Notices
Pre-Power Stroke Diesel (7.3L IDI & 6.9L) Diesel Topics Only

Engine swap?

Old Feb 28, 2009 | 03:16 PM
  #1  
George D.'s Avatar
George D.
Thread Starter
|
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,207
Likes: 1
From: Las vegas
Question Engine swap?

My belovid IDI fel victome to cavitation a bout 7 or so months ago and I have yet to find a doner engine or block. My dads freinds dad has a towing company and thy have a 99 f250 they took off the raod because the body was beat to pieces and said I could have the engine.

I was woundering if any of you have done a swap like this, 94 7.3 IDI to to 99 7.3 PSD Both auto trans. Also what you guys thought of the idea.

I know i need the
Engine trans and dash harness
ECM, IDM, and PCM
Throtle pedal
Intercooler
dash cluster.

What els would i need form the doner truck
 
Reply
Old Feb 28, 2009 | 03:40 PM
  #2  
GenLightening's Avatar
GenLightening
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 426
Likes: 0
From: Pukalani, HI
Possibly the rearend speed sensor too. Don't know if your 94 is the same as the 99.
 
Reply
Old Feb 28, 2009 | 05:29 PM
  #3  
mustangman02232's Avatar
mustangman02232
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: Ludlow MA
its going to be an electrical nightmare, but anything can be done with enough money, i prefer the IDI cause they are better running motors and everything is outside the valve covers.... plus you can run HHO.... hypothetically of course
 
Reply
Old Feb 28, 2009 | 06:54 PM
  #4  
George D.'s Avatar
George D.
Thread Starter
|
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,207
Likes: 1
From: Las vegas
It shouldn't be too much of an electrical nightmare if every thing mounts in relitively the same place as the 94.5-97 thrucks.
 
Reply
Old Feb 28, 2009 | 10:37 PM
  #5  
Dave Sponaugle's Avatar
Dave Sponaugle
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 21,285
Likes: 16
From: Nutter Fort, WV
Club FTE Silver Member

Remember the 99 was the new body style truck, 1/2 the engine under the dash.

The 99 Stroke was one of the best ones they made in my opinion.

And wiring, you will be doing a bit of wiring.

If it is the difference between not running and a lot of work, if you can have the engine and related parts, I would say the price is right.

Just be prepared for some hair pulling.

It would be a good deal if you could set both trucks side by side while doing the swap.
Label where everything plugged in at, don't forget to code both connectors though.

I said that because my son watched me working on things when he was younger.
One day he took a stereo apart someone gave him, then he came asking for help.

He had taken my wiring number tape and coded every wire he removed, did a great job.
But he forgot to also mark the connector it came out of, so the marking on the wire was not much help.
 
Reply
Old Feb 28, 2009 | 10:58 PM
  #6  
RCrawler's Avatar
RCrawler
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,594
Likes: 2
From: Southern Oregon USA
Originally Posted by George D.
It shouldn't be too much of an electrical nightmare if every thing mounts in relitively the same place as the 94.5-97 thrucks.
The electrical system and routing is different between the 94-97 and the 99 up PSD's. I'm sure it could be done given enough time and money. On top of the 99 the engine and wiring harness, you will also need access to an early PSD for the throttle, exhaust downpipe and air intake. You may be able to make the 99 parts work, but there will be some differences because of engine placement in the SD. You will also need a charge cooler and piping for a 97.

Given all that it would take to swap this engine into your truck, I would look at a 94-98 12V Cummins instead.

Jason
 
Reply
Old Mar 1, 2009 | 12:07 AM
  #7  
George D.'s Avatar
George D.
Thread Starter
|
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,207
Likes: 1
From: Las vegas
I've looked into cummins swaps I could get a reman 7.3 or have mine bored fore less than the price of the adapter.

It wont be possible for me to have them set them side by side as My trucks in vegas and the doners in california and my truck is the only thing in the family fleet that could move with that much weight on it. I know this wont be easy but baring the iflation stimulus pakage actualy working this is about the only chance I have to get my truck running.

As for the intercooler I belive I saw an article of some one using the 99 inter cooler in a 94.5-97 stroke so I'll have to see if I can find it.

Thanks for all the responses.
 
Reply
Old Mar 1, 2009 | 12:20 AM
  #8  
dyoung14's Avatar
dyoung14
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,614
Likes: 0
if i was you i would go and find me a 6.9 block and build that, boring a 7.3 block that already has cavitation in it, and going to have to sleeve it, not likley it will hold up, im sure you know about daves 4 reeman 7.3's that all blew up
 
Reply
FTE Stories

Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-2

Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

 Joe Kucinski
story-4

2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

 Brett Foote
story-5

Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make

 Brett Foote
story-7

Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-8

Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!

 Joe Kucinski
Old Mar 1, 2009 | 01:02 PM
  #9  
Dave Sponaugle's Avatar
Dave Sponaugle
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 21,285
Likes: 16
From: Nutter Fort, WV
Club FTE Silver Member

Actually only three died in my truck, I tore the fourth one down when I recieved it and refused to install it since the sleeves were dropping and it had never been fired up.
 
