Back when I was a young pup water well driller in the mid ‘70s, my weapon was a 1964 F950 Super Duty with the 534” in her. It was a Chicago Pneumatic 650w rig that had 300’ of 4 and a half x20’ drill rods on board. She was one torquey *****! My joke was always that I ran gallons per mile...
Yep they where OK back when you could buy 3 gallons of gas for less than a dollar. Back then everything I drove I wanted it to have a V8 and 4 bbl carb. Now I use a 250 six cyl.Just last nite I got a call from a younger guy. has a F600 with a blew up 330. He is looking for a 390. I tried to tell him he would be better off with a 360.
Tough engines, and as said..torque monsters.. Cold blooded....yes terrible..gas hogs...indeed. I drove a fire truck with one in it, backed by a five speed split axle.. Most could not/would not drive it, but anyone understanding engines could handle it fine. Heading out to a fire call, running the siren, shifting the split axle, talking on the radio, as well as constantly using the choke to keep it roaring was indeed a challenge, as well as a thrill.. I loved it, but would not want it for a daily driver..
We had three of them on our Fire Dept and I have one on the ranch. Being the Master Mechanic for our fire dept, I also doubled as the training officer, when it can to operating the fire engines. Never could train my guys on how to use the choke. They would stomp the throttle , cold, backfire ( cough) , blow the power valve. Those old big engines would still idle pertty good , even with a blown power valve. But they would soon foul the plugs. This was all before Holley came out with the power valve saver valve! Those Holleys also had two power valves, to boot! Got to where I could change a power valve in record time! Good engines, never had any other trouble with them. Bones
I think this is a 67 t850 . the other one with a boom on it was a 67 . both with 534s . I worked for a crane rental outfit and started with them in 1980 . This one (in front) was gone but the one with the 15 ton boom (under the crane boom) was still there . I run it for a couple of years . Two 35 gallon step tanks and if you used the boom steady you had to fuel it at noon . The last guy to run it said it was burning 13 qts a day . Overhauled it on the job in a plastic tent built on the job by the bridge dept . Still running when they sold it a couple of years later .
Drove a 534 for years for a utility co. 150’ pea shooter wash rig on a FWD ch***is. As I remember 1000 gal water tank too. Only had a 5 speed trans with an under for creeping. Used a ****pot of fuel but no one gave a damn when insulator washing.
We had a little short wheel base Ford C-600 Fire truck that had a 534 five speed in it and I actually saw that truck pull a wheelie! Honest! The driver was leaving the scene of a fire, had to back out into the street, that is probably the steepest hill in town! Now he’s got one foot on the brakes, the other on the clutch and sitting on that steep hill backwards! Before I could get over to him to show him how to handle it. He takes his foot off the brake, stabs the gas, the truck starts rolling, he pops the clutch with that 534 on the floor, the half tank of water hits the back...... and the front wheels cleared the ground! Honest! I just knew I was going to have to replace an axle, drive shaft, or u joints at least! But it did no harm! Those old trucks are tough to go through what the firemen put them through! Bones
I worked at Ford in the Heavy Truck business during the 1972-82 period. For clarification, the SuperDuty engine family was offered in 850, 880, 900, 950, 1000, and 1100 series only - some posters have used incorrect series designations. As the industry dieselized during the '70s demand wound down and Ford discontinued the engine family Job Last 1980. I had the privilege of selling one of the last ones - an L-900 single axle tractor - to a grocer in Rochester, N.Y. (he didn't want diesel exhaust ***ociated with his trucks). Growing up in the Kansas oil patch during the '60s a lot of oil rigs were moved by these Fords. When I was about 13 or so I saw four of them moving a rig; the truck pulling the derrick (an F-1100) came up a hill, driven by a huge, obese man without a shirt (it was a hot July day). When he caught another gear in the auxiliary to make the hill, the truck shook and his rolls of fat jiggled over the door sill! The rest of the rig followed on winch trucks like T-950s. Great memory, I can still hear those 534's t******* away!
Not earlier, but smaller displacements did exist. The Super Duty V8 was released in 1958 with 401, 477, and 534 ci displacements. 401: 4.125" Bore, 3.750" Stroke 477: 4.500" Bore, 3.750" Stroke 534: 4.500" Bore, 4.200" Stroke
Interesting thread. Two questions: 1: How far below deck was the piston wedge on the SD engine family? 2: How long did Ford run the 61-66 Slick Cab pickup (used on front straight axle pickups) on the big trucks? Chris
Best looking truck body I think. Came across this little truck somewhere in Central Illinois(if I remember right).
As for piston height I see conversations online about these engines. ***uming a block was found with exceptional cylinder walls, a fellow could have the crank ground to send the piston closer to deck. If possible compression could be raised to the 9:1 or higher range. Send the cam to a cam grinder to tune the cam you might increase the mileage enough to make it worth it. A Master Truck technician showed me one with a Holley 750 on top and a windowed crank case on the bottom. He said the truck versions don't stay together when reved too high. I am guessing they were running this one in the 4500 range when the rod bolts broke. EDIT: I run a 430 MEL in my daily driver pick-up. Just an overhaul with the pistons .050" in the hole. Book claims 10.5:1 compression. In a pinch I can run 87 Octane running empty. In theory with the Super Duty being the same design as the MEL I suspect the compression could be raised higher without any issues this side of 30,000 lbs.
The Jalopy Journal
