[15longhair]

So I am new to the idi world. That being said I heard they are the diesel motor you want for cheap parts, cheap maintenance , and they run forever. I found a 1993 f350 dually with 171k on a 7.3 ldl . Is that high for those diesel motors ?

 

[Blue-Truck-Nut97]

Well, Diesel and cheap is a bit of an oxymoron. Of course in today's world nothing is cheap, just cheaply made. Comparative to any modern diesel engine, they are very affordable. Probably comparable to a 12 valve cummins.

The IDI's were very good little engines, when left stock and properly maintained they lasted very well. Just like anything else, some ran forever with no trouble, some were nothing but trouble. The biggest problem I've seen are improperly serviced air cleaners. THEY DONT LIKE EATING DIRT. Some parts are getting a little harder to find now, but it's not terrible. My mother's daily driver is a 93, 7.3 turbo, at a lower mileage it cracked a cylinder wall, we had the hole sleeved and put it together with new rings and bearings, it now has almost 600k on it. One set of injectors and a rebuilt injection pump at around 500k. That's pretty much it other than basic maintenance. (Basic maintenance includes maintaining the fuel system and glow plugs.)

Personally, I love em. They are fun to drive, get decent fuel mileage, and are fairly straightforward to maintain. That said, do some research so you don't get frustrated the first cold morning.

Welcome to the forum!

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[tjctransport]

well maintained they will run forever.
my 88 has 495,000 miles on it and still purrs like a kitten.

 

[Dustybumpers]

We have an 88 IH here with a 92 ford IDI has probably 600,000
Had to do head gaskets at 350,000. Injectors and pump at 400,000. rings and bearings only because I had it out at 500,000. The IH IDI that the ford replaced had around the same miles on it.

As stated glow plugs need some attention, and modernizing, and the fuel return system is a bugger to keep right. keep the orings replaced and fresh hose on the injectors.
Forget about the mechanical fuel pump, go electric, keep it at 7 lbs. you will never have a fuel problem
Don't be cheap like @tjctransport , and run good oil in it. Shell rotella 15xw 40

 

[Dustybumpers]

purrs like a kitten.

You want a kitten?
Cool. Skippy going to have them any day now.
I'll save you the biggest, most whoop azz one there......

 

[tjctransport]

We have an 88 IH here with a 92 ford IDI has probably 600,000
Had to do head gaskets at 350,000. Injectors and pump at 400,000. rings and bearings only because I had it out at 500,000. The IH IDI that the ford replaced had around the same miles on it.

As stated glow plugs need some attention, and modernizing, and the fuel return system is a bugger to keep right. keep the orings replaced and fresh hose on the injectors.
Forget about the mechanical fuel pump, go electric, keep it at 7 lbs. you will never have a fuel problem
Don't be cheap like @tjctransport , and run good oil in it. Shell rotella 15xw 40

i use good oil in mine.
valvoline all fleet 15-40
i only put the recycled oil in the ones i sent to you.

You want a kitten?
Cool. Skippy going to have them any day now.
I'll save you the biggest, most whoop azz one there......

not only no, but hell no!
i don't want anything to do with the anything related to the spawn of satan!

 

[Dustybumpers]

Onyx is the daddy....
Skippy is normal......








.

 

[Dustybumpers]

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[15longhair]

Well I would be daily driving it , but if I get station some where else be able to tow a 35 ft in close trailer no problem.

 

[Dustybumpers]

It will pull well. Just don't be in a hurry. The turbo upgrade is a good one, it will pull almost as hard as a powerstroke with that

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[15longhair]

Awesome and thank you guys for taking time to help me out

 

[cjfisher]

If you add/upgrade the turbo... make darn sure you have a pyro to monitor the exhaust temps (really applies to any turbo diesel truck though).

 

[tjctransport]

I agree. Turbo is a very good upgrade, it will feel like a different truck after.
It will not be a race car, but it will get you anywhere you want to go, and also drag anything you hook to it.

 

[Blue-Truck-Nut97]

I agree. Turbo is a very good upgrade, it will feel like a different truck after.
It will not be a race car, but it will get you anywhere you want to go, and also drag anything you hook to it.

Agreed. Takes most of the smoke away and cools everything off nicely. Just be careful with those goofy aluminum filter housings that came on the turbo trucks.

