Being the new boy on the block I'd probably be best opening with a mention of appreciation to the forum members as lurking here and other forums has been very educational and helpful.

As for myself, I'm basically a tune up mechanic with a somewhat limited arsenal of tools at my disposal and diesels are a new ball game for me. I'm the "you hear that?" type with gas engines and a long time friend was shocked to come to the realization I had actually bought a diesel powered vehicle, he's about sold on the thought the 6.9 could very well be my self inflicted mental demise.

As a business/pleasure venture I didn't research well enough I bought into a 1987 E350 XL van cutaway ambulance with a NA 6.9 that I am lead to believe doesn't even have 80K miles clock yet, all indications say the odometer hasn't flipped over yet by my assessment. Insurance overhead expense for a 7,200 pound vehicle put the skids to the small business end so the ulterior motive of the toy hauler RV are the eventual intention although it has been hunting and camping already.
Youtube link >
Likely as the norm I'd guess, I do come loaded with questions about the IDIs and would appropriate opinions, creative criticism, and blastfimist banter.

My guess is I'm running rich, tossing money out the tail pipe in other words.

Without an exhaust temp gauge I'm fearful of any fuel adjustments myself, so would a shop still be able to dial my lift pump or injection pump as best applicable?
To further that question, I potentially could have a touch of injector leak although my best guess is a rich running state could be producing a whispy white smoke on start up at idle as well. The rig is being left to sit for a few days to get a better idea from a start up state assessing the white smoke on start up.

Also the differential looks to be a Dana 70 HD and I have no tachometer although this poor old girl sounds about wrapped out at the 65 mph highway speeds. I don't even venture the 80 mph speed limit of the freeways here in my part of Idaho although floor boarded she'll reluctantly do 75 mph .
With a different ring and pinion would the C6/6.9 combination ever be capable of the 80 mph freeways speeds comfortably here without being a menace to society without huge expense of a turbo, gear vendor or personally questionable 307:1 differential?

This question may come as a loaded one as it's been a google stumper for me being the rig's a cutaway ambulance. My fuel gauge is lazy, always laying around over on the E side and just doesn't want to work at all. I'm assuming the sending unit is the culprit and from what I have gathered the 87s have a different resistance or something making them problematic with sending units compared to other years? Uh, yeah, all of about stymied with this one!

As mentioned, I'd appreciated any help you may be able to offer.

 

It probably has a 4.10 axle gear, so even going to a 3.55 would make a difference on top speed but it would be slower off the line.
Diesels are different than gas engines, so I can guarantee you are not running rich. Diesels draw in air only, instead of an air/fuel mixture, and then once the air is compressed they inject the fuel straight into the combustion chamber which immediately ignites, instead of using spark plugs to ignite the mix. When cold, that doesn't happen as well, so you get smoke.

 

Thanks for the reply Ford_Six!
My terminologies need some adjusting I guess

I've taken a picture in order to figure out which differential is under it but haven't looked for the tag yet I've read about indicating the ratio. I don't think there is one of the tags from the picture but closer inspection would verify. We've just had our spring thaw here so it will be a bit more comfortable crawling under for a better look.

The old rig takes off from a stop real decent for being as heavy as it is so taller gearing wouldn't bother me except for hills maybe. With the cruise control on doing 65 mph a fairly mild grade, maybe two or 3% will drop the speed about 4 mph but if I put my foot into it, it will accelerate up the hill at a snails rate. My intentions are far from any kind of hot rod, I have even called it the non-rod.

I just got back from topping fuel and it's getting 12 mpg at what I'd guess to be 20% in town and 80% highway at or about 65 mph, ah, maybe 10 of the 80% is around 55 mph.

Before I left I took a short video of the white smoke on start up after two days of not being started which seems to be diminishing since I put the new glow plugs in. Since I was doing video I took a little more of the highway speeds from behind the wheel and if interested I'll work on getting the two edited together and posted here.

The greatest portion of my interests are in the fuel gauge as everything other than the right side instrument panel lights are working that I consider important, a few running lights and minor things are just what they are for now.

So far my posts here are pretty lengthy, I'm just trying to be descriptive.

Thanks again

Edit: I've gone ahead and done the video thing I've mentioned and the white smoke on start up has diminished CONSIDERABLY since the new glow glows were installed. After two throttle pumps while glow plugs are energized I do assist the engine with a little throttle once it starts so it won't stall.

