Well just like the title says, I bought a 7.3 out of a 93 F-350 for the princely sum of $200 after hearing it start and run in the truck. It started pretty good for no glow plugs in 50-60* and having sat for an undetermined length of time. Being that what it is, it seemed to have a skip at idle but it would clear up with a little throttle. So now I'm here with a running stock motor claiming 166hp at 3000 rpm and no turbo. Once this engine is built its going in my 95 F-250HD, hopefully backed by a ZF6....

Anyway, stock form is largely unappealing to me, I love the way and idi sounds but the bottom line is it needs to keep up with (or better yet out run) my dad's 97 PSD while hauling whatever (campers, scrap, anything heavy). That being said I'm looking for good reliable power, ample torque, and enough pep to keep up in normal traffic. And if thats too easy I would not shy away from more power if I can keep the budget down. So far I know I need the following:
-head studs and gaskets
-turbo
-injectors?
-pump tuning?

After that I'm essentially illiterate to what it takes to make these perform and exactly what I'm doing aside from the actually engine assembly, that parts easy for me. So any guidance on what I should and should not be buying to do this is welcome. Hopefully I'll get my camera sorted out to document this process.

 

the very first thing you should do when rebuilding an IDI, is to strip it down to the bare block and have it sonic tested.
nothing better than dropping 2 grand+ on a engine, getting it all done had finding out you have cavitation issues.

its kind of hard to beat the prices of a promar reman, when you take in account that they sleeve all their IDI's.
ive been researching for a while and they have great reviews.
3600 bucks, free shipping, and they will pick your core up without a fee.
you can also add things like head studs, different cam, etc.
they are very block specific, so run your engine numbers and make sure you know what you have.
the only thing i do not like about their engines is that they do not warranty anything installed into a 1 ton +

i have a 94 7.3 in a F350 that weighs 7800 lbs with a 105 cc IP, matched injectors, factory cam and a 093 OEM turbo w/ a FMIC i can hang with a stock 7.3 PSD empty.
when you load the IDI's up, they wont hold against a PSD.

good luck on your build, others will chime in on points i have missed, or flame me for my future promar choice

 

I wouldn't really worry about cavitation because it's a running truck, check if your radiator is getting pressurized, if you're still worried about it get it sonar checked and while it's in the shop get it balanced and honed/decked. I will never pay 3600 for a reman motor, especially if it's for a $200 truck.

I'll say look at your blow-by, if questionable re-ring it. If you like it, rebuild the heads, 910? springs and inconnel valves, studs, good turbo, pump, injectors, keep an eye out for a deal on a 7.3/6.0 intercooler. With all that and assuming you get a good turbo, not in a kit or factory, you'll be looking good compared to most trucks.

 

You're on the right track.
Cavitation is way overrated, I wouldn't worry about it. $3600 for a rebuild is ridiculous. I've never heard of promar and I've been a part of this forum for several years. Sleeving an IDI isn't necessarily a good idea, and if they won't warranty an engine for a 1 ton, what the hell is the point?? If you want a hot rod, buy a hot rod, people build IDI's to carry a load dependably.

There is a WEALTH of information on this forum from people that have built up there IDI's to all different levels. Take a look at several of the longer build threads and you'll find the info you need.

There are only a few companies that can build a good injector pump and matched injectors for these engines, and that with a good turbo will go a long way. You'll need to do a little work to get the desired airflow in and out of the engine. A well designed intake and a larger exhaust are needed. An intercooler is a good addition as well. Depending on what you want to do, there are 2 or 3 options for an upgraded cam as well.

 

You're close, the truck this is going cost me about $180. As far as blow-by its virtually nonexistent, this appears to be a very low milage JY take-out that was put in a 300K chassis. As far as the CAC a good friend of mine is giving me some high-end one which the name escapes me at the moment. What exactly does a good turbo, pump, and injectors entail?

I've been through several threads, including the two be RacinNdrummin, and other than the 910 springs, think I'm missing something for what parts I should be looking at and the kind of power I should expect with them. I'm sorry if this is obvious or something, I tend to be dense and like to learn exactly how things work before I go out and jump into them.

