Shameless, the tired old F350 powerstroke gets a revival

[Buliwyf]

I change about 200 batteries a year and have had best luck with Napa's high end batteries. Napa's G31 truck batteries have screw off caps. But their G34's are just about all MF sealed except for the Ford Mustang batteries.
-
Remember. G34 and G26 batteries can be sealed. But G31 and larger truck batteries better have caps so you can check fluid levels. Avoid the large G31 sized Interstate sealed MF batteries like the plauge. Replaced 3 exploded ones and a housing door last month.
-
Optima's are obsolete, we don't use them anymore.
-
AC Delco's are also nice. And the little bubble lets me know if the fluid gets low.
-
I use rockford Fosgate terminals on my Mach1 but I may need to go back to factory cables and Ford Clamps to meet track safety standards. (thick plastic cover) My F250 has factory clamps. I just keep them clean. If I add another solenoid or dual battery setup, I allways extend my cables a few inches. With GM's I allways toss the factory cables and make longer cables with regular clamps, not that side post garbage.

 

[BBslider001]

Lost interest....no pics :drool:

 

[kfgk14]

http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/Killian_Gallagher/library/Truck
Pictures! Through yonder link!

It really ain't pretty...
Ill have photos of the damage when I pull the body either next week or the first week of July.

 

[IdaSHO]

I would never use any glow plug but motorcrafts in a powerstroke. Other brands are known to break and seize in the head. Not worth the hassle you will face down the line.

Agreed. Motorcraft (beru) only.

 

[IdaSHO]

Should I be replacing the battery clamps with something different/better than stock? I've seen clamps somewhere that had a nice terminal on top for a jumper cable to latch on easily, I don't really think I NEED them but are they a significant enough improvement to be worth the money? For reference, the stock clamps aren't corroded or anything. Maybe wait until I've got bigger-deal things fully sorted?

If they look okay, and you do not have any slow crank-hard start issues, I wouldnt worry about them.

The passenger side battery to starter cable is the most important. When you turn the key to start that cable has to supply the starter with 600+amps instantly, for a few seconds.

When I started (no pun intended) to have starting issues, that cable was suspect. I built my own cables using 3/0 welding cables. All of them are hand built 3/0 cables now. The starter cable is 3/0 from the factory, but the cable that ties the two batteries together is much smaller. Because of this when you start the rig, the passenger side starter is doing a good deal more work than the drivers side. This wears that battery faster. Tying the batteries together with a larger, better conductor allows the two batteries to work together.

Faster crank, and the batteries stay much more balanced.

 

[IdaSHO]

It really ain't pretty...

Doesnt matter.

Its a Ford truck!

 

[BCHauler]

I miss my old 94 Ford. Liked that truck a lot. When you get into modding, one that I did that I quite liked was the Bronco tank. Basically, replace the rear 18 gallon fuel tank with a 33 gallon out of a Bronco. Really easy mod, and bumps your fuel capacity up to the 50 gallon range. Also upgraded the power steering pump with a saginaw. If your truck has the "birthing moose" steering pump, you'll love the saginaw upgrade.

 

[kfgk14]

Doesnt matter.

Its a Ford truck!

Yeah...It won't be QUITE so ugly when I'm done...probably still pretty ugly but that's alright with me...girlfriend is not happy with it at this point unfortunately. The dark red interior does not wow her and she "will not be seen in that pile of $#!7 until it's got decent paint.
So I'm gonna scrap the bed and do a flatbed, then repaint the body a nice tan or light brown as this truck is destined to go west with me to college.
Also planning to replace the whole interior one day, aluminum dash and door panels, gray headliner, bedlined floor, soundproofed firewall and rear bulkhead, etc...for now she'll just have to deal though :elkgrin:

Failed to get the beast running yesterday/today...

Remember that part about how I don't have damn near any tools? Or maybe I didn't mention that my parents barely know how to change lightbulbs, let alone do any of the work that will be necessary to fix this truck...

