Name is Mark. From Northern BC, Canada. I recently picked up an 85 F250 XLT lariat with extended cab and 8ft bed. Four speed manual and a 6.9 with ATS turbo kit. It's at stock ride height sitting on 33s. Hoping I can pick your guys brain a bit maybe get some advise. Any tips for a 6.9 owner would be greatly appreciated. Any tips for winter heater options? I heard blocks are weak around the frost plugs and can crack with use of block heater. Also the tilt steering falls sometimes.

 

Welcome Mark. Don't know much about your 6.9 but I'm sure somebody does.

I was stationed in Fairbanks, AK for a year and got along fine with a battery blanket and a heater in the lower radiator hose. You cut a chunk out of the hose and put the tube shaped heater in.

 

Hello and welcome to FTE! If your truck still has its original 1985 engine then you should be fine to use the block heater. It was the 1983 6.9's that had the block heater problem. If you think it could be a remanufactured engine then check the s/n stamped on the engine block next to the injection pump cover on the driver side... You are looking for a number of 59209 or higher...



It should look like this (but hopefully with more favorable numbers)



Some remans have a plate riveted over the original, but should still have the s/n:



My truck is a 1986 so I used the block heater all the time and didn't worry about it... years later I found out it was a crate engine with an early 1983 block. Whoops.

As far as the tilt wheel, the cheapest way to fix it is almost always to find a good column in a junkyard and switch the whole thing. Manual tilt columns are getting a bit tough to find though.

For diesel specific info you might check out the Pre-Powerstroke 6.9/7.3 forum:
Pre-Power Stroke Diesel (7.3L IDI & 6.9L) - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

The IDI tech info thread has a ton of great links:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...tech-info.html

This forum (80-86) will have a lot more info for the rest of your truck though, and is a great community with helpful members. I suggest following both.

 

Thanks guys. That column is gonna be a tricky one to find around here. As for the block I'll check the number today thank you.

 

In a pinch you can use an automatic column. Just pound the roll pin out and remove the shift lever, then wire tie the linkage in the "park" position so it will start. Not ideal but better than a tilt wheel that is flopping all over the place. I have seen 8th generation steering columns installed in our trucks as well, but I am not familiar with that swap. I think you have to keep the newer style wheel and horn pad. Yours may be repairable but parts are hard to find and expensive, and they are not easy to work on.

 

Welcome to the forum, 85F250TD!

 

I can use a column from 80-87? I get to change the rotted out ypipe in the driveway. It's -18° today

 

Hi, Mark,

You can use a column all the way up to the early '90s - up 'til the point where they began with that multi-function stalk thing, I think that was 92 or 93 or so, go investigate the junkyards and figure out when that column changed....

 

Thanks! There are no junk yards here but hopefully I can find one.