1978 Crew Cab F250 4X4, 7.3 POWERSTROKE Conversion

markfuga said:

Have you given any thought to the "re-wire" of the engine/trans to run in the 78 truck? I see you have an auto trans so you should have swapped in the donor rear axle so you'll have the speed sensor. The auto trans will need the VSS in the rear axle and the speedometer module from the gauge cluster. The PCM uses this signal (passed from rear axle through speedometer) as part of the transmission shifting code. Without it you'll likely be stuck in 1st gear. I've done many harness re-wires for guys that are swapping PSD's into older trucks so just let me know if you need help with the electrical portion of your swap. Good luck and looks good so far.

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Its funny you mention that.
Eleanor had a correct sterling axle in it when I bought it. In my haste to please the township, I didn't grab the two things you mentioned:
1. speedometer (although I grabbed almost every thing else, just didn't grab the gauges).
2. The speed sensor cable from the rear axle.

Don't be surprised if I do not hit you up on that offer. Electronics is not strong suit. I appreciate your input and am grateful for the offer.

Speedometer and VSS wiring can be pulled from any mid 90's truck at the junkyard. Doesn't need to be a diesel truck, just a Ford Be sure to cut the speedometer connector from the harness when you pull the module.

the pro has a forklift (thank goodness)...

So the removal of the not light drive train was a little more simple.


We left the short box at home, but obviously he needed the rest of the truck...


So this is only supposed to take a month...right...

Long wait

So apparently the PRO and his wife decided to have a child (why wasn't I consulted on this?), so a month was not happening.

So, we get bored up here sometimes. No project to play with, what's a boy to do?

Took some friends to go play in the mud with my 429 powered bronco...



Found a 1963 f100 four by four I couldn't refuse to buy and play with....




Drank lots of beer, had lots of camp fire bench racing...

markfuga said:

Speedometer and VSS wiring can be pulled from any mid 90's truck at the junkyard. Doesn't need to be a diesel truck, just a Ford Be sure to cut the speedometer connector from the harness when you pull the module.

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Time to head to a junkyard then. I appreciate that. This is on the top of my parts list.

You sir, have some killer toys. I've been really thinking about a 429/460 in my 79 Bronco lately....

patricku47 said:

You sir, have some killer toys. I've been really thinking about a 429/460 in my 79 Bronco lately....

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I was lucky and found the bronco that way. 429 was already implanted. The motors a beast in that truck. Although big for trail riding, compared to Jeeps anyway, it made enough power/torque to the point things seemed too easy sometimes when off-roading.

Mines running a mostly stock 351M with an aluminum 4bbl manifold on 36" tires. It's a lot of fun, but leaves some to be desired in the power department.

patricku47 said:

Mines running a mostly stock 351M with an aluminum 4bbl manifold on 36" tires. It's a lot of fun, but leaves some to be desired in the power department.

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I updated the four barrel to a double pumper 750. The 650, vacuum secondary was too small. 35" MT's with C6. Buddy of mine has a doubler transfer case he had in his 1978 Bronco for sale. Be kind of overkill to twin stick a big block though. or is it?? :gun:

several months later

"It's done..."

The best text I have ever received at 7am (besides the "I'm not pregnant ones)...

The motor is in, the drive train is mounted, the down pipe is being built and will be in place, the custom radiator is almost installed, and the dual fans are to be set up...

Picture time....

Do I look like I am running a diesel?


sexy welds...

fits like a glove...

drivetrain is in!

I know its not...

I know its not cleaned up (motor)
I know its not scraped down (frame)
I know the body needs some attention

Right now I am simply mocking everything in to place. Running wires. Figuring out where to put things, mount things, etc. The cleaning, scraping, etc., will all take place in time. I just want to be sure to do this right before I lay down major elbow grease and money in body work, paint, etc...

AXLES

So I have been told by many that my 44 front will not do well under the girth and torque of the power stroke. I don't know if this is true or not, but the point of the build is overkill and just-in-case scenarios, so I look as it as good excuse to upgrade the axle as well.

I shopped around. Apparently a D60 DS drop is worth more than the cure to Ebola. 1200 for an axle? And it would still need rebuilt? Wow, IDK, maybe I have been out of this too long. but that seemed very, very high.

So patience and my handy craigslist phone app couldn't help me either.

So I turned to the interweb, went to a 4x4 group I belong to, and found it, finally.

A fellow bronco rider was upgrading his ride (going to rockwells. Wow, that's massive).

Long story short, he had the correct D60. At the right price to boot. But he wouldn't separate the lot (8 inch lift springs, blocks, and a matching rear sturling axle).

We talked, he said f it. Before I did, thankfully. I bought it all at a great price (800). And he delivered it to my house and helped unload it.

For what I got, I can't complain.

heavy metal...

That's a lot of steel for $800. Taking up lots of space in my garage. Will need to disassemble and sell some of this.



What the seller didn't tell me, which I would have gladly paid extra for, is that the rear was disc brake converted. Bonus! :blitzed:

STANCE

And while I was on the internet, which is a 3 times minimum daily occurrence, in another site's forum, I searched and found some 37" Goodyear Military OZ tires with some rims for the right price.

So of course, I bought them even though the trucks not running at this point yet.
Got home, got excited, wanted to see how the truck sat, if there would be a terrible rake with the PS in the front sitting on clapped out current leafs. So like a kid at Christmas, I tore off the studded snow tires and installed the new hoops.

original snow studded sexiness>>>


single shock will be converted to dual shock once I am ready to put the D60 in... and after a bujillion dollars in stupid unnecessary stuff like air lockers and what not.




No real surprise, a little rake. Nothing new leafs in the front won't fix (hopefully)

front bumper

A few years ago, I was on a business trip. I did as I always do and searched the internet for local parts.
I came across a super heavy duty ranch hand style bumper. I bought it for Eleanor, before I ever bought Eleanor.
Weird how the mind works sometimes...

Anyway, I put the bumper on my Bronco, and now that Eleanor is here, and not running yet, I wanted to put the bumper on anyway to determine how the additional weight (its heavy) would effect the rake/stance.

front bumper continued...

As it was on the bronco...




Needed to pull it off and I will put on the tube bumpers I bought to replace on the Bronco.




Pretty stout bumper...




It fits, but it needs to be set back to be more flush like I had on the bronco.


Still working out ideas for the rear bumper. I think I got an idea. More on that later.

This is a pretty cool build.

I want that 63 though.ostwhore2:

JMart said:

This is a pretty cool build.

I want that 63 though.ostwhore2:

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The 63's a bad ass. factory 4x4, 4 speed with granny. Motor was upgraded to a ford 360 before I bought it.

CREATURE COMFORTS

Keep in mind my Eleanor is replacing my GMC Denali. My GMC is my daily driver and takes me and my youngest to all kinds of events and family functions.

So I want my little dude (and I ) to be comfortable on our long trips just as we were/are in the Denali.

So I again began my search for some more truck parts. After a little digging around on the internet, and a little badgering on pricing, I finally got what I think will work well for Eleanor;
King Ranch Seating.