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Towing Displacement

I don't know, I was hoping for more oil pressure but my prayers went unanswered. I can tell you that there is a conspiracy going on. When we went to pick up my buddy's truck, MJ walks right up to him and holds out her hand. He removes one dollar from his wallet and gives it to her. She giggles. He reaches his hand out to his wife and she gives him a dollar out of her purse. I stand there with my hands on my hips and state my belief that there is a conspiracy present. "Several" says my buddy. I walk over and extend my hand and ask where my dollar is? "You get to drive my new truck" he says.
 
You didn't just add some Marvel Mystery Oil?

mmo2b.gif
 
Should I have added a little Marvels? I think a smart guy might have changed the oil before the trip, should have cleaned out the contents of the glovebox too.
 
"Please tell me that you borrowed this?" I say when my buddy shows me his new truck. "Nope, she's mine" he says with a big smile. "I tried to buy this truck from him" I say about the neighbor down the road. "Perhaps you could you could benefit from a master concerning your negotiation skills." my buddy tells me. The truck is a sweet little f150 4x4 with a 300 six in it, manual trans, and 50 k on the clock. "Keys are in the ignition, enjoy" he says. "Double or nothing he checks the oil, water, and tire pressure before he gets in" I hear MJ say quietly to my buddy even as I raise the hood. I pretend that I don't hear. When she jumps into the cab of the truck, I shove her over to the passenger side. You plotting on me?" I ask. "Always" comes the reply. "You're a ba aa aa ad girl" I say as she scoots back to the center. She lifts one eyebrow and smiles. When we get back to the side of the country road, the truck is still there. I position the tow vehicle in front and hook up the chain to each vehicle. I throw down a piece of cardboard and scoot underneath the truck to see where all of that oil is comming from. All of the pan bolts in the transmission that are left are loose. I tell MJ of my finding. "What size?" she says. "10 millimeter" I report back. She places a ratchet with extension and 10 mm short socket in my hand. I wipe off a lot of oil with some rags. I fire up the truck and it starts right up, sounds like it is dead on one cylinder. Oil pressure is fine. This way with the towed vehicle running, she'll have power assist on the steering and brakes. I tell her I'll run along about 25 mph. Mrs. Jim is an expert tower. She can keep the chain tight and do all of the braking too. Even in heavy traffic. The 300 six in my buddy's new to him truck growls into 1st gear. It has some serious grunt. The F250 is heavy. We pull up to the first stop sign. MJ expertly stops me at the sign. There is no traffic and we are off. As I shift into second, MJ taps the brakes in the towed vehicle to keep the chain tight. Impressive. I give her a thumps up. She holds up two fingers followed by all five of her left hand. I give her the OK signal as I keep it at 25. That 300 six is just growling along happily. I look back and MJ is looking around the dash, checking this and that. I see her turn on the radio and smile. She looks forward and gives me the thumbs up. I check my gauges and the front view, everythings fine. I glance back at the rear view and do a double take. MJ is reaching for the glove box door. When the scream hits me up front in the tow vehicle, it knocks my glasses off. That big f250 brakes to a halt so fast that the f150 stalls. She's reaching for the door handle that isn't there. She is crawling out the open window when I step back to the towed vehicle and I pull her through. "You OK?" I ask innocently. She points toward the cab of the truck and states that there is a rat in the glovebox. "Don't worry" I open mouth and insert foot. "It's dead" I say. MJ studies my face. "You knew?" she asks. It gets about 20 degrees cooler. "Very funny" says MJ. "I guess I forgot to take it out of there" I offer. "I'll just bet you did" says MJ coolly. "You do seem to be doing a lot of betting today" I add. "And winning too" she says with an icey smile. So I have to do a little burial right there on the side of the road and lay Mr Mouse to rest. "Pay backs are a you know what" says MJ as she reluctantly gets back into the truck. When we get back to my buddies place the f250 is idling happily away but the brakes are smoking hot. I remove the chains and drop it into gear and pull over by the barn. We spend all the next day washing it and low and behold there is a pretty nice looking truck underneath all of that slime. Later I change oil and filter and air filter(Hershey Syrup and a block of wood) and find a dead fuel injector. It's hitting on all eight now and charging too. Doesn't appear to have much oil pressure when hot so I've been afraid to drive it. I would like to plumb in a mechanical gauge and see what's happening, once I figure out where the sending unit is. Tranny fluid stopped running out when I tightened all of those pan bolts. I'm thinking about borrowing Fast Eddies bore scope to see if it will fit through the drain plug opening in the oil pan. I think the mechanical oil pressure gauge will tell a story.
 
