Build Thread: 1983 F100 XLT

tenro · #1 11-18-2016, 02:25 PM

Some followed along with my short thread on my old 2003 Ranger XL named Yuki, I happened upon a dream truck of mine and offered Yuki for trade and we made a deal!

This is a 1983 F100 XLT Shortwide with factory 302, AOD, Tachometer. It's 8.8" rear end has been replaced with a used rear end, I'll have to see if there is an axle tag on it, the original gears were 3.55:1 (Axle code 19). Currently it needs an oil and filter change, trans fluid and filter change, plugs, cap, and rotor change. It has a single into a dual outlet glasspack, sounds good! Engine doesn't smoke. Does leak oil as is normal. It has the 2bbl Motorcraft 2150 carburetor.

Current plans for it are changing all the fluids, I've got the oil and oil filter, trans filter is on the way, already have a set of plugs, the cap and rotor are on the way with the filter. I need to pull the bed and replace the float in the gas tank, thinking of just doing a complete sender replacement with a new float anyway. I wanna find a stepside bed for it that doesn't cost $600 with rust in it...

Near future it's gonna get a roller cammed 302 I setup for Colin, I was gonna put that in my 88, but decided that it's going in this, with stainless headers, Edelbrock Torker II intake, and a Holley Double Pumper. I set it up with a cam advance since it's a mustang roller cam, has a tad different profile than the truck cam. I setup a 306 like this for a buddies 94 F150, truck hauled balls!

I can't drive it currently, waiting for title to come back so I can get the black tag taken off of it.

Anyway, onto the shitty pics I took before dark last night after the wrecker dropped it off:

tenro · #2 11-18-2016, 04:47 PM

Video clip I made of the exhaust with my shitty iPhone 4.. I need to get a better phone and camera.

Also have some better pics updating.

Rear end is an 8.8 with 3.08:1 open according to the cover tag. Exhaust isn't true duals like I thought, it's a single in dual out glasspack. As far as I know, the engine is the stock 2bbl 302. I changed the plugs in it right before this, it needs the cap and rotor changed and new vacuum lines ran.

LilRanger93 · #3 11-21-2016, 10:18 PM

Congrats on the truck. You need to make the exhaust a true dual with a good system setup.

Fordzilla80 · #4 11-22-2016, 04:46 PM

I've always hated how small the 302 looks in these trucks. Reminds me of a V6 in a full size truck.

Congrats on the new truck from a fellow 80-86 owner!

tenro · #5 11-27-2016, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LilRanger93

Congrats on the truck. You need to make the exhaust a true dual with a good system setup.

The plan is stainless shorty headers into 2.5" pipe, ran to a stainless X-Pipe, from there into a DI/DO Spintech Sportsman 3000 muffler, and then new tips ran in the same place.

----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fordzilla80

I've always hated how small the 302 looks in these trucks. Reminds me of a V6 in a full size truck.

Congrats on the new truck from a fellow 80-86 owner!

Thanks! This is my 5th "Bullnose", I've had a 1986 Bronco XLT with 351w/C6/9", a 1986 F150 with industrial 300 and an NP435(which was traded for the bronco), a 1985 F250 SC 4x4 with 460(which was traded for the F150 with 300), and a 1985 F150 with 302/AOD which was a weird truck, had a 2150VV on it, used the TFI-IV ignition system but was carbed. PO let it sit and fill with water, was gonna get it running and give it to my little brother so he'd have something to work on but decided to part it out and make my $400 back.

This F100 is something I've wanted for a long time, mainly just wanted a Shortbed F150, but this being the last year of the F100 and it being a V8 was the icing on the cake.

Almost had a 1980 F100 Flareside 4x4 with 302, T-18, and NP208 that someone had swapped in. Passed on it cause there was metal in the oil and every aftermarket gauge in the dash was ran direct to the starter solenoid and they couldn't get the truck started cause of it.

This was the Bronco:

This was the F150 that got traded for the Bronco:

I don't have any more pics of the others. Add onto that the 79 Bronco, the two 79 F150s I had(1 a factory 460 truck) and I've had quite a bit.. lol I bought cheap trucks, fixed them to get them running and either kept and drove them or flipped them for something else.

tenro · #6 12-02-2016, 06:39 AM

Well I got it tagged yesterday. Today I plan on changing the transmission fluid and filter. The PS pump is most likely gonna need replaced, IDK why they installed this one on it but it's one for an aftermarket filtration setup and I think it has a port not hooked up as it drains the fluid out every time I fill it up..

tenro · #7 12-04-2016, 06:21 AM

I got lazy and finally got around to getting my transmission fluid/filter replaced yesterday. Seems to shift a bit better now, just needs driven more.

Speedometer is 10mph off cause of the different gear ratio than stock in the rear end. I need to change to a 19 tooth speedometer gear to re-calibrate it.

It's raining today so I can't tackle pulling the intake and re-sealing it. But that needs to happen before I drive it anymore.

tenro · #8 12-09-2016, 04:17 PM

Been sick as hell all week and haven't done anything to both trucks! I discovered last week that the sector shaft seal is what is leaking on the F100, looks like it might be completely worn out and fell out to be honest. I also bought new intake gaskets, and a new Spectre re-washable air filter.

