1986 F350/460 ambulance reprovision

Hi All,  A 1986 ambulance based on F350/460 came into life. Box was pretty much ripped down to studs.  Enroute to a new purpose!  time for a few pics in next log entry here.  first time to chase out the mice, and remove the core ambulance stuff.

Hi,
Just purchased a 1986 F350 Ambulance (or...it was!) that has been gutted, in back. very low mileage 34K .. but the sheet metal and frame are really good. So far anyways!  theres only one bucket seat (drivers) and there  is an angle iron frame that goes between floor and seat frame. Looks pretty sweet.    ripping out the flashy lights as I de-ambulance it.    Round red light frames on box are rusty .... need rechrome ?? Nah.    Will remove drivers seat and try to identify the spacing and heritage of the seat.  Likely Ford though.  anyone need any old Ambulance parts?

JW

Next is to exict mouse living in AC system! Turning on the fan put out a blast of confetti that made me laugh some... though the stinkus took that smile off my face!

Welcome JW!

Did you have any comment on things we could do better, here on the forum?

I imagine you have that great big 200A Leece-Neville alternator and a 460 in that rig?
Or is it a diesel?

What are your plans?

Hi Jim. 460 Cu in motor.  Good question! Wife brings that up too! First stabilize and de-ambulance it.  figure out what I am keeping and what goes.  1 Heat/cooling remnants.. Remove the pipes to the rear box. Rebuild leaky 4810 holley. revisit the dual battery switcher (right up on Exh header??). New vinyl floor on order. Seats? Bucket or Bench?    Strip the box fully, cover up the lights I dont want. replate the Door handles, switch to stainless fasteners.  Paint the box! There is some exhaust patchwork on #5 (passenger, front) exhaust port.. Not sure if cracked manifold or split gasket?  Heard its a weak point on 460cu monster motors.   then.. go around do the brakes.  Heard second tank has bad gas in it?  so.. lots to keep busy!   Torn between replacing all the brake cylinders .... as Rockauto parts seem to last about 18 months...   old bleeder nipples might be frail...   How much of a PITA are the brakes to disassemble and revitalize?   So.. the usual stuff for a 35 year old vehicle.. but the frame and sheet metal are really good.. so ... Undercoat or at least rusty-metal prime the underbody after rust (there will be some ... of course.. ) is found / remediated.   Any idea if got nylon gears on the timing chain? (will check for chunx in oil change!)

Re: Alternator - dont know yet.. but saw a stack of washers (spacers) behind alternator ... did someone hack that up?  Does Dual battery mandate a 200A alternator? Guessing much less need without the ambulance role...

'86 should have the Sterling 10.25" rear axle. Much easier to work on than the Dana.

If you're revitalizing the brakes you should replace the hose to the rear axle and check the metal line inside the frame channel (outboard of the side tank)

Ambulance package mandates 200A.
Diesels had dual batteries, but only 90 or 100A alternators.
The 130A 3G alternator is a popular retrofit.

We are just having a discussion about buckets v bench.
Mounting is straight ahead for the bench, but as you see the buckets take some framework.

34k would definitely still have the nylon cam gear, 134,000 it has likely been changed.
I never noticed shards of plastic in my oil.
They were all stuck in the pickup screen when I opened it up.

A straight up timing set will do a lot for apparent acceleration and even improve fuel mileage (depending on your gearing)

We always like pictures!  😉

Maybe you should start a thread in the projects section of the main forum, and possibly Gary or Bill can move these posts over to it?

Yes, welcome!  You started your adventure here in a bit of an usual place, but it'll work.  However, as Jim suggested, if you go the main section and start a new thread/topic there about your truck/ambulance I can move the discussion from here to there - if you want.

And, pics are always a big help.  Post them up!

Plus, we have a map (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map in the menu) and we'd love to put you on it if we had a town or a zip.

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Westerj wrote

PLease move these over to my new Projects post.  Thanks!  JW

Done.  But you might want to go to the New Members Start Here folder, read the guidelines, and then start a new thread to introduce yourself.  Please.

Damn. Dreaded nylon cam gear .. next time i take things off the front (waterpump etc)... 35 years is a long time for all that. Belts, hoses, waterpump, frontseal, cam gear, ..gluttony, or is it shipwrights disease!!  

Since the underbody is in great shape, wanted to ask about keeping it intact.. anything better than rusty metal primer to put on ... while I am working anywhere?  How mich work is it to pull a fender.. likely lots of surface area to treat there... Pull off, paint, put back on, repeat... but.. that COULD be start of shipwrights disease!

I like to use a phosphoric acid prep to convert the oxides to phosphate and passivate the rust before any kind of paint or primer.
Ospho is a popular name brand but I've been using Kwik Strip concrete and metal prep from the box store.
Comes in a gallon that you dilute and is dark cyan in color.

I use a cheap 1/2 gallon hand pump sprayer from Horrid Fate.
They're $4.99 on sale or with a coupon.
Wear a respirator and goggles not safety glasses.
I wear a tyvek bunny suit if it's not too hot out.

If you get into pulling panels there will be no end.
You'll be looking at a frame, like Gary.
One place that really does need attention though is the cowl, and its drains.

Pull the cowl, pull the rubber drains behind each wheel and flush all that gunk out with a hose.
Pull the kickpanels inside the truck to get at the other side from the drains.

Then carefully check the caulking in the cowl for being dried out and cracking or peeling.
This can be the source of many leaks and will cause significant damage if left unchecked.

Other caulk to check is in the rain gutters and the roof to body seam at the upper corners of the front and back window.
Get it, before it gets your truck...

Thanks for the tips. This is very helpful!!  Have seen salt take enough cars. Ranger [2003] has plastic cups built into the mud flaps that ensure the fender bottoms would rot out. Not as bad as pals 411 vw that had sponges attached to each fender to accelerate rot!!

Mouse1 down. 3 more traps set. Going to have to pull dash apart to get mouse debris out. Big job?

Take the dash pad off.  There are screws in the defroster vents and then screws holding the instrument & radio bezels to the pad, and on the right a few screws holding the pad to the dash frame.  But there are several other screws on the right that hold other things to the dash frame, so don't just take all the screws out.  Instead, loosen them and see which ones move when you pull up, gently, on the dash pad.

Once the pad is off you can see a lot of things, and may be able to clean a lot of it up.  But it sounds as if they've been in the HVAC vents, and those are a pain to take out.  However, from the top it can be done if I remember correctly.

It's not a big job to remove the dash pad.

Dismantling the ductwork (if you need to) is another story.

ArdWrknTrk wrote

It's not a big job to remove the dash pad.

Dismantling the ductwork (if you need to) is another story.

Not if you pull the whole dash out

Dave ----

Whole dash?? Yipes. Sounds like a lot of work.but... would find any shorts etc. So have to chop out.. ambulance lights etc.... .mouse houses..