Shameless, the tired old F350 powerstroke gets a revival

[Greggk]

are you noticing a steering leak? if not you probably have a lot of air in your lines. Simple trick to find out whats going on is to lift the front tires off the ground, turn the key to accessory, and slowly move the wheels back and forth, lock to lock, you will see where it is leaking from, but also if it is just a lot of air in the system it will work the air out of the system. make sure you read up on what fluid to use. my 1999 F250 used ATF for the powersteering as it is a hydroboost sytem, and after checking around online for you, thats what you are supposed to use as well.

as a side note i only use interstate batteries in my diesels. to the dip**** who said buy the cheapest, and him saying he "knows" powerstrokes, he is a moron. If he truely "knows" powerstrokes like he said he does, he will know the 7.3 will eat cheap batteries for breakfast. Most cheap batteries last a year or less in the 7.3, as my interstates that were in my old 7.3 were almost 2 years old without an issue.

glowplugs. ok you got some on sale, but plan on switching them out in a few months for motorcraft/ Navistar parts, to save yourself a big headache down the road.

ball joints. definitely check them out. the f-series is notorious for being balljoint bitches.

is yours a solid front axle or is yours equipped with the Twin traction I beam? If it is the twin traction i-beam, make sure you check all the bushings on them as they like to go bad, and they are also alignment issue prone.

now is this an actual powerstroke or the 7.3IDI Turbo?

battery cables. inspect the whole length of those cables. mine were a pain in the ***, and ended up having to replace the whole cable assembly to the tune of $220 through ford.. ouch.

i cant help you much with the clutch and flywheel, as i have only had automatic powerstrokes.

 

[BBslider001]

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...

Rambling usually has to do with lack of thought process and nothing to do with age...something to think about. Also, I wouldn't worry about cross-over steering, lifting, wheels/tires and all that other vain BS that won't make the truck run better or worse. Man, get that thing serviceable and reliable with the stock stuff you need to do and then later on worry about all the other magazine crap, as I like to call it. Crossover steering won't do a thing for you when you are driving west to go to school and the darn thing quits running, or the brakes quit working, etc (ask me how I know) These builds take most guys 2-3 years, so keep that in mind.

 

[kfgk14]

Thanks for all the responses, glad to have the words of wisdom from you all.
I'm going through the whole electrical system/wiring once I have the body off, to include sorting the battery wiring out. There's a couple wires floating loose right now that worry me a lot.

I hear ya'll on the glow plugs. It was definitely a major impediment to the truck getting running, so I sorta had to jump for the cheap ones in the short term. Don't worry, they're basically there to get it about three miles across town, then they're coming back out. The truck really would not start without them though, trust me I tried and tried, even with ether it struggled. I imagine that's gonna require some tearing into to solve...

Greggk, It's a true Powerstroke, Dana 60 not TTB50. I haven't looked at the ball joints yet, I honestly still can't drive the truck because the clutch is so bad.

The steering box is dumping fluid like nobody's business. I filled the reservoir and it drained itself in about 45 minutes, complete loss of power steering. So I'm trying to figure out the deal with this Saginaw steering box upgrade that was mentioned before, and I can't find any info on it. What's the "birthing moose" box and how do I tell it from the Saginaw? Can anyone explain?

Thanks again.

 

[lstzephyr]

I don't think your truck is ugly at all. I think it is nicer than my old dodge. There aren't a lot of regular cab powerstrokes with a stick running around so that is cool all by itself.

I would go through the clutch and bleed out any air if it is hydraulic or adjust the linkage if it isn't before I went to replace parts. I would do everything I could to not take the cab or bed off too. I wouldn't worry about paint at all. Stock steering will be fine too. I would always try to stick to as many stock parts as possible unless they won't do what you want to do. It is much easier to replace things when they are stock than cobbling together some custom stuff over and over when parts wear out. The cheap glow plugs will be fine for now. They function so they can be replaced with better later. Don't worry about it, replace what doesn't work, beat on it and have fun but don't try to make it into what it isn't.

 

[redthies]

Sound advice Alan!

 

[BBslider001]

Sound advice Alan!

X2!!!

 

[kfgk14]

I don't think your truck is ugly at all. I think it is nicer than my old dodge. There aren't a lot of regular cab powerstrokes with a stick running around so that is cool all by itself.

I would go through the clutch and bleed out any air if it is hydraulic or adjust the linkage if it isn't before I went to replace parts. I would do everything I could to not take the cab or bed off too. I wouldn't worry about paint at all. Stock steering will be fine too. I would always try to stick to as many stock parts as possible unless they won't do what you want to do. It is much easier to replace things when they are stock than cobbling together some custom stuff over and over when parts wear out. The cheap glow plugs will be fine for now. They function so they can be replaced with better later. Don't worry about it, replace what doesn't work, beat on it and have fun but don't try to make it into what it isn't.

Thanks! But unfortunately the bed is not gonna be saved, I will be using it as a free source of sheet metal for patching the cab but it is far beyond gone. I would like to be able to keep a regular truck bed in some ways, but it just cannot be done...this one literally has bullet holes in it, rust holes I can fit my hand through, broken/torn sheet metal, insane rust in general...Don't worry though, I'm already doing some mind-CAD of a flatbed. It will be glorious :costumed-smiley-007 I think I'll have a hoop against the cab, and stake sides/removable tailgate as well. But that is so far down the road it isn't funny.

The cab will have to come off due to the extent of the rust issues. It just makes way more sense, it would be so difficult to find time to have it up on a lift to do the welding, and there's extensive cutting that needs to be done too. I also need to replace at least one of the body mounts, so despite my hopes that it wouldn't have to, it will have to...

