The Diesel Garage banner

1992 F-700 6 cylinder diesel

32K views 16 replies 8 participants last post by  stacywinters68 
#1 ·
Hey guys,
I looking to buy a used dump truck. I found this guy that sells old state and some military trucks. His best truck is a 1992 F-700. It has a inline 6 with a turbo and an automatic allison with 2 speed rear. He claims it is a Ford engine. I thought Ford used Cat, International, Cummins engines. This truck has over 200,000 miles and he wants $9500.00. Its pretty clean with good tires and has new lift pump and cylinder. Any thoughts? opinions?
Thats about twice the money I wanted to spend, but I also want something reliable. I don't have time to be working on it everytime I need to use it. Also looking at a 1982 ford F-800 with a 3208 Cat. Its $5500.00 but it looks terrible. Oil and grease everywhere. Hood and one door about to fall off. Seller only had it 6 months and he doesn't know the true milage or when the engine was rebuilt. He swears its a great truck, but before I could take a good second look, the hose that lifts the dump busted. I'm going to look at a 1986 international later today for $6500.00 but all I know about it is that it has a diesel with manual tranny. The fellow that has the gov't truck was telling me that the 3208 cat and all the international / ford v-8 diesels are junk and that you just can't beat the allison auto tranny. He had some chevy trucks with v-8 diesels (I belive detroits?) that he said were very reliable. So any advise or anybody know where I can find a good truck? I live in Augusta,GA. :thanks:
 
See less See more
#2 ·
mjoiner said:
"Hey guys,
I looking to buy a used dump truck. I found this guy that sells old state and some military trucks. His best truck is a 1992 F-700. It has a inline 6 with a turbo and an automatic allison with 2 speed rear. He claims it is a Ford engine. I thought Ford used Cat, International, Cummins engines. This truck has over 200,000 miles and he wants $9500.00. Its pretty clean with good tires and has new lift pump and cylinder. Any thoughts? opinions? "
Ford built 2 diesels for medium duty trucks. one is a 6.6L six banger the other was a 7.8L six cylinder. Both are decent diesels, the 7.8L being the better & more powerful of the two. The only thing you gotta watch is parts availability since they were discontinued in '94. I had a 6.6L Ford diesel in an F-700 that gave me no problems.
Ford used the widest variety of diesels through the 80's & 90's. They used CAT, Cummins, Ford and Detroit diesels. Avoid the 8.2L fuel pincher in the F-800.


"Thats about twice the money I wanted to spend, but I also want something reliable. I don't have time to be working on it everytime I need to use it. Also looking at a 1982 ford F-800 with a 3208 Cat. Its $5500.00 but it looks terrible. Oil and grease everywhere. Hood and one door about to fall off. Seller only had it 6 months and he doesn't know the true milage or when the engine was rebuilt. He swears its a great truck, but before I could take a good second look, the hose that lifts the dump busted. I'm going to look at a 1986 international later today for $6500.00 but all I know about it is that it has a diesel with manual tranny. The fellow that has the gov't truck was telling me that the 3208 cat and all the international / ford v-8 diesels are junk and that you just can't beat the allison auto tranny. He had some chevy trucks with v-8 diesels (I belive detroits?) that he said were very reliable. So any advise or anybody know where I can find a good truck? I live in Augusta,GA. :thanks:"
The Cat 3208 gets mixed reviews. It's a lower HP, but torquey, high displacement V-8 diesel. The 3208 was also discontinued ~10 years ago and is getting tougher & more expensive to get parts for. The turboed versions ran from 210-300HP. Most dump trucks got n/a 180-210 HP or 210 turboed. Tandems would get 210-250 HP turboed most of the time.

IH is the biggest medium duty diesel engine builder in the world. Theyhad one diesel that could be avoided. In the 80's, the 9L diesel is the one that comes to mind. In the 80's or 90's, if it has a DT360, DT408, DT466 or DT530, you have nothing to worry about as these are rock solid diesels. The DT466 is the top of the class for all brands of M/D diesels and is pushing over 30 years in production.

80's & early 90's Chevy diesel trucks used primarily Detroit & Cat Diesels. In M/D applications, you should avoid the 8.2L "fuel Pincher" diesel. They also used 3208's and possibly 6V71's in early 80's.

In my opinion, IH makes the best M/D dumptrucks for vocational/contractor useage. Sure Peterbilt/KW are nicer, but they're "cadillac" trucks. For everyday useage, you can't beat IH. The early 90's F-800s, with an 8.3L Cummins are a nice catch, too.

Take a look here for a good used diesel dumptruck. Look under "heavy duty trucks"

http://www.truckpaper.com/default.asp?guid=7F3F9272FF054574A14692AD749B8092
 
#4 ·
7.8 was available up to 300hp in stock form -
Uses a Bosch pump that may be the "P" pump used in similar era DT 466 and Cummins 12v series making power increases a snap.
The engine is made in Brazil and was used extensively in Ford and New Holland farm machinery. There was an issue with pistons on some of them and I don't recall the nature of why. Others get great performance and mileage out of them. Some guy back east tractor pulls with them.
Same company that made them in Brazil now belongs to International and makes a 7.8 liter engine that is the "big" Duramax used in the new Top Kick line. I do not know if there is any direct ancestry involved - blocks/heads/ etc but they do share identical configuration I6 and their size is the same. Somewhat suspicious is that they claim there are already 300,000 of they 7.8 engines in operation around the world pre-duramax. Could it be the same? I would be buying a MD for all around use but my better half has decided she likes our truck now.
 
