Every old truck sitting in a field has a story, and most end with rust and weeds. This one is a Ford F100. Once in a while, somebody pulls one out and decides to find out whether the engine still has anything left.
That is what the builder behind @BudgetBuildz and his dad did with a 1959 Ford F100 4×4. They say it is a factory four-wheel-drive truck from the first year Ford offered one. Its last registration they could find was from Kansas in 1972, which means the truck has been off the road for 54 years.
The truck came to them from a good friend. It wears a Caribbean blue turquoise paint they say matches their own 1966 truck. It is rough around the edges, but they call it not bad at all.
Mud Daubers Everywhere In The Ford F100
Under the hood, the first problem was obvious. Someone had picked the truck over while it sat, and the wiper motor, starter, distributor cap and oil cap were all missing. With the oil cap gone, insects had moved in. Mud dauber nests filled the engine bay, including the valve train under the rocker cover.
They pulled the spark plugs and looked into each cylinder with a borescope. Every one showed surface rust, and some held old bug nests. They soaked the cylinders with penetrating oil and let them sit.
When they put a wrench on the crankshaft, the engine moved only part of a turn. They decided the bottom end had not frozen. Instead, a few stuck valves were holding it back.
Seven Quarts Of Mostly Water In The F100
Before turning the engine further, they drained the oil pan to make sure it was not full of water. It was.
“Seven quarts of uh mostly water.”
With the pan off, the bottom end looked far better than they expected. There was rust on the crankshaft, but the rest wiped clean, and the timing chain was tight. They also noticed someone had once brazed a hole in the pan, and the engine had mismatched connecting rods, which they read as a sign it threw a rod at some point.
The cylinder head was another matter. The valves, springs and rocker assembly were so pitted and seized that they would have needed almost every part replaced. Instead, they found someone parting out a 1960 Fairlane on Facebook Marketplace with the same 223 six-cylinder the F100 uses. For $100, they came home with a cylinder head in good shape, a rocker assembly, push rods, head bolts and hardware.
First Fire After Five Decades
They replaced the brittle valve stem seals, lapped the valves and bolted the replacement head on. They also rebuilt the original carburetor, set up new ignition points and ran fresh fuel from an external tank.
On the first tries, the engine wanted to run but blew exhaust out of every gap. Mud dauber nests plugged the tailpipe, and running a snake through it brought out more. Once the exhaust could flow, the old six settled into a steady idle with close to 50 psi of oil pressure.
“Would you listen to that thing purr away? That is so cool.”
One problem remains. Oil was not reaching the rocker assembly on its own. They think a cam bearing may have spun, which they say was a common issue on these engines. For now, they ordered a $10 new-old-stock oiler kit to feed the top end.
Lessons For Anyone Reviving A Field-Parked Engine
- Drain the oil before you turn the engine. Water in the pan can do damage the moment parts start moving.
- Check for insect and rodent nests in every opening, including the exhaust.
- Do not force a stuck engine. Find out what is holding it, whether it is a seized piston or a stuck valve.
- Price used parts before buying new ones. A complete donor part can cost less than a single rebuilt piece.
- Watch oil flow to the top of the engine on the first runs, not just the gauge.
Where The F100 Stands
The Ford F100 runs, but it is not driving yet. Its clutch is stuck, the radiator is worn out, and the exhaust manifold has a hole in it. Next, they want to sort those out and get the truck moving around the shop and onto some trails, which they say is what it was built for.
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