@Y2KW57 I just brake cleaned and scraped all the crap off the tubes and see no cracks. Where would they normally crack?

 

An acquaintance who managed a fleet of aerial lift trucks for a utility company found three cracked housings. The first one he ordered a new housing shell from Ford (this was 19 years ago when they were still available), and transferred all the guts from the cracked housing to the new housing. That was a lot of work, so the next two he had welded. During that time we located a couple of other utility fleets who experienced similar issues. All the symptoms were the same, wetness surrounding the spring perch area.

The crack is barely visible if there is no displacement or distortion. It will be a hairline crack. A powerful LED light, an inspection mirror, and a very thin and pointy dental pick might be required to "feel" the catch of the hairline... as it will not be a readily visible fissure. I was sent photos of a crack many years, and several computers ago. I no longer have those photos.

I've never personally experienced a crack, and I checked every year on the 2000 -2003 trucks with the S135 under my purview. I don't have an aerial lift truck, and I don't overload capacity ratings, so I eventually stopped worrying about the issue. But as soon as you said that you heard that the S135 was good for 16,500 lbs, it right away reminded me of this issue. These are full floating axles, and it is the axle housing that carries the weight. The S135 axle housing is good for 13,500 lbs.

Hairline cracks are really very difficult to find. The unexplained oil seepage, especially if it is curbside, which is the opposite side of the breather, is really the tell tale sign. The thing to do is to order a set of new U-bolts, and roll the axle out from under the truck to really put eyes on the top and sides of the square tube, in the vicinity of the spring perch. The length and location of the crack are influencing factors to consider when making the choice to repair or replace.

Frankly, it might be cheaper to hire an expert welder to come to your shop for an hour to repair what you have, rather than roll the dice on another used axle. $120 an hour directly into the pocket of the tradesman doing the work, rather than shop labor rates, will garner some interest. HSLA can be welded... there are just procedural precautions that must be adhered to, in order for the repair to be successful down the road.

 

Interesting, I will continue to look for small cracks, I had a bright LED light along with my bright LED headlamp and couldnt find anything. Now that the grime is gone I may top it off and drive it unloaded on some back roads and see if I see any seepage again.

I have plenty of work to do before my next trip (mid july) so I will continue on with the list and get back to the axle when the truck is drivable again.

With all that said I ordered a Racor PS120-2 filter today and I plan to do the hutch/harpoon mod tonight and get that out of the way.

The hoselinx reducer coupler @Sous mentioned is still out of stock (and will be for some time according to them) so I found a 6in HPS reducer coupler, wish it was 5 but I couldnt find 4 or 5 in stock. Covid is screwing up things so bad....either way I will get that installed tonight.

I would like to do all new boots since the rest are stock. While I am at it has anyone done a 6.0 intercooler swap with the irate T4 charge pipes? Is it worth it? I have read about 100* decrease in EGT when loaded and no difference unloaded. For me, since I am always loaded it seems to make sense if the claim is true.

 

Cleaning all four surfaces of the axle, on both sides of the leaf spring perches, on both ends of the axle, and then driving it unloaded to look for a reappearance of wetness is a very reasonable and sound approach.

However, don't forget that the axle was about a gallon low on fluid, according to your photo, and thus it appears likely that the wheel bearings may have not enjoyed the benefit of all the lubrication and cooling they were intended to be bathed in.

It might be wise to at least pull one side off and inspect those wheel bearings. I'd pick the side that showed wetness at the spring perch. Personally, I would inspect both sides, but I can understand if you want to limit investing in an axle you have been contemplating replacing. I would pull both sides because I would not replace that axle... Id see to it that it was properly repaired if it had any structural issues.

You ran low enough on axle lubricant, that it might be worth $30 to send in a recovered sample of the old lubricant in for analysis for wear metals.

Some serving suggestions, in this order...

A. Collect and send sample. Wait for results to guide next decision.

B. Order new seals needed to pull axle shafts and inspect bearings. Bearing condition will guide next decision.

C. Order new bearings if required. (some special tooling will be required, but special tooling to some might be everyday tooling to a guy who makes annual pilgrimages to the Hammers)

D. Refill the axle, completely, with mineral 80W-90 per Ford's spec. No sense in going all in with synthetic prior to the seepage test.

