First post... Crazy question

[redneckaggie]

well I have started to find some more time on my hands so I figured why not get to work on my truck a little. The only thing wrong with this is that I have done everything I know to do so this is where you guys come in. I will list all of my problems and If you have anything at all leave me some help here please.

1.My tach sometimes will just go dead, normally happens right after cold start

2.My brakes have never really been right I'm not losing vacum, but i barely have any brakes unless i put it on the floor I have changed everything but the valve on the drivers side frame

3.My temp gauge will sometimes surge up and then slowly go back down, this started right after my heater core went out and I let the engine overheat. water pump is brand new, radiator is clean, and thermostat was changed just before the core went out

4.also I was wondering if you could put a cummins turbo on these trucks because I have 2 old cummins 12 valve motors sitting around with nothing to do with them and with only 80,000 original miles on my motor I feel no need to change it especially do a swap like that. What I could make of the serial number it was Holset 3526730 It is off of an old standard non intercooled 12V cummins

5.My 5-speed transmission is very irritable. I sometimes hear a squealing if I have been driving a while and I am almost positive it isn't a belt it stops when you have the clutch half way out. it is also very hard to get into gear amd grinds going into reverse sometimes. I have changed the master cylinder about seven times in the past year and the slave twice. I also refilled it with gear oil because this was what oreilys and napa said it used. I have had people tell me to put normal engine oil in it.

6. my truck leaks power steering fluid I think it is the gearbox, how hard is this to change?

 

[69oiler]

5. i think your pilot bushing is going out. my truck did this and it ended up galling the input shaft on the trans. i ended up replacing both the bushing and the input shaft.

sorry i'm no help on the other questions.

 

[subway]

the 5 speed is supposed to have ATF in it NOT gear oil, others have used straight 30W oil filled to the top and say it helps, dont know first hand on that one though.

i have changed out the steering box on my 85 in about 2 hrs taking my time. just make sure you have a pitman arm puller. i would double check it is not the lines going to the box. they are flaired and sometimes if you remove them you cant get them to seat right again.

are you sure you have enough vacuum with the brakes? one of the first things you want to do with bad brakes is make sure your rears are adjusted properly, if not you will have excess pedal travel.

sounds like you still have some air pockets in the system with the temp gage.

fill out your signiture so we can all see what you are working with and welcome aboard

 

[LA350]

The factory manual says the rears should auto adjust. Put the vehicle into reverse and drive 5 mph then slowly apply the brakes. One may be required to do this several times to get satisfactory results.

As Jred says the 5 speed requires Mercron auto-tranny fluid.

 

[argve]

1.My tach sometimes will just go dead, normally happens right after cold start

Check connections coming off the tach sender - sounds like you have a terminal connection that is contracting with the cold and not making contact until things warm up and expand. - wiring on these older trucks are truely one of the first things you want to check - if the wiring checks out fine then you will probably be looking at a replacement tach sender which you can pick up at your local ford dealer for I think around 40 bucks or so - it's been a long time since I have bought one for an IDI.

2.My brakes have never really been right I'm not losing vacum, but i barely have any brakes unless i put it on the floor I have changed everything but the valve on the drivers side frame

as stated check the rear brakes - I know they are supposed to auto adjust but as things age and rust up they don't always work correctly.

3.My temp gauge will sometimes surge up and then slowly go back down, this started right after my heater core went out and I let the engine overheat. water pump is brand new, radiator is clean, and thermostat was changed just before the core went out

sounds like you might have an air pocket to rid the system of the air just pop open the level on the rad cap and let her warm up with that open then as she cools just keep the reservoiur filled so that it can't suck air back into the system. This will burp the system.

4.also I was wondering if you could put a cummins turbo on these trucks because I have 2 old cummins 12 valve motors sitting around with nothing to do with them and with only 80,000 original miles on my motor I feel no need to change it especially do a swap like that. What I could make of the serial number it was Holset 3526730 It is off of an old standard non intercooled 12V cummins

You can just watch your intake pressures and you should be fine.

5.My 5-speed transmission is very irritable. I sometimes hear a squealing if I have been driving a while and I am almost positive it isn't a belt it stops when you have the clutch half way out. it is also very hard to get into gear amd grinds going into reverse sometimes. I have changed the master cylinder about seven times in the past year and the slave twice. I also refilled it with gear oil because this was what oreilys and napa said it used. I have had people tell me to put normal engine oil in it.

6. my truck leaks power steering fluid I think it is the gearbox, how hard is this to change?

 

[Mr_Roboto]

The factory manual says the rears should auto adjust. Put the vehicle into reverse and drive 5 mph then slowly apply the brakes. One may be required to do this several times to get satisfactory results.

As Jred says the 5 speed requires Mercron auto-tranny fluid.

Any passenger vehicle built since the 70's (probably before) has self adjusting brakes. However the self adjusting mechanism is just a ratcheting screw and does not always work properly or at all.

Before attempting any diagnostics, the rear brakes should be manually adjusted out. Loose brakes will cause reduced effectiveness and long pedal travel. I used to have an 85 F-350 wrecker that I would have to adjust them every 3 or 4 weeks for the brakes to work properly.

 

[slam1]

The steering box is cake,Use a fork to remove the pitman arm. shoul take less than an hour.

 

[slam1]

The steering box is cake,Use a fork to remove the pitman arm. shoul take less than an hour.

 

[redneckaggie]

Thanks guys I really do appreciate all of the replies but I did self adjust the brakes when I replaced them but just like roboto said i may need to readjust again, and regarding the turbo I got to looking at it and it looks extremely complicated. I am not a mechanic by trade but I can figure stuff out with a little direction, could anybody give me anything as far as that like parts I would need or a little hint into trouble i might run into. as far as the tranny I will change that out


oh yeah and until i fill out the signature my truck is a 91 f250 7.3 idi non turbo with the fuel turned up about 1 flat, a ram air intake, and 3 in exhaust

 

[subway]

sorry i cant help you one the turbo, might want to start a new thread for that one.

yes the rears are supposed to adjust themselves but they can gum up and often dont always work. that is just the first place to start.

 

[f-two-fiddy]

Don't use a fork on the pitman arm. You'll ruin the bearings in the steering box. Use a pitman arm puller.