I've been on here with E4od issues in my 93 idi and found the advice on FIPL and torque converter to be spot on, so many thanks for that.

I'm now the proud owner of a high mileage (guessing 203K maybe more) 88 XLT Lariat. It was dirt cheap, has tranny issues, (for example: linkage was disconnected when I picked it up and even when I adjusted linkage slide it won't get into park, plus starter inhibitor was bypassed so it starts while in gear), and was clearly a work/farm truck that's been retired.

The primary reason I bought it was because it has a banks turbo kit on it-- it's the early one with the huge air box (plenum?) on top. I find my 93 idi lacks a bit in the pulling department when I'm hauling about 5-7Klbs. While the 93 only has 93K miles on it, I get lots of clatter and steady black smoke when Im trying to go more than 20mph up "The Grapevine" while loaded like this:


Anyway, First: is it worth it for me to put the Banks kit onto my 93? I am ok with a wrench, but my knowledge base is pretty shaky. All I know stems from having owned several dozen old mini coopers and teaching myself to rebuild them. Diesels? I know zilch. Turbos only a smidge more as I've turbocharged an old mini.

Second: Where should I start In terms of checking out the 88 motor? It fires up after cranking a few seconds, the heater core leaks badly when it's left running for any length of time (but I'll bypass that), the radiator has evidence of leaks, and the obvious tranny isues keep me from wanting to actually go test drive it.

Finally, I'm very much on a budget. I got the 88 truck for under $1K and couldn't hope to find a complete Banks (sidewinder) kit for what I paid. I know reselling it is an option and reinvesting that in a new(er) kit, but I'd still need to go through and assess the rest of the truck and fix it before selling.

Thanks for any input (and suggestions on a good repair manual that's shadetree friendly).

 

nice score! youl love it, the turbo isnt to difficult there are a couple people on here with the early banks kit...im sure they will chime in to help

 

anther cali guy yay do u know whats bost number is is make and black smoke tells me the fuel and air mixture is off

 

i think the banks non wastgated turbos are the best ones.
slap that puppy on your 93 and you will curse yourself for not doing it sooner.

mine has been on my 88 for close to 490,000 miles.

the only thing i would do is closely inspect the turbo for wear before installing it. if it shows any signs of wear, get it rebuilt and it will outlive the truck.

 

Thanks for the reassurance that my thinking isn't indicative of me being off my rocker!

Speaking of losing my rocker: I've actually been considering using the '88 to help me complete (start?) my other project:



It has no drivetrain and suffered a small engine fire it appears. I'd started to try swapping in a 4bd2T from an isuzu npr, but ended up bailing on that. If I just use the entire frame, suspension and driveline from the 88 (stick the ambulance body on top of the Ford frame), I can get the thing on the road in relatively short order and use it as my tow vehicle.

Anyway, what manual would you recommend I look for to learn how to do a basic tune up to both these idi's?

 

try this one.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...p-ratings.html