single axel dump trucks

This is off topic but does anyone know anything about single axel dump trucks. I have a 1984 Ford F 700 with a 10 ft. box bed that I use to use occasionally for farm use and I would haul sawdust or screenings to some of my horse farm friends. It is a 371 cu. in. gasser and it was real handy until gas got to be $4.50 per gallon a while back. Then I quit insuring and tagging it because it just was not practical. A guy I know called me the other day and offered me a V8 diesel motor and transmission out of the exact same truck for $800.00. He says it has 70,000 actural miles on it. I am thinking about getting it to improve the value of the truck and if everything works good, maybe even putting the truck on the road again. Those old diesels had a reputation for getting fantastic fuel mialage. I have some questions . Would my rearend match the diesel set up (gear ratio the same). Is the radiator the same? How big a deal is it to change the engines (Cost Wise). Also I wonder if I might be able to sale my big gas guzzeling motor and transmission. I would like to have a nice little diesel single axel but on the other hand (considering costs of the change) I might be better off to just try to sell the truck the way it is and cut my losses. Any thoughts on this possible little truck project? I don't want to get into something too big and loose my a$$. Thanks. Ron

Does your truck have hydraulic brakes? If you switch engines, you will a vacume pump for the brake booster with hydraulics. Repowering can be a job, but can be done.

you best find out what make that engine is..... a v8 diesel from that time in a large F series is most likely a 8.2 Detroit.

Not one of the best engine produced, hard to get parts for and high $$ plus the special tools to set the rack and govener are ard to come by.

Stick to you gas engine or trade trucks.

We used to have that set up, 370 cu in V8 in a '80 F-800 S/A, was a gutless wonder with any real weight on.

The best combination I ever drove in a S/A F series, was an F-800 with a 5+2 & inline diesel, early 90's, one was a '91, had great power, not sure what the motor was actually, we had 2 of them, one was red and automatic and the other black with the 5+2, even the auto was good, motor was gray, inline, but I don't recall what it was, plenty of power, kind of reminded me of a DT466 IH, which was also another great combo in a S/A, w/ 10 spd.

There is a lot of S/A's in this country, you should be able to find what you need, but that change over may require extras, once you have built or find a truck the way you want it, there is no substitute, I was so glad to be rid of that '80/370, had 10 ton of stone on and she stalled out on top of a big hill, in 2nd gear was delivering crushed stone, lost vacuum, brakes failed, started rolling backwards, let out the clutch while in gear, almost did a back flip, looked over and put her in the ditch, I did tear up the rear with that first choice, things got out of hand quick, thankfully that ditch was the best choice, darned gutless wonder, probably would have stalled in 1st, I should have taken the tandem, but the boss said put 10 ton in that F-800 and bring it there, ok....... sat morning turned into an all day'er !

I have had at least two "sky rides" both times in Fords. All I could see was blue sky out front. I let the truck "settle" before making my next move. Got down safely, well, without too much injury, both times.

Yes, scary feeling, I was 23 at the time, but already had 4 years in the seat driving trailer, so was not new to the game, darned thing got the best of me, thankfully it did not go over backwards, steep hill, almost to the top, would have saved a repair to the rear if I had just put it into the ditch, never panicked, but decided too quickly to let out the clutch, wrong move, had I panicked, would have been a long ride backwards down a hill to a cow pasture with large rocks, ravine, boss realized he should have sent me in the tandem, had to go back to the yard, get the D3 dozer, pull er out, dump off, load the truck onto the lowbow, then go back again to get the dozer. Should have been an easy Sat. morning.. not !

You might buy the parts to keep and eventually put on or sell with the truck if you ever sell it.

I can't imagine you are putting to many miles on a dump truck if you only use to haul an occassional load. How many miles can you drive if you invested the $800 in gas instead? Then you need to remember that when gas was $4.00 a gallon - diesel was $5.00 a gallon. There was a time when gas was $1.60 a gallon and diesel was still $3.00 a gallon. I seriously doubt you are going to double your mileage - 10% to 20% (in a streatch) with that old of a set up. How long will it take you get your money back?

If you were using the truck daily or putting a lot of miles on it it would probably pay for itself in a year or two - but with as a light of use as you described you'll probably (almost definately) lose money on this.

My old (was once a road tractor stretched for dump bed) 1981 IH with 3208 cat gets 6 mpg loaded with 7.5 tons. That might be a lot better than a gas engine (never tried a load like that with gas) but 6mpg ain't nothing to smile about.

You can buy a lot of gas for 800 bucks, remember you are talking about the difference between deisel milage and gas only. You also have more tork with the engine that you have.

dont waste your time with the v8. Put a cummins in it and then you will have something. six in a row makes her go.

Dump it in a RB auction and get rid of it.
I watched an F700 fire truck sell yesterday. I think it had the 370-4V. Also mostly alumimum fire body and tank.... but the damn old thing sold for 3500 bucks. The biggest thing in that truck's favor was that it had a front mounted fire pump which is fairly easily removed as opposed to driveshaft work on a midship pump.

If you do keep it, I'd just leave it alone. The drivetrain is geared and designed for the torque of the gas engine and intended to turn at about 4 grand. The diesel will top out around 3 grand... so it's geared higher and the transmission is designed to take a lot more torque.
I suppose if the truck has Ruxel, and it's a speed demon when you open it out in high gear, you could get by with it OK by sticking a diesel in there... but I just can't see it being worth your time or money. With a V8 diesel of that vintage I see either a fuel pincher or 3208 Cat and neither one would be high on my list of things to have. A Brazilian Ford 6.6 would be a different story as would an IH DT308/358/466 or Cummins B....
At the end of the day it's still just a 25 year old truck. 800 bucks will buy a lot of gas.

Rod