Working with what I got, and starting to make some headway. Don’t mind the mess 😅



Ip is off, and will have injectors out tomorrow so they can be sent to Giles for a 300hp pump build, and 20% over extrude honed injectors.



Got the adapter in from Wildhorse, choose this adapter because of the steel construction. Just test fitting it, the engine will be completely cleaned and painted within the next couple weeks.

Engine mounts from destroked will be here in a couple weeks too, and after some funds are available again, the clutch and flywheel will be here shortly after.

In the mean time I will soon begin stripping down the F550, salvaging what I need and selling the rest. Will use as much as I can aside from the engine, such as the radiator, intercooler, fan and shroud, ac condenser, brake and clutch pedal assembly, brake booster and clutch master cylinder. Body will be parted out completely. May use the seats too.

Once it is down to bare frame all the parts should be in, and engine put back together so that I can nestle the Cummins into it’s new home. The goal is to have it moving before snow flies.

 

Pump and injectors are on their way to Giles, am having him replace the nozzles as well flow honed 20% over and re popped. Engine mounts are in, and I just picked up an s475 for the compound set up.

Once dieselpowersource has hot pipes back in stock for the he351cw to the s475, will get it down here so I can start mocking up the compounds. In the mean time just parting out the F550.

 

Been a while since an update, been busy.



A little redneck but getting it done.



My rear picking mount for the come along broke. Luckily I got the chassis out and was far away when the body dropped.



Pressure washing time. Which ultimately led to my decision to have the whole frame, axles, suspension and steering parts sand blasted and re-painted.



Head off and sent to the machine shop tomorrow for fire rings. Head studs should be here end of the week.



Removing rear axle for blasting.



Collection



And front axle for blasting



Will be doing new brakes all around too.



And that’s where I am at so far. With any luck I will have everything painted and ready for reassembly within the coming month. Hopefully in two months I will have a drivable chassis, than the fun of mounting the old 1st gen body on top of it all.

Which is essentially why I am posting here, 1st gen engine and body, bit of a Frankenstein! Am pretty well positive there will be no other truck like this around!

 

Man that was a LOT of crap stuffed between the fenders, around that motor & under the hood!!! Once the Cummins is in there you'll have room to serve tea!

Looks like most of the hard, dirty work is done (well, after sandblasting anyway...), so you're at a milestone.

Got lucky with the cab fail! Much damage or were you trying to salvage it anyway? And better upgrade that little yellow hook on the motor too, it looks a bit small and could fail too...

How did those piston bowls and cylinder walls look?

 

Haha! There is no doubt about that!

Am glad that there was not a lot on the ford that I wanted to salvage, it allowed me to just cut and tear stuff out which made the process a little easier. Part of the reason why I want the older body style of the dodge is just for this exact reason, engine space. Aside from the also obvious reason of my love of the 1st look and the sheer simplicity.


Am still shaking my head, too many close call lessons in life from cutting corners, and apparently the lesson has still not completely stuck. The yellow hook is actually a rated lifting hook, rated for far more than what I am lifting.

Was told this engine had 180,000km when pulled, and it definitely looks to be true, aside from some carbon build up on a couple valves, everything looked mint.

 

Still chipping away.

A friend came with his industrial blaster and did the frame and axles, afterwards I sprayed everything with a rust enamel primer than polyamide epoxy.










Tomorrow I will be blasting and painting the rest of the steering, suspension and crossmember pieces, so I can finally begin putting the pieces back together.

Just have to press some new ball joints into my knuckles and replace the inner and out axle seals, and I can work towards getting this chassis rolling again.

Anyone know of a decent alternative to rivets? Will use bolts for most of the pieces, but some of the rivets along the top frame rail need to have a flat head.

 

Wow, looking good!!!

 

Very nice job and great attention to details I look forward to to each new segment on this build

 

Blasted and primed, finish coat sometime this week.

 

That is a tremendous amount or work!

 

And by the end of all this work, I should have a ‘next to new’ condition work truck! 😁 Something nearly completely mechanical in operation that I can work on myself, with some seriously heavy duty components and the heart and looks of a 1st gen.

Will admit though, the amount of work needing to be done is a daunting thought! Am still curious to see how far off the body mounts will be for the 1st gen cab and clip, and how much modification will be needed. Part of me hopes I will get lucky, the realist knows it’s going to be a pain!

My friend who is the sand blaster has a 1st gen obsession, worse (better?) then me, and I went to his place yesterday to pick out a cab and clip. Found a straight, no rust 89 regular cab, just have to switch the doors out for manual cranks. That will be the next big sand blasting job in the spring once all the mounts, firewall and clip modifications are figured out. Hopefully in a month I’ll be ready for him to bring it out to me.

 

I think the biggest hurdle will be getting the front clip to line up with the cab. Nothing a welder and some fabbed parts can't fix though!

 

Yes your right, and modifying the rad support to shoe horn a 1.5 times the size radiator and intercooler.

 

Everything painted and got my head back from the machine shop with o-rings.

 

Been a while since an update, but unfortunately there is not a lot to update as things got put on a bit of a stand still.

My shop was not prepared for winter to roll in, and I lost the air temperature needed to finish the last coat of urethane. So I have been chipping away at getting the shop insulated and putting a heater in to prepare for finishing paint. Slow going when the piggy bank was thrown at the truck 😂

In the mean time am going through and resealing the engine.



At this point, I am so tempted to put a cam in to help the compounds, but the list of things to do is already constantly growing, and the finish line keeps getting further away that I will just leave well enough alone. Not doing passes at the track anyhow, just need this girl to tow…..just seems so appropriate with so much working real estate available with the engine right now!

With any luck, after the paint hurdle has been jumped, progress should really start picking up until it’s time to transplant the engine and body. Nearly all the parts needed are just sitting and waiting for me.