Dale

[Buddy Holly]

This first post is long winded, so strap in.


This is the story of Dale, a truck that I should have walked away from, but for some reason couldn’t.

As a few of you know I sold my BMW and have been looking for a truck as a replacement. As much as my heart wanted a dodge, my brain and wallet couldn’t justify a 91-93 w250 so I decided to hunt for a 94-97 powerstroke as they seem to be less affected by the brodozer tax. I love the character of old trucks and couldn’t imagine owning/driving something newer. I can’t own something that is just an appliance. The OBS seemed to strike a good balance between old truck character/simplicity and still have a modern enough drivetrain to be able to haul and tow, yet not be too loud or uncomfortable.

I responded to at least a dozen ads, only to be beat out by someone else, sometimes only missing a truck by minutes. I kept looking and ultimately found what looked like a super clean example with high mileage, well under my budget.

I called the seller and we hit it off immediately. He bought the truck new in 1997 and used it to haul his enclosed trailer to go kart races for his kids. It seemed well loved, but very well maintained. Recent valve job, trans rebuild, and torque converter. The owner was a machinist and engine builder for Richard Childress Racing before retiring and did most of the work himself.

After showing up i noticed what I expected. A little more rust than could be seen in the pictures but nothing bad, a very happy and solid engine, and dirty but nice interior that was in great shape for having a ton of miles.

I test drive the truck and break it almost immediately. The trans went into limp mode and was having issues shifting. The trans had low miles on a rebuild and new torque converter, so I banked on the fact that the issue was electrical and could be fixed easily. I lowballed the seller big time, and he ended up taking my offer.

Fast forward to 10pm Tuesday, 4 hours after I bought the truck. I’m sitting in a puddle of diesel at a gas station, knot on my head from hitting it on the tailpipe, cursing myself. In 58 miles the truck had gone into neutral 6 times randomly, a fuel leak developed on the engine, and I found out the rear diesel tank had a rust hole in it the hard way by filling it full and having it puke at least 3 gallons of fuel onto the ground at a gas station in Burlington.

Somehow we limp the truck home, a trail of diesel and smoke behind us. What should have been a 2 hour drive took 5 hours. I’m tired, covered in diesel, possibly concussed, and infuriated beyond imagining. Maybe it’s masochism or just plain stupidity, but I still loved the truck.

Here’s a video from right after I pulled in the driveway, tired yet relieved to be home and safe finally.


So here he is in all his glory. May I introduce to you Dale, the truck I REALLY shouldn’t have bought.

Dale is a ‘97 F250 HD with the 7.3 powerstroke and E4OD autotragic transmission. His original owner put all 379k miles on him before passing the torch onto my dumb ass. My friends named him because of the black and silver paint scheme from Earnhardt Sr’s cars, and the fact that the alliteration “Dale doused me in diesel” was pretty funny.

From the second I saw the ad I was drawn to this truck over all the others I had been looking at. I still don’t know why, but this one spoke to me. Sometimes ya gotta trust the gut, although I’m currently thinking that was a bad decision

This brings us up to Tuesday night when I bought the truck, next post will be all the shit I’ve been working on in the past two days to make Dale safe and roadworthy. Stay tuned.

 

[Buddy Holly]

Wednesday comes around and I have new hope. My dad and I stayed up late pricing parts needed to fix Dale. Luckily, both fuel tanks were about $200 total and in stock at the parts store warehouse. The fuel leak on the motor was a torn fuel filter cap gasket. Because I saved so much money on the purchase price I have plenty of cash left to fix all the pressing issues.

The last big hurdle was the transmission issue. The trans would randomly go into neutral and when shifting into 3rd gear it would try to shift and command converter lockup simultaneously causing a serious lurch which would send it into limp mode. I wasn’t ready to believe the trans was hurt though. The PO had the pan off to fix a leaky gasket last week, and the pictures he sent didn’t show excessive shavings or paste on the pan magnet.

Now, when the E4OD enters limp mode, the PCM commands full line pressure and raises the shift points to 3000rpm. This thing shifted HARD.

