My 1984 F150 2wd Flareside Project "Blue Mule"

[Rembrant]

grumpin wrote

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

It's amazing to me how they get like that.

LOL. I'm now embarrassed that I even asked. I just popped the cover off the buckle, and fed the belt through flipped over, and it was fixed in 60 seconds. Why that hadn't occurred to me to try that, I do not know.

Thanks Grumpin.

[grumpin]

Glad you got it!

My kids kept me in practice!

[Rembrant]

So, a little project I've been scrounging parts for was to graft a 4spd stick on to my 5spd transmission. It's not that I'm a nut for originality...it's just something that I wanted to do. Anyway, I scrounged an NP435 stick from an '86 Bull at the Pick N Pull, plus another 5spd stick from a '96 F150, and then finally an NP435 shifter boot from a rat infested '85 I found near an old garage about an hour from here. I cut the NP435 stick and the 5spd stick, and stuck 'em back together. I did quite a bit of measuring to ensure I got the new 4spd stick's knob in the same approximate location as the 5spd stick, so I think I'll be all good now. I just got it all test fitted today. I have to finish up my welds, then paint or power coat the stick and order a new knob for it, and I'll be good to go. The interior will look Bullnose correct when I'm all done.

[Ford F834]

Nice job! I bought an extra T19 shift lever for the same purpose. Nothing against the ZF lever, but I like the older look/feel.

[Gary Lewis]

Cool!  How are you splicing the two levers together?  Any tube to bridge the joint, or just a butt weld?

Jonathan - I gotta see what you do on the ZF lever!  (Gotta get the ZF in before I worry about that though.)

[Rembrant]

Gary Lewis wrote

Cool!  How are you splicing the two levers together?  Any tube to bridge the joint, or just a butt weld?

Just a butt weld for now Gary. I'm not 100% finished with it yet. I had to cut 2" out of a different section of the NP435 stick as well, so it's actually welded together in two places. I tacked it, then grooved it out and filled with weld. It's fused together about as good as it can be, but I may stick an extra piece or two on it for insurance. It's not like there's any real stress on it...but still, I'd like it to be secure.

I just test fitted it today. I already took it back out. I just wanted to make sure the stick and the boot were going to work before I put any more effort and money into it...lol. Have to order a knob, and get it powder coated.

[grumpin]

That's cool! I like the look.

[Gary Lewis]

Butt-welding should work great on a shift lever.  I was just curious.

[1986F150Six]

Rembrant wrote

I got it all test fitted tonight, and I think everything is going to be OK. I have a 1" riser under the air cleaner, and it is really close to the firewall, but I think it'll be alright. I have new decals on order for the lid, and it still needs paint (base and snorkels) and polish (the cover).




Anyway...I'm just playin' around...wasting time and money. What else is new.

You could buy this!!! [Gasp]

 https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-OEM-Ford-1983-1984-1985-Mustang-GT-5-0-H-O-Air-Cleaner-Assembly-Lid/122988300489?hash=item1ca2ac88c9:g:uMIAAOSwlzRahe6Y

[Gary Lewis]

YipE!!!!!!

[Rembrant]

ZOIKS!! Holy heck that's spendy...

Funny you should post that now, I just received a new 5.0 HO air cleaner lid decal in the mail an hour ago, and I'm hoping to get it test fitted here shortly...

[Ford F834]

Rembrant wrote

ZOIKS!! Holy heck that's spendy...

Yeah but it’s free shipping 😂

[Rembrant]

Finally, after pausing my project for the summer so I could drive the truck, I'm finally getting back at it...starting with the bed...

Don't mind my sketchy rigging...I was working alone and din't waste a whole lot of time making everything perfect. The bed is not all that heavy.







The front head board is done. For the price of a new replacement, I don't think I'll bother with trying to weld in a new bottom. The front sill might still be OK...but we'll see.

The bottom of the floor is in surprisingly good condition for being 35 years old. That black slime is the undercoating that was applied to the truck when it was new. The bed crossmembers all look to be in pretty good condition and will be reusable.






Frame is in good condition under all that grease and grunge. I may have to replace one spring hanger, maybe two, but otherwise it's all solid under that. Lots of cleaning and scraping to be done here...






