The FORD Lounge

[Rembrant]

ArdWrknTrk wrote

So, my firewall was never torn, but the bracket that bolts through the tunnel does seem to do something anyway

Oh yes, I'm sure it does. I guess my train of thought is that if a truck needs a brace, might as well install the larger one if any at all. To install one before there's a problem then I'm sure the small one is just fine, but if there's a cracking/splitting issue at all, I'd go straight to the larger brace. Just my 2 cents worth;).

[Gary Lewis]

I bought the Terrapin brace I have for Dad's truck, and did have to modify the firewall with a hammer to get it to fit.  But, as it'll now have an E4OD I'll move the brace to Big Blue.  There aren't any problems with the firewall now, but I have it so might as well.

[Dorsai]

Gary Lewis wrote

I bought the Terrapin brace I have for Dad's truck, and did have to modify the firewall with a hammer to get it to fit.  

You know who else likes to 'modify' vehicles with hammers, right?

[salans7]

My problem is that the Bricknose master cylinders have a different mounting pattern, so I have to use the later small bracket which seems to be unobtainable upon searching, which leaves me with the big bracket. But one of the biggest pet peeves I have about my Ranger is feeling like I'm putting too much pressure on the firewall, so the big brace may keep me from feeling that in the F350.

[Rembrant]

salans7 wrote

My problem is that the Bricknose master cylinders have a different mounting pattern, so I have to use the later small bracket which seems to be unobtainable upon searching, which leaves me with the big bracket. But one of the biggest pet peeves I have about my Ranger is feeling like I'm putting too much pressure on the firewall, so the big brace may keep me from feeling that in the F350.

Well, if you're installing a clutch master in a cab that never had one, you could always install a Bullnose master...that is if you had a small brace and wanted to utilize it. The masters are identical otherwise. The smaller brace would not be a difficult piece to make on your own, but the given the option, the larger one is definitely better.

The clutch in my truck was really stiff when I bought it, and it's a factory hydraulic clutched truck. The original trans was a 3spd. When I installed the M5OD with a new master cyl, new line, and new slave...the clutch pedal was just like butter. It has since tightened up a little bit...I assume as the dust and dirt builds up on the clutch splines, but it's still pretty easy.

[salans7]

My cab is already pre-cut for the master, there's a cover plate bolted on from factory. I'm just gonna run the newer style since I'm tired of making things work on this cab. lol.

[Rembrant]

salans7 wrote

My cab is already pre-cut for the master, there's a cover plate bolted on from factory.

Ahhh, ok, didn't know they did that. Interesting!

[ArdWrknTrk]

So this is the later master pattern with the mounting studs offset instead of at 12 & 6:00?

[salans7]

Yes sir, cab is from a 1990.

Rembrant wrote

Ahhh, ok, didn't know they did that. Interesting!

I was surprised to see it myself because my 1980 wasn't like that.

[Rembrant]

salans7 wrote

I was surprised to see it myself because my 1980 wasn't like that.

Well, I guess because there was no hydraulic master then anyway...but even for the mechanical clutch linkage, the hole was still there on the auto trans cabs but it was plugged or covered no?

[salans7]

What's funny, and the only reason I even mention my 1980 not being like that, is because there were dimples in the cab where a hydraulic master cylinder would have bolted up. Always found that confusing because it would have been mechanical clutch.

As for the clutch linkage hole, there was a plug:

[Rembrant]

Another Bull getting some coverage from LMC:

https://lmctrucklife.com/2019/05/1981-ford-f150-nathan-k/

[1986F150Six]

Nice truck and story!

[grumpin]

Nice!

[kramttocs]

Spent a few hours at the Ozark Empire Fair Auto swap meet today. It had rained earlier so a lot of vendors had tarps over their stuff and ended up only seeing a couple 80's  doors and mirrors. Didnt want to leave empty handed so picked up some brochures I didn't have.

[Gary Lewis]

I like them, Scott!  

[kramttocs]

Thanks- I'd never seen so many brochures in one place before. I know you have them all scanned so I didn't really need them but there is just something about having them in tangible form. I could get into this swap meet scene 😊

[kramttocs]

I saw Gary had the same experience but is it pretty common that Carfax/autocheck reports don't show anything for the early years of these trucks? 1996 is the first real data point for mine after delivery.

[Gary Lewis]

Yep, here's what mine says - nothing from 1985 to 2006:

[Dorsai]

In addition to the primary objective of attending the show and meeting a bunch of you folks, part of why I'm making the drive out to Tulsa from Atlanta is to check a few items off my family to-do list:

• Visit my grandfather's grave in Owasso and make sure everything's in order
• Head down to the Alamo in San Antonio, and pay my respects to my great-great-great-great-grandfather who died there
• Stop off in Louisiana on my way home, and visit my aunt and uncle who I haven't seen in many years

Fun, right? I thought so...until my mother called this evening. She had been talking to her mother, who told her that there might be some lingering resentment over the disposition of my truck. While my grandmother denies it (and she hasn't forgotten a thing in 94 years, so I believe her), my uncle is apparently convinced that she promised the truck to him after my grandfather died. Why he didn't press his claim in the full 10 years before the truck came to me is a mystery....but if I never post here again and you see some Yosemite Sam-looking guy driving my truck around, I'm probably alligator in a Louisiana swamp somewhere.