The unofficial Big Job thread.
 

Big Job owners, please post your experiences with your F-7/700 and larger trucks. Post any info you have found, and any neat ideas you have com up with. I would like to try and get this thread stickied, so the more fact based information the better. Wheel base info, dimensions you have found, tricks you have used while working on your Big Job, etc., etc. If you have new part numbers for brake stuff, carb stuff, etc. from your local parts house, then put it up in here if you would like. I will dig up my reciepts for items I was able to locate at my local parts stores and post them in here. I can also take my parts catalog back to Napa, and have them cross as many Ford numbers as they can, and can do so with the local Ford dealer as well. Anyhow, I'd like to keep this thread alive, and make it available for new and old Big Job owners as a place to post Big Job related questions, and info.. If admin can sticky, please do....please.

Another thread gonna bite the dust....This sucks.

This thread is getting kind of cold and lonely. Where's all the Big Job owners?

I'm here--but now I'M LONELY!!! Bill

Well, that's unacceptable.

Bill, it's just you and me until BigJob shows up. Maybe a couple others. Anyhow, how about some tech info.
Big Job= F-7 (48-52) thru F-8 trucks, F-700 (53-6?) thru F-900 trucks. This includes the series trucks (tandems)
Ford did not produce T's before '54. 48-51 were powered by a 337 CID flathead, in '52 the 279 Lincoln Y-block was standard in the F-7, F-8's recieved the 317. In 53, the F-700 received only a 254 CID flathead 6. The 53-5 F-750 received only a 279 Y-block, this includes B and C series trucks. The 53, 4, and 5 F-800 received only the 317, this also includes the B and C series trucks. In '54, Ford produced its first in house Tandem axlae truck. Thus the birth of the T-700, T-800, and later, the T-750 and T-850, and T-900 trucks. The '54 and '55 F, B, C, and T-700 received only the 256 CID Y-block. This is enough for now, will add more data from the Ford book later.

I can only verify info for the 48-55 trucks, so if anyone has 56 up info, please post it in here.

My Big Job
 

Hi Gang,

My Big Jpb is a 1954 Ford F-750 Seagrave Fire Truck. I purchased it in GA last winter. I have slowly started to go over it and so far have done a complete brake tear down including all new lines, all rebuilt master cyl, and break cyls.
I repacked all bearings and all new seals. Info for Chicago Fire Patrol. I had the break boster rebuilt and can give you the address. PM me if you need it.

Jim G

I am here too guys!!! Joe again thanks for starting this post. Jim I might need the brake booster info .... will let you know. I have to check with the shop that is working on my truck. He might have a local place that will do the rebuild. Jim how much did it cost? Also did you replace your tires & rims on your truck? I still need tires and not sure what size to get. Someone recently told me to get 80 series tires as they are tall & narrow ... still checking into this but won't have much time this weekend as I will be in Chicago selling my book. Hope everyone has a nice weekend ..... Keith

Good stuff. Info like that is valuable, so put it up when you can.

Had to post, breaking 1000 posts. Nothing major to add yet.

Congrat's to adding 1000 posts to us!!! Now for the next 1000........Bill

My Big Jobs. The fire truck will be leaving in the spring, just don't have the facilities to get her done the way she needs to be anymore, but the semi aint going anywhere.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...161630.520.390

https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...162769.520.390

The semi has a CAT V-8, and is going to receive a 48" flat top sleeper, and 5" chrome stacks that will be 9' tall, and a pair of full tandem aluminum fenders for the rear, chrome big rig front bumper, as well as several other exterior items meant for the big truck scene. I will be eventually replacing the rear tires with super singles to make it look like a hot rod truck. It will be black from one end to the other with the chrome and aluminum accents.

If it was closer, I'd snap a pic of my uncle's '49 Big Job. There's a '48-50 Big Job (atleast it looks bigger than an F6) down the road from me, with a log-loader on the back of it (like a pup trailer truck), but it's parked far enough from the road, my camera ended up blurry. My wife's camera, on the other hand, has a nice zoom....might try that.

Snap it, and let us see. BTW havi, you've been blamed for the cookies disappearing in the darkside thread. Truxx and I blame you.....lol

If you need to replace a PB booster, try this. Go to Napa, and ask for 65 F-600 vacuum booster assembly. Ask for the under floor unit. It comes in different diaphragm sizes, but it is complete including the slave. It is identical to some of the earlier vaccum boosters found on the Big Jobs. A trick for pulling the hubs...Keep the tire on the attached and just pull it off as an assembly. The hub is very heavy, and it is easy if youare just going in for an inspection or for a repack and new shoes. Unless you have a fork lift handy, this is the easiest way, unless you are built like a brick sh!# house. For the fire truck guys, the lights are flashed by the use of a pulse generator (some of you already know this) it resembles a p/w motor bolted to the inner fender. It has a contact that is spun by a motor, and it charges the terminals kind of like a distributor cap and rotor to light whichever lights are on that terminal. The tach on the side of the tender body is operated by a transmitter attached to the fender wll as well (again, some of youalready know this). It should be a "Sun Tach Transmitter" and it takes the signal from the distributor, and sends it to the body mounted tach.

Anyone have any questions they need answered? Trying to keep this thread from dying.

