vhaines asks re:1993 Ford with Cummins....

[BushWakr - RIP]

vhaines posted this in the FAQ Forum... I saw it there and moved it here for more exposure as well as placement in the correct Forum...



Please guys, try to use the correct Forum/Format when posting... . for example the FAQ is for (which I know most are aware of) posting a question that gets ask often AND the correct answer to that specific question(s).

If you use the FAQ Forum for posting 'help' issues etc I have to go thru a conveluted process of cutting and pasting, deleting, notifying the poster and hope that no one takes offense... .

Just a heads up here is all guys.....





I am purchasing a 1993 Ford f-700 sshh don't tell anyone. I am converting the truck from a 14' box truck to a giant cactus excavating machine out here in arizona. I will be constructing outriggers, a giant mast,and hydraulic rack system that will be strapped to the frame, and rest on top of the cab.

The reason I am purchasing the ford is the 1993 cummins diesel of course.

I have two questions,first, when I looked at the truck yesterday, I did'nt notice the turbo housing, did they make naturally aspirated cummins in 1993 in medium duty trucks, and if so how do I add turbo? 2nd does anyone out there know where I can find pics or instruction on mounting hydraulics pto's on allison auto 545 trans? This is the biggest project I think I've ever tried to acomplish so any input from veterans I would value greatly. P. S. TDR and its knowledge has saved me many hassles and money, and I would like to thank the experienced mechanics who take the time to help out the young guys like me who are still learning. Thanks everyone



Pastor Bob... .

 

[1stgen4evr]

pto location

The transmission will have a cover that is standard for all pto applications. If you know what that looks like, you are almost there. Any one who sells ptos can (but may not get it right) sell you the correct parts for the transmission by the serial number from the allison. It is specific as to speed, direction of rotation, and gear mesh on the transmission. I would reccomend a pto that is made with the pump direct connected to the PTO. You can buy a wire pull that engages the drive or if you have air, it can be air shifted. Our bucket truck required that the allison be in park to shift into gear on the PTO without grinding. There may be two places on the transmission that will accomodate the PTO. I don't recall for sure. Buddy of mine has a dead spotter truck that has a pto on the allison, I will look sometime today. I am in Georgia. Probably too far to think of shipping parts.



Use a good oil tank that has a filter on the outlet to the pump. A little extra oil capacity is good but don't get carried away, you will not be using the hydraulics for hours at the time.



You are forgiven for buying the Ford since it has a Cummins. Look good, my guess is that it does have a turbo but if it doesn't, forget about it. You will have more than adequate power to run a lift truck and haul around a plant.



If you are building this rig from scratch, you have quite a chore ahead of you. Couldn't you find a lifter truck that you could afford? Does a cactus require as much root ball as a tree?



And BOB, no one should take offense. You deserve at least one atta-boy for you work as moderator.



1stgen4evr

James

 

[vhainesxx]

Hey BOB sorry about that its only my second time posting I'm a little confused still . But I have been reading TDR for a while now and if it were'nt for the moderators we'd be pretty screwed up, so thankyou we all appreciate your hard work. As far as the shipping is concerned if I ever needed anything in georgia, I have a best that lives there and commutes back and forth to AZ so parts would'nt be a problem. Cactus trucks are a rare breed out here, and there is not very many of them. Most of them are only 1 ton trucks, and are useless in the new developments(okay for light work) where they are developing 500 acres at a time. A saguaro cactus is found only in the sonora desert, so there is no company that really builds anything like this. There is a fellow in tuscon who fabbed up one truck that I know of to tune of 75 thousand bucks. But up above North Scottsdale where I live, the saguaro cactus are huge. A saguaro weighs 175-250lbs per foot, because they are full of water(8lbs/gallon) so a big cactus main stalk (45 ft) with 7 30 foot arms on it weighs about 16 to 17 thousand pounds. The minute you dig and lift them out of the ground, and begin to swing them back onto the truck, the very weight of the arms make them fall off so they have to be supported, as well. They are federally protected by the federal government so any homebuilder or developer must pay for the removal and transplantal of the saguaro. I know of a crewman not too long ago, that wasn't paying attention because the cactus was small, and then one of the arms fell off. Broke his pelvis, both hips, his back, and both legs, and one side of his collar bone, he survived the accident. The arm that fell on him rolled off the cactus truck, because it wasn't secured properly, and it was only 5 1/2 feet long. Anyway the truck will have to be custom built, and have a cummins turbo diesel in it, of course. I am starting on it this week, and will post pics of the conversion if anyone is interested, although I don't know how to post pics. I doubt anyone is interested though, I mean how interesting can a cactus truck be :-laf . I'm sure I will be asking lots of questions so thankyou to TDR and to all the people who will be helping me build something that will become my livelyhood, and will help feed my family

