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Does anyone have the key for the sticker on the front of the valve cover? The workshop manual says this sticker is explained in the Ford parts catalog for the year. I'd like to confirm that my 1978 F150 has a special order heavy duty six. Are there any casting or stamping marks to look for to show this?
Sadly the sticker is partly destroyed, so I can't be sure of the code, but it starts with JE or JF. I can read some of the numbers, but I'm not sure how many are missing.
Does anyone know how the heavy duty six differs from a standard six? What is not interchangeable?
All the parts are interchangeable between a LD and a HD. The early HD does not have an EGR valve, thermactor system, or cat. Differences are mainly -valve composition and crank medium. The LD is nodular cast iron, while the HD has a forged steel crank.
Go to my fledgling site: tetraruby300@freewebsitehosting.com
I have a page if you go into emissions/how to decipher the calibration label/ 1973-1982 you'll find the page that explains the label. I don't have the calibration codes scanned in for '78, but I do have the book. The only standard model that had a HD was a P-600 with the left hand of the label reading the calibration number: 7-77M-R10.
Generally speaking, the heavy trucks that had 300's were HD's. The VECI label should be a giveaway if it is a HD - No egr, no cat, no thermactor. You may have very well had a special order HD motor installed installed - it would be intersting to know if it was an option. Post back what you get off the right hand column of numbers - see if I can Xref to tell you what you have.
tetraruby: do you know what comp the HD valves are? Good for unleaded gas maybe? I know my truck does not have a catalytic converter, not sure what the themactor is.
The right column of the engine sticker damaged, but these are my guesses for those codes.
Top = 17, 77, ?Z
Middle = 16 or 10
Bottom = 31 (pretty sure this is it)
btw, my warranty plate is no help. The # should start F15B for an 300 HD, or F15Z for special order. Mine is F15K, K = 477 V8 in the 600 series trucks.
VIN K should be for a 300HD. Your 77 on the label seems to confirm that. Don't always trust labels, but it sure reads like you have one. Thermactor system is Ford's name for an air supply system - smog pump, etc. The lack of a CAT and EGR valve would definintely make me think that yeah, you have a HD. You asked "What comp" the valves are? Not sure what you mean- I think your engine should be around low to mid 8's for compression. I'm almost sure by your year truck flame hardened seats were common-
What does all this mean? Not much. The sodium filled valves are an older technology. Valve material composition has evolved quite a bit since the '70's. You may be even running a slighlty lower compression than a LD truck. The biggest advantage of having a HD motor is the crank. If you do have a HD, you SHOULD have a forged steel crank - these are on the rare side - a desire if you intend to turn more than 6K.
Regards.
No, most all all 82 and older 300's have steel gears, the switch to phenolic and aluminum was for noise reduction... Customers were complaining of a knocking sound....