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I'm trying to find the year of this truck. I really would like how to perform simple maintenance, like where do I add the oil? Will Sta-bil work as a stabilizer? What do I use for power steering fluid?
Here's the truck.
I read that the grill helps decode what year this model is. It does read Ford Super Duty F850 on the passenger side of the hood. This is the warranty plate on the driver's side door. I guess the top number is the VIN?
Hi,
I'm a volunteer fire person in Mexico with an old Ford Super Duty F8xx truck. I want to know how to maintain this truck, not revise it or upgrade it. We will not use this truck much and not drive it very far at all, but we do want it to run well. We perform weekly checks, but would like to do more simple maintenance at least.
Hope I can get some help.
Cheers!
Hi,
I probably posted this in a reply rather than a new thread, so I apologize.
I help maintain a firetruck (F800 Super Duty), but have little idea of how to do it, let alone document the proceedures. Hope you can point me in the right direction for information. The truck and 11-digit VIN are pictured below.
Thanks for your help!
This is the warranty plate. I hope this info helps. Can someone tell me what year this truck is?
There should be an engine oil fill on the driver side valve cover. It could be connected to the air cleaner via a short hose.
Sta-bil will work as well with this as with anything.
PS fluid is probably Ford type F automatic transmission fluid. Is the fluid red?
Does it run?
What kind of brakes?
What kind of transmission?
Parts for the Super Duty engines are hard to find. But, the ignition--cap, rotor, wires, points etc--are the same as any other Ford V8 from that time. You may be able to replace the points with a Pertronix kit if you want.
This engine should have a governor on it. Do not remove the governor. This engine will not tolerate RPMs above the governed limit.
The carburetor will have a "List number" on the choke horn. You can use that number for a rebuild kit if you need to work on the carb. If it starts, runs ok and doesn't leak, you might consider leaving it alone for now.
can you find non-oxy gas ? don't add too much of the stabilizer.maybe use some diesel oil ,10-40w ,it might have the minerals that prolong valve train life
can you find non-oxy gas ? don't add too much of the stabilizer.maybe use some diesel oil ,10-40w ,it might have the minerals that prolong valve train life
I'll give it some thought. Thanks for the suggestion.
I still have trouble located the oil fill cap. There are caps on both valve covers with hoses leading to a single hose up to the large oil-bath air filter. I guess I don't know what I'm looking at.
The arrow is pointing to the power steering fill cap. I haven't located the oil fill cap.
Ok, just wanted to check before attempting. I wasn't sure whether to twist it off (not really easy) or pry it off (it's stubborn), but at least I know that's the cap I need to loosen. The oil is fine at the moment, but the info is good to know for the future. Thanks!
Welcome to FTE! This is the forum for trucks that size. This appears to be a 1969 model with the old Super Duty engine. Does it run?
F86 = F850
L = 534 4V Super Duty gas V8
U = Louisville Assembly Plant
E11685 = 1969 numerical series, October 1968 production
176 = 176 inch wheelbase
J = Red
F861 = F850, 27,500 lbs GVWR
4B81
4B = Black Leather Grain Vinyl
81 = Standard Cab, cab and chassis vehicle
No transmission code. This was a special order truck and the transmission was probably part of it. (I'd bet it's an automatic?)
No rear axle code. Again, part of the special order.
E = Ford-Rockwell (Timken) front axle, 9,000 lbs capacity, without HD front brakes.
27500 = 27,500 lbs GVWR. This would require a Commercial Driver License in the US.
235 3000 = 235 Certified Net HP @ 3,000 RPM
729903
72 = San Jose District Sales Office
9903 = Special Order Number
-------------------------------------------------
I believe you are correct as to the engine age as I noticed an engine manual (January '63) on the front seat with part numbers from '58-'62 listed in it. There is also a sheet of paper stating it is either a Model "O" 401 cu in, Model "M" 466 cu in or Model "N" 534 cu in. How do I know which and what year the engine is? Does the engine maintenance (fluids, etc.) differ that much from a '69?
Does this help identify the year and maintenance requirements?
Thanks for your excellent help.
That slip of paper means nothing as far as I can tell, as we do not know the source or context.
Your engine code of "L" is a 534 and I'd bet it's the original engine in that truck.
Engine maintenance is going to be similar for '69. They might have upgraded the oil, but not dramatically as '63 would have been detergent oil, possibly multi-weight.
The Super Duty engines were introduced in '58 and ran until 1981.
That slip of paper means nothing as far as I can tell, as we do not know the source or context.
Your engine code of "L" is a 534 and I'd bet it's the original engine in that truck.
Engine maintenance is going to be similar for '69. They might have upgraded the oil, but not dramatically as '63 would have been detergent oil, possibly multi-weight.
The Super Duty engines were introduced in '58 and ran until 1981.
If it's not run much, and if you have it available in your area, consider paying the extra coin for ethanol-free gasoline. The fuel systems in these old trucks are not ethanol-safe. If you run them constantly, that's not much of an issue because the ethanol stays blended, but if they mostly sit the ethanol blend fuels will absorb water from the air, eventually triggering a phase change of the fuel, and the ethanol will separate out. Then it corrodes many parts throughout the fuel system, esp. the carburetor. Many, many older carbs have been ruined by ethanol.
Where I am, ethanol-free fuel is widely available, for about $0.80 more per gallon. I buy a lot of it for my OPE (outdoor power equipment). I don't buy it for my truck, because even though it mostly sits, I treat the fuel with a stabilizer designed for marine + ethanol use. Sta-Bil has (or had) a blue-colored formulation for that, but I've switched to Pri-G -- a competing additive -- these days. It's not a lot cheaper than buying Ethanol-free fuel, but the stuff also makes the fuel not go stale as fast, so it has that benefit over ethanol-free.