Not wasting any time on that fuel tank other than to drop it on the floor and drag it over to the scrap pile.

And the dirty work begins...

[Gary Lewis]

I like it!  You have a plan, and a good one I should add, and it appears to be do-able before driving season is here again next Spring.  

[grumpin]

Great! Good job, it'll be nice when you're done.

Haven't seen undercoating for awhile. Remember the commercial as a kid in Indiana, "Ziebart, it's us or rust!"

[FuzzFace2]

I have not checked into this site for a bit.
You had it easy with the fork lift. I had to use straps over the rafters to lift it on & off (many times I should add) 1 corner a little at a time.

Your bed for the most part looks to be in pretty good shape other than that front panel and I think you said the sides at the wood like they all do.

I had no cross members and the front & rear sills were rusted and patched so I would of had to get all that. I also would of had to get the front panel if I did not repair mine and it all added up to, to much $$ so went metal floor.

I like that bottom picture on end. It shows the heat shields screwed? to the wood, mine were long gone.
The style side shields are longer maybe because it was a long bed? but they screwed to the cross members.
BTW the style side cross members are turned so the U is to the floor not the frame.
I did quick look at reusing my shields when I was under the truck once but that was as far as I got but they will be installed.

Keep us posted with pictures
Dave ----

[Rembrant]

FuzzFace2 wrote

I like that bottom picture on end. It shows the heat shields screwed?

Dave,

Yes the shields are screwed right to the wood. I'll post some pics of the bed as I take it apart.

The forklift was handy, yes. One of the benefits of having space at work that I can use. Going to do all the heavy and dirty stuff in the shop at work, and then move the truck home to do some finish work over the winter. I think after I get the frame and rear-end all freshly painted, I'll move the truck to my home garage to work on running new brake lines and fuel lines, install the new tank, etc.

[Rembrant]

Well, I've got her stripped down pretty good now. Wiring, brake and fuel lines, rear end, all gone.

Now I have to remove some rivets. Going to remove the shock mounts so can properly clean/paint/repair behind them, and I'm going to replace the rear spring mounts. The bushing bolts were seized in the bushings, and eventually wore the holes in the mounts a little bit.



I am assuming that with the rear leaf spring eye and shackle bushings, that the bushings are meant to rotate on the bolts, and the bolts are fixed/not moving, correct? What about the rear leaf front bushings...they have a metal sleeve inside. Are they meant to rotate on the bolt as well, or is the mount supposed to tighten on the sleeve (Like the front beam bushings).??

[Steve83]

Rembrant wrote

Now I have to remove some rivets.

This TSB is Ford's procedure for that:

Rembrant wrote

...the bushings are meant to rotate on the bolts, and the bolts are fixed/not moving, correct?

Nothing rotates.  The bolts clamp the inner steel sleeves to the brackets.  The rubber twists as the springs flex.

But everything will work better if you replace them (& all the other rubber on the truck) with black Energy poly.  Read this & the NEXT several captions:

Rembrant wrote

...is the mount supposed to tighten on the sleeve...?

Yes.

[Rembrant]

Steve83 wrote

Nothing rotates.  The bolts clamp the inner steel sleeves to the brackets.  The rubber twists as the springs flex.

Ok, I know that is correct for the rear leaf front eye bushings, as they have the bushings with the metal sleeve inside. All of my rear bushings are just rubber, with no steel sleeves. According to the LMC catalog, this is correct for my truck. I'm not sure why, but they show rubber only bushings for the 1982-1985 4x2 F100 and F150. 1980-1981, and 1986-1996 use the bushings with the metal sleeves. (Looks like this is only on the half ton 2wd trucks. All of the others use the bushings with the metals sleeves for all years, front and rear). So, at least in my case, it doesn't look like the mount tightens on the bushings, but all I have to reference are my rotten 35 year old bushings...maybe the new ones would fit snug inside the hanger. We will see.

I'll have a look at the poly bushings. I've done the whole front suspension already and used all new Moog stuff and have been happy with it. Getting the rear leafs functioning properly again will hopefully be a nice improvement in the ride (and less clunks and squeaks...lol).