Block plate help!
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,554
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From: Northern Arizona
I would never buy a Jasper rebuilt IDI. Warrantee or not, they are cheap production line rebuilds and there are more than a few horror stories on the IDI boards from people who have bought them. First things first. Try to figure out what happened to your engine. See if it will crank over by hand. If it moves but locks up at some point then remove the glow plugs and try again. If it is hydro locked the fluid will come out the GP hole. Try to identify if it is antifreeze or contains some coolant mixed with engine oil or if it looks like rain water or something else. Inspect your cowl weatherstrip, air cleaner grommet, and intake for any signs of water getting in that way. Look at your coolant to see if some went missing or if there is motor oil in the radiator. Cavitation can happen on a 6.9 but it is quite rare overall, and especially rare on the 6.9 because of the thicker walls. Chances are that you are looking at a head gasket or water in the intake.
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 34
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From: Virginia
I am planning on pulling it into the pole shed this weekend and start the job of pulling the heads off I will try and turn it over by hand and if that doesn't work I will remove the gp's and try that as well
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,554
Likes: 7
From: Northern Arizona
Yes. If it is hydro locked the fluid will come out the GP hole. That will help you identify the problem (see above). If it's just rain water you might get enough water out that way to un-hydro lock it and get it pull started. If it's antifreeze then the heads definitely need to come off.
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2015
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From: Virginia
Ok so got the truck in the pole barn today pulled the air cleaner off and the intake was full of water. Pulled 7 of the 8 glow plugs one broke off flush to the head no idea how I am going to he it out yet. Pulled the fuel lines and took the intake off to he the water out. I then tried to turn the engine over by hand did not budge. Hoping that it is only because the cylinder that the one glow plug is in is on compression stroke. Think I will try and pull the heads tomorrow. Then put some oil in cylinders and try and get it broke free.
Any ideas on how to get the glow plug out?
Any ideas on how to get the glow plug out?
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2015
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From: Virginia
No I didn't, not yet anyways I will give it a shot in the morning. Any ideas on how to get the broke off glow plug out?
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,065
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From: western washington
these engines are pretty tough, however if it is rain water, it may have frozen a time or two this may be bad..if the block is not cracked it can live again, or be a parts engine look on craigs list...
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2011
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See what you can do with a breaker bar now that the GP holes are open, see if you can wiggle it at all.
If not... you'll be pulling the heads, probably.
If not... you'll be pulling the heads, probably.
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2015
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From: Virginia
Ok so went out this morning and could not get engine to budge either direction so I decided to just pull the motor to do a complete rebuild everything is ready to be pulled all I have to do is remove engine mounts pending I can find a engine hoist. If not it will be a couple of weeks until I can buy one. Either way I am looking forward to the project.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,554
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From: Northern Arizona
If you are going to try to salvage that block you really need to get those heads off and get the block dried out and oiled. If you wait a couple weeks until you can pull it and tear it down there is a good chance the block will not be saveable. I know it's a real B to pull them in the engine bay, but it will save your block.
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2015
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From: Virginia
If you are going to try to salvage that block you really need to get those heads off and get the block dried out and oiled. If you wait a couple weeks until you can pull it and tear it down there is a good chance the block will not be saveable. I know it's a real B to pull them in the engine bay, but it will save your block.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
if you got that much water out of the pan, i think it is a pretty good guess that the block is toast.
but it is a good idea to pull the heads anyway, a complete engine is close to 1000 lbs. so pulling the heads off will probably make the block about 700 lbs, and the engine hoist will like you for making it lighter.
but it is a good idea to pull the heads anyway, a complete engine is close to 1000 lbs. so pulling the heads off will probably make the block about 700 lbs, and the engine hoist will like you for making it lighter.
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2015
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From: Virginia
I was able to get one head off today before my help had to leave. There was some rust in the cylinders the rings however seem to be badly rusted and welded to the cylinder walls I dryed them out and poorest oil into the cylinders hope to get the other head off soon.
