Hey everyone, just joined the site. Yesterday I got my grandpa's old truck, a 73 F-250 camper special and I'm looking to get it back into shape to honor my pa. There is just one issue....I'm a novice mechanic. I ordered the CD that has the 5 factory books because someone told me those are gold, but I can really use some help on where to start. The truck sat in the desert for 20 years so I know all the rubber/hoses are shot, but I feel completely overwhelmed on how to even begin. I'm not rich so I have to do most of the work myself and I only have minor experience working on my uncles 66 Mustang. Any takers on someone who can take me under their wing and give me some pointers. Thanks all.

 

Welcome and congrats on the 73 F250. I am sure this truck will be a great experience and will be a treasure to pass on to your grand-kids someday.
Please tell us more about the truck (such as engine size, trans., super cab, 4x4,.....) and your concerns. also add pictures. That will help too.

I suggest Dennis Carpenter for rubber parts. Go to Dennis Carpenter, LMC, MAC & Bronco graveyard websites and request free catalogs to see what they offer.

You have a great journey ahead! God Bless.

 

Hello, congrats (again) and welcome to FTE! Good people here willing to help.
As fer me, I be house bound for a few more weeks, and ready to yak/walk yer way through anything.

Good call on the CDs.. Books have always been my preference but as you know, good ones are hard to get. A Chiltons, Haynes, etc might provide good baffroom reading....can never have enough information.

Vacuum gauge and timing light and a DVOM are a must for tools...along with others I'm sure you have

First off, you probably have a 360 FE, 2v engine. C6 Auto or an Np435/T18 manual trans. D60 differential w/12" (?) drums....post up the VIN and we'll be able to decode what exactly you have.

To start - change the oil and filter...try not to use Fram oil filters as they're junk. You'll need ~ 6.5 quarts of a good 10/30 grade to start, along with a ZDP additive. You can change the oil to a different grade at a later time, depending on yer preference, but fer now, 10/30 is fine. Observe what the oil looks like when draining.

Points, condenser, rotor, plugs and wires/coil are next. 0.014" on the point gap and 0.035" - 0.040" on the plugs.....if memory serves. Take pictures of the plugs, and note what they tell you. While the plugs be out, squirt some Marvel Mystery Oil down the cylinders and let it set fer a few hours. Try and turn the engine over by hand - with a 15/16" crank socket (I think).

Battery charge/check, solenoid check as well as all the wiring - for brittleness, etc.

You'll want to change the valve cover gaskets, too....and take a peek at the rockers, rails and pushrods for wear/tear and any accumulated gunk.

Carb refresh - pull/clean and new gaskets would be in order, too, after setting for so long.

Whew! There's enough stuff there to keep you busy fer a day....don't want to overload you with things to do but the gas tank needs draining/check, all the rubber lines, cab/core support mounts, etc need checking, too....

 

As I tell all new owners who are dragging one out of the weeds to resurrect.......Check safety items first.............ie: Brakes, tires, lights and steering.........If it has been sitting 20 years, the first thing I would probably replace would be the rubber brake hoses......The brakes may still work, but you don't want to blow a hose the first time you have to do a hard stop. After you are satisfied that it is safe to operate, make a list of other items that need to be addressed. My lists start with safety items, then operational items (proper fluid levels or complete changes (which after 20 years of setting, I would replace all of the fluids and filters), engine leaks, tuning, transmission/clutch operation) Then I would move on to cosmetic items.......Just my 2 cents worth

 

And don't throw away your old condenser out of the distributor. New ones are said to be junk quite often, so it would be nice to have a backup.
Do you know why it was parked?
These trucks are fairly easy to work on, although a lot of parts are heavier than their passenger car varients...

 

1973/79 F250 Camper Specials (2WD only thru 1976) & F250 2WD's with 7,500 & 8,100 lbs. GVWR's have dual piston caliper front disc brakes and 12" x 2 1/2" rear drum brakes.

1973/76 F250 Camper Specials could have C6 A/T or Warner T-18 or New Process 435 4 speeds; 360 2V; 390 2V; 390 4V (1974/76); 460 4V (C6 only).

 

Welcome aboard! I'm in the same situation as you are. I have '73 F100 with 360 FE that I'm trying to get going again. I, like you, have minimal experience with anything like this, so maybe we can help each other out.

EDIT ** Here is the thread I started with my build. Maybe you can find something in it that will help you out. I'm just getting started with it, so I will be updating it each time I work on the truck.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post16992872

 

Wow, thank you all for the help! I will send some pics as soon as I figure out how. I think brakes might be easiest for me to start with. I got a bit of experience with those anyways.

 

Congratulations! Sounds like a nice truck... any pictures?

Lots if good advice above. I will just add the fuel system will probably need attention after time and sitting. Any gas left in the tank is spoiled and the short sections of rubber line that join the steel lines are likely shot.

Drain any gas in the tank, replace all short sections of rubber line and new filter(s) is a start. The Motocraft carb has a small filter that screws into the carb body and often additional filters have been added over time.

 

One more quick question. Is it a bad idea to get my brake stuff from O'Reileys? I know they are cheap and in walking distance, so if their stuff isn't garbage I would rather use it.

 

Brake parts are good to buy local, easy to return or exchange if needed. I don't know about the Irish parts store, but NAPA carries lines of parts with different levels of quality, you can always ask.

I would recommend replacing brake wheel cylinders, hoses, and master cylinder they aren't expensive.

Rebuild the carb. That basically just means disassemble and clean thoroughly, new gaskets and rubber parts. Lots of YT videos and manuals available online to walk you through it.

A standard 4 to 10 amp battery charger will pay for itself.

 

Hello Ford Mccord,

I am also a novice and what i have been doing is a ton of research Reading whatever i can get my hands on haha. You will read alot of good things here, look around or ask folks are nice here. I also found some shop manuals at my library which i thought was cool. Take one step at a time and itll come.
Good luck buddy
jordan79f150
if I sound like I dont know what im talking about its probably because I dont.

 

I bought quite a few brakes parts from rock auto, not sure how most feel about it but i couldnt beat the prices. Never tried returning anything though there yet.

 

I usually buy brake parts locally... NAPA or Autozone for me though I am sure O'Reilly's is fine. Rock auto is good also. In general, the mid range or premium brake parts are OK. Stay away from the cheap or "value" line.

With drums it can be tricky to get everything back in the right spot if you don't do it frequently. I like to do one side at a time and keep the other for reference. Also check against the service manual in case the existing setup is mixed it up.

Also a good idea to give steel brake line fittings a good shot of rust penetrant before disassembly... preferably well in advance.

 

Having the other side for reference is a great tip. Also, since everybody has a digital camera/smartphone, take lots of pictures before and during disassembly.

Some parts to drum brakes just don't make a lick of sense until you figure it all out.

Most important-make sure the self-adjusters are in correctly. It's easy to install them "reversed", and they'll fit, but during the course of driving, they'll constrict the brake shoes, rendering the system inoperable.