I did some examining, and found (to my delight) that the front passenger fender is pretty much unrusted. I'm still gonna remove it and rattlecan the inside to make sure its good for a long time, but it doesn't look that bad. Driver's side...well...:Wow1: I literally kicked a hole in it. A boot-sized hole. Thankfully, I found four trucks with perfect fenders at a local yard. Any idea on what I should pay for a fender? $40? I was hoping it would be around that (or less would be nice).

On the subject of the body and its approaching removal, there comes the issue of what's underneath...the frame. I have been advised by many to POR-15 the frame, and given my parents' borderline-irrational fear of rust they've agreed to pay for whatever is the best means of preventing frame rust. Is POR-15 my best bet? I'll probably rattle-can the axles due to the ease of re-painting that way, but I think the frame should get a more durable coating.

Drove it around today (well my buddy did, we went mudding! Good times) and it is wonderful. Stiff, hops around on the trail, really loud and even way louder due to the amount of stuff hopping around in the bed scaring the crap out of us (off-road). Drove it on the highway, got all the way up to a whopping 62! mph according to the GPS. It has this awful vibration above 50 mph though, not the whole truck just the transfer case lever and the transmission shifter. The ride really stinks, I think an RSK is in my future (long down the list of tasks, of course).

According to my buddy, getting into 2nd can be a task, and holy low first gear! You can literally just put it in first and let the clutch out and the truck does not care a bit. It also squealed the tires a few time getting up to speed, which was a lot of fun

I love the commanding driving position, I did not see one vehicle on the road I could not look over the top of. Back up, you cute little lifted Toyota Tacomas Just kidding, got shown up on the trail by a Taco today, so I can't talk to much crap until I've got some flexier springs.

Also, regarding the clutch, I intend to have my family's preferred mechanic go through the truck and tell me straight what the solution will be with that. I really would like to get away without doing the clutch, but if it has a dual-mass flywheel, I think I'm just gonna do the clutch while I'm in there, unless it's in a waaaay better condition that all signs indicate it to be.

It sure goes through power steering fluid though...
Drank half a bottle in about an hour today...two fill-ups.

Keep the advice coming guys, it is mucho appreciated by this novice (who needs to shut up about his stupid diesel toy and go to bed according to his girlfriend).

 

[redthies]

Do the clutch when you have the cab off if you can. Then you won't need a hoist. Look for a non-rusted box. You may have to look out of your area due to salt, but that means a justifiable road trip. Listen to your gf, especially when she is telling you to come to bed.

 

[kfgk14]

Do the clutch when you have the cab off if you can. Then you won't need a hoist. Look for a non-rusted box. You may have to look out of your area due to salt, but that means a justifiable road trip. Listen to your gf, especially when she is telling you to come to bed.

I intend to do the clutch cab-off for my sanity, yeah.
I know where I can get a non-rusted bed, I'm still considering the flatbed though...decisions decisions...
And yeah, I listen to her regarding bedtime

 

[kfgk14]

Yanked the bed off, thanks to the guys at Wise Technology for the assistance. They do really unique ice rescue equipment, and they've been nice enough to let me use their shop tools and give me a hand with a lot of this work.

I'm gonna try to pull off the cab next week, and I'm gonna scrounge up some new fenders too. Once it's been stripped to the bare chassis I'm gonna power wash and then wire-brush the frame bare so I can repaint it. How should I go about coating the frame? Rattle-can? POR-15? Should I use the same coating on the springs?

On the subject of beds, I'm thinking of a flatbed over a new traditional truck bed. Another idea I've been tossing around is tossing a military trailer on the back, like an M101. But I'm looking for one that's gonna be the right length and fit properly over the wheels. Anyone tried this before? I think it would look great with a canvas top too.

Then I think I'm gonna do the clutch (and go to a single mass flywheel if it doesn't have it already). Any recommendations as far as what company to go with for the clutch/flywheel?

The transfer case appears to have a slow leak, should I just replace the seals? The trans-case lever takes serious force to get into/out of 4hi, and I can't really get 4 lo to engage it seems. I think a re-build is in order.

The transmission and transfer case lever both rattle a whole hell of a lot at 50+ mph. Ideas why?

Thanks again ya'll. As a major newb, the words of wisdom are much appreciated.

 

[redthies]

Por15 is the choice item for frame rust prevention. I will always prefer a factory box, but your trailer idea could be cool if done well. I have a Southbend clutch in my Dodge and love it.

 

[kfgk14]

Glad to hear more support for POR15. Any idea how much it will take to do the frame? 3 quarts? A gallon? I could always just throw the extra on the axles I guess, but I don't wanna order too little.

My neighbor's dad has a Southbend in his dodge and I really liked it too, but if I'm not mistaken they are $$$...ill do some looking though.

Thanks Red, if you're ever in New Hampshire you should drop by and my parents can give you a few cold ones in exchange for all the sound guidance you've given me.

 

[redthies]

Glad to help. I don't often get east of Colorado, but if I find my self on the east coast, and thirsty, I'll look you up.

 

[kfgk14]

Wow, how things have turned...
In the last 24 hours it's become increasingly apparent this truck is either destined for near-perpetual sitting on the back burner, or a new home with someone better-equipped and more ambitious than me. I'm thinking I'll probably downsize into a Ford Ranger or Jeep Cherokee/Wrangler...:smiley_drive:
The reason is because I just can't afford to do the truck justice. I don't have the money to properly rebuild the truck and get it done before college, there's simply too much work to be done. I don't wanna stuff budget parts in, I don't want to limp it along and make it "good enough"...
Anyone in New England got an extra $2000 they wanna turn into a project Powerstroke? Good running engine!
God am I gonna miss it though...