Ford 8000 with a 3208

[Oledirtypearl86]

So might have got a 84 f8000 dump truck with a 3208 cat so plan with it is ditch the garbage bin and put a flatbed onit and use it as as a work truck to haul hay and equipment my big question is how reliable are these motors when turboed and turned up also any idea how much that box weighs

 

[riphip]

Decent opinions on the CAT 3208: https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/ot-cat-3208-diesel-problems-203849/index2.html

 

[Oledirtypearl86]

So been doing a bit of research and apparently for what I paid $250 I can afford to put a new motor in it I'll have it in 6 weeks when I get my arm out of its sling

Oh it comes with a 3408 as a spare

 

[Farmer Rock]

For $250 you better buy,else I will.As for the 3208's they are pretty well known for being the worst medium duty diesel ever made due to consistent bottom end failure around 100k miles.I have never seen a 3208 truck still running with more than 100k on it,and I suppose if you do ,you are on borrowed time.



Rock

 

[Booyah45828]

I'd run the 3208 until it was junk, then swap in the 3408. Those 3208's will be underpowered compared to what you want, but you're on an IDI forum, so you likely know all about that. You can boost them, but it only hurts reliability. IMO they were marginally better then the 8.2 detroit, but worse then the 9.0 IHC. They were made for a good while so you might still be able to find cheap parts for them.

Swapping though, you might run into a problem with the width of the 3408. IIRC one of the big makers had to do some monkey business with the frame to get their engine to fit(might have been mack now that I think of it.)

I was told the 3408 was good, as was the mack E9, but to run from the VT555 cummins.

 

[Isaac Ristow]

I'd run the 3208 until it was junk, then swap in the 3408. Those 3208's will be underpowered compared to what you want, but you're on an IDI forum, so you likely know all about that. You can boost them, but it only hurts reliability. IMO they were marginally better then the 8.2 detroit, but worse then the 9.0 IHC. They were made for a good while so you might still be able to find cheap parts for them.

Swapping though, you might run into a problem with the width of the 3408. IIRC one of the big makers had to do some monkey business with the frame to get their engine to fit(might have been mack now that I think of it.)

I was told the 3408 was good, as was the mack E9, but to run from the VT555 cummins.

You will not fit a 3408 in a medium duty truck lol its a 18 liter beast found in heavy haul trucks and large mining equipment and big gen sets they are based off a 3406. We have a cat 988F wheel loader its a 105,000lb machine.

 

[Isaac Ristow]

3208s aren't bad at all they always fire up in the cold without being plugged in and as long as you do the obvious (keep oil in it, clean filters, warm up and cool downs, don't lug it they will do hundreds of thousands of miles. I have the predecessor 1100 series (1140) in my 69 F6000 ford its been good sat in a field for 25 years untouched and fired right up with fresh fuel. I've been around quite a few 3208s in the gravel pit and never had a issue with one people really talk them down just like the gm 6.2 diesel I have 2 of them I take care of them never had any issues one has a 6.5 turbo on it and I've grossed over 26,500lb on the scale

 

[Booyah45828]

I know how big the 3408 is, I was under the impression the F8000 was a semi truck. At least the one I worked on was. That truck had 40k lb axles with floater tires on it and a cat 3406 engine, was equipped with a large liquid tank and was used to spread liquid manure on fields.

I never vin verified what it was though, maybe someone swapped hoods or something on it. I just know the f8000 I worked on wasn't medium duty by any imagination.

 

[Isaac Ristow]

I know how big the 3408 is, I was under the impression the F8000 was a semi truck. At least the one I worked on was. That truck had 40k lb axles with floater tires on it and a cat 3406 engine, was equipped with a large liquid tank and was used to spread liquid manure on fields.

I never vin verified what it was though, maybe someone swapped hoods or something on it. I just know the f8000 I worked on wasn't medium duty by any imagination.

It is a semi truck but the F8000 was a pickup cab with a big tilt forward hood and the L8000 was a full on semi LTL cab. The F8000 came in single axle or tandem axle too some were specked pretty light others very heavy with double frames etc. The L9000 is when **** got real. I just don't think a 3408 would be practical in a F8000 especially if it came with a 3208, a 3406 would be a more realistic swap.