Well after compression testing I found cylinders 2,4, and 3 only had 200# the rest tested to 300#. I planned on ordering the kit from northern

1988-1994 Ford 7.3 Diesel Non-Turbo Master Kit | Northern Auto Parts

I'm trying to find a core so I can get it rebuild and sitting on the stand so I don't have to rush and try to do the entire removal overhaul and reinstall all in one weekend since this is my daily. Any suggestions on the rebuild? tips tricks, cheap upgrades while I'm inside? the kit is eating up most of truck repair fund I won't have much more to play with.

If I can't find a core what are the chances at 200k the main and rod bearing will be able to be std. and not have to have the crank turned?

 

Rick from my own experience in looking at spare engine condition or rebuilding these engines is cylinder heads. Out of 3 engines I have tore down in the last year from 200,000 to 500,000 km's is the bottom engines usually are in pretty darn good shape and not all mangled, but the heads usually need love, exhaust guides love to wear out of these girls. I have even seen the guides broken off completely. I would look for a good core and if you have to do yours take the valve covers off and look for a mess of soot, that's usually a tell tale sign of exhaust guides.

 

I'd look at finding a core in the junkyard. You might get lucky and find a perfectly good motor. Add a few seals and just run that.

Then, rebuild your motor for later. Studs, Powerstroke rods, a massive turbo... :P

 

Just called all the junkyards within 60 miles. None of them have a motor. One about two hours away has one, but they want $850 with exchange. It's harder than I imagined to find one of these SOBs. Next I guess I'll try fort worth and San Antonio maybe do a three day getaway with the wife and pick up a motor while I'm there


Correction, one of them just called me back. He can get me a 130k mile complete motor for $1,300 that he will warranty no exchange. So I figure that's a pretty decent deal. Compared to no guarantee on the one I have to drive two hours for.

 

Or try and find a whole truck. I bought one up here for 800$ remove leaky front tank did all the brakes and drove the hell out of it.

 

Impossible around here, everybody wants $4,000-5,000 for their ragged out beat to hell trucks. If there's a motor and transmission not drivable, they want $2k

 

I guess the real question is, now that I have a good low mileage replacement motor on the way, What do I need to build the ultimate IDI out of my original motor? It wont be a quick build because money is tight, but to build it from the ground up meant for a turbo, and the most HP reliability combination i can get.

 

ok... well I've been looking at prices, maybe not a dream build lol. just a good solid reliable turbo 7.3 IDI

 

This is why I hung out here and the econoline facebook groups looking for a backup IDI. Eventually I got one for $400 plus a ****ty van connected to it. Yanked out the engine, stripped out the decent parts, and chopped up the rest for scrap. Came out way ahead reselling parts on ebay, plus got a spare engine in the process.

 

I've picked up like 4 6.9's for $200 or so each; up here they can be cheap if you don't need them.

Unfortunately, I'm about as far away from you as I could be, so shipping is expensive.

 

yeah I found a motor in PA for $300, but shipping was killer, and I didn't have the time to drive 1,500 miles to go pick it up

 

I'm in central Texas and it's the same story with beater truck prices, there is a junk yard in belton Texas that normally will have an idi or two but it's been a while since I've been and it's probably several hours from you. thinking a motor with accessories is like 300ish

Try carparts.com they usually have what I need if it's something funny like a wiring harness

 

Well I guess it's a good thing I planned on ripping into this thing this weekend anyway. This afternoon on the way home from work transmission started bucking and shifting tons. I guess it's kind of a scraping sound coming from the torque converter. I thought it was the bottom end of the motor to begin with, but it is definitely the tranny. I have suspected the torque converter was going out, and the money I used on a motor was originally saved for a transmission. Is there a way to test the torque converter once I get the motor out to make sure it's not an actual transmission issue?

 

sound is only present in gear(any gear) now that the transmission is cold. When the fluid was hot it was even there in park and neutral. Only did it at idle or slowing down, stopped when the motor was revved a little

 

after doing a little looking I'm wondering, Since my starter sometimes just grinds, but otherwise acts fine. Could it be the flywheel and not the converter? Since It's not able to be driven I guess I'll pull the motor tomorrow night even if my other motor doesn't come in, and I'll know one way or another. just kind of looking at all possibilities of what I will find when I unbolt this thing