Well today I got an '86 2wd F-350 CrewCab, 6.9L NA, T-19.
I'm replacing the '97 F-350 Service truck I have, it's a std. cab, 460, E40D 4wd. I've never been that fond of the 460 or the E40D and I need more wheelbase to get my aArc and MIG welder, cutting torches, air comp., extra fuel tank etc. on board so I'm gonna get a std. cab and replace the CrewCab on the frame so I can put all of the other "stuff" between the service box and cab.
I plan on eventually making it 4wd. with a divorced NP205 o/o a '70 Intl. p/u I'm parting out and a '91 Dodge dually Dana 60 I have. I'm also gonna put the 10.25" Sterling o/o the '97 in it as it has 3:54 gears which will match the front D60 when I install it. I think the 3:54s will be better than the 4:10s that are in it, even as heavy as it will be. First gear is so low in the T-19 I don't think I'll have any trouble even while it's a 2wd.

Couple of questions:
On a Dodge the dually and the SRW trucks have the same spring pad location on the axle, I understand the Fords don't. True? Just curious.

I am going to use what I assume is a SRW '97 10.25" axle in a SRW '86 do they basically interchange? I know the speedo p/u is on the axle in the '97 but that doesn't matter as I'll be using the trans. mounted one in the '86. I am going to be running dual 19.5" wheels I already have in the rear, is there a potential problem with doing this on a SRW axle with bearing load etc.? I am not a dually fan but this thing is gonna be HEAVY so I want to go with duals.

Comments???????

 

Sounds like alot of work but if you have all the parts laying around it probable cheaper than looking for a 1 ton. Since you have all that wieght and higher gear ratio are you going to put on a turbo?

Looks like you have it planned out so good luck.

 

My long-term goal is to put the IDI turbo o/o my '94 CrewCab 4wd (7.3L) in it and build this 6.9L into a turbo motor with all the "good stuff" for my daily driver.
The service rig is just for my own use and to help out buddies so the stock 6.9L will suffice for a while until I get the wild hair to swap/build motors.
That's why I didn't get a newer truck, it's gonna sit a lot and I don't care about having O.D. in it, the T-19 is perfect for what I'm using it for. I only paid 500 bucks for it. I'm starting on it tomorrow!

I would recommend anybody that farts around with trucks as much as I do get an old service truck and put all your tools in it. It's THE smartest/best thing I've ever done. Being mobile around my place and able to go "out" with all your goodies is awesome. Next I need to get the old beat-up tilt trailer done so I can haul my old beat-up fork lift with me, then I could do about anything, anywhere, as far as trucks go.
JUST MAKE SURE NOBODY STEALS IT AND ALL OF YOUR TOOLS!!!!

 

Ford axle spring pad location is determined by frame width.

All F250 trucks have a 37.5" frame width, they left the factory with a pickup box installed on them.

The F 350 SRW trucks also left the factory with a pickup box installed and have a 37.5" frame width.

A true dually with a pickup box and fender flares over the tires has a 37.5" frame and the spring pads are in the same location as they are on the F250 and F 350 SRW trucks, but the axle housing is 4" wider than it is on a SRW truck when measured back plate to back plate.

All of the trucks in the above list have 3" wide rear springs.
All trucks that left the factory with a pickup box installed have a hump in the frame over the rear axle as well.

The odd ball is an incomplete truck or cab and chasis as it is more commonly called.
These are F 350 and above trucks only.
The frame is 34" wide, the frame rails are straight under the bed portion and it has 2.5" wide rear springs.
The spring pads are moved in so it works with the narrow frame.

The hard part for people to understand is the rear axle has the same measurement back plate to back plate as the SRW axle.
But the narrow frame and narrow springs on the cab and chassis trucks leave enough spring clearance for the dual wheels.

I have seen people get a cab and chassis axle, with dual wheels and not understand why it don't work under a SRW truck.

 

Well I got the service box off of the '97, I'm gonna post a question about it even though it's a 460.
It's a std. SRW F-350 so the service box should fit on the '86 IDI right, that's good. Gonna pull the beat-up bed off of the '86 tomorrow.

 

Should drop right on.

 

You are right about the truck and bed, I just bought an 83 Reg Cab, came with an extremely heavy homemade welder body on it, complete with 3 cyl Kubota diesel Welder, which is worth more than the truck. the truck is in GREAT shape, the old diesel motor runs good, and has been well taken care of, all for only $2900, which I figured was 900 for the truck and 2000 for the welder. My only problem is the a.m. only radio

 

Now the IDI won't start.
PO dropped it off at my shop Sat., couple hours later started up pretty good.
Next day (Sun.) hard to start, air in fuel line. Got rid of return line to IP, ran fine.
Today (Mon.) won't start no matter what but there is lots of fuel at filter.

I pulled the line off of the front drivers side injector and there is hardly any pressure in the line. If you do the "finger-over-the-garden-hose" trick it will spray fuel when cranking over the motor but not much pressure. With the line just hanging the fuel just dribbles out. It does the same on the return line on top front of IP.
Removing any of the 3 wires on the IP with the ign. on or off produces no "click".
Is the IP shot or is the switch bad or none of the above?

 

Normally the fuel line when cranking over doesn't spit a lot of fuel, its high pressure, but when loose it doesn't seem so because its not a lot of fuel coming out at a time. Do you have another truck to compare it to, that would tell you a lot?

 

Drivers side front is the fuel shut off solenoid, this is the one that should click when you touch the wire to the terminal with the key ON.

Drivers side rear is the cold start timing advance.

Passenger side is the high idle solenoid.

Cranking the engine over, even though the pressure is high, the amount of fuel injected at that RPM is very small.
So a normal IP will seem like there is little pressure or fuel in the injection line.

 

Yeah, I was gonna compare it to my '94 but had to go to the kid's baseball game.

Why isn't this freakin' thing starting? Lotsa fuel, air cleaner lid is off just to make sure I am getting adequate air and it sounds like the IP is working as it is pumping fuel to the injectors.
The solenoid IS "clicking". Now that I know which wire is the solenoid (thanks Dave) I CAN hear it clicking.
What am I missing?

 

Try cracking open an injector line slightly and see if fuel sprays out when you crank it over.

 

Are the glow plugs good?

The 86 uses coolant temp and a timer to time the glow plug cycle.
A couple burnt glow plugs will not change the glow time like it does on an 87 or newer truck.

 

I finally got it started after work tonight.
I always crack open the injectors when I have a hard start issue. The front four injectors were easy to open the rear four I don't think have ever been unscrewed, and still haven't been!
I think I just had/have a majorly BAD air intrusion problem. If it sets, even for a half hour, you have to crank it over too much to start it.

It's been in the 80s-90s every day I've owned it so far so I assumed it wouldn't even need the glow plugs, but I could be wrong. I'm sure this thing has the origional injectors as they still have gray paint on them so it could possibly have the origional glow plugs too. The water seperator has been changed to the NAPA Gold style I've always added to my diesels anyway so at least the factory crappy one is gone.
I think I will replace ALL of the rubber fuel and return lines on this thing.

 

I swapped the service box over.
The distance between the front bed-mounting-holes and the very rear holes must be different between '86 and '97 because the rear holes on the service bed actually are hanging off of the back of the frame on the '86.
It's not a big deal as I can make it work but the frame is appearantly a little different/shorter on the '86.