A moment of silence for Betsy...please

[Blakesmaster]

She was a good truck and doesn't owe us a thing. Started out toward our crane job down in PA this morning at about 6:15, filled 'er tank, and headed south. Just after the NY/PA border I heard a bit of ticking from under the hood. Oil pressure was low, but sufficient. Shortly the ticking became a bit of a clatter and I exited the freeway, dumped 2 quarts of oil in the ol' girl and continued onward. The clatter soon became a banging and I knew that it was over. I plugged 'er on back to my folks house, smokin', sputterin', spillin' blue clouds of burnt oil out her dual, glass packed, exhaust. She barely made it down that last level stretch of road. Sad to see her go but we're fortunate that it happened now, instead of after we spent some bucks painting and fixing her up. She pulled a 5th wheel for 160,000 miles before we picked her up for a mere $2,500, and rocked another 20,000 miles ( usually way overloaded with wood ) for another 3 years for us. A good truck and doesn't owe us a thing, just sad to see her go.

 

[outofmytree]

She was a good truck and doesn't owe us a thing. Started out toward our crane job down in PA this morning at about 6:15, filled 'er tank, and headed south. Just after the NY/PA border I heard a bit of ticking from under the hood. Oil pressure was low, but sufficient. Shortly the ticking became a bit of a clatter and I exited the freeway, dumped 2 quarts of oil in the ol' girl and continued onward. The clatter soon became a banging and I knew that it was over. I plugged 'er on back to my folks house, smokin', sputterin', spillin' blue clouds of burnt oil out her dual, glass packed, exhaust. She barely made it down that last level stretch of road. Sad to see her go but we're fortunate that it happened now, instead of after we spent some bucks painting and fixing her up. She pulled a 5th wheel for 160,000 miles before we picked her up for a mere $2,500, and rocked another 20,000 miles ( usually way overloaded with wood ) for another 3 years for us. A good truck and doesn't owe us a thing, just sad to see her go.

I feel your pain. 2 years back my wife nuked my ute. She calls me from the side of the freeway and says "is it bad when smoke is coming out from under the hood?"

RIP old faithful.

 

[capetrees]

I like the older trucks as opposed to new. Old you can beat on, tape, plug and wire to make them go. New, all computers and shine. Had an old girl we named Beulah, an old gas F700 dump truck. Part by part she fell apart. Lots of fun to drive though. Contemplating replacing my 92 GMC. Diesel motor only has 89K miles though. Probably rebuild/reconstruct.

Whats your next move?

 

[treeclimber101]

Go get a Jasper and have your girl back in time for Halloween , never throw a truck away that you love ..

 

[Rftreeman]

go find you a low mileage junk yard engine and give her a heart transplant....

 

[BlackenedTimber]

I see your in NY - check out www.trovei.com

The dude's name is Arthur Trovei, in Port Jervis NY. He has all kinds of motors, for pickups, semis, machines, etc. He also has alot of used trucks and equipment, some of which are priced very reasonably.

He had Intl S1700 crew-cab dumps with underbody boxes and 10-ft plows for about $2000 a few years ago, bought a lot of them from some munincipality- Looked like solid trucks.

Anywho, it's worth checking out if you plan to either replace the motor or the truck. Being a die-hard Ford fan, I will refrain from any distasteful comments

T

 

[Curlycherry1]

Nothing sadder than losing an old truck. My first stake rack Ford (1957 F600) lost its back axel when the u-bolts snapped off but she was back on the road with a few new spring leaves,some brake lines and a new light in just a few days. 2 Years later a friend was coming back from a delivery and a dumb broad pulled out in front of him and he could not stop. He totaled her car by burying that truck in her passenger side. Alas, "The Red Wreck" as we called her was gone forever. At least she did not go to heaven alone. She took a nice new Cadilac with her.

 

[tree MDS]

Go get a Jasper and have your girl back in time for Halloween , never throw a truck away that you love ..

+ 1 on the jasper engine. I have had good luck with them so far, good oil pressure, nice power. I've got one of their 350's with the RV cam in my old dump - the thing is like a mini diesel! + you get the warranty too, its like 3 yrs (1 1/2 if it has a plow) or 80 or a 100k miles.

 

[newsawtooth]

So sorry for your loss, my condolences to family and friends.

 

[tree MDS]

So sorry for your loss, my condolences to family and friends.

Chevys never die; truck is just trying to tell him it needs some love. Love = $$.

Mine has been a money pit some years... it has been a good friend too though.

 

[tree MDS]

Actually.....

Hey blakes: I've got a good 350 that I'll sell you cheap... that is if you just want to get the old boy going cheap and dirty like.

Dont know how far away you are, but I'll vouch for the motor, its out back in a parts truck we just started stripping. Ran great a week or so ago.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Thanks for all the replies and advice, guys. We actually had considered dropping the 350 my bro has into the truck and making it run again but I think we're gonna change things up a bit. The plan was to put our ez dumper in the back of the chevy once we bought a bigger chip truck, but this would also include us having to do a $700 spring job plus a new bumper, paint, fender flares ( to cover the rust ) and a slew of other things to make her a very nice work truck and also now, a new engine... It's a bit too much, may as well scrap the truck, keep our Ford 1 ton w/ex dumper and plow instead of selling it like we planned and buy a bigger chip truck.

 

[ozzy42]

Back in the 90s I had an old 74 ford 1 ton w/ 12foot dump bed.
Got it for around a grand from a lawn guy that was ready for a bling bling truck with AC and power windows,etc..
He told me he thought the old girl was just about done.The only reason he wanted a 1000 was because it had a super heavy duty dump system on it.
If you could load it and drive it down the road,,,,it would dump it ,,,no problem.
Had 175,000 on it when I got her.
I used that truck for 8 years with the original 360 v8 in it replacing only tires,brakes ,and exhaust manifold gaskets about every other month.

[You old ford guys should know what I"m talking about]
Most of the time with 5-6,000 lbs no sweat.
Had to keep her off the nice driveways ,as she proved she was a ford by leaking a quart of oil pr week. At that rate ,she allways had clean unburnt oil in her.

The only other glitch was it had a vibration in the drive shaft over 58 mph.
For what I needed it to do around town,that was just fine with me.Never ldid lose the driveshaft.

With year 9 the motor cracked a head that could have been fixed,but came across an old galaxie with a 390,and a few days later ,,,she lived to fight some more.

Year 10,I sold her to my uncle,and he beat her up pretty good for 3 more years,then he finally bought a new truck, and sold the old ford to somebody needing a dump body.



So ,I know what you mean Blake.

I kind of miss the old girl.


PS manual steering on a truck will teach you to git the truck in the hole








first time.