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Now that we've got an actual winter here in CA, I realized I needed to start giving some more attention to my "old" pickup. I've gotten a lot from this forum for as long as I've owned the truck, and figured I might start being more of a part of the goings on here. Maybe, if I'm lucky, I can give some insight back that's eventually useful to somebody.
I'm new here, and haven't done a formal introduction of myself or my truck, which seems like the kosher thing to do on forums like this. So here goes. I'm in my mid 20's, and have worked on, driven, and owned fords in various capacities since I started driving at about age 12. I live in the Northern Sierras, and am lucky to get to work in the woods most days (office work when the weather's bad). I've owned my f250 since around 2015. Bought it while in college from the second owner, and it had around 240k on the ticker. Boy it was cherry back then, and completely stock. 50k miles and some abuse later, and it's definitely showing its age. In spite of this, I still think it's fairly close to the perfect machine. It's a 1996 extended cab short bed, 7.3, zf5, and 4.10 gears. I've opened it up with a better intake and exhaust, but that's pretty much the extent of my modifications up to this point.
Sometime around last March, I was at a point where I had been swaying on top of the fence between new truck payments and freshening up my 250. I had gone on a weekend trip with the gf, and left the pile at her parents’ house and took their civic (I'm sure that everyone on that street hates the loud, leaking, smoky blight upon humanity that is my truck, but they're nice enough to not say it to me). Well, the oil cooler seals had gone out on the way, and the thing puked gallons of nice oily green stuff on the driveway in their immaculate yard. I got a concerned call from the gf's mom, and that was the beginning of me falling off the decision fence in the direction of my old truck.
I’m a lucky SOB in that there’s a fully equipped truck shop at work (minus machine tools), that I can use whenever there’s an open bay. I towed the pile in, and proceeded to pull the motor. While it was out, I redid the oil pan, rear main, lpop, oil cooler seals, water pump, fluidampr, clutch, surfaced the flywheel, new u joints, pedestal o-rings, exhaust o-rings, 360* turbo rebuild kit, new boots, and 1.0 A/R turbine housing. Unfortunately, I had enough fun doing all that to want to continually tear things apart and improve them. So this is my thread about that; buying parts instead of new truck payments. I’m right in the middle of a Dana 60, RSK, and V/B spring swap, just got the gears set up last night with new bearings and the works. I promise pictures and more projects to come, with mistakes to laugh at and hopefully learn from. And more than anything, I hope my rambling will come of some use to somebody someday. Thanks for reading, cheers, shiny side up, etc
Your truck looks really good. I drove these trucks when they were brand new back in my construction days and have always been impressed. I wouldn't trade mine in on a new one at half the price. Parts are high on these old 7.3's but way cheaper than a truck payment and you can't even work on the new ones without a computer degree. If you get one running right and keep the maintenance up on these old trucks they just seem to go forever. I've got 304k on mine and it's never run better. I'm 64 and don't expect to ever have to trade it in. You can make unbelievable stupid power with these things too. 296k and you're just broke in good.
Really looks good. And I'm sure you had fun working on it. I'd keep it as long as it fits your needs. Plus you can make some real power with these and make it really fun to drive.
Thanks for the compliments! I love the truck and have no plans to get rid of it. And even if I didn't like it, I have more parts and labor into the thing than it's worth, and couldn't ever rationalize selling it.
My plans are mostly mods for reliability, comfort, and economy. I'm not too into the high horsepower stuff. 300 ish is where I'd foreseeably end up some day (again, with mpg's the weighing factor).
I have a new 7.3 intercooler I scored for 100 bones on CL, and that'll go in hopefully soon after my dana 60. I got a couple gauges too, though I'm kicking myself for not installing the EGT probe while I had the engine out. Does anyone have any experience with the difference in temps between the manifold and downpipe? I'd really like to avoid messing with up pipes with the motor in..
Cold starts are getting awfully labored, so I'm starting to think about injectors. Glow plugs and associated wiring are fairly new and the symptoms don't point to them anyways. I'm still doing research, but I'm leaning toward either stock single shots, or a set of baby swamps and some sort of chip with some mild tunes. Anyone have opinions either way? I understand that if I push the envelope too much I need to address HPOP and fueling, and I'm not sure that's a worm can I'd like to open at this point.
Hydroboost will come along at some point too, with a 10.5" rear end redrilled to 8 on 6.5 for the benefit of rear discs. I'd like to lock it but we'll see. Haven't found a good axle yet though.
For highway cruising, I also scored an old Mitchell overdrive unit for $400 on CL. I can't remember the exact drop, but its something like 0.17 I believe. It's a divorced unit and driveline angles will be the sticking point on that with the wheelbase I'm working with.
The OD box:
And here's my D60 setup after new bearings and seals. I feel pretty good about the drive side pattern. The difference between the size of the marks is because I didn't have a consistent drag against the carrier when I rotated it
Coast side I'm less thrilled about, but the shop foreman said he thought it'd work. I've read that being centered between the crown and root is more important than toe and heel. Plus, I didn't check the pattern before I pulled it apart initially. Any thoughts? I plan to run it, and if it whines I'll tear back into it. This is my first diff so my fingers are crossed.
Also, backlash between R&P was the same as pre-disassembly @ 0.008"
Always install your EGT probe on driver's side manifold. Just drill and tap. The difference in temp from downpipe is a few hundred degrees and unreliable. I got Jim from Rosewood to do my stage 1 injectors and they are awesome with my PHP Hydra chip. Stock HPOP will be just fine. I'm still running stock fuel pump with no problems also. I will do efuel though next time I get a fuel leak. If you're not going for crazy power stage 1s will get you to close to 400 or better with the right supporting mods.
If you can plug it in and it starts fine, I wouldn't think it's injectors. But for me, because David just said something different, if I put in stage 1's I'd go with a T500 or updated 17 HPOP. But it can be tuned to work. Good tunes and you will have more power and same mpg if you keep your foot out of it. But baby swamps are good to. I'd go for the more fun factor. And gauges for sure!
How old is that starter? Ever installed a new one? The 7.3 SD and Denso upgrades make a vast difference over a healthy stock Mitsu, but especially if going from a tired early Mitsu style unit. Mine would not start under about 55F before I swapped to a new starter. Now, hell I bet it would start around 32F without glowing it cranks so fast. Yes, it would be smoky and grouchy but I bet it would light off.
You can always shim the armatures on the injectors. I did, helped my cold start smoothness quite a bit, difficult to really explain but I can tell helped. If it did not, I would admit it. I have a real Denso starter, 850CCA batteries, new ground cables from batteries. Mine cranks awesome. You can see all this crap in my build thread. Lots of detailed info and pictures of all sorts of stuff.
The HPOP could already be clapped out on yours, mine is. Only way to know is to grab some numbers. Lots of guys here use some USB guy, I never could make it work with my cel phone. I use an Edge Insight, works fine for displaying everything the ECU can display. I have heard great things about CNC Fab's HPOP. Adrenaline is still very popular and easy to attain. T-500 are out there but you have to send yours in first. Hell, you can always grab a good Super Duty one and get on with life.
Great looking truck. Kinda funny how they get into your blood and you can't let 'em go isn't it? I've had 6 of these things in one fashion or another (most parts trucks) and I still can't get enough.
I'd highly recommend Rosewood diesel for injectors if you decide to go that route. I did their Stage 1's and I'm very happy with them.
For the EGT probe, no reason to pull the motor. It can be done easily from under the truck with the motor in. Put it in the flat spot of the driver side manifold as was shown above and you'll be fine.
Keep the updates coming, we love to feed off the progress of each other.