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2015
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From: Virginia
If the engine is hydro locked you should probably tear it down and make sure it is builable before you spend any money on that plate. Often the cowl weatherstripping goes bad and water pools in the center of the air cleaner and runs down into the cylinders through the intake. If it happened while sitting I would suspect that as a probable culprit. The question is how long has the water been in there and how corroded are the cylinder walls and rings. Rebuilds on these diesels are a bit more parts pricey than a gasser master kit, but depending on what it needs you can freshen it up pretty cheap buying just what is nescessary. If it is badly pitted you will be looking at a re-bore and oversize pistons which adds to the cost. You might opt for find a running drop in which should include the plate. In my area a running 6.9 or 7.3 usually fetches $500 to $800 on Craigslist. But availability varies locally. I have no idea what that adapter plate should be priced at, but I'll send you the one I have for the price of shipping if you are not in a huge rush. I think you have to make a certain number of posts before you can use private messaging on this board but if you want to e-mail me you can Jonathan.A.Donald@gmail.com. Welcome to the forum, I am also a huge fan of the early body style. These trucks are just great. Good luck with your project. Read the links in the FAQ, they are a great resource, and I still refer to it often. Any other questions just ask. This is a great forum, welcome aboard 
Edit: Tom beat me to the advice on checking the block. Keep in mind the '83 engines had blocks that liked to crack around the block heater as well as slightly weaker more crack prone heads. I would personally not invest large amounts of money rebuilding an '83 engine. In fact the 6.9's pre mid year 1985 used press in piston oilers. The must be removed to bore the pistons. New oilers are no longer available, and the correct tools to install them are even more esoteric. If you try to re-use press in oilers they can fall out and you loose oil pressure in your brand new rebuild. Not trying to be a wet blanket, just trying to steer you away from disaster. Pull the heads, check the cylinders and see what you got... then go from there.
Re-edit: Block SN 237016 and later had the bolt in oilers, all earlier ones had press in. The SN is located on the flat spot next to the injection pump on the driver side. It starts 6.9D U2U ****** on our pick up applications.
Edit: Tom beat me to the advice on checking the block. Keep in mind the '83 engines had blocks that liked to crack around the block heater as well as slightly weaker more crack prone heads. I would personally not invest large amounts of money rebuilding an '83 engine. In fact the 6.9's pre mid year 1985 used press in piston oilers. The must be removed to bore the pistons. New oilers are no longer available, and the correct tools to install them are even more esoteric. If you try to re-use press in oilers they can fall out and you loose oil pressure in your brand new rebuild. Not trying to be a wet blanket, just trying to steer you away from disaster. Pull the heads, check the cylinders and see what you got... then go from there.
Re-edit: Block SN 237016 and later had the bolt in oilers, all earlier ones had press in. The SN is located on the flat spot next to the injection pump on the driver side. It starts 6.9D U2U ****** on our pick up applications.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,554
Likes: 7
From: Northern Arizona
Piston Cooling Jet Installer & Target
The best you can do is pay close attention to the original alignment, and fabricate your own hammering tool. Look at the last page of this thread so see what others have done.
6.9 idi oil pressure - Page 6 - TheDieselGarage.com
It is mentioned in that thread that the oilers have an interference fit. Therefore the oiler body changes in diameter when it is pressed in, and will never be tight if you remove them and try to press them back in. In fact, they should be pressed straight in and never twisted in the block bore. If the alignment needs adjusting it is preferable to bend the tube to achieve desired placement of the tip rather that twisting the oiler in the bore. There are many threads similar to the one above where one or more of the oilers have fallen out of a fresh rebuild and required repairs. Removal and re-use is simply not a good idea.
I do not know the Ford or International part numbers off hand, but I recall that the last new old stock press-in oilers people found were through International, not Ford. They were paying $56? or so for EACH oiler. Acceptable if you desperately need just one to repair an engine, but for a full line bore rebuild you are talking $500 just in unobtanium oilers. This threw me off of ever rebuilding a press-in oiler 6.9. In my area, $500 will buy you a running 6.9 drop in, and an engine block from the U-Pickit runs $100. The bolt in type blocks (mid-year 1985 and up) won't fall out, are self aligning, and can be re-used. I am not trying to persuade you against rebuilding your engine, just trying to arm you with information so that you know what you are getting into. If your block needs bored (which I am sure it will with rings rusted to it) I would for sure source the oilers first, but wait to buy them until your machine shop does the rest of the block work and confirms that all is good.