Looky Here What I Just Bought!.......Update 9/26
Horse Plains Drifter
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Was last started two years ago, and crane last operated five years ago. The guy said the carburetor was flooding the last time it was started. The crane is five ton capacity. The truck is a 1976 Ford C800 with a 361 or 391 gas engine, 10 hole Budd wheels, and air brakes. $1500.00, I'm pretty happy and been looking for a boom truck for a couple of years. It's about 1-1/4 hours away, and may take a couple trips to get it running.
Update 9/24:
Took four trips over the last five weeks to get her running and ready to go.
Trip 1: give the thing a general check over. Owner had told me that the last time they tried to start it, the carburetor was flooding. Remove carb. Put in battery, and see if it will crank. Amazingly enough it does. Look in at points. Clean points with paper towel, and regap to .017". Crank engine again, it now has spark. Head for home with carburetor, which is a 4bbl Holley w/governor.
Time allowing, remove carb bowls and metering blocks. Clean up crap and corrosion from people putting ethanol gas in it.
Trip 2: Install carb. Set up gravity feed fuel to carb, since both fuel tanks have been unhooked. Top off coolant. Amazingly enough, the old beast starts right up. Warm engine up good, and build air pressure(air brakes). Try brakes.Parking brake seems to release, and truck lurches, which is a good sign that the brakes have actually released. Try service (foot) brake. The pedal is seized solid. Try clutch. Clutch no work. Remove clutch slave cylinder, and brake treadle valve, and head for home.
Time allowing, disassemble brake pedal pivot, and treadle valve plunger. Clean up rust/corrosion, anti-seize all moving parts. Disassemble clutch slave cylinder, hone and reassemble.
Trip 3: Install treadle valve, and clutch cylinder. Brakes apply and release, clutch works, and truck moves under it's own power.
Trip 4: Set up better gravity feed fuel system, as fuel pump appears to be gunnybag. Pressure wash truck.
Tomorrow 9/25: connect with lowboy @ 07:30, and we're gonna haul 'er home.
The old beast looks almost respectable all washed up:
Comments
Cool! You’ll get all the work you want when you get it going. Setting trusses, etc.
How high does the boom extend?
Looks like something I would buy and the wife always thinks I have lost my mind.When I get it running and sell it for 10 times the money I have in it then it is"our" money.
Looks like he may have used it to lift cross-ties (background). I think you did good on this deal 😉
"Never do wrong to make a friend----or to keep one".....Robert E. Lee
take a close look at those rims, they may be the old type with the split rings on them, that can kill you when working on them
https://youtu.be/JpWHzqprAFo
You need this guy...
30', I think. I cleaned off the boom chart, but was more interested in the weights it would pick out to 20', so I didn't pay much attention past that.
@redhawkk480... Yep they're old 20" split rims, which is what I expected. If the thing turns out decent, I'll look around and find some 22.5" tubeless wheels with 30%-50% tires on them.
When I was 19 or 20 I got a job driving a tri axle Ford dump truck, loading it with dirt using a big John Deer excavator. I also had to change tires and they had split rims. I had never driven anything larger than a pick up before that so I did learn a few things but I think the guy paid me something like $7.00 an hour.
Nothing wrong with split rims, you just have to be careful. If you have any trouble, it will probably be with the hydraulic control valves.
One mans junk is another's treasure.
This is a bold project and way over my head or capabilities!
Please keep is posted, I hope it turns out great for you!
Nice!
good deal . looks like some work ahead , but lots of potential
I can hear my wife now its like a broken record any time I think or buy such a project ..😮though
one thing at a time. Hoping for the best for you.
Good luck! Hope you have a friend at a hydraulic shop.
it needs jake brakes, otherwise it's real nice.
Very nice, and a great price!
I bought a 1988 GMC recently, with a boom on it. Paid $4.5k, but the truck only has 60k miles, and it has all new hoses ($2k, easy!) so it was a good price.
I've used it several times already. You'll be amazed how much you use it!
Merc
I haven't seen one of those old Ford cab overs for a long time. The first jet vac truck I bought was on a C800 chassis
Cool
watch those power-lines
The old FEs were good engines. The manifold weighs more than both heads. Worked on many of them.
Yep they sure were/are good. The truck/industrial version, known as an FT rather than FE IIRC, is even beefier yet. They have crossbolted mains (akin to the 427, and 428), and a forged crank also. The deck of the block is thicker too, spacing the heads farther apart, and requiring a wider intake manifold that an FE. In fact I read once that in the late 70s early 80s if you ordered a replacement 428 block from Ford you got a 391 block that had to be over bored too far to meet 391 specs.
I'm a Ford guy through and through, and love me some FEs. Most Ford guys it seems are 302 guys, or 460 guys, so they give me grief too. Not me, give me a 352 or 390, or a 427 or 428 if you can find one affordable. I like 300 sixes too.🤩
For sure.......they were about 20' behind the truck, though. Optical illusion. Plus, those are only cable and internet lines, not power. Thanks.
Merc
l had a friend years ago convert one into a portable tower DEER stand. Enclosed the bucket, put a roof /windows too.
Great for temp locations. Got shots on GMA land others could only DREAM about
I hope it serves you well for many, many years.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
Yes
Looking sweet, let us know when you put the boom through it's paces!
That cleaned up good.
4 TRIPS ???
Should’ve just drive it home to work on it !!! 😂😉
Pretty cool 'ol work horse there,
Looking good, a lot of work but I'm sure it will be worth it to you.
Yesterday, 9/25:
Loaded, and rollin' smoke for home.
Had boom truck home by 14:00. I now have all the covers off the crane controls. Kroiled all pivots/toggles liberally, as half of them are seized up. PTO cable is stuck solid too, so will work at getting that going, as time permits.