Reply
Old Mar 1, 2009 | 01:09 PM
  #10  
George D.'s Avatar
George D.
Thread Starter
|
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,207
Likes: 1
From: Las vegas
Franklin can screw up just about any rebuild usualy take 4 or five motors/pumps or what have you befor you get a good one from them. The service manager at our shop was a mechanic when IH was having problems with them they stopped using remans and would have a machine shop sleve them. Instead of boring all the way threw they had the machine shop leave a 1/8" lip at the bottom of the block and machine an 1/8" off the liner. They said they never had a problem with it.
 
Reply
Old Mar 1, 2009 | 01:15 PM
  #11  
David85's Avatar
David85
Lead Driver
20 Year Member
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 6,900
Likes: 3
From: Campbell River, B.C.
Maybe take the powerstroke and try to sell it for the cash? The problem with this is if you can't have the trucks side by side, there is a possibility that the swap could nickel and dime you.
 
Reply
Old Mar 1, 2009 | 01:31 PM
  #12  
starmilt's Avatar
starmilt
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 10,501
Likes: 5
From: Faibanks Ak.
I used to say anything was possible(before computer days) this would be be a bear unless you had them side by side and understand the electronics very well.
 
Reply
Old Mar 1, 2009 | 01:43 PM
  #13  
GenLightening's Avatar
GenLightening
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 426
Likes: 0
From: Pukalani, HI
Originally Posted by David85
Maybe take the powerstroke and try to sell it for the cash? The problem with this is if you can't have the trucks side by side, there is a possibility that the swap could nickel and dime you.
That's why I hung onto my donor for so long. I kept finding parts that I needed which would have doubled the cost of my swap.
 
Reply
Old Mar 1, 2009 | 05:01 PM
  #14  
RCrawler's Avatar
RCrawler
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,594
Likes: 2
From: Southern Oregon USA
Originally Posted by George D.
I've looked into cummins swaps I could get a reman 7.3 or have mine bored fore less than the price of the adapter.

It wont be possible for me to have them set them side by side as My trucks in vegas and the doners in california and my truck is the only thing in the family fleet that could move with that much weight on it. I know this wont be easy but baring the iflation stimulus pakage actualy working this is about the only chance I have to get my truck running.

As for the intercooler I belive I saw an article of some one using the 99 inter cooler in a 94.5-97 stroke so I'll have to see if I can find it.

Thanks for all the responses.
If you can't get them together to perform the swap without being pressured to move them, then it isn't worth the free aspect of the '99. As someone else said, the little things will add up when you don't have access to them from the donor. Is the donor driveable enough to get across the border? Do you have a place to work on it in Vegas?

The SD charge cooler will work on the earlier trucks, but it depends on what radiator your truck has. And even then, I've heard that you have to cut off and relocate one of the cooler ports. So it is doable.

The cost of swapping a Cummins might pencil out when you consider the issues that the reman 7.3's have had, and the fact that good 7.3 cores are getting hard to come by. But that's just my opinion.

Why not buy a truck with a good 6.9 to swap into yours? With a 6.9, you won't have to worry so much about cavitation issues and you can swap all of your current parts onto it. It would get your truck back on the road, at least until you decide what to do for a permanent fix. Would be a day job instead of a month or more with the PSD.

Jason
 
Reply
Old Mar 1, 2009 | 06:19 PM
  #15  
George D.'s Avatar
George D.
Thread Starter
|
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,207
Likes: 1
From: Las vegas
The powerstroke dosen't have a trans in it. I can work on my truck at work. The problem with buying a truck with a 6.9 is I cant find/aford one locally.

Right now I'm basicly bench racing the idea of the 99 powerstroke and taking every ones opinions into consideration. I"m trying to figure out the economic physability vs. cool factor vs not so cool facto when I need parts.

I also had another thought for a intercooler I've mesured the cooller out of a 466 and it should fit nicely in my bumper would just have to figure out how to make and run ducting to it. We have several of the cooler laying around at work.
 
Reply

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:01 PM.

story-0
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Ford trucks that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 09:51:16


VIEW MORE
story-1
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: the best gifts for dads & grads

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:58


VIEW MORE
story-2
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 11:38:36


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

Slideshow: 10 most expensive Ford trucks ever sold on Bring a Trailer.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:24:34


VIEW MORE
story-4
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

Here's everything that has changed for the latest model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-27 16:17:28


VIEW MORE
story-5
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

Slideshow: Top 10 Ford truck tragedies.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-18 19:34:33


VIEW MORE
story-6
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make

And it might be even better than that.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-18 19:26:42


VIEW MORE
story-7
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!

Slideshow: Does lowering an F-150 Lobo RUIN the ride quality?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-05-18 19:20:37


VIEW MORE
story-8
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home

Slideshow: Ford's bizarre fishing-themed Explorer concept has resurfaced after spending decades largely forgotten.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:07:46


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!

Slideshow: The 10 best Ford truck engines we miss the most.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 13:09:47


VIEW MORE