Well.....here one for all of you to help me ponder...I finally found a guy that knows something about Ford trucks (He owns a 1976 and has serviced many at his shop...seemed real knowledgeable about the details) to look at mine to advise me about replacing the clutch.....only to discover that there is quite a litany of issues with the truck....Which make me wonder if I should sell now, while it has good life in it, and start with another '67 or '69...or should I stick it out with this one and take care of what is needed.

Main issue: Smoking clutch / Blown rear seal (assumed) numerous oil leaks on engine that need attention.

What was found:
Engine (360 or 390) most likely from a pass. car or 2wd Truck, engine mounts "reversed" (what he said) to move engine back towards firewall so front sump oil pan could clear cross member.
Replacing rear main may not fix leak? (He said that the main bearing may need work to prevent the oil from just coming through again)
NP 435/NP 205 Mated tranny package installed in a "labor intensive" manner requiring removal of cross member to access
Front and rear suspension bushings need replacement
Cab mounts need replacement

This was the bulk of what came up....I got the inevitable "How much do you like THIS truck" question.....so.....are his concearns legit?....is it more than it's worth? I have already invested about 5500 to 6500 from purchase 3 years ago and various things I have had repaired and/or replaced already.....

 

In my opinion, since you've already got that much in the truck, keep it and get it fixed. If it were mine, I'd pull the engine, park it on a stand, flip it and fix it myself. This way, you could read the crankshaft casting number and learn if you've got a 360 or a 390. Unless there's something wrong with the trans or transfer case, I'd leave them alone.

 

FEs are not known for leaking rear mains, although they get accused. You more likely have oil leaking from the intake manifold, or valve covers.

I don't think the guy is up on his old Fords as he would like you to think. The 360 would have been a standard V8 install for that year. If someone replaced the engine why wouldn't they use the rear sump for the 4wd?

IMHO, You need a second opinion. Don't throw the old truck out just yet.

John

 

Well, after I made the list...it really didn't seem like that much stuff.....and I know from my own long history of used cars that this truck would easily give me 3 or 5 more years with me doing little to nothing as far as fix-up.
I originally took it in as I am trying to avoid having to replace the clutch myself...but it looks like I may just have to bite the bullet and do it over a couple of weekends...The Intake manifold and valve covers, as well as the existing sump all have leaky seals..and the bolts constantly need tightening...so replacing the intake manifold gasket and replacing the valve covers with some cast aluminum ones are on my list now.....is ther anything better for the oil pan....anything that won't distort and bend and leak so much?

 

I've just visited your gallery. Sweet '69.

If the truck isn't your only vehicle, it's definately worth putting some time and a few parts into it. It sounds as if you need to plant that FE on a stand and go through the gaskets. Factory oil pans, in my opinion, work well, unless there are clearance issues with cross members or differentials/axles, in your case. The key to most gaskets is to not over-tighten. It's really easy to over tighten a cork gasket and ruin it. Before you reinstall the oil pan, put a straight-edge on on the flanges. You may have to hammer the area around the bolt holes to flatten them out.

If you do pull the engine, why don't you find a proper rear sump pan and a pickup and install them?

 

I already have the rear sump with it's pickup aasembly...so that needs to go in...but...the current headers are too tight on the existing Pan...so they will need to be either bent or replaced to get the front sump pan out and to have clearance for the rear sump pan.

The more I've thought about it all day, the more comfortable I am with it.....I guess a mechanic is freaked out by the "frankentruckness" of it....all he can probably think about is the hassle of figuring out what part is correct...but I've been doing that for some time now already.....The Engine and transmission install may not be the prettiest, but it is working and working well.....SO, I am going to start nit-picking at all these items one by one until they are fixed....or a larger problem arises! =)

 

If you have good compression you have something to work with. Past that you're just trading one set of headaches for another.

The part about being labor intensive is compounded by the fact that he has a business to run, and a reputation to protect. Most people don't take it too well when one repair turns up three more problems: The more you look the more you see with these old vehicles.

It seems like flipping the motor mounts would be good for only a few inches. I would think it possible to adjust without replacing the old parts. I wouldn't hesitate to buy parts and invest a little sweat equity. Email me if you need a place to work on it.

