Let me give you one piece of advice, hopefully you take this to heart. AVOID USA 6X6!! DO NOT DO BUISNESS WITH THAT GUY, TRUST ME AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN BURNED BY HIM!! I AM SHOUTING IN ALL CAPS ON PURPOSE!!! You might get lucky, many have regretted doing buisness with him.
__________________ Tony
Quando omni flunkus moritati - when all else fails, play dead.
Ok .. some progress pictures...(click on them for full-size)
Im finally down to cab and chassis... next week Ill remove the fire pump and shorten the chassis
the cab is stripped
the bumper and inner fender panels have been removed
The truck has a double frame so I will unbolt/or cut off every rivet and every bracket until its stripped clean... then cut and move the frame forward and remake a doubler.. this is alot of work but there is the right way and wrong way... the new doubler will go up under the cab and all the way to the rearmost frame rail... this part of the refurb process will also allow me to sandblast and clean the frame like new
I had debated not removing the cab but Ive settled at going full tilt..especially since there is the cummins going in.. so after the frame is done the cab is coming off.. Ill have it media blasted and basically start over.. sounds easy..but as you all know this too is a boatload of work.. in the meantime Ill pull the cummins apart to check it( I steam cleaned it today and it looks nice)... and pull the axles for refurb.. lockers.. and as I said before hopefully discs
When I pulled the inner fender panels there was virgin factory primer and paint underneath... kinda of cool after all these years.. Id like new inner fender panels.. one is cracked, but fixable, and Ill have to plastic weld it... new old stock ones would be impossible to find
Can someone answer me a question about body mounts and battery trays please?
Body mounts
I have 6... the two rear ones are round doughnut types and the 2 center and 2 under the radiator support are the c clamp style... Does anyone know if these are the same as the light duty truck?
Batteries
Did Ford make a drivers side auxiliary battery tray from the factory for the f 600? I see one for the lt duties in the LMC catalog but Im not sure if it will fit...I temporarily moved a battery up into the engine compartment because obviously the fire body where they had been..is gone... with the cummins it would be nice to have 2 batteries in the engine compartment and two aux batteries in the new body to run all the lights and accessories this thing will see
More disassembly progress.. making some steam now that I can get to everything
The 2000 plus pound Fire pump has been removed..it actually came out easily.. which is the first thing that hasnt been a fight so far.... now a big task is shortening the frame..it is going to be 84"C/A plus 6" for a an exo skeleton rear crossmember... The truck has a double frame that goes up under the cab and all the way to the rear... Im going to remove the double frame...I cant reuse it because it looks like swiss cheese and Ill have to remake it. The inner double frame reinforcement will be reusable.. I think,, there are a zillion welds to deal with ... this means everything has to come off.. rear axle, crossmembers, brackets, lines, wiring, huge fuel tank.. everything.. and a gaggle of rivets to deal with,, plasma, drills, air chisel.. Ill use everything
You think your dana 60 is heavy,,, ha... everything has to be done with a forklift on this thing.. even the gas tank weighs 500 pounds of 1/8 steel
Its going to be awhile on this aspect of the build. It may just be eaiser to go ahead and remove the body/engine/tranny now and have a clean area to work on
time,,, never enough,, it took me three hours yesterday just to rehab the hydrovac vacuum tank, blast and coat it... pretty hammered silver now
chip foose... I feel for you.. but I sure could use a crew of 10 people too
The body mounts (absorbers aka cushions) are different that the F100/350's.
There's no dual battery tray listed for the F500 and larger trucks.
I hate to keep harping on this, but you should have the parts catalog > >
1973/79 Ford HEAVY Duty Truck Parts Catalog ~ Available on a CD from hipoparts.com for less than 25 bucks, also sold on ebay.
Bill.. I did take your suggestion early on and I did buy it.. I am finding very few part numbers are good anymore... all the hard parts are still around.. but little else is... so its adapt from the light duty trucks...
I was wondering if anyone had tried a lt duty drivers side battery tray...