During the 65 mph pull I wasn't floor boarding the peddle and kind of eased up around 40 to 45 mph, this was done on fairly flat ground, windy and raining, gotta love that tiller feeling of the steering wheel in the wind! < sarcasm applied
I'm beginning to come to terms with potentially being too worried about nothing much at all.
Youtube link>

 

The fuel gauge is always a problem on these old diesel fords. Also, it is likely the sender is failing, probably in both tanks. Does your fuel gauge not show much difference when you switch between fuel tanks?

I pulled my sender once to investigate. Sometimes the float can get a pinhole and fill the brass float with diesel, thus causing it to sink. You can pull your sender and drain the brass float, and then re-solder it to make it air tight. However, it is more likely that your variable resistor on the fuel sender is worn down to nothing, thus causing your gauge to read E.

IDI trucks can buy new tank senders on ebay and other places. However, us IDI van guys cannot find any replacement tank senders anywhere. I've looked. Coincidentally, I've recently started a thread on this very topic: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ck-pickup.html I'm currently taking Jayro's advice on using a "gasser" truck sender, and trying to reappropriate it for use in an IDI van. This might work, because the sender transmit the same resistance (10:80 or 10:72 is for IDI vans and gasser trucks of that year). If you use an IDI truck sender, then it is something like 160:10 (I can't remember, but it's in the Official Ford service manual), and it will not read correctly.

I just received my sender a few days ago, but due to the rain in LA, I haven't attempted to replace it yet. If all goes well, I'll post the results of my experiment on this forum. But if you really want to get some direct results, you should talk to Jayro, because he's already done this twice.

 

The fuel gauge never leaves the E side and it only has the one tank, I'm not even sure of it's capacity yet either which isn't helping much. Early on I did run it out of fuel but didn't have the sense to check how much it took to fill it.

Ah yeah, I've read of the old floats getting fuel logged, could be the issue, I still have yet to drop the tank and look inside. There may be some planning, like blocks and a motorcycle jack to do so. I've peeked up at the top of the tank and the seal looks pretty much original, all cracked up looking.
It may be the cutaways are a different breed with the fuel tanks used from what I've read although I'm far from any authority!

Thanks for the reply and the link that I'll be taking a look at.

 

There may be an access panel in the floor of the box for the fuel sender, if not the other option to dropping the tank is to cut a hole and make an access panel it may be easier. To get better performance look for a turbo the van guys will tell how hard used one are to find

 

the smoke on cold startup is typical for diesel. don't worry about it. you said you put new glow plugs in it. i hope they were motorcraft plugs.
if not, get the aftermarkets out of there and replace them with motorcrafts before they swell and get stuck in the heads.

you only need to step on the fuel pedal once before starting, that will set the high idle solenoid. there is no accelerator pump on the diesel, so you are not sending fuel into the engine if the engine is not running.
as for the fuel gauge, with key on or engine running, i would first test the gauge by pulling the wire off the sending unit and touching it to ground, and look at the gauge. then take off ground and leave it hang, check gauge again.
grounded it should read full and disconnected read empty. i think. it could be the other way around, i don't remember.
either way, if the gauge goes to full than you know the wiring and gauge are good and the problem is in the tank. if the gauge does not move than the problem is in the wiring or gauge.

 

I have two van turbo kits. (Banks and Hypermax). It definitely wakes up the engine. Highly recommend it.

Here's the post I made to explain my Hypermax install: http://www.nickpisca.com/hypermax.htm

 

tjc transport

No worries, eight Autolites came out luckily and were replaced with Motorcrafts.
I think my idle is set low and not so sure the high idle solenoid is functioning anymore. I have a high idle button in the cab that isn't working anymore is the reason I think the solenoid is fritzed.
Once I drop the tank I'll give it a try, having the parts on hand to not have the vehicle out of commission waiting for shipping is the trick I'm trying to pull off which may not be possible from my perspective at the moment. Reasonable train of thought on the testing, thanks!

genscripter
A turbo sounds pretty tasty and would likely overcome any faults of gearing up the differential from what I understand from my reading. Although seeming very specialized and still a bit questionable personally with a turbo the 307:1 differential would be tempting!

In my research I have come across your post you've linked.

There is what looks to be a very mildly weeping head at the drivers side rear. Could be valve cover as I haven't cleaned it up for a better look, at least there is no fluid transfer at this point. I just don't want to push pressures too hard without ARP studs and a full gauge array. The gauges I see as a priority before I get into a turbo, studs and all.

In reference to the weeping, I'm in the process of rigging and researching parts for a CDR bypass to the fuel timing window. I'm trying to find a way of sneaking the bypass under the intake manifold just to keep the clutter under the hood to a minimum, it's an ambulance and has quite the cluster going on under the hood and elsewhere.

