Purchased 66 F100 long bed - a few questions

[banjopicker66]

JFM, I live just north of Savannah in SC, so I am not too far from you. May I offer a few observations?

1. A D5 casting number indicates a design date, not a manufacture date, so your engine is correct for a '77 engine. The EGR block-off on your original carb testifies to this date range as well.

2. You need to get that rear end ratio changed soon, or you will burn up clutches pretty quickly. I went to a 2.75 rear end with a 3 speed OD (T-85N) and it was terrible. My truck came with a 3.50 originally, and even a 3.25 created difficulty. I would recommend you look real hard at going back something in the 3.25, 3.50 or 3.73 range. As it is, your truck is useless as a truck because you cannot haul anything, and not very good as a driver. As much as low RPMs are desired, you need a balance between low RPMs and power to the pavement.

3. If your ammeter always shows a charge, that is, never drops to zero or very close to it with the engine running, something is wrong. You will burn up the alternator or battery or more if it continues. The most likely normal reason is a bad regulator, but I would suspect faulty installation instead.

Let me know if you are uncomfortable with troubleshooting the ammeter setup, I just helped a fellow Slickster get his fixed.

And, Welcome to Slick 60s from SC!

[bobenhotep]

im in hinesville, on the other side of savannah from banjopicker66.

I have a pile of stuff you can HAVE if you come get it.

two alternators, a new regulator, clutch parts, and I have to see what else I got. I am moving back to New Mexico, and cant take everything with me, besides Id rather give it all to someone on here than sell it to a scrapper.

[jfm]

JFM, I live just north of Savannah in SC, so I am not too far from you. May I offer a few observations?

1. A D5 casting number indicates a design date, not a manufacture date, so your engine is correct for a '77 engine. The EGR block-off on your original carb testifies to this date range as well.

Okay, thanks.

2. You need to get that rear end ratio changed soon, or you will burn up clutches pretty quickly. I went to a 2.75 rear end with a 3 speed OD (T-85N) and it was terrible. My truck came with a 3.50 originally, and even a 3.25 created difficulty. I would recommend you look real hard at going back something in the 3.25, 3.50 or 3.73 range. As it is, your truck is useless as a truck because you cannot haul anything, and not very good as a driver. As much as low RPMs are desired, you need a balance between low RPMs and power to the pavement.

I'm considering what route to take on this. If I change the rear end, should I just swap out the whole axle/differential, or what?

3. If your ammeter always shows a charge, that is, never drops to zero or very close to it with the engine running, something is wrong. You will burn up the alternator or battery or more if it continues. The most likely normal reason is a bad regulator, but I would suspect faulty installation instead.

Let me know if you are uncomfortable with troubleshooting the ammeter setup, I just helped a fellow Slickster get his fixed.

It doesn't always show a charge. I had rev'ed it to about 2k rpms for the photo. Never seems to get above about 30 amps on this gauge, though. I assume that's normal. Not sure yet what to do about the idiot light, though.

And, Welcome to Slick 60s from SC!

Thanks!

[jfm]

im in hinesville, on the other side of savannah from banjopicker66.

I have a pile of stuff you can HAVE if you come get it.

two alternators, a new regulator, clutch parts, and I have to see what else I got. I am moving back to New Mexico, and cant take everything with me, besides Id rather give it all to someone on here than sell it to a scrapper.

Great offer. Thanks. I'll definitely consider it. Wonder if the ol' gentleman would make it that far? He hasn't been driven much in a number of years. Of course, he has no seat belts at present. Would have to put some in. When are you moving?

[bobenhotep]

i have a few weeks before i go yet

[bobenhotep]

i never messed with anmeters much. I was born in the 70s so anmeters dont mean much to me. replaced mine with a voltmeter.

I have ran a ford alternator and ran delco alternators also, I prefer the delco, that is what I am running on my truck now. that is why I have 2 spare alternators and a regulator

[R Pope]

You have to double the driveshaft turns when you count your ratio as you did. A bit less than two turns means a bit less that a 4:1 ratio, and Ford made a 3.73, so that's what you have. It should work fine with a three on the tree if you get the engine running right, those sixes will pull like crazy at low revs that would stall a V8.
Your amp light is wired wrong. Not sure what is the matter, but if the gauge shows charge with the light on, it is charging, the fault must be with the light. BTW, what's with that funky back window??!!

