I started my automotive career in the late 70s at a local Vocational School. We were working on the schools 62? Econoline pickup, doing a valve job IIRC. Our instructor, a former Ford mechanic, mentioned that there had been a recall on those early E-trucks to add weight to the rear. Supposedly, they would go nose down, *** up under certain conditions.
Can anyone verify or dismiss this?
It sounded like a neat little mechanics factoid at the time, but I haven't heard about it since. I'm wondering these days if he was just BSing us high school kids.

 

Not sure about a recall, but there is a substantial piece of iron bolted in place above the gas tank on my '64 van. Its kind of suspect because it seems like a weight distribution issue could have been resolved during design using engine placement, etc. and not a giant counter weight. Makes me think it could have been a recall patch.

I'm Looking forward to learning something on this thread.

 

I never heard of such a thing. I seen videos of some imports that are similar in design flipping right over when they jam the brakes on. But never one of these.
Maybe Numberdummy will get on here and give info that can straighten it out.
I think he was bsing you. The econos sit lower to the ground than those imports so that helped with the weight.

 

I have heard and believe the recall story because I have a 61 pickup and it doesn't have the weight or have holes for it. I can't believe mine got through assembly line without it if they were putting them on. Of course, I can believe that someone didn't think it necessary and wouldn't go to the trouble to take it to a dealer for installation.
L.D.

 

There were no mandatory recalls back then. What Ford did have was called: campaigns.

Ford would send out letters to dealers, and corrections were made by the dealers, after the customers were notified.

Even though I worked at the dealer level back then, I'm not aware of an Econoline campaign inre to adding weight to the rear end...but such a thing was possible.


Studebaker had a problem with Lark convertibles. They added two 50 pound square chunks of concrete (!!) with a steel imbedded bracket which bolted to the rear frame members. No Scheiss! Ford could have done something similar..

 

I had strapped an old cement double sink like you'd find out in utility room in the back of my 66 econo rocket. But that was to make the 351C get some traction and weight transfer upon launch.

 

"There were no mandatory recalls back then. What Ford did have was called: campaigns.
Ford would send out letters to dealers, and corrections were made by the dealers, after the customers were notified."

They still have Campaigns. They're for non-safety related issues. I don't know if he used the word "recall" specifically.

Even though I worked at the dealer level back then, I'm not aware of an Econoline campaign inre to adding weight to the rear end...but such a thing was possible.


"Studebaker had a problem with Lark convertibles. They added two 50 pound square chunks of concrete (!!) with a steel imbedded bracket which bolted to the rear frame members. No Scheiss! Ford could have done something similar.."

I'ne hears of the Lark "cement blocks", probably the same idea. I remember seeing the large piece of steel above the gas tank, and that truck was light in the rear even with that.

 

"I have heard and believe the recall story because I have a 61 pickup and it doesn't have the weight or have holes for it."

My 61 econo (built in Dec '60) has the weight and holes.
David

 

From: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/.../message/63779

"I was selling Fords in 1960 when the Econoline came out and they were
shipped to the Dealers without the counterweight. Some time after the
introduction they shipped the weights and we had to drop the gas tank
and install them on the ones we had in inventory and cal back the ones
we had already delivered. Some of the owners who hauled heavy loads
didnt want the weights and as i recall rhey had to sign a waver."

 

Interesting. I never had the tank off my truck yet. I wonder if there is a plate there. I guess I will find out when I ever get to restore it.

 

Look for six bolt heads just forward of the rear lip of box. L shape figure. If the carriage bolts are there so is the counterweight. The two center bolts actually hold the weight. So if you go to dismount this take the end four out first. Otherwise you will dent the concrete. FACT!!!!!

 

Here is a tidbit for you all. There was a problem with steering shafts at the weld point that caused some to snap. Think of Laurel and Hardy movie with steering wheel in hand. I have actual shaft in the tube somewhere NOS with the campaign tag still on it. I called Ford about it and they did not want to know about it.
The killer of it is we have a 61 PU E100 and drove it from Portland to SF at as fast as it would go most of the time, 65-70 and roaring at over 4000 rpm.

Couple years later my employee was backing the truck out of shop drive and Bang it snapped, He came walking in the shop with the steering wheel and shaft in his hand. I had no idea about the recall at that time. Later I found what I thought was just NOS shaft but looking close at tube found the sticker for recall. So be careful out there if you have early E100.

 

There were NO Government mandated recalls back then.

Ford, sent out campaign letters to dealers, telling them of the problems. It was up to the dealers to notify the owners.

1967: Mustang steering wheels were defective, began cracking from day one.

Ford sent every dealer in the US new steering wheels, the quantity and colors depended on what Mustangs the dealers had ordered up to a certain cut-off point.

20 years later, one could still find dozens of these steering wheels nationwide brand new in dealers attics, basements, whatever.

Very few were replaced, because there was no mandated Government recall back then.

In 1985, I bought 30 of these wheels from the Ford dealer in Ridgecrest CA. Paid 20 bucks apiece, sold them for 100 bucks apiece.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if there aren't 100's more out there...today.

The first mandated Government recall that I can recall, was in 1975 to correct the exploding Pinto gas tank problem.

The 1971 and later tanks were made from two pieces of galvanized steel that formed a lip in the middle.

When Pinto's were rear ended, the lip of the tank contacted the rear end, splitting it open.

100's of people died in fires caused by those damn gas tanks, 1000's more were badly burned.

 

Interesting that mention of the pinto recall, I am trying to inventory our collection of NOS Ford we gathered starting in 1981 and there is a splash shield for the Pinto in there to keep gas from passenger compartment. Trying to retire and start selling the NOS now. Sold Falcon parts for 28 years.
Ron

 

That's a curved piece of hard plastic, right?

That's not a splash shield for passengers as there was no such thing.

The shield (D1FZ9B007B) was part of the kit Ford came out with. It fits between the seam of the gas tank and the rear end. When the car is hit, the gas tanks seam contacts that shield.