 

Hi Unimog, Hypoid and others,

I've found myself in your place several times, Unimog, with my old 66 and now my 69.

After many sleepless nights trying to figure out "to keep or not to keep" here's what I've discovered:

The "normal" rules of "keep or sell" don't apply to these trucks. If they did, you wouldn't own it at all! There's something else about these trucks.

Look at your list of problems, would you keep something else in that shape? A fridge, a couch, etc? Probably not. But with these trucks, it's different. I say, if you can at all, (storage issues, cost, daily driver, etc) keep it. FOREVER! It's an old friend.

I say, fix what you can, when you can. If the gas suckin' kills you, get a little zippy car to run around in. If you need more room for kids or friends, get a minivan, but Don't Sell That Truck.

I didn't mean to get all "Oprah" on you guys.

Maybe Ceetwarrior will chime is and tell us what he thinks.

Spudco

 

Oh...I wholeheartedly agree.....after all, I also own and 1974 Beetle that I have had for nearly 12 years now....Gone through 2 or three engines, 2 transmissions....countless tires....and it hasn't even been registered for the last 2 years because my dual 40mm carbs keep blowing the "emissions test" and the VW shop in Boulder decided to give me an "earth Day" and "Greenhouse" gases soapbox speech rather than service my car and tune it properly....(I guess he doesn't have a Carb synchronizer!)

So, yeah, I find things impossible to let go of....I haven't even mentioned my manual typwriter collection.....

The mechanics always freak me out, because they either come at it with the "doom and gloom" or the "how much can I bilk this guy for" approach....and I still seem to subscribe to some sort of belief from my youth that these guys are the "authority" when my adult experience shows me more and more that they generally just don't want to have to work....

 

No kidding! My landlord is a VW buff, along with being ASE certified, and now teaches. He says he doesn't want to work on them anymore, did that for 20 years. He doesn't mind looking at something, I've bounced more than a few problems off his noggin. I make certian to bring him beer now and then. I'll ask if he has a synchronizer.

 

This is getting a little off topic...but old VW Guys are hard to find.....I especially like the kind that look at me with a sneer thinking, you know how to fix that....go get it done...don't bother me! They are always great for advice, crazy old german VW trivia and borrowing a tool or tow bar from time to time.....sadly....a vanishing race.

 

Vanishing race, I don't think so as I still enjoy my 56 Porsche Speedster powered 54 VW with Speedster transmission and aluminum brakes.
Owned 12 years, just a newbie try in family new since 54.
.....=o&o>.....

 

Only a little OT; quality work is always an issue, cost is always an issue, liability is always an issue. Even the best mechanics have off days. Those days can be expensive.
Two of my brothers were trade mechanics. Both were good at fixing cars, one was better at fixing people. He stayed in the trade for 12 years, the first took his mechaincal abilities to another trade that does not deal with the public.

Back to the question of keeping it or selling it: My truck was cheap, run on a shoestring and paid for it's-self a few times over with the money it has earned or saved. Having it sit in the driveway has caused me to miss out on some opportunities that really require a truck: But that's me, that's my usage.

For what ever reason you keep a truck, so far it's worth $5k to $7k. Yeah, you can buy a lot of really nice truck for the money you have in Ulysses. A buddy of mine just bought a 90-something Dodge for $8K and put new tires on it before it even made it to his driveway. I hope the tires out last the payments he'll be making. The kicker is that the electronic management systems can be more expensive to diagnose, more expensive to repair. That's if you buy a brand that supports it's product with replacement parts. I guess what I'm saying is that you could do worse. I do really love fuel injection, when it works, it works great! When it doesn't work you discover it doesn't run on gasoline, it runs on plastic.

Then there's the learning curve: I know what I'll be replacing on the wagon. I'll have an option of when to make those repairs.
The newest mom-mobile is a mystery of sorts: I have to learn different brand electronic systems-FAST. I have to replace wear parts before it's worth putting new tires on. I have to prioritize repairs and schedule them so we have gas money left over.

So yeah, there is an economic advantage to keeping Ulysses. But that's JMHO