Here is my 1968 F250 4x4. I picked it up about three weeks ago. Its got a 460 4 speed in it. Im planning on restoring it / resto mod making it my own. I have a few questions for down the road.
1. How hard is it to change the bed? Would a 73 bed fit?
2. Power steering - anyone done it? I've seen the sticky, do i have power assist?
3. Power brakes - same question, anyone done it? How hard is it? Other braking options
As a note, I live in Alaska so parts junk yards are scarce.
Thanks for any advice/ comments!
The 73 bed will fit but the body lines will not match up. Bumpsides vs. dentsides. Factory power steering on these trucks was ram assist style. Assuming yours doesn't have it, you could scavenge the parts off of another truck. These parts were used through early '77. To swap to an integral type power steering box, there is some fabrication involved. Search this site and you'll find the details. Power brakes are relatively easy, entirely bolt on.
Is the power steering swap year specific, i mean do i need to find an article with everything matching my truck or is it pretty general. And can i maybe score a link to a power brakes article? Thanks!
Why do you want to swap the bed out? As mentioned it will fit but IMO it would look like crap with the mismatched body lines. Swapping the bed is dead easy. Disconnect the wiring, undo 8 bolts and lift off.
Last edited by TigerDan; 09-26-2009 at 02:54 PM.
Reason: Removed link
Power Steering was NOT available on F100/250 4WD's until 1973.
1973/77 F250 4WD: There were two totally different Power Assist P/S systems.
All 1973's, 1974's before serial number T80,001 used Garrison Power Assist P/S.
1974's from serial number T80,001, all 1975/76's and 1977's before serial number Y20,001 used Bendix Power Assist P/S.
Since these two Power Assist P/S systems are totally different, no parts interchange.
New replacement parts, especially for the Bendix system are very hard to find.
The P/S control valve and ram cylinder seal kits are almost non-existant for the Bendix system.
The ram cylinder has to be cut open for the seals to be replaced.
With Power Assist P/S, the manual steering gearbox is used, because it has nothing to do with P/S.
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Bed swapping: All 1967/77 F250 4WD's (High Boys) have narrow rear frame rails that are 33 1/2" apart.
This means that if you use a 1973 and later 2WD bed (the rear frame rails are 37 1/2" apart), new holes must be drilled to install it.
1973/76 Styleside beds have exposed fuel caps. 1977/79 Styleside beds have fuel doors.
The filler hoses, filler necks and associated parts do not interchange between 1973/76 & 1977/79.
__________________ Bill / Retired Ford Partsman (1962/97) / SoCal Chapter Member.
Part Number Research: Trucks: 1928/2000 // Cars: 1928/79.
1934 Packard V12 Convertible Victoria // 2008 Fusion S // 2008 Edge SEL.
Well my wheel wells and the bed itself are pretty bojangled and i like shorter beds better so my thought was I'd see if i could just get a new bed. But let me move on and see if i understand...
1. Power brakes are easy, just bolt on pretty much? (link to article please?)
2. My truck doesnt have any form of power assist, so.. where does that leave me? The sticky article is for power assist -> power steering. So can i not have power steering?
3. One more question, If i wanted to get rid of the granny gear and get larger gears how would i do that? Do i need a new type of tranny or do you just buy new gears or what?
Thanks again fellerrrs
oh p.s. Any thoughts on the truck itself? You like?
My truck doesnt have any form of power assist, so.. where does that leave me? The sticky article is for power assist -> power steering. So can i not have power steering?
Since there was no P/S available on 4WD's until 1973, this means you will have to swap some sort of P/S system in.
The two Power Assist P/S systems used on 1973/77 F250 4WD's (High Boys) were not very good systems to begin with.
For example, if you install oversized tires, the system cannot handle them, and something gives.
New replacement parts are slim and none, since all are obsolete...no longer available from Ford.
Someone was looking a coupla days ago for the control valve seal kit used with Bendix Power Assist P/S.
There was exactly ONE available, at an obsolete parts vendor in KY.
The Ford integral P/S system used on late 1977's (non High Boys), 1978/79 4WD's is the way to go.
The FTE member that knows all about what it takes to adapt this later system is 75F350
I suggest you contact him.
__________________ Bill / Retired Ford Partsman (1962/97) / SoCal Chapter Member.
Part Number Research: Trucks: 1928/2000 // Cars: 1928/79.