[R Pope]

You say you put new points in it? A '77 engine should have electronic ignition. If the point dist, was swapped in when the engine was installed, to get away from converting the truck to EI, you have a problem. The original dist. was a vacuum only advance setup, and it will not work with the newer carb, the vacuum port is wrong. Find an electronic distributor, electronic box, and wiring that goes with it. The engine will run much better! The old loadamatic setup didn't work very well when it was new! I changed my '66 sixbanger over to EI and couldn't believe the difference, ran much smoother, more power and several more miles per gallon.

[bobenhotep]

i quite agree.

i know that on a delco alternator, if your sensing and field wires are reversed it will charge, but the alt light will stay on , and you battery will go dead.

I am running a 300 also, and have a 3 speed with a 2.70 rear. that is a totally driveable setup, as long as your tires arent too big. the 300 has a really diesel like powerband, so it works well with that setup.

[banjopicker66]

Rear Axle Ratio Change:

JFM, the Ford 9" axle was for many years THE most popular rear axle, and even today it is reproduced.
The main feature of the axle is a removable center section called the third member, hogshead or chunk. It is a self-contained gearset. The complete third member can be exchanged in about an hour or less without any special tools to give you a different ratio.
For my Slick with a 460, I have one in 2.75 for regular driving. I have also a 3.25 if I am going to tow something pretty heavy a long ways.
If your current rear axle ratio is not right, then your best bet is to locate a 3.50, a 3.25 or a 3.73 and swap the one you have now for that one, and you will be pleasantly surprised.
Pete up in Monroe might have what you need, and you can probably find one in a boneyard.

First confirm you have a 9". Look under the rear bumper at the axle. A Ford 9" will have no bolts and no removable rear cover, just the backside of the axle. Look next at the front of the axle. A Ford 9" will have 13 nuts holding the entire third member to the axle. (Don't confuse the 5 bolts right behind the pinion for the axle nuts. Leave those alone - don't remove them.)

To change a Ford 9":
1. Jack up the rear axle and put it on jack stands.
2. Remove the rear wheels and brake drums. (Might do a rear brake job at this time, too.) Clean the brake backing plates with the proper cleaner. Don't use compressed air, as the dust may actually contain asbestos, the truck is old enough for that.
3. Remove the driveshaft. I just move it to the side, personally. (Check and replace U-joints as needed.)
4. Remove the 13 9/16ths nuts and break the seal to allow the axle to drain.
5. You will see 4 nuts and bolts around the axle-half shaft, holding it onto the backing plate and the axle tube. Use the hole on the face of the axle half-shaft to access them.
These 4 nuts/bolts hold the brake backing plate on as well, so it will now hang loose. This isn't a problem unless the lines are rusted so that they tear if the backing plate moves too much. Just be careful, and be prepared to repair the rear brake lines if necessary.
6. Remove the rear axle half-shafts by pulling on them. The axle half-shaft bearing will come through the large hole in the center of the backing plate. You will need to pull pretty hard. If necessary, re-install the brake drum temporarily - backward. Install 3 nuts only about 2 or three threads onto the studs. Use the drum to yank them out - and watch that the brake backing plate doesn't come with the axle bearing behind it.
7. Remove the third member.
Re-installation is simply the reverse.

I would take the time to closely inspect the following:
1. Brakes - to include new wheel cylinders if needed.
2. Rear axle leaking - replace the rear axle seals, they are pretty cheap. (Use the tip of the axle half-shaft to pry the old one out, and a large socket to drive the new one in.)
3. Rear wheel bearings - they are pressed onto the rear axle half-shafts. Replacement should only be done with a press - not hand tools.
4. Clean out the bottom the the axle housing before reinstalling the third member. That is where all the crud ends up.

