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Pablo the F-450

Oh yeah, brought 1500# of scrap to the yard too. Easiest scrap run ever. This amount of weight did smooth the ride out a good amount, maybe 20min drive.

Also of note, with me in it (otherwise empty) Pablo scales out at 9500#.

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Last update for now. I managed to clip the front corner of the truck with a tractor, breaking the headlight door. Gotta figure out where to source a pair of those, and work out the dent at the same time.

Bumper was tweaked like that when I bought it, lol.

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Thank you Mr. Ford for riveting in your window regulators. Really makes replacing one fast and easy.

Drilled the rivets, installed new one into the lower window track and used garage door bolts from the back to secure it in place. Garage door bolts are nice if the hole is sized right because they kinda Crimp themselves into the hole after the first tighten, making them studs.

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Investigated the inner door latch and found that the portion that pulls on the cable is worn out, so it doesn't pull the cable far enough to open. Also found that it's welded into the door by a PO, so that'll be fun to fix.

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Door tag says 72 axle, so I guess it's a 4.63 ratio. Would love to move it to 4.10 or 3.73 in the future for highway duty.

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GLTHFJ60 said:
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Door tag says 72 axle, so I guess it's a 4.63 ratio. Would love to move it to 4.10 or 3.73 in the future for highway duty
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I wouldn't bother unless you plan to do road trips?

You'll be giving up low end, which most likely comes into play far more often.
 
I agree, I wouldn't bother re-gear. Stock the obs 7.3 is so gutless they need it, especially below 2000 rpm with the huge exhaust housing.

My 97 with zf and 4.10's is 2500 rpm at 70 mph. What are you with the e4od's deeper .71 OD ratio? should be about the same rpm as me.
 
My buddies want to turn this into a crawler hauler after my dump truck uses for it are over, or at least use it as a tow rig. Chassis should be about long enough. RPM seems pretty high at highway speed, but I don't remember exactly what they were. I'll write it down next time I have it out on the open road.

I'm more just spitballing at this point. For now I'm just fixing the little things that are wrong so everything works as it should. Radio and a broken dash bezel are up after that door latch is fixed.
 
I dig that door handle fix...planning to use on my 97' next time plastic breaks.

I think you should take it for a long drive with 5-6k on its back and see how much you like it before conversion. long hauls in a leaf sprung front obs are an acquired tase:emb:
 
Levigarrett76 said:
I think you should take it for a long drive with 5-6k on its back and see how much you like it before conversion. long hauls in a leaf sprung front obs are an acquired tase:emb:
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I agree. My leaf sprung 04 F550 can be tiring, so I bet this thing would be too.

To be fair, this is all my friend's ideas for their uses of pablo, not mine, lol.
 
Levigarrett76 said:
I dig that door handle fix...planning to use on my 97' next time plastic breaks.

I think you should take it for a long drive with 5-6k on its back and see how much you like it before conversion. long hauls in a leaf sprung front obs are an acquired tase:emb:
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You can buy metal replacement handles for those that are a direct replacement. I think they are mid to late 80's handles.
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
My buddies want to turn this into a crawler hauler after my dump truck uses for it are over, or at least use it as a tow rig. Chassis should be about long enough. RPM seems pretty high at highway speed, but I don't remember exactly what they were. I'll write it down next time I have it out on the open road.

I'm more just spitballing at this point. For now I'm just fixing the little things that are wrong so everything works as it should. Radio and a broken dash bezel are up after that door latch is fixed.
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Like someone said, probably similar to the 4.10 5spd 7.3, which I had.

The problem you'll have with 3.73s and possibly even 4.10s is that any little incline or head wind, it will want to drop out of OD. Then it will be higher than what you're at now anyway.

These trucks are just loud inside. You're not going to gain a worthwhile mileage bump or really anything worth while with a gear change. So just let it sing.
 
YotaAtieToo said:
Like someone said, probably similar to the 4.10 5spd 7.3, which I had.

The problem you'll have with 3.73s and possibly even 4.10s is that any little incline or head wind, it will want to drop out of OD. Then it will be higher than what you're at now anyway.

These trucks are just loud inside. You're not going to gain a worthwhile mileage bump or really anything worth while with a gear change. So just let it sing.
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I hear you. It feels way, way higher (numerically) geared compared to my six speed, 4.30 geared 6.oh 550. That's my only real reference.

Any future plans are really just spit balling. My plan is still to just sell this once I'm done with my projects. I don't even know what rear axle is in this truck, lol.





I ordered a door mending plate and latch assembly, as well as some plastic bits to fix this up more. More updates to come.
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
I hear you. It feels way, way higher (numerically) geared compared to my six speed, 4.30 geared 6.oh 550. That's my only real reference.

Any future plans are really just spit balling. My plan is still to just sell this once I'm done with my projects. I don't even know what rear axle is in this truck, lol.





I ordered a door mending plate and latch assembly, as well as some plastic bits to fix this up more. More updates to come.
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6.0s are much quieter believe it or not. They also seem more Rev happy than a 7.3.

Maybe verify that the tc is locking?
 
YotaAtieToo said:
6.0s are much quieter believe it or not. They also seem more Rev happy than a 7.3.
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You mean to tell me that an engine that's a couple decades newer and has almost half an inch more stroke wants to rev more? Someone call the newspapers and tell them to hold the presses.

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Isn't the stroke pretty much the same between the two? 4.13 6.0 / 4.18 7.3
 
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