Might be a little harder to find, but a 7.3 IDI turbo would be a good choice. Not as much power as the Powerstroke but cheaper to work on without all the electronic injection.

 

I really doubt you're going to get a 500 HP 460 for $800. But I think you wouldn't regret sticking with a gas engine.

How much highway driving will you do? How much city/suburban? When you put pencil to paper, you have to drive a lot to justify the costs (initial and overall operating) of a diesel.

 

The 460 was just off of what someone had said that was selling one, not something I researched out. It would be a great deal at that price.

Weather or not to go diesel has been a big decision for me. There are somethings that can't be beat with them, but there are also costs and maintenance issues with them that a gas engine doesn't have. I'm sort of starting to really understand just how much driving I would have to do to justify a switch for economical reasons, rather than a tuned gas engine. I figured it was somewhere around the 100,000 mile mark that it would make any difference, and since I spend most my time on a motorcycle it would probably take 15 years to do that many miles. Which defeats the whole purpose, might as well make it something that's exciting. I've also come to realize what good mpg out of a 4x4 truck is, lol.


Still researching out the mods I would need to do to the 272, but it seems to be a more capable than I original thought. There might be cheaper options to hit certain power levels and yet at the same time I'm not sure there is a cooler option. Doesn't help that I just found Jules write up on how to hook up a NV4500 to one. The main concern I had with the Y-block was finding a way to get this truck a 4x4 with one. Divorced transfercases make for long drive shafts up front and it doesn't solve my lack an OD problem.


From what I'm coming across off of build sheets is that I could do an engine swap for less money, I could probably put in a new engine for the same amount of money, and maybe that is something I still need to consider, but I'd like to explore keeping the Y-Block. I guess it's the battle of the cool factor vs the wallet.

 

hy!

how much weighed the car in front of the tag? did you know it?

 

Check out www.ford-y-block.com and www.reds-headers.com for all the good y-block stuff...


For OD trans to y-block, could swap in a Mustang T5 housing with 4x4 S10 tail housing to bolt up your basic NP231/241 t-case... would be driver's drop...


edit to add: You've got my mind spinning with new plans for my 55 if I keep it... I already have so many projects... I'm thinking DT466 to HD 5 spd to divorced t-case...

 

On it's way from Wyoming, be dropped off tomorrow.

My ten foot paint job looks like it's about done, that's ok, I can finally actually build this thing.

After looking into the Y-block I've decided to get a modern powertrain. Probably won't go diesel just because of how I drive and maintenance costs. The Y-block will need a rebuild at this point and it's just not worth it for a daily driver. Shame.

Loading that truck proved murderous. First off the Mustang was garaged but the access to it was torn up by the electric company a few days before I needed to get it out without notice. Managed to get it out about an hour before the end of the first daylight.

The '56's brakes locked up on me, never dealt with that before, wasn't the most fun trying to fix it to load it up so he could get going. The town doesn't have a forklift that could get it up there. Thankfully it made the ramp as it was a solid 30 degrees and the brakes were weak.

I'll post more tomorrow when they show up, just glad to have something to share again.

Finally time to build it. And build it right.

 

Finally home.

Big thanks to Western Sky Haulers, I'll be sure to write up a review for them as they were extremely patient and helpful getting this done.
My camera was set to DX on accident, so the pictures got cropped unfortunately.














Now, see why I think this would make an awesome 4x4?



So, any plans of keeping any original drive train parts have all got out the window with having to deal with them this past week and all the help they will need to be properly usable again. I want to use this truck not just look at it. Started having new engine problems just getting it off the truck, and I'm pretty sure it took 2 gallons of gas and 3 quarts of oil to go about 3 bus lengths, lol.

Haven't decided on what engine I want but I'm going newer, and after dealing with all of this, I'll probably buy a brand new one as to not have to deal with crap like it again for a while. Maybe a gas 6.2


Also debating just finding another F-600 frame and doing what I need to that and swapping things over. Mine has damage to it, might just be cheaper to get a frame no one wants, especially since I need to take all the body work off anyways to do this right.


At long last, it's time to build. Stay tuned.

 

Is that a front bumper on the rear?

 

Nope, it's a rear bumper made from a front bumper, lol.

 

Nice to see that your build is about to begin, sorry to hear of your engine troubles. I have a 59 F600 frame that you can have for free, too bad about the distance involved.

 

Oh its only like a 16 hour drive lol. Thanks for the offer though.

Actually I spent some time today combing over the truck and everything I need to do and found my frame is actually fine. I had 3 different problems that made it look messed up.I'll get some pictures tomorrow.

The first was the areas I had to test it to see how the bed and cab aligned were not properly flat, Wyoming isn't known for flat pavement, lol. This made the truck appear to have a twist in the frame because the place I saw it everyday was uneven just enough to cause it to look like the frame. I didn't have a place to make it completely level, the other two issues made it seem obvious it had a problem. It wasn't till I noticed today that my bed and cab are level to each other in my new driveway that I began to wonder. After measuring out a dozen places I found it to be free of a twist.

The second and third issue made me think it had a diamond shape to the frame. Given the compressor it once had there certainly would be enough momentum at a gold mine for it to hit a rock hard enough to diamond the frame.

The second issue was a twist in the front bumper and the new front bumper fitting closer to the drivers side fender than the other side. The holes on the top of the frame were about a half inch closer to the body work which would certainly make the front look diamonded. It turns out there is some damage to the front foot of the frame but nothing I can't hammer out. The top dips down a bit pulling the bumper top inwards. After looking at the damage on the bumper I would say they had a chain on the underside and pulled to hard (common with heavy snow if you get stuck) or caught a rock when in reverse or something. After measuring spots further in I found them to be the same.

The third thing was the bed. The passenger side is closer to the rear bumper about a half inch, same as the front, a half inch off and where it would be if it was a diamond shape. But I noticed this beaten up bed I'm using has a dent in the front that touches the cab funny. After measuring some distances I noticed the passenger side had an extra half inch gap between it and the cab.

So that's great news, that was the first thing I would have to fix and it turns out it's not a problem. If I could have stripped it down and leveled the frame out I could have seen it more clearly, but it's easier to drive to a frame shop than to need a tow. I held off on a lot of stuff because a twisted frame would cause problems for it. After all, it did appear very convincing.

Hopefully this will help someone in the future, if nothing else it's a nice reminder that one problem is usually three in cahoots.

In a few months I should have a different place and room to strip this down to its frame. Lots to do but it would be a thousand times easier to do if I took it apart. In the mean time I'm going to get some parts and do what I can. Most the stuff I can do (like the interior) is last to do since everything else effects it, but a drivers side outside lock, keyless entry and bear claw latches is a good place to start...

Stay tuned.

 

Going with a 460 and a ZF5

Here's the ZF5, be a couple of weeks till the 460 is out of its current home if all goes well.






Has a PTO, not sure what I could use it for, but all the same, that's cool, lol.


Going to need a fair amount of little parts to get it on the 460 (that has a C6 on it now). I prefer a manual, thought an auto would be fun till I was in one with a strong pull and bad brakes, lol.

 

Use the PTO to power a hoist and make a dump bed out of the truck!

 

Better yet, use the PTO to power a hydraulic gear pump (it's what I'm planning on doing). After that you could use the hydraulics to run a dump bed, or winch, or.... As long as your pump has enough pressure and flow..

 

And so we begin.