A while back I posted about how bad my driving season has started. I had problems with both of my trucks. The panel won't go in first or reverse and makes a horrid noise so I am assuming the tranny is shot. The F-2 didn't want to stay running after it got up to temp.

Some good news, I was able to fix the F-2 for less than $6, at least I hope I did. A while back I drove the F-2 to work and back, about a 6 mile round trip, just as I reached the intersection near my house the truck died and didn't want to start. Coasted down the road and left it sit for a while and it popped over and I drove it into the yard but once I turned it off it didn't want to start. I figured it had to be something that is affected by heat so I swapped out the coil from the panel, didn't help. It was late so we pushed it into the shed. Because of issues with work and home I didn't feel like working on it so the truck has sat for about 3 weeks. Last night I got the bug to work on it. Pulled the distributor cap off and checked for spark. I got a good spark all the way through but it still wouldn't start. Pulled the points and they were a little off center and there was some minor scorching, filed the points, bent them back into position and the truck started right up. It was late and raining so I waited until this morning to take it for a test drive. Started right up and headed down the road. I got about three blocks from my shop and it started acting up again, I was able to nurse it the shop before it died again and wouldn't start. Called my oldest kid and had him take me down to Advanced Auto. The counter guy asked what I needed, told him, "1950 Ford truck condenser". He punches the information into the computer says, "Sorry, can't help you with that." I look at the screen and it's red lining an "AC Condenser". I tell him, "I looking for an ignition condenser". "They didn't even have AC on these trucks you dummy", well I didn't say that last part but I thought it. Anyways, he called over another counter jockey and she guided him through another set of windows and they found the number. They then had to decide where in the store they had them. I finally walked out of the store with a Sorenson condenser. Went back to the shop, installed it and the truck popped right off. I drove it down to the gas station, about 3 miles farther away from home than my shop, filled the truck up and took a very convoluted route home to see if a problem would pop up. Made it all the way home without a problem. The condenser only cost $5.55, nice cheap, easy fix, I hope. Now onto the panel truck, that's not going to be so easy.

BTW, just for those might have thought I was taking a chance driving it further after changing the condenser, I didn't go that far from home, I just made a lot more right and left hand turns. I also had my kid on stand by with my car trailer in case I had a problem.

 

Bob - Spare points and condensor are good glove box items to have on hand. Glad you got it sorted out. Stu

 

Good deal, Bob. Just don't brag on it too much. You will go out in the morning and find it with all four wheels up. Glad it turned out to be an easy fix.

Gil

 

I can't complain too much about the old girl, there's been numerous times she's come through when my modern, sophisticated daily driver couldn't make it out of the driveway because some over engineering system malfunctioned. The F-2 deserves, as much as a old piece of iron can, to be tempermental once in a while. I wish when my daily drivers broke down it would only cost $10 and a few minutes of adjusting instead of the average $200-500-800 it seems to cost even when I do he repairs.

 

Is the F-2 still 6v? Is the Sorenson a 12v piece? Very hard to find decent 6v condensers these days. Glad you got 'er back on the road!

 

Ross,

Yes, the F-2 is six volt, the Advanced computer listed this one as the one for my truck. I've read the posts on the Ford Barn about the junk out there. I tuned up both truck last summer and hadn't driven either enough to actually wear the parts out. I bought the parts from one of FTE site sponsors and got well known parts, they must have had a dud. I was surprised Advanced had Sorenson parts, I wasn't too sure they'd have the part to begin with but took a chance.

 

Good news Bob. Here's hoping they are all that easy.

 

Sorry Bob I just couldn't resist!

That's great news. The Panel - with the transmission problem...the more I think about that the more I'm convinced at least first/reverse gear - 3 teeth. Maybe the bottom one too. I had that problem with my overdrive tranny on my 55 when I bought it. Easy and cheap at the time (1985) to fix - Bills old Buddy "Preston" had that gear. You guys are gonna cringe, but I dropped and lost a roller bearing out of it while I was changing it out and used a cut finishing nail to replace it. I got 10K miles on that nail with no problems before I sold the truck. Hey cut me some slack, I was young - and....it worked. But there's a point.

It's funny you should mention the difficulty and complexity of troubleshooting such a simple problem. It reminds me of a story of true digression.

In 1984 my dad was charged with some of the missile installations aboard the Battleship USS New Jersey. I was in college studying engineering and he took every opportunity to take me on field trips while I was home.

Seems they had a problem welding on the 8 inch thick Class A deck armor on the ship (which was a sealed box the length of the armored citadel), and they couldn't figure out how to cut it and reweld it closed with the new wiring in place for the armored missle launchers.

They spent hundreds of thousand of dollars in studies to figure out how to weld this armor - modern technology/big committee - HAH!. Apparently the equipment used back in the early 40s to do this didn't exist any more. Huh, A welder!

They were stumped. So one old shipyard worker who was 15 at the time the ships were built (and had worked at that age at the New York Navy Yard during the War), happened to walk up to this party of high mucky mucks and tell them they were all fools, requested and was given some old type of old electroarc welding wand and proceded to weld the armor right in front of all these high paid engineers and military brass. I guess he called them all idiots again as he walked off after welding about a foot of the 8 inch thick plates.

I think he got quite a raise and was made a supervisor on the ships renovation.

Moral of the story is that our modern day technilogical thought process is a little out of touch with the simple methods of the past.

I think our trucks are not so hard to figure out and fix, if we just let go of our inflicted modern day complexity. KISS!

I'm really glad yo got your truck running. That's most important.

How's the Panel?

 

You think thats bad, you should see what we have to do to weld armor now Julie..... Its a P.I.T.A.....lol

 

im fortunate the ranch shop i work at has a shoe box almost full of points and condensers and ive used one set in three years on there stuff i imagine they were there when they bought the place from way back when. I have a lifetime supply lol

 

I haven't even started on the panel, business stinks and I know I'll have to stick some $$ into the panel to get it going that I don't have. Also, while I have the tranny out I might as well swap in the 9" I bought for it 3-4 years ago and that's going to cost a few more $$, nothing every just pops in without costing something, I'm not that lucky. I have the F-2 shock brackets for the swap but will need a longer tranny yoke and new U bolts plus whatever the brakes will need, always something. In the mean time I am trying to get my '37 Buick on the road. I started this project last fall. I don't have a lot of money to stick into anything right now but I've been extremely lucky with the Buick. I have been able to do a lot of wheeling and dealing on parts and it hasn't cost me more than a couple of hundred bucks so far.

As long as I have one truck on the road so I can get my old truck fix I'll be happy. I was getting a edgy with both trucks laid up.