I recently had my 1995 Ford F-150 in for some brake work, and thought I’d have them replace 3 exterior parts while they were at it, parts that have needed replacement for months or years. Said parts, thanks to a change in state safety inspection laws, now really and truly must be replaced before the truck will pass inspection (as opposed to, for instance, just using colored tape over a broken lens). The three parts in question are the left rear reverse light panel (I gather I need to replace the whole assembly as one piece), the left front amber lens, and the passenger side mirror.
The shop doing the brake work quoted me around 400 dollars to replace these 3 parts, labor included. The side mirror alone was priced at 170 dollars plus 50 dollars labor. All told, labor was going to run me 120 dollars. I says to myself, Self, there ain’t no way I’m paying all that money. Hell, it’s just a matter of removing a few screws and hey presto! Job done! My I-can-do-it-myself attitude was further bolstered when I went to the auto parts store down the street and bought all 3 parts for less than 120 dollars.
Now, those of you who have mechanical experience likely see where this is going. How many times have you seen a customer, faced with the prices similar to above, who said “I’m not paying you that for something I can do myself!” Yep, thass me. I got the parts, I got some tools, how hard can it be?
The left front amber lens. At this point, I’m damned if I can see how one is supposed to remove the lens or even the whole headlight assembly. There appear to be permanently-welded parts of the truck frame that are keeping me from getting to the screws that I think are the ones I need to remove to get the headlight assembly out. Stymied. Truck 1, me 0.
The passenger side mirror. After some effort, I get the two exterior hex screws removed with an Allen wrench. Looking at the replacement mirror, I see that I must remove a nut from the bolt holding a bracket on the inside frame of the door, said bracket being hidden by the inside door panel. I get the interior panel mostly unfastened, except for the hex screw holding the window roller in place. Bending the inside panel out, I can get a wrench on the nut anyway, working it in very small and time-consuming turns. The end result is that I turn the nut off the bolt not at all, but somehow merely work the bolt out towards the interior of the truck cab. The window roller hex screw may be stripped, too. Stymied. Truck 2, me 0.
Haven’t even started on the left rear tail light assembly, although a visual inspection does seem to indicate that a straightforward removal of 4 screws will allow me to remove and replace this assembly.
Now, to my specific request for help. Can anyone recommend an online source for instructions to aid me in wrestling these uppity parts into submission? Should I hie me back to the parts store and purchase a manual specific to my vehicle? Should I pat myself on the back for having saved money on parts, swallow my pride, and pay a mechanic to do it for me?
Any and all help would be most appreciated. Thank you in advance.
hmm, sounds like you have had a tough time so far. Also sounds alot like every one of my projects.
I just got done tracking down a dragging brake and a noisy clutch on my S-10 today…now the brake is quiet and the clutch only makes its whistling sound intermittently.
If I was you I would head down to the autozone or equivilent store and see if they have a manual for your truck. I don’t have the Chiltons book for my truck but the Haynes smaller version has always given me enough information to successfully fix the problem.
Failing that I would look around online through google for forums about your type of vehicle, for example, I’m part of 4 different forums dedicated to the 1965 Mercury Comet I also have. These forums have proven to be useful within a week of finding them.
Good luck with the repairs, I’m sure you can do it!
Thanks, Jspeer, for your encouragement and the advice on breaking down and buying the Haynes manual. Thank you, astro, for pointing out the 2 online forums. I had seen those, but was dubious as to their actual value to me. Having you mention them made me go back and have a second look.
Update: Left taillight assembly replaced. Like I thought, piece of cake. The rest should be so easy. I never did get the interior door panel off, but I realized that what I thought was a nut failing to come off a bolt was instead a bolt with a nut head, so to speak. I had stopped maybe a minute or two from actually getting the thing out. Got it off, removed the old mirror, in with the new, bolted the bracket solidly, and then screwed the hex screws in as tight as I could, using pliers to rotate the screw at the end. Never did get them all the way in, but there’s only the slightest give when I try to wiggle the mirror. Shouldn’t come off, or even move noticeably. As for the headlight assembly, I threw up my hands for today. The manual didn’t really help, but perhaps I was too hot and aggravated by then to ‘get it.’
But then, there’s always tomorrow. For tomorrow…is another day!
Haynes manuals do not cover these types of items. Even professional grade Mitchell’s and Chilton’s manuals do not cover them. Only Ford factory manuals do.
For the front lens, I’d try removing anything adjacent to it that’s not a big project – e.g., remove the grill, but not the bumper. Often such things obscure a critical fastener. Sometimes not all anchor points of a lens assembly are held with fasteners at all (though at least one will be). There could be tabs that fit into slots in one or two places, and then only one or two screws to remove. Also study the replacement part for clues as to how it’s attached.
I will second Gary T on his comment that consumer grade auto manuals do not usually have this type of information, just because the OP’s second post kinda makes it sound like the manual was a help in this situation. They definitely contain lots of good info on the mechanicals, though, so I doubt a do-it-yourselfer would regret buying one in the long run.
