Newbie Eatonville, Wa

Hi my name is Rick I'm a new Ranchaholic I bought a non running 64, 3 weeks ago. Most of the switches didn't work and it had a 1/2 inch of water in the cab. I got it running (tune up and a new coil repaired and replaced the switches, fixed the leaks (screw holes for chrome strips on the sides of the bed) and drove for about a week before the tranny went out and today is the first day I haven't worked on it sense I bought it. It's a 200 ci 6 with a 2.77 3 speed soon to be a T-5. I have been talking to Nathan on another forum about the swap. Here's a link to some work in progress pictures http://s210.photobucket.com/albums/b...on%20Ranchero/

Hi Rick,

Welcome to the board. I'm sure that Ranchero will be running like a dream soon. I'm jealous of the headers! I gotta get some as soon as I win the Lotto!!

Hope to see you around this summer. Nathan's a great source of info...and post here anytime you need advice or parts.

Two owners back (his name was still on the title) said he had $600 in the exhaust system split headers and 2" duel exhaust. The present owner had let the truck go and thought he had cracked the block. I talked him down to $1000, it had a bad coil and it was adjusted way lean. I fixed those two things and it started right up. It also had a bad vibration in the transmission, it went out after 2 weeks of driving. it also had 1/2" of water in the cab, I found the problem and fixed that, also none of the switches were working (from all the moisture in the cab) I got them all working. As soon as I get a tranny and paint it should be a good daily driver

You've been talking to nathan on another forum???hmm wonder who that could be:WHATTHE:
Any luck finding a t5? I still wonder about that gmc s15 t5.
I'd still like to measure the front bearing cover. I bet its not any larger than a ford t5.

Nathan

These are the dimensions he gave me if any one has a MUSTANG T5 to check against. I'm still not sure which dim is the indexing surface (A or B) when I gave Bruce the dimensions he said they were different than a Mustang snout and the adapter wouldn't work. We have a pull a part in town I going to check there this week for a Mustang unit, If I can find one there, they are only $50

Rick,

What a score! I just got a Ranchero too, so just make sure the seal on the bed compartment and the cowl area is sound - or it will look like mine pretty soon. What was causing the water in the cab? Are you going to pull the carpet and dry it out good?

I dried it out with a portable heater. mine was leaking under the bed chrome strips on the top of the sides of the bed, I put a dab of RTV at each screw location and it stopped leaking. Then I put drain holes in the corners of the bed and it started leaking again :bicker:So I have to plug them up and dry carpet again. Right now its in the garage waiting for a new transmission so I'm going to pull the seat and carpet to put a hole in the floor for the transmission.

To add drains you have to run drain tubes fromt the bed access panal through the access space through the floor. So the water drains on the ground under the car.
If you can find small drains that screw on to pipe you could build some really cool looking bed drains.
I welded the access panal shut. Run steel pipe through the floor to the bed floor and welded the pipe in top and bottom.
I also cut the back wall under the window or under bed storage.

There is a t5 on spokane's craigslist for $350 which seems on the high side for a used t5. I'm sure someone will pay him close to that because they're hard to find in pick n pulls.

Nathan

I found one for $200 today, trying to talk him down to 140 with drive shaft and clutch disk. Got the old tranny out yesterday going to pull a part today see if they have anything. Anyone out there want to unload a Modern adapter. My under the bed acess is also welded up. Looking at top rear shock mount is there a nut that you have to get to in the inside or is it captave.

If they've welded up the bed access (which is something I'm going to do as well - making this cavity accessible from inside the cab) the shock has studs with nuts you need to access by removing the now welded in access panel. Maybe they thought "Who needs to change shocks?" :confused:

I have not figured out what I'm going to do on mine exactly, but I'm leaning towards a welding cab-side section having a removable center section or use some oval access plates sort of like they use in my wagon, which has the same bed for the most part.

I think I'm leaning towards smallish oval access plates and keeping the potential for any water getting down below nil. For yours, you could probably do something similar by making some holes in the bed.

I bought a couple of these, since they were pretty cheap, and will stare at them before deciding which way to go:

http://shop.autocraftinvestments.com...44&parent=2916

I'll have a modern adapter available sometime down the road. If I ever get the 260 built or the 250 for that matter.
Part of me wants to put a 260 in the 61 another part wants to intall a built 250 and keep a six.
Either way I go I won't be needing the adapter I have.

Best of luck,
Nathan

I'll do holes on the underside, the bed has a rubberized coating and either weld them back up or use access plates like you have referenced

The $4 per gallon part of me thinks a 6 cylinder sounds good. :D

Getting to these studs from the udder-side is not going to be very easy, but I have not looked at that possibility closely. I'm delving into that very-very soon - so should be able to report what is easy and what is hard considering mine is all opened up right now.

Modern adapter? Is that this:
http://www.safepay.net/cgi-bin/shop/...oderndriveline

yes this is the one I'll need, Adapter plate, T-5, 60-65 Ford 140/170ci w/2.77 3-speed bellhousing, 83-93 T-5 trans...Includes flat head bolts (4) 7/16-14 x 2 Lawson p/n 90844, I'm hopeing my dodge truck sells pretty soon then this will be my only truck I'll need the adapter in the next couple of weeks, I want to get the tranny first. remaking the top shock mount might be the solution, shocks attached to sheetmetal aren't the best design. maybe adding a crossmember between frame rails.

While I was out there working on my Ranchero I took some photo's for you - might help you decide how best to address your shock issue when you get a round tuit.

since I have no top access, I'll use that small drain hole as a guide and cut a access hole with a 1" hole saw. After I replace the shock with a good quality shock I'll weld a patch back in. If for some reason that doesn't work I'll remove the shock bracket and replace with square tubing and make a open design top shock bracket with heaver metal.