Dumb things you have done truck wise!

[Jesus Freak]

For several years, back in the 90's, I had a 1975 F150 that someone had swapped a 1971 429 into. I guess I did most of my dumbest stuff in that. Not all, just most of the dumbest. I had a friend whose sister was driving a 1989(?) Mercury Tracer. The ones that were their own car, not just a rebadged E scort. I had noticed it sitting in a parking lot right off of the highway just over half way on my 50 mile drive to work. After a couple of weeks, I happened to be visiting the friend and we saw her. I asked why the car was sitting. She told me that it had broken down. I offered to drive my truck to work the next day with a trailer and bring it back to town for her. Naturally she accepted. Since it was Saturday, I only had to work until noon. The smart thing would have been to leave, pick up the car, and drop it off. Of course, I went to see my girlfriend instead. The hours went by and I finally left to get the car at about 10:00 at night. My plans to load the car went awry. After about an hour of trying, a guy in a white Suburban drove up and asked if he could help. We got the car loaded and it was about perfect on the trailer. I was tired and just wanted to get home at that point. As I was driving, I kept going a little faster and a little faster. I got up to about 80MPH by the time that I had a stop sign on a cross highway. No cars were coming at that time of night so I though "F... it!" I put my foot down and let that big old gas hog come to life. I was driving 105 pulling that car on the trailer and I could barely tell that it was back there. I did that for 7 or 8 miles before I had to slow down for a sharp curve in the road. I didn't do that after the curve, but I sure was awake. I never did tell her about how fast her car could go. Nothing bad happened, but it sure could have. There's no way that I'd try that these days.

......heyyyy @IDIBRONCO , this is similar to when I went and picked up my tow truck and it's THE REASON I BOUGHT A TOW TRUCK!!! So I went to St Augustine to get it, I think @250-300miles but I borrowed a trailer to get it, the trailer was rated for the weight, the 99 F250(with 4.6 gasser, that's another story)was capable of pulling it, BUT when I finally got it loaded there was just a bit too much weight behind the axles of the trailer, but I was married to it.

Guys, i didn't realize until after I went over a long tall 2 lane bridge coming out of St Augustine how bad my situation was, PRAISE GOD the traffic was really bad on that bridge and all I could do was about 25mph as I was getting out of town and I could gain some speed the trailer would pick up the back of the truck and I could barely control it. I almost creamed a state trooper head on the first time it happened. I was scared to death. I figured out that I could do 30-35mph and I was fine, so I took back roads and hwy 90 all the way to Crestview from st Augustine, it was like 2am before I got home. I'm soooo glad I have a tow truck, but I'm still a bit nervous going over bridges because of that.

Here's a picture I took just this side of Tallahassee in a Walmart parking lot. I ate something and collected myself before I went again.

To be candid, it's actually kinda hard to think about it.

 

[KansasIDI]

For several years, back in the 90's, I had a 1975 F150 that someone had swapped a 1971 429 into. I guess I did most of my dumbest stuff in that. Not all, just most of the dumbest. I had a friend whose sister was driving a 1989(?) Mercury Tracer. The ones that were their own car, not just a rebadged E scort. I had noticed it sitting in a parking lot right off of the highway just over half way on my 50 mile drive to work. After a couple of weeks, I happened to be visiting the friend and we saw her. I asked why the car was sitting. She told me that it had broken down. I offered to drive my truck to work the next day with a trailer and bring it back to town for her. Naturally she accepted. Since it was Saturday, I only had to work until noon. The smart thing would have been to leave, pick up the car, and drop it off. Of course, I went to see my girlfriend instead. The hours went by and I finally left to get the car at about 10:00 at night. My plans to load the car went awry. After about an hour of trying, a guy in a white Suburban drove up and asked if he could help. We got the car loaded and it was about perfect on the trailer. I was tired and just wanted to get home at that point. As I was driving, I kept going a little faster and a little faster. I got up to about 80MPH by the time that I had a stop sign on a cross highway. No cars were coming at that time of night so I though "F... it!" I put my foot down and let that big old gas hog come to life. I was driving 105 pulling that car on the trailer and I could barely tell that it was back there. I did that for 7 or 8 miles before I had to slow down for a sharp curve in the road. I didn't do that after the curve, but I sure was awake. I never did tell her about how fast her car could go. Nothing bad happened, but it sure could have. There's no way that I'd try that these days.

This… sounds like what I would have done… lol… I too, have done this. Still do sometimes. My advice, uh, don’t… just… don’t…

 

[mexicanjoe]

Not Ford related but similar: I had a '81 VW Rabbit pick up truck with a 1.5 diesel engine. My brother in law went with me into town(52 miles away) to pick up some items at the parts store. On the way back I filled up at a gas station, without thinking I put 6 gallons of gasoline in the fuel tank that was 1/4 empty. We pushed the VW to the side and I drained what appeared to be 8 gallons of mixture. I then pushed Ol' Yeller up to diesel pumps and filled up. I was nervous wreck driving home until I looked down and saw I saw going 85 mph!!
Ol' Yeller never got up past 70 downhill in the past. My brother in law was astounded as we passed another vehicle on the road. He said" I think we found the magic formula for performance , Bud".
Needless to say I never did that again. Ol' Yeller would get 54 mpg on the highway and 35 in town. Hated to get rid of it , but the body panels were pretty thin and very weak.