So it's a 94. They call it an HD f250. It's got all of the goodies on it. Been doing a lot of cleaning. Spent several days getting it to run right. The transmission has been giving me fits. This evening the truck has made its maiden voyage. Trans is now shifting smooth and that big 460 can eat up the road if you let it. Don't know if I trust the oil gauge yet. I babied it along and kept a weather eye on that gauge. Once I figure out where the sending unit is, I'll plumb in a mechanical gauge and see what's up. So far so good. I think one of those Convincers would look good behind it.
 
Gimme Fuel said:
94 was the good lookin years of the F250 IMO. I liked that body for some reason.
Click to expand...

I agree with that! I was actually somewhat looking for an old mid 90's powerstroke as my replacement truck!! But i haven't been able to find any that are as clean as i want with the required equipment and miles i want...
 
Gimme Fuel said:
94 was the good lookin years of the F250 IMO. I liked that body for some reason.
Click to expand...
I like the body too. It is still squared off some and sits up proud but has some aerodynamic curves to the front end. I like the extra cab part too. I'm wonderin if I should put some 20's on it and send Rngr a photo.:) I'm pulling all kinds of funky wiring out from under it. Looks like the leftovers of Cb radios, amplifiers, antennas, and several versions of trailer brakes, none of it fused.:( Made a several mile run and was surprised by the 50 to 80 mph acceleration, quite a difference from the 2.3 Ranger. Doesn't seem to have much oil pressure at idle, in gear, when hot?! Nothing knocking though. Think I have found the oil pressure sending unit behind the intake snorkel where you can't reach it up against the firewall. Possibly one of Fords 'better ideas'. I predict busted knuckles.
 
Its a big block......give her some 15-45w rotella or your favorite 20-50w oil. I had to do that on my 8100 chevy. Made a world of difference. I also throw in a quart of lucas oil stabilizer. Also awesome stuff for older engines.

20-50w dino was too thick in the winter for me but 20-50w mobile one has great cold flow properties and gave no whines from oil pump. I use lucas syn oil stabilizer with that also. Runs like a Kenyan and i beat the living hell out of that engine. Rev limiter is set to 5500 and shift points are about 5100 to help with wide gear ratios in trans.

With syn 10-30w in it, it would drop to 20 psi over 4k rpm. Thins out too much when hot. The thicker oil and stabilizer also cured my oil consumption issues (typical bbc). To think the factory wanted 5-30w stock in this thing. No wonder why they used oil and ate bearings when worked hard. Tuning being very lean stock didnt help either.

Might want to read your plugs after you run her a bit. O2 sensors might be not reading well after sitting for that long. When i had one go out on mine, that is -4 mpg and misfires below 2200 rpm was only way i knew. Didnt throw obd2 code. Pulled plugs, one bank very fouled.
 
Thanks for the info, Fuel. I put some 20/50 in there and she holds pressure better at hot idle but I still think it is low. I get to explore replacement of ball joints on drivers side. Front wheel and spindle on that side appear about ready to make an exit from the truck. The trans sticks in 1st when cold sometimes, can't figure that one out yet but I notice that the speedo is dead at the same time? Might be a connection there somewhere. Rear brakes had some hold down springs missing! and adjusters on backwards, but the shoes are new. Got that all squared away and she has all kinds of brakes now. I'm surprised at the initial fuel consumption, which doesn't appear to be bad at all, considering the size of the truck, although I'm making short hops at this point. I'm thinking that a free flowing exhaust might be just the ticket. Going to hook up to the vehicles on board computer and check for any codes that may be present this AM, although the 'Check Engine' light is not on. Lots of hot water and soap at this stage...
 
As far as the sticky trans, I'm sure a good trans flush and filter change are needed. Who knows what crap settled in that pan, or the filter may have just deteriorated plugging things up. With new fluid, the solenoids should loosen up a bit and hopefully shift better.
 
Thanks guys, You are right on with the speed sensor. That was the only code present. Removed it from the rear axle and cleaned it and replaced it. Started it cold and drove it with no complaints this time while cold. I agree that a trans fluid and filter change is in order. Replacing a blown fuse on the dome light and the high mount brake light bulb seems to have awoken the overdrive lockout switch and indicator light?! She shifts smooth like buttah now. I'd like to get everything working electrically before it gets steam cleaned, just in case the dousing with water causes any gremlins. It's got platinum spark plugs in it, clean as ever. Tightening loose hardware all over the vehicle has brought the rattles down to nearly nothing. Might be a keeper.
 
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