One Piece at a Time - Firewood truck project

[StraightSix]

Hi Guys!

For quiet a while Ive wanted to build a big block gasoline 4x4 truck for towing, hauling firewood, and other heavy duty truck tasks. As always I think a project like this is best with a clear and consistent goal. Id like to build a simple, reliable gasoline work truck with a primary mission of pulling firewood out of wet fields and service roads. It will also serve to tow trailers and move various things over the road.

To make things a bit less general, I settled on the 460 as the engine and the T19 for a transmission. To me, the 5:1 and 6:1 granny versions of the T19 Offer much of the utility of a ZF5 (minus the OD gear) at a fraction of the cost and in a package that is easier to service. I dont plan to build a wild engine for this project and it will be loaded heavily most of the time, so the OD gear might not see that much use for me anyhow. I want the truck to be 4x4, but it doesnt necessarily have to have a straight axle - a Dana 50 TTB is ok. This isnt an off-road truck. Eventually, Id like to end up with a flatbed and possibly a dually rear axle. EFI is in the eventual plan as well.

Today I brought home the first truck that will play a part in this. Its an 87 F250 4X4 with a Carbureted 460, T19 and a BW1345. It has a Dana 50 TTB up front and an unidentified rear end. The truck has been parked for about 6 years and is a long ways from running.

The good - The entire driveline is present including the hens teeth bellhousing, flywheel, adapter plate, and the low granny T19 (1st gear ratio not identified yet). The engine has oil on the dipstick that looks and smells like oil, and the engine can be turned over with a ratchet on the harmonic balancer bolt. The transmission and transfer case both shift normally. The interior is in really great shape, the floors, dash, and seat all look like 1990 (other than some tears in the seat). the front bumper is in particularly good shape.

The bad - sometime while the truck was sitting unsupervised, it was robbed of several important components. first and foremost, 95% of the wires in the engine bay have been clipped off with wire snips at both ends. let that sink in. The radiator is gone, and the exhaust is gone with one of the studs in the passenger exhaust manifold being broken. one wing window is broken out. At some point, a heavy load slid in the bed denting the front wall of the bed and the rear wall of the cab. I dont have a key for the ignition switch and the wheel is locked. The red paint is in great shape but the accent color paint is long gone and there is healthy sheet metal rust in places. The frame has rust that I dont think is structural, but its notable. The price I paid took these major issues into account.

I suspect that a whole second truck is in order. I dont know if Im looking for a roller to put this driveline in, or a good cab/front clip with intact wiring to put on this chassis. Id love to put bullnose sheet metal on it, I so prefer the looks of a bullnose truck.

for now, I dont want to spend much money on parts until I find the second truck that Ill use to put this all together. After all, the course from here to where Im headed is a bit uncertain. I wouldnt want to pay retail for parts that might come bolted on the next truck. There are some things that are cheap and good to do regardless of how the plan shakes out. I may go ahead and rebuild the factory Holley and clean up other parts like the air cleaner (all parts are present! yay!). Wiring the starter "good enough" and running a compression check is also cheap to free. Verifying the 1st gear ratio has got my attention too. and I believe Ive read that a "straight up" timing set works wonders for 460s of this vintage.

 Ill also have some questions about some systems on the engines like the dual air pumps. Im not looking to gut out all of the factory emissions equipment, Id actually like to try to keep the EGR running. But the air pumps are both locked up and.. Im not sure if there is really a reason to keep them. Depending on the second truck, I may end up putting a new exhaust manifold or a set of headers on the engine when I run the new exhaust.

Photos inbound in the next post! Thanks for reading along!

[StraightSix]

[ArdWrknTrk]

Gary & I have discussed the F-250 460 4x4 1st ratio at length.
It appears that the internet legendary 6.32 gear doesn't exist.

Are you sure the TC is a 1345 and not 1356?  
I thought by 87 the 1345 had been retired?
At least the 45 doesn't have the oil pump problems of the 56.

Interesting that your truck has a D50 axle up front.
I was under the impression that type 3 wheel covers were never offered with the large center hole to fit the D50 & 60

Is the entire engine harness cut away?
Does this truck have AC and hot fuel handling?
As a fellow 87 250 460 owner I think you'll enjoy this truck when you get it running.:

[StraightSix]

Hi Jim!
Even with a first ratio of 5.11:1, Ill be pleased. If it's the 4:1 ratio, I'll be tempted to swap in an NP435 that is sitting in my shop floor. The transfer case has a tag that reads 1345

I dont know much about the 1345, if its considered strong, robust, etc. If it's not a good case I'll consider Tcase swaps to either a 205 or one of the later chain drive cases. I assume that an NP208 isn't really appropriate for heavy duty use.

I didnt think they made an F250 4X4 in this era that wasn't a D50. Maybe I'm off base?

The truck does have AC, and I'll want to preserve that for sure.

I'm not familiar with hot fueling, but it must have an electric fuel pump because there is a note on the visor about a fuel pump inertia switch.

The axle code is C5. The rear axle hang tag reads "V131C 10 10 2 7B16.