Things to look for when obtaining a third member:
1. Spline count: Since modifications have been made, we don't really know what is in there. If your axle half-shafts taper down to the splines, you have a 28 spline third member, and that would be correct to the year. If the splines are the same diameter as the rest of the axle shaft, it is a 31 spline axle, and you must have a third member with 31 splines. (Conversely, you don't want to get a 31 spline third member if you have 28 spline axles!)
2. Yoke length - make sure the yoke on the pinion is the same length. A difference of 1/2 inch shouldn't give any trouble, but not a difference of several inches.
3. Ratio is often stamped on the larger gear, but it is very easy to determine the ratio with the gearset out of the vehicle. Simply count the number of times the pinion yoke rotates to make the large gear rotate once.
4. Make sure it isn't an 8.8 inch rear. If you can remove the bottom most nut with a socket, it isn't a 9" but an 8.8 look alike - usually used on Mustangs.
Check out this link for more info: http://www.kevinstang.com/Ninecase.htm

[bobenhotep]

i had a 3.89 rear before i had the 2.70, and it was cool until you tried to drive over about 45 mph.

with taller tires you might not be as bad off.

[jfm]

You have to double the driveshaft turns when you count your ratio as you did. A bit less than two turns means a bit less that a 4:1 ratio, and Ford made a 3.73, so that's what you have. It should work fine with a three on the tree if you get the engine running right, those sixes will pull like crazy at low revs that would stall a V8.
Your amp light is wired wrong. Not sure what is the matter, but if the gauge shows charge with the light on, it is charging, the fault must be with the light. BTW, what's with that funky back window??!!

I did it again, as in this thread here:
http://fordtruk.com/forums/viewtopic.ph ... ht=#202348

This time, I did 10 turns of the tire to average out errors. The shaft rotated 13.7 times, or an average of 1.37 per turn of the tire. Doubling this gets 2.74. Like I said, though, I'm going to check this via tach and police radar soon.

As to the window, your guess is as good as mine. May have something to do with its former life as a camper-hauler.

[jfm]

You say you put new points in it? A '77 engine should have electronic ignition. If the point dist, was swapped in when the engine was installed, to get away from converting the truck to EI, you have a problem. The original dist. was a vacuum only advance setup, and it will not work with the newer carb, the vacuum port is wrong. Find an electronic distributor, electronic box, and wiring that goes with it. The engine will run much better! The old loadamatic setup didn't work very well when it was new! I changed my '66 sixbanger over to EI and couldn't believe the difference, ran much smoother, more power and several more miles per gallon.

Yeah. I'm thinking about going the Duraspark II route. Wish I had thought of it before I bought all of that other crap. Already, I'm nearly at the point of having to take off my shoes in order to enumerate all of my bad decisions. But then I guess that's the price of being a rookie.

[jfm]

@banjopicker66

Great info. Thanks.

[bobenhotep]

and on the distributor, i can tell you that a ds 2 distributor is the way to go, I wired mine using the ds 2/ hei setup and it works well. if you want to try that out i can tell you exactly how to wire it, as well as how to wire up the alternator, especially if you toss the motorcraft and get a delco.

[Haus]

I have a V8 engine so this may not work for you, but I went with a mallory HEI unit. Yes its big, but man that truck starts like my fuel injected 2007 truck does. On the alternator I went with a 1 wire all in 1 alternator. Again keeping it simple for me. If you have a 2.75 you may want to bump that up as suggested. I just got a 2nd 66 with a 390 that is a dog taking off. I'm guessing I have something similar in mine. Once I get going it cruises pretty good. On my truck with all the pretty parts I thought a 4.11 would be fun. It was, from stop sign to stop sign. When I was at 3,000 RPM doing 55 the fun started to wear off. Now I have a 3.50 and love it. Have fun and welcome.

[jfm]

Did a compression test. First number is initial test, second is after a few squirts of oil. Thoughts?

1 - 90, 111
2 - 110, 110
3 - 112, 110
4 - 103, 100
5 - 92, 120
6 - 103, 120

The tester I have is an old Suntune model with a stepped connector that fits 2 different plug sizes. So, in a bigger hole, the little part goes all the way inside in order to engage the larger threads. Anyway, both threads have O-rings above them. Well, in number 5 cylinder, the little O-ring comes off inside the cylinder. Pucker time! I was ready to begin making up a whole new set of cuss words to fit the occasion, but, fortunately, I didn't have to, because I happen to have a son with 24 year old eyes, and he was able to take a thin copper rod, form a hook in the end, and, with a flashlight, get it out.

[jfm]

On the alternator, what kind of Delco?