It is a shame that you or the previous owner let it sludge up. If you had used a quality oil and changed it regularly it would not have so much sludge. My 1987 has been in my family since 1988 and has well over 200,000 miles on it. Does not smoke and engine only has a slight yellowish film on...
Is your vacuum label under the hood intact? That shows where everything connects.
I have a 1987 V3500 with 7.4L. I can post a photo of my vacuum routing label, if you want.
I watched a couple videos of that guy's. Had to fast forward a bit. He blabbers on and takes forever to get to the point. It is good info but he needs to study editing. Get to the point!!
I would just pull the rubber boot back and leave the motor connected. Turn it on high and measure voltage. This way you are checking it loaded. If there is a voltage drop it will show with this one test.
Interesting that they go that deep for a VIN check. How do they find the frame vin when there is rust?
Do they do this if you have a title and it was registered previously in Kansas?
In my state VIN verifications are done when registering a car from out of state, regardless of the vehicle age...
Here in CT they do VIN verifications. They look at title or registration and compare to windshield VIN and door VIN. I have been in the car business here for 40 years. Sold many vehicles through my own dealership. Paid for many VIN verifications. Never once did the inspector look anywhere but...
I have had hit or miss luck with LMC. I bought fuel tank insulation for the straps on fuel tanks. What a joke. They sent roofing felt. I ended up buying 1/16" thick x 2" rubber and tossed the roofing felt scraps.
Be careful heating a ball joint. When the grease expands it causes pressure. I watched a moron blow a hole in his foot touching a ball joint out of a Ford truck in the 80s. The knuckle was removed and the stud shot out like a bullet. He was out of work for a couple weeks. I told him not to do it...
If the hoses are more than 5-6 years old you should replace them as a matter of maintenance.
Brake fluid should be flushed every two years regardless of mileage. Brake fluid absorbs water and that water not only corrodes the brake parts it lowers the boiling point of the fluid significantly. If...
Teflon pipe dope stays pliable as does #2 Permatex.
@Ricko1966 has maybe a simpler solution but I would not want two different size intake bolts. I like doing things correctly. You decide what you are comfortable with and what is doable.
I like McMaster-Carr for taps and high quality hardware.
195 deg thermostat is fine. Going with a lower temp. to fix a problem is a band-aid. You need to diagnose the underlying condition.
As someone asked. Did this problem appear only after thermostat replacement or did you replace it try to fix it?
You could have an air pocket and that will give...