Previous owners ?

64 f100 · Post by **64 f100** » March 31, 2009, 9:08 am

I bought a 63 shortbed in Kansas last year with the intentions of selling the truck. Nice bed and good body with little rust, and a motor with a rod knocking. Didn't take long to figure out why the rod was knocking, as one valve cover was upside down on the 292. The rocker arms had been hitting the valve cover and put metal in the oil. Found a rebuilt motor in Denver for a good price, had to go there and pick up a cab and transmission I had bought anyway. Problem cured right? Yeah right! P/O had also installed the junkiest floor shifter I have ever seen, to replace shift linkage and column shift problems, as well as butchering a hole in the floor. Fixed the column shift setup, and bought linkage to replace thrown away inkage, which broke when I tried to free up the adjusters, fixed that little problem, and installed linkage. While waiting for the linkage fixed hole in the floor. All set right? Wrong! Bad shifting I had attributed floor shift jusnk that had been installed, turned out was also due to badly worn transmission. Unbelievably badly worn transmission. Never had one as bad as this one. Linkage adjusted right clutch adjusted right, sometimes would not go into any gear, and ground badly when you could get it to shift. Second and third gear were nearly impossible to get into if the truck was not moving. Decided to install another transmission, which luckily I had. Wish I had paid closer attention to the bellhousing when I had the engine out. I had also noticed only two bolts in the transmission, and I tried to install bolts in the missiong hole, but did not line up. When I got the transmission out, I found out why the transmission had problems, and why the bolt holes did not line up right. Some previous owner had substitued the original bellhousing for one out of a large truck with super sized hole in it where the front bearing retainer on the transmission bolts up. In addition the unknown master mechanic had hand drilled and tapped these holes in the bellhousing. Not only did it not have enough bolts in the transmission it lacked the support around the bearing retainer of the bellhousing. Add to this only having two bolts in the tranny without lock washers, and you pretty much have the pciture on how the tranny was ruined. While under the truck, I also noted the rearend ratio (3.89) and that the seal protector/ oil slinger was loose on the yoke. I see a third member swap in the near future with a 3.25 to 3.50 thirdf member. Not certain which P/O did the brake work on the truck as these are up to speck as far as using, but I can only hope it was a different mechanic. I'm halfway afraid of pulling the drums. Anyway, I now have to pull the starter, clutch linkage, battery cable , and bellhousing, and replace those. Will the fun never end? So far I've replaced the engine, column shift, seat and wheels and tires, now bellhousing and transmission, and most likely the third member. Still have to fix the brake light switch wiring and brake light, install the brackets for the plug wires and battery, order a new turn signal canceler and install it. After this, I will get to the P/O's wiring for a stereo that is no longer in the truck. So much for making a proffit on the truck.

Rich

36truck · Post by **36truck** » March 31, 2009, 10:11 am

Aren't P/O's fun.

3ontree66 · Post by **3ontree66** » March 31, 2009, 3:45 pm

You're sure that things not a Chevy???

65ford1 · Post by **65ford1** » March 31, 2009, 3:56 pm

When I got my truck home and started checking things out I found the po
must have found a sale on yellow wire. Everything is wired yellow,for the last year and a half I fix differnt shorts here and there till in fit of road rage I tore every bit of wire out. I now have a painless harness I am slowly puting in. Time will tell if it really is painless. Thanks for letting me vent, I now seem to be in my happy place.
Gene

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » March 31, 2009, 4:22 pm

likely a very close relative of the one who worked on this.
plug the brake switch hole with a bolt and get rid of the rubber donut in the steering column.

DocDave · Post by **DocDave** » March 31, 2009, 7:09 pm

Because of the PO I eventually decided to keep the rearview mirror and just replace everything else. Then the mirror cracked

Dave

slick4x4 · Post by **slick4x4** » March 31, 2009, 10:35 pm

well....you can only blame yourself......
you admitted you bought it from a guy in K A N S A S

Demonknight · Post by **Demonknight** » March 31, 2009, 11:09 pm

yeah..jayhawkers are a nasty lot.... but then I have to admit to being one by birth

unibody madness · Post by **unibody madness** » March 31, 2009, 11:25 pm

hey 65ford1
the most important part of your instructions are take your time and lay it out correctly....
no matter how frustrating it gets... and trust me it will.
don't rush this and don't button or tighten it up until its time.
i rerouted some of my wires through the fire wall and over the wire keeper under the dash 20 times. if you rush it you will be sorry..
but da/mn it feels good when you do it right.
or.. you could become a p.o.

