Factory 534 Ford FE?

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 bitch! 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 chassis. As I remember 1000 gal water tank too. Only had a 5 speed trans with an under for creeping. Used a shitpot 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