6.9 IDI in a '78 F150

[Eason]

lindstromjd how do you have a 1974 Scout Terra?? They were only made from 1976 to 1980 and are 18 inches longer than a regular scout. Eason

 

[lindstromjd]

lindstromjd how do you have a 1974 Scout Terra?? They were only made from 1976 to 1980 and are 18 inches longer than a regular scout. Eason

Simple mistake on the year... it's a '76. I didn't even realize I had typed it wrong...

 

[lindstromjd]

I have a 7.3 /zf5 /np205 married under my 79 F350. (sig) I stuffed the motor as far back and down as i possibly could. I had a 2" body lift on it for the super cab swap and every bit is needed to clear the tranny in the tunnel. Really its pretty striaghtforward. Building motor mount towers is the biggest part making everything fit just right, then moving the tranny xmember back. Mine worked out to offsetting the holes, put the foreward holes of the xmember in the back holes on the frame, roughly 4". Contrary to above, i find i have lots of room between the fan and radiator. Enough to space the radiator back a few inches an stuff a 7.3 psd intercooler in there. I have little to no room between the firewall and the back of the engine, i had to flatten the pinch weld on the firewall. One thing to check on after all said and done is oil filter to front diff. clearance. without a lift, a remote oil filter will be necessary. Starter location can be really fun, but its doable. Wiring really isnt all that bad either. I ran most hots to the un-needed ignition power. But had to run a new hot to the GP controller. With the way the front frame crossmember is in the half tons compared to the 1 tons id say you would have a little more room to move the engine without the oil pan getting in the way of the xmember.

On the other hand, how youre going to make the half ton suspension carry an engine thats twice as heavy... thats all yours. The coils really arent going to like the extra 500+lbs. I dont think the D44 ball joints will enjoy it all that much either. And being a 1/2 tno i can assume you dont have the super cooler, which you may want to upgrade to. I improvised radiator hoses, maybe you can find some that will work without cutting, or use the diesel radiator. I know you have to notch the 150 frame to fit the super cooler.

I'm going to be getting into it here soon... within the next couple of weekends, maybe even next weekend. The truck currently has a 2" body lift on it, and I'm thinking I might be able to make everything work with just that. Thanks for the tip on the transmission cross member; I'll use that as my focal point and go from there with the front engine mounts. The radiator is going to get interesting, because the one out of the truck for the 400 was shot... absolutely no good. I do have the diesel radiator still, but don't really want to hack up the front end to make it work. Maybe I'll get lucky and find a useable one in the junkyard.

I don't think I'll have a problem getting the suspension to work; it's already got a small suspension lift on it, and held the 400 just fine. And from what I could tell, the 400 was god-awful heavy... it almost broke one of my engine stands. The 6.9 doesn't seem to be that much heavier than the 400, unless someone has actual numbers on what the weight difference is.

hairyboxnoogle, could you take some pictures of what you worked out with your engine mount towers? I still haven't made up my mind on exactly how I want to do this, and every little bit helps.

 

[hairyboxnoogle]

Im not real sure what i can do for pics they would be hard to see at best. On the towers I shortened mine roughly 2.5" on each side iirc. Took the "towers" (more like plates) off the diesel xmember and welded those onto the end of my towers. It didnt look real pretty but they work good, we had some 3/8" plate to gusset them in places. Im sure you could build a set from scratch that would allow the motor to sit in the same spot and allow for it to come out easier. With my setup, to get the engine out, i would have unbolt the towers from the frame then go up.

Putting the engine this far back in the truck makes it impossible to use a factory or aftermarket turbo setup without alot of fab work. Im looking to buy a set of flanges and build some shorty up-headers. That is if swapping manifolds doesnt work out.

For the radiator, i think it would be simpler to use the diesel one and fab it in, best advice i have is grab your tape measure and go to the JY. With the diesel rad. you could have a fan shroud, and the rad. hoses wouldnt be a problem.

400 weighs 640lbs. 6.9 weighs 1200. Thats what i was told, i said no way. Put the engine in, i was wrong. Put the 7.3 in and it almost had it bottomed out, i fabbed up a 2" shackle /hanger lift and it still sat about 1/2 -3/4" lower. Thats with stock 79 F-350 leaf springs. Which have roughly twice the spring rate that your coils have. You also have to consider hitting a bump. Not only will the diesel sqaut your trucks front, when you hit a bump the your front end is going to drop like a wet sack of s****. even with the 2" shackle hanger lift, and a big speed bump i would bottom out. Now that i have factory SD springs AND the bottom factory spring out of my pack does it ride about like it did with the 400. I had such bad body roll i didnt even want to drive my truck, with my new springs i can kinda take corners again. Not to mention your D-44 is going to HATE you. Honestly, i suggest a D-60 swap with some SD leafs. We used the tractor to set my 400 out and the 7.3 in... as soon as my grandpa lifted the 7.3 he asked me.. "are you sure you want this in there?" Theoretically, the 6.9 should weigh more than the 7.3.

 

[hairyboxnoogle]

Ok got some pics taken, once i get em loaded ill look thru and see what they look like and post em up if theyre decent

 

[lindstromjd]

Ok got some pics taken, once i get em loaded ill look thru and see what they look like and post em up if theyre decent

Thanks. Every little bit helps.