95 F-350 Make Over

I know this isn't an old hot rod, but it is a hot rod truck that hauls hot rods and what ever. :LOL: I built this truck 3 years ago and we've put roughly 180K on it since building it. This truck has hauled trailers to Topeka, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Salina, St. Louis, Chicago, basiclly all over. It was either hauling pulling trucks, my Corvette to races, old tractors, junk to the scrap yard, anything and everything. Haha When I originally started it, I replaced all body panels besides the cab and radiator support. I ran short on time and just primered it. I baught the primer off CL and found out later it really was sealer not epoxy primer. Now it looks hideous. I parked it 3 months ago because the ball joints are shot and the front tires are junk. It is time to get the old girl back to work.

The current plan of attack is to install new ball joints, put my new tires that are on my 72 on this, put my other bed on it, different fuel tank, and add power doors from a cab I baught. I originally wanted to swap the entire cab and box the frame, but I just need it back to work again. I'm going to paint it hot rod black for now to help it be not so ugly. I have to install new engine mounts as this thing eats them. The stock type mounts I used are not real strong. If you're wondering, this truck has a 5.9 Cummins as well. I'll update it as we make progress on it.

When I first started driving it.

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Engine pic after intercooler install.

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The head gasket I blew hauling a heavy tractor last year.

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Poor truck now.

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Nice old Ford Ryan!!! If you should trip over a Ford crew cab dually about that vintage with decent sheetmetal and 2 WD, let me know!!!!

now that's a work truck - - - -180 miles in three years - - - you put some of us to shame :LOL::LOL::LOL: looking forward to the build thread - - meller

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Nice old Ford Ryan!!! If you should trip over a Ford crew cab dually about that vintage with decent sheetmetal and 2 WD, let me know!!!!

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Dave, I actually saw one a couple weeks ago. I'll try to drive by there this weekend and see if it's still out front for sale. There's been a 91 7.3 IDI 2wd crew cab dually for sale on CL in State Center for the last 2 years. Looks to be really clean with no rust. They say it has a bad lifter or something. It's been advertised for $1600.

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Originally Posted by MelloYello

now that's a work truck - - - -180 miles in three years - - - you put some of us to shame :LOL::LOL::LOL: looking forward to the build thread - - meller

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I was driving 19k back and forth to work each year and this truck was known as the community truck for a while. One of my buddies took it to Cedar Point in Ohio, another one drove it to eastern Iowa everyday for work for 2 weeks, and my brothers would take it when ever they needed to go some where and needed to haul a trailer. I hauled my car to a couple NHRDA races with it too. One of which was in Pierre SD and it got rained out. My middle brother Nick used it to haul a 32' gooseneck to Chicago and Byron for races. It got 15-18mpg on his trips. The oil changes were getting real close there for a while. :LOL: She's no show stopper but it hauls awesome and gets great mileage. Plus it's been really reliable.

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Originally Posted by 40FordDeluxe

Dave, I actually saw one a couple weeks ago. I'll try to drive by there this weekend and see if it's still out front for sale. There's been a 91 7.3 IDI 2wd crew cab dually for sale on CL in State Center for the last 2 years. Looks to be really clean with no rust. They say it has a bad lifter or something. It's been advertised for $1600.

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Thanks Ryan!!!! Sure would make a nice home for one of them Cummins Diesel's and a 5 speed, wouldn't it?????

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Thanks Ryan!!!! Sure would make a nice home for one of them Cummins Diesel's and a 5 speed, wouldn't it?????

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Yes sir it would! My dad has a 91 F350 crew cab dually 2wd I put a 12v Cummins and 47rh in about 7-8 years ago. That was the best thing for that truck. No more replacing Idi's, and you can tow without having to figure out how to get up the other side. :LOL: His truck actually had a turbo on it but those non psd 7.3s don't like much boost. His truck had two engines lose wrist pins but the third engine has 140k on the swap and had 145k when I bought it for the swap. It's still going strong too.

Things have been slow on the old ford. With working on other people's trucks, there isn't any time for my own junk. :LOL: I did get all new head lights for it, and a cab corner. My headlights were about like a candle in a frosted over mug before. Haha I plan on getting some low power JID's for it this time. My youngest brother has been removing the front axle and he got it out today. We were trying to figure out how to clean my housing since the seals were leaking for so long, I decided it would be easier to remove it so it can be pressure washed and cleaned correctly.