 

[ttman4]

And I guess I'll call it ON EDIT:
Reason I run with a solid white tailgate on my 2 tone Midnite Blue & Buckskin '90 CCLB Dually is cause that day I was backing up in 2' of snow in 4x4.......not looking back was cause ANYBODY like me knows where the driveway is, so no need wasting time looking back, right?
I'm pretty sure the 2' of snow moved that 10" Juniper tree over into the driveway, (straight up & down, trunk, limbs, needles, roots, everything)

 

[Austin86250]

I tipped my engine over while on the cherry picker in my driveway. Woke my wife up across the property. @Austin86250 can testify by the big dent in the pan

Hey it fits right in with my 2 other damaged pans from a broken cherry picker, looks like you can buy new pans from rock auto though thankfully

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Was it a two bbl or four bbl...? What carb did you have on it..?

The engine was a 4 bbl, but there was a 2 bbl adapted to it. I have no idea what carb it was. I'm assuming that it was a Motorcraft.

Those engines were torque monsters and had some HP too....

YES they sure did!

I could gain some speed the trailer would pick up the back of the truck and I could barely control it

That's another one that I pulled. It was a 89 F250 with a 7.3, E4OD, and 2nd gen Banks Sidewinder on it. I worked at a paint shop. We painted a lot of things for the galvanizing plant that was about 1/2 mile north of our shop. It was at the edge of town so the speed limit changed from 40 to 55. We used a bumper pull trailer to haul stuff back and forth. We gad painted some light poles that were so long that they hung way over the back of the trailer. The load was heavy enough that the back tires of the truck were practically off the ground. I almost couldn't stop the truck because the trailer would push the back of the truck around and try to jack knife. I couldn't get up and speed because every time that I stepped on the throttle, the back tires would lose traction. I finally got the bright idea to lock in the front hubs and use 4X4 to get me there. I drove about 20 MPH and probably had a lot of people cussing at me, but I didn't care. It still didn't stop very well, but at least I was able to move the poles back to the galvanizing plant. At the time, 20 years ago, I think this plant had the second largest dipping tank in the country so we painted some big things for them.

This… sounds like what I would have done… lol… I too, have done this. Still do sometimes. My advice, uh, don’t… just… don’t…

Well I wasn't too much older than you are. I was around 25 or 26.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Those engines were torque monsters and had some HP too....

YES they sure did!

I can also say that it would out run, acceleration-wise anyway, an early model V8 Dakota that probably had a 318 in it and a 70's model square body Chevy with a 454 in it. The Chevy was pretty easy. The Dakota was a little bit harder.

 

[Jesus Freak]

The engine was a 4 bbl, but there was a 2 bbl adapted to it. I have no idea what carb it was. I'm assuming that it was a Motorcraft.

YES they sure did!

That's another one that I pulled. It was a 89 F250 with a 7.3, E4OD, and 2nd gen Banks Sidewinder on it. I worked at a paint shop. We painted a lot of things for the galvanizing plant that was about 1/2 mile north of our shop. It was at the edge of town so the speed limit changed from 40 to 55. We used a bumper pull trailer to haul stuff back and forth. We gad painted some light poles that were so long that they hung way over the back of the trailer. The load was heavy enough that the back tires of the truck were practically off the ground. I almost couldn't stop the truck because the trailer would push the back of the truck around and try to jack knife. I couldn't get up and speed because every time that I stepped on the throttle, the back tires would lose traction. I finally got the bright idea to lock in the front hubs and use 4X4 to get me there. I drove about 20 MPH and probably had a lot of people cussing at me, but I didn't care. It still didn't stop very well, but at least I was able to move the poles back to the galvanizing plant. At the time, 20 years ago, I think this plant had the second largest dipping tank in the country so we painted some big things for them.

Well I wasn't too much older than you are. I was around 25 or 26.

It's really the reason I got the tow truck, so I'd ,at least, regulate some of the dumb stuff I do.

 

[94turbocrewcab-lb]

Hey Kdo..how was it rebuilding under a tarp? Did you have rust build up or anything. Like that?

 

[Lumberjackchuck]

Dunno where to begin, but I’ve definitely done some **** and made some big spills.

I think I’ve gotten it all in my face and in my mouth to at some point. Anti-freeze, diesel, gasoline, oil…

Atleast the anti-freeze tastes okay

 

[Nero]

It's probably also one of the worst to digest,

 

[Kdo58]

Hey Kdo..how was it rebuilding under a tarp? Did you have rust build up or anything. Like that?

No problems with rust I just kept everything oiled up, and covered up all the parts, and kept the motor covered with towels and a extra tarp, the biggest problem was pine needles.

 

[Jesus Freak]

Hey Kdo..how was it rebuilding under a tarp? Did you have rust build up or anything. Like that?

No problems with rust I just kept everything oiled up, and covered up all the parts, and kept the motor covered with towels and a extra tarp, the biggest problem was pine needles.

I did mine in the carport and during rainy season. Rust tried to beat me but like he said I kept it oiled and lubed and slammed it out.

If you were trying to get it together like I was that would be why you missed the gasket.

 

[Jesus Freak]

Dunno where to begin, but I’ve definitely done some **** and made some big spills.

I think I’ve gotten it all in my face and in my mouth to at some point. Anti-freeze, diesel, gasoline, oil…

Atleast the anti-freeze tastes okay

....heyyyy @Lumberjackchuck ......

 

[Lumberjackchuck]

This was a long time ago, and it was fixing my boss’s wife’s Lincoln Aviator. It needed new timing chains and guides. The guides had broken and left some slack in the chains.

There was a little gear thingy for the crankshaft position sensor that went on the crankshaft behind the front cover of the engine.

Needless to say, at the end of the day when I had it all back together and the last thing in my pile was that thing that goes behind the front engine cover and harmonic balancer…. that thing the darn engine needs to start… yeah I was throwing wrenches