New member w/ ford rollback car carrier

[NO_SPRK]

hello all i just signed up on this forum since i now own my first ford/ih diesel truck. my other current diesels are... a 1st gen dodge cummins & 2 chevy detroits. picked it up because im a car collector and... it was shiny ok! give me a break!

1985 ford f350 17' jerr-dan rollback 2 car carrier.

6.9L NA w/ 4speed. 4.10 dana 70. engine has 316k... previous owner was parking the truck on a hill because the glow plugs went out. one day it wouldnt start the first time, like it always did. popped the clutch again and a "bang" came from the motor when it started. feels like its missing on 2-3 cylinders. still starts right up with a little starting fluid (yes i know).

possible blown headgasket? water jacket? jumped timing? also rich un-burnt diesel smell. exhaust is white with clear puffs from remaining firing cylinders. misty and lingers for long periods. No milk shake but radiator is low on coolant. i cannot see any inside.

anyways i really want to buy another truck with a 6.9/7.3 and a zf5 but i also think i could fix this engine and run it for a little longer till i can have the cash to buy drivetrain and new components. thinking about a superduty so i can have the trans e-brake and later on swap on the front and rear axles... my frame has already been double walled on 60% of the truck. and my cab is so cherry and old school id hate to swap the car carrier setup on another truck.. im wondering if the frames are really that much beefier on a older superduty

heres some pics...

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[goober]

hey man i got a 89 superduty rollback and i love it .... im doing some engine work on it right now so she is down..... i cracked both heads so i pulled them and am thinkin of puttin a cummins in mine after first of the year its got the zf5 speed trans and a 5.13 gear in the rearend .... gonna do a lil swaping and put a 3.73 gear in mine and do the cummins in feb or so .... so i may have some idi parts cheap after i finnish the swap ... i also have the ats turbo kit that was on it as well

 

[NO_SPRK]

wow 5.13 gears... eek! i found a 89 SWB superduty. i was hoping it had 4.63s in it. i could like with that and a zf5. im thinking of just swapping in a dana 80 from a 2nd gen cummins cab and chassis so i can keep my 8-lug alcoas :-D

 

[towcat]

welcome to the site.
yes, I too am a owner of a F450 carrier. I have a 18ft Century deck on the back.
yes, as far as Ford engineers is concerned, the F350 and the F450 frame rails are different. the metal thickness is quite obvious when put side by side.
if you want to do this economically, find a F250 or F350 2wd truck and buy the truck for the drivetrain. you will get a good motor and trans for roughly $1500 if you are impatient or if you're patient, under $700-$1000. I'm frequently found in your neck of the woods buying trucks at a cheap price.



the trans mounted parking brake is a mixed blessing. there's only one pint of oil lubricating the bearing and if you ever accidentally leave the brake engaged and the unit overheats from friction, the oil seals fail and the oil is lost. currently, service parts for the parking brake assembly is proprietary to ZF and they have yet to release the seal part numbers for rebuilding. ZF is more than happy to sell a rebuilt unit for $900/exch.


as far as Dana 80 rearends for our generation F450's, 4.63 is the lowest you can go numerically. 5.13 is the standard. Anything lower than 4.63 requires a housing and spool change. once again....big $$$$$
personally, i've driven lower numerically geared f450's and they are slugs off the line. yes, you're limited on the top end, I top out at 85mph, but when you're moving 15k gross, you don't want to going much faster.

lastly, on the F350 truck, do yourself a huge favor and get a hydroboost changeover from a F450. you will love the increased stopping power.

I was a diehard GM guy until I bought my first F450 carrier. imho, they are the best towtrucks for doing the little stuff and when you are done with your day, you can go places and blend in where the IH 4700 jockeys stick out like a sore thumb. I park my F450 in a residential area and never get messed with by local code enforcement

 

[NO_SPRK]

oh yes ive been searching craigslist for the last week looking for a roll over or a victim of comifornias back reg law.

the super-duty i found has a NA 7.3L and a zf5... the parking brake issue makes sense. this truck has 290k on the chassis and 120ish on a swapped 7.3L. i would be getting the truck for $1000.

