how well does an IDI tow?

[DeepRoots]

DieselBrad, is that thing really 12k lbs?
I've towed one similar many times and didn't think it was that heavy. Cool!

On another note, I've towed many things with my truck... having also used a newer cummins and a powerstroke I'll say that the IDI does the job, but I was never as comfortable doing it.

 

[snaponprofile]

Yeah, that trailer don't look like 3K either....more like 2K.

 

[ne buckeye]

I pulled my trailer from Oh to Ne loaded with my pulling tractor and weights, total weight was around 9,000 pounds, my truck is a 93 na f-250 4:10 rear with the auto trans. Did fine on flat ground , speed up the hills slowed, but not bad, just had to watch my pyro it climbed to 1200 pretty quick, got about 13 mpgs around a 900 mile trip.

 

[Diesel JD]

I think Diesel Brad is right about the +20HP being about the most you can expect from adding a turbo WITHOUT touching the fuel screw. If you turn the fuel screw up a bunch it will be more. With N/A IDIs we see anywhere from 125-150 HP at the wheels on a dyno and with a turbo anywhere from 150-200. All the 200+ trucks have had the fuel turned WAY up and had other goodies (Mel or Ken fuel stuff and/or LPG injection) BTW to my knowledge no one has ever dynoed a truck with a turbo, Moose or DPS pump AND an intercooler. If you look at the dyno sheets from the 2009 rally in Bowling Green it is obvious that the PSD are all making 200+ with even the simple cheap mods, like a better flowing exhaust and intake, and once you start adding chips and injectors they'll blow the door off the IDI. I love the IDIs but just understand that you will not keep up with a PSD or Cummins, and you will not get the fuel mileage of a VE pumed 6BT, but a well maintained IDI is a very very nice tow vehicle if you on;t mind being a little slower for something unique and reliable. It is especially so if you have 4.10s a turbo and aren't at higher elevations.

 

[Diesel_brad]

DieselBrad, is that thing really 12k lbs?
I've towed one similar many times and didn't think it was that heavy. Cool!

On another note, I've towed many things with my truck... having also used a newer cummins and a powerstroke I'll say that the IDI does the job, but I was never as comfortable doing it.

My bad. It is called a 12k machine but weighs in @ 10,844 http://www.holtcat.com/pdf/digit/304 C CR Mini-Hydraulic Excavator.pdf

Yeah, that trailer don't look like 3K either....more like 2K.

Their website shows 2,900, this is close enough to 3k for me
http://towmaster.com/trailers/trailers/drop-deck-trailers/t-9d-t-10d-t-12d/
So my truck 6500
the machine 10,844
and trailer 2,900
equals 20,244

That was a pretty dam good estimation on my part

 

[snaponprofile]

Ok, got ya.

 

[NMB2]

Trying to work out to get my dually on a dyno next week to get hard numbers, but I have had experience towing with a 96 PSD 5spd and an 01 PSD auto and I can tell you that my IDI EASILY out pulls the 96 in every aspect, and holds speed up hills better than the 01 did. 96 had intake and exhaust, as well as the 01 as their only mods AFAIK.

I have towed as heavy as 12k

I tow this load on a very regular basis... approx 7,000lbs. My truck has no issue passing people that are doing 65mph with this load, as well as holding 75mph up grades with this load.

At 65-75mph (depending on road) I average 12mpg towing.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Diesel JD]

Trying to work out to get my dually on a dyno next week to get hard numbers, but I have had experience towing with a 96 PSD 5spd and an 01 PSD auto and I can tell you that my IDI EASILY out pulls the 96 in every aspect, and holds speed up hills better than the 01 did. 96 had intake and exhaust, as well as the 01 as their only mods AFAIK.

I have towed as heavy as 12k

I tow this load on a very regular basis... approx 7,000lbs. My truck has no issue passing people that are doing 65mph with this load, as well as holding 75mph up grades with this load.

At 65-75mph (depending on road) I average 12mpg towing.

You must be registered for see images attach

I've been in this truck it is fast, no slouch that's for sure. Way more powerful than mine, I'd love to see some dyno #s.

 

[towcat]

Sometimes a good understanding of a member is required. "Diesel Brad" is a perfect study. Although he does hang out here frequently, you will find that his opinion(and boy howdy does he have an opinion) of the 6.9/7.3 IDI will never be a good one. In fact, his value of his 6.9 is little better than a boat anchor only because the 6.9 is still running. Brad is definitely in love with his PSD's and that's a fact. He's fortunate that he has many half dead PSD's to **** parts off of in his back'40. So....don't take it personally Bard dumps on his IDI. Just take that part of his opinion with a grain of salt. The rest of what he has an opinion on is very solid.

