I went ahead and started a new thread...Maybe there are some other ideas.

Thanks!

 

I did some looking into this and please correct me if I am wrong. Isn't the air cleaner box still there and the filter is in the square box? I think the open tube is just the cold air induction tube.

Is this correct?

 

Alright, I have a general question about different years of engines and factory vs. aftermarket turbos.


For these three combinations, is there one combination that is better than the other?
Strength of engine components, one turbo better than the other, ect...


1989 F350 Crew Cab 7.3L IDI with an Banks Sidewinder Kit (not sure if it is wastegated or not) - 225k Miles
I spoke with the seller and he is the second owner and bought the truck from his Fire Chief. Sounded like a stand up guy and went into a lot of detail about the history and maintenance of the truck. Looking at the trucks condition, I have no doubts it was maintained pretty well. T-Case pops out of 4x4 and will need an alternator soon. I spoke to some friends of mine and it would cost $500-$600 to do a bench rebuild on the T-Case.


1990 F250 Super Cab 7.3L IDI with an ATS Turbo and Intercooler (not sure if it is wastegated or not) - 170k Miles
I spoke with the seller and he has not had the truck for too long. Missing the rear seat, so I would have to source one from the wrecking yard. He said the truck runs pretty good, burns clean and leaks a little oil. He took it in on partial trade for an excavator and is looking to sell it to fund going Gold Mining. He daily driver is a 97 Powerstroke.


1994 F250 Super Cab 7.3L IDIT Factory Turbo - 170k Miles
I spoke to the seller and he has not had the truck too long, just been working on it and part way through, decided to sell. I know financial situations can change, but he said he has sunk over $4k into the truck and looking at what he did, I guess I don't see it. That is unless he had to pay a shop to do all the work.
From my reading, I believe the factory turbo engines had a different compression and stronger rods.
But just talking to him over the phone gave me a gut feeling to stay away...


So far, the seller that I seemed to "click" the best with (if that makes any sense...) was the one with the 89 F350 Crew Cab. He was very open about the condition, maintenance and any current issues with the truck. Unfortunately, this one is about 4 hours away from home.

Thanks again for all the feedback, ideas and opinions.

 

You are correct. If you look on the side, you'll see the filter indicator that is supposed to tell you when to change the filter. Seems to be missing the tube that goes to the front though.

 

Which, IMHO, doesn't matter too much - It's just a "bit" of a cold air intake. Something easily fabbable, or simply ignorable.

I haven't really noticed much of a difference between my 93(which had one) and my other turbo trucks(which just have a bare air filter going into the turbo)

 

Are the engines with a factory turbo any stronger internally?

 

Yes. They have:
1. Larger connecting rod bearings on the piston end(by 0.2" or so - factory turbo connecting rods and 7.3 PSD connecting rods are almost exactly the same; 7.3 PSD rods will work with a little trimming on the base of the rod)
2. Heavier connecting rods - larger and stronger by a bit
3. Inconel exhaust valves
4. Different pistons that are supposedly better, different rings.
5. Oil cooler core has more fins
6. Slightly different head gasket.

...That all being said, meh. NA connecting rods will break around 450RWHP, far more than any factory turbo will provide, and the weak point is the head bolts, not the gasket, connecting rods, pistons or valves.
The head bolts can't handle more than about 20-ish PSI of boost before you lift the heads, and they are the same whether NA or Turbo block.

I kind of get the feeling that Ford had to do *something* when it came to the turbo motor, after claiming that a NA IDI wasn't up to having a turbo on it. My '92 booklet specifically claims that "your IDI is not designed for a turbo"(of course, this truck had a Banks turbo on it when I got it)

Especially when companies like Banks were selling their turbo kits like hotcakes for years before.

 

Thank you, that's the kind of information I am looking for.
Looks like there were improvements, but nothing major.

The 1994 F250 with the factory turbo is in decent shape, but it's the most expensive of the bunch, but it's the newest of the bunch too.

 

Hello folks,

Some of the other trucks I was thinking about looking at have been sold already.

A discussion with another member on here got me thinking about my plans and I am looking for some input from you all. I am looking for real world experience, but substantiated opinions are good too.

I know this thread could easily get off track and there will be some, shall I say, strong opinions (hence this sub-forum), but that is what I am looking for.

