My first post so excuse me if I seem ignorant since I haven't had a lot of experience with diesel engines before.

I have been kicking around the idea of rebuilding a diesel engine and truck lately due to the longevity, power, and fuel economy compared to a gas engine. I've got a fiancée and her 4yr old daughter as well as a couple spoiled mutts that I want to be able to fit in so a crew cab is a must. So I've been keeping an eye out on craigslist and other sites to see what's out there. I found a 86' f350, crew cab, dually, 4x4, with c6 tranny for $1200 it's 6.9L with no bed and no front bumper, no listed mileage, but it does run and drive according to the listing. No picture so not sure what shape the cab is in but going by the listing would it be worth buying something like this to rebuild? I have family that can custom fabricate a bed and bumper/cattle guard so that isn't a concern or I can pull one from the local scrap yard. My DD is a 91' f150 4x4 lariat that runs like a top so I'm looking at rebuilding this over the course of a couple years not something that needs done right away so I don't tax our budget.

Most crew cab diesels I've found in my area (central Nebraska) are $12-14k
and 180k+ miles. I like to work with my hands and have never done an engine rebuild before so I would love to try it, and figured I would run the idea past the experts and see what you had to say.

Thanks for any and all input like I said I'm new at this and welcome the advice.

 

The early crew cabs are kind of rare not something you see every day, if you want a project I would say if the cab isn't rusted out it's a good buy, the bad part about these trucks is the cost of parts to rebuild the motor your going to be looking at 1000-1500 just in the engine kit a gas motor would be half.
By the sound of it it's an old hydra bed truck and more than like beat up. when you do look at it crawl under it and look at the springs and all the 4x4 parts. ranchers like to drive with the hubs locked it so the 4x4 might be replaced.

 

Thanks for the info Red454 I'll make sure to keep it in mind when looking.

A few ideas I had for the rebuild:
Swap out dually rear end for standard
Head studs and a turbo kit
New valves
New performance injectors
New Injector Pump
Have the heads and cylinders polished?
pistons or pistons rings
Probably either cut in a manual tranny or swap c6 for an E40D

I don't want to go overboard in a performance build but would like to get close to baseline performance of like a mid 90's powerstroke if that is possible. If it is possible to get that performance out of it what can I expect to see for mileage and power?

 

I can't speak to whether a project of that magnitude is right for you or not, but as a project it would be worthy provided the cab is solid and the front axle is good. Note that there were no DRW 4x4 pick/ups EXCEPT as a cab and chassis configuration. If you are thinking of mounting a standard bed on it, check the wheelbase. If not a cab and chassis truck, then it is a custom conversion (either the 4x4 part or the DRW part). Check the VIN to see what it is so you know what you're buyin'. 1986 F350's had the king pin Dana 60 front axle. Depending on the region, folks pay the asking price for that truck just for that straight axle.

For fuel mileage, high teens to around 20 is possible. You need overdrive gearing, fresh injectors and injection pump, and the tools to time it correctly, and stock-ish tires to get those results. I have a 1986 F350 4x4 crew cab T19 4-speed, gear vendor overdrive, 4.10 axle gears and stock tires... naturally aspirated. I averaged 17 mpg running empty. I am rebuilding and upgrading the truck and hope to get 20+ with a 5 speed plus overdrive and some other modifications. In your case I would ditch the DRW axle and replace it with a SRW sterling with 3.55's in it and have the front axle re- geared to match. That and either a ZF-5 or E4OD will get you great mileage.

Power wise it is fairly easy to make an IDI keep up with, or even walk all over an early Powerstroke. Easy but requires a little investment in a good pump, good turbo, and head studs. To your list I would add a custom cam grind, either Russ' "torque" cam for NA or mild turbo, or Justin's "stage 1" for a turbo engine. Ditch the 6.9 style rocker arms if it still has them and run the 7.3L style, and upgrade to Comp Cam 910 valve springs. Skip polishing stuff. There are way better places to spend money and time like adding an intercooler to your turbo kit.

 

Thanks for all the info I agree I may have a heck of a project ahead of me. That is one of the reasons I want to do it though to challenge myself and to get my hands dirty on something I've never had a chance to do.

After researching them I decided when I am going to do it I want an engine with few engine electronics so my main choices are a 7.3 or 6.9 since a 6bt is out of my price range. The 6.9 is what I'm looking at since they tended to have less issues with cavitation and since the cylinder walls are thicker I've heard good things about their rebuild potential and longevity.

 

Well good luck, what do you mean by central Nebraska, I'm just across the border in Colorado.

 

I'm in Kearney so about 3 hours from the Colorado border

 

Well that's a drive, a couple of my friends when to the collage there. I'll make you a deal you find me a early gleaner combine on steel wheels, and I'll let you drive my 93.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...d-93-f250.html

 

Well barring any major problems it looks like I should be able to pick it up in September. Found out some more info motor has a little over 200k, the transfer case is a gear driven external with pto, the cab has some rust but nothing that can't be fixed pretty easily once it's off the frame. New shocks and springs, new injector spider hoses, new alternator, new zd glow plugs, C6 tranny front seal leaks, both batteries will need replaced, and I'll have to work on the interior but had already planned on that. It is standard short box wheel base so hopefully finding a bed should be fairly easy. It runs and drives and the undercarriage is solid.