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I went ahead and ordered new spicer life u-joints for it. These ones were okay, but they are greasables, and I would rather have the strong spicer ones in this truck. Anytime it is in 4x4 it is there for a reason. It isn't a mall crawler. :LOL: I had to order a dust seal for the RH axle so hopefully we can get the axle put back together and have it mobile again before the weekend. Then it will be time to start on the body work and power window door swap.

I got the axle housing all cleaned up. It took an hour of pressure washing and steaming it to get all the sand and grime out of the axle housing. I removed the pinion to clean all the debris from there and to inspect the bearings. Everything looks good. I installed the new seals and put the carrier back in. I got my u-joints and installed them as well. Now I'm trying to find the correct axle dust seals and I can get the front axle put back together.

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The progress has been slow on the old Ford. I got a storage box and have been messing with that, a long with shop/yard clean up, and helping my parents get odds and ends done on their house/yard. We did get the front axle all back together and back under the truck. I replaced all the tie rod and drag link boots with energy suspension ones. The napa replacement ones are obviously junk as they were cracked and all the stuff isn't 1.5yrs old. The joints are all still tight, just the boots are crap. While I was under there taking off the drag link I noticed my steering out put shaft nut looked loose. Holly cow, it was real loose. I'm glad I caught that. I put a drop pitman arm on it 4yrs ago and that son of a gun didn't really look like it went on all the way. Must have been some interference and it loosened up. I never noticed any loose steering, so maybe the nut just backed off. :LOL: Either way, it's fixed now.

The poor truck has been leaking oil like crazy for a while, so I resealed the vacuum pump. Then I removed the bed so I can install a new 38gal tank in the rear tank location. I've had a 40gal side step in the bed ever since I started driving this truck. I got tired of having a 6' bed so now this baby is going in. Maybe I can get the fuel gauge to work too? That'll be nice. Here's the old tank on it's way out. Man this poor truck is getting rusty from these nice winters...............

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I may buy another frame and start another truck build with my other cab next summer. Or keep this truck as a beater and build a nice 67-72 crew cab rig. Decisions, decisions.

I also decided it was time to go fix my A John Deere. I pulled the top engine plate off a while ago to find an issue with the PTO and I found the PO had not sealed the cover very well which was allowing water to get in the crank case. I haven't been running the tractor for this reason. So today I dropped the oil and popped the top plate off. I cleaned it all up, added some good sealant, and put the plate back on. Changed the oil and filter, charged the battery, aired up the front tires, and fired it up. Now it can go back to work giving rides to the kids. :LOL:

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You've been busy! (what else is new?!?!:LOL:)

What's the plan for the pickup? keepin' it a worker?

I love old tractors.. shame that one is the wrong color! :eek::p:LOL:

Yep. This truck was my daily driver up until this spring when I got scared of a ball joint popping out. :LOL: I've had to rely on my brother's truck too much to haul my trailer, and I just need to get it back up and going. I had high hopes of putting my power window doors on it and stuff, but all that will have to wait.

I guess this one is more your style? :LOL: This is a 53 Super H I baught this spring to mow pastures with. It's been great. I'd really like to get a M or Super M for live hydros. I've been toying with the idea of putting my 460 rear end behind an H engine to achieve this. I'll probably just scrap the 460 and wait to buy another tractor. Fixing up old tractors gets expensive real quick, with way less return if you're going to try to resell them.

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Can't you mount a hyd pump between the dist and timing gears??????

Yeah I can Jerry. But that would mean I wouldn't need an M in the wife's eyes. :LOL:

On a serious note, all of the live hyd pumps I've found around here have been over $450 for an unknown well used unit, so I've been holding off for now.

This morning I was able to get the new fuel tank in place with the help of my younger brother. We had to cut the bolts off the sides of the receiver hitch and remove the RH side to get the tank to go up in place. That was no fun. Now I have to modify the sending unit, and try to figure out what to use to lengthen the lower tank straps as the new tank didn't come with the stuff like it was supposed to.

How about the old PTO driven hydraulic pumps, any of them around that could be put back in service????

