Finally Building The 67 F100

Goal accomplished. She runs before year end. Never did find the old trans cooler lines. They were too short anyway, requiring a few feet rubber line. I managed to dig around in the snow out back and find some lines that came off the c6 that was supposed to get build for Annas Falcon a few years ago. I straightened them out then rebent to fit my application.

Then it was just knocking out the afore mentioned tasks which went pretty quickly. Changed the output seal on the trans. I had two dipstick options and still hate them both. And I still have the lube locker pan gasket but I’m ordering a pan with a drain plug so that’ll go in then, along with a different dipstick and tube.

Lastly I fired it up and got the trans to level, found a fuel fitting I hadn’t tightened up enough. Fixed that, set the timing but it didn’t sound right. This was immediately after I took the video. So pulled number one plug, found tdc, verified the wires weren’t a terminal off, marked the balance at zero and checked timing again-about 2 degrees Atdc. Moving the distributor nearly the exact spot I ear timed it was 12 degrees and she runs much better than the video.

So new trans cross member, run the vacuum advance line, plug the front oil dipstick tube hole I realized I forgot about, and a bunch of snow melting and hopefully I’ll be doing roudy burnouts off my own and won’t have to live vicariously through the wife.

Oh here’s one more shot. This was the rear u joint cap

 

Well I finally got some time to work on the crossmember. It went like a fart in church. I needed a refresher on tube bending. My layout and planning were subpar and I haven’t Bent any tube in a few years. I tried to track down some thinner rebar to use as a guide but no luck. So I winged it and it went like one could imagine. The bends were so close you couldn’t add to the bends like I initially thought I could because it put the outer die into the next bend. It was too wide to use. Plan B was to notch the factory crossmember, which I did. I’m not super proud of it but it’s solid and it’ll hopefully have exhaust this week.

Here a picture of the failed attempt in progress.

 

Well good news bad news.

She has exhaust! Got it home, planned to just tuck her back into the barn but decided to take a spin up the mountain. The transmission felt odd. Pulled hard on 1st and 2nd but felt odd in 3rd. It was super foggy so couldn’t really get it up to speed. Went to turn around-no reverse…. Great….. reverse worked backing it off the trailer and around the car port a few minutes prior. Now absolutely nothing. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll run it down the hill to flat land and do some more testing. See if 1st gear engine breaking works, see if 3rd gear is engaging, and if reverse works when cool. This should help identify whether it’s a servo or clutch issue. That trans has been stored very low on fluid for a few years so predators is a valve being sticky in the valve body.

I’m not even frustrated. I’m in disbelief at the bad trans luck. The new tci c6 in Anna’s Falcon is also having issues of its own and I about don’t want to play anymore.

The good news-she boogies. It’s not a rocket of course but very snappy. If I can get the dozen little issues and trans trans figured out I’ll be on cloud 9.

I’ll try to take some pictures tomorrow.

 

Took the day off to do some daddy daycare with my smallest (3yo Edie) and a bit of wrenching. I bought a welder, spool gun and plasma cutter package last night so wanted to get those sorted a bit. Mostly though I was dying to get some bugs ironed and tranny testing. Fired off a few 9mm rounds in the yard from my junky hammer fired lc9. Next I collected the brass, dropped the alternator, put a bead of gasket maker on it and installed in the old oil dipstick hole. The 9mm casing fit snug and nice.

Next I rewired the mini starter. I noticed the starter had begun to hang up a bit upon startup. The directions said not to wire it the way I always have but I ignored it and wired it the way anyway. Apparently they know better than me. That’s fixed. Next the rear bowl needle was sticking on the Holley. I couldn’t get that secondary float level to drop. So into town for a new one, got it installed and set the level just in time for poor decisions. Driving to town to see if this truck is going to work and pick up my son at school.

The drive went decent. The motor ran awesome and sounded great. 1st and 2nd work great but shifting is very wonky. 1st don’t have engine braking. 3rd won’t engage until about 3500-4000 rpm’s. And once 3rd Is in I found at least once it left from a dead stop at a light still in 3rd until I manual shifted down. She’s headed to the trans shop on Wednesday. Hopefully it’s just a valve body issue or something superficial and it doesn’t need to come out for rebuild. But whatever, I’m ready to be driving this so if it does, it is what it is.
Here’s some pictures. And sorry I didn’t think to take a picture of the 9mm until the alternator was back on.

 

Not much new and exciting with the truck. I ordered a Detroit/Eaton true trac, install kit and a line lock. I buttoned a few little things up, messed with the float level a bit more finally installed the air cleaner and she’s ready for a hopefully not too expensive trip to the tranny shop tomorrow. Also for the first time I got a little bit of reverse pressure. Not much but it did move.

