$200 6.9, with a catch.

[cookie88]

From the top....

For a while now I've been kicking around the idea of swapping a 6.9 into my old (79) Bronco. The thinking is it will get better fuel economy than my PSD, save the wear and tear on the Superduty, plus the gonzo cool points for having a lifted diesel Bronco.

So today my buddy calls me and says he's looking at an 88 F-250 2wd with a 5 speed......$200!!!! Make no mistake, this is a beat half to death ratty old farm truck. The only issue is they couldn't get it started. He said it cranks over strong, but no smoke, no nothing. It would not even attempt to fire off. There is als a strong diesel smell and all of the injectors appear to be leaking. The hard lines from the pump and the rubber lines he said. According to the sales guy at the tiny little lot it's sitting on, it drove onto the lot under it's own power a little over two weeks ago.

So...based on this limited information, do y'all think it would be worth my time and effort to rescue this one?

[GenLightening]

You can sell just the tranny for way more that! If it drove in, it may just have air in the lines and it just needs a new return line kit. That may also account for the diesel leaks. Can't go too wrong for $200.

[David85]

The 5 speed is already worth more than $200, let alone the rest....

[Dave Sponaugle]

Look at that stroke mod.....slummin down with the IDI crowd.

Glad you could stop down and visit, long time no see.

Scott,I hate to tell you, an 88 should have a 7.3 in it.


A new return line set, tees, lines and O rings should have it talking to you.
An injection shop or International should be able to fix you up for 30 or so dollars.

Don't let him crank on the starter to long, 20 seconds cranking then 2 minutes to cool off before cranking again.

Fill the filter with diesel, loosen a couple injection lines till you see fuel when you crank the engine.
Tighten the lines and it should fire off.

For 200 dollars I would almost drive down and pick it up if you can't get it going, I know where I can get a perfect 86 crew cab two wheel drive F 350 with no motor or tranny and 88,000 miles on the chassis which spent 95% of it's life inside a garage.

Only 865 miles down there from here.

[LilDuke]

When I bought my '90. the dealer kept saying it was a 6.9, not a "powerstroke" I just kept hush hush...

[cookie88]

Thanks guys. I don't consider it slummin Dave. I have a brother in law and a buddy with the old Ford's. I am constantly amazed at how well and consistant they run. I just don't find the time to play dwn here with y'all too much. I promise that is a situation I will rectify when/if I try to do this swap.

It may very well be a 7.3, or older than 88.....like I said ths is strictly a telephone deal so far.

Just for the record....."return lines leaking" was the first thing that came to mind while I was on the phone. My thoughts, and the consensus here seem to be that it lost it's prime.

About the transmission. Am I correct in my assumption that it is a ZF-5? And to the point, if I remove the 2wd output shaft and housing, will it mate to the NP-205 in the Bronco, or do we think it will need to be divorce mounted? Not a whole lot of length in the drivetrain.

[David85]

If its a 5 speed, then its a ZF, the 4 speed was still an option for 1988 though, so make sure of what you are getting. I know the E4OD (auto) requires complete disassembly to get at the output shaft, but I think the manual transmissions are more forgiving in that respect and can be converted without a major teardown.

[Dave Sponaugle]

I just had to tease you a bit Scott, we just don't see much of you any more.

We just rust away slowly down here with the antiques.

But then I rarely have time to come up to the Stroke forums either, so I guess I am one to talk.

[RCrawler]

Originally Posted by David85

I know the E4OD (auto) requires complete disassembly to get at the output shaft, but I think the manual transmissions are more forgiving in that respect and can be converted without a major teardown.

Even the manuals require the transmission to be disassmebled to convert to 4wd. The output shaft is different.

Jason

[misnomer]

Hard to go wrong for $200. And it sounds like it may have lost its prime, clear the lines of air and it may just fire right off.

[David85]

Originally Posted by RCrawler

Even the manuals require the transmission to be disassmebled to convert to 4wd. The output shaft is different.

Jason

Might be worth trying to trade it or replace it outright then. But at $200, theres not much to loose.

[KyleLight]

Ill buy that ZF for $500!!!!!!! You already made $300 on the truck.......****! Wish I could get a deal like that!!!!!

[cookie88]

Well....evidently we had a communication breakdown. I hooked the trailer this morning at started up after the truck. Decided to call as I was getting on the road to make sure they were open.......and the damned thing was gone. He sent it to auction not an hour earlier.

Took a relatively high amount of self control to not go all redneck on his buttox. Oh well. I guess the moral of the story is if you snooze you loose......or never trust a used car salesman.

[David85]

Originally Posted by cookie88

Took a relatively high amount of self control to not go all redneck on his buttox.

Haha, I would have paid to see that, I have some steel toe boots I could have loaned you.

Oh well, for some reason the old IDIs are not seen as being worth much. I had to get some remaned heads for my 6.9 build, and the guy who sold them to me gave me a break because he had them sitting in stock for a few years. He went on to say that he had an IDI motor that he (gasp) "gave away" just to get rid of it, I nearly passed a brick.......

[misnomer]

Last month I had a deal set for a 85 F250 supercab 4x4 ATS turbo, C6, 3.54s with Leer cap for $700 (believed to have a head gasket leak). I talked to him at 4pm said I had the cash in hand and I will be there in the morning, he agreed. Then at 8pm he calls to say he sold it to someone else. It still irritates me.