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1973 - 1979 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Dentsides Ford Truck
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79 F350 project

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Old Feb 14, 2026 | 06:25 AM
  #361  
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Yup, do not connect to an MSD coil. After some sleep & looking at the exact same instructions on their site, it's clicking in my melon now. Quite frankly, the color instructions may have helped as much as sleep did. I'm a visual & hands on learner, sometimes I need it drawn out in bright crayons for it to make sense.



Regardless, it's raining like crazy here today. So I'll probably just put some gear oil back in the F350 so I can at least move it around & then clean my shed workspace up. It's getting hard to find anything & get anything done with all the crap piled up.
 
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Old Feb 14, 2026 | 09:41 AM
  #362  
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I say keep Manual, cause clutch dumps r fun
 
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Old Feb 14, 2026 | 09:43 AM
  #363  
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Im curious how carb cheater works on cold starts…unless its a double pumper thats so rich you dont have to choke it at 40*, i know thatl work🤣
 
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Old Feb 20, 2026 | 08:24 AM
  #364  
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I'll put the little cab differences here rather than mudding up Ar Hillbilly's thread.

The blue & white cab is very early production. October of 72 and the other is May of 79.



Cargo lights.




Back of cab. Note the outside rib that's pressed in.




The cowl area on the 73 has a much more defined transition from the side to the top. It a sharp line vs the gentle roll of the 79. Morning sun didn't really do it justice.




The vent / air boxes on the 73 had access holes! Damn it Ford, why couldn't y'all have left this feature.




The 73 cab doesn't have the little reinforcement bump thingys right infront of the rear wall.




I've got absolutely no idea what this little cover it for. I know its not for a spot light, that's in a different spot.






And looky here. No provision for a shoulder belt. The speaker holes annoy me but can be fixed.



I'll do a restoration of this bad eventually. It was dirt cheap & close by.

And on to F350 stuff, the T-18 rebuild fiddly bits showed up finally. So that'll be fun eventually.


 
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Old Feb 20, 2026 | 11:50 AM
  #365  
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Thanks for sharing, pretty cool stuff!
 
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Old Feb 20, 2026 | 05:10 PM
  #366  
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Crawled under the Exxon Valdez to start pulling the motor to do the rear main & noticed some odd.

There ain't no oil on that flexplate.


And feeling up on the backside of the engine plate, it was also pretty dang dry. Made a call to my wrench turner buddy for a second opinion & he agreed, mosy likely not the rear main. I knew the front china wall was leaking, the puddle around the distributor made that obvious. Rear turned out to be just as bad too. We figure when I had the engine out a couple of times a month or so back probably tweaked the intake enough to cause the intake seal to let good, and with how it was done, I'm amazed it lasted that long.

I've said before that some people should need a permit to buy rtv, exhibit A as to why.






I've done hillbilly crap like that as a temporary expedient, but damn. Do it right later. That would explain the on again off again vacuum leaks I could never find & the carb tuning issues. Gas boiling problems with the Holley too.

Anywho, cleaned & a new valley pan.





On & setting up overnight.



Gonna try to get the carb cheater on tomorrow & mebe play some....



 
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Old Feb 20, 2026 | 10:35 PM
  #367  
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Am i seeing that correctly, they used rtv, instead of the intake gaskets?!

 
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Old Feb 21, 2026 | 06:07 AM
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Your eyes do not deceive you sir. That is exactly what someone did.
 
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Old Feb 21, 2026 | 07:18 AM
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Epic fail, you sure that engine didnt come from northeast ga?
 
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Old Feb 22, 2026 | 08:47 AM
  #370  
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Could've been a Peach truck, there was plenty of red dirt packed into spots of the frame. But there's hillbilly engineers everywhere I reckon.

Didn't get the carb cheater in, ain't got a drill bit big enough to do the O2 bung and I sure as heck ain't spending $50 for one locally. So Amazon it is. But the intake is back on & not leaking oil, who'd have thunk it that an actual gasket would've worked.

In the mean time, the science project is coming along, but I did hit a snag. The starter sits to deep & won't seat correctly. Not sure if it's the new style vs factory starter, or the lack of stupid little 1/8" thick shim I've seen on virtually every V8 manuwl dent I've ever messed with. I'm inclined to believe it's the latter option.





Rummaged up enough random plug wires to work,. Got the cheap Chineseium HEI back together & ready to drag in. Just needs fresh oil, fuel, primed & power.
 
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Old Feb 22, 2026 | 11:26 AM
  #371  
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Originally Posted by Fleur de lis 82
We figure when I had the engine out a couple of times a month or so back probably tweaked the intake enough to cause the intake seal to let good.
Have you ever thought about (before you pull the engine) attaching your chain end pulling tabs to a different location, like other than the intake. Like the ends of the heads maybe? Unless I am seeing something wrong/different in the pics. At least you are not using a carb plate.
 
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Old Feb 22, 2026 | 12:54 PM
  #372  
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Yup, I've got a chain for going to the ends of the heads. Basically a large washer with a 5/8" hole welded to each end of a chain, cant remember where I set it down though. Im beginning to like funny leveling one I've been using, I do have a carb plate as well.
 
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Old Feb 22, 2026 | 02:31 PM
  #373  
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Did you happen to measure the starter nose cone?
id i remember correctly there is a 2-1/4’ and 2” they sell for these truckss.

i had to swap from one to the other on my 77. Cant remember which one my auto 460 ended up taking.
 
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Old Feb 22, 2026 | 03:54 PM
  #374  
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All I know is I am pretty sure there is a different starter (size) for a manual trans versus a auto trans. 100% you got the right one?
 
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Old Feb 22, 2026 | 05:46 PM
  #375  
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I didn't buy nothing. I just grabbed one out of the pile of starters.

Now as far as I know from changing them an automatic starter will work in a manual. Before the f350 went rolling down the hill, I pulled the starter from a a 79 f150 351m / C6 & walked right over to the f350 which is a 400 / T-18 and I'm still running that starter in it. Only difference was an offset shim in the f350.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/r...utGJ0TaNexR_UA

Now could one of the power Master starters be different? Maybe, but neither the box or the Summit write up say anything about a difference between manual & automatic.




https://www.summitracing.com/parts/p...QaAg8IEALw_wcB

Now there is a difference in small block starters, between different engines & also big block stuff. Supposed to be able to change the snout from a 302 starter & a 400 starter and swap em.

Regardless, I'll pick up a shim spacer thingy & try it. Even if that ain't it, I've still got a pile of starters to try.
 
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