Now my plans have changed a bit. After I changed the trans fluid and filter and drove the truck around it neutraled out on me 4 times in two blocks of driving. Did some research and apparently Ford used a specific linkage type on the trucks that used the AOD behind a carbureted 5.0 engine, my truck has the incorrect carburetor, the revision code on the tag puts it at a 1978-1981 2150 carburetor. What I think happened is the TV rod wasn't hooked up properly(the incorrect linkage)and it's messed the trans up as is such with these POS AOD transmissions if the TV isn't set right.. So plan is going to be to make a pull a part run next weekend and snatch a C6 with Torque Converter from a 300 Six, 302, or 351w and rebuild it and put it in the F100. Rebuilding a C6 really isn't hard and can be accomplished with basic hand tools and only one specialty tool which is the band clamp at like $50 for it. Not going too crazy, just Alto Red Eagle clutches with Kolene Steels and of course the "R" servo. Might see about finding E4OD Planetaries and swapping those in to build a wide ratio C6. Either way I'll do a write up on here for the rebuild. Reasoning for this is that a rebuilt carburetor for it is $300, and I can buy and almost rebuild a C6 for about the same or a little cheaper and have a trans that will stand up and not be like this POS AOD..

Also fixing to get a set of stainless shorty headers, and a stainless x-pipe for my future exhaust redo, just need to get a Spintech Sportsman 3000 and some new tips and I'll be good to go.

tenro · #9 12-21-2016, 07:42 AM

Haven't done anything at all with the truck. I'm waiting on getting a timing set and a timing cover gasket set so I can complete my cam/valvetrain swap. For right now it looks like I'll be running the 2bbl 2150 carburetor, so I'll be modifying the intake to fix some things, namely the heated choke riser which will be blocked off, EGR will also be blocked off.

Got these from Colin today after work since he's going a wee bit different on somethings.

This is all for now.

tenro · #10 02-12-2017, 07:13 PM

Went to the local Pull-A-Part Saturday morning with Colin, first truck we found happened to be an early 1989 F150 with a 300. We were on the hunt for a factory or aftermarket 4bbl intake and carb for my 302, and a C6 trans so I can get rid of this stupid fucking AOD that is shit. Didn't find a 4bbl intake or carb for a 302, but the '89 did have a C6 since it was right before the E4OD came out. AODs can't really handle the torque of a 300 in a heavy ass truck(can't really handle much anyway) so that's why they used the C6. Fluid looked good, pulled the whole thing with all the bolts and the Torque converter for $145.

Gotta pick up a transmission jack, and some other parts for the F100 before I start the swap, also managed to find an old kickdown rod and bracket I had from an old truck since the kickdown on the EFI 300 was a cable with a different bracket.

I still haven't done my roller cam swap, so I'm gonna buy the following:

Distributor with Steel Gear
Valve Cover Gaskets
Intake Gaskets
Coolant Temp Sender
Trans Filter and Gasket
Rear Main Seal
Front Seal on the trans

I'm sure I'm missing a few things, I already have the timing set with adjustable cam gear and the timing cover gasket set.

I wanted to do the Sonnax R code servo too before I install the trans, just don't have the funds currently to buy it too. Maybe after I get the trans in and going.

Also gonna try to install the headers and see how that goes... lol

tenro · #11 02-19-2017, 02:31 AM

Got some parts in today, still need to get rear main seal and the torque converter seal for the trans.

Have 2 days of work this week and the rest is vacation so I plan on tackling the roller cam swap, might even try and install the C6.

tenro · #12 02-23-2017, 03:30 AM

Hit a snag... no matter WTF I do I can't get cylinder 1 exhaust roller tappet in, nor cylinder 4 exhaust roller tappet in without pulling the head.. IDK if someone milled the heads or decked the block but they're too damned tall to fit under the head.. So yay I get to pull the passenger side head off just to put two damned roller tappets in.. Also discovered someone had cracked the timing cover where the water pump mounts to it and just gooped a pile of RTV between the two.. almost didn't get those two apart..

Also have the driver side shorty header installed, just need to get the exhaust off the passenger side, pull that head, install the two bitch roller tappets, reseal it, then install my shorty onto that side. Then it's cam advance and wait for my new timing cover and water pump to come in.

ian3211 · #13 02-23-2017, 02:00 PM

keep up the god work bud. i just gotta tune my cb antannae in my truck and im set to go.

tenro · #14 02-28-2017, 07:44 PM

Last of my ordered parts came in today. This weekend I guess I'll pull the head off, finish installing the tappets, dog bones, and spider. Once I get the head bolted back down, I'll install the shorty header on that side, then turn my focus to the timing cover and water pump install. Possibly gonna order a new intake for it next week, I'm tired of this shitty 2150 and equally tired of the back breaking cast iron intake..

tenro · #15 03-04-2017, 07:07 PM

Got the head pulled off today, gasket all cleaned off, cleaned that head up while I was at it. Both lifters were finally installed, head bolted back on, torqued to spec with new bolts too. Spider and the last two dog bones were installed, the spider bolts were torqued to spec, double roller timing set was installed with 4 degrees of advance. That's where I've left her. I still need to install the header on the passenger side and all the front accessories. I painted the Valve Covers, new Timing Cover and Water Pump with Cast Grey Iron Duplicolor Engine enamel.

I'm planning on possibly buying intake and carb next check, I know for sure I'm buying a 4bbl intake, if I can find a carb at LKQ I'll buy it, if not then I'll wait and buy one. Then focus after that is the Transmission swap. I wanna get the R code Servo for the C6 to improve the shifts, clean the case up, install new torque converter seal, new output shaft seal, already have a filter and gasket, also wanna get a new modulator valve.

Then hopefully it's smooth sailing!