Hay Guys I am in surch of a 7.3L IDI Block c/n 10809000C3, preferably one that is in need ofrebuild and relatively cheep in price for i am very broke, my VA check only go so far and i has resorted to hulling scrap metal to help make ends meet a bit. i curentaly has a1816565C2 block with 259k miles and according to my Mechanic Friend from the Army it is not worth the trubble to rebuild, something about cavatation or something mechanical way above my level of understanding, he is willing to help me with rebuild. At present my truck still runs but he sugested to start looking for a C3 block now so i wont need to later.

as I understand it, the C3 was 92 to 94 but i dont know what to look for at the Junk Yards. my F350 is a 93 but has the C2 in it..........

thanks much
and today the 14 of August 2014 is the 2000 year anniversary of the Death of the First Emperor of Rome Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, just a Little History Fact from omeone Big in History especially Roman History

 

You can sleeve your block, I sleeved the back to holes in both the ones I rebuilt. as long as it's done properly you'll never notice the difference.

 

Cavitation really isnt that common of a problem. If its not cavitated run a good heavy duty coolant addative and dont worry about it.

 

What's wrong with your current engine?

 

The C3 prefix indicates a factory turbo engine block. Those engines had many subtle internal differences from the naturally aspirated engines. The factory turbo engines were only available in 93-94, but as an option. NA engines were still made in those years. The factory turbo blocks did get some extra re-enforcement but they are NOT less prone to cavitation. The cylinder walls are the same thin-ness. If you find a good C3 block then great, but I would not seek one out per se. I kind of have to ask the same thing... what's wrong with your block? Keep in mind that if you can't see the engine running before buying it, there is no way to tell for sure if the block is sound except by expensive tests. If you are on a tight budget I would tend to suggest looking for a running drop in engine that you can see running. Rebuilds on these things get quite expensive in terms of parts, and sinking that kind of money into a rebuild with an unknown block could result in a major disappointment. I don't know your plans and goals, it's just a thought.

 

cavitation can be a problem when rebuilding, If you bore an eroded cylinder it will cavitate. My first idi I rebuilt, it broke a valve guide and I run it out low on oil. I asked the guys at the machine shop I used to go to about cavitation. This is before I had internet. they told me not to worry. I put it all together and stuck it in, 6 miles later it's missing and running like hell. I pull the heads and I had holes in the back two walls.
since then I've dumped that machine shop and sleeve the back two cylinders on every rebuild, because they seem to be the most prone. or there is a test to see if there is damage to the walls, but my current machinist says that is expensive.

 

Again I am not a Mechanic, so most of this is way above my head but as it is explained to me
I Live in Colorado and I use my truck to Hull my Horse around cross country and stuff
and I want to put a Turbo and a Propane Injection Kit on my engne

how ever my Friend from the Army said there is noway in hell that my Engin can take all that Boost. especaly the condison it is in now. on its last legs so to speak.
then he started rambling on aout how the casting numbers and something about how they didnt make it thick engough and lots of things way above my head.
he the said i should just find a C3 for what I want to do, for it will cost you less in the Long run.

so where do I look to find one?

 

What part of Colorado do you live in, A good 7.3 idi can handle more boost than most think. As for propane injection just stay away from that, it is one of the fastest ways to burn up one a diesel, you would have to make a custom turbo kit to try it.

 

Loveland, and I Like the Idea of Propane Injection, Better Fuel Milage and More HP on the Highways, I am not Retarted to use it in town

 

If you using pulling something it can over heat cylinders and crack, warp, and melt stuff. Loveland is a little far out for me to look at your truck. do you know what a egt gauge is, because you'll need one, especially with propane.
I have a friend that put propane on his 97psd hauling truck, he cracked 7 pistons and put a hole in last one on a fairly fresh rebuild.

 

The C3 block is only found in 93 and 94 factory turbo trucks. The 8th digit of the VIN (engine code letter) is "K". That being said, the block is not the weak point when it comes to boost. It's the head gaskets. ARP head studs are WAY more important than block casting. There are plenty of built IDI's pushing a lot of boost using 6.9 NA and 7.3 NA blocks. But if you must have a C3 block, find a factory turbo engine. Be aware that the rods are different, and the flywheel and vibration damper are balanced differently so don't mix and match parts. Turbo rods have bigger wrist pins and pistons with keystone rings, so be sure you get the right parts if you are using the factory turbo engine internals. The IDIT parts are getting hard to find. My .02 is to skip the C3 block and put your money other places. But if your friend is building it and he insists... then VIN code K engine is what you need. Is the only reason you are looking for a block is because yours is not a C3??? Not to knock this guy but if he is telling you that you need that block to run any decent amount of boost I would consider finding a different mechanic. All the highest powered IDI's you read about on the net are NOT factory turbo engines... and the block is NOT the weak point. Do yourself a favor and save your $ for a boost friendly cam, head studs, etc.

 

No Idea what that means. where are is you at?

 

I don't know if this was regarding my post or Red454's... if it was @ me, I am in Arizona and have the following advice to add...
　
Basically what I am gathering is that you want an engine that will haul a horse trailer, have decent power and get good fuel economy. Since you are not a mechanic and do not have a strong background in diesel engine modifications, I would suggest not going crazy with power adders unless you do a lot of reading and learn about them first. There is a lot to know. I think for your needs a basic turbo'd 7.3L will do the job. Unless your block is ruined, just rebuild the engine you have. Using head studs instead of the stock head bolts increases the clamping pressure on the heads and greatly reduces the incidence of head gasket failure when running boost. It is a worthwhile investment. Add an aftermarket turbo kit. These are small-ish turbos that spool quickly and are great for pulling and towing and have nice quick throttle response. Putting on a good cold air intake and free flowing exhaust will let you get the most out of a kit turbo. If you find a factory Ford turbo, don't use the squished exhaust down pipe. It is restrictive. Get a quality injection pump and injectors (I suggest idiperformance.com). Once the engine running, be sure you get it timed correctly using the proper tools. Don't let someone time it by ear. Do this and your truck will outperform early Powerstrokes easily.

 

oh, um that was for Red.

yea hull my horse around country. and my friend from the Army i know for sure he knows his stuff, he owns a mechanic shop and toe company up in Wa.
id like t stick with IDI for several reasons,
number 1 being a better resistance to the effects of EMP. I Know more about electronics than and to prove to another friend from the Army i build a 1 time use EMP device and fried the computer control of his pwerstroke. gods that was funny..... should have filmed that....

 

oh, um that was for Red.

yea hull my horse around country. and my friend from the Army i know for sure he knows his stuff, he owns a mechanic shop and toe company up in Wa.
id like t stick with IDI for several reasons,
number 1 being a better resistance to the effects of EMP. I Know more about electronics than and to prove to another friend from the Army i build a 1 time use EMP device and fried the computer control of his pwerstroke. gods that was funny..... should have filmed that....