I have a few small metal milling machines and have been half entertaining the thought of machining an aluminum fuel timing cover that would be a one piece unit with a small enough hole on the interior to retain the bolts in the timing gear if they come unhinged. Aluminum in contact with the motor vapors I haven't research yet and I will likely make a rubber gasket if I go this direction to help avoid corrosion. I'm a bit tentative at this point honestly taking the angles of the part into account and steps or processes of the machining not completely digested to be comfortable with.

My grand illusion or dream build involves a complete engine rebuild upgrading internal parts, turbo, Maybe a BW PTO transfer case to hydro winch front and back, front diff, 2" body lift, diff lockers front and back, 4 to 6" suspension lift in cab adjustable four corner independant, Gear Vender, all around disc brake upgrades and MC, rear body work for better departure angle, lift the box ceiling for an over cab sleeper or storage depending on eventual hieght and weigh placement/ COG, solar on the roof and additional solar which involves some research into available panels, fridge freezer, heater/AC, washer drier combo, shower, cassette toilet, diesel gen fed of the tank and boat appliances preferably diesel fueled, water heater, water pumps, compressor, applicable wheels and tires. Room left for clothing optional, hehehe!
Edit: Quite a bit not mentioned thinking about it, chassis boxing, custom fuel tank, likely custom water tanks to keep center of gravity low....

I figure if done right a guy could come out ahead looking at global expedition type vehicles going for a quarter to half of a million dollars and more. Given a proper opportunity I'd go full time vehicle dweller without hesitation. Nothing wrong with dreaming!

 

high idle solenoid will only raise the idle around 200-250RPM when cold. once the engine reaches around 100 degrees it shuts off. warm idle should be around 650 RPM.
the high idle/timing advance sending unit in down alongside the thermostat housing, pretty much under the alternator. and the wire usually gets knocked off when the alternator gets changed. you have to look almost straight down alongside the alternator to see it, and need needle nose pliers to put it back on.
the high idle switch in the cab i would say was an add on solenoid to raise the idle when the rig was on scene working. most rigs like this have low miles but high hours, and raising the idle helped keep the oil pressure up, and the batteries charged when all the lights and other stuff was on..
i would not worry about head studs, they are not needed unless you are going to build a monster engine. my 88 has over 494,000 miles on it and has never been opened up. turbo was put on with less than 500 miles on it, and for the better part of 20 years it was usually pushing over 12 lbs boost, many times running at 16+ lbs boost pulling crazy loads all over the east coast.
for the weeping, try snugging up the valve covers first. my bet is you have a few bolts finger tight.

 

Not to insult anyone, but what is the fixation with deleting the CDR. It a simple system that does nothing but direct the blow by that is normal back in the intake to be burned. If it falls it will to the open position. In a gas motor the PCV system can be problematic due.

 

Pumping the pedal does nothing on a diesel, you want to hold it at about 1/3- 1/2 while cranking, then hold the rpms slightly above idle for about 15-20 seconds, after which it should idle ok.
I have a 3.08 Ford 10.25 rear end under my F250 that will be looking for a new home before too long, or I'll just regear it to 3.55.

 

I agree. I read that a CDR delete will cause your smoke to be excessive out the tailpipe too.

 

Before I forget again I thought I might share my little jewel that made the glow plug change easier than I could have pictured it with other tools. I'm not sure where I got it or who makes it as the label is worn off but this little swivel head ratchet is golden!

In two locations I had to slip the socket onto the glow plug first then attach the 1/4 ratchet, a three day soak with PB Blaster also could take some credit I imagine.



That's about exactly what I've been doing other than the two pumps mentioned on the throttle that doesn't sound to be needed for start up. An hour meter may have just flipped over by now although this is small town america too. I'll have a look at the valve cover bolts, this could be embarrassing. The trans pan bolts were pretty loose so I wouldn't doubt the valve cover bolts being about finger tight.

The CDR from what I have read is one of the greatest faults involved with IDIs. If it fails the oily vapor is dumped into the combustion chambers and oil burns hotter than diesel so it can and has blown head gaskets. Usually it's the two rearward cylinders where the failure takes place.

It's encouraging hearing about the mileage some of these IDIs are racking up, makes it seem worth investing some once I'm able to. If I'm pulling the motor apart eventually it means either something has gone South or I'm putting some money into the motor. A monster motor likely not, assisted starting to make a bunch of power just isn't my flavor, dependability and longevity are with a little more power.

210 lbs boost?

You're saying you don't like the 3.08 even with a 7.3? Bogging on hills trailing?

 

Hmmmm. I haven't read that. In fact, the CDR is something that can be cleaned and replaced rather easily, so it's odd to delete it over a rare occurrence like that.