Hey Hey

Like in the title I've got a 66 and I want to do a chassis swap with either a 6.9 or a 7.3. I'd like to keep the 66 dash but it is not a must. AC is a must because to Texas weather. I have access to many donor trucks/frames etc.

Will the body mounts with a 6.9 or 7.3 250 line up with my body mounts? I was reading a guys post where he has a 66 f100 and the body mounts lined up perfectly with an 11 Ecoboost. Reading the build if he would have had the right harness it would have been a relative plug and play setup. I'm not against doing work however I am looking for the easiest way to go about this. The modern suspension amenities will be a nice upgrade to the classic body.

As far as the build goes it will not be a heavy hauler. I usually haul 3-4 motorcycles at a time. I want to get decent fuel economy, right now I get 13 HWY with wind. And I want to be able to hit 90-100 on the highway.

Any help would be great. Searched and didn't find much info on this.

 

You may be in a league of your own with this kind of swap, hit the tape measure and do a little looking. You may have to custom build a few mounts but that is just guessing. Someone may be along or visit the 1966 forum and throw the idea at them. Welcome and Good Luck!

 

unfortunately, the 66 has different width cab mounts than the F-250 and F-350 pickups do.
the 66 will have a 33 inch wide frame, while the 80's and newer pickups have a 36 inch wide frame.
so to put a 66 frame and bed on an 80'sor newer diesel pickup you will have to drill new mount holes in the cab, or move the cab mounts on the frame.
which is not really that hard to do.
as for keeping the 66 dash, that will not be that bad either, just switch the electric gauges in the dash for mechanical ones, and add a glow plug light.

 

Actually, it's easy to install a 6.9 or 7.3 into any 65-79 Ford twin I-beam truck and I've done it a number of times. There's plenty of room unless you want to install a turbo. All you have to do is install F350 springs, cut an inch and a half off the bottom of the oil pan and the pickup tube, build some motor mounts, and modify your fuel tank for a return. I drove a 71 Camper Special around for years with a 7.3 IDI and a C6 with 3.73 gears. It would scream along the freeway at 70 mph all day long with the straight pipe. Never had any problems with that swap whatsoever and I'm sure the current owner has beat the **** out of it as well. Just use your stock tranny mounting as a reference point to set the motor in there and start building mounts after you mod the oil pan and install the stiff front springs.

The install is the same on the 65-66. In fact, I'm going to do one with a ZF5 in the next year to my frame-off 66 F250.