Project "Autonomous" F-350

rayra

Expedition Leader
Yep. 32Gb set for max rex AND RAW and still room for ~840 images.
Where I finally gave up was trying to mate the heavy film camera to a Meade ETX scope for some 'astrophotography' pix. Futile waste of time and money. Wrong scope, too heavy camera.
Orion / Telescope.com still sells adapter T-rings etc for mating DSLRs to scopes, but they still want $60-80 for the parts. I just found and ordered the equivalent thing off Amazon for $9. Next full Moon is Dec3, so I should be able to take some nice pix via my 8" dobsonian telescope then. Jupiter is dropping out of sight in the overnight hours from around here, though. For a while. can catch it around dawn. Saturn too, unfortunately. Just as I finally have the gear to capture them.

I bought the Rebel T6 2-lens kit. Thought it was a good deal for $550, stalked it for a few weeks then got the Costco Black Friday sale flyer and it was $100 off of that. So I was in there first thing Friday. Got a tile job to finish first this week, but intend to drive up into the Grapevine / Angeles Forest and shoot some scenery by the end of the week, supposed to be clear / sunny then too.
 

patoz

Expedition Leader
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Mike!



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pappawheely

Autonomous4X4
Spent some time in the shop today; working on the F-250. I named the truck the "Baja Brick." The plan is to make it bare bones and super simple. Part of that is making an adapter so I can run a quadrajet carb on the EFI intake manifold. This truck will be carbed, manual trans and 205 transfer case. It's going to have Atlas Springs like the F-350. I'm going to tear out a lot of the factory components and re-wire the entire truck. The fuel system is going to be changed to dual tanks with a 72 gallon capacity and the correct fuel pump for the carb. As soon as I do more blending, I'll take the manifold down and have a friend weld up the adapter, and the injector holes.

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pappawheely

Autonomous4X4
On a roll now. I had a deal for a NP435 and 205 transfercase but it fell through. Instead I got a T-18 that will bolt right up to my BW1356 transfercase. The taller gears of the T-18 will be better on the highway. With the 3.55 gears and 35 inch tall tires, I will be turning about 2400 rpm at 70 mph. I had to locate a bell housing to fit the 460, and there are some fitment issues with that, but I am well on my way back to the stone age. :wings:

This boat anchor is all mine! Cheap, rugged, simple, I love it! $290 including shipping from Pittsburgh.

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Here is the lovely truck it came out of.

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Here is how the T-18 looks inside. Have any issues and you just pull the shifter box on top. The whole guts are right there.

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Seabass

Idiot
I'm loving what you have going there! Keep it simple. I have made that my life goal! Those t-18's were great. 35's, 3:55's....you won't have much of a "granny" gear. Somehow I don't think you will have a problem though. I love all the bottom-end my 460 has. I think I've lugged up some rough hills around 600 rpm. Just when you think it'll die, it comes back to life! Really cool old engines!
 

pappawheely

Autonomous4X4
Ugh, Having a string of life challenges. Work has been so busy that the fun is gone. Hopefully the next three days at King of the Hammers will revitalize me. Pulled the power steering box out three times trying to get the F350 going again. With help from Charlie at Power Steering Solution, we figured out it's the steering box. That's another full days job to R&R. It will have to wait until next week. The parts for my F250 are still coming in. The transmission swap will be a learning experience as the internet is so filled with conflicting information I can't figure out the clutch and flywheel configuration I need. There are easy high priced solutions, but I don't like to just throw money around. Looking forward to getting this pile of steel installed.

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pappawheely

Autonomous4X4
Good eye except it's a T-18. Adapting it to a 97 externally balanced 460. I have the early cast iron bellhousing, a combination that never existed, because I've heard the aluminum bellhousings can crack. I know L&L has a kit, but it's over $600 for the flywheel and clutch.
 
Ok so 1-1/16" x 10 spline I looked back at an 83 F-350 since everything from 79 used the same flywheel balance. Not the same flywheel as some used 12-1/4 clutch and pressure plate in the 90s when they went to ZF 5 speed. Typical was either an 11 or 12 inch clutch. Replacement flywheels now come with both patterns.

Give the guys a call at Carolina Clutch and they will set you up with the correct flywheel, pressure plate, and disc. See if they can offer the PP and Disc in LUK Pro Gold. Tough as nails clutch.
http://www.carolinaclutch.com/inventory/search/yr/1983/make/ford/mdl-full/f-350/eng/v8/l/7.5/

You will still need a throw out bearing and fork. Since you have an early bellhousing you have no way to mount the slave cylinder to the bellhousing. What is you idea of making use of the hydraulic clutch?

Oh and L&L is overpriced rebranded stuff. You should be able to do this for around $250


Don't forget you will need a pilot bearing too!! BBF are weird and have several steps in the end of the crank. Get the LUK pilot bearing and it will fit just fine.
 

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