These trucks have an OBD2 port but don’t actually support OBD2. Reading transmission codes requires a special dealer-level scan tool. Trust me, I tried. I bought a $300 scanner that said it would read ford specific enhanced codes. It didn’t. Unable to read codes I was relegated to shooting in the dark. Like my father always says, “start with the basics,” so I did.

First I fixed the broken plug on the transmission range sensor, and adjusted it properly. This didn’t fix it. Then I went to check fluid and found it grossly over full. In the process of removing fluid by pulling the trans cooler line I broke the nipple off the factory cooler. Fixed that with an upgraded larger cooler, got the level right, still no change. I swapped the trans range sensor back to the original one that was assumed bad, and the issue improved, but was still there albeit less frequent.

The range sensor swap made me think that maybe both sensors I had were faulty, so I bought another one and installed it in the parts store parking lot. I’m glad the sensor is in an easy to reach spot and only requires a 15mm and 8mm wrench.

After I pulled out of the parking lot, the trans went full potato. It went into neutral and would only move forward if I manually shifted into second or first gear. I made it to a red light where it locked the converter randomly while sitting still and stalled the engine. I put it in park, shut it off, start it again, manually shift 1-4 for a couple traffic lights, and then magically the issue goes away. No more limp mode, no more flashing O/D light on the shifter, no more weird shifts.

I spent the next two hours driving around beating the piss out of the truck to try and force a mis-shift and subsequent limp mode. No matter what I did I couldn’t get it to act up again. Shifts at WOT were quick and firm, and part throttle shifts were smooth, not harsh.

I’m not ready to claim it’s fixed yet, but I definitely think the range sensor is causing the issues.

No pics from today as I was hustling to get stuff fixed. I did pull the dad-tastic running boards off and it looks 69% better than before. I’m going to build a set of tube rocker guards with steps in their place, all tied to the frame. I want this truck to be capable enough to run Fullsize Invasion in Moab, yet still happy to tow my Jeep. That’s a lofty goal, I know, but I think it can be done. I plan to ditch the ttb for a Dana 60, add some 35s, lockers front and rear, and make some super retro-esque bumpers. I originally planned to keep this as a stock survivor and just be a tow rig, but because it’s already got some rust in the body I don’t care about cutting it up

Tomorrow I’m going to get both new tanks installed, fix the play in the column shifter, and probably do a lot of cleaning and rust prevention. The fenders will need patching but the floor pans and bed supports can still be saved before they rot through. I’ll get plenty of pictures tomorrow.

 

[XJsavage]

I'll most definitely be following along on this. I love the story behind anything and it's value to that person; that living, written journey of owning something cool. Rock on.

 

[CasterTroy]

this one spoke to me

I've heard that recently

What an awesome find! Great color, and my absolute FAVORITE years full size ford! I LOVE it

So glad you got the trans sorted out. And wile I LOVED the way it looks now (yeah the grampa running boards had to go) I'm pretty stoked to see where you take this.

great job

 

[sammi_davis]

Bring back the grampa running boards!

 

[Pennsylvaniaboy]

Sooo I know that the D60 swap is super easy on these....I did one on my 92Ff250... But, I would encourage you to really consider the '05+ suspension and axle swaps that people do on these trucks. Much better ride, brakes, stronger axles, better turning radius, etc. It is supposed to be nearly bolt in.

 

[Buddy Holly]

Sooo I know that the D60 swap is super easy on these....I did one on my 92Ff250... But, I would encourage you to really consider the '05+ suspension and axle swaps that people do on these trucks. Much better ride, brakes, stronger axles, better turning radius, etc. It is supposed to be nearly bolt in.

