I finally got a Powerstroke so now I can compare my turboless 7.3 to the new computer controlled turbodiesel.
Its a 97 F450 with a five speed and a PTO with the controls for the dump already on er. I have to figure out how to put on the dump bed. The frame jumps up in the back so the system will have to be similar to Dave's 250 dump.
Hopefully this DI will start better than my IDI.

 

There shouldn't be any probs bolting a dump bed on just build a sub frame so the box has something to sit on when its down. I had a 88 F-450 dump it had a channel subframe that had the bottom sculpted to fit the frame curves.

My 89 F-450 has a straight flatdeck its what I drive now it has a 4x6 timber bettween the frame and deck as a spacer its shaped to fit the frame curves and the top is flat.

As for powerwise you will notice a big difference the old IDIs like mine are slow and underpowered. Your truck will have 5:13 rear axle ratio like mine so it will scream at highway speeds nothing you can do about it. My IDI is pretty much topped out at 100km/h (62mph) because of gearing and powerwise.

The F-Superduty trucks are good workhorse the 2wd can be a let down I know its POed me a few times being stuck. The carrying capacity is worth more than having a F-350 4x4 cab and chassis with bad brakes and no payload.

What is the wb of your truck all my trucks are all 161wb (84 cab axle) because I run a 12x8 deck.

I wish I could find a PSD powered F-Superduty but the price of them is well over 15,000 dollars. I'am not going to spend that much money on a truck that will never make enough money to pay for itself.

 

I got myne for 8500 bucks (US) but it has 307,000 miles. It had new injectors and a whole list of other expensive new parts replaced on it. The interior is like a cadillac, new leather seats, sony cd player, power everything.

The rear end is a 4.63:1 not a 5.13 .

It is a hog on ice without a limited slip to turn those duals. Hopefully it will get better with some weight on it from the bed and the hoist.

 

I run a 97 superduty everyday at work with 305,000 on her and she runs like a top,Im usually loaded everyday 1100 gallon tank on back and can still run down the road at 70mph but she is running 3150 at 70.she with stands everything I throw at her though.As for the 2 wheel drive she cant get out of her own way in the snow or mud so becareful where ya take her.

 

These trucks are heavy so once you start spinning your tires they sink like a rock in water. I'am looking at the Detroit True Trac limited slip its a all gear unit which supposidly gives you decent traction increase without bad road manners. I know people say put a Detroit Locker but I feel the clanking and banging plus the fact the steering is affected it won't work well for the roads I travel on. The highway I travel is very twisty one of the reasons why I only get 14,000kms (8700 miles) out of my last set of steer tires I may get 16,000kms (9900 miles) out of the LTX Michelins.

I do spend alot of time on the highway its about 70% on road 30% offroad (Tougher construction sites). I have been thinking of going with a more aggressive tire something like the Big O X/Ts and get rid of the Bandag Retreads. I have been using retreads on my trucks for the last 10 years on my dually trucks for drive tires. Now that I have gone diesel the traction problems are more apparent because there is 1000lbs of iron over the front axle

I have found out a few times the front tires do like to sink in soft materials compared to my trucks with 460 gassers. My 88 F-450 with the 460 didn't have near the traction problems as my 89 450 with the IDI. I got into some soft sand with the IDI what a mistake the front tire sunk I had to get pulled back out by a Toyota 4x4 P/U

The one thing I like about the F-Superduties is you put 6000lbs on it and the ride smooths out and it doesn't feel overloaded. My 88 seen a few 8000lb loads of gravel OOPs

What I was told about the F-Superduties is the chassis and suspension is so tough it tears the truck cab apart from the flexing and twisting. I know the cab on my truck sure creaks and groans when I have a heavy load on the deck.

My truck only has 324,000kms (201,333 miles) on it but its tired the transmission needs replacing 3rd gear syncros are non existant, the diff gears have quite abit of slop, the suspension bushings are well worn, the cab has orange cancer, the frame has heavy pitting. When I bought the truck it needed a engine so a used engine went in good for 2 years now.

I know who bought the truck new it spent its life as a 1.5 ton dump for a demolision company then a 14' flatdeck was installed by the second owner which was a scaffolding company, the third owner sold firewood and I'am the 4th owner I took the 14' deck off and put a 12' deck. The original engine which died at 300,000kms (186,400 miles) when the 3rd owner owned it. He sold the truck to a wrecker the truck sat in a backyard for a year then I bought it. I ended up spending about 4 grand resurecting the truck which I paid 3500 for so for a grand total of 7500 dollars.

All in all I shouldn't have done it I could have bought a lower kilometerage truck for a little bit more money and been better off. Once the transmission completely goes in my truck the truck gets retired its not worth the 3500 dollars for a rebuilt transmission.

We live and learn I did learn one thing I'am not scared of light truck diesels anymore