Yep.. that's the right color! :LOL::LOL:

Although now I'm spending more on the Yellow / White line than the red!

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

How about the old PTO driven hydraulic pumps, any of them around that could be put back in service????

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Dave, the problem there is that when you release the clutch, the PTO stops. The hydraulic pump is currently driven off the input shaft. The engine driven one is the answer to cure it though.

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Originally Posted by 34_40

Yep.. that's the right color! :LOL::LOL:

Although now I'm spending more on the Yellow / White line than the red!

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My friend and his dad had quite the collection of the Minnie's if that's the yellow and white you are speaking of. Cool tractors, but costly to get parts for for sure. Wait, they all have that. :LOL:

I love mini mo's.. but they are cost prohibitive for me now. My current yeller/white fever is the cub cadets.

Awww, I gotcha. I have a few of those as well. Mainly parts tractors as I'm collecting pieces to build the kids a half scale tractor. Plan was to build a 560, but I'm not sure what model I'll go after now. I am leaning towards a mini A or B JD, but the engine placement kills that. I still might go with a 460 or 560 and I have a 7hp Hatz diesel to put in it also. We'll see. I can't even stay on this ford truck very long to make any big progress. :LOL:

I know the feeling.. of both, having the time/concentration for 1 topic and then sticking to a plan of what I want to build..

I've got 2 first model CC's a model 73 and a model 169... only the 73 got done so far. I ended up taking on a couple 50's Tiger tractors to rehab for some guys.

Not anything exciting to report on this project. I did get the new tank all finished up. The factory fuel gauge actually works now, and I finally found a fill tube end for it. Now I have to get a fuel rated 1/2" hose for the fill vent. Then I have to get on the body work and shoot it so I can start driving it agian. It won't be long and I'll be missing the 4x4. Oh, too late. :LOL: I was worried the fuel system would be real hard to prime as it's been sitting so long. It primed really easy and I was glad about that.

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I've been working on cleaning up behind the shop, and trying to organize and clean up the shop. It was bad, real bad. I hauled a customer's truck off last week and got all the pieces that were laying in our yard gone with it. I doubt I'll ever get paid from him as he has more stories than anyone I've met. But, I have two of his engines I'll hold on to until he coughs up some money. Man, people these days.....

I also have been working on a new heating system in the shop. Last weekend I purchased an old fuel oil/diesel burning furnace. I'm going to put this in my north bay of my shop. Today one of my black friday purchases was a 17k btu electric infared heater I'll put in the south bay. I'm thinking these will be better than salamanders as they can stink, are loud, and make it nearly impossible to paint with them running. We shall see.

No updates on this one. It's been sitting outside waiting and rusting while I clean up outside and try to finish the inside of my south bay. I did get the new electric heater hung, I almost got my north wall insulated and finished lining it. I started on the north wall of it, which is the worst to do. It has odd placed braces for the trusses which makes it hard to line. I didn't get any time to mess with it lately. This weekend I had to remove the rear wheels, and a fast hitch off a junk 460 diesel I just had to buy 2 years ago. :LOL: Then I yanked a 5.9 cummins and 47re out of a 00 Dodge 3500. On Sunday I took the wife and kids out for lunch, we ran some errands, then I went to the shop at 3pm. I decided since it was 53* I needed to get my storage unit shelving finished. The problem with that is, my end pieces were sitting under 2 engines and a transmission on my heavy racking outside. I got all that dug off them and started putting my shelves up. Well, I promised my wife I'd take her out to eat at one of our favorite restaurants. They just built a new one by the Bass Pro shop in Altoona recently, and she has mentioned she really wanted to go. It's probably been a year and a half or longer since we have been out just her and I, so I wasn't letting her down. She told me to stay there and finish up and forget it because it was supposed to rain Monday. I told her no, I'd just come back after we picked the kids up from my parent's place and finish. Well we did go to dinner, it was great. I did go back and finish up. I got there at 10:15 and finished up at 12:15. Not too bad. I was using our skid loader to move these engines and I had 3 transmissions to put in here plus one transfercase. All this stuff has been outside under tarps or other creations to keep them dry. It isn't real clean and perfect, but this is way better than it was before. i had my brother come help me put the frame to the 40 back in, and he helped me drag one engine to the right shelf. I had to drag one engine in the rest of the way. You have to get creative when these engines weigh roughly 900lbs as a long block. Luckily I went back and finished as I have been working 12hr days this week, and it rained like mad off and on all day yesterday.

