Nice 1986 crew cab

[Ford F834]

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/d/beautiful-ford-f350-crew-cab/6247322739.html

[Gary Lewis]

Wow!  Nice truck!  Probably well worth the price. Looks like it has a Ford bull bar on it.

[Ford F834]

Wow. Again, I didn't know there was such a thing as a factory bull bar. Price seems too high for a rear wheel drive, to me, but there just are not many left in this condition. And as we know getting one back into this kind shape is EX-pensive!!! DNE2 is a huge plus as well.

Personally I would prefer this 4x4 version version even though it is very much rougher. They are getting extremely hard to find in this configuration... but oh yeah, I already have one! 😁

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/d/rare-1985-non-turbo-diesel/6277153225.html

[Gary Lewis]

Lol!  Yes, you have one. But, thats going to be the even more rare short-bed version.

I agree though that you can't put one in the shape the 2wd one is for anything approaching that price. People just don't understand what it costs to refurb a truck. And, as Vernon found out, paying to have it done opens up a huge can of wormy unscrupulous ham-handed incompetent mechanics. The tale of woe on Big Blue is just unbelievable. So, you are far better off economically to buy it the way you want it to be than to make it so.

(You might hear a few of those words at the get-together. If people are interested I'm going to tell them about having a vision and sticking to it, and what it costs if you don't.)

[Ford F834]

Gary, feel free to use me as a poster child for the fixer-up-er mistake. I learned the lesson on my diesel and then turned around and did it again on my 1981. It wasn't the configuration or condition that I wanted, and here I am pouring time and money down the drain like I've got nothing better to do with it! So by all means, take my advice, because I'm not using it!

[Gary Lewis]

I love it: "Take my advice - I'm not using it."  

But I don't need any textbook examples. If I were to point a finger there'd be 3 pointing back at me. So I'll use my own examples, plural, as they are all too fresh in my mind.

[1986F150Six]

I love it: "Take my advice - I'm not using it."  

For those that know me and have seen me, the above quote reminded me of when I tell people that my children have my hair! :)

[Gary Lewis]

I thought we settled on "hirsute" as a good description of you.

[1986F150Six]

Yes, we did, and more so every day!

[fljab]

Personally I like it.  I'm sure he's flipping it for a few bucks, but it's hard to find these in any condition, much less as nice as this one seems.

One question though, what is "DNE electric high/low on the automatic transmission"?  I don't understand that phrase.

[Gary Lewis]

Doug Nash overdrive.  Jonathan will tell us more about that particular model, but it effectively gives the C6 an overdrive.  However, since the torque converter doesn't lock up, and OD is said to cause more slippage in the converter and, therefore, cause more heat.  But, if you are just cruising that shouldn't be a problem.

[Ford F834]

Like Gary said it is a high/low range auxiliary overdrive unit. Unlike the Gear Vendor's unit that engages via conical clutches, the DNE is a direct gear driven transmission that shifts using an electric motor like a two speed differential giving .80 gear reduction. If you have 4.10 gears it's like switching them to 3.28 at the push of a button. The transmission operates as usual. I can't speak to the slippage or heat factor with how it handles that gearing. About all I know of automatic transmissions is that it is the thing I will buy if I ever end up with an amputated leg, otherwise no thank you 😈

Edit: I happen to have a DNE2 that I found at the junkyard. I left the C6 tailhousing and I've got some custom flanges coming in the mail to fabricate an adapter to the back of a BW1356 transfer case. I will eventually have more info on how it works behind a ZF 5

[Gary Lewis]

The issue with slippage is that torque converters w/o clutches always slip.  Below their stall RPM they slip a lot, like when the vehicle is stopped at a light.  But even when on the road they slip, and the closer you get down to their stall speed the more slip you have with a given load.

So, let's assume you just shifted into OD while maintaining the same vehicle speed.  That means you've dropped the RPM 20% and kept the same load.  If you were turning 2500 RPM you are now turning 2000 RPM.  The stall speed on a Ford C6 is said to be from 1400 to 1800 typically, although it varies by application, with some going as high as 2000.  So, if you drop the R's to 2000 you are now much closer to the stall speed and the slippage will increase somewhat for the same load.  And, if you put a trailer behind the truck and run with the OD on you'll really be slipping - and slippage is heat.

[fljab]

Ah, yes of course; I know about Doug Nash overdrive units although I have no personal experience.  I bet that helps that 460 get 9 mpg vs 7.5!  Of course, only if you're doing less than 60.

[Ford F834]

Thanks Gary, that is a good explanation. No wonder the C6 is such a lousy combination with the 6.9 diesel. The engine's torque peak is 1,400 rpm which is at or below the stall speed. No bueno. The I6 is in the same boat. When the rpm's are in their happy place the torque converter is starting to slip. Just. Wonderful 🙄