 

Power wise you can ball park estimate at 2.7 wheel horsepower per cc of fuel delivered by the injection pump (as long as the air flow is there to efficiently burn it). The stock 7.3 IP delivers approximately 75 cc's maxed out. RacinNdrummin sells 80cc,90cc, and 110cc DB2 pumps, plus 150cc and 180cc DB4 hybrid pumps for high power builds. He also offers injectors, an excellent cam for a turbo'd engine and some great turbo options. You will want to check out his website:

R&D IDI Performance

+1 on opening up your engine and seeing what you have before talking sleeves. These things go a long time and internal parts can get pricey. If it's a good solid used engine like you say just run it or freshen it up a little and save your cash for performance upgrades.

 

I've been on his site, I might just shoot him an email to see what his recommendation is after seeing all of his personal trial and error. And yes, I reserve final judgement until I pull the heads later this week but at this point the motor only shows a few leaky oil seals and gaskets, though its all ford original stuff at that. In any event my diesel savvy friend and are both confident in this being a clean and tight block on the inside.

 

just some numbers ive came across with machining an engine.
because when i build an engine, i go through everything.
these prices are on the cheapest side

engine master rebuild kits: $1,000

average prices to have heads mag'd new valves, a valve job, not including new guides or if you have a bad seat $ 800

average price to install cylinder sleeves. you can call cavitation overrated if you wish,
i myself, i know the effects of cavitation, and i wouldnt chance it.
$1,200

having your crankshaft inspected turned and balanced
$300

having your rods inspected resized, $200

so at the BOTTOM dollar of a complete rebuilt engine, youre looking at a minimum of 3500,

i have had several engines professionally rebuilt, and i can tell you that it gets alot more costly than this.

what you need to realize is that after this price you will have a bran new engine. capable of going the distance of 300k plus.

sure, you can hodge pog a engine together, and it may last 1-200k
but if you look at the OP's thread, he already wants to spend 1500-2k on a transmission. ( i have not found a ZF6 any cheaper than that).

then add in a cam, head studs, new IP, new injectors, new turbo, yadda yadda yadda


i just installed a new 105 cc pump, matched injectors, OEM 093 rebuild with new up pipe castings, and a WW II. also a FMIC those parts alone ran me over 2k.

i mean if you wanna spend a buncha money on an unknown grenade, have at it. its your ride. altho he is planning on putting this engine in a spot where a powerstroke would normally go.

even if i didnt have a "hotrod" i would do most of this for the longevity

just a little of FYI...

oah and to the people that wouldnt spend 3600 on a reman,
let me know if you come across a 94 IDIT core on the west coast

 

He said this appears to be a low mile JY take out. He says blow by is almost non existent. He said it started without glow plugs (good compression). I know the title says "rebuild advice" but from what the OP has posted, my advice is most likely "Don't rebuild it". Just because he got a deal on it does not mean it's just good as a core. Why advise a complete rebuild (with sleeving) if the engine is still in good shape? IDIoit you are not wrong about the cost of a complete rebuild with the particular machine work you mentioned, but there is NO WAY that I would spend thousands on my engine and get cheated, sheistered, swindled, short-changed or otherwise screwed out of the personal satisfaction of building it myself. LOL. To each their own, but I enjoy engine building and I have a lot more confidence in my work (and chosen machinist) than someone's warrantee. And the 1+ ton exclusion ~does smell like bullshyte, an engine should be supported for any application it was designed for...

To the OP, since you are planning on running some power with this engine, it would be a good idea to at least remove the heads so you can have a look at the bores and valves, then decide how far into it you need to go... but my hunch is this engine does not need anything like a rebuild yet.

 

Not to mention the fact that with the exception of gaskets, all of the things mentioned can be taken off and put on another block IF the current block grenades at some point in time.

There is no sense in wasting $3500 on a $200 block if it works. Just because you have the time and money to do that doesn't mean everyone does. And the OP mentioned trying to keep the budget down. Just because he wants to spend $1500+ on the transmission doesn't mean he wants to spend more than double that on the bare engine.

