79 Ford F250 crewcab 12valve swap

overbored · 12-15-2010, 04:03 PM

Well you guys, I am about 2 weeks into my swap, and things are moving along kind of like I planned.

My big deviation from other swaps I have seen on this site is the engine crossmember. I couldn't get the engine low enough for my picky-ness, or far enough to the passenger side ( I wanted to match the Ford 460 centerline so the shifters would fit in the tunnel like stock ) so I just wacked out the stock crossmember, and made a new one. I could see no reason for it to be angled in the chassis, and it kind of screwed up ac pump access, so I squared it up, and scalloped the frame for ac pump clearance.

I don't have pictures here (yet) of the fan/radiator clearance, but I wound up with about 1 1/4 " from the stock fan to the stock Ford radiator.

Special thanks to Chasetruck and Hrdrkn for their detailed photos to help me devise a plan. I wish I could weld like you guys.

More to come as soon as I have more.

ChaseTruck754 · 12-15-2010, 06:02 PM

Cross member looks good.

To get the pics to load in the text - when in your album, drag your mouse over the thumbnail of the pic you want to post and a little pull down menu will pop up. Click on the bottom line of that (IMG code) and it will say "copied". then just paste that into your text here.

Here is a little test for you.

here is the image I just copied

and if you add a space between the link and [IMG] coding it looks like this - and the pic will not display
[IMG] http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/x...7/DSCN0135.jpg [/IMG]

This is the same as above - just with the spaces removed!

overbored · 12-16-2010, 02:23 AM

Thanks Chasetruck for your instructions on posting. It worked exactly as you suggested. Hopefully tomorrow I will get a few more gusset plates installed (or at least fitted and tacked in, and will get some new pics. My clutch (thanks to Wayne at Midwest Truck Products) is supposed to show up on Monday, and I can mount the drivetrain for the last time. Working on clutch master cylinder mounting right now. Drive lines should be done by then, and the front clip can go back on.

It sure seems like I spend a lot more time scratching my head than actually building anything, but its a lot of fun.

4wydnr · 12-17-2010, 03:11 PM

Looks great! Keep up the nice work, these are awesome trucks especially with the cummins power.

For the master cylinder you will definitley need to re-inforce your firewall. I had mine all setup and pushed the clutch in the first time and the firewall flexed so much it never moved the slave cylinder.

overbored · 12-17-2010, 11:12 PM

Thanks 4wydnr,
I am thinking about doing a small (1/8"x4"x4") Plate on both sides of the firewall with an arm inside the firewall back to the steering column support.
I don't know if that description makes any sense in writing, but it looks to be doable.

What did you do for a throttle linkage. I did the heat-n-bend it to death on the factory pedal lever, and it looks like a solid rod may work for a linkage.
That is one of the next items on the list.

Got all my motor mount gussets and crossmember gussets welded in today. More pics on Sunday.

m350 · 12-18-2010, 06:32 AM

Looks Good,,,some nice fab work there !! Congrates on the Conversion,,should be a sweet 79' when done,,,,Power,,Fuel milage,,low taxs,,,and keeping the old truck alive !!

***JakeDiesel*** · 12-18-2010, 08:15 AM

niice work

overbored · 12-19-2010, 12:37 AM

Thanks.

I finished up the engine crossmember tonight, and added the gussets to the pass side frame. Also finished the scallop for the a/c pump. Added a little extra "anti-flex" to the engine mounts, too.

Tomorrow I will clean up the frame and paint my tranny/t-case crossmember, engine mounts, and front frame rails.

Monday I am supposed to receive my clutch so I can put the engine and tranny/t-case back for the last time (I hope).

Here is a few pics...........

***JakeDiesel*** · 12-19-2010, 08:43 AM

looks good but y did u drill those holes in your crossmember in the first pic?

4wydnr · 12-19-2010, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by overbored

Thanks 4wydnr,
I am thinking about doing a small (1/8"x4"x4") Plate on both sides of the firewall with an arm inside the firewall back to the steering column support.
I don't know if that description makes any sense in writing, but it looks to be doable.

What did you do for a throttle linkage. I did the heat-n-bend it to death on the factory pedal lever, and it looks like a solid rod may work for a linkage.
That is one of the next items on the list.

Got all my motor mount gussets and crossmember gussets welded in today. More pics on Sunday.

I think I can picture what you are going to do for the firewall. That sounds like it should work but might be a little overkill. I just welded a 1/4x4x6 piece of steel on the engine side of the firewall to give it some strength.

For the throttle I used the dodge pedal and cable. I just drilled a hole through the firewall and squared it up with a file to fit the cable housing.

***Orangeracer*** · 12-19-2010, 09:58 PM

Great. i love it. I can't wait to get my ford cummins

overbored · 12-20-2010, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JakeDiesel

looks good but y did u drill those holes in your crossmember in the first pic?

If you look at the earlier photos, There is a piece of the crossmember inside of the frame rail (along with the lower edge of the frame) in back of that plate. I wanted to make the crossmember "whole" so I plugwellded the plate to this piece, and to the bottom frame rail.

Thanks for the compliments