I'm replacing the positive battery cable. You can see what was there in this picture
I'm replacing the positive battery cable. You can see what was there in this picture
What's the square thing I circled in red?
Probably an external regulator for the alternator. Ford loved using those instead of integrating it earlier like GM and Chrysler did.
I always like at least 3 main grounds on the vehicle. Battery to engine block near alternator, engine block to body with a braided strap and battery to body within a foot of the battery.
dyintorace (Forum Supporter) said:Stampie (FS) said:While we're thinking of things to check, look for the diff air lines. They should be routed up high and have a check valve on them. That'll prevent water getting in if you take it off roading.
Here's what's under there.
For fun, you can take a look at the opposite side of this and you may find a tag on it that has the gear ratio, as well as date codes and other stuff that can be useful.
Stampie (FS) said:I always like at least 3 main grounds on the vehicle. Battery to engine block near alternator, engine block to body with a braided strap and battery to body within a foot of the battery.
Do the 2 grounds coming from the battery attach to the negative terminal? If so, under the negative cable? Or do they attach to the smaller post, under the wing nut?
Mr_Asa said:dyintorace (Forum Supporter) said:Stampie (FS) said:While we're thinking of things to check, look for the diff air lines. They should be routed up high and have a check valve on them. That'll prevent water getting in if you take it off roading.
Here's what's under there.
For fun, you can take a look at the opposite side of this and you may find a tag on it that has the gear ratio, as well as date codes and other stuff that can be useful.
Shoot. No such tag. 
I managed to get the new battery cables and started solenoid installed and it still started!
I did have a hard time getting the battery cables onto the posts. It seems like the posts are too wide or the cable openings aren't big enough. Thoughts?
In reply to dyintorace (Forum Supporter) :
You can screw the 2 grounds on the wing nut. That looks weird to me. Almost like the positive cable has a negative terminal on it and the reverse on the negative cable.
Yeah, you have the red cable on the + and the black cable on the - which is good, and correct, but the terminals are slightly different sizes and it looks like for some reason your cables were made with them switched.
The red / positive looks like it will be fine, maybe just with a longer bolt than it came with. If the black/negative will not crush enough to make a good connection, a sorta-band-aid-fix that would likely hold up just fine is to install one of these type of shims:
https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Battery-Negative-Terminals-Positive/dp/B07W8D16TT
The studs and cable ends are also tapered, check if you put either on upside down.
You can also get the axle info from the door tag if its still there
Here is the one from my 82 van.
According to my service manual 13 is 2.75 open diff. Here is the chart in case you have the door tag.
Stampie (FS) said:In reply to dyintorace (Forum Supporter) :
Just a warning, I find most people hate the smell of diff oil. I on the other hand think it's the smell of carness at it's most basic level.
I tell my wife "honey, it smells like freedom". She doesn't buy it for 1 second.
Stampie (FS) said:In reply to dyintorace (Forum Supporter) :
It won't be dates exactly. Here's a link for some light reading.
I found the casting on the engine block. It is on the very bottom, passenger side, above where the starter sits. The block casting is D1OE-6015-AA and the date stamp is OL23. Based on the site you linked above, it is a 1970 302, produced on 11/23/70.
And the door tag is still there.
dyintorace (Forum Supporter) said:Stampie (FS) said:In reply to dyintorace (Forum Supporter) :
It won't be dates exactly. Here's a link for some light reading.
I found the casting on the engine block. It is on the very bottom, passenger side, above where the starter sits. The block casting is D1OE-6015-AA and the date stamp is OL23. Based on the site you linked above, it is a 1970 302, produced on 11/23/70.
Probably a 71 model since it was built that late in the year.
So, per the sticker and the table above, that rear axle shouldn't be a limited slip. Odd that it acted that way when you spun it. Wonder what that's about. Limited slip additive won't hurt the diff or gear lube if you don't need it; I'd dump it in anyway just in case an LSD has been added in the past 40 years.
dyintorace (Forum Supporter) said:And the door tag is still there.
According to my service manual it was made at Michigan Truck Assembly, was distributed to the dealer through the Atlanta District Sales Office, and originally had a Warner 4 speed.
Here are some more pics in case you find this stuff as neat as I do.
I'd say it would be perfectly reasonable to think someone who swapped engines in this old truck might have also opted for a Limited Slip differential (just as popular an upgrade and easier to do). Like mentioned above, If it were mine, I'd just put the additive in regardless.
