Just a few more days...

[jlawyer]

Replaced starter...

I got tired of working in the rain yesterday, pulled the starter off again this morning and found that the pinion gear was free spinning on the shaft.

After I found the parts that hit me in the face, it seems pretty clear that the chewed up bits of metal I found yesterday were some sort of retaining plate for the Bendix assembly.

I was considering going with the PMGR starter but I didn't immediately find a part number I could cross reference on the napa site, so I replaced it with a stock unit.

Back on the road!

Also ripped out a bunch of miscellaneous wiring and installed a tuffy center console. I started to do the "Alice" turn signal mod but I stopped when I noticed that the driver's side turn signal has three wires and the replacement has two.

 

[jlawyer]

Does anyone make a spare tire bolt system that both locks and looks more attractive?

 

[DirtDonk]

There used to be a bunch of different locks for outside tire carriers, but I don't see many today. The simplest seem to be a locking cover over a nut, but I guess we'll have to do some digging to find out.

Three wires on the turn signal would normally be:
1. Low - running light
2. High - turn signal
3. Ground - to the core support normally
So that might be normal. Check with the articles about the swap and see if that might be the difference.

Now that the starter is in, I would not worry about a PMGR for a long while. Yes, they're lighter and smaller, and use a little less power to turn the engine over, but there's nothing inherently wrong with the old design (unless you have headers, in which cases you'll know all about that!;D) and should last a LONG time.
If you ever go to change it out again and want to update, Ford used the same part number starters on a lot of modern cars and trucks that also fit our rigs. As long as you choose one based on whether you have an automatic or manual trans, I'd say pick one from a mid-90's Ford pickup or Bronco with that particular trans.
Most Mustang V8's of the vintage would have had it too, but trucks are good sources of modern parts for our older trucks.

For the compression dilemma, since you're driving it now, you have a good chance to implement some tricks that most new owners do not. Since theirs are often Bronco-in-a-box(es) projects, they're stuck with rebuilding.
Anytime I come across an old engine that uses oil, does not run right, makes noise or has some low cylinders, I resort to the old "snake oil" tricks.
That (for me at least) involves an oil flush additive, then new oil. To the no oil I will add a can of solvent-based additives designed to "free sticky rings and quiet noisy lifters" and such stuff. Not the "friction modifier" types such as MotorHoney and STP just yet.
Then just drive it. You're not hurting anything and you just might find out that it cures at least some of your problems for awhile. Maybe a LONG while, while you enjoy driving it around.
I think it's money well spent, and definitely qualifies as cheap insurance. Like insurance, it's a gamble. But unlike insurance it pays off more often!

Good luck.

Paul

 

[jlawyer]

Well the compression at this point is somewhat moot because I installed a freshly rebuilt short-block in the truck. I more meant that, had I suspected the engine troubles I inherited, I would have kept shopping.

At this point the truck runs great (aside from my starter incident this weekend), but it wasn't quick or cheap to get it into shape.

I took another look at the article, and it would appear that he actually modified his existing turn signals to appear more like the original. I overlooked that, and instead bought the old style. Will have to disassemble and compare more closely. I'm sure that I can wire them up to work the same.

 

[jlawyer]

I took the time today to install JW Speaker headlights and do the "alice mod" on the front turn signals.

The color and brightness of the headlights are great compared to the H4 conversions that were installed. I also bought the trucklight LED headlights at the same time, but I returned them in favor of the JW speaker's.

As for the "alice mod"; once you remove the bracket for the 77 style turn signals, you're pretty much pot committed. I took a different path and ordered the actual OEM buckets and lenses for the previous generation rather than modify mine. Apparently the wiring is reversed between the two generations. If you don't reverse the wiring or install the bulb backwards (not so easy) the running light and turn signal function are reversed. Meaning that during the day, it's fine. At night, with the running lights on, the turn signal would be impossible to see.

You sacrifice a few things in the mod.

1. You lose a dedicated ground wire from each bucket and rely on the housing/chassis ground connection leaving a point of corrosion.
2. You cut the grill and expose yourself to rust unless you prime and paint.
3. The same screws which hold the lenses on, also hold the buckets in place, making it more annoying to change bulbs..

I like the look, but I wouldn't do it again...

 

[DirtDonk]

It's possible that they wires are reversed over the years, but if these are new buckets then it's also (VERY) possible that they are wired incorrectly from the manufacturer.
We have to take every single lamp assembly that we purchase out of the cases, pull the wires out far enough to reverse the little fiber base contact plates in each socket, then button them all back up.
We now even have a benchtop test fixture for powering them up to make sure that the lamps react as they're supposed to.

Happens more on the later model style, but we run into it on the older ones as well.

Paul

 

[jlawyer]

I thought I bought these from WH, but after checking... I did not.

If the buckets are simply wrong, that would convenient given the news that they can be non-destructively changed. Can you describe that in a bit more detail? Slide down the heat-shrink/vinyl cover, pull the wires, and rotate the disk? Are the spring-loaded contacts part of that assembly?

I still need to change to amber bulbs so that'll give me an excuse.

 

[DirtDonk]

Pretty much all it is. The hardest part is usually the wires are short enough that you do need to pull that plastic shield down pretty far. And it's not limp stuff. Gives you some real resistance.
But once you get the wires pushed in enough, that disc with the contacts can just be spun and pushed back in.

If that's not working for you when you try, give us a call and talk to Johnny. He's the lucky bugger that usually gets to do the dirty work.;D
He'll know.

Paul