I would swap the 7.3L in and leave the t19 till i could rebuild the zf5. the owner says 2nd gear has issues. he has no idea if the clutch or flywheel was changed at the engine swap. if i can part out the cab, body, etc.. and use the super duty hydroboost that would make the cost of the donor even more worth while.

my family is GM and my father is rolling in his grave but its not my fault ford was the only one who made a beefy cab and chassis. my truck is only a 350 but i have driven hook-lift f450s and wrecker f450s and they are a great chassis. i like everything with wheels!

so the superduty should have the close ratio zf-5... how would that work with 4.10s? im running 235-85-16

 

[Diesel_brad]

I LOVE IT

Just beware. once you put anything bigger than a compact car on, you will be over weight. The F350s were never really a heavy enough platform to have a roll back on them.

NOT saying it will not take it, but they are only RATED at 11,000 and the truck empty weighs in at around 8,000

 

[NO_SPRK]

I LOVE IT

Just beware. once you put anything bigger than a compact car on, you will be over weight. The F350s were never really a heavy enough platform to have a roll back on them.

NOT saying it will not take it, but they are only RATED at 11,000 and the truck empty weighs in at around 8,000

ya i know... and that's most likely why i got it. it seemed like it sat online for awhile but when i had seen it the ad said price reduced. i know i can have it re-rated but im not trying to open a tow business. in my area there are a few scales but without a light bar, NOT FOR HIRE and a 100lbs rottweiler as copilot i doubt CHP will think im trying to pick customers up. my unlaiden is 7590 and yes i know if i hit a scale loaded i could be in trouble.

i got it because it had never been a commercial tow truck. one owner who used it for personal use for his dismantling business.

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

 

[towcat]

ya i know... and that's most likely why i got it. it seemed like it sat online for awhile but when i had seen it the ad said price reduced. i know i can have it re-rated but im not trying to open a tow business. in my area there are a few scales but without a light bar, NOT FOR HIRE and a 100lbs rottweiler as copilot i doubt CHP will think im trying to pick customers up. my unlaiden is 7590 and yes i know if i hit a scale loaded i could be in trouble.

i got it because it had never been a commercial tow truck. one owner who used it for personal use for his dismantling business.

compared to my neck of the woods, you have NO scales.

 

[NO_SPRK]

compared to my neck of the woods, you have NO scales.

very true but i never buy any cars up here. so i have to deal with your bs too. im always in the east and south bay. frisco, sac area. mendo and humbolt... chico.. i go everywhere.

 

[towcat]

very true but i never buy any cars up here. so i have to deal with your bs too. im always in the east and south bay. frisco, sac area. mendo and humbolt... chico.. i go everywhere.

drop by my neck of the woods sometime and I'll buy lunch. I'm on the west side of SJC.

 

[NO_SPRK]

drop by my neck of the woods sometime and I'll buy lunch. I'm on the west side of SJC.

mmm food!

 

[Fordman75]

the trans mounted parking brake is a mixed blessing. there's only one pint of oil lubricating the bearing and if you ever accidentally leave the brake engaged and the unit overheats from friction, the oil seals fail and the oil is lost. currently, service parts for the parking brake assembly is proprietary to ZF and they have yet to release the seal part numbers for rebuilding. ZF is more than happy to sell a rebuilt unit for $900/exch.

I think they sell parts for the ZF brake assembly here:

http://www.allstategear.com/ZFParkingBrake.htm

 

[towcat]

I think they sell parts for the ZF brake assembly here:

http://www.allstategear.com/ZFParkingBrake.htm

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[88beast]

welcome towcat already knows we in the rust belt hate you cali guys and your pretty rust free trucks.
but the fsd thing wouldnt be too hard to do
measure the frame it should be the same as a fsd being chassie cab and all.
if so rear axle will bolt up
the driveline brake will need the cable from the fsd but pedal should interchange
front axle could be trickier towcat can comment on the differences all he needs to do is look out the window im sure he got both sitting there.
but it shouldnt take much either
and starting fluid is fine long as the gps are disconnected i did this for 2 years and now am runing plugs again
check compression the motor may just have a few bad injectors or even need head gaskets
good luck