This is my first post and just trying to make the right move.
Thinking of a new truck.
Pulling the cab off to work on the engine is scaring me off of Ford. I would never want one out of warranty.
What do you think??

 

Its not actually necessary to pull the cab for most operations. Does it make it easier? Sure does. If I get a chevvy in my bay needing motor work, the cabs coming off. If I get a V10 in my bay needing head gaskets, the cab comes off. Is it mandatory.....no

 

Think of it this way.... Would you want a happy tech to easily fix oh lets go with head gaskets since it was mentioned earlier with cab pulled? Or do you want a fustrated tech working on your truck because the cab wasnt pulled?

 

Not to mention that with the cab pulled, (and most are hoisted and stored overhead I believe), your truck is pretty much out of harms way. I sorta felt the same way as you until I thought about it. Now I'd prefer it to be pulled. Just my opinion of course.

 

Welcome to FTE phil85207

 

Where do the straps go to hoist up your cab?? Also what are the cances of it not going back on correctly?? Is there a lot of places for something to go wrong with the cab going on and off?

 

Ford designed the cab on the 08+ trucks to be easy to remove. I believe it's just a few bolts and uplug the wireing harnesses. I haven't seen it done and somebody will correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think they use straps. I think they have a mechanical lift that has arms that reach under the cab to lift it.

 

They use the same lift to raise the cab that is used to raise the whole truck, they just put the arms under lift points on the cab instead of the frame.

 

if done properly, there is no need to worry. i have had 3 cabs off, all back on with no complaints. can something go wrong? yes but it will be the techs fault not fords. i mark my body mounts with paint in a x patern to make sure it remains square and my first cab i even lined it up better than the factory did when i put it back together. ford also issued cab mounting kit with tie downs that secure the truck to the lift with ratchet straps. yes it sounds scary, it did for me as well. but after my first one, i like the idea.

 

[IMG]file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/rsimko.BERKELEY/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/truck3.bmp[/IMG]

 

It is a costly situation when they pull the cab off. I know because mine has been off twice, and my truck is wasted now at 143,471 miles. (Engine is knocking, oil is black, lacks power) There were problems from 40K miles with the radiator (twice replaced under warranty) cosmetic stuff like lights and seats and a nav system messed up by a faulty antenna, there is more but I don't care to list it all ... final straw was the second exhaust leak where they pulled the cab off and fixed it to the tune of about 2K ... and they told me then that the exhaust flex hoses where they did repair would last 40-60K ...that's not printed in the maintenance schedule by the way ... sorry for going on and on but it's all true. I am done with ford and their new stuff, my old 1999 7.3 is doing fine at 290K and running strong. My vin in case anyone wants to check the oasis and verify that ford completely stomped me by not taking up some of the cost for the gross amount of things that went wrong on the SD is: 1FTWW33RX8EA13616. Also: Every ford tech I have worked with and who has worked on my truck has been a jewel and a very competent person. I have nothing at all against the many folks who have had to try and fix my truck. They all have gone beyond the call of duty, some by putting in overtime and crunching already busy schedules. I really appreciate that. The big guns who decide to help or dismiss the customer have got me completely irked.

 

In my experience, if it is a "cab-off" operation, it is going to cost the same either way regardless of make.

 

i went to high school and trade tech, in mechanics, somehow i found myself doing musclecar restorations, and then i got into autobody repairs, which i am still doing. (my mistake, but thats another story)
anyway, in restorations, we tear the vehicle completly apart, every last nut and bolt, and rebuild it by hand.
from the autobody repair side, where i work we replace approx. 6 frames per year. due to the types of metals currently being used, and the sharp angles in some of these new frames, a good crash, and its not repairable.
back to the topic at hand, if your tech pays attention to what he/she is doing, pulling a cab is no more or less risky a procedure than changing your oil.
i bet you didnt know that alot of tech's will pull your bed off to replace a fuel pump. 6 or8 bolts, 2 wiring connections, 3 friends, and your fuel tank is already being held in a vice for you to access. no fuel lost, nothing splashed on the tech. as most techs can confirm, it seems a fuel pump doenst go bad unless the tank is full.