Any Ford (especially Powerstroke) owners in New Hampshire wanna mentor me occasionally this summer? My folks will pay you in beer and pizza :sombrero:

Anyway, so...turns out I don't even have a deep enough 1/2" socket to remove the valve covers so I can't yet replace the glow plugs. Got so pissed about it I forgot to so much as remove my old batteries...again, questioning whether I could pull it off with the crap tool supply I have...

Furthermore, I think my neighbors hate me because I asked literally everyone on my street if they have a 3/8" drive, deep-body 1/2" socket...the ones who have it aren't home and the ones who are home don't have it or can't find it...

This is gonna be a process, ya'll. Maybe things will speed up when I've got the cab and bed off...

 

[IdaSHO]

If you need some tips changing out the plugs, just let me know. There are a couple of good tricks.


If I were you, I really wouldnt worry about the looks, inside or out of the truck. Just clean it up best you can, and make it serviceable. Once you have it rolling down the road that Powerstroke will make you forget about ALL of the little things that you want to fix, even though they dont need fixing.

I paid a wopping $3k for my '96 when we got it. Talk about ROUGH. The bed was nearly falling off, and after I "accidentally" bashed it with an excavator digging the foundation for my shop, I pitched it and tossed a good flatbed on it.

Above all, if you are scrapped for cash, just fix the items that need fixin' but do not skimp on parts. Do it once, do it right, and in the end that truck will take care of you.

 

[maddmaxx]

where in nh you from??? if your close i am willing to help!!!

 

[redthies]

Nice looking truck! I don't think it's ugly at all. I might be a bit biased, as you might surmise from the pic of my '97 below:sombrero:

 

[BBslider001]

If you need some tips changing out the plugs, just let me know. There are a couple of good tricks.


If I were you, I really wouldnt worry about the looks, inside or out of the truck. Just clean it up best you can, and make it serviceable. Once you have it rolling down the road that Powerstroke will make you forget about ALL of the little things that you want to fix, even though they dont need fixing.

I paid a wopping $3k for my '96 when we got it. Talk about ROUGH. The bed was nearly falling off, and after I "accidentally" bashed it with an excavator digging the foundation for my shop, I pitched it and tossed a good flatbed on it.

Above all, if you are scrapped for cash, just fix the items that need fixin' but do not skimp on parts. Do it once, do it right, and in the end that truck will take care of you.

Pretty wise words...should be heeded!

 

[kfgk14]

So, dredging my thread up because I have a small update: I've got the truck running after new batteries and glow plugs. It was a pain in the ***, and when I started it after the change it made a hell of a smoke cloud I think you're supposed to take the cab off or something to do the glow plugs because there is no damn clearance between the firewall and the friggin valve cover bolts.
What else? Oh yes, the clutch is completely crap, it needs to be adjusted at least and probably replaced.
Hmm...Finally, can anyone put me on the right track in terms of this "saginaw steering box" thing? Because i filled up my power steering reservoir last night, drove the truck around for 45 minutes this morning, and it was completely empty by the time i parked it
Oh dear I'm rambling further...God I'm not even old like the rest of you Can anyone also tack on some info on crossover steering conversions with the saginaw box?
Gonna get it registered soon so I can rip off the shot to hell bed at my buddy's shop and start thinking about a flatbed...
Also, fixing all my rust issues on the cab! Fun, fun, fun...

 

[redthies]

Rebuilt steering boxes are cheap, and are three bolts and two hoses to change. The cab only comes off to do anything on the super duties. On your obs it is all service as is type stuff. You don't need a crossover steering system, do you? What for? Also, I believe someone else mentioned a single mass fly wheel. You may want to look into that when you are doing the clutch.

 

[kfgk14]

I'm looking at crossover steering because as I understand it, crossover steering is more capable off-road and I intend to take this truck west with me to Moab and one day do the Rubicon in it (will of course require more aggressive modification, but I can't afford 40's and such craziness yet). Am I wrong? Some people have told me it's only necessary when you get a major lift, is that the case? I've read and read and it seems lots of people have different theories...
I am planning on adding a single-mass flywheel if it doesn't already have it during the clutch work.