More pictures of the storage box. In that stack of mess, there are 4 12v 5.9 cummins engines, 2 NV4500 transmissions, a NP205 transfer case, and an A1000 series allison transmission. Once I get some help, I'll re-arrange it nicer. All this shelving should make it real nice to get some stuff out of the shop and help out the organization. You can see the Hemi for the 40 in the first lower shelf on the left. The frame and rear end are straight back in the middle.

Stuff, stuff, and more stuff. You are one person that could take a year off to play with his stuff and never get bored.

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Originally Posted by Scooting

Stuff, stuff, and more stuff. You are one person that could take a year off to play with his stuff and never get bored.

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Yeah I could. Part of my parts storage issues are, some of this big stuff isn't mine. I've got a couple long term customers and some times I get stuck setting on their inventory. That's fine as long as they get used and gone eventually. :LOL: That 00 Dodge was a customer's. He sold the truck without the engine and trans for $1500. he paid $2000 for it, and now the engine will go in a F-550, sometime? Haha

And here you go in another thread making progress around the shop! Crap, now I feel like a slacker! LOL..

I've done some cleanup around my shop.. more re-organizing and shaking out the mess.. can't seem to remember to take pics! HMmm..

I also moved the lathe after making some room, I'm hoping to brighten up the area 'cause my eyes need the help! So I put the lathe against a wall and will paint the wall white and add a bigger / brighter light.. and I made a base for a new bench , just need to do a top and then setup the small horizontal mill. I just love buying tools/tooling!

I'd love to have a lathe too! I'll post pics of the work I'm doing to my south bay. Once I have it clean enough to present. It's a disaster right now...................

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Originally Posted by 40FordDeluxe

I'd love to have a lathe too! I'll post pics of the work I'm doing to my south bay. Once I have it clean enough to present. It's a disaster right now...................

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Well if you can post a pic of that.. I'll try to get a pic or 2 of my "re-organization". But I probably won't get there until the weekend.

This thread probably won't get updated again. :LOL: My wife and I are working on getting things in order so we can buy our first house this spring. I did some major thinking and made a list of things I could sell to get some extra cash to pay some big bills down quickly. Well, I never thought I would have so much interest in this truck. It sold within 1 day of being listed on CL. I put the other bed I had for it on it, and some better tires with stock aluminum wheels, and it went down the road. So now I will be building my 76 K30 project for my daily driver. You can see part of it in post #24 above. I'll start a build thread on it once I get it in the shop and get going on it.

Congrats on the sale, Ryan, and good luck on the search for the house! Hope you find a place that already has shop space!

second attempt...

One way to stop doing so many projects is to buy a home!

I hope your able to find one that meets all your family needs / wants.

Thanks guys! Yeah, we've found one, but we'll see how it goes. We have to get our taxes done and the return back before we make an offer. It is out in the country, has 2 acres, and there is a building that I can make into a shop. It also has 2 old barns. One of which is going to need leveled. Then we can use wood from it to fix up the better one. The only down fall is it will double my drive to work time. I'm good with it, but the wife is on the fence about that. We shall see. My brother just got his first house, and it took all of 2 1/2 months for them to get it done.

Good for you, owning your own real estate is the only way to fly Best part you can for the most control cost, monthly stays the same, and no waiting for things to be patched a landlord repair. Every penny you put in you will get back, either cost wise or confront wise.

A toast to you & yours :thumbs up here

Thanks Pepi! It looks like the house hunt is back on. My wife would like to stay closer to the Des Moines area for doctor appointments and our family is all near here. At least we have time. :LOL:

Hope that the real estate market is not as seller driven in/near Des Moines as it is in the SW suburb areas of KC (Johnson County). Here many houses have offers within minutes of listing, and often two or three offers above the listing price. It's really hard for a first time buyer to compete here.

Anything with any kind of land around here doesn't last long at all. We may have to compromise with in a small town, but I'd really not like to start out that way........