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[cjfisher]

To add a few thoughts now that I have more time... Welcome to the diesel world Longhair (I have to ask... do you really have long hair ?) and welcome to PSN from Utah. The diesel cycle is cool in that the more air and fuel you add the more power the engine makes. TJC is right that a turbo is a very good upgrade. As I pointed out earlier though you will NEED to have a pyro on one or the other of the up pipes (or if you are paranoid like me - a pyro on each up pipe). The IDI is a mechanically injected engine so there are no electronic dodads to help keep the exhaust temps under control while driving. Give it more Go Petal and you will get more heat. Blue is partially right when he said:

Takes most of the smoke away and cools everything off nicely.

I would like to clarify that a turbo doesn't really "take away smoke", but rather adds additional air to the combustion chamber which allows for more complete (and thus cleaner) combustion of the available fuel. As for cooling things down... the turbo can help reduce exhaust temps some as the engine is operating more efficiently with more complete combustion, but this is only true to a point... You have 2 sides to your turbo - The compressor side which compresses intake air going into the engine and the turbine side which recovers energy from the hot expanding exhaust gases to power the compressor. As air is compressed it gets HOT - I have read that the temps can be as high as 300*C (575*F) coming off the compressor side of the turbo. Now add the fuel to that already hot air and it just gets all the hotter! If you plan to do any towing I would also recommend adding an intercooler to the truck to cool the charge air after it leaves the turbo compressor wheel. Cooler air is denser and easier to compress (which will improve engine efficiency some) and will also help keep the exhaust temps cooler while towing.

Cj

 

[Blue-Truck-Nut97]

On an idi with the fuel left alone, a turbo cools one off to the point it won't hurt itself. Even with the fuel pump set to the stock turboed setting, not enough fuel to hurt it. Unless you do something crazy to it anyway. That's been my experience with them. I really doubt an idi makes enough heat to get the compressed air above 300*, much less 500+.

My stock 6.9 naturally aspirated rarely got the exhaust to 900*, running around up here at 6500-7500 feet.

And yes, more air means a more complete burn, but I can attest that more air cools off EGT's. If this is false, why does your truck run cooler at sea level? Why do factory settings increase fuel when adding a turbo? As an industry we've been adding "smoke turbos" to stock engines for decades without getting them hot and blowing them up. I've got the pile of pistons to prove what gets one hot and what don't. Just my 2 cents.

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[tjctransport]

there is a big difference between 6500-7000 feet and sea level. the air up there is a lot thinner, so of course it will run cooler.
down here at sea level, injector pump turned up three flays to match added air of the turbo will easily put you in the 1200 degree range on a hard heavy pull.

 

[cjfisher]

Hey Blue,

Didn't mean to ruffle feathers.

but I can attest that more air cools off EGT's. If this is false, why does your truck run cooler at sea level?

I'm not disagreeing with you... I was trying (perhaps poorly) to point out that the reason for the cooler EGTs is due to the more complete burn (because the turbo has added more air) which allows for more energy (heat) to be extracted by the engine which then gives you lower EGTs. I would expect cooler EGTs after adding the turbo with no adjustments to the fuel screw as you have a limited amount of heat (fuel) that you can supply to the engine.

My coworker tells the story of when he first added a turbo to his 88 F350. He was driving up the canyon (4500 to 7100 feet elevation gain) with his boat behind him enjoying the new found power his truck was kicking out (I don't recall if he turned up the fuel screw - I'll have to ask and update this post). About half way up his wife starts sniffing around and asks him what is burning so he pulls over and pops the hood. He describes the turbo as "glowing" and he is not one to romp on an engine - he drives pretty steady so I doubt that he was going crazy on the Go Petal.

Cj

 

[Blue-Truck-Nut97]

No feathers ruffled. Everything is good.

I'm only trying to clarify that an added turbo will not create heat that it's benefit doesn't overcome. A common IDI turbo only puts out maybe 7 psi max, at least the ones I've checked.

As for a glowing turbo, that's not really out of the ordinary while pulling hard. I watch mine turn white regularly in the big truck.

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[Blue-Truck-Nut97]

there is a big difference between 6500-7000 feet and sea level. the air up there is a lot thinner, so of course it will run cooler.
down here at sea level, injector pump turned up three flays to match added air of the turbo will easily put you in the 1200 degree range on a hard heavy pull.

Agreed. I've noticed some of the people down around sea level can be kinda denser too, like CA, or Maryland for example.

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