My 1984 F150 2wd Flareside Project "Blue Mule"

[Rembrant]

Gary Lewis wrote

Wow!  They both look really GOOD!  But I think I like the SVO one the best.  It'll make people wonder if it really is since it is all factory stuff.  

I ordered a couple sets of breather cover decals...one for the stock 5.0 GT cover, and a 2nd one for the SVO cover (To try and cover up some of the silver paint). I like it, but it doesn't fit quite right...I believe the SVO cover has slightly different dimensions than the stocker, but it looks OK at a distance...lol. I'm going to refinish the stock aluminum cover and I think this one will become a garage wall item;). Maybe I'll make a clock out of it;).

[1986F150Six]

Very, very nice!

[Gary Lewis]

It'll look good on the wall, and the other will look good on the engine.  Good choices.  

[Rembrant]

Finally got around to loading a dyno day vid on to Youtube. Not much of a video, but you get a glimpse of how it looked with the HP and AFR, etc. This was without a doubt one of the most enjoyable events of my gearhead life;).

[Gary Lewis]

Cool!  I see 300.1 HP at about 5400 RPM.  Was that the peak?  That's a really good #.  

There's just something about watching it run on a dyno that's hard to explain.  The sound, the fury, and the fact that it held together w/o springing all kinds of leaks.  It is so satisfying!

[Rembrant]

The numbers go a little screwy at the end of the pull, so you have to kind of ignore them at the end. The official documented best we got was 297HP at 5400-ish RPM. (Close enough to call it 300HP...ahem...lol).

I was trying to keep the thing streetable and nice to drive, so that cam is relatively mild. It has a noticeable lumpy idle, but it is really just one step up from an RV grind. (XE256H). I could have squeezed more peak HP out of the thing with a bigger cam, but that would have sacrificed my low-end power, which I really didn't want to do.

I know some people are fond of really lumpy cams...like that drag car sound of almost wanting to stall at idle, but I wasn't going for that aggressive sound.

All in all, the thing works really well, and seems like a nice amount of power for my light little truck. My truck really isn't much heavier than a loaded Mustang of the same era or even later.

[1986F150Six]

Rembrant wrote

The numbers go a little screwy at the end of the pull, so you have to kind of ignore them at the end. The official documented best we got was 297HP at 5400-ish RPM. (Close enough to call it 300HP...ahem...lol).

Hmmm... about 3 X the horsepower and twice the RPMs of my little six.

[Rembrant]

1986F150Six wrote

Hmmm... about 3 X the horsepower and twice the RPMs of my little six.

I have a terrible urge for a Bullnose with a 300/6....lol. I have collected almost every piece for doing another 5spd swap too...I just need a suitable Bull...

Going to go look at an '81 next week. It is a 302 with a C6 slushbox, and 2.75 rear diff. I can turn that C6 into a 5spd very quickly, but the 302 isn't really what I want (I already have one now...lol). I'd rather a 300/6...

[1986F150Six]

Rembrant wrote

1986F150Six wrote

Hmmm... about 3 X the horsepower and twice the RPMs of my little six.

 what I want (I already have one now...lol). I'd rather a 300/6...

Walk softly and carry a big six!

[Rembrant]

So, I'm working on UN-deleting some of the factory deleted items in my old Blue Mule. Next on the to-do list on this optionless beauty is the cigarette lighter and illumination. I don't actually need the cigarette lighter, but if I'm going to take this thing on any trips next year, I will need a cell phone charging port...and well, it's one of those things I'd just like to have working. I just noticed tonight, a quick reach under the dash just next to the ashtray, where the cig lighter would be, two wires hanging down. One a yellow wire with a single rubber coated socket on the end...same as what is on the temp sensor in the engine. Is this the main 12v+ for the cig lighter? Next to it is a black wire with a female spade connector that is wrapped in a black cloth tape. Is this the ground for the cigarette lighter? Can anybody confirm?



While I was looking through the EVTM for clues, I did see that there was (possibly?) ash tray illumination. Would this have been optional as well, or is this illumination just part of the heater/vent controls illumination just above the ash tray? If the ash tray gets it's own bulb for illumination, where would it go?

Annnnd...I see in the EVTM that there are dash/instrument courtesy illumination options as well? Two bulbs? Where exactly would these things be so I can go hunting for loose wires? I assume I'd have to scavenge these from a junkyard truck...

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, that's the power wire, but it should be yellow with blue dot's.  I'm sure it is.  And the other wire should be ground.

As for the illumination, the ash tray had its own as an option.  It is shown in the wiring on Page 87: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/instrument-illumination2.html

As for the courtesy lamps, I'll try to get some pics of those on Big Blue tomorrow.  But they are right next to the two kick panels.  And, as shown on Page 83, you are looking for black/light blue wires.

[Ford F834]

The courtesy lights have their own sub harness. It plugs in kind of behind the HVAC controls on a connector mounted to the dash frame. It provides power for the kick panel lights and the glove box light that comes on when you open it. The ash tray light is a separate deal. It should come on with the rest of the dash lights. I pulled one of these courtesy light group harnesses to upgrade my ‘81 but I have not gotten around to putting it in.

[Rembrant]

Thanks guys. I guess I'll worry about the cigarette lighter first and the illumination later. My optionless truck is REALLY dark inside at night. At least I know what to look for when I get in them at the junkyard (when and if I ever find them).

[Gary Lewis]

Look at Page 69 here: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/headlamps.html.  That shows the backside of the instrument panel, and C125 (or C125A?) is the connector that powers the courtesy lights.

Also on that page in the lower left is a depiction of one of the courtesy lamps.  And, on the right end of the instrument panel, meaning the left in in the illustration because we are looking at the back, there's a "See View A", which is that depiction of the courtesy light.  That shows where that one goes.

[Rembrant]

Gary Lewis wrote

Look at Page 69 here: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/headlamps.html.  That shows the backside of the instrument panel, and C125 (or C125A?) is the connector that powers the courtesy lights.

Also on that page in the lower left is a depiction of one of the courtesy lamps.  And, on the right end of the instrument panel, meaning the left in in the illustration because we are looking at the back, there's a "See View A", which is that depiction of the courtesy light.  That shows where that one goes.

And are the courtesy lamps on the same circuit as the dome light?

[Gary Lewis]

Yes.  Black/light blue wires.  

[Rembrant]

Another random thing that has been a pet peeve with my old Bullnose is that my left hand seat belt buckle is flipped upside down. The belt is not flipped over anywhere...and the bolt in the floor of the cab is rusted in place like it's been there for 35 years. Is there a way to correct this easily? Can the winder up in the B pillar be taken apart? I have never touched one of these before.



The right hand side is correct.

[Gary Lewis]

I've never taken one apart so I don't know.  But, have you tried penetrating oil, daily, on that bolt?

[Rembrant]

Gary Lewis wrote

I've never taken one apart so I don't know.  But, have you tried penetrating oil, daily, on that bolt?

Oh...well I'm not overly worried about getting the bolt out...that I can deal with. My problem is that if I just flip it around on the bottom I'll end up with a twisted belt, which I really didn't want. It's like the whole thing is backwards, ya know?

[grumpin]

I have been able to fold the belt over and work it back through, (if that makes sense) on some vehicles.

I haven't done it on these era Fords I don't think.

Sometime ago did that to our Suburban. It's amazing to me how they get like that.