Cheap IDI Turbo
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 190
Likes: 2
From: Racine County
Cheap IDI Turbo
So I have a 1985 Ford F-250 with the 6.9 and I'm looking for a turbo just to give it a little more power and fuel efficiency considering I plan on hauling a dual axle gooseneck with 12 round bales of hay on the trailer. The one issue I'm running into is cost, I'm 16 yrs old and planning on attending college to become an agronomist so money isn't exactly growing on trees for me. I have a job but these $2k+ turbo kits just aren't in my price range. Any ideas on a cheap turbo setup for these old IDI motors?
More Turbo
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 525
Likes: 6
From: douglasville
They pop up on eBay from time to time for about a grand but by the time you pay shipping and round up all the stuff that is missing you could have bought a brand new complete setup. Also as I have already learned stay away from Banks, they are extremely proud of their replacement parts and you can only get them from Banks, there are a few resellers of their parts but they are even more expensive. I have had very good luck with the ats turbos like the 93-94 engines used factory and they are much cheaper and easier to get parts for, also a lot of people seem to really like the hypermax turbo systems and they are about the cheapest one available that comes as a complete kit. I have been trying to find a reasonable price on an ats kit for ages to no avail.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
Likes: 575
From: Brentwood,CA
How much boost do you plan on making with a 85 and small head bolts? I don't think you would have any good ROI for this. You are limited on boost with the early engines and how is the fuel system and drivetrain overall? Things will break and especially if you are already pulling past capacity something will give or your EGT's will go sky high.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 190
Likes: 2
From: Racine County
When doing the install I planned on putting a set of ARP studs in as they came with the truck because the previous owner did not have the knowledge or time to install them. Even then I wouldn't want to push more than 10-12lbs. The drivetrain is solid with a new stage 1 transmission and stage 1 torque converter put in about 30k miles ago, it was also owned by an older couple so I know that it has not been beat on very much throughout it's life. It also has new injectors, lift pump, IP (30k miles ago), and return lines put in.
Scope Wizard
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 6,530
Likes: 25
ya know I've been toying with the Idea of using an Electric Turbo ... it would be more like adding a Supercharger than adding an exhaust driven Turbo.
They are starting to be more common and can spool up to 120,000 RPM in 0.5 sec.
you can't run those BLDC motors on 12 volts ... 48 volts is ideal for them and not hard to produce.
They are starting to be more common and can spool up to 120,000 RPM in 0.5 sec.
you can't run those BLDC motors on 12 volts ... 48 volts is ideal for them and not hard to produce.
More Turbo
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 525
Likes: 6
From: douglasville
How much boost do you plan on making with a 85 and small head bolts? I don't think you would have any good ROI for this. You are limited on boost with the early engines and how is the fuel system and drivetrain overall? Things will break and especially if you are already pulling past capacity something will give or your EGT's will go sky high.
Ok chicken little the sky is not falling😁 Seriously though most box stock turbo kits won't make but around 10 psi of boost which doesn't put enough strain on the head bolts to be terribly worried about, though if I had any reason to pull the engine I would do studs and head gaskets just in case. On my 86 with the banks kit I retorque the head bolts once a year. Oh yeah a pyrometer is a must and probably should even be installed on n/a engines that tote heavy loads at all. It don't take long to fry an idi with high egt's
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Posting Guru
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 2,036
Likes: 5
How much boost do you plan on making with a 85 and small head bolts? I don't think you would have any good ROI for this. You are limited on boost with the early engines and how is the fuel system and drivetrain overall? Things will break and especially if you are already pulling past capacity something will give or your EGT's will go sky high.
Your best bet is finding a used kit at a junk yard or locally like Craig's list. Preferably still on the truck so you get all the parts plus if you pull it you know how to put it back on.
All of the kits work equally as well. At least banks still offers parts. Even if there not cheap.
