"Snake Eyes" 1985 F350 Project Thread

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Hey everyone, I wanted to put together a thread for my current project. This is "Snake Eyes", my 1985 F350 cab/chassis truck. With a sleeper and gooseneck, this truck was supposedly a hotshot rig in Texas during the beginning of its life. Its got a 6.9 paired to a t19 transmission. For the backstory, my late uncle bought this truck around some time in 2014. I would have been about 10 then. He purchased it from a rancher in PA who used it to haul cattle. He had always owned old Ford pickups, which definitely started my love for 80-97 trucks. This F350 was like my "poster car". He had told me he was going to give it to me when I turned 16 for years.

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(<The F350 sometime around 2017)
Unfortunately, he passed away from cancer in 2019. The truck had needed a lot of work by then, so it was worked out that I would take a gasser '86 that he had owned(My first project, I had worked on it for over two years. I sold it due to massive engine problems and severe rot last year). A good friend of his took over the F350, and that was the last I would see of it...
Until last September. I saw it on marketplace while I was at work, and very quickly arranged to buy it. This also happened to be the weekend before my birthday, which was super cool. Getting there felt like the purchase scene from Christine. We were in the middle of nowhere, and the truck was parked outside underneath a pine tree. It was covered in a mix of sap and dirt, I could best describe it as a really sticky soot. The interior was kinda torn apart, and the front end had been hit pretty good.

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[dbg03]

The first thing I did when we got it home was clean it up real good, and swap out the drivers side door so it wasn't exposed to the elements.(the original door was missing its glass, and had been open for a year).

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We also got it started, but it ran like hot garbage. It barely idled and was puking oil from the heat exchanger. I put on a lift pump and return lines, and used all of the winter to prepare to pull the motor. Last week I pulled the motor itself.

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While its out, I am gonna run a compression test. Depending on how that goes, I will be throwing on an injection pump, fixing the oil leak, and I am also going to put a new clutch in. Of course I am going to take a good deal of time cleaning and painting the engine. As far as the truck goes, I plan on cleaning up and painting the firewall. I will also put on new fenders and try to touch up the little things that would be much more difficult with the engine in. So that concludes both the backstory and my general progress up to this point. My immediate goal is to get it roadworthy this summer. After that, It will be a a drive and go restoration, working my way back. My realistic intermediate term plans include
-Reupholstery work to the bench seat and part of the sleeper.
-fix the remaining front end damage
-rust repair
-paint for the cab and front end(a good 1-2 years out if time is good to me lol)
That's all for now, thank you for reading. I look forward to updating this thread as I make progress!:^)

 

[IDIBRONCO]

There's been other on here younger than you, but not too many. Keep up the good work. Slow and steady will get it done.

 

[Danielle]

This is awesome. There's a truck similar to yours I've been super creepy stalking, I want it so bad. It's just dead in a field of other dead ones! But I don't know how to find or beg the owner

 

[Jesus Freak]

That truck is legit!

 

[dbg03]

This is awesome. There's a truck similar to yours I've been super creepy stalking, I want it so bad. It's just dead in a field of other dead ones! But I don't know how to find or beg the owner

I'm pretty sure you might be able to speak to your county clerk and find out who owns the land. It would be pretty sweet to snag it, Theres something awesome about saving a field truck.

 

[dbg03]

That truck is legit!

Thank you!

 

[Old Goat]

The Sleeper is the right size to not over bear it.
Seen some look like take off`s from a Semi.
Yours is balanced out pretty good.


Goat

 

[dbg03]

The Sleeper is the right size to not over bear it.
Seen some look like take off`s from a Semi.
Yours is balanced out pretty good.


Goat

Thank you, I agree. Out of every hotshot rig I've seen, I think mine looks the best proportion wise. The flatbed helps the look too I think. It's a neat little configuration, I hope to do some camping in it when I get it roadworthy.