#5 ·
A guy I know that turned up a '89 7.8L Ford without a turbo change and a pyrometer to watch temps melted a piston within a couple months so one must dial the pump with caution.
My DT is bumped, but I installed a pyro.
The thing that guys that only turn pumps up in smaller trucks don't realize is that a diesel in a M/D has much more stress put on it than in a pickup. Turning up the pump in a 7,500 lb pickup is not too dangerous. Do the same thing to a 15,000 lb dump is quite a different story.

all that said, I'm sure they can make lots more power than they were ever sold with stock. Just gotta watch the EGT's.
 
#6 ·
7.8's are a notorious motor. They put the same motor in Ford's 8000-9000 series tractors...The truck version of the motor was a real POS. I have known multiple people that have replaced their 7.8's to 8.3 Cummins motors. The tractor version was a lot better motor than the truck version. I think the major difference in the motors is that the truck motors were built in Brazil and the tractor motors were built in England.
 
#7 ·
I've never seen any except the ones from Brazil. Buddy of mine has a dozen of them in L & F series Fords and about a dozen CAT 3208's in L's & F's.

He tells me the 7.8L Fords last longer and are actually a bit less troublesome than the CAT 3208's in the same application.
 
#8 ·
Unless youve been around the tractors you wont see them...8700 and 9700 Ford tractors had them. 8700 was non-turboed.
 
#9 ·
Yeah, I'm talking truck engines. '

Are you sure the 7.8L engines say "made in England"? Because I know many Ford tractors themselves say "made in England" on them, like on the frame. I had a Ford 2 WD front end loader that was built in England. My 555 4x4 backhoe was made in Belgium, but the diesel wasn't.
Can't remember what the diesel engine in the front end loader said on it. Too many years ago.LOL
 
#10 ·
I take that back....got to looking at some stuff....the tractors had a 401 in them the 7.8 is a 474....my bad I apologize...but anyway...I have known quite a few people that have replaced thier 7.8's....but no personal experience other than the tractors.
 
#11 ·
No problem, we all mistakes.

A lot of people replace their 7.8's because the parts are getting tough and expensive, and let's face it, an 8.3 C is more motor. It should be, it was more expensive and it has greater displacement. The 7.8L Ford was very reasonably priced.
 
#13 ·
Few more medium duty questions

Thanks for the replies,
I swear I just sent a reply but I don't know where it went. Basically I just wanted to know what the problem is with the pincher engine. One of the next trucks the fellow was showing me had this engine.This is a Detroit? He seems to really like it. Says thats all they use in the school buses now. The F-800 has the 6.6 Ford according to him. I wish it were the Cummins. I hear the Ford has the old cavitation problems. He does have one GM that I think has something else.A Detroit, but not the pincher. Also an old Mercedes that he claims is the smoothest of them all. Also on the Internationals. Does the DT stand for Detroit? I thought they had there own engines. I don't know much about the medium duties, so feel free to educate.
 
#15 ·
mjoiner said:
Also on the Internationals. Does the DT stand for Detroit? I thought they had there own engines. I don't know much about the medium duties, so feel free to educate.
No, this is a common misnomer. Many think "DT" stands for "DeTroit" for some silly reason. The DT series are fine diesels built by IH. Most likely, DT stands for "Diesel-Turbocharged". You'll also see "DTA", which stands for "Diesel Turbocharged-Aftercooled".

Detroit is a diesel engine manufacturer, not a truck manufacturer. Forget the 8.2L Fuel pincher. Just walk away.
 
#17 ·
Hey guys,
I looking to buy a used dump truck. I found this guy that sells old state and some military trucks. His best truck is a 1992 F-700. It has a inline 6 with a turbo and an automatic allison with 2 speed rear. He claims it is a Ford engine. I thought Ford used Cat, International, Cummins engines. This truck has over 200,000 miles and he wants $9500.00. Its pretty clean with good tires and has new lift pump and cylinder. Any thoughts? opinions?
Thats about twice the money I wanted to spend, but I also want something reliable. I don't have time to be working on it everytime I need to use it. Also looking at a 1982 ford F-800 with a 3208 Cat. Its $5500.00 but it looks terrible. Oil and grease everywhere. Hood and one door about to fall off. Seller only had it 6 months and he doesn't know the true milage or when the engine was rebuilt. He swears its a great truck, but before I could take a good second look, the hose that lifts the dump busted. I'm going to look at a 1986 international later today for $6500.00 but all I know about it is that it has a diesel with manual tranny. The fellow that has the gov't truck was telling me that the 3208 cat and all the international / ford v-8 diesels are junk and that you just can't beat the allison auto tranny. He had some chevy trucks with v-8 diesels (I belive detroits?) that he said were very reliable. So any advise or anybody know where I can find a good truck? I live in Augusta,GA. :thanks:
Are you still in the market for a good truck I have one. 92 f700 clean straight no leaks runs great
manual transmission less than 37,000 miles. $11,900 I'm on the Oregon coast so the downside is you have to come get it. It's on Oregon Coast Craigslist
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top