1986 6.9l BEEN SITTING UP FOR YEARS, MAINTENANCE?

[benztech]

Hi guys, im new to the forums, been reading for a while and finally decided to join! You guys seem to be great people and very knowledgeable. To give you and idea of myself, i am 24 years old, married with 2 kids, i am an auto technician at our local mercedes benz dealership, have been working at chevrolet prior for 4 years, anyway enough about that. My grandpa lives on a pretty decent sized farm for down south here and we have quite a few older diesel flatbeds out here, he has given me a 1986 f350 with the 6.9l, my brother and 89 d350 cummins and my dad a 94 p-pumped cummins, my f350 and my brothers 89 d350 had been sitting in the fields for about 10 years, we put some tires on them both, new batteries, new fuel and got them both running fairly quick, i have been working on my f350 all weekend every weekend lately getting all the bugs worked out, ive replaced the injector return lines, the mechanical lift pump, installed a electric pump coming out of the tank, (custom metal tank for use with flatbed, not stock), replaced the starter, batteries, battery cables, put new diesel rx glow plugs in her, eliminated the glow plug controller and installed pushbutton switch, i am planning to do some maintenance to her this weekend, got the powerstroke oil filter, wix fuel filter, stp air filter, 3 gallons of delvac 15w40 since i get it really cheap at work, new thermostat, rad cap, and coolant, im just wondering if i am missing something, is there anything else i should do to her? She runs strong and smooth, starts up cold in 2 to 4 secs with only about 3 to 5 secs on the glow plug switch, ive read about people putting trans fluid in the fuel filter when replacing it, do you guys reccommend that, and if so what kind, type f, merconIII? Or any other additives/chemicals? Should i flush the crankcase with anything? Any help is greatly appreciated, i really love this truck and love working on her, wanting to get her back on the road soon.

 

[lindstromjd]

My suggestion would be to not run two different fuel pumps. Pick one and stick with it. The electric will overpower the mechanical and burst the diaphragm and you'll have a crankcase full of diesel fuel. I'd just use the electric one since you've already got it plumbed in. A Big Block Chevy fuel pump delete plate will work to get rid of the mechanical pump. Aside from that, Auto RX for the crankcase to clean it out, and I don't think the type of trans fluid will matter at all. It's just to clean out the injectors. You just fill up the fuel filter, fire the truck up, let it run for a few seconds, shut it down and let it sit overnight.

And welcome!!

 

[dgr]

You should bleed the brakes.

Let me give that an X2

Dca/sca in the coolant. Windshield wipers. Inspect the brakes for wear. lube the chassis

 

[Kevin 007]

Run ATF in the fuel for the next little while, the injection pump seals are probably dried out and could use the extra lube. Keep an eye on the pump for leaks.

And enjoy your new idi!!!

 

[benztech]

Thanks for the responses guys, i cant wait to get back up there this weekend and do some more work on her, i will deff have to get that big block fuel pump delete, also gotta figure out whats up with the front end, got a lot of slack in the steering.

 

[benztech]

Any idea on what brand and or part number for the block off plate? Found a few for bb chevy but they have four bolts? Thanks!

 

[fsr7]

I just bought the one they had at checker then (O'reilly's) and it was the ticket. It was nice and chrome too before it spent about a day bolted up to my engine!

 

[icanfixall]

Welcome to the forum. The fuel pump plate you found was the small block plate. you need any big block plate. Or just buy another mechanical pump gasket and cut your own from some 1/4 inch aluminum plate. Just drill it before you cut it. Makes the holding it much easier in the vice. Any ATF works fine. Run it till you hear the engine sound change. Then you know its in the hard lines and injecters. ATF has lots of detergants in it so it cleans thing very well. Lost of time the steering gear wears and you end up with lots of wheel play. There is an adjustment on top of the box. But before you go and tighten the steering check for slop in the shaft to box connection. There is some plastc and a flat spring in there to take up the connection sloppyness. Find any wrecking yard and tear into a truck that has the same looking steering and box like yours. Its cheap learning when you learn on the wrecking yard rigs. Make your mistakes there instead of on your rig.

 

[linkman440]

Those diesel rx glow plugs you put in will swell up and be almost impossible to get back out.

 

[prepowerstroke]

we put a set of diesel rx glow plugs in my dads 7.2 idi and it started good for about a month then it got really hard to start... turns out all 8 glow plugs burnt out and 2 swelled up it was a pain in the butt to get them out.

 

[RLDSL]

As you' begun to hear, anything but Beru/ motorcraft ( one and the same ) glow plugs in these engines is verboten . Listen to the collective wisdom and get those things out while you still can.
Another BIG vote for a treatment or two of Auto Rx the best way to safely clean out your engine and get your rings all loosened up and performing properly. you wont be sorry.

Welcome aboard !

 

[whiteboyslo]

As long as we're talking part brands, check to ensure that the T-stat you're putting in is an OEM Motorcraft, or get it from an International dealer. Aftermarket ones are known to cause problems, although admittedly i don't have any direct experience with this. I'm only parroting what I've read on this forum.

Mike

 

[smokinpipes]

As long as we're talking part brands, check to ensure that the T-stat you're putting in is an OEM Motorcraft, or get it from an International dealer. Aftermarket ones are known to cause problems, although admittedly i don't have any direct experience with this. I'm only parroting what I've read on this forum.

Mike

Experience!! Aftermarket SUCKS! I had a T-Stat stuck closed on Tex when I bought her, and didn't realize it until I hit the freeway and after about three miles down the road the temp light came on. CRAP (I was only 1,500 miles from home). So I did some gas station parking lot surgery and pulled the tstat out and away we went.
Got home and bought not one, not two, nor three Duralast t-stats from Autozone/Advanced, etc. and I could never get that truck to warm in quickly. On a cold winter day it took it about 10-15 miles before warm air was blowing out of the vents. Put in a Motorcraft from the dealer.. warmed up in about 5 minutes of idling.
Being in LA might not have to worry about 20 degree warm ups but just my two cents worth.

BTW welcome to the forums benztech! I also love my OM617!! Have an '83 300SD I just picked up earlier this year... I want another so badly! What a beautiful piece of engineering!

 

[RLDSL]

.

BTW welcome to the forums benztech! I also love my OM617!! Have an '83 300SD I just picked up earlier this year... I want another so badly! What a beautiful piece of engineering!

Just wait till the vacuum system starts acting up .... you may rethink that statement I have worked on many of them and owned a couple THey SURE are nice to drive though. I dont think I've ever run across a car so stinking comfortable that handles so good and tight .

 

[smokinpipes]

Just wait till the vacuum system starts acting up .... you may rethink that statement

Fortunantly from my understanding the door locking stuff is what really plays havoc, and the SD I have has a separate vac pump strictly for the door lock actuators.
The engine pump is only used for the HVAC, trans modulator and the fuel cut off. The EGR valve and the three way on the valve cover have been removed.