 

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4/29/24 Update
Fortunately last week was a good week for me truck-wise. Last Saturday I ran a compression test, and got a pretty even recording of 300-320 PSI for everything. Satisfied with these results, I've ordered everything I need for the fuel system, and a set of glow plugs. I was also able to score a headlight bezel and some cab lights, so I should be able to get my front end looking proper again. While waiting for stuff, I threw on a hood and put some of the interior back together temporarily. I still have to fix some of the wiring underneath the dash and reinstall the wiper/light switches.

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With my worries about the compression cleared, I am now going to be working on the engine bay, and engine itself. The biggest roadblock so far is the rad support. I found a decent rust spot near the headlight holes. While I don't think it is a structural issue at the moment, I still want to take care of it lol. Regardless, for the engine bay my current checklist is to
-Pull fenders/rad support
-Paint the firewall/ insides of new fenders
-Fix and paint the rad support
-Organize and tidy up wiring
-Restore inner fenders/plastics
-paint frame/suspension components(POR15?)
-TONS of cleaning
-Install grille bezel
-Further straighten bumper
and for the engine itself
-Clean off all dirt and grease from the block
-Reseal the heat exchanger
-Sandblast and paint engine accessory brackets
-Sandblast and paint air cleaner
-Prep and paint valve covers
-Paint engine
-Install injection pump, injectors, and glow plugs
-Install flywheel and clutch
I want to do a 7.3 glow plug controller retrofit too, I have to take a look at my current setup. Right now the truck has a push button for the glow plugs, But I think it just sends power to the controller instead of sending straight power to the plugs. Either way I want it to have a more factory cycle where I don't have to press anything. That's all I got for now. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read through this, and to anyone who has commented. Hopefully I will have a majority if not all of that list completed by the time I update this thread.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

But I think it just sends power to the controller instead of sending straight power to the plugs.

It probably sends power to the relay that activates the glow plugs. When you do this, you don't even need the problematic controller. I have a push button in my 1985 and didn't bother to install a controller when I swapped a 7.3 in. It hadn't been plugged in with the 6.9 so I couldn't see the need to put a controller in. A button won't hold up to the amount of power needed to heat the flow plugs.

 

[dbg03]

It probably sends power to the relay that activates the glow plugs. When you do this, you don't even need the problematic controller. I have a push button in my 1985 and didn't bother to install a controller when I swapped a 7.3 in. It hadn't been plugged in with the 6.9 so I couldn't see the need to put a controller in. A button won't hold up to the amount of power needed to heat the flow plugs.

Actually I think you are right about straight to relay. I was guessing that the dash light for the plugs came from the controller, but it probably makes more sense coming from the relay. That being said, aren't the 7.3 controllers a lot more reliable than the 6.9's? That was the general consensus that I had seen. The button is nice, but I like having stuff work as it would have new. That and I would like to reinstall a 12v supply lol. The button is where the old cigarette lighter would have been.

 

[KansasIDI]

I use a fender mount style starter solenoid that is controlled with a button for glow plugs on my service truck. I gave glow plugs one last chance. Put them in about a month and a half ago, so far so good. ACDelco this time.

 

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7/19/24 Update - It Runs!!
Hello everyone, it has been a minute since I've posted. I have been pretty busy, but I am making progress with the truck. I've finally got the 6.9 running, and it runs great! I spent a considerable amount of time cleaning it, it seemed like there was a quarter inch of mud in places.

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I've changed the entire fuel system, replaced the glow plugs, and resealed the oil cooler. It's a night and day difference. Wednesday night we primed the fuel system, and it fired up almost immediately.

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<-- this is a link to the bench startup if anyone is interested in watching!

The front end of the f350 has also been put back together(for the most part). I found my old F-250 that I briefly mentioned in my first post parted out on marketplace, and bought back a few parts for it. I still have to replace the bumper, but it's starting to look decent again.

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I fixed my seized up windshield wiper motor, and also picked up some sentimental items back from my old pickup. With any luck, I will have it road worthy by September. That's all I've got for now. I look forward to updating here again, and hopefully more frequently :^)