Would it have maybe been better to just weld the crack up or was there more damage than that? I saw the what looked like damaged frame but in warped brain could not identify location.
Edit: Disregard question on damaged frame crack was least of worry.

 

The 300 I6 being a newer engine is going to have Exhaust gas return. If you are not going to run the EGR , you may want to consider having the thermactor ports filled in the exhaust runners. If the EGR system is not used exhaust gas will fill the small pathways. The heat will do nothing but build up, and could crack the head. I cannot say how well built the 300 cylinder head is, but my 400 heads are a thin walled head. They needed done. Its just one of those things better safe than sorry. Its also one of those things that is most likely better handled by a professional.

 

So after much deliberation, planning, and drinking I am initiating a frame swap. I picked up 1979 F350 cab and chassis at the end of August for a parts truck, but after finding broken leaf springs, rusted brackets, and over all inadequate parts I decided to just swap the frame than to try and beef everything up.

In doing this it eliminates the tasks of lining up the drive train, cutting and balancing the drive shaft, mounting the toyota box, and other stuff. I start with a complete drive train ready to go and a complete front and rear suspension that i don't have to build.

The build tasks switch to: (the bar napkin version)
Mounting the Cab
remove and reattach mounts
cut trans hole
building a tunnel
Brakes
Hang a pedal
mount the MC
Electrical
engine (start, run)
lighting



Pics soon the follow

 

Sounds like I'm not the only one with a lot of work to do.

You might as well add to your list - trim or modify the front frame horns to work with your 56's front clip. And recess the firewall because the engine is set back farther then the 56's. And about twice as many things as you can think of that will need to be modified or fabricated. And you will probably need around a 4" body lift on the cab mounts to make the front clip work with the newer frame ( 79 frame dips where the cab mounts ) .

And before you start any work on it you better also check with your state on the legal requirements to do the frame swap. I know in Minnesota I have to file an Affidavit of reconstruction for my project.

Good luck and post lots of pictures of your progress!

 

famous last words of most frame swap attempts:
"All I have to do is.."
and
"... I'm gonna save SO much work this way!

And usually finishes with:
"maybe I can still sell some of the parts that aren't cut up..."

 

Yep, pretty much the same as any build. I've seen plenty of builds with the stock frames end up the same way.

Just about every build is more difficult then the owner is expecting and cost more too. It's just the joys of the hobby.

 

No chance of finding a stock '53-'54-'55 frame?

 

You can hold the Ctrl key and press the + key to enlarge the text on the screen , I never Said "all i have to do . . . " or "I'm gonna save SO much time", i just mentioned the tasks that i will no longer have to do and what i will have to do. I've been around here long enough to know the drill, I've read all of the stories from others, searched, researched, and searched some more. Right now i feel like I'm getting more support from my ten year old underwear.

 

Hey Samsn,
You are in a good spot right now as you can look at alternatives
& plan your way forward. I'd be frustrated after putting all that effort into fixing that frame to hear that it's not going to work... Just a free thought:
o I bet if you asked everyone to look around they could find you a replacement frame for your year. I doubt it would be more than $500.

o You can put your 9 inch Ford rear end in there in a weekend. So now you have a good frame & a solid rear end without spending much time or money.

o If you follow with a Jaguar front end that we know fits - you have your suspension completed & are miles ahead. Everything that follows will just slot in there.

Take your time Samsn & have fun.

Ben in Austin
1950 F1

 

You are getting much more support than you seem to appreciate. We are trying to save you a lot of grief with very limited chance of success. There are SO many problems with the frame swap you are proposing that the likelyhood of it ever seeing the highway is very small. I don't know of a better way to support you than to tell you the way it is rather than encouraging you to tilt at windmills, even if it isn't what you want to hear. Yes, almost anything can be done given enough time, money and skill, but why spend all that effort to reinvent the wheel and try to make it round when already round wheels are plentiful and cheap?
IMHO it would be 1/2 the cost, 1/4 the effort, and 1/10 the time to locate a good stock frame and do whatever mods you want to it. They definitely are not rare or difficult to find, but you have to go out and beat the bushes they don't usually just show up on the doorstep. As already said, if you really must have IFS (the advantage of which is much more egotistical value than practical value) Then the jag is a relatively simple install of an excellent design, but the stock suspension design is a good one to work with and any desired upgrades are simple bolt ons.

 

Hey man you've got my support. I'm doing basically the same swap just on a 78 F150 4x4 chassis. I'm not trying to discourage you. I'm just letting you know the issues I've discovered.

You've got the 79 F350 so use it!

The best way to prove all the nay sayers wrong is to build it.

What's the F350 got for an engine?

 

I'm not a naysayer, just a realist. If there are two routes to a place, The expressway that is 200 miles @ 65 MPH with service plazas all along the way or the back road route @ 25 MPH that's 400 miles over the mountains on one lane roads paved with sharp rocks, in the middle of nowhere with very few gas stations that aren't open after 6 PM which means at least an overnight stay, has a good possibility of a bridge out etc. It depends on which is more important, getting to the destination or the unknown adventure of the trip that may never get there and will definitely be painful going. (Kinda like those gold miners on TV)
If you choose the latter, be sure to take a lot of pictures along the way so others can decide if they really want to follow!

 

But what is nice about this hobby is there is more then one way to do things. Just because it's a different way doesn't make it a wrong way. It would get very boring if we all built identical vehicles.

Frame swaps aren't simple but they do have their benefits. And you did tell him "I hate to say this, but IMHO that frame should never see the highway again. Please quit now and find another frame".

 

... Another '53-'55 frame was the obvious intent.

BTW, I owned a '78 F-150 SuperCab, it weighed 5200 lbs empty. What does your F-350 weigh? Even with a 460, mine was no powerhouse, and it never once got more than 10 mpg.

I'd be real tempted to take a step back, look at your situation, consider ALL options, including selling off everything you have, and starting over. Maybe consider clipping your original frame? Linear thinking isn't appropriate here.

 

The original frame had been so badly cut up, then the attempted repair, even from the pictures was not safe, the welds did not have full penetration, had voids and the beads were just sitting on top and then were ground off (laying a second non penetrating bead on the other side added nothing, you should never have to weld from both sides if the weld was done properly (read my introduction to welding), there was no reinforcement added, so there was IMHO a 99% likelyhood of catastrophic failure. If I had to repair that frame, I would have completely cut out the cut up section to within about 3" from a crossmember at both ends cutting it with a stepped cut, grafted in a new section with a fish plate reinforcement plug welded over the joints and had it TIG welded by a certified welder. It could still be done, but would be difficult to jig straight, easier to just start with another OEM frame.