Ok, so I was talking to some co-workers about my upcoming truck project, and mentioned that I was counting on about $1500 for a 6.9 engine kit, and another $500 to $1000 for machine work depending on how bad my low-oil event a couple of years back hurt my engine... To this I got the reply:

"Are you high?... instead of spending 2K-2.5K on your doggy IH, drive to Phoenix and pick up a used 5.9L cummins drop-in and have $$ left over... it's a better engine for less money and the grid heater works better than your BS glow plugs in this cold climate. Do yourself a favor and ditch the IH."

Is it really a waste of cash to re-do my 6.9L? A swap just seems like an endless rat-hole of unforeseen expenses, and that's still a USED engine they are talking about in that price range. If my 6.9L was truly toast I might feel differently, but....

1. It is a late model 6.9L, factory crate rebuild with only 50K or so on it...
2. I have a very lightly used wastegated Banks sidewinder unit for it
3. It was performing really well before I screwed up with the IP and later broke the oil line to my pressure gauge and damaged the valve train.

I am thinking full rebuild so that I know what I have. Right now I hear valve noise and have low power. The oil filler has a good bit of positive blow-by pressure, and I am loosing about 1 qt of oil every 100 miles. It does not drip in the driveway, and it does not smoke blue.

I asked on this forum before, and was told to go find a used 6.9L drop-in... that I could get one for ~$500 or so. I never found anything like that here where I live, and since I am doing a project re-build I want to do more than just keep it running. Is it reasonable to dump 2-2.5K into my 6.9L, or are my co-workers right and I should be thinking engine swap for that kind of $$? I've read all the specs and don't see how the old 12V cummins is so much better than a 6.9L IH with Banks turbo.

Now accepting opinions either way... just don't want to be a jack@$$ with my ca$h.

 

i hade that same thought when my motor wouldnt start a couple weeks ago. ur freinds hasnt tryed to find a cumins latly if u think u can find a cummins under 2500 it dose happen but not offten . them after u find sed motor u have to get addtapor plates for the tranny and new motor mounts. so in my mind it will be cheaper to rebuild the 6.9 and the truck will be down for a lot less time .

 

No offense to your co-workers but they need to get their head outta the sand. A cummins engine going in a ford involves conversion plates, time, firewall bending, etc. and lots of $$$. All that stuff costs money + the engine it self which ain't cheap.

Many may disagree with this next statement, but they can disagree all they want. A banks turbo'd IDI is more powerful than a stock, turbo'd cummins, up to 03' actually. You will have to spend $$ on that cummins to get it past a turbo'd IDI's power level. Not an incredible amount, but some. Since you have a banks turbo, you are good. Just rebuild and run.

Now I am not saying that a cummins is a bad swap, it is a very good idea if you want crazy amounts of power, just won't save you any money, it will be around 3K-4K.

 

Thanks. That's kind of what I thought.... that THEY were high for thinking a cummins swap would cost the same or less than my rebuild... especially if I'm not working with an entire donor truck.

Snapon, you confirmed the numbers that I came up with... that cummins isn't way more powerful than Banks turbo IDI. I know modified cummins can be pretty awesome, but I really don't need crazy amounts of power. I'm more interested in fuel economy, durability/reliability and a strong work truck. I don't know about the grid heater vs GP thing, but its probably not worth basing an engine decision on.

I am even contemplating going to a 300 I6, which is what I used to run in my 1966 F250, but my experience with that engine was that it powered out under load in the mountains. Even with a fresh rebuild. It had great low end, but it probably won't meet my biggest power need which will be pulling our 28 foot streamline camper. Its pretty heavy, and my 6.9L without the turbo struggles with it on mountain grades. Usually 3rd gear, 35 mph and lots of black smoke. I don't need to hold 75+ mph, but maintaining 55 mph or better is what I'm shooting for. I don't think a 300 I6 can do this, even with custom power upgrades. I'll post the ford six forum and ask... but a rebuilt 6.9L with turbo ~should be able to. I'm also thinking about typefour's torque cam... ok, so maybe I'm pushing $3K investment under the hood. Still seems cheaper and better than a used 5.9L transplant. Most folks (even the machinist that I use) balk at the idea of dumping that kind of cash into an IDI but oh well... it's ~my truck.

