have to wait a few days though, looks like it's going to be raining here forever . Also, maybe I should go about renaming this thread. It's more like "Help Caleb with his truck!," since the it hasn't even been about a heater core for the past few pages

 

Might I suggest that before you remove your hood you try drilling a small hole through both the hinge and it's mounting point.
Being able to line it up with a drift or even a nail while you're re installing it is a lot easier than trying to hold it still with a wrench in your other hand.

 

The minimum you should do if you remove the hood is take a sharp pointed tool and mark all around where the hood hinge bolts to the hood, so you can get it lined back up.

 

Or, just shoot some spray paint on there for witness marks.

 

Alright, I finally have more time to at least work on this. Okay, I'll try to describe this. The radio antenna is attached to the cowl. On the underside of the cowl, the radio antenna attaches to something else (obviously). What is it, and how do you disconnect this "something else?" It's the only thing that's keeping me from getting the cowl off, and if I can do that, I'll actually be able to finish this job and I'll never have to post on this particular thread again! Hahaha...

Also, I promise, I'm going to buy a manual soon, which will probably seriously diminish the amount of questions I have. Haynes or Chilton? I'm thinking I want detailed diagrams of where nuts/bolts/stuff is located, which one is better in that respect?

 

"What is..." the cable coming from the radio?

 

That's what I was thinking. It connects the radio antenna to wherever it goes. The question I want to know the answer to would be: How do you disconnect it from the antenna assembly? I don't want to go taking out my radio, I just want that thing unplugged so I can get my cowl off. Does it screw off? Pull off? Are there screws/nuts/bolts in it?

 

Mine just pushes into the bottom of the antenna mast.
It may be corroded and kind of stuck, but it doesn't thread on or anything.
With a little WD-40 and a pair of pliers it should come right off.

 

The cable just pulls out of the back of the antenna housing.

There is a chrome plate covering the antenna base mounting screws that will need to be popped off with a screwdriver, then you will see the four screws holding the base (or mount) to the cowl. After you remove those four screws, you can pull the wire through the cowl and disconnect the wire from the antenna base.

 

Really? All of the antennas I've ever seen are crimped on and cannot be removed from the mast. Not without ruining it any way.

You have to pull the whole cable all the way from the back of the radio and though the cowl.

It's a real PITA to get it back in there.

 

Interesting, Mine unplugs at the base, unless there are two types that Ford used on antennas, and cables during 1980-1986. And it has been known.