Best Shop Manual available in print? Chilton, Hayes?

[vkkv]

Greetings,

I'm a first-time owner of 1977 F250 XLT 351M Ranger 4x4 and am wondering what the best shop manual still in print is.

Chilton ?
Hayes ?

Others?

Thanks for any info,
Victor in Mariposa, CA

 

[DNFXDLI]

Don't waste your money on those things.

Detroit Iron has the actual CD's

http://www.detroitironis.com/Ford_CDs.html

There is a decent library here which is being added to as time goes by as well, but it doesn't have the 77 right now.

 

[SuperCab]

Depends what you want it for.

For basic maintenance and looking up bolt torque specs the Haynes/Chilton is fine.

For serious work, the original Ford manual is a must, as Duncan said.

 

[m78]

There was a set of original Ford manuals for sale here on CL but its gone now.

 

[Mil1ion]

I purchase as many different ones as I can.
Ford
Haynes
Chilton

Plus two other obscure manuals.

Detroit iron is great because you can print off the pages you need without ruining the paper manual.
Also find the Chilton CD manual specially for more these trucks.

 

[boonslick]

Greetings,

I'm a first-time owner of 1977 F250 XLT 351M Ranger 4x4 and am wondering what the best shop manual still in print is.

Chilton ?
Hayes ?

Others?

Thanks for any info,
Victor in Mariposa, CA

Hello and good morning.

A Factory Ford Manual available from Irv Bishko @ 800-544-3312 who sells Reprints of Genuine Factory Ford Manuals in paper or CD. These are the actual manuals used by the Ford Dealership Mechanics!

Boon

 

[Mil1ion]

As are detroit iron discs.

 

[LEB Ben]

These are what you should be looking for. I prefer having the paperback. As you can see, for my 77, one set is what I use while wrenching, the ones still wrapped in plastic are an NOS set I picked up a few years back...and never been out of the pastic.

 

[bucks77ford]

These are what you should be looking for. I prefer having the paperback. As you can see, for my 77, one set is what I use while wrenching, the ones still wrapped in plastic are an NOS set I picked up a few years back...and never been out of the pastic.

Those are cool. Nice find having the NOS set. It would be nice having the CD versions but like you said the paper back is nice to have while you wrench and don't have to keep printing things off. I guess it's how you look at it and what is more convenient. I use my IPad a lot and hardly ever the CPU, so having a CD would be a little more inconvenient.

 

[fatherdoug]

These are what you should be looking for. I prefer having the paperback. As you can see, for my 77, one set is what I use while wrenching, the ones still wrapped in plastic are an NOS set I picked up a few years back...and never been out of the pastic.

I see a Tom Monroe book in there, too. I also prefer the hard copy manuals.

 

[Mil1ion]

Those are cool. Nice find having the NOS set. It would be nice having the CD versions but like you said the paper back is nice to have while you wrench and don't have to keep printing things off. I guess it's how you look at it and what is more convenient. I use my IPad a lot and hardly ever the CPU, so having a CD would be a little more inconvenient.

Just copy the disc and put a copy on your ipad.
I have a copy on a thumb drive even.

 

[LEB Ben]

Those are cool. Nice find having the NOS set. It would be nice having the CD versions but like you said the paper back is nice to have while you wrench and don't have to keep printing things off. I guess it's how you look at it and what is more convenient. I use my IPad a lot and hardly ever the CPU, so having a CD would be a little more inconvenient.

Yeah...I can't remember who it was, maybe Dak, and unknowingly, we were both bidding against eachother on an NOS set on ebay...he eventually won. Then I found this set a couple years later for about $150 less at Green Sales.

Outside of work time surfing, I rarely use a PC either. Everything is on my phone these days. My how the times have changed. I even have a camscanner app so I can scan pages out of books when I work.

I see a Tom Monroe book in there, too. I also prefer the hard copy manuals.

Yeah...that's my most used shelf. Most of my literature is packed away still from college.

Just copy the disc and put a copy on your ipad.
I have a copy on a thumb drive even.

My luck with an ipad would be, that rogue socket or wrench would go flying or be dropped right in that pretty $500 screen.

 

[bucks77ford]

^^^^not to mention greazy hands trying to navigate through the IPAD. I have used my phone many times and have also dropped it many times while working.

I wasn't ready to splurge on an original 75 manual yet, so I did buy a CD version so I will see how it is.

 

[DNFXDLI]

iProducts are for commies

 

[LEB Ben]

^^^^not to mention greazy hands trying to navigate through the IPAD. I have used my phone many times and have also dropped it many times while working.

I wasn't ready to splurge on an original 75 manual yet, so I did buy a CD version so I will see how it is.

I have one of those everything proof Otterbox cases on my phone...so when I'm done working, I just drop it in the sink and wash it.

 

[vkkv]

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[BigNate]

I like the idea. But....

Mine is a Johnny Cash special covering options from 75 trough 79! How many different CD's would I need!?

I have several manuals because of this. I've used several different manuals to track down assembly diagrams, torques, etc. Not sure how that'd word on CDs?

The door tag & title say Mine's a75, the front end is a high pinion with discs (77?), and it's got a 351M under the hood. I have much to learn still, as I am redoing the steering now, I'm finding the steering it had was not identifiable, so I stole everything off a similar truck and am retrofitting now.
My Son's has Grandpa's f250 also from 75 and it's got a different front end HD44, the 360 has been swapped for a warmed over 429, and the NP435 has been dumed for an NV4500. At least that one has been in the family and I know the history.

Unless you've got an all original truck buying a single year shop manual may not cut it.

 

[rambler]

great post... I have always wondered which would be better, I have some of both for my rigs.. I considered just finding a old PC and setting it up in the shop and getting the CDs.. that way I am not risking a Ipad.. ( which I dont have or afford right now ) LOL,, but still able to see the CDs on a larger screen and not worry about grease on keyboard

 

[Mil1ion]

what is the frame vin#

go to hipoparts.com for the parts and illustration cd