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Idiot Time - Part 1 - Please Help - Big Investment
Hey all, please be patient with me....
I am not very seasoned in working on vehicles to this degree but I am a software engineer for combat aviation so I would like to think that the intelligence and fortitude are there.
I title this 'big investment' because I really need your help friends.. I would love your thoughts and direction and this is going to be a longer project (I think). I'll be honest in that if I don't work on this truck,
I will buy something else like a mustang as, for selfish reasons, I just want to learn to work on cars (a nice reprieve from writing software for 10+ years) so.. I figured if we can all band together and get this truck going for my Dad.. what a win!
I am in TN on my father's property and he has a 1987 F-150, 4.9L 300 I6, EFI that has been sitting on the farm. I do know that it used to drive.
I would really love to resurrect the thing... long story short.. it's just going to be a 'tank' for around the farm.. cutting down trees, moving brush, heavy stuff, etc. Also an opportunity for my father and I, 72 years old, to create some memories.
From my understanding the issues that lead it to where it is now: (hinging on the words of what previous mechanics have told my Dad)
- Did have dual fuel tanks, one was removed - apparently some wires were dangling in it and it was a hazard
- It is EFI.. the fuel injectors may need to be cleaned / replaced
As it stands now from what I an diagnose after just an afternoon glance:
- Frame seems strong and no detrimental rust, body work seems fairly strong, just 'moldy'.
- Tires basically all flat
- No power, naturally, I'm sure a new battery is needed
This is the current plan... can I humbly ask that you guys address your thoughts to the below items?
- Truck can be towed to mechanic so he can get underneath it and diagnose the problems - that being said, I don't really want to pay the guy to do the work, I'd rather my Father and I make the memories, and enjoy the process... should I even have it looked at? (Happy to do so if you think it's wise, given I'm not exactly a mechanic myself)
- What is your suggested flow on resurrecting this thing? Kind of.. the sequence? My thinking was...
Get a battery in it, get the ignition alive
Should I then TRY and get it turned over or no?
Should I go ahead and replace fuel tank, fuel line and injectors?
As you can see.. I have a lot to learn but am really wanting to. I would really appreciate if you guys come on this journey with me and help me resurrect this beast.
I would love your thoughts on my next steps and hopefully we can make a journey out of it? I was kind of thinking of video'ing the journey too but, we'll see on that.
@paul rondelli
Paul... you're a freaking legend sir.
I will def do so.
Do you think I should get it towed to look at or just start diving in myself?
I genuinely think the frame is ok and it hasn't been sitting for THAT long.
Awesome.. I'm in Athens, TN.
Appreciate you bro.. for real. Thanks.
Last edited by mechanicalnoob; 10-07-2022 at 11:03 AM.
I daily drive my 1996 Bronco. It has a 302 with 200,000 and runs like a champ.
the 300 six is practically indestructible. You should be able to get this running pretty easily ... the motor doesn't look bad at all. Since it has been sitting draining fluids ( oil/tranny/ antifreeze) should be completed. Gas goes bad so I wouldn't roll the dice and what is in there. A new fuel filter might be a good idea as well.
Then get a battery and fire her up.
Now get to know the search function .. and how to use advanced searches. Start with a generic search of 1987 F150 ... read any thread that catches your eye. This is how you gain knowledge. 99% of the time someone else has had the exact same issue you have.... and they explained how they solved it.
We will see if Steve83 joins the party .... but that guy has the absolute best super motors page with all the information you could possibly need.
It is mandatory reading for anyone who owns a Pre 1997 Ford.
Keep it and work on it if you want.
If you are looking for memories and don't need the truck on any schedule, tackle it and learn what you need.
If you don't feel you are up for learning everything you need, hire out what you aren't comfortable with.
What is the end goal: To have a functional truck that is a daily driver or is it going to remain/become a farm truck. That dictates how much you would need to rebuild.
If you need the truck to run sooner than later and you don't have time to chase ghosts each time something new pops up, hire it out, or at least hire out what needs to be done to get it running.
Who's to say what type of rodent damage there is.
New tires if this will be a daily driver, if a farm truck, you don't have to worry about a bad experience due to rotted and expired tires.
It is beyond a tune-up of course but like mentioned above, plugs/wires and fluids should be high on the list.
There may be vacuum leaks due to rotted vacuum lines. Etc.
Be careful when working on electrical, the connectors will be brittle, patience is your friend when trying to uncouple mating electrical connections.
Always stay positive if the 2 of you plan to tackle it. There wasn't internet when that truck was first built but today there is a lot of information you can find by reading. I highly encourage reading before asking. You can post 10 threads a day and be spoon fed or you can try to learn yourself. At least read and get a clue to what has to happen then post questions to clarify. We see all the time "How many bolts should I buy to fix a thing". The person would know their own answer if they tried to find it themselves.
The patience part will make your memories more fond when the project is finally completed and you can look back saying "look what we did". You may not be able to tackle it all or you may decided that some stuff is suited for others, like chasing electrical issues that you aren't comfortable with and the time it may take to chase down the problems.
Find yourself a good do-it-all mechanic that you can trust and rely on for the repairs you aren't comfortable with. You don't want to be dragging the truck all over town for specialist #1, #2 and #8. You may luck out and find a person who is willing to be your on-call shop.
Note: lots of shops don' want to take on long term repairs and post-covid, the quality of work isn't always there. The shop may be good but his staff may simply "go to work' every day without passion to repair a vehicle.
Good luck -would be neat to see how this endeavor comes to live!
@paul rondelli
Yessir. I've been reading the Hanes manual too but I'm always up for learning!
This is gold bro.
I'm going to try and talk my Dad and see if I can talk him out of getting it towed and looked at.
I've heard the same on the 300 six too.
Thanks again brother! Excited.
yes yes and more yes. This is a great post!! Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to all this.
Really great advice!
I am of the same mindset.. I don't want to bother anyone with 8 million posts without having read up and tried a solution or two myself.
Thank you so much!
Do you think after clearing out fuel tank, new fuel filter, I need to clean out fuel injection system, or try firing it up first and then see what we get?
Concern being spitting something gross into the cylinders.
Your signature is incomplete (trim level, miles, bed size/wheelbase, number of tanks, complete list of options/mods/damage/repairs, maintenance history, tires, colors, radio...), and contains some wasted space (we assume it's an F150 because you posted here, so you can omit that). You should put ALL the truck's details & history (as much as you know) into your signature so it shows with each post, as this page explains:
Put your location in your profile & upload an avatar of the truck. The more pics you post of the truck, engine, wiring, labels, & undercarriage, the more likely we can help you. Not all its details are relevant to these issues, but you don't necessarily know which ones are relevant, so just put everything in now.
- Did have dual fuel tanks, one was removed - apparently some wires were dangling in it and it was a hazard
Some people suggest removing the bed (4 bolts) is easier than taking down a gas tank.
Try to find out why it was parked. Was it driven to that spot?
I started with a 95 that was in much worse shape. Now I drive it every day. Yours has no rust and could end up very pretty.
To start:
-Spark plugs points and plugs with wires are easy and cheep, you can do that while waiting for other stuff.
-Verify if nothing is broken inside the engine.
-Figure out the gas tank problem. The gas lines and recirculating fuel system for 2 tanks is complicated.
-I would recommend getting a junk yard second tank to restore as original. Maybe the one tank was working.
When you get this far it could start.
IMPORTANT: Stay on this Forum! You will get more and accurate help here than anywhere else.
10-07-2022, 09:22 AM
Idiot Time - Part 1 - Please Help - Big Investment
