88 f250 saved from savage nature

[wrecked]

7.3 n/a idi I darned near tripped over while doing an engine swap on a 2018 Polaris Ranger 500 at Eagan lake BC. (That's south-central British Columbia, just shy of the arctic ice flows and about halfway to the land of oil, beer and cow farts over on the smelly side of the rockies)

It had sat alone in a field where it broke down 19 years ago and had pretty much become one with the aspens, sawgrass and critters. Long story short (or vise versa?) two group 31 batteries, a couple litres of straight 30, half a litre of dexron3 in the dry power steering pump and a whiff of ether and I drove it onto a trailer for home and fell madly in love with it.

After replacing the return lines, all oils, fluids and filters -- including diesel -- it looked like the two of us (Me and my Arrow) ...

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...aka ugly truck, dodged mother nature's cold knobby hand. But time was waiting in the wings it seems...

In this thread I hope to describe the problems that are slowly manifesting and with some luck and copious amounts of hard liquor I shall attempt to address them. If you feel inclined to fire off a few deeply offensive insults, please feel free, but the odd answer to what ails would also be gratefully appreciated.

On to problem one, after showing you some nude pics of the beast in the next post...

 

[wrecked]

I guess I gotta do some book learnin on how to post pics etc here... Stay tuned.

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[wrecked]

Interior shots

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[wrecked]

Dunno why I'm getting doubles... Brain nearing max capacity, shut down imminent!

 

[IDIBRONCO]

That's a different looking bed. I've never seen one like it before. It looks pretty good.

 

[miles1400]

that front bumper is sweet, its awesome that it sill has the cigarette lighter too, is it a dark blue color paint?

 

[wrecked]

that front bumper is sweet, its awesome that it sill has the cigarette lighter too, is it a dark blue color paint?

Yep. I think it's called Ford blue? Cheap in other words. But I like it.

 

[wrecked]

I was gonna pick brains about a weeping fuel pump and obscure air intrusion, but as usual I'm chasing my tail. She was getting hard to start on cold-ish mornings and has the whiff of diesel with the heater going. Actually bought some fittings to plumb in an electric primer...

However, putting the block-kettle on for 2 hours makes things right as rain, fires up in about 2 seconds and doesn't stutter even slightly. I am wondering though, if I'm gonna get slammed for electricity? How many watts does the oem glycol tea machine use?

Also noticed a slow clutch release from the get go that became a decided creaking/groaning peddal, but a little jolt of spray grease on the shaft sent those problems packing. Almost a quick shift now, but I kinda got used to using the syncro more than the clutch to be honest.

In other words Arrow is still defying nature itself!

Edit: shoulda said, #7 glow plug is snapped off flush with the manifold. Needless to say it ain't working. Someday it'll get fixed.

 

[wrecked]

And I heard tale Ford heaters are freaking awesome, but mine bites. The cables were seized and the core exploded a few days in, but I freed up the linkages etc and she's got a new core, yet still the air flow is rubbish. Am I going to have to pull the heater box and reseal it? Is it like VW heaters with crap foam that turns to dust, or is it just a weak heater?

 

[Greenie]

Two hours prior to starting is usually enough time for the block heater to warm the engine enough for starting. The factory block heater Google says is 1,000 watts. Here in Maine at .15 per KWH that's 30 cents for 2 hours or $1.20 for 8 hours. What is worse is the heater boils coolant it contacts pressurizing the system. The freeze plug hole the block heater is inserted in can develop small cracks radiating outward with block heater overuse.

 

[wrecked]

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Stomping the terra firma...

 

[wrecked]

I'll keep experimenting with boiler time. Sounds like a hoot!

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I've always wondered about the effect of deliberately boiling coolant. Can you say alkaline,aka caustic soda? Intake manifold isn't a tough job, but the weather soon will be. It's gonna be a cold, snowy winter in these parts...

Edit: 1000 watts plus the chicken coop, plus lights, over used hot water tank and stove/ drier. Add a block heater and mindless increases in power cost and I should be broke by spring. Cool!

 

[IDIBRONCO]

The freeze plug hole the block heater is inserted in can develop small cracks radiating outward with block heater overuse.

Mostly in the early 6.9s with the A block. I haven't seen or heard of this happening with a later 6.9 B block or a 7.3. I supposed it could still happen if it was -30F and you plugged it then. If they know that it's going to be that cold, most people plug them in when the engine's still warm from running.

 

[Vern]

I'd love to have bed sides fold down! Mine, a xl with xlt aspiritions, I rescued mine from Ft. Mac's climate of dust and short patience, brought it back from abandonment ultimately to the salty east coast. Talk about clogged vents and heater passages! Many miles it appeared to have run with that darn flappy thing flapping open. may be as many as are on your odometer. Good luck with heater not sure about that, bye. I think they are valve regulated. I had my dash all apart a time or two - she got xlt doors and needed wiring for the power windows, for one - and there was lots of funny business to address with the furnace pipes.

I acquired it w/oil pan heater along with the regular boiler and man it was fun with the two different identical plugs by times. Boilers are suppose to be temperature regulated, but I've seen them not be that. Perhaps partly it was oversized for the engine but I had one that would boil the heck out of the little cast iron 4.135 poolant. I found with the somewhat hesitant old 7.3 engine a couple of hours was more then adequate. I say 'old' since I've put an east coast ambulance motor in just recent. Kinda want cut the epoxied on pad heater from the old bent up oil pan. I was much more comfortable with walking away from the 150w pad heater for whatever time. in good time.

SOunds like you and your arrow are cheeching back to life nicely. good luck with her and with all the entropy-ic events that inevitably sprout up.

 

[chillman88]

That's a different looking bed. I've never seen one like it before. It looks pretty good.

I agree kinda. I like it, but I would have to chop it up and fix the body lines, that would drive me nuts!