1934 Packard V12 Convertible Victoria // 2008 Fusion S // 2008 Edge SEL.
The truck is great, lots of people love them. I'm not sure where you're going with the bed idea. An 8' bed is an 8' bed regardless whether it comes from a 67-72 or 73+. As for redoing that tranny to lose the granny gear, I don't think it's worth it. Search this website for swapping in a 5sp.
There's a very easy way to swap to another tranny to get rid of the granny gear. Simply swap in T-19 from a mid-80s F250/F350 with a 6.9 diesel. I did it in my '68 and love it. Fully synchronized in all 4 gears, better spacing between gears (as in, no more huge gap between 3rd and 4th) and I can drive it like a true 4-speed. Not to mention that it's now a lot quieter, as my old NP435 was about shot in 3rd and 4th and howled like a starving dog. Be sure to check a potential donor tranny carefully as T-19s were available both with and without granny low.
Borg Warner T19
This is a top-loaded heavy-duty 4-speed transmission with a cast iron case and shift cover. Case casting number is 1309. It's easily confused with T18, but the T19 is synchronized in all forward speeds. The T19 has a single step reverse idler gear while the T18 has a 2 step reverse idler. Available in 2 and 4 WD models, it was used in Ford and International trucks from 1974-85.
You should have a divorced transfer case (T-case mounted to the frame with a short intermediate driveshaft between the tranny and the T-case) so your doner tranny will probably need to come from a 2-wheel-drive truck, as the later trucks had the T-case mounted via an adapter to the transmission.
The only thing I had to change was the U-joint on the front of the driveshaft where it connects to the back of the tranny; the T-19 uses a bigger U-joint there so I had to get one that had the correct dimensions to fit the T-19 on one side and fit the driveshaft on the other. I don't recall the part number of the U-joint I used but I simply took the two U-joints (T-19 and NP435) into my local NAPA store and they took the measurements, looked it up and had the correct one in stock.
Here are some articles on the PS Swap. I think a couple of these are in the sticky but I believe there's one here that isn't:
The last one doesn't really apply to your situation, but there's still some good info there.
I can't find any articles currently on your exact brake situation (non-power to power drum brakes) as most folks take the opportunity to upgrade to disc brakes at the same time. It may be that swapping in power brakes without doing any other upgrades to the brake system can be as simple as unbolting the M/C from the firewall and swapping in a brake servo, but it's been so long since I've done anything like that, I just don't recall. Otherwise, you need different steering knuckles and associated parts to swap in disc brakes along with the booster, M/C and proportioning valve, all of which is a fair amount of work, and it may be tough to find the needed parts in your area.
Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.
[newbie response - take it or leave it!].
My current 67 4x4 f250 is manual brakes and steering. I thought about going through the effort of changing up, but I'm not sure.
There's a certain mind set required to drive a big manual truck. I've decided to revel in the originality and leave mine as is. I figure that if my 5'4" wife can manage to drive mine, I shouldn't complain either!
If you leave it as is, just remember that your work-out regimen has just been increased. Every time you drive the truck it's a upper body work out. Park wisely!
darrell
Not a bad looking truck for the year! The floor doesn't look rusted out. Just curious as how much you gave for it. I know some things can be expensive in Alaska.
__________________
Dan
Ignorance makes you start over!
IF IT IS MADE IN CHINA, YOU DON'T NEED IT!
Torque it down till it breaks off, then back it off 1/4 turn.
Thanks for all the replies! So i need to find a 80's diesel tranny? And as far as brakes go, are you saying its difficult to upgrade to power brakes period or difficult if i keep them drum? Because im not too particular about keeping things original or period correct or anything. The power brakes / steering is more for safety than anything else. And i paid $1,300 for the truck. I was almost sold on a 73 highboy for 4,500 so im glad i looked a little more, because this one seems solid and i love it so far. And its not some things, EVERYTHING is more expensive in Alaska!
I did a little checking and from what I can tell, the brake master cylinder is different between power drum brakes and non-power drum brakes, so the simplest way to add power brakes would be to install the booster and correct M/C for power drum brakes. But if you want to do a disc brake upgrade as I mentioned before, then you'll have to scrounge up the needed parts for that.
Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.
Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.
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