I love the 05+ axles and they’ve been considered, but I also like simplicity. They may happen eventually, but for now a good ole leaf spring axle will do. I have to watch my money on this truck. Can’t hemorrhage too much. Unless someone has a complete set they want to donate

 

[Buddy Holly]

I've heard that recently

What an awesome find! Great color, and my absolute FAVORITE years full size ford! I LOVE it

So glad you got the trans sorted out. And wile I LOVED the way it looks now (yeah the grampa running boards had to go) I'm pretty stoked to see where you take this.

great job

I don’t think it will change a ton in appearance. I’d really like to keep the factory alcoa style wheels if I can. Alot of this truck’s appeal to me is the retro vibe. I don’t want to change that by modernizing the looks too much.

 

[Buddy Holly]

Well, the trans still isn’t fixed. It acted the worst it ever has today, won’t shift, slips into neutral half the time, locks the converter when sitting still. After crawling under the truck I noticed all the possible sensors that could cause the weird shifting have already been replaced recently. I think the seller knew about the problems and played stupid when I asked him about it. I’m livid, but there’s not much else that can be done now besides fix it.

I also found rust in the doors that I somehow missed, so that’s nice. I’ve been burned on vehicles before, but not this bad. This is what I get for trusting my instincts. The seller seemed up front and not at all shady. I guess this is a good lesson to learn. I thought I was thorough, but apparently not enough. Pretty dejected and pissed at myself right now.

Anybody local to Raleigh that has a dealer-level code reader they want to lend? No local shop or dealer I’ve called is willing to hook up and tell me the codes. They only want to diagnose and fix it for me.

 

[Cribb]

Hate to hear this last update, but it sounds like Dale needed you! That's why he was talking so loud. Good luck. Love the truck.


ps: and I see that red camaro!

 

[XJsavage]

Damn, that sucks. I wish you weren't so far away, I could very likely put my hands on two scan tools (pulling from my recourses).
Best of luck.

 

[Qwk87Coupe]

Well, the trans still isn’t fixed. It acted the worst it ever has today, won’t shift, slips into neutral half the time, locks the converter when sitting still. After crawling under the truck I noticed all the possible sensors that could cause the weird shifting have already been replaced recently. I think the seller knew about the problems and played stupid when I asked him about it. I’m livid, but there’s not much else that can be done now besides fix it.

Have you checked the connector going to to solenoid pack? Its about half way up on the passenger side of the trans, you'll have to remove a small heat shield (two 8mm bolts IIRC) to get access. They gave a good bit of problem and were often intermittent causing the issues you describe.

 

[jcramsey]

Bummer. You’re not having the best luck in the transmission department lately.

 

[Buddy Holly]

Have you checked the connector going to to solenoid pack? Its about half way up on the passenger side of the trans, you'll have to remove a small heat shield (two 8mm bolts IIRC) to get access. They gave a good bit of problem and were often intermittent causing the issues you describe.

That’s what I’m chasing currently. I have what I believe to be the correct connector ordered. I found the locking tab was broken, so there’s a chance it’s losing connection intermittently.

My dad has a coworker that has a brand new very expensive Bosch diagnostic tool that should read this truck. He’s bringing it by tonight. Fingers crossed.

Bummer. You’re not having the best luck in the transmission department lately.

Yeah, I’m 0-2 right now

 

[77GreenMachine]

I have heard those trucks suffer from some issues with the harness mentioned above and the body harness as well.

There may be some helpful info on Powerstokehelp.com, perhaps you could even call and pick his brain for a minute. Someone like that may likely know that issue right off the tip of their head and be willing to share that info or point you in the right direction in just a few minutes on the phone, but maybe not who knows.

Certainly keeps us updated, as I’m curious to know the issue and hope it is a simple fix for you!

 

[Buddy Holly]

Not claiming victory yet, but I think it’s “fixed.” New connector came in this morning and was actually the right one so I soldered it in and made everything nice and purty. Truck shifts fine now and no random neutrals. Drove it all day around town and besides what seems to be some tuning issues I’m happy with it. I think a programmer will fix the shifts. 1-2-3 seem like it shifts too late by 3-500 rpm and it tries to go into overdrive and grab lockup way too early which lugs the engine. I’m not convinced the trans is perfect inside, but I’m hoping it will last a few more months until I can put a reman one in.