E. Conduct your seepage tests, up and down hills or steep driveways if that kind of terrain is available in your area. It might take at least 50 miles to acquire confidence in the observation.

F. Skip the Hutch mod. The OEM diesel fuel re-circulation system was designed to feed from fuel returned to the tank, as that fuel would be warmer, reducing the chance for fuel in the lines to gel in cold weather.

G. Skip the Harppon mod. The OEM tank was designed not to be filled all the way full, so that the pressure relieving vent valves will work at with the vehicle at all angles.

H. Hide. Wait... that suggestion isn't for you. It's for me. Hide from all the flak that is sure to follow for the heresy of daring to suggest not following the forum fueled tradition of H&H.

22 years and counting on the factory fuel pickup.

(putting on shades and disappearing for a while).

 

Do you have a source for the 6" HPS reducer boot you bought? I would like to add it to the T4 / SXE Parts List thread. ESwift found another source for a similar boot to what I used.

Here is the link: https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pr...sp?RecID=11169

In my humble opinion the 6.0 intercooler is only worth it if you can get it for a steal or for free. The EGT reduction is negligible when looking at cost vs. benefit. This is based on my own research. A higher end intercooler would provide an added benefit, but they cost quite a bit. I am optimistic that you will find the T4 turbo does very well at keeping EGT's low, even when loaded heavy.

This is a video of my recent experience with a 363/68/.91.

 

Sorry Y2K, the H&H rocks!

 

I think the advantages of the 6,0 CAC are overstated. I went back to a 7.3 CAC.

Did someone rock the H&H boat??? Get your torches and pitchforks!!!! (That’s what happens when I poopoo in the Regulated Return, FRx and HPx koolaid. )

 

Is being .5-.75 off the bottom of the tank ok with the hutch mod?

I went straight down. 13.5 to the bottom of the tank to the top and I’m at 13ish on bottom of the pickup.

also how does one do the hutch mod on the F550 tank!? I can’t get my arms in the tank far enough to reach

 

Did you mean harpoon mod? I couldn't reach my tube either, I wouldn't worry about it

 

Sorry, I mixed them up. Yes, the harpoon mod, with the Aft axle tank I cant reach the tube.

Then for the hutch mod from the bottom of the tank to the top of the tank is 13.5 in. I have the bottom of the tube sitting around 12 7/8-13in in length. is that .5-.75 in a big deal on where the pickup should be?

 

that's fine just keep that in mind if your fuel gets really low

 

I put a 90* bend on the bottom of the tube and put it as close to the tank bottom as possible. (Almost touching) Did you see my write-up?? Lol.

We want to pull off the BOTTOM of the tank. I would shoot for 3/8-1/2” off the bottom if using straight tube.

You can’t cut the steel supply and vent tubes in cab chassis tanks very easily. Don’t worry about it. Deleting the mixing chamber and filters is the main course here and the mid-ship tanks are more subject to the slow fill and pump clicking off several gallons short of FULL. (As usual, Y2KW57 is correct about venting... I have done this mod to trucks I did veggie conversions on and the owner FILLED the diesel tank and then drove 100’s of miles home without burning any diesel - resulting in fuel expanding and sloshing and leaking out of filler neck, etc....

 

Perhaps the hutch mod could be skipped if the screens are checked on an interval and the pickup foot is changed on that same interval. But, the harpoon mod corrects an aspect of the fuel tank that is/was not working as designed or intended in my opinion.

Even with a 29 gallon tank, the fill port would literally puke fuel out of it so far that I would stand with my back against the truck and to the side waiting for it to happen. This was in an effort to keep my clothes from not smelling like diesel fuel.

After the inevitable puking session, the tank would need to be topped off at a trickle flow rate. Perhaps my truck was a puke monster and others have a better experience. But I have zero regrets about doing the H/H mods.

If this is how it was designed and intended to be, then shame on Ford.

 

Just went back and saw it, I have extra tubing, I havent put the tank up yet and can still change my method by going with the bent tube or straight but a tad longer.

 

I attached both 6in and 4in. They are out of 4in, everywhere I looked I couldnt find anyone in stock with 5in so I just went with 6in.

https://hpsperformanceproducts.com/p...tsr250300l6blk

https://hpsperformanceproducts.com/p...tsr250300l4blk