Thanks for the info about the bushings... I saw the light duty kits looked different after closer inpection.... the c bushings are very close to tranny and transfer case mounts I have seen from prothane etc... I think its going to be a measure and call their tech line... the stock ones are ok.,, but on a resto,, well you understand ,, if its getting done why not do it all
Now down to chassis cab, engine and trans out (boy,, the 370 and clark 5 speed are HEAVY).. the front clip is off... hopefully by days end Ill have the cab off
No real surprises.. most of the bolts came off easily with an impact.. a couple of big ones required persuading that were near the fire pump.. they had been subjected to heavy water their whole life.. a cutoff saw worked well
A quick measurement revealed the Cummins front motor mount DIRECTLY bolts to the front crossmember factory FORD mount.. how cool is that
Ive decided to go a NV 5600 in lieu of the allison, with a hydro clutch
I can easily build aluminum battery boxes... I was hoping the light duty factory tray might fit the drivers side fender,,,, to keep it "stockish".... but Ive looked carefully at it now in the catalogs and it doesnt look anything like mine.. so I will need to fab one anyway...
thats a cool catalog.. but IIRC they are spendy.. I can build an aluminum one for about 10.00.. they get about 90... a rip
My skill level and shop are both prepared for this project... so fabbing isnt a problem.. built not bought is the mantra of the day.. which appears to be necessary for this project anyway
Ok.. back to the project
Over the weekend the transfer case will come out and cab will come off...
the frame.. which is a double one is the only real aspect of the truck which requires attention more than blasting and paint...
the knuckleheads at FMC put the pump overflow discharge pointed right at the frame rails in one location.. so it got blasted with water on a regular basis... it hurt the outside frame rail in one place... sooo Ill be pulling the frame rails apart (A multitude of rivets, bolts and frame doubler material), replacing one side of the outside frame rail. The doubler rail starts just behind the front suspension mount and runs all the way to the back... I am shortening everything anyway so much of this process needed to occur ...
I think Ive cataloged several thousand bolts and assemblies in plastic bags... most of it wont be re-used but Ive learned never throw anything away on a project until its all back together... I also took pictures of assemblies..they are all fresh in my mind now.. but months down the road theyll become fuzzy and the pics will make it clear again
The fire pump went to craigs list and ebay... and Im getting calls as far away as alaska on it...
Im itching to get another good work day in... but Ill have to wait for the weekend.. still have to pay the bills first
notes to self..
1)radiator needs tanks modified for passenger side entry/exit to match the cummins (210Hp 6bt motor from an f650)
2)find a dodge NV5600 6 speed.. sell the allison 545
3) clean unmolested fully complete super low mile 370 and clark 5 speed are now available... discounted to a forum member,, just ask
Motor is out, tranny out, t/case out.. majority of the cab is stripped, front clip is off
I even had enough time to begin to strip off the doubler frame.. which took chisels and a plasma and a BIG pry bar
Other than the brake lines, which were frozen together from rust and even pb blaster wouldnt work, everything has come apart on the frame without a hitch. Ill be making all new brake lines anyway
The frame is a hassle because its welded and bolted together in many places and its tedious cutting and grinding off welds to split the double frame.. but hey..labor of love
cab is unbolted ready to come off... I did a little fun project to diverge from all the heavy stuff... I made some 4 inch diameter aluminum body blocks to raise the body about 2 inches to help the cummins fit nicely down the road.A little lathe time to calm the soul...
I may awol for awhile while I begin to work on sub assemblies.. new seals/gaskets, at minimum, for everything.
Almost time to tear into the cummins and allison
Im tired and my hands and shouders hurt from hammering and crawling in and out a million times... young mans game I guess
I have not been on this thread in a while,
are you still going to shorten the frame and flat bed it?
I can not wait to be able to see it coming together !
this is going to be Sweet!!!!!
Hey is that cab the same size as a regular pick-ups?
could you put a 79 pick-ups bed on it?????
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