[Ford F834]

Some early bricknose came with the BW1345. The one I have under my 81 right now came from a 1988 F250 Flagstaff school district plow truck. It does not surprise me being paired with a T19.

The type 3 wheel covers were offered with the large D50/D60 center hole but man are they rare to see…. I’m just surprised that a single cab F250 would have the D50. Usually the single cab was D44 and Supercab F250 got the D50’s? No telling, 87 was year for parts mash…

My parts truck is a 1989 but it’s an IDI so that won’t be of much help for wiring!

[Ford F834]

In my opinion the BW1345 is a very good transfer case… better than 1356 because of the internal pump design and always fixed rear yoke.

[StraightSix]

Huh, under closer inspection that photo may read 1845 instead of 1345. Ill look at the casting tomorrow and figure it out for sure.

Dang! I just didnt realize there was an 8 lug leaf sprung D44 TTB. Is there a definitive way to tell if it's a 44 or a 50? If locking hub diameter will tell, I can compare to the bronco.

Thanks guys! Im learning already.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I agree that the 1345 is a more robust TC than an un-fixed 1356.
I have encountered that failure, and it is NO fun!!!
I'm glad for my slip yoke, but I'm not doing any real off reading.

The eight lug D44 HD was found under a lot of 250's and has a smaller hub lockout than the straight hub of a D50, which is the same as a D60.

D50's were only common under Supercabs for some reason.
Even crew cabs usually come with a D44, but I suppose anything can be optioned....

[ArdWrknTrk]

Ford F834 wrote

The type 3 wheel covers were offered with the large D50/D60 center hole but man are they rare to see….

When Jeff was looking to put big hole wheel covers on Big Brother neither Gary or I could find an application listing in the MPC.

In this end the consensus was that they never existed, but if you have an engineering number I'd be glad to dig deeper into this mystery.

[StraightSix]

Thanks Guys! Im learning as I go. Ill try to positively ID the transfer case today. I may also try to determine the granny ratio by lifting a tire, marking the output yoke on the transfer case and seeing how many engine revs are required to turn the shaft over. From what I can tell, I have a Ford 10.25 full float limited slip axle in the rear.

[ArdWrknTrk]

If it says 1345, then it is a 1345.

Yes, anything between '85-95 or so is a 10.25 full floater.
There is also a semi floater, but it doesn't have hubs that stick way out.

[ArdWrknTrk]

If there is a metal tag on one of the cover studs that starts with 'L' it is limited slip.

Or you could look on the door jamb tag for the rear axle code.

[StraightSix]

Based on pedal condition, Im a little hopeful that the odometer (79,600 miles) actually hasn't rolled over yet.


Does anyone have any tips on the best way to unlock the steering wheel? That would make life so much easier when it comes to moving the vehicle in the driveway. Im trying to avoid spending cash on the truck, but if a new ignition barrel w/key is a good fix, that's probably worth while just to be able to move the truck. Is there any way to get an ignition key if you don't have one to copy? Locksmith? Or I can take the column apart and disable the steering lock.

[ArdWrknTrk]

It is pretty simple!  


I will send you an email, as I'm not going to discuss this on an open forum.  

[Gary Lewis]

Go to the page at Documentation/Interior/Steering Columns & Steering Wheels and then go to the Instructions tab followed by the Factory Shop Manual Section tab.  When the shop manual section opens scroll down to Page 8 and on the right you'll find "Ignition Lock Cylinder (Without Key)".

[ArdWrknTrk]

Of course......  

[Gary Lewis]

Only your hairdresser curator knows.

[StraightSix]

Thanks guys. This forum is the undisputed best.

On radiators - are all V8 radiators the same? I'm sure there was an HD radiator package for the 250/350 trucks. A radiator is one of the items I hope to find in the other donor truck but I dont know if say, a 351W radiator would work.

The path to getting the engine running will include -at minimum - a radiator with hoses, working ignition (DS2 distributor and coil in place, ICM box has connectors cut off), wiring the starter motor, and a carb rebuild.

Jim,
To answer your question from yesterday yes, the engine harness is effectively gone. They cut the wires off at the  big bulkhead connector under the break booster, all of the wires on the passenger wheel well by the battery/starter solenoid are gone, headlight wires are clipped off at the bulbs, and pretty much every little but of wire you'd expect to find is cut and gone. Intact wires are the rare exception. Oddly enough, the under dash wiring in the cab seems to be fine. All of this is why a roller/donor for a full truck harness is on my mind.

It's nauseating to think about how little money the thief made at the scrap yard for those wire, and worse to imagine how his meager earnings were likely spent. Ill refrain from saying any more on the topic.

[StraightSix]

The case truly is a 1345.

[ArdWrknTrk]

The 460 has a unique and convoluted lower radiator hose, to fit around the oil filter.
But the inlet/outlet of all GAS V-8's is the same.

I would suggest trying to find another '87 DS-II truck 351HO or 460 and carefully disconnecting that bulkhead fitting.

Much easier and cleaner than making a million splices and not having the colour coded wire to go by.