Encouragement needed!

[pybyr]

Between my alternator taking a dive a couple of weeks ago and discovering that all of the rubber fuel hoses are fossilized and in need of replacement-

-I'm getting discouraged about whether this truck is going to be an endless pit of time and $-

I know that the fuel lines are a well-known issue; what's irritating is that the truck had been maintained by a professional garage that focuses on big trucks [the truck belonged to a local fire department, and I bought it with only 12,000 miles on it] -so I'd have thought that someone would have noticed and taken care of at least some of the lines.

It's clear to me now, having worked on it some, that the shop that was supposedly in charge of maintenance (A) never took care of anything until it failed; and (B) tended to just replace parts without diagnosing root causes.

So I now know I need to identify what's at risk of failing due to ravages of time, and take care of those things in order before they give me grief.

I'm willing and able to do that.

What I DO need, _badly_, at the moment is some encouragement that a truck of this series (1989 7.3 NA, E4OD; Dana 60 kingpin front axle, 10.25 Sterling rear axle] that only had 12,000 miles on it, was generally maintained (at least fluids and filters), and kept in heated garages _should_ have a lot of relatively trouble-free and relatively low-cost miles and years in it as long as I get out in front of the neglected items.

Thanks

 

[ocnorb]

Sounds like you've got an excellent core to work with.

Sitting is ******* vehicles, especially the components that are made of plastic and rubber. Expect them to be aged and in need of replacement. It seems to me that once you get these minor annoyances taken care of you will have one cool truck that will last you as long as you want to make it last.

I am in a similar situation. The motor for my project '57 IH was in a C&C motorhome that sat around alot. It only has 40K miles on it, but I'm sure there will be some surprises when I get it up and running.

A professional shop will often cause more problems than they fix, depending on who they have doing the work. Even the best pros will not care about your truck as much as you do. For this reason I try to do as much of the maintenance and repairs on my own vehicles as I can.

Remember, it could always be worse!! Have you seen some of the greaseball motors with 300K+ miles that some of our friends here are managing to keep alive! Your motor is probably spotless compared to most IDI motors out there!!


Now get to work!

 

[itsacrazyasian]

well unfortunately that's how many shops work.

Put the time and effort into making it right and the truck will good. When i was building my truck i took the time and effort to replace ALL lines, anything rubber, etc while i had the truck apart. When i did the 4wd swap, the front end got rebushed and rebuilt. I shouldnt have to look at it again for some time.

 

[Diesel_brad]

Just because the truck has only 12k on it means NOTHING, it is still 22 years old.

As stated above, anything rubber that is original, just change it. I would venture to say it still has the original tires at 12k? being garage kept they probably are not dry rotted but are JUNK because they are old.

Original hoses? Junk
Original fuel lines? Junk
Original tires? Junk
Seal even that old? Junk

Sitting is really ******* soft parts stuff gets hard and brittle

 

[pybyr]

Thanks. Thankfully the tires are not as old as the truck- front ones brand new when I bought it.

I won't be able to do this all in one swoop, but I guess I just need to start identifying "likely suspects" (based on fluid weep/ and or risk of major consequences in the event of sudden failure] and picking them off as time and budget [both in sorta short supply] allow.

Thanks for the perspective. It is clear to me from the things I've done that various steps I take are not merely keeping it together, but getting it back in better running condition (my headlights are brighter than ever with my redone alternator).

 

[poolguy]

FWIW I bought a F700 a few years ago that only had 18k miles from a local fire dept..
I, like you, thought I would never get ahead of all the problems associated with age and just sitting. The allison trans went out uder the 1st good load. I also found out that although the mileage was low, the hours (running time) was quite high. All that aside, it turned out to be a VERY good truck, and served me well. Like ocnorb said, just get in front and stay there. Good luck.
Chuck

 

[pybyr]

Thanks- I guess I just need to keep looking at what's weeping fluid or that could have a sudden major failure, and start picking them off as time and budget (both limited) allow.

 

[Rot Box]

Hell its much better than a payment on a new truck At the time I couldn't live without a crew cab 5 speed IDI 4x4 and they're hard to find around here so naturally I ended up with a really neglected one. My advice is give it a good hard look and make a list of needed repairs and questionable parts especially on wear items. Some things are critical others can wait until you have time and/or money. Old fuel lines, coolant lines, fuel pump, radiator cap (seriously) etc. are all things that can quickly lead to problems and replacing them is cheap insurance. It costs more but use quality parts and not parts store/henco en China crap. I would also recommend making a VERY detailed list of every screw turned or item fixed/replaced. I'm pretty forgetful and looking back on my service records really helps me it also helps you keep track of wear items and it makes it easier to stay on top of them when you can see how old they are.

