The chronicles of Lou, '70 F350 dually Cummins project

[Ranchero50]

Don't know how ya'll cope with it Jamie, (the cold) as I have ice on my barn roof down here this morning brrr!

I was so...glad I'd put the 110V engine heater in my last bump as i walk out in 10 degree weather there in TN and have instant defrost and heat the second I started the truck, (not to mention how much easier the starts were).

Is there no way to add an engine heater to the 6BT engine?
Fleabay has so...many of them listed. I believe I got mine for around $40, (metal freeze plug style) but looked hard at the inline hose type.

edit: awesome job on the garage door! It was on my list if I stayed there in Chattanooga-real glad i didn't have to figure out how to manually lift it by myself!

Mine isn't quite that good but it quickens the warm up process by a couple minutes. Truck seldom gets really toasty inside. Not sure it's a thermostat problem or something else as the temp gauge takes forever to come up to the bottom of "warm".

Spent some time out in the wilds yesterday scavenging some washer nozzle from the junkyard in burr cold weather. Felt good to be out but they have scrapped most of the trucks and said they are closing that side out. Got home, and for $17 I had replacement nozzles and new hose. Roued everything and got ready to mount the tank before realising the electrical connection wasn't "right". Seems Ford changed from the late 60's stand alone pump to the internal pump and hadn't updated the wiring in '70 (which is the build date on my harness). So now I need to find a short adapter harness to hook up the pump. My '69 Mustang harness has the correct pump connector but it's hard wired into the harness. I know I have the harness, just don't remember where it went. After a night of snow, sleet and rain I don't think I have it in me to go searching the '70's cars for a connector.

While out in the yard I did find a '68ish F-350 with a factor Ford stake bed that was in decent shape. Thinking about making an offer on it since my diamond plate one's surface is too rough to dump and it's so light it pounds going over bumps. Little things.

[Manny]

Little things? Bed swap seems kinda big however you got this!!!

[Ranchero50]

I love the dump bed, the diamond plate aluminum bit was a great idea until it came to actually using it. The bed is too light and bangs around. The diamond plate is too rough and nothing slides down it well. Kind of a PITA. Plus who wouldn't like a factory FORD script dually bed on an actual dually. The bed sits on 4" x 8" oak timbers that look "factory" which is pretty cool.

I need to get back out there this weekend to see if I can get it for a decent price.

[hfdco4]

Go for it, like you said they are crushing them faster now.

[Manny]

Lots of people have flat beds. But I'm certain very few have a true Ford flatbed.

[hfdco4]

Any updates or accomplishments?

[Ranchero50]

Any updates or accomplishments?

Honestly, just using it as a truck as needed. Got a flat on the Jag so used the truck as a commuter the past couple days. Almost 50 years old and rolls 85+ in the fast lane like it belongs there. Good times.

Needs a head gasket, probably new cab etc in a couple years but it's doing fine as a truck.

[hfdco4]

That's great to hear.

[hfdco4]

How are things going.

[Ranchero50]

to be honest, I've been busy. Old Lou keeps trucking along doing truck stuff. I spent a couple months building a NPR based camper for my folks last year and also picked up a '29 model A that I've built into a speedster.





Life is good.

[hfdco4]

So it looks like you have been slacking off again.... How is the garage doing, did you finish up the repairs you were working on? The two projects look real good.