Oil leak and MPG

The 352 v8 the truck came with has an oil leak... EPA style problem. I got about 9 mpg on the drive over from California. So I was thinking about an engine swap to get a bit better mileage. The 1969 F100 I drove in 1989 had an inline 6, I don't remember 240 or 300. So I have always had that in the back of my mind.

I was searching Craigslist for "f100 | f-100" my standard search.

I found a 300/C6 transmission combo for $200! The kid needed money and I got to him first. Well, sorta. My truck isn't trustable to the distance I would have to go.  Gilbert to Wittman, Az

I had to get my brother in law's truck, and that proved to be tough...Thanksgiving week, Christmas choir concerts, it seemed like I would lose it to another person who could make it over quicker. However the kid stuck to his promise to sell to me. I got the engine and headed out to Roberts house to drop it off. Robert will help me rebuild it as soon as he has garage space.

A local FTE member had a Offenhauser DP intake for sale... and I got that and a Holley 4180 4bbl carb. I ordered EFI exhaust manifolds and need to source some exhaust parts next.

New Tires

The Craigslist tires I got were weathered and cracking a bit more than I liked. They worked well for "rollers" to make sure that the lowering gear was going to work right. But.... they needed to be replaced.

My local tire shop made me a deal, and the tires were replaced.

I came out Saturday night to pull the truck into the back yard, and the front tire was flat. The valve stem sheared off. So I jacked it up and took the tire off. I'll take it back to Kevin on Monday.

I get this picture as a text from my son Sunday morning. Another sheared valve stem. Disappointment.... 

Monday morning I called Kevin, he sent a tow truck at no charge, and found that the box of valve stems was old and he tossed them all. Kevin replaced the stems and told me to come get my truck, no charge. I understand problems, I know things happen, it's all about how you deal with them. Kevin treated me well, and I will keep going back.

Bump steer, steering stabilizer and alignment

After the DJM kit, AC, radiator and 3g Alternator upgrades, my truck came home. All the way there it drove like a skittish cat. I ordered the Moog SSD20 steering stabilizer. $52 from Jegs, O'Rielly had it for $90+tax. That was just too much of a difference to buy locally. Kevin at the tire shop installed it for me, he has a lift... I don't. $40, so all in $90 and I got some steering stabilization.

Alignment is a tough one on these trucks. The people that used to have the tools sold them, or sent them to scrap after not being used for months on end. In Mesa, Az I found Bailey's Brakes still did Twin I beam alignment. $60 later, she drives straight and true.