 

[DeepRoots]

nah
I wasn't doubting Brad, I just didn't know that mini excavator weighted that much. When I was in business I towed one pretty often.

 

[RLDSL]

I just don't get when folks say these things wont tow well in hills. Last fall when we took teh 5er out west, I climbed some whopper passes including some in colorado that would make you want an automatic short changer. Tennessee pass going into LEadville is 10, 424 ft and we were grossing over 18k ( with a busted fan clutch mind you ) and I didn't have any trouble at all maintaining the posted curve speed all the way up. The curves were posted at 25 and cone one after another, so just how must faster do you need to go ? I've driven plenty of semi trucks that couldn't pull that hill at that speed. If you are looking for a tow vehicle, you have to think practically. If when loaded you can keep up with the big trucks, you are doing about right and these things will do just that.
SOme of these newfangled things may get over a hill faster, but they willget to the repair shop faster too to pay for that 5 minutes you saved and it's going to cost you, big time. I Have yet to see a new style truck that came out cash ahead. For crying our loud, we can buy a whole set of new injectors for less than one PSD injector , a few specs of dirt and the HPOP coughs up a sponge, cummins has its laundry list of high dollar quirks. The few times i've been at teh Onan dealer for parts I've seen teh Cummins guys in there having severe wallet failure over stupid little parts left and right.
These things if kept up with religious service practices will have remarkably low repair expences. When I worked at a bus company witha fleet of these things, we simply didn't have breakdowns with these engines!. WE took very good care of them from new and they took extraodinarily good care of us( we had a few cummins rigs as well, but they didn't perform as well)

 

[johnnyb1]

I just bought my 6.9 with a Sidewinder. I haven't had time to research what I have. Working way too much. That said. What exactly is a Sidewinder kit? Is it just a turbo and intake [K&N filter]? Or is it more than that?

 

[snaponprofile]

A turbo IDI is good on hills, a n/a is not. Real hills, not no 5% grade - thats a joke. I towed 9K up some 25%+ hills and I went up at around 20mph. Eventually I blew my tranny.

 

[SparkandFire]

Well, for what it's worth here is my .02 cents on the topic...

My current truck is the third IDI Ford i've owned, I have always very much liked Ford trucks, and on the first week of my first job in high school I got the pleasure of assisting the yard mechanic in rebuilding a 7.3 turbo IDI at the trucking company I worked for. This engine was in a service truck that had somewhere around 300k HARD miles servicing vacuum trucks all over the lower half of this state. It was in surprisingly good condition considering what it had been through. We had the block honed, heads done, and new rings/rods/bearings made that engine run great. I worked there for two years and eventually was given that truck as my service vehicle. Never once left me stranded, always got things done...

Now, I bought my current truck for towing, I wanted to get a fifth wheel travel trailer and start living "on the road" with my family. Trouble is, once I picked up my 8k 28ft fifth wheel I started really doubting my decision to stick with the IDI. It was absolutely gutless. EGT's would peg on even the smallest molehill.

So, I talked to Calvin (towcat...) and explained what was going on with my pig of a truck. He immediately identified the IP as being on it's last leg. The guy recognized the pinch I was in and loaned me a good IP to get my trailer where I needed it. WHAT a difference! This truck has literally changed completely.
Last run I made with the 5er took me up from sea level here in the bay area, up to over 3000 ft elevation in the sierras, then back down and back up to 2200 ft over patchen pass into santa cruz. I was certainly impressed with the performance of my truck.

The little things make a huge difference. I have driven and towed with 12v and 24v cummins trucks, PSD trucks, they are nice and they do have way more than enough power to outrun an IDI, but for those among us who like to keep things simple and reliable, or for those of us who need things to be simple and reliable, the IDI will get the job done. Truth is, here in Cali you can only legaly tow a trailer going 55 MPH anyway, so in my opinion the whole concept of being able to tow any trailer at any weight as fast as you possibly can is mute anyway...

Sorry for the excess wordage...

 

[93_444idi]

oversized tires make a huge difference.. there is a big weight difference between a stock tire and a 35. and the larger diameter has a big impact on your gear ratio. with 4.10s my 36s dropped me back to about a 3.50 ratio.

turbo also makes a huge difference. if you're gonna put in a turbo right you'll get a real downpipe so fords "20 hp" claim is irrelivant. and there's a lot of torque added. the difference between my truck on 36s n/a and turbod is unbelievable. it runs better now on 36s than it did n/a on stock tires. my truck could barely pull itself n/a on 36s, no way i'd pull 12k with it. i wouldn't be scared to do so now.