Pulling fuses will slow down most theives. I like hidden switches, for something like the fuel pump, tucked under the seat.

 

I don't know that Ravelco unit looks promising. Usually if a thief can't easily start the vehicle and drive away within a minute or two, they will give up and move on to an easier target. Especially here where sticking around outside a house for a minute too long might end up in a confrontation with the business end of a gun. There are guys in the group that have like a no start tune loaded and the door lock and ignition cylinder are destroyed but the thief gave up and moved on.

 

Modern factory anti-theft devices work really, really well. There's a cryptographic exchange between the key and the ECU, and if the ECU isn't satisfied then it doesn't start the engine. You can't "hot wire" it because there's no wires to cut, the only low tech way around it is a tow truck. These days the theft rate on cars less than 10 years old is so low that if you report it stolen you'd better tell them that you're missing a key or they start looking at you for insurance fraud.

Not that this helps if you have a 2005-ish or earlier truck.

--Ian

 

Yup, I was thinking older vehicles with things like add-on alarms, and aftermarket gizmos like those stupid steering wheel locking bars.

 

My dad has used one of those steering wheel bars on his 91 toyota pickup since he bought it brand new. Very stealable truck that's been parked outside nearly all its life, and it's never been stolen. I think it was broken into once, however.

I'm planning on getting a first get 12V cummins D/W 250 when I get back home as a tow rig/temporary DD. preferably a 91.5-93 so I don't have to fab up my own intercooler. From what I understand, with the mechanical fuel injection/pump and whatnot, the truck can still run without any electrical power once you get it started (could be wrong about that), so I was thinking of using a steering wheel bar and a hidden switch on the starter relay or something.

Also, anyone have any experience with the first gen cummins? I'm planning on getting a manual.

 

A manual transmission is a better anti-theft device than The Club (TM).

--Ian

 

A mechanically injected truck still relies on the pull and hold solenoid having continuous power or the truck stops running.

 

Well, my 240k mile Cummins started showing early warning symptoms of serious engine problems. I had hoped to get 300k out of it but decided it was time to cut bait...

So, I guess I can't call myself a cheap bastard anymore, 'cause I bought one with a warranty...


DSC_0968 by Rodan AZ, on Flickr

Holy **** is this thing nice... though it still gives me heart palpitations to think about what I spent!

 

I just got this thing for tow duties for a steal.

04 f250 with a low mileage reman 5.4.
(I painted the wheels. Didn't buy it that way)

I have drop shackles for the rear and I plan on making it as aerodynamically efficient as possible.


20170811_103244


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Edit:

This is the idea as well as a mostly flat bottom. I would love if someone told me if I am totally off base. Of course it would be in black or something not red...

 

If anybody steals your 6.0 Ford diesel. Take whatever the ins. gives you and consider yourself very lucky.

 

That's even worse, it's the 5.4. horrible boat anchor of an engine imo. At least the 6.0s are strong when they're running.

 

That's even worse, it's the 5.4. horrible boat anchor of an engine imo. At least the 6.0s are strong when they're running.

But hey, cheap is cheap.

 

There is nothing cheap about a 6.0 ford truck. The fcm (fuel conditioning module. Has an alu. sidecover with a iron plug in it. This is where you drain the water from the trap.
water+iron+alu.= a battery. When you remove the plug the threads come with it. The cover costs about 300.00. Then you get to go buy a brass plug so you won,t need another
cover. God know's where ford gets it's engineers. When your batts get a little weak you get to buy another FICM (fuel injection control module). Ohm's law covers that one.
Everybody knows about the sand in the block, poor coolant, oil cooler/egrcooler issues, stuck unison ring in the turbo. The HVAC comes from the factory haunted.
THEN when you have to do anything major to it all you need to do is take the cab off!! It WAS the poorest engineered piece of machinery I have ever owned.
If ford gave me a new GT i'd sell it. There will never be another piece of ford crap in this mans garage and I own 6 cars. None will ever be a ford. Looking
for a new tow truck now.

No such thing as a free Puppy.

 

The 6.0 was so bad, Ford dropped Navistar, the engine supplier, over it. Their current gen 6.7L seems to be doing better so far.

 

Umm. The 6.4 was Navistar too...

 

Great I'll run right over and buy another 60K lotto ticket. It wasn't just the motor, the kindergarden engineering was apparent throughout the truck. I and or ford tried for
two years to make the HVAC work. Local ford dealer agreed it was haunted. All the vacume lines, pump, motors,blend door, switches, everything. sometimes it would do
nothing, no fans no nothing.Driving down the road 5min later it would turn on max fan wide open. The only consistent thing it would do is when you turned a left corner
when it was not working but turned on it would come on ,wheel straight, turns back off. could find nothing in the steering touching anything.
I "hear the new 6.7 are good" Buy one post back next year, I suppose you could be right.

 

6.7 has been since like 2011 or something. Seems to be doing fine.

 

I've had several vehicles with possessed windshield wipers (including the '04 Dodge dually I just traded in), but never the HVAC...

 

Yeah... I know. The 6.4L was marginally better but the decision had already been made, hence the short 6.4L run. Lawsuits started flying in 2007 and Ford had to buy Navistar out of contract. Engineering, development, testing, etc took some time thereafter for the 2010 6.7L release. Did you think I said 6.4L?

2010. Also, what is this, a confused contradiction then echo chamber?

Point is, avoid 6.0L Fords like the plague unless they are bullet proofed. The 6.4L is a little better but it's still a pass in general, imo.

 

So who are they paying to build the 6.7? Prob not cummins.