F350 Model years for Cummins

[CJ Johansson]

Well, I'm just about ready to start on my long awaited Cummins conversion of a Ford F350 Crew Cab. I picked up the remains of a '96 Dodge that had been rolled and then rolled again by the wrecker driver. It's a 5-speed, 4x4 2500, not sure if the transfer case is the NV241 or 241HD, but the engine only has 80K on it and is in fine shape along with the rest of the front end (radiator, aftercooler, etc. ).



Now for the tough part. I've got the engine, transmission, etc. , I just need the Crew Cab Ford to put it in. So, I was wondering which years were the easiest to transplant a Cummins into. I've heard that newer ones (since maybe '92?) are too short under the hood.



Well, that'll do for the first question. Once I get the truck, I'm sure I'll have LOTS more.



Thanks,

-cj

 

[Crash_AF]

Ford trucks from 1980 to 1998 are the same under the sheetmetal. All frame components, cab and bed sheetmetal are the same with the only differences being changes to the front clip, cowl, radiator support, tail lights, tailgate, and interior parts.



For your F-350 conversion, I would choose a post 84 if you want a 4x4, I think they stopped using the Dana 60 front axle from 1980 to about 1984 before durability problems with the TTB forced them to use the solid axle again. Other than that, the choice is yours depending on what you want for interior and which bodystyle you like best.



The major styling changes are:

1980 - 1986: First major redesign of the F-Series. Only change during these years are some minor trim revisions and a change from the FORD letters to the blue oval in 1983. These truck have recessed headlights and ribbed taillights with the recessed center tailgate with FORD stamped in the center. XLT trucks have an aluminum plate that fills the recess in flush with the taillights.



1987 - 1991: First styling redesign of the F-Series. Marked by flush square headlights with turn signals as one piece wraparound. New dash and door panels inside. Tailgate is now smooth and flush with the taillights regardess of trim level. The taillights are now smooth as well.



1992 - 1996 (1/2 ton) 1992-1998 (3/4-1 ton): Second styling redesign of the F-Series. Marked by flush headlights that are now more rounded with a turn signal under the headlight in addition to the marker wraparound. New dash and door panels and new bench seats with headrests.



1999 - present: Complete redesign of 3/4 and 1-ton trucks. New everything throughout. Only major changes are the new headlights in the 2002 models with some minor engineering revisions throughout the run. Also, 2001 and newer 3/4 ton 4x4 models have Dana 60 front axles instead of the Dana 50 that the earlier S/Ds had.



Hope this helps. If you need any other Ford information, feel free to ask.



Later,

Joe

 

[CJ Johansson]

Thanks Joe! That's what I love about this site, someone always has the info you need It looks like my search will be simpler than I thought with all those model years to choose from.



I read in another thread that it's better to get a Ford that had a diesel engine since the engine mounts are easier to deal with. I guess someone makes some sort of adapter or something? Anyone know the full scoop on whether a diesel is desireable? I assume mounts of some sort can be fabricated for just about anything, but the ability to get ready made mounts would be great.



-cj

 

[Crash_AF]

Well, finding a diesel truck would simplify matters in a number of ways, the first being that you wouldn't have to change the fuel filler necks and flush the tanks to use diesel. I don't know about the engine mounts, but I'll echo several suggestions and say to call Randy at Reliable Diesel in Mesa, AZ. He has a lot of knowledge about diesel conversions and they have some prefab mounts on hand.



My suggestion would be to find a 6. 9L or N/A 7. 3 truck if you want to go the diesel route as most people get discouraged with them as they get mileage on the pumps and injectors and some can be had for a song. I had a chance to pick up an 86 Centurion conversion F-350 supercab 4x4 with a 6. 9 and ATS turbo kit for $3400 a couple of years ago on a dealership lot because the 6. 9 needed an injection pump. I passed because I didn't have the fundage right then but if I pressed the issue, I probably could have gotten the truck for around $3000 or less because it was on the lot for a LONG time before it went to the wholesale auction.



If you want to go with a gas truck, try to find a truck with a 351W as most people find them underpowered and fuel pigs from having to drag all that weight around. High mileage 460 trucks are easy to find too, but cost a little more.



Something you should know is that Ford did not make a factory 4x4 dually until the 1999 Superduty (F-250/350) trucks. The only factory 4x4 duallys before that were the F-Superduty trucks that had 10 lug wheels and a straight chassis-cab frame. Any earlier 4x4 dually is a conversion and you need to be careful that the kit used is of high quality if you want one with matching front and rear offset wheels (the dually offset wheels on the front instead of the SRW wheels on the front) Aeroquip makes a really good, high quality kit and that's I have on my 79 F-350 4x4.



Hope this helps.



Later,

Joe

 

[JTMcCracken]

hey Crash, I know several pipeliners that have or use to have Ford dually 1-ton, 4X4's. 80's & 90's,... . JTMcC.

 

[backroad]

Dually Kit...

Hey Crash, was your dually kit actually an aeroquip or was it possibly an Arrowcraft. I've converted 2 Fords with the Arrowcraft kit and they are great. They are a little spendy.



Also: it was my impression that all of the Ford duallies from about the mid 80's and newer were actually Ford items. I could be wrong, but I do know that all of the ones i've messed with had identical wheels both front and rear.



Dennis... .

 

[Crash_AF]

I'm 99% sure that there were no factory 4x4 duallys until the new Superduty arrived in 1999. I've got Ford lit going back to 1980 and there weren't any listed in any form other than chassis cab.



On my conversion kit, I don't know, it was on the truck when I bought it and the PO said it was an Aeroquip kit... he may have been mistaken though because he didn't seem too mechanically inclined and said it was on there when he bought it.



Also, the F-350 4x4 brush trucks that the AF fire dept uses have SRW wheels in the front and dual rear.



Later,

Joe

 

[CJ Johansson]

I don't know about all the years, but when I bought the Dodge (Nov '97) I was seriously looking at the F350 too. I seem to remember that for at least the '98 model year you could get the F350 4x4 SRW or DRW option. I mostly remember it because I was wondering why Dodge didn't offer a SRW 1 ton.



But, all that being said, the info on duallys possibly being after markets is good. For my conversion, I really don't want a dually. It's actually for my wife, she has enough trouble in parking lots with the F250 she drives and hates parking my Dodge dually (the flatbed does make it a bit worse though).



-cj

 

[98rammer]

wait, the dodge was rolled, then rolled again?

 

[Chace TX]

Ford didn't make any F-250 or F-350 "Heavy Duty" in 1998.

They went from 97 "heavy duty" to 99 with the release of the "super duty". The only 98 F-250 was the light duty style just like the F-150's. Just a little more ford history. By the way i'm glad I don't have to drive one.

 

[CJ Johansson]

Originally posted by 98rammer

wait, the dodge was rolled, then rolled again?

Yeah, apparently. No, not my truck. The wrecker owner who I was dealing with apparently had an employee who didn't hook up to the truck correctly and lost it while hauling it out of the ditch (well, actually a small canyon).



Unfortunately, it seems he wants to back out on the deal, so it looks like I may not get the donor engine for the conversion after all. Ah well, such in life in the trading business...



-cj