P. S. I would like to during the conversion put anything I don't need in pay it forward, so keep on the lookout

 

[vhainesxx]

Allison?

I Did Indeed Find The Turbo It Is Tucked Way Underneath The Vehicle Not Out On The Top Like A Normal Passenger Truck. I Snapped A Couple Photos Of The Transmission So If Maybe Someone Could Look And See If Thats Where The Pto Goes. Also This One Is An Allison 542, Is There Any Difference Than The 545 Allison, And How Do I Post Pics?



1993 W350 Dually 1o Inch Lift, Alcoas,banks Pwr Pk, Exhaust,ispro

 

[1stgen4evr]

allison

I looked at the spotter truck today. It is raining hard here and I didn't crawl around or peer too much but I can tell you that the pto is mounted on the passenger side of the transmission about mid body toward the front of the main part of the case. This unit is made together with the pump and drive section. Not super knowledgable on the 500 series but I think that all of them are much the same. They are built for specific engines regarding rpm and such parameters. This transmission which is mounted to a gas Ford motor would not likely work with the Cummins. Or maybe it would. Can't say. Get some numbers from the transmission and call an allison dealer. They would know and might help.



Interesting project. Maimed by a cactus. There are more ways to get smacked than one can imagine.



If you have multiple functions that must happen at the same time, you will find it extremely convienent to have a multi section pump and not use a splitter valve. The splitter causes the system to have load at all times. Not good. I can see how you might have a setup where you only use one functin at a time. Will you do a dig and lift then after securing the arms, tilt back? How deep is the root system? Like a tree or more shallow? How big do you dig the root ball? Like I said, an interesting project. I and my brothers have done such all our lives.



Can you post pics in an email? I will PM my email address if yes.

Don't put more than one or two in a dispatch as the email is quite slow to load when it contains a picture.



1stgen4evr

James

 

[vhainesxx]

I can post pics through email. The cactus root ball goes down about 6 feet straight down, but not too solid. Then they have planetary roots that spread out just under the surface to find water. The root system on a saguaro is nothing compared to a tree. If you back into one you can easily knock them over unless they are just huge ones. I dig them out carefully with a backhoe(terex 760) then the cactus boom lifts from its resting position over the cab, until it goes completely past vertical (110-120 dgrees if needed), then another hydraulic ram drops the mast section of the boom down to the ground or 1 ft below if needed. using carpet you then strap the cactus trunk to the cradle in 3 or 4 places all the way up. You then slide 2 by 12's through the top of the cradle wherever there is a cactus arm, and tie it to support it. Their own weight will make them break off when the cactus is moved. You then raise the cactus cradle hydraulically straight up out of the ground until the root ball clears, then lower the entire boom back forward until it rest completely on the cradle built over the top of the cab. My idea with this truck I'm starting on now is to actually use a forklift mast, because the hydraulics is already built. I would mount the forklift mast to a subframe that u-bolts to my frame, and then hinge it and attach a larger ram to raise the mast from horizontal to vertical. Then attach a cactus cradle to the forklift mast and there is my up and down travel. I also have to install an outrigger setup which I already have a huge one in the yard . I will email pics if you want to keep track of my progress, its going to be interesting I'll tell you that. But I'll get it done. Any input is appreciated.

 

[tgbol]

You can try these people. They should have all of the PTO/hydraulics you need

Leaf Spring Supply

Pacific Gear

PTO Sales

1646 East University

Phoenix, AZ 85034



800-443-4384 toll AZ

602-252-9390 tel

602-252-9388 fax



Branch Manager:

Jim Crum