a car lot has an 87 7.3 IDI truck for $500..the truck is a little beat up but not real bad..interior is dirty but not tore up, except for the driver's side door panel, and window/lock switches are missing..and the wires to the window/lock switches have been cut, like someone wanted that door panel in a hurry.. they say it turns over but does not start..I took a look at it and all of the rubber fuel lines from the tank to the filter, from the filter to the injection pump are cut.. why would you cut the hoses and just leave them like that? it doesn't look like they were fixing/testing anything.. the hoses are just cut..maybe a pissed off ex or something? I am going to go look at it again and find out of I can "bottle feed" this thing some fuel, give it a small sniff of ether and try to get it running.. they went down lower than the asking price. I told them I would like to buy it, but i want to at least hear it run for a few seconds..y'all think this thing could possibly be a good deal? or do you think the cut fuel lines are to hide something? like I said, if I can't hear it run, I'm going to pass on it.

 

If you get it running then the lot will undoubtedly want more for it. If the oil looks good and it cranks it's probably worth $500.

 

I dunno..they seemed pretty motivated to get it out of there..the guy said they have had it a long time and when people find out its an IDI they want nothing to do with it..

 

Throw gas rag in that sucker to fire her up.

 

That's the sort of thing I'd buy. If the engine cranks over, it'll run.

As far as bottle feeding, yeah, you might be able to - easiest would be a container of fuel and a small electric pump. Just connect the e-pump output straight to the IP input line(you said it was cut), hook power to the FSS terminal on the IP(front most one), unplug about 4 glow plugs.
Then, bleed the lines - loosen 6 injector lines at the injector, crank the engine over with the throttle floored until you see fuel squirting out.

Then, re-tighten the lines, give it a 1/2 second shot of ether into the air cleaner. Since you disconnected half the glow plugs, they won't be hot enough to cause a problem, assuming they work at all.

Don't be surprised if it doesn't run right, though... if it runs at all, get it. Chances are, things will be sticky in the IP, you won't have the timing advance, and it'll probably smoke a lot.

 

​​​I'm going to go check it out again tomorrow.. I just want to make sure I do a better job of checking out this one..I know a little bit more about the IDI's now than I did when I bought my 86 6.9...my 86 had a fried engine..it turned over but was a pain to get started..very low compression..so low even ether wouldn't get it to fire..only way to get it running was to drag it in 1st gear with another truck and it still wouldn't fire until you dragged it a bit and spun the engine fast enough

the engine looks complete other than the cut fuel hoses..radiator looked good and had clean coolant in it..oil was black as tar but had no evidence of coolant in it..no oil puddles or anything on the ground under the truck..and the truck has been sitting there a while..I just wish I could figure out why they cut the fuel hoses..they are just sliced at an angle and left to hang..very strange..I will crawl under it to look at the lines going to the tank..hopefully those haven't been molested..hopefully I can get this old beast running with a few bucks worth of new hose, some fuel, a little diesel kleen and some priming..worst case scenario I can haul it home and use it for spare parts for my 86...
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Almost exact same situation with a friend looking at a late 80's IDI. Wouldn't start. Friend spotted and fixed glow plug wiring problem, it started and price doubled.
Walked away.
So just assume they'll want $1000 for it once you get it running.
Still worth it?

 

If the seller is going to let you tinker with it before deciding to purchase it then your best bet is to do a compression test. If the compression in all of the cylinders is good then you know it's just a fuel delivery problem that's preventing it from running. If you do this there's no chance the seller will want more money since you don't have to share the compression numbers. Good luck. Let us know what you do.

 

I decided to buy it..I looked at it again, and cranked it with a little sniff of ether and it fired..I did not try feeding it fuel..because like some of you have mentioned, if I get it to run the price will probably double..they're selling it to me for $400..I checked the fuel lines again more closely and I think someone was chasing an air intrusion problem...only other problem is no brakes..pedal goes to floor..hopefully they just need to be bled from the truck sitting so long..the truck is pretty decent actually..a wash and a good interior cleaning (and a driver side door panel) and it will look nice..also has air bags in the rear and looks like they had a camper on it..the engine is pretty darn clean little bit of oil mess under the oil cap but everywhere else is clean..I looked under it at the trans and the bellhousing was spotless..crap.. on my 86 the bellhousing was covered in oil

 

Typical brake issue with a long-parked vehicle is the master cylinder. Internal seals fail, pedal goes to floor, but no external leak.

Sweet deal in any case. Moreso if it's a manual, 4x4, super/crew cab, etc.

 

That's what I was starting to figure..master cylinder..because pumping the crap out of them builds no pressure..even if there was air in the line a healthy master cylinder would build some pressure..

the truck is just a single cab, 2wd longbed with a 4 speed..and I don't think is a 7.3...I think it's a 6.9 wasn't 87 the last year of the 6.9?? Everything on it except for the oil cap looks exactly the same as my 86 6.9..didn't 7.3s have a different fuel filter setup?

 

Oh yeah!


The fuel filter setup is different on a 6.9L. My lift pump sends fuel to a filter before the injection pump, but supposedly the 7.3L setup is better. My water separator sits under the master cylinder. I'm not sure what the differences are.

 

The 7.3 setup simply uses a combined filter/separator; it's plumbed, and physically located, the same as the filter on the 6.9, between the lift pump and the IP.

 

Cool, thanks.

 

Well I got the truck..now time to start tinkering.. I've got 2 big 800+ CCA batteries from my 86 IDI, I will reconnect the fuel lines and add in an electric pump..the darned sending units are bad I think.. fuel gauge shoots up over F when you turn the key on...and doesn't change even when switching tanks..I don't know if it has fuel in it or not..I will dump in 5 gals to the front tank and try to get her primed..the IP is definately sticky..the plunger on the left side gets stuck in when you work the throttle..will an ATF or diesel kleen soak free it up? Maybe hit that part with some carb cleaner or brake cleaner too?