Ok here is what's going on I have 2 1986 f250 4x4 6.9 diesels with the t19 4 speed the radiator in my xlt is carodid (sorry can't spell) around the edges and my radiator support crossmember on the bottom has a big cancer hole in it... Well my 86 xl has an almost new looking radiator with no problems .... Except the xlt has the tall radiator and the xl has the short wide one and no cancer hole in the crossmember I'm wondering if there is a cooling difference between the two and if anyone thinks it's worth the effort to switch out the front end... If there is a cooling difference I plan on making more power out of the xlt when I get it back together

 

^^bump^^

 

No cooling difference. You will have to swap out the Rad support along with the Rad since both trucks don't have the same Rad.

 

I realized I would be switching the whole front support it seems to have less rust than the other one

 

Should swap fine..May not be original rad. in one of them causing the difference in appearance.

 

Non factory air vs factory air typically. Have 2 84's, one has factory air, deep rad, the other is dealer air, has the massively wide rad. If you want to do anything like intercooler or intake mod, the rad gets in the way with the wider one. Also are less common and harder to find if you need to replace it. However, the core support is easier to find, as I believe it to be common with the gas support. Should have checked that out when i stripped the 85 gasser this summer..

 

The Rad support is the same for gas as for diesel, they will bolt up.

 

So the taller radiator is easier to find?

 

Well the taller Rad is most common on these engines. But a clean solid support is harder to find as only the diesels had them. A wide radiator will bolt up to any gas rad support.

 

I understand the supports are harder to find but does the hassle of mounting an intercooler outweigh the hassle of the radiators and the supports? Because it might be a few years down the road but my good ol xlt will end up with turbo and intercooler