'90 F350 Crewcab 4x4 "BFTD" Project..

Hey guys... this is my Back From The Dead build...

Well, I picked up my first IDI a couple days back and finally got it running today so I figured since the truck is officially worth spending money on now, I should start a build thread.

Here is what I'm starting with...

Its a neglected and abused '90 F350 Crew cab 4x4. Mileage is unknown but I'd say fairly high. Truck has a ZF5, flatbed, and a gooseneck hitch plate. 4.10s with a limited slip in the rear.





Body is actually somewhat solid. A few small holes in the cab corners and around the front wheel wells... but considering age and location, not bad at all. The bed is somewhat hack.. its not mounted very well to say the least which will be getting corrected soon.

Interior is fairly clean... front seat is worn but thats an easy fix.




I was told the engine may have been rebuilt. I call BS... I do however think that it suffered a blown headgasket recently as the coolant overflow (which was not hooked up) is full of oil. The tapwater that was in the radiator was somewhat clean.. Has a small leak coming from the t-stat housing that I need to correct... plan on flushing the system VERY well and then filling up with Zerex ELC.



After several evenings of tinkering, cussing, etc..etc.. We finally got it to fire and run on its own this morning. This video was taken after about 30 minutes of run time. From my understanding, this is the first time its been running in over a month for any length of time.

http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v75/AcIdBuRn52383/F350%20Crew/VID_20160109_112419008_zpspo8gam8d.mp4

As you can see, pretty good bit of blowby. The CDR was also dumping a good bit of oil into the intake. I pulled a low mileage CDR off of another engine I have and cleaned it this afternoon... just waiting on it to dry out. I'm hoping that a clean/working CDR along with some run time will help clear up the blowby. On a side note, engine RPM doesn't effect the blowby at all. It doesn't go away as it should... but it doesn't increase at all either...

Anyways... This is some of the mess that I've been fighting...




Yes... that is an extension cord. The PO has it wired to a push button switch on the dash as the ign. cylinder on the column is bad.

Before I called it a day, I made up some new battery cables. I'll be replacing all of the grounds and the main power feeds. All 3/0... ends crimped, backfilled, and sealed with heatshrink.




And a set of group 31s to put an end to power related issues.


I'll be ordering everything tonight to get the engine running reliably... Then new rubber... Raptorliner... Lighting... Etc..Etc..

This truck will be built to pull my projects... pull the mud truck to and from (and rescue if need be)... pull a camper if need be... along with having plenty of room for people and tools/equipment.

MUCH more to come... although it may be slow going.

-Chris

Sorry bout the wiring mess. I often wonder why an owner feels they have to "make up their own" harness.

Ordered some goods...

Upper and lower radiator hoses, Motorcraft thermostat, ZD-9 glow plugs, carter lift pump (just in case), PSD oil filter, and have a message in to typ4 for a return line kit with viton o-rings. After I build a new glow plug harness and get everything buttoned up, it "SHOULD" be a reliable runner. We'll find out next week I suppose.

-Chris

Nice tow rig, it is always too bad when the previous owner decides to shop for under the hood wiring in the lamp shade department at Home Depot, but it's kind of like an old house: if you buy one old enough, with several owners, it's gonna have some questionable stuff hidden in some of the nooks. Looks like you are well on your way to kicking the some of squirrels out of the attic

The blowby don't look too excessive for a cold engine, might just be stuck rings depending on how long it sat without running. Might use an Auto-RX treatment. There is a guy on craigslist in Lima OH that has a set of nice Captain seats for only $45, color looks to be light gray.

Oh boy...cluster #@€% wiring...love it...well versed as are you in it.

Guess its one of those use what you have...oh I will for sure do it right later jobs...

Truck looks like a solid base to which a great ride can be made.

BTW...very nice cables... all should be so lucky to have such nice cables...make a ground tie too btw...from neg to neg....JM12VW...:

Good luck have fun

Thanks for sharing

The oil fill on the IP gear cover is the 6.9 style, so the engine may be a 6.9. You can check the block serial # on the driver's side next to the gear cover. If 7/16 twelve point socket fits on head bolts it is indeed a 6.9. The 6.9 and 7.3 have different style glow plug systems, so you should verify if the 7.3 system has been used.

