Hello everyone. I am new to the forum. I am thinking about buying a diesel truck, specifically a 1986 F350 Crew Cab with the 6.9 liter diesel. I don't have newer diesel money, so I have to start somewhere. These older Fords seem to be pretty cheap. I know they don't have the power the newer diesels have, but I also know the older ones are super dependable.

I am thinking about getting this truck because my wife and I want to buy a camper. We have four children and need a truck large enough for the whole family--there's no way any of my kids will ever ride in the camper. The truck will also be used as my daily driver. Right now I have a 4x4 Chevy that will be what I trade for the Ford, if the deal goes through.

I am basically diesel stupid. I knew a few things about them, but not much. What do I need to look for that would clue me in to this Ford having an engine problem? What about maintenance on them? I've read on some of these threads about the injectors and pump needing to be replaced every 100K miles. I've also read about the timing on the injection system having to be done with some sort of meter. What kind of fuel mileage should I expect?

Any advice y'all could give me would be greatly appreciated. The last thing I want is to end up with a totally worn out truck that belongs in the junk yard instead of my driveway. I also do not want to end up on the side of the road with my family. We won't be pulling a camper all that far. The furthest away will be about 350 miles maybe twice a year. The other campground is less than 50 miles from here. As for the daily driving, I will drive this truck about 75 miles a day.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

Get it checked out by a mechanic who knows about older fords, specifically diesels. Mine has been a bit of a headache every now an again from the moron PO and what he "thought" was good ideas. But they really shine when you put a ton of weight in the back, load up a large trailer with a couple thousand pounds. And you'll be impressed with how well they work. And how tough they work no-matter what you throw at them. There should be a few quirks you gotta deal with, with a over 20 year old truck. But if it's a solid truck, it'll return your invested double if not triple.

 

Rico welcome to the best place to learn about these ol trucks. Sounds like you found a good truck to start with. The 6.9 engine will probably out last the body, if proper maintence was followed. I think the two areas that cause the most problems is the glow plug system, and air intrusion into the fuel system. Both will cause hard starting if allowed to deteriate, and both are simple to keep in top shape. For the glow plugs use motorcraft-beru ZD1 plugs only, Others will fit and work for a while but they don't last, and when they fail some have the tips swell or break off resulting in having to remove the heads to get them out. The air intrusion comes mainly from the return lines on the injectors. If you don't know how a diesel system operates here goes in a nut shell fuel is pulled from the tank by a lift pump. It is the same as a mechanical fuel pump on a gasser. It lifts the fuel threw a filter then on to the injector pump on top of the motor. The injector pump then pumps the fuel on to the injectors under higher pressure, the injectors then puts the right amount of fuel to each cylinder. The injector pump pushes more fuel than the injector needs thus the return lines for the excess fuel. The injectors have plastic caps that are sealed with 2 o-rings with fuel hose running between them to catch the excess fuel and returns it to the tank. Over time the heat will harden the orings and hose. If the system is disturbed it breaks the seal and allows the fuel to siphon back to the tank draining the fuel lines resulting in long periods of cranking to get the fuel system full again. Long periods of cranking creates a lot of heat in the starter and will burn that expensive starter out. An injector install kit contains everything needed to reseal the return line system. They run from $20 on line to $80 at the dealership. When going to look at the truck make sure that the engine is cold when going to start it. The glow plugs should burn for 10 seconds then you crank the motor.
depending on the air temp it should start in 5 seconds of cranking. Colder temps takes mor cranking of course. If the motor is warm when you go to look at it it could mean that it has a first start problem caused by the above. After the motor is warm, the problem is masked untill it gets cold.
All in all the 6.9 is a very good motor. Not a speed demond but very reliable. Sorry for the book butit is a place to start.

 

I agree if you don't know diesels then get it checked out before you buy! Some small things to look for is to make sure you do a cold start on it, if the guy has it warmed up or plugged it in before you get there then he could be hiding glow plug or air intrusion problems from you. Also I would buy some SCA test strips from Napa and test the coolant, make sure it has been properly maintained so you hopefully don't have to worry about cavitation.

As for these trucks, mileage and power. Well mileage has a lot to do with 2wd versus 4wd, gear ratios, transmission and tire size all play a factor. A good average range for these trucks is 14 to 20 mpg.

As for pulling a camper, no problem! You wont win any races but it will haul the load just fine. I carry my overhead camper... 2700 lbs dry weight and tow my old fishing boat... another 3600 lbs combined boat and trailer weight with no problem. The place I go most frequently is about 60 miles away and has a 6% 5 mile long hill to climb. We are talking 3rd gear doing 40 but it pulls the load. I have also towed my 8800 lb 5th wheel up that same hill, same thing I didn't win the race but I made it to the top.