The advice and recommendations I've gotten so far is great and I've been able to look up a lot of other good advice on the threads here it's been an amazing source. That being said I know I can find some parts Locally but what are some of the good reasonably priced online sources to look at for specialty items like turbo and custom ground camshafts and the like?

 

Look at that frame, they didn't make F250 or F350 short beds in those days.

 

Like Chevy Eater said, it won't have a "short bed" frame length unless someone took a torch to it, but I think what you are saying is that it is a regular 8' pick-up box length, not some odd ball cab and chasis long wheel base frame, which is good!

As far as some upgrade parts for performance, contact Justin at R&D:

R&D IDI Performance

His stage 1 cam grind is excellent, but another favorite for NA or mild turbo engines where you want low rpm torque is Russ' "torque cam" available from member typefour:

Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums - View Profile: typefour

Russ prefers e-mail contact, he e-mail is:

sandeater1@gmail.com

As far as a turbo you will want to find a used kit. Read the turbocharger thread here, you may want to upgrade it or mount a diffetent charger to the piping but that is down the road. Justin and or Russ can help you out when you get to that point.

 

Alright I don't think I did this much research for some of my college courses, but here's what I've come up with so far.

RD2-90 injector pump
Injectors from R&D
comp cam 910 springs
sealed power R-1119 rocker arms for 7.3l style
FP Diesel Engine Overhaul kit

I plan to get a custom cam grind but I'm split between the stage 1 and the torque cam. The truck will be my daily driver and weekend boat hauler as well as the weekend fun truck. I have family on the farm that I plan on helping out as well but mainly it'll be the get around get it done truck. I'm thinking the torque cam for everyday power and economy, but out here on the plains with lots of long distance flat land driving I'm not sure it's the right fit.

I also would like to put in a turbo but as my fabrication abilities are currently nil I'm not sure what turbo I should be looking for that will be a fairly easy installation. An intercooler is also on the list but as with the turbo I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for and how hard they are to install.

I understand in the end it's all up to me but any tips, ideas, extra parts to consider, or eliminated are appreciated.

 

Sounds like a pretty good list there. I do have a couple of suggestions/comments I'd like to throw out on the table for you to mull over.
　
First of all if you are thinking of doing very much at all turbo-wise (beyond the level of a mild ATS, Banks, or Hypermax kit turbo), I would strongly suggest ARP head studs. The 7/16" head bolts on the 6.9L are one of its weaknesses, and studs are all around good insurance against head gasket problems. You can get a set on e-bay for $215-$220 or so shipped if you shop around. This will also give you a little "room to grow" as far as boost is concerned, even if you start out with a mild kit. It is money well spent in terms of reliability.
　
Second suggestion is to skip the master rebuild kit. You can save yourself quite a bit of money buying the components you need piece at a time through e-bay. Be careful of generic parts, but you can find quality brands on e-Bay and you will still come out ahead. Kits will include the cam which you won't need anyway. Also consider that kits include a new oil pump. That particular replacement part is usually inferior to the OEM pump, and may be sloppier than the one you are taking out. If your oil pressure is "decent" (note IDI have high volume, low-ish pressure... 15 psi hot idle is good oil pressure), and your pump is still tight, re-use it. The freeze plugs on these things are notorious for leaking and popping out unless they are installed using the special dealer tool. If they are not leaking, leave them alone. Many members have gone to tapping them out and installing a threaded pipe plug... and then being very diligent with coolant maintenance which you should be doing anyway to maintain SCA levels. Anyway, just some things to think about when buying engine internals.
　
The RD2 90cc IP is calibrated for a turbo engine. If you install it on a naturally aspirated engine you will want to turn down the fuel (stock IP's for the 6.9 deliver ~65cc's). Too much fuel will produce high exhaust gas temperatures and melt your pistons. Buy a Pyrometer or at least watch for heavy black smoke which is your cue to diminish fuel delivery. But the 90 cc is great to have if you go turbo.
　
Since you are not a fabricator, look for a complete used turbo kit on Craigslist or e-Bay. The best kits are the wastegated "factory" Ford 93-94 IDI turbo kit, aka ATS 093 turbo kit (they are the same with different emblems on the air box) or the 2nd generation Banks sidewinder (wastegated type). There are also earlier versions of ATS and Banks that are decent, but not wastegated. They will spool a little later. The factory Ford kit needs an upgraded down pipe to perform well, and all the kit turbos benefit greatly from a custom cold air intake, ram air cowl intake or similar replacement for the supplied air box and filter.

Get the truck, start a build thread, and we will all be happy to help you find ways to spend money on it!

 

One thing I forgot to mention... a divorced, gear driven transfer case is ~not stock for these trucks. That points to a DRW that was converted to 4x4, in which case the front axle, drive shafts, U joints, T case etc., could be anything, not necessarily even Ford. Not necessarily a bad thing, just something to keep in mind when you are buying service parts. You may have to do some number matching and detective work.