I put a ton of money into mine fixing these nickle and dime problems just to have the radiator and clutch fail in the same week When its fixed its done the way you want it and that is a good feeling... Every F-series I've owned was a money pit, but a lot of that has to do with them being 25 years old!

 

[gonecrazyi]

It took me 3 years and a ton of parts to get mine reliable after it sat under a tree for a few years. Now I have no problem hooking to a big trailer and going on 4 or 500 mile trips to pick up parts trucks. Just keep at it and you will have her fixed up in no time.

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

i cheated.
i knew exactly what to expect with old trucks.
i drove an f150 into the ground while saving up not just for the truck,but thousands extra i knew that would be required to transform it into the truck i needed and replacement of worn out parts.
it wasn't much fun waiting while using half the truck i needed lol,but sure made it nice to actually "afford" the truck i have now.
old parts,trucks that sit = bad combo.have to be ready for anything to happen at any time.if not,you probably couldn't afford to have bought it yet.
took me years to get into the diesel truck,but i knew if i just jumped in without the cash ready,id be getting nowhere fast.
worked out perfect.
1 break down and that was just a bad batch of fuel with loads of water that froze my filter.
had i known how good diesel 911 was,i wouldn't even have broken down and towed it home.
i poured that in the tank and let my e-pump prime me for 5-10 mins and she was ready for work again.i could have done that beside the road! ahh well.wasn't far,and just drug it with another truck,but could have saved my morning.
anyway,there's a LOT of expense to properly maintain a vehicle.if you cant maintain and fix it properly,you could do like i did,just go without while driving something much cheaper.but that sure would be hard to do now,now that i know what iv been missing!

in short,
just keep working away at her.if shes solid;she worth it.
new diesel trucks,even just the first gen PSD's cost so much more.new 6.4l and 6.7l - i don't even understand that.who wants to work so much just for the tool to work? lmao.no thank you.

don't get discouraged.just know with every wrench turned,with every nut and bolt replaced,with every bloody knuckle,your not just a little more poor lol,but just another step closer to having just as reliable transportation as a brand new truck.

 

[hesutton]

Thanks- I guess I just need to keep looking at what's weeping fluid or that could have a sudden major failure, and start picking them off as time and budget (both limited) allow.

If you look at every single issue it can get overwhelming. Just try and take it one issue at a time. Prioritize them for most to least important and start to check them off when you get the time and money to do so. Like others have said, an old truck will need some TLC. That doesn't mean it is a huge pile of crap.

Heath

 

[funnyman06]

All i have to say is once you get all of the maintenance issues taken care of these trucks will be incredibly reliable. I love my truck to death, it has been one of the most reliable cars I've owned. I change the fluid, check the belts, and do what i can to take care of it, and it returns the favor. Work through it and it will repay you.

 

[Exekiel69]

12k miles on it and You're complaining, come on, fuel lines is a given sounds like the truck sat more than was driven by far and alternator well they do give up some times, mine did after 12 years and replaced with a motorcraft G3. The fact that was owned and 'maintained' by a mech doesn't mean it was with the best stuff but some times the opposite and with lots of shortcuts.

Now for the encouragement , with such low miles You should have a heck of a good truck with many years of good service ahead, as long as You give it good maintenance with no shortcuts and possibly some upgrades like a turbo kit.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Lots of good advice already given, especially the bit about writing EVERYTHING down, preferably in a note-book.

I write down and record details about every operation, no matter how trivial it may seem.

I record part-numbers/brand of anything replaced and also record any bearing numbers on bearings that may not have gotten replaced just then.

I make notes of which tools and wrench sizes were needed for each task.

I drain any fluids into clean clear measurable containers and record the refill capacity of any component, right down to the ounce.



I also keep "to-do" lists, a list for immediate priority, a list for necessary but can wait, and a list of improvements and add-ons.

I refer to these lists prior to any off-time when I can work on the trucks, so that I am sure to have all the little ducks in a row before said free time occurs.

 

[Sycostang67]

Sometimes you just need to take a break from it as well. My truck (1993) was getting on my nerves, I have to pull my injectors...again, flywheel is going to crap, oil leak is getting worse, got some glow plugs failing that are only a year old. I was ready to start truck hunting again. Instead I got the 86 as a temporary rig so I can take a break from the 93 and come back to it with a cool head.