As a daily driver... Mine does about 50 miles a day hauling my but to work and back, 5 miles of that on rough muddy snowy lousy logging style road I live on. It goes through snow and mud like it's a tank!

Oh yea and welcome to FTE, hope you decide to join us in our addiction with Ford Trucks

 

When my dad and i bought our truck it had a home made high pressure injector line the guy said ( sounds real good right ) it was about 2 ft. long and it held up but the truck ran real rough till we got a replacement line from ford , so i would make sure it dosent have any home made injector lines and i would check for air intrusion where the connections are with the return lines are.
I didn't know any thing about my truck or repairs until i joined this sight
is is such a awsome tool, my dad and i have saved tons of money form this sight by learning how to do it ourselves !

 

Thanks for the replies. I didn't think about starting a cold engine. I forgot to mention that this diesel has a Banks turbo installed on it. I guess it's an aftermarket turbo. I don't generally drive over 60mph anyway, so having to slow down going up hills won't bother me that much.

The good news is that the wife is totally kewl with me getting this truck. That means I can buy it even if I don't end up doing the trade. I would have to sell my Chevy, but I am not that attached to it anyway.

I've been a Ford man for over 20 years. I've had Ford vans, pick-ups, and Crown Vics. I love how Fords can take a beating and stay running. My son has my last Ford truck, an 85 F150 with a 351 H.O. that runs like a raped ape!

I decided I wanted to try something different, so I got this Chevy a few months ago. I don't have anything against Chevys, but they just don't run or ride like a Ford. I also know that a Chevy will not take abuse like a Ford will. I learned that lesson years ago when I junked for a living.

I appreciate the advice and the welcome. If I do get this truck I will post some pics of it. It looks pretty good for an 86. The body is straight and doesn't have a bunch of rust, even around the edges. The interior isn't the best, but that isn't anything some seat covers can't fix. My son is totally pumped about getting this truck. It is HUGE!!! LOL! I don't know how I will feel about driving such a huge truck every day, but I have an 89 van I can drive if I need a break.

 

hey i have a 7.3 which has some different features than the 6.9 but i want a 6.9 so ive done a little research on them and from the guys here have said that the fuel filter setup should be changed over to the 7.3 style if the opportunity comes up.... the 6.9 style is said to leak....

 

Well, I am bummed out. It looks like the deal on this F350 isn't going to go through. I had really warmed up to the idea of getting a diesel pick up too. I guess I will have to keep looking. This one seemed like a perfect match for us. That's what has me so bummed out. I've scoured Ebay and Craigslist trying to find another one and no luck yet. There sure are plenty of the 7.3PSDs out there, but they cost more than I can scrape up right now. Still, I appreciate all the tips. At least I know a couple of things I need to look out for now.

 

Ok. Good news. The deal is back on. The fella with the truck wants to meet me tomorrow. He says the only thing wrong with the truck is that it gets hot when pulling a really heavy load. He says his camper weighs 9000 lbs and the truck just doesn't want to pull that much anymore. He says in normal driving the truck doesn't get hot. It's just when he tries to pull a heavy load. I'm thinking maybe the radiator might be clogged or the fan clutch isn't quite up to par. What say ye?

 

Good deal! I think you are right about the radiator and fan clutch.

 

I say start with a radiator flush. Get a bottle from the auto parts store and follow the directions on the bottle. Then get a new thermostat from Ford or an International dealer. Don't use a generic auto parts store thermostat, they're junk. Fill your radiator with a 50/50 mix of low-silicate green antifreeze and distilled water. Also, pick up some NapaKool from Napa. It should be right on the shelf with all the engine lubricants. Sorry, I don't have the part number here with me. NapaKool is the SCA's you hear about all over the forum.

 

I am excited and nervous at the same time. If this truck had any of Ford's gas engines I would not be a bit worried about getting it. I've had a 352, 302, 300, 351M, 351HO, and a 460 before (351HO my favorite for haulin *** power, the 300 my favorite for fuel economy). I know how to work on them. The diesels are an unknown entity to me. The fella with this truck told me he knows where I can get a 7.3IDI + Tranny for $650 if I wanted to do an engine swap, but I will be doing all I can just to buy the truck. He wants $3250 for it. Is that too much, in your opinion? The body is in really good shape. If I can figure out how to do it, I will post a pic.

 

Why am I not allowed to post attachments? How else can I post a pic of this truck? I've seen other threads with pics posted. I got it to upload for my avatar, but do not have the option of posting the pic as an attachment.

 

Well, that didn't take long to figure out. Hehe! Here's a pic of the 86 F350 Crewcab Dually

 

"He wants $3250 for it. Is that too much, in your opinion?"

Is the truck a 4x4, what trans does it have?

If it's 2 wheel drive, $3250 is too much in my opinion. I've seen quite a few with straight bodies in the $1,800 range from 1986 through very early 1990's.