The other day i seen a guy that had a 78 extended cab with a cat 3208 engine in it. He said the title says ford 76 2-ton. He said the front axle is 1 ton but everything else is 2 ton. This truck looked so awesome, it had a sleeper cab in the back with a bed that you get to from inside the cab. Some guy built this truck for rodeo travels but this guy hauls fifth wheels around the country and he said he is from oklahoma. Does anybody know this guy? Does anyone know anything about this truck? It had 5-inch body blocks so I assume he just mounted the 78 body on the 2 ton frame. I have to build me one of these But I know nothing about this cat engine. This truck had a 10 speed tranny and no bed on the back, just a fifth wheel hitch right obove the axle. I also could not see any leaf springs under the rear. This truck was painted flouresent green. Anybody have any suggestions on how or what this guy may have done to come up with this set-up. What kind of mileage do you guys think he gets, I was too excited and forgot to ask. I only got to see it for about 5 minutes. Please feed me with all the info you can, thanks kyle.

 

I have two trucks with 3208 Cat engines. One is a Ford F7000 bucket truck. It is the factory engine and it has ford stamped on it in many places. I am told (help me if I am wrong here) that ford owns a controling interest in Cat. The other is a 76 Spartain line truck. Both have over 100 k miles on them, with thousands of hours on the engines. I get around 10 miles to the gallon, including all the extra run time they get. I'm told the 3208 is a throw away motor,(non rebuildable) but with the kind of service I have had with them, the rest of the truck will be long gone when the motor needs it.

 

If my memory holds, a F series (i.e. F-600) uses the same body as the standard pick-up, so you're probably right about him just bolting a body on the 600 frame rails. That series tho, has a different front end (tilt fiberglass) and a lower body work that covers the fuel tank. The cabs interchange tho. I have a friend with a L series and a "cat" 3208 in it. He told me that the parts don't intercahnge between his "3208" and a real cat 3208. I don't know for sure, but it sure looks like a 3208 to me. As I recall, his engine is a grey color?

 

They were used extensively by Ford in the medium duty trucks for years. Rated a 225 hp they were a very dependable hard working motor. With the goverment stepping up on emissions they were phased out many years ago. There should be enough of them around in trucks that no longer are useful to scavenge parts from.

 

hi
you guys really know what a 3208 engine is? i've been going to school for diesel mechanices and we tore apart one of these and it was none other than a c"""y big block with different parts hung on the outside. you will find many of these in trucks and in some construction equipment.

 

Last one I saw didnt resemble a BBC in any way shape or form

I would hate to try to put one in a ford pick up frame tho 73-79 or any, its quite a big engine, much larger than the powerchoke

 

When I looked under the hood of this truck the motor was orange or yellow and it had an ID tag that said Caterpiller and a whole bunch of numbers stamped on it, right on the driver side valve cover. I drove to the gas station to buy a disposable camera and when I went back he was gone. thanks for all the info. Anymore?

 

Both of my motors are Cat yellow, and in no way look like a chubby big block.

 

hi
color or id tags mean nothing when dealing with most motors. the ford power stroke is actually an international engine. with a lot of ford parts tached on the the outside. companys take and buy engines and stamp there own names on it and call it there own. (not on all of them) there are a lot farm equipment that has gm or ford engines in them. versitile and new holland use ford engines in there equipment. and gm use there heavy sixes in oliver, peddybone and countless others. and 90% of there ign. and charge systems are GM. but at any rate look at the block itself and nothing else and you will see.

 

I have to admit they smoke like a Chebbie!

 

I just pulled the f600 truck up on the truck trader site, and the cabs are the same as the f150 to f350 cabs. Which means all I would have to do is find a truck with a 3208 motor with A/C and swap front clips and put on a 1-ton front axle. I pulled up a crew cab f600 picture also. That is what I really would like to find. By the looks of that truck I saw the other day I already know I will need 5 inch blocks for the front clip body mount. Would that cat 3208 pull a heavy load better than the powerstroke????

Thanks, kyle

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 06-Sep-02 AT 00:48 AM (EST)]>hi
>you guys really know what a 3208 engine is? i've been going
>to school for diesel mechanices and we tore apart one of
>these and it was none other than a c"""y big block with
>different parts hung on the outside. you will find many of
>these in trucks and in some construction equipment.


A 3208 CAT is no where near nor related to anything chevy, maybe it was some kind of junkie old Detroit you took apart. Plus it is about twice as big as a BBC.

Ford did make there own 8.xL dsl for there larger F700 type trucks that was painted grey and used for many years. All off the Fords chassis that I have seen with a 3208 in them the motor was always CAT yellow.

The '76 F-600 did not have a tilt front clip this came along in the ealry 80's. The '76 and a standard front end with different fenders and grill.

I don't think that Ford has interest in CAT, but I think they are a primary shareholder of Cummins.

 

>When I looked under the hood of this truck the motor was
>orange or yellow and it had an ID tag that said Caterpiller
>and a whole bunch of numbers stamped on it, right on the
>driver side valve cover. I drove to the gas station to buy a
>disposable camera and when I went back he was gone. thanks
>for all the info. Anymore?

You scared him off He must have thought you would stalk him or something.LOL

 

The guys wife had a color auto trader picture and description of this truck but the R.V. place didn't have a copy machine. She took down my address and said she would mail me a copy but I haven't seen it yet. So how would you guys compare this cat engine to the powerstroke as far as pulling power? I just ain't going to spend 40grand on a new ford and the 460 just ain't doing the job.

 

> I just pulled the f600 truck up on the truck trader site,
>and the cabs are the same as the f150 to f350 cabs. Which
>means all I would have to do is find a truck with a 3208
>motor with A/C and swap front clips and put on a 1-ton front
>axle. I pulled up a crew cab f600 picture also. That is what
>I really would like to find. By the looks of that truck I
>saw the other day I already know I will need 5 inch blocks
>for the front clip body mount. Would that cat 3208 pull a
>heavy load better than the powerstroke????
>
> Thanks, kyle


the cabs are not the same. the fire wall is different, it uses a heater assembly, and part of the firewall, and dashboard from the 1967-72 cab style. it can be converted, but is not the same.


a 3208 will fit into a pickup frame, and I know of several in F-350s with no added suspension mods (2wd)