Hello all and thanks for the add. I just purchased an old F500 with a holmes 480 wrecker bed. And looking for a good vin decoder. I've been working on it. The ol girl runs great! I was told that it was a special ordered truck. With a 5speed trans and a 428 industrial engine. But I thought these only came with a 330. Also I thought the 428 wasn't available in '72. Any help would be appreciated F50CRM43232 is the vin.

 

I moved you to Large Truck and will be back later today.

Can you post a picture of the warranty plate on the driver door? Axle, trans and other information there.

 

F50CRM43232

F50 = F500

C = 330 2V MD FT gas V8 (cast 360 crank, small distributor, some other FE items)

R = San Jose Assembly Plant.

M43232 = 1972 numerical series, August of 1971 production.

No chance it was a 428. Last 428 was 1970 in cars. What it has now??? Does it have a 4BBL carb? How many bolts in the exhaust manifolds--look for two in the center in addition to the two at each port.

The warraty plate will tell if it's a special order but won't tell you what that was all about other than if there are other items missing on the warranty plate that might be DSO items like transmission or axle or color.

 

I cannot find anything on the door, where else might this plate be? I didn't even find any holes to where something may have been riveted. Unless this is it?

 

It does have a 4bbl carb, 8 bolts in the exhaust. Can't find the warranty plate. Thank you for the decode.

 

Funny thing, I was actually looking at a chevy c60, then this came along. Couldn't pass it up.

 

Warranty plate would be on the driver door, riveted to the door just below the latch. If the door was replaced, the plate may have been removed. Worst case is someone changes the door and leaves the old plate on there causing confusion as to VIN and equipment.

That engine appears to be an FE and therefore not the original engine.

The exhaust manifold does not have the two extra bolts for the center crossover. The intake isn't clear enough but does not appear to have the crossovers in the center.

How does this engine mount? It does appear to have the front mount as I don't see any side mounts, but check them anyway.

A 330MD to FE swap is pretty easy because the front cover has the bushing to fit the FE sized crank, and the flywheel is neutral and can bolt up to an FE, along with the bell. So an FE could mount right into the OEM mounts and look right at home.

But check the mounts and check the stroke. A wire down a plug hole at TDC and BDC will give you a measurement to compare against the 3.5" or 3.78" or 3.98" stroke found in the 352/390/410-428.

Only a teardown or cubic inch tester will tell more.

That engine shows some curious details such as the breather to the side of the carb hose (should be PCV to plate under carb), the rubber fuel line (fire risk), the custom fit and paint air cleaner, plumbing department heat hose connection, all standard for 50+ vehicles.

 

looks like they had thrown together some random parts on the top for sure lol. But, the original owner found it on a Facebook page for vintage wreckers and confirmed that the truck was ordered with the 428 industrial engine and a five speed trans with the 2 speed eaton rear diff. So I crawled under the truck and sure as it is, uts the eaton. He also went on about how he added another heater in the floor. No doubt it was his old truck. He even sent a picture of it. Originally the truck was brown, it was painted red some time later, but the dash is still brown. Here is the pic he sent.

 

I don't think a '428 Industrial' engine ever existed. Maybe someone stuck a FE 428 car or marine engine in it, but the largest 'FT' engine was the 391XD.

 

Until the OP measures the stroke the mystery will endure.

While the 330MD used the neutral flywheel balance like most FEs, the 428 didn't. Thus the installation would be further complicated.

 

Ford definitely put 428's in industrial power units. Back when I was searching for a 428 for one of my Mustangs, there was a guy selling them on Ebay. He had collected these power units for years, and was parting them out. I bought a block and a crank from him. The block has stripes on the sides of the casting, which I have since learned makes them service replacement blocks for Mustangs, but standard issue for power units made a few years after they stopped putting them in Mustangs. I do find it unlikely that somebody could "special order" one in a truck, though. They would have had to have a special connection to get that done. Where is the picture of the data plate?
Chuck

 

The data plate was removed when they painted the truck red. So, now I'll never know for sure lol. I did how ever have to order parts; distributor, fuel pump, ignition control module, all for a 428. It's running great now. Been looking for an external brake booster for it though. I've replaced the front brake shoes, wheel cylinders, and the metal lines so far.

 

All those parts fit any non-high performance FE.

 

You are right! Did some digging and there was a 428 Industrial engine. Seems it was for specifically for irrigation pumps, and was propane fueled with a 2bbl. propane carburetor. The engine was a real oddball, high compression CJ pistons, FE heads and 2bbl. intake, none of the 'FT' heavy duty parts usually seen on truck and industrial engines. Would have to be some kind of special order deal to get one in an F-600, I wonder if the truck originally ran on propane.

There should be a Ford Power Products information plate on one of the valve covers.

 

I forgot to mention that the blocks were all Cobra Jet versions, with the extra bracing around the bearing areas.
Chuck