Big Job
 

don' worry ole Big Job is still here , been kind of wrapping things up, and
this summer been fairly brisk no breakdowns except my 53 F900 just
got a slight skip, then I changed the oil (way over full) like 5 gal. ??
Where the hell that came from I dont know. Radiator is full. Oil Press a
constant 50lb.all day . I guess the poor 317 is about to retire. I got
a healthy 391FT with 5OD just dying to slam in it. These being my T800
and this F900 are the last two Y Block my other to 54 f800s have 391FT
they really run sweet, quiet smooth like a watch, and for those who
are not sure all FEs slide right in > or I have two 430s (MEL) Fe bellhouse
bolt up and FE flywheet bolt up as also the 5 speed but as I said before
you got to swap exhaust manifolds r to left and left to right so they dump
out the front and make a front mount add compressor pulley and makefront
mount I just think I will 430 this F9 I put one in a 50 F8 awesome torque;

Sam

Man, I want to come visit you. Maybe I will make a plan for next summer to go back east. I gotta see all them Big Jobs in good working truck form. Hey, one of the guys on here has Big Job fenders for sale. I was wanting them for spares, but I just can't afford to anything extra like that right now. I'm nickle and diming little pieces on the trucks right now as it is.

Good looking 55 Big Job F-750 on ebay. Evansville, IN. Item number 220164957288. Someone needs to go buy this thing...

https://i17.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/bf/bc/0191_1.JPG

https://i4.ebayimg.com/05/i/000/bf/bb/f220_1.JPG

Talked to the guy with the '56 semi on ebay, the big yellow one. I asked for info on it because I am basically building the same thing, only better. He didn't build it, and didn't have info, but he tell me the reserve. He has it set to $44,000. Giving the amount of detail, and the cleanliness, I'd say it is probably worth it, or worth making a close offer to it.

Joe I normally don't make suggestions to people about there trucks (namly because I hate when people do it to me) but I personally would keep the duels on the back versus the Super singles, I assume you will put a fifth whell on her. Feel free to tell me were to stick it :) Looks freggin sweet BTW

I thought about keeping the duals, it does complete the big truck look. I was considering the supers just because they look like a big ole set of M/T Sportsman tires. If the truck looks like a hot rod, the supers would complete it. I wasn't going to put a commercial 5th wheel on it, but put a gusseted 1/4" plate with mounts for a goose-neck, rv sized 5th wheel, and a receiver hitch hidden in the rear panel.

That's the 3rd time that '56 semi has been on ebay.

Yeah, apparently he is needing to sell it, and is not going to stop relisting it. I think he should of put the reserve in the description. I saved all the pics of it, it's just so dang good looking.

Oh yeah it's a beautiful truck no doubt, but I see a few things I would change.

1. Diesel swap with a more compatible trans.
2. sleeper
3. front brakes
4. twin stacks
5. take 666 and gvw-105,000 off the doors

and that's probably about it besides driving it everywhere.

If it had all those things added, then my 55 would no longer be unique.

What makes your truck unique is that you built it. Anybody can get somebody else to build them a truck, it's done everyday. You actually grafted your truck cab with another cab to make it right. That yellow truck might be nice and all, but imagine what it would take to do a diesel swap in it. Your truck is unique any way you look at it. Did I forget to mention your truck kicks A$$?

Ahhh, thanks {turning three shades of Red} I'm gonna wimper a tear of joy now.....ROFLMFAO

There's a 53 M-H F750 or 850 in a junkyard in Medford. Looks fairly complete, sans engine. Sorry for the double post on this. I didn't think it took earlier.

:-missingt It's still true though.

Hey Henry, you in that area..can you go get pics? Do they wanna part with it? and if so, how much? I wanted to get another Big Job, and convert it with an Army deuce, or 5 ton 6x6 frame and drivetrain, but a Marmon would be better.

That would be a awesome project also. Were M/H the only people to offer 4wd trucks of this era?

I don't know that one, I know MH is the most commonly found one though. Were the willys jeeps MH, or in house built? What about the Power Wagon from Dodge?

I always thought the jeep was an in house build, but not sure about the dodge. I always noticed there was M/H conversions, but no others. Makes me wonder if there we any other conversions available. One other thing I always wondered if the big job fords like yours come with sleeper conversions like the 48/52 trucks or what? The old B-model macks was like this, they would send thim from the factory and have the cab redone with a sleeper compartment. Very neat for the time.

It was probably available, but I have never seen any info on it. Since all the sleepers were built by an outside company, I have no literature that says anything about them. The Ford's were more of a short haul truck. Not very many were used as any sort of long haul. The Whites, and Petes and KW's were the OTR trucks in the day, and Mack. Since Ford had no diesel motor, they weren't a truck of choice for the OTR haulers.

Just putting it back on the front page.

If I could find a big job in my area I would buy it. Well if I had the money. I would. Hope to find one some day.

I got a contact in Roseberg, OR that has a '54 F-800 fire truck for sale. It's been used by his construction company for a while, and is in excellent condition. He is asking $2500, and is confident that it would drive almost anywhere with out trouble.

Hi Guys
Anyone know where i can buy front & rear brake shoes for a 51 F7. I also need the 4 rear wheel cylinders. Thanks Keith