It can be done (although not necessary). I've seen it done with F-series from 150s to 550's, Expeditions, Navigators, and have heard of guys doing it with Excursions, cube vans, school busses, ambulances... you name it.

 

Im new here but I ordered a 2008 F350 DRW and like the info. Ive owned a 05 F350 01 F250 88 F350 ccDRW and 3 Ford rangers and I think its an awsome idea for gaining access to the frame as well as the motor just knowing its easier to do is great most big trucks no matter how well engineered flex and weaken over time with the cab easily removed boxing of the frame or weldinig of skid plate supports etc would be nice I think. Im an avid offroad racer and my philosify is it will eventually break if its designed to be easily and quickly fixed Im all for it

 

Ya'll,

Just got my new (company purchased) 2008 CC 4x4 F350 a month ago, and am quite fearfull of this whole "cab removal" idea.... Ya see, this company truck, along with the other 10 trucks in our fleet (00's to 08's) have 4" PVC pipes that run the length of the bed and at either 2 or 4 feet into the cab (depending upon the cab) for our equipment. What is gonna happen when I get pulled into the dealer with a dead turbo or head gasket??

Do any of the Ford dealer mechanics here have any suggestions for us??

Worried,
Jay Ramsey

 

how is the cab removal done? I assume it is hoisted above the truck by a chain pully on the facility roof. What does this chain connect to?

 

Cab removal is the easy way to access the engine. The 2 post lift in the shop is what is used to remove the cab.

Jay, not sure on your set up with the PVC but I am sure they would be removable to clear the cab removal procedure.

For years engines were worked on by bending over the fender making for a very uncomfortable and unfavorable access to the engine compartment. Friend of mine works for Chrysler on the diesel engines, he removes the front wheels to lower the truck and has a special step to try and work on the truck. Replacing an injector on #6 is a real pain and usually the one that goes bad....he likes Fords idea to gain access to the engine.

The new trucks are of cab forward design, I have seen cabs lifted at the GM dealerships also, Ford techs can be credited to lifting the cab and Ford listened.

 

It will be interesting for the guys with utility racks too. Something that will complicate even more if that has to be removed.

 

My vote is thumbs up for the cab removal. Much preferred over the moderate to high potential of scuffed or scratched paint or even possibly a dent from a dropped tool or part. I've seen keys and parts laying on fenders or hoods. With my cab 6-7' overhead, this reduces that possibility to the same odds of a lightning strike or shark bite. It also eliminates the possibility of other accidental damage while it sits in the shop. I also doubt that alignment would be more than a minor inconvenience that could be corrected while you wait. Try waiting on the body shop to fix the OOPS! Had a corvette once that you couldn't get to the back plugs without pulling the engine. And those were NOT high mileage plugs.

 

there are procedures for doing engine work in frame. i have pulled a cab on a 64 and will continue. the cab pulling idea is scary at first, it was for me. but the cab was designed to come off and there are tie down kits to secure the cab to the lift.

 

Go to this thread when my truck had the cab pulled, I have a link to the pictures in message post #17 if you are curious as to what an '08 looks like with the cab off.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/643918-oil-leak.html

 

Hey I found this site really useful when I did my EGR delete kit on my 2005 6.0L by BD Diesel Performance which worked great by the way but there was four of us on it at differant times and all said it a huge pain in the ***. that motor is really shoehorned in there! I am a welder and I have a A-frame in the back yard to lift my welding deck off the truck, so I have the lifting capability I just need to know the procedure so that I don't rip out a missed wiring or miss a bolt and wreck something. A step by step with pics would be great!

 

Ok....resurecting a year old thread here.

Im a firefighter, not a Ford PSD mech. Im trying to learn as much as I can about my 08 6.4 PSD since purchasing it a month ago. I had a 2000 7.3 PSD which was stolen in December.

My understanding has been that the BIG problem with the 2008 is that repairs are "costly". And the reason usually given is that the cab must be removed for many of those repairs, even for some minor parts which makes repair costs skyrocket due to more labor in cab removal. But now after reading this thread Im reading that its not a big deal since Ford has designed this cab to be removed faster and mech's like it better etc. Ive heard/seen people say that a cab can be removed in 1.5 hours by an experienced mech. Ive heard/seen people say that its a PITA and takes up to 20 hours. Im getting mixed emotions here. Either its not a big deal and not costly to pull the cab and make repairs or it is.

Can anyone give a ballpark on the time and money it takes to "pull the cab" regardless of the reason why? And should we have all this cab pulling repair cost anxiety at all?

 

Im not sure the cost but our local dealer can do it in less than an hour ive seen it personaly, some tech;s claim less than 30 minutes. From what i get the biggest problem is the cab bolts sometimes spinout so the nuts wont come and require to be welded/tacked after that its a piece of cake.

 

Given the cost of some of the possible repairs the cost of cab removal and reinstallation is not major. Maybe one of the techs will tell us what the book price is but it doesn't matter that much. What's important is learning enough about the truck to take proper care of it and not need the repairs. The fuel system is very delicate and very very expensive to repair (some say 10 to 12 thousand). Be very careful what you put in the fuel tank. Water in the fuel can blow up the whole system and the filter and WIF light may not protect you. Getting air into the coolant system can cause a bunch of different problems and expensive repairs. Run away oil growth can cause the motor to pretty much implode. So, learn about the truck and protect yourself. Do ALL maintainence on the extreme schedule. Use ford stuff, oil and filters. Use a fuel additive like standyne or diesel kleen. Drain the fuel filter at least monthly. I may be the only one doing it but I carry a clear jar and pump a little diesel into it and check for water at every fill up. Check the coolant level often when the truck is completely cold. Keep it full and make sure the level does not get below the little hose below the bottom line on the full level markl. If it does you will get air into the coolant. And most of all, spend a lot of time on here and read until you get knowledgeable on the truck. BTW, welcome to the forum.

 

I don't know if you get the channel called Root, it used to be fox sports I believe.. well they have a truck show on there where guys build custom trucks. It's called Swamp Diesel (I think). I happened to catch it the other day and it was about the 6.4. They upgraded the turbo, intercooler, intake and head bolts and had the cab off. They kind of walk you through the process, that they claimed to take an hour with a couple guys helping. You might be able to find it on Youtube. It's worth watching as a 6.4 owner.

 

Thanks a bunch for that informative response.....

I went to Ford and got some of their Cetane Booster yesterday. Dont know if the former owner ran it. But 4oz in every tank from now on.