I am shopping for an all around daily driver, family hauler, tow rig. I do not have to commute to work on a daily basis and I never really tow anything over 5-6k. In the end, I am looking for a drivetrain platform to swap into a 73-79 Crew Cab 4x4. One of my biggest concerns is cold weather starts, as this is something that has always driven me crazy on diesel or gasoline engines.

So far, the trucks I have found in my price range are listed below. At a minimum, I will need to pick up a Super Cab truck due to the size of my family, but a crew cab would be a bonus. Now, I am still at work till later this week and have not had a chance to test drive any of these, but this is what is on the docket for me to go look at.

1989 F350 7.3L IDI with a Banks Turbo and ZF5 Manual 225k Miles $2500

1992 F250 460 Gasser with a ZF5 Manual (unsure of mileage) $3500

1994 F250 7.3L IDIT with a factory Turbo and ZF5 Manual 170k Miles $4500

1992 Dodge W250 5.9L CTD with a Getrag 360 Manual Transmission. Odometer/Speedometer stopped at 294k and is currently not working (unsure of actual mileage) $3300

How cold blooded are the 7.3L IDI's? I ask this because we have a couple months that the temps are between 20°F to -15°F and there are usually a few cold spells that drop to -25°F to -30°F.

I just want to make an educated decision when I pull the trigger on what ever the next rig is.

Sorry for my "long windedness".... and thank you for your patients.

 

With a good glow plug set and controller, and the engine in decent shape? At 20F, she'll fire right up within a couple seconds.
Below that, well... if everything is working right, and you have non-gelled fuel(#2 gels at about 20F, #1 below that), it should fire up, but will probably take more cranking depending on temperature, and it'll be hard on the motor anyway.

Below 20F(and actually, if you can, below 32F), use the block heater.
That's what it's there for, and because the block and engine bay will be above freezing, it'll start like it's a lot warmer out.
Heck, you might even end up with the block above 120F and not in 'high idle' anymore!

Between when you get your truck and winter, make sure you have a good block heater - just check the amp draw, or leave it plugged in one night and feel the block in the morning.

 

1992 Dodge W250 5.9L CTD with a Getrag 360 Manual Transmission. Odometer/Speedometer stopped at 294k and is currently not working (unsure of actual mileage) $3300

^^^^^^ That same truck beat to hell in Texas would run you 5,000 and up. If it's not rusted out and doesn't have blow by then I would say it's a steal

Now I love my ford, but that Cummins will beat an idi in just about any fight, they start quicker, get around 20mpg with a straight pipe, faster, tow more, and the biggest one I'm most jealous about is the extra engine bay room you get with that inline six.

The speedo breaking is common in all 88-93 dodge trucks, 91-93 ctd also came with a factory intercooler and larger radiator vs the 89-90's

Good luck with your search!

 

Thank you sir, great info.
I will definitely be reporting back once I get to test drive some of these trucks.

 

The only problem is the truck that surrounds the engine.

While I can't argue with you about the fuel economy, stock, the 5.9 cummins aren't especially amazing(1989-1993 - 160 HP rated vs 180 for the IDI NA). Modded, they can be good(really good! :P ), but you are definitely going to be putting performance parts on them, same as a performance IDI. The only advantage the cummins really has is the P-pump, and that's only on 94-98. The older ones used rotary pumps, same as the IDIs.

Now, I'm not saying that the cummins motor is bad...With the proper mods, you can make some really good HP with one.
It's just that 'good' is relative to what you get and what you put into it.

 

Awesome, great info as well Macrobb.

The wife's rig gets the garage, so whatever I end up with will for sure get a block heater.

 

So, the Dodge Cummins was a bogus ad. No email reply and the phone number listed was out of service...

I test drove the 94 F250 with the factory turbo. It ran good, but the truck was a train wreck. No real way to explain it other than it was a FrankenFord and the stitches were coming loose. The engine seemed ok, but that's where it ended.
Most the other trucks sold already.

I will make a family camping trip out of going to look at the 89 F350. It's about 4 hours away. We'll load the family in the RV, make the best of the weekend and take a look at it while we are out there. If I like it, I'll drive it home and the wife will drive the RV home. Regardless, we'll have a great time.

I'll report back later.