 

The verdict is in. Broken low reverse band and missing strut. I opted to leave the truck there and let them do removal and install. I’m tired of climbing around under it. Worst case there it’ll need a rebuild depending on where that strut ended up. I was hoping for a less expensive issue but whatever. I’m just ready to be driving the old girl again. Still a few more bugs to work out yet which is to be expected. But the drive to work this morning was a blast once I got off my frost frozen hill.

 

It's begging you for a Tremec 5 speed.

 

I’ll be honest that would be a blast. Even an old 4 speed would be a blast gear jamming.

But she’s out of the shop! The strut was fine and low reverse band replaced. Took it reasonably easy on the way home outside of one quick run through the gears. It all works, including reverse. I have a few more things like wire loom to do under the hood. Next big step is pulling the rear carrier and setting up the Eaton true trac. I’m looking now for another carrier with decent gears I can do the setup on to minimize down time. If I don’t run across one not a big deal. Once the Eaton is in and love lock installed I’ll likely take a break and just enjoy driving it for a bit. Body, suspension, brakes and tires will be in the docket probably in the fall.

 

This shot doesn’t show much but got the plastic oil pressure line replaced by copper, and the throttle lever doesn’t interfere with the kick down lever like it did. Lastly I disconnected the electric choke and zip tied the linkage. I’ve had an issue with it idling high long after the choke should be on. So we’ll see if that was the issue it not.

 

Put a bunch miles running too and around town today. She’s running great, very nice little cruiser/ parts runner. I swung by a buddy’s house and he loaded me up with two 9” center sections, one set of 3.50 gears and a spare set of 31 spline axles-all for the low price of $50 and one hellacious burnout leaving his house.

I’m still super annoyed with the dent on the hood. It’s the worse possible location at the point of one of my favorite contours on these trucks. I need to get to Amboy at some point to get rust free fenders and maybe grab that hood and use that hood tip as a donor. Unfortunately that hoods rusty enough it’s beyond saving.

Lastly the spool of nicop tube should be here next week. At that point I can plumb and wire the hurst line lock.

 

I dove into the gears last Sunday. Got everything cleaned, got the pinion bearings pressed on and the brush sleeve crushed and the pinion torque perfect. As I was going some cleanup preparing to press on the carrier bearings I noticed a chip in the pinion gear tooth. I’m not sure how I didn’t notice that before pressing bearings. But I can’t run those. So I need to order another pair of pinion bearings, crush sleeve and pinion seal and just use the center section that’s in the truck and shelf this one for spare parts.

Not much else going on with it though. My air filter and spacer did come in so I got rid of that little k&n finally. Outside of that I’ve just been driving the heck out of it. Getting used to that stall speed has been strange but wow she gets with it when you kick it. And makes solid power to about 5500 which is surprising considering the relatively mild intake, carb and cam.

And I made the sons day by doing an awesome one wheel no brake burnout for distance coming up the hill.

 

Well yet another great update. I took half a day off yesterday and dove into the rear axle, thinking I’d install the Eaton truetrac. I got the as far as uninstalling the chunk before testing the new Eaton over one of the existing shafts. Nope. That’s a 28 spline shaft.

Ive been a ford guy since day one of driving. But this is frustrating. There’s no Id tag on the carrier. So relying on “general consensus”, three dimples on the shaft mean 31 spline except a few cases. Reality though, this is, strangely enough, the original 1967 28 spline axle. And if I’d measured the brake shoes I’d have known that.

I didn’t even bother trying to get into the barn attic to get at the spare shaffts id brought home earlier. Just put the truck back together. Drove it out. The spares were 31 spline but 1973 and later thus too long. I did find a missing u joint clip. Replacing that fixed my drive shaft vibration.

The good news is we’re in the gathering phase to upgrade the Falcon to 31 spline. We now have the limited slip and possibly the chunk if I get tired of looking for a nodular. Just need an install kit and shafts.

The revised plan-just run with 28 spline. Buy another limited slip, install, enjoy. For my power and use I think that 28 spline will work for awhile.

 

Forget the crush sleeve (collapsible spacer) and get the eliminator kit from Randy’s Ring and Pinion or elsewhere. It uses a solid spacer and shims. Eliminates the relaxation the crush sleeve can experience under load. I use them on all my Ford, GM, and Toyota differential builds. Much better and not very expensive considering.
Just a little more setup on the front end but no worse than a Dana 30 or 44.

 

Always the first thing I do as well, pitch that crush sleeve right in the garbage.

 

Awesome thanks Nick!

 

I wouldn't recommend a LS. They have two issues.
First, they run a two piece side gear which is notorious for wiping the drivers side axle splines leave the rig immobilized.
Second, in order to get the clutches in the housing, Ford had to machine the outer cover to the point it is super thin on the outside edge. I've seen a number of them with the diff housing broken in half, accompanied with catastrophic differential failure .

 

He's talking about a TrueTrac, if I read his post right, there's no clutches in them, and Ford doesn't have anything to do with the design of it. Unless I missed something about a factory Ford Trak-Lok in there somewhere