I'm picking up a 2006 F-350 PSD in a couple days. Its a long bed. The truck's in real good shape with a few exceptions - one being the front of the bed is crushed forward into the cab. The dealer had it at a body shop where they straightened it out enough on the top lip to accept a cap or whatever, but there's still come contact with the cab.

What I want to do is this: pull the bed off and use a heavy rubber mallet or something to whack it back in shape, use some sandpaper and just a rattle can to clean up any paint damage, and do the fuel tank harpoon thing at the same time.

A couple of questions: will a heavy battery wire cutter (parrot's beak style thing) be OK to cut the vent tube? I know it will cut the tube, but I'm concerned it might squeeze it too much and crimp it off. Is the tube real brittle or can I basically bend that back to shape with pliers or something if I crimp it?

How heavy is the bed? I'd like to set up a pulley system off the rafters of my garage with climbing style rope and rescue pulleys I have access to, lift the bed by the four internal tie down points (like a four point bridle), and just drive the truck out of the garage without the bed. Are the only connections to the truck (other than the 8 bolts) quick disconnects for the tail lights and the fuel filler neck?

Also I replaced the fuel tank in my 98 Jeep Wranger with an all metal version, the company selling that unit included a tool that removed the neck ring on the fuel tank - the round threaded ring that holds the pump, float, etc. in place. I still have that tool and am hoping it fits the neck ring thing on the Ford, they look exactly the same. I'll let the board know if that works.

thanks

 

For cutting the vent tube in the tank, it would be the same as cutting a 3/4" piece of pvc pipe so you can test your cutters and see if they will make a clean cut.

If they won't work well then just go to your local hardware store and pick up a set of pvc cutters (they are not very expensive) and they will cut it like butter!

 

I pull the bed of my truck each fall to swap it for the dog box I use for hauling my sled dogs. The bed isn't that heavy (two ppl can lift it) but a good block and tackle is really handy so you can lift it off slowly to avoid scratching the truck. Just the wiring disconnects you mentioned and the 3 small bolts / screws on the fuel filler. The T-50 torx bolts that hold the bed onto the frame are a REAL PAIN to get off (well at least they were for me). I went thew a whole wack T-50's from various manufactures using impact guns and whatnot, broke them all (thank goodness for their liftime warrenty!!!) I ended up just taking the angle grinder to them and cutting them off and replacing them with normal bolts. (Man I dunno who selected the T-50's (prolly the same guy that put the ICP sensor on the 03's behind the turbo) - they should be like T60's)

Just my 2c

Ask away if you have any more questions.


Jeff T

 

I'd suggest you plan ahead on those bolts, make sure they don't hold you up on work day. It would not be a bad idea to actually remove 4 and break the others to be sure.

 

Like Greg said, make sure you test those cutters on some pipe. I worry that they may crush the tube instead of cutting it cleanly. The tubes are glued into the fuel tank, and too much crush pressure could crack around the entry. The regular PVC cutters cut through like butter with very little crushing force.

Bill

 

I have some experience removing stubborn torx bolts. Rather I should say I have experience grinding off the heads, drilling everything out, ruining captured nuts in a fully boxed frame, pounding them out with a cold chisel, and then having to weld new captured nuts into said fully boxed frame. This was dealing with a winch mount and front bumper on a Jeep that had seen a decade of road salt. It was not fun.

For you guys who broke the bolts off, how did you end up getting what was left out of the captured nut and did you ruin the captured nut?

I was planning on regular doses of liquid wrench for a few weeks until I can get some guys over to help me do this.

 

I did not break any bolts, thank the almighty.

But if I did, I would do this -

1) Weld about a 1" hex nut to the top of the bolt. Then crank them out with a BF wrench.

2) If I did not have a welder, I would cut the heads off with a cut-off wheel. Then lift the bed off and put vice-grips or pipe wrench on the bolt shank.

The frame is not boxed, so you can easily replace captured nuts if needed. The biggest issue is just the small torx socket Ford chose to use. Once you've cut the heads, getting to the nuts or bolt shanks is not a problem.

Hey, good luck.