I’m changing fluid tomorrow as a preemptive measure to make sure I didn’t fry what was in there. After that it’s onto the next 20-30 things like replacing both tanks and fixing a rear brake line.

I got some more pictures too

The floor mats are so cool to me. I love the old “the best never rest” Ford truck commercials. Lots of cleaning tomorrow and hopefully some reupholstering of the sun visors and maybe even the headliner.

 

[1-tonmudder]

I think I have some center caps if your keepin that style wheel.

 

[1-tonmudder]

Also the speed sensor on top of the rear axle can affect the shifting of the trans and cause the O/D light to flash.I've read/heard the light on the back of the cab being burnt out will affect the trans too.My 01 had the flashing O/D light and hard shifting and I took it to a trans shop to be scanned and it was the sensor on the diff.Not saying either one of these is your problem but its something else to check.

 

[Buddy Holly]

Also the speed sensor on top of the rear axle can affect the shifting of the trans and cause the O/D light to flash.I've read/heard the light on the back of the cab being burnt out will affect the trans too.My 01 had the flashing O/D light and hard shifting and I took it to a trans shop to be scanned and it was the sensor on the diff.Not saying either one of these is your problem but its something else to check.

I found a relatively new VSS in the diff, so I’m pretty sure the PO was scrambling to fix it by throwing parts at it. Speedo works fine and doesn’t jump, and it isn’t throwing a code for it anymore. All the lights work too.

Thanks for the offer on the wheel covers, I actually prefer the exposed lugs for now. I’ve got 3/4 caps but pulled them first thing.

 

[77GreenMachine]

Just gonna add to this in case someone needs it some day. To piggy back what @1-tonmudder said, I once had a friend with an OBS Ford like that and he chased transmission problems for so long he eventually sold it cheap, fed up with it. The dude that got it discovered that it was an issue with the LED tail lights and 3rd brake light that had been installed. It was a weird backfeed issue messing with the TCM. Threw some stock lights in it and it was Golden. Dude ran the dog piss out of that truck and worked it hard for years after that.

 

[Buddy Holly]

I had a fun discovery today. Pulled the rear tank out and much to my surprise the hole was not from rust. Some fuckwit before my ownership drilled two holes in the tank. My assumption is to drain it for whatever reason, maybe someone put gas in instead of diesel. Regardless, the old tank was spotless inside and out. New one is going in, but I’m not going to touch the front one for a while.

Onto installing the new tank and fixing the rear brake line.

 

[ProbablyBroke]

My buddy has a 1997 and he replaced the rear with a 30 something gallon bronco tank. I’m pretty sure the install was very straight forward except you lose the area for the spare tire carrier. My rear tank leaks from something on the top of the tank, but I haven’t pulled it to investigate. With diesel below 2.00$ a gallon in places, I’m considering the bronco tank myself.

 

[1-tonmudder]

Just gonna add to this in case someone needs it some day. To piggy back what @1-tonmudder said, I once had a friend with an OBS Ford like that and he chased transmission problems for so long he eventually sold it cheap, fed up with it. The dude that got it discovered that it was an issue with the LED tail lights and 3rd brake light that had been installed. It was a weird backfeed issue messing with the TCM. Threw some stock lights in it and it was Golden. Dude ran the dog piss out of that truck and worked it hard for years after that.

I know a guy who bought one that wouldnt start.he put three quarts of oil in it and filled the hpop res and drove it home.Seller was super pissed.

 

[Caver Dave]

Too late now, but I replaced the tanks in my old '92 7.3IDI F-250 with GAS tanks... just had to re-notch the inner tabs to account for the diesel senders/pickups...

 

[Buddy Holly]

Too late now, but I replaced the tanks in my old '92 7.3IDI F-250 with GAS tanks... just had to re-notch the inner tabs to account for the diesel senders/pickups...

I must have gotten lucky because the sending unit fit just fine in whatever tank I bought. New tank is in and plumbed. It’s nice to get more than 200 miles between fill ups now.