Quick Q from potential purchaser...

[Hit Man X]

Hi guys -

Been a lurker here for a while, don't really post as I don't have an IDI yet. Been searching for an '86-91 F350 CCLB, 4x4, SRW or DRW, manual for quite some time. I think I found it, it's a '90 so I have a few questions...

Guy claims it's a 4x4 with DRW. Were these available like that in '90? I wasn't sure. Seems the stock size tire is a 235/85R16... is it possible to run 265/75R16s on a DRW? Are most of them 4.10:1 geared trucks?

What else should I be aware of when checking this rig out? I own an '88 F150, so I'm fairly up with the body/driveline but the Diesel specific bits to the F-series I'm concerned with (I own three TD vehicles, so I'm hip with Diesel tech already)

Thanks for any insight.

 

[Diesel JD]

Not sure if that combo was available from the factory or not, but I think it might very well be. Can't tell you for sure, but I think 4.10 was real common in the DRW vehicles, its a great pulling gear and a 90 will have some overdrive transmission so it won't hurt your fuel mileage as much as it did on the ones with the C6 or t19. Make sure to find out as much as you can about how well the cooling system has been maintained, basically you want to see that the coolant has been maintained and see SCA in the coolant, if not be aware that the cavitation worm may bite.

 

[Hit Man X]

If there are no records, which I don't believe there will be, can I run any sort of tests on it pre-purchase?

If not, any estimation on how long the motor may hold up before it dies due to improper maintenance?

 

[Optikalillushun]

Run it till it blows!

 

[Diesel JD]

Test the coolant for SCA with Fleetrite test strips. If it shows a bit of additive it probably has been maintained. There's no guarantee about how long that motor might last, if its had good SCA maintenance and oil changes every 3-5 thousand miles it probably has a lot of life left in it.

 

[RLDSL]

You can get a combustion gas leak detector kit from NAPA or snap on for around $60 . It consists of a clear tube that you place a blue dye in , then set it over the radiator opening, and use a squeeze bulb to draw air through the dye. if it changes colour to a yellow green, there is combustion gas present in the cooling system and you have something to worry about, i.e. blown head gasket, cavitation etc, if the dye remains blue, no worries., well almost no worries, it won't tell you if there is a pressure breech from the head gasket to an external point, only a compromised cooling system.

 

[MUDKICKR]

yea what they said but that tire size would be to wide, run a 255/85r16, this tire size is taller then than 265/75r16 and they are skinny enough to run without problems. the 265/75r16 is a 31/10.50, i know the 255/85r16 is 33 inches tall but i cant remember how wide, maybe 9 to 9.5

 

[Hit Man X]

Thanks guys, hopefully it'll play out in my favor!

 

[fsr7]

When I was driving my 86 excab 4x4 dually I went and looked at a CC dually 2wd that was either an 89 or a 90 - this guy had bought the truck off the showroom floor, and claimed that they still didn't make a 4x4 dually stock at that point. Take a look at the rear axle/ inside the dually fenders and at the front suspension - its usually pretty easy to see if it is a dually conversion and easier to spot a 4x4 conversion.

 

[pafixitman]

Ford did not make a 4X4 dually CC F350 until 1999.

 

[Agnem]

Yay! Joe posted.