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i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,514
Likes: 5,567
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
banks parts may be expensive, but you are paying for the quality. their pipes are stainless, so you never have to buy them again once put on unless they get damaged.
the pipes on my 88 were still in perfect shape 20 years after they were put on when i swapped the 5 speed for the automatic.
the pipes on my 88 were still in perfect shape 20 years after they were put on when i swapped the 5 speed for the automatic.
Elder User
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 695
Likes: 22
Ok chicken little the sky is not falling�� Seriously though most box stock turbo kits won't make but around 10 psi of boost which doesn't put enough strain on the head bolts to be terribly worried about, though if I had any reason to pull the engine I would do studs and head gaskets just in case. On my 86 with the banks kit I retorque the head bolts once a year. Oh yeah a pyrometer is a must and probably should even be installed on n/a engines that tote heavy loads at all. It don't take long to fry an idi with high egt's
the pipes on my 88 were still in perfect shape 20 years after they were put on when i swapped the 5 speed for the automatic.
Scope Wizard
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 6,530
Likes: 25
TBH I'm surprised that my OEM exhaust system is still 100% on my 93 knowing the odometer has turned over at least 2 times before I owned the truck.... ya 399,999 X2
I sure cannot say same for the Gassers I've owned
I sure cannot say same for the Gassers I've owned
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,514
Likes: 5,567
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
my 88 lived in salt water for a few years, and the pipes were still in like new condition when i pulled them. wish i could say the same for the rest of the truck. 
i used to do vehicle recovery out in the raritan bay at least once a week after the kids would go out at low tide and then get in trouble as the tide came in.
i was also the only high water capable truck in town for rescuing old timers that refused to leave their houses during extreme high tide or hurricane floods.
so i would put two cops in the back, and drive through the flood waters and back up to the front door so the cops could load the old timers in the back of the truck to take them to safety. we also used to retrieve people off the roofs of their cars after they drove through the barricades on the highway and got stuck.
plus it plowed snow for 25 years.
i used to do vehicle recovery out in the raritan bay at least once a week after the kids would go out at low tide and then get in trouble as the tide came in.
i was also the only high water capable truck in town for rescuing old timers that refused to leave their houses during extreme high tide or hurricane floods.
so i would put two cops in the back, and drive through the flood waters and back up to the front door so the cops could load the old timers in the back of the truck to take them to safety. we also used to retrieve people off the roofs of their cars after they drove through the barricades on the highway and got stuck.
plus it plowed snow for 25 years.
Cross-Country
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 87
Likes: 13
From: Moscow, ID/ Montana
so much bad info on here.
most box stock kits will do everything you want it to do. can typically be found for $700-1200 in you area, or shipped to you.
6.9 head bolts are not as strong as 7.3 bolts, just due to size. 6.9 studs have the same holding/clamping ability under boost as 7.3 bolts. they both lift around 20 psi boost (but technically boost doesnt lift head, cylinder pressure does)
a turbo will help it get out of its own way, give you more power to pull trailers or just hill doing the speed limit. and may even help milage. gauges pyrometer and boost are always recomended.
most box stock kits will do everything you want it to do. can typically be found for $700-1200 in you area, or shipped to you.
6.9 head bolts are not as strong as 7.3 bolts, just due to size. 6.9 studs have the same holding/clamping ability under boost as 7.3 bolts. they both lift around 20 psi boost (but technically boost doesnt lift head, cylinder pressure does)
a turbo will help it get out of its own way, give you more power to pull trailers or just hill doing the speed limit. and may even help milage. gauges pyrometer and boost are always recomended.
More Turbo
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 525
Likes: 6
From: douglasville
There are 2 kits on eBay right now that are worth a look one is a factory 7.3 idi ats turbo for $995 and is about as complete a kit as I have seen for a good price, there is also a second generation banks sidewinder that looks complete for $1100. Honestly if I had a grand to spare I would be on that ats kit like a rat on a cheeto.