Wait couple weeks and we might have better headgaskets, once u cut the block there is no way back.I need your patience explain me few things,will know some details on friday hopefuly. Do you have skype? Calling from Europe to your phone for 2 dollars a minute is little pricey. Send me email with skype account,we need to discuss few things. I wish I have IDI engine apart in front of me,never seen internals. I need your eyes and measurements and u might get small flat package in your mail soon that will make u smile I do my best to make it happen.

 

Looking good.... There's NO Way your going to stretch those head studs... That's going to be one wicked sweet set up now...

 

I don't have Skype Jan, just not my thing... Phones are bad enough, but I don't need to share my face as well!


That being said, email is good...


That being said, this engine is too much for MLS gaskets, It wont hold them, that doesn't mean we cant make them happen for every other build, for testing purposes we can use Keith's truck when he blows his gaskets ... That being said, your the man for getting it done.... Shoot me an email with the questions you need answered...

 

No way in hell.... Im only worried about the block at this point.... If it will hold 200Ft/lbs at the threads, say goodbye to HG problems altogether....

 

Are you worried about the "stiffness" of the head at all? At some point, more torque on the fasteners won't buy you anything. You need more fasteners to spread the load. That being said, this is a really cool build. I sat down and read through all 130+ pages a while back. I wish you good luck. It's like the manufacturers racing programs used to be. Even if everything you are doing isn't applicable to most people, you will learn things along the way that might really help a lot of people.

 

I don't really have any way to test the stiffness of the head unless I apply more load, and this is the only way to do it. When I decided to take this path with the engine, I knew I would be taking all sorts of risk in doing so, and every modification I make is taking that into account. We have been reading about the Hypermax truck for 20 years, and other than a couple of people who said they have "mech'd" on the truck, 2 pictures floating around the net, and a whole bunch of made up Hyperbole, we don't know what the limit of these engines are, so I am going to find it. If the IDI only wants to hold 400whp, so be it, if it wants to hold 1000whp before going, well that's a whole lot more than we've always heard, isn't it? Getting the biggest bottleneck out of the way is replacing the DB pump with a real pump, and the second bottleneck is the head sealing surface, which I am getting out of the way with Mondo studs and Fire rings.... Will we have casting issues?? Maybe, lets find out...Will we have Rotating assembly issues?? Maybe, Lets find out... Will we have combustion issues?? Maybe, Lets find out...


We have already knocked a couple of things off the list. We know that a 6.9 with stock compression and 7/16 studs is riding the fine line at about 22psi of efficient intercooled boost. We know a 6.9 at about 16:1 compression with 7/16" studs will handle almost 700wtq and almost 40psi of intercooled boost, but we also know that a 6.9 at 18:1 on 7/16" studs will not handle 175cc of fuel at torque peak under a heavy load and 32psi. We also know that a stock IDIT 7.3 with 160K+ with only a cam swap and 1/2" studs at 150ft/lbs will handle 750wtq and 34psi, and tow 15K at 22psi with no issues for 30K...


When we address where the weak links are and fix them as affordably as possible, the platform will continue to grow, mainly because nobody wants an electronic diesel anymore. The IDI is the best-most affordable option for a mechanical diesel in a pickup, and making it perform like trucks that came out a decade after production stopped in such a market is a pretty awesome feat, and the only way that we are going to keep suppliers producing parts. If you haven't noticed, we are on the verge of not having ANY new injector options for these engines, thats because the demand just isn't there for new parts. If we bring interest back to this platform, it makes things better for everybody... From grandpa with a 1984 F250 6.9N/A who only tows his boat, to somebody who thinks it would be wicked sweet to have a 400hp/800tq IDI that takes 3 wires to run... There is no Net-Negative to IDI's getting more powerful and reliable accept for maybe less parts being sent to the junkyard, where most get sent to the smelter anyway.

 

I like that, well put!

 

Racin, I hope you didn't take that as a criticisim. It wasn't meant that way at all. I think what you are doing is pretty neat. Who wouldn't want to rollup to someone in a duramax with a 30 year old truck and say wanna race with a straight face. But seriously, keep up the good work. Even if a 1000 wtq IDI isn't for everybody, its cool to know there may be options to get there if you do want it. My point was that the technology always trickles down so that everyone in the end will end up with better available products.

 

Didn't Take it that way at all, just wanted elaborate on the subject ...

 

I'm still in the shopping faze of my next build. I have found several nice trucks out there for 3 to 5 thousand Bucks, Just begging to be rebuilt into the last Truck I will ever Buy. I bought my wife a New Car this summer, So next summer its a Truck for ME... Then Time to Take all the performance tricks and mods and build mine with some of the same thoughts you had from frame to sunroof... But I will use a Built auto trans cause the wife needs to be able to drive it....LOL...

 

Hey, just got registered, been following this thread for some time now, very cool!

 

Been following and thinking about a swap into my 76 F250 and subb'd. Have you and kevin got his running and all the bugs worked out yet?

 

Well, Im finally throwing in the towel on the 6.9.


I got one side of the block drilled and tapped, and that all went well. A couple of studs weren't 100% perpendicular to the surface, but not enough to see with your eyes, just enough to interfere with putting the head over them. It wasnt enough to interfere with putting the studs in after the head was on, just before. That would have been fine with me, but when I was running the bottoming tap through all the holes to finish them, I mildly cross-threaded one because the tap was hanging a bit on the counterbore. It would probably work, I haven't put any torque on it yet, but sometimes you just gotta let reality slap you in the face. Ive been trying to salvage this 6.9 since I blew the gasket, and we all know I have more than your average IDI'r into the bottom end, but I think its time to cut my losses and build my IDIT. I literally have $1000 into the 9/16" studs and tooling to try and make them work...If I was to sell these studs, they would be around $600, Your probably going to be at least another $400 into machine work just to make the studs work... At the end of the day, You can sleeve down a 7.3 for that much money.


Now I don't want people to get that it is impossible out of this. I think it can be done, I will keep my studs, and maybe someday I will continue this with a 6.9 block, but as far as I am concerned, the Juice isn't worth the squeeze.


..............................




Now onto the next phase...


I am going to pop my IDIT apart and check it over. I will order new IDIT pistons, and fill the IDIT block 2" from the deck, that should take care of any weak bore issues. I will mill the pistons for 16:1 compression. The studs will go to 170ft/lbs with fire rings.


Anyway... Ill get some details in here soon.... Im sure we are all looking forward to what the parts look like in the IDIT...

 

Well that's kinda sad to hear but in the end it's all just a trial and process right? This time the error prevailed, sure can't wait to see what happens with this IDIT though! Maybe some things are better left untouched? Hah, we can't win em all but we can still rock on!

 

Yes, sad but you have to draw the economic line some where. Does this mean its not worth the cost or effort of trying to fit the 7.3 studs as well to the 6.9? Have to admit you had pretty good results with the ARP stud kit with how you punished your old worn motor.


Best of luck with the 7.3T build. Watching jealously.