I do have to point out though, whether or not that rearend is factory-original, the Mud Dauber nests were an add-on sometime after the factory. It's a very common modification here in MO also. Boats, trailers, cars, trucks...very common.
dyintorace (Forum Supporter) said:Here's what's under there.
Regarding the battery: You have a marine battery in there with both "posts" and "studs". It may be that the marmine "posts" are not sized the same as an automotive style battery on both posts. Not really a problem if you can make it work but that could possibly be the source of the confusion there.
On the whole I have to say, "You're doing it right!" with this project. You are taking care of the obvious maintenance items (fluids, filters, tune-up, tires, etc). Get it running and enjoy it. Be ready for possible stuff like ball joints, tie rods, and u-joints as you get to know it better while driving. Brake hydraulic systems seem to suffer particularly badly when vehicles sit for years at a time (rusted hard-lines, degrading rubber lines, leaky seals, and sticky hardware). But all that stuff is easy to have someone do for you or you can do it yourself if you have the desire. The cleaning phase will give you the most satisfaction and it can be done at your leisure. Enjoy...you have a really cool project!
logdog (Forum Supporter) said:dyintorace (Forum Supporter) said:And the door tag is still there.
According to my service manual it was made at Michigan Truck Assembly, was distributed to the dealer through the Atlanta District Sales Office, and originally had a Warner 4 speed.
Here are some more pics in case you find this stuff as neat as I do.
Yes, I do find that super cool. Thanks for sharing!
ClemSparks said:I'd say it would be perfectly reasonable to think someone who swapped engines in this old truck might have also opted for a Limited Slip differential (just as popular an upgrade and easier to do). Like mentioned above, If it were mine, I'd just put the additive in regardless.
I do have to point out though, whether or not that rearend is factory-original, the Mud Dauber nests were an add-on sometime after the factory. It's a very common modification here in MO also. Boats, trailers, cars, trucks...very common.
dyintorace (Forum Supporter) said:Here's what's under there.
Regarding the battery: You have a marine battery in there with both "posts" and "studs". It may be that the marmine "posts" are not sized the same as an automotive style battery on both posts. Not really a problem if you can make it work but that could possibly be the source of the confusion there.
On the whole I have to say, "You're doing it right!" with this project. You are taking care of the obvious maintenance items (fluids, filters, tune-up, tires, etc). Get it running and enjoy it. Be ready for possible stuff like ball joints, tie rods, and u-joints as you get to know it better while driving. Brake hydraulic systems seem to suffer particularly badly when vehicles sit for years at a time (rusted hard-lines, degrading rubber lines, leaky seals, and sticky hardware). But all that stuff is easy to have someone do for you or you can do it yourself if you have the desire. The cleaning phase will give you the most satisfaction and it can be done at your leisure. Enjoy...you have a really cool project!
Thanks for the positive feedback. It's a little tough, given that I have NO idea what I'm doing. Once I get done with the basic maintenance, I am definitely going to clean it and then drive it. I'm assuming I'll find other things wrong, but will tackle them as they come.
On the battery front, the comment above about the cables having tapered attachment points helped termendously. I didn't know that and put them both on upside down. 
In reply to dyintorace (Forum Supporter) :
Despite mentioning not knowing what you are doing, you seem to have the right ideas about learning what to do. Most of us learned by jumping in, and didn't have a place like this to ask for advice. You ask good questions, and and ar learning as ya go. Keep it up, and remember 99.9% of the folks that assembled it weren't any smarter than you!
I was gonna mention the dirt dobbers, but Clem said it well!
Prolly a 90% chance or better that someone has ben in the differentials. In one picture it looks like there is RTV on it, but even if not, with the engine swap, my vote would be different gear ratio and limited slip of some kind.
Don't assume anything on it is stock... but most stuff done to it would interchange easily, so it shouldn't be too bad to figure out. Wish I lived closer. Cool truck.
Have fun, and keep us posted.
The mud daubers on the Bronco are nothing compared to the nest they left on the F100 we picked up at the same time!
I'd be hitting that nest with FIRE before I got near that thing! I hate wasps/hornets!!!
docwyte said:I'd be hitting that nest with FIRE before I got near that thing! I hate wasps/hornets!!!
Y'all don't have mud daubers, out that way? Their just a nuisance; don't sting. Ya can't hardly move without trippin' over 'em out here on the east coast!
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