 

just ask yourself that by the time your done,would you have more or less than what you could have just bought outright.
examples;
1993 ford f-250
90 f-250 diesel
89 F250 Diesel
F250 1990 Diesel

is it worth rebuilding a 6.9l if your truck is in better shape than anything else you could buy (and or perhaps heavily modded/customized to fit your needs) yeah sure i image it could be.on the other hand look what you buy outright in AZ for under a grand to drop right in:
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/pts/2728367242.html
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/pts/2714841738.html
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/pts/2700278580.html
(oops one of 'em is the psd.possible too of course,but you'd want the whole truck on hand.)

point is,
there's always more than one way to skin a cat.do whatever you want last,but explore all options first.

 

How can you compare rebuilding one, with a used motor. I have always thought that a used motor, that I couldn't hear run is worth scrap or core price, and that is a big maybe on the core.
I won't even compare rebuilding one with buying a rebuilt one.
You can always pick these pickups up cheaper than rebuilding a motor, but you never know what you have, unless you personally knew how one was cared for.

 

because they have such low failure rate,i wouldn't think twice about dropping a used one in my truck should (god forbid since she's only at 83k lol) mine blow tomorrow.
if it didn't outlast the truck (id be surprised) i'd just try another one.they're priced reasonable enough,and known for lasting long enough to be worth the risk.there's no grantee's with life in general,all we can do is go with the odds in our favor.

 

It depends on what you are using your pickup for, if you are generally 2 or 3 hundred miles from home a used one that you heard run would be fine, if you ease around all the time a used one will be fine. If one is your main bread winner or you tend to travel a thousand miles at a time, and you intend to keep your rig. I see a reason to build a new one.
If you can build one and run it five years for 2500 bucks, that is pretty cheap.

 

u know i had that same thought and look where im at

 

well,99.9% of all the idi owners here, are all running used idi's (myself included.) most of which are original engines.

even brand new can brake.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post10795515
but that doesn't mean it's most likely.

 

There are several companies that have been building idi remans, since about 84, I don't think they build them to keep them on the shelf.

 

Dave S went through 3 of those.so even then you can't be sure.
im really just playing devils advocate here star,just for the sake of argument.
you are probably right.my 99.9% of most of us running used engines was likely much too high.
i certainly don't wont anything to think that i feel rebuilding an idi engine isn't worth it.more to just toss out the idea's of alternative solutions is all.

 

Many of these pickups are not worth putting a new motor in, and many people that own them, basically bought them because they were cheap, and haven't really got the funds for a new motor, or don't really plan on driving it enough for a new motor to ever pay for itself. But them some of us, are just hard headed enough to plan on keeping theirs to the grave, or till I wreck it , which ever comes first. lol I have always ask myself when buying any used pickup, is this worth my time to put a new motor in or not, if not it is a parts rig to me. I have paid top dollar for parts rigs, and even put quite a few miles on some of them. lol

 

befor u mection daves motors it was not a stock rebuilt. So his motor is a mute point in this debate. About geting a used motor that has sate exposed to the ellments runs the risk of rings beingrusted to the cyclnders and the chance is the cyclnders will be glazed and pitted and it will never seal up right entill u have machine work done to remove the pitting and glazing

 

I vote for the rebuild or at least a idi swap if the rest of the truck is sound. You can prob have urs up nd running a lot quicker than mine. Money is an issue whether u have 2k or 2 bucks. These older IH and the strong bodies can make them last a lot longer then the new plastic computerized ones. Oh yeh, my 84 is to be a forever truck.