Steve83 Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 ...the inline 6 as being easier to push through the firewall in a crash as opposed to the V8.The engines aren't held in-place by the firewall - they never apply significant force to the firewall, except in the most-cataclysmic wrecks that are FAR beyond any design. I just got done stripping a truck that sheared a 12" wood utility pole & bent the frame all the way back to the rear axle. Its V8 engine didn't touch the firewall, even though it's MUCH closer than an I6 would be.Possibly, you could also draw a conclusion that a transverse engine offered more protection than a longitudinal engine installation.F-series have never had transverse engines.Rear engine vs. front engine...Ford has never made a rear-engine vehicle.I will wonder if somehow production costs ruled the day? There may have been a nickle to be saved somewhere in the decision chain.My opinion remains that it was due to CAFE & EPA. The 4.9L was never designed for economy or emissions (it wasn't even originally designed for vehicle use at all), and trying to get them from it would have cost MUCH more (with VERY limited results) than a modern CAD engine. Same reasons the smallblock 5.0L V8 was replaced by the modular 5.0L V8 - the new design is simply better for the modern laws & marketplace, in every way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 Well, I just got a new Ford publication today called Ford Truck Body Builders Layout Book 1985. And it has a lot of interesting info in it - including engine dimensions. I'll get them scanned some day, soon I hope, but will have to farm that out for two reasons. First, I'm going to start powder coating parts for Dad's truck as well as for a friend almost immediately since the grandtwins left today and I must get something done. Second, the pages are something like 11" x 15", and my scanner isn't big enough. Until then you'll have to take my word for these dimensions. And, heed the notes as these are the outside-to-outside dimensions. And compare those dimensions with these, which are also said to be outside-to-outside. I don't know the source of these, but I do know the source of the ones above. So, once I get the pages scanned and up on the website I'll have to go to Keith Dickson, of FORDification where I got the table below, and suggest they aren't spot-on. And here's a teaser of one of the pages from the book: Well guys, thanks for waiting. See what you think: Literature/1985 Literature/1985 Body Builders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1986F150Six Posted January 15, 2019 Author Share Posted January 15, 2019 Well guys, thanks for waiting. See what you think: Literature/1985 Literature/1985 Body Builders. Neat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 Neat! Hard to argue with factory drawings, huh? I just sent a FB message to my friend, Keith Dickson, Mr FORDification. Those spec's don't match his that he's published, so I wanted him to get to see them for himself and decide what to do about his. And, wouldn't you know it, he's the one that pointed that book out to me on eBay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve83 Posted January 19, 2019 Share Posted January 19, 2019 Hard to argue with factory drawings, huh? I just sent a FB message to my friend, Keith Dickson, Mr FORDification. Those spec's don't match his that he's published, so I wanted him to get to see them for himself and decide what to do about his. And, wouldn't you know it, he's the one that pointed that book out to me on eBay. Another useful link that you might add to your pages with that document is the CURRENT version of Ford's electrical modification guidelines (beginning p.23): https://madocumentupload.marketingassociates.com/api/Document/GetFile?v1=4593150&v2=112618090927&v3=60&v4=11a4a7e490f6e9230a5d6abc562b2892b425567022209e9b7e746348&v5=False If that link doesn't work, scroll down this page to one of the Electrical sections (I linked 2010 above): https://fordbbas.com/publications It contains a few corrections (and a few errors), a few modern references, and a few changes. I noticed for example that it cautions AGAINST using the stud on the '92-up underhood fuse box for any new circuits (which we discussed in the choke heater thread). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 19, 2019 Share Posted January 19, 2019 Another useful link that you might add to your pages with that document is the CURRENT version of Ford's electrical modification guidelines (beginning p.23): https://madocumentupload.marketingassociates.com/api/Document/GetFile?v1=4593150&v2=112618090927&v3=60&v4=11a4a7e490f6e9230a5d6abc562b2892b425567022209e9b7e746348&v5=False If that link doesn't work, scroll down this page to one of the Electrical sections (I linked 2010 above): https://fordbbas.com/publications It contains a few corrections (and a few errors), a few modern references, and a few changes. I noticed for example that it cautions AGAINST using the stud on the '92-up underhood fuse box for any new circuits (which we discussed in the choke heater thread). Thanks, Steve. I downloaded a copy and will have to figure out where to use that info. On the one hand I can link to it from the '85 Body Builder's page, but the electrical info needs to have a link to it from the Electrical section. Hmmm.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve83 Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Thanks, Steve. I downloaded a copy and will have to figure out where to use that info. On the one hand I can link to it from the '85 Body Builder's page, but the electrical info needs to have a link to it from the Electrical section. Hmmm.... I got another new shop toy: a digital hanging scale. https://supermotors.net/getfile/1144582/thumbnail/20190108_1423weight.jpg https://supermotors.net/getfile/1144116/thumbnail/4.6l500lbs.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 I got another new shop toy: a digital hanging scale. https://supermotors.net/getfile/1144582/thumbnail/20190108_1423weight.jpg https://supermotors.net/getfile/1144116/thumbnail/4.6l500lbs.jpg That's a neat toy. But I don't think it would weigh my 460. By the way, do you use the furniture dolly with the "reinforcement" to move engines? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve83 Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 do you use the furniture dolly with the "reinforcement" to move engines? The reinforcement is a pair of steel bars embedded in the blue plastic frame, connecting the casters on the long sides. The wood is just the cradle I built on top to STORE the engine on the dolly so it's easy to move around my shop or shipping container. The 4.6L is on an identical dolly with its own cradle (each, screwed to its dolly). I'm thinking of buying some more dollies before TSC runs out or raises the price... I can't even buy the 4 casters alone for that price ($20). BTW I also have a 10Kip digital hanging scale, but I didn't want to pay the extra ~$80 for calibration, and I haven't gotten around to really calibrating it yet. https://supermotors.net/getfile/1062712/thumbnail/scale10k.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 do you use the furniture dolly with the "reinforcement" to move engines? The reinforcement is a pair of steel bars embedded in the blue plastic frame, connecting the casters on the long sides. The wood is just the cradle I built on top to STORE the engine on the dolly so it's easy to move around my shop or shipping container. The 4.6L is on an identical dolly with its own cradle (each, screwed to its dolly). I'm thinking of buying some more dollies before TSC runs out or raises the price... I can't even buy the 4 casters alone for that price ($20). BTW I also have a 10Kip digital hanging scale, but I didn't want to pay the extra ~$80 for calibration, and I haven't gotten around to really calibrating it yet. https://supermotors.net/getfile/1062712/thumbnail/scale10k.jpg Is your lighter scale calibrated? Can you use it to calibrate the heavier one? As for the dollies, I'll check them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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