Good catch^^^^

Judging by the wing nut on the air cleaner it appears you don't have the rubber gasket under it. The oe wing nut had a flat washer built in so to speak, Others will chime in with pics. Without that gasket and your cowl seal looks like it could be shot, water will lay on top of air cleaner and fill motor, causing a hydrolock. This needs to be addressed.

TahoeTom said:

The oil fill on the IP gear cover is the 6.9 style, so the engine may be a 6.9. You can check the block serial # on the driver's side next to the gear cover. If 7/16 twelve point socket fits on head bolts it is indeed a 6.9. The 6.9 and 7.3 have different style glow plug systems, so you should verify if the 7.3 system has been used.

Click to expand...

Also has a 6.9 filter head. Nice smooth top with no fuel heater.

Keep that in mind when changing the fuel filter. I have heard they are different.

Hmm...

I'll say this.. the oil fill doesnt look like it came from this engine as it doesnt bolt on as it should. It doesnt cover the hole in the timing cover very well... (shape doesnt match... extra bolt holes in the fill that are not in the cover...)

I'm curious if someone had 6.9 parts laying around or if this is a 6.9...

It currently has a late style return system... What is different on the glow plug system?

I'll check the headbolt size tomorrow after work. Now I'm curious...

The 6.9 glow plug controller threads into the drivers side head back at the firewall. It measures coolant temp to control glow cycle. The 7.3 controller is solid state and measures glow plug resistance to control cycle. The 7.3 controller is at the rear on top behind the CDR. On factory turbo engines it is moved to a valve cover. The '87 6.9 got the 7.3 style controller. The 6.9 glow plugs (ZD1A) have spade connectors. The 7.3 glow plugs (ZD9) have bullet connectors.
The oil filler has two sets of mounting holes. It can be mounted vertically or with a slope.

Mine have bullet connectors... My fuel filter head looks identical to my buddy's 7.3

I'd say someone just used a different fill neck. I'll know for sure tonight when I get home.

Never got around to checking head bolts... Been too cold out and by the time I get home.. its dark.. and I dont feel like it. Lol

Anyways... so a buddy of mine was short on cash and had a good condition hx35 sitting on his shelf so I picked it up tonight... 7 blade w/ 12cm gated housing. Wont make big power or anything, but should come online down low and pull pretty well.


Wont be installing it for a while... we just installed an 093 kit on another friend's truck and he gave me his factory NA "Y" pipe that I plan to chop up... Planning on mounting the charger on the passenger side towards the front. I'll build a bracket for the T3 flange to support the weight of the charger... should be a relatively simple setup. Only thing I need to sort out is where I'll plumb in the oil drain.. I heard there was a location low on the front cover that some kits use but haven't looked much into it.

Temperature will be back above freezing thursday and friday so I'm hoping to get the cooling system flushed and get that buttoned up. Pulling the block drains when it was 13F the other day was a lot of fun.. lol

Anyways... all of my parts should be here this week and it should be road worthy if all goes well. We'll see what happens.

-Chris

AcIdBuRn02ZTS said:

Never got around to checking head bolts... Been too cold out and by the time I get home.. its dark.. and I dont feel like it. Lol

Anyways... so a buddy of mine was short on cash and had a good condition hx35 sitting on his shelf so I picked it up tonight... 7 blade w/ 12cm gated housing. Wont make big power or anything, but should come online down low and pull pretty well.

You must be registered for see images attach

Wont be installing it for a while... we just installed an 093 kit on another friend's truck and he gave me his factory NA "Y" pipe that I plan to chop up... Planning on mounting the charger on the passenger side towards the front. I'll build a bracket for the T3 flange to support the weight of the charger... should be a relatively simple setup. Only thing I need to sort out is where I'll plumb in the oil drain.. I heard there was a location low on the front cover that some kits use but haven't looked much into it.

Temperature will be back above freezing thursday and friday so I'm hoping to get the cooling system flushed and get that buttoned up. Pulling the block drains when it was 13F the other day was a lot of fun.. lol

Anyways... all of my parts should be here this week and it should be road worthy if all goes well. We'll see what happens.

-Chris

Click to expand...

Electric pump it and put an oil drain fitting in the fuel pump blockoff plate