I have a 1987 F250 with a 6.9 diesel, manual transmission. I cannot find anyone local who will work on it because they say they don't have the software to interface with it. Does this truck even have an OBD1 interface or a computer for that matter? If so, what kind of code reader should I get that would interface with it?

 

YOu have a purely mechanical truck. There are no computers that control the engine or the transmission. You have the equivalent of a carburator and points. You might have ABS rear brakes that uses a computer.
Working on these trucks are pretty straight forward. You just need some basic hand tools and some quality parts. What's the problem?

 

^^^THIS^^^

Let us know if you're having trouble with your truck.

 

That's what I suspected. I dont have a problem per se, anymore. However, I recently had a stalling problem and was looking for a diesel mechanic who would work on it because I didn't have the time to do it myself. I live in the Atlanta area and, believe it or not, i had to search far and wide to find a diesel mechanic who didn't say "We can't work on that truck because we don't have the software for an engine that old." Evidently the younger mechanics don't know there is no computer, don't know how to troubleshoot an engine without the assistance of a computer, or else they're unwilling to spend the time. Finally, I found a possibly shady mechanic working in an open dirt truck lot who ended up (luckily) being honest. The problem was a combination of air leaks, a bad fuel pump, and pulling air when the fuel level got too low. Now, I'm concerned whether I'll be in a predicament while traveling with my camper *which is the reason I bought the truck) if I cant find a mechanic wherever I break down (if I do).

 

This is why i learned how to repair almost everything i own

Worst case get 30 feet of fuel line and 5 gal jug or bigger to have on stand by to bypass the system and some injector orings/seals in case of a leak

 

Air intrusion into the fuel system is the biggest problem with these trucks. Luckily, once repaired correctly, it shouldnt be a problem for 15-20 years until all the o-rings dry out again. I repaired my engines fuel system in 2013 and it hasn't caused a problem in the last 10 years.

 

you've gotten your first lesson in IDI, at least they were honest and didn't waste your time and money "trying" to fix,

I had to learn the same thing, even in Dallas not a lot of shops will work on them,

there is a lot you can do yourself but now is the time to be looking around your area for a trusted mechanic and it just might be some old guy in a dirt parking lot (with a lot of non-computer knowledge),

 

Hang out here on this forum. I found it having some issues with my '88 when I bought it over a decade ago. So far I've been able to find all the help I've ever needed fixing it. There are some very knowledgeable owners on here and they like to share what they know without being snooty. That being said, if you don't want to learn how to wrench on a truck, you bought the wrong truck... Most fixes for these engines is simple stuff that a shade tree mechanic can do with a basic set of tools.

Any place that says they need a computer to work on a vehicle has lost sight of what a mechanic can actually do. Yes computers can help diagnose problems, but they aren't the end all to repair work.

 

My big eye opener was when my Oil cooler puked engine oil into the cooling system.
The main diesel shop in town always has Duramax, Cummins and a bunch of the
Power Strokes fillin up the parking lot.

"OH we don`t work on stuff that old". Yet the PS has the same Oil Cooler on the side
of the engine.
Did it my self, in January between snow storms under the patio roof.
Had to clean out the cooling system of oil, doubt the shop would have done that good
of a job.

Hang around here and read all you can about these engines/trucks. They are pretty
simple once you under stand them.
The air into the fuel system is the biggest problem why they do not start in the morning
after sitting all night. Not a constant problem, but does happen once in a while.

Glow Plugs is another one, and when Motorcraft plugs are recommended...use them
even if you find a cheaper brand else where. Cheapen out, and you will pay for it later.

If you live in an Apt
Complex or HOA... I can understand it being difficult working on a vehicle.

I found an old mechanic out laying in the dirt under some old truck....OH, that`s me.




Goat

 

i needed the oil changed in my 65 falcon. it was winter and there was snow on the ground.
doing a "battery charge" run, it took it to the local ford dealer.
service writer and "mechanic" came into the waiting room a few minutes later and told me "we cant do the oil change, the car is too old and we don't have a filter for it".
i asked them if they had an oil filter for a 88 mustang with 5.0 engine.
them: yea sure!! we do them all the time.
me: ok, put the 88 mustang 5.0 filter on it.
them: book says it will not fit.
me: a 289 and a 302 are the same freaking engine.
them: oh.

 

Dad brought his 70 Nova to sears for battery warranty.
they said denied because the Alt only put out 20 amps instead of 30 and Alt needed to be replaced before the battery could go in or it would fail quick.

Dad asked for the service manager and their best electrical guy to come in.

asked how a dead battery was denied from a functional system
both guys were trying to argue his alt was bad

That when my dad said.
car only needs 5 to run
10 for lights
5 for wipers
5 for fan
I dont drive it with the fan on since it has vents by your feet that draw air in when moving.

both guys were like deer in head lights

Then my dad said that you need to go back to mechanics 101, a gas station attendant (kids in those days) could see that the belt is loose on the Alt so it will never give out 100% but you didnt bother looking at that part. You just wanted to make some money off a guy that doesnt look like a mechanic yet can build a charging system to component level from memory.

Its been driven this way for 2 years with that belt and today the battery read 10 volts because a cell is shorted out that has nothing to do with a reduced Alt output

They were now curious to know more after that.

my dad spent an hour with the shop techs explaining batteries, load testing, alts, and wiring

he left with a new battery installed and they tightened the belt for him at no charge

 

Tell them to go bake a cake and ice your name on it cause they don't belong in a shop if they can't work on a brainless diesel!

 

Lol! It's a sad state of affairs.