 

while i do understand the fun of building engines, that $3500 dollar price is JUST for machine work.

i know not everyone has the cash to do a complete rebuild, for a long time, i was not able to afford it either. hell i have parts still sitting on the shelf that for the past 5 years ive been collecting to build me a nasty 700+ HP gasser on pump gas.

but as the post does say "REBUILD GUIDANCE REQUESTED"
i figured it was important to tell the OP every option he has available.
when i was a novice, i researched every option available.
not everyone is comfortable enough to use a plastigauge or even a dial indicator.

one of the biggest factors that i mentioned the reman engine is time.
IF youre planning on rebuilding the entire thing. and you havnt really done this before, doing a engine swap with one already done, is good to go, and in this case it being a F250, and a warranty would be helpful.

the phrase is 100% correct " to each their own"

IMO, i wouldnt be dropping 3500 on parts on a 200 dollar engine.
JM2C.

to the OP,
get a game plan together that suits YOU.
every rectum has their own opinion.
do what you can, learn as much as you can, and most of all... HAVE FUN!

 

I'm going to say what a few others have said:
1. Turbo.
2. Improved injection pump.
3. Injectors.
4. Headstuds.
In that order. You can safely run about 12 PSI until you get the headstuds in, and you should be able to replace the bolts one-by-one in the truck.
Even at 12 PSI, which is what you can get out of a Banks kit, you can get some serious HP.

BTW, I had my block rebuilt at a local, reputable shop, and paid $2900. Bored .030 over, and came out just fine. The old guy running the place got me that price by skimping on a couple of 'unneeded' things like balancing the crankshaft. As he said, at the speeds we're running it doesn't make enough difference to mean anything... and I think he's right. It's been smooth and quiet the past few K miles, though I'm still tuning in my injectors and pump timing for the best power curve from 1K-4K RPM.

 

In all honesty the idea has crossed my mind to just clean this engine up and run it, but after driving my friend's turboed idi stock just isn't enough for me. That said I will be taking the heads off, if nothing else to satisfy any doubts I may have. I get good deals on gaskets and studs from a friend who has a very large account with a shop so that cost doesn't bother me, peace of mind is worth a few gaskets.

All this is being done by me and that friend I mentioned. This is my first engine swap, but he has done dozens if everything from lawnmowers and dirtbikes to 18-wheelers, even overhauled those engines himself. No offense to any business but I feel better doing it myself and watching every step of the way, OCD if you will. I'm neither interested in cutting corners nor spending 10K on a truck I bought for a combined $400, I don't make that kind of money lol. At the moment I've spent 3 days taking it apart and I'm only on the long block. No, not three solid days, just a few minutes here and there. I'm trying to clean things up as I go and keep all my nuts and bolts sorted so none go "missing". There's also no rush, I could be swinging this into the chassis next month or next year.... Obviously sooner is better but I need to make money to spend money. Plus, until my dad gets serious about doing camper hauling or whatever this truck is my personal toy, sure i'll do paying jobs with it but the actual build is because it's fun for me.

As for a ZF6, no way I'm shelling out 2k for one.... I've got enough friends in JYs and what not to find a takeout, possibly for a trade and no money exchange if I get lucky. Worse comes to worse I'll pick up one of the ZF5's stacked up at another local yard. I could save up for one sure, but that kind of defeats the purpose of my scrounged parts-mutt-truck that I've got here.

At the moment I might be looking at an RnD pump and injectors, any turbo recommendations that go well with those? Or better yet, how do I go about sizing up a turbo for this? Like I said in the op, I want to know the why behind what works.

 

Justin can probably hook you up with a good turbo; I'm running the Banks Wastegated kit myself(This is the one still advertized on Banks' website).
It's not the /best/, but with the wastegate disconnected I can hit 18PSI of boost(No intercooler yet), and my RD2-110 can't make it smoke above 2200RPM.

I'm pretty happy with mine thus far; the main thing I like is being able to hit 4K revs and still have excellent power. I don't usually go beyond 3000, but when accelerating with a heavy trailer the extra revs are nice to have.

 

What are your power goals? That will help you decide where to go with the injection pump and turbo. Decide where you want to be at and then people will be able to steer you in the right direction more easily.