65ford1 · Post by **65ford1** » April 2, 2009, 10:46 pm

Thanks to the way things are now I have a lot of time to do it right.Lost my job in Jan. and no one is hireing in Washington state right now. I am glad I bought a bunch of patrs ahead of time because I sure cant afford them now. So I bit the bullet and retired on $1400 a month. I am not complaining because there were a lot of people that are not old enough to retire so they live on unemployment till it runs out. So now I am 63 and goeing to enjoy every day that I have left. Gene

kstones63 · Post by **kstones63** » April 2, 2009, 10:52 pm

Good luck on the retirement. I hope to someday be able to at least semi-retire.
Kevin

Post by **Greg D** » April 2, 2009, 10:55 pm

Retire? I fully expect my employer at the time to wake me up to go back to work at my funeral.

64 f100 · Post by **64 f100** » April 5, 2009, 10:21 am

I hope that is not all you have for your retirement. That's to skinny to live on nowdays. I could retire at about 1600 now at 62 but I would have to go back to work probably as walfart greater. I can just see me now after aabout three days. Here's you balnkity blank cart now git the @!&% out of my sight.

Rich

Uncle Skip · Post by **Uncle Skip** » April 5, 2009, 4:27 pm

Like Mr. T used to say, "I pity the fool" that gets my truck next.
ROTFLMAO

U@ss

Fanatic · Post by **Fanatic** » April 5, 2009, 4:40 pm

I'm with you Greg.........
I'll probably have to dig my own hole to fall in.
Just hope someone will cover me up before I start to stink!

Tim

DCarr · Post by **DCarr** » April 7, 2009, 1:18 am

I have no excuses-I AM my slicks PO!

blackagatha · Post by **blackagatha** » April 7, 2009, 1:35 am

holy crap that truck is a basket case.....

too bad you didnt notice some of those issues before purchase....

you should know, these trucks are not profitable anyway. bad move dude.

64 f100 · Post by **64 f100** » April 7, 2009, 8:20 am

Actually, the body is in great shape, and I nearly had it sold for 2,000 as . is. Now, I have a more money in it as I've added a good ariginal seat, a good gas tank, good steering column shifter and parts, transmission, bellhousing, which I don't yet know what I paid for, (got while the owner was out of town, own the junkyard, but knows I got it) linkage which cost me 30$( thanks to one of our members), engine which cost was cheap 300$ (plus a 2000 mile trip to get it , not so cheap) , a set of nice used Ford 80's aluminum wheels, and a good used set of tires, ( total cost about 250, wheels were very nice), a couple used horn contacts. Still need to replace the speedo gear on the cable as the junk tranny tore it up (got one), but will most likely replace the third member with a a 3.25 for better drivability ( should have one, I hope) and need to replace front u-joint at that time 15$ ( last time I bought one, probably already have one). Brakes awere done before I bought the truck, so in good shape with those, including the emergency brake. Drive lilne doesn't bother me much, as I can easily fix those probllems. sBody rust is different, and this truck has very little rust thru anywhere , and a really good bed floor. The trip to get the engine wasn't all I went to get, I also had a cab to pick up, and bought a 66 shortbed with a really goood bed and an engine that has been redone at sometime in the recent past, that really runs well. I'm certain it is a 390 and has a cam and headers. Haven't gotten around to checking the stroke.
It is hard to make money on these trucks, I have done it a couple times ( out of 20 or so) but I find if you pick it up right and don't do anything to it, money sometimes can be made. It's a tough way to make money, as some of our members know. If you break even, you have made money if it is your hobby.

Rich

Previous owners ?

Previous owners ?

Retire on 1400 ?