How much power should it have?

[Arborigine]

I am on my first real road trip with the 85. I am towing a one ton camping trailer. Climbing the Grapevine southbound I had to go into 3rd (T-19) and rolled up steadily at 42 MPH. I don't expect it to pull like my dad's Dodge, but that wasn't much of a load. Mileage on one tank comes out at 12.8, rolling with the cruise on at mostly level ground at 62 Mph. Does that seem unreasonable, with timing at 6.8 degrees?
Stopped in middle LA and truck would not start. I still have leaky O-rings at the fuel switchover valve (should be in my mailbox when I return), and I guess it sucked enough air where the lift pump didn't lift. I paid for a taxi ride to Pep Boys and installed an electric pump, it didn't work. I found out it's outlet check valve, not removeable, was stuck, so freed it up with a dentist's pick and then the truck fired right up. Its good to be a mechanic.

 

[itsacrazyasian]

I am on my first real road trip with the 85. I am towing a one ton camping trailer. Climbing the Grapevine southbound I had to go into 3rd (T-19) and rolled up steadily at 42 MPH. I don't expect it to pull like my dad's Dodge, but that wasn't much of a load. Mileage on one tank comes out at 12.8, rolling with the cruise on at mostly level ground at 62 Mph. Does that seem unreasonable, with timing at 6.8 degrees?
Stopped in middle LA and truck would not start. I still have leaky O-rings at the fuel switchover valve (should be in my mailbox when I return), and I guess it sucked enough air where the lift pump didn't lift. I paid for a taxi ride to Pep Boys and installed an electric pump, it didn't work. I found out it's outlet check valve, not removeable, was stuck, so freed it up with a dentist's pick and then the truck fired right up. Its good to be a mechanic.

No its good to have a simple diesel thats easily fixed on the side of the road.

How old is the fuel system? When i got my 86, new pump and injectors made it feel like it had 2 extra cylinders.

 

[DragRag]

These old IDI's are easy fixers, but lite in the power department. You can freshen it up, but don't ever expect the moon and stars, not going to happen. The big power is in the later trucks.

 

[OLDBULL8]

Get that box of O'rings from HF, numerous sizes, and with a bottle of Instant glue and a razor blade, you can make any size up to 40 inches, get the instant glue in the bottle with the brush in it, they don't harden up like the tube ones do. There not Viton for heat, but will always do in a pinch. I just had to make one 7" diameter.

http://www.harborfreight.com/382-piece-o-ring-assortment-67554.html

 

[Diesel JD]

A couple of things, that mileage might be ok or a bit low, it depends on what kind of a load (I missed it if you said), second the pump timing should be between 8.5-9.7*BTDC at 2000 for ULSD or biodiesel. Old style fuels would have had you slightly retarded but within limits. Also depends on how heavy your rig is. Usually an F250 x-cab or regular cab will return 11-14mpg in town and 15-18mpg on the highway at 65 or less. A heavy load will bring the #s down some more.

 

[GOOSE]

A couple of things, that mileage might be ok or a bit low, it depends on what kind of a load (I missed it if you said), second the pump timing should be between 8.5-9.7*BTDC at 2000 for ULSD or biodiesel. Old style fuels would have had you slightly retarded but within limits. Also depends on how heavy your rig is. Usually an F250 x-cab or regular cab will return 11-14mpg in town and 15-18mpg on the highway at 65 or less. A heavy load will bring the #s down some more.

That sounds pretty darn accurate to me.

 

[Simp5782]

If you have 4.10s that is pretty good mileage. When I first got my 85 4spd 4x4 I had 3.55s and I found out loaded or unloaded if I kept it right about 58/60 I got the best mileage. Up to 20 empty and 16 towing an empty 8k trailer.

 

[gunz]

These old IDI's are easy fixers, but lite in the power department. You can freshen it up, but don't ever expect the moon and stars, not going to happen. The big power is in the later trucks.

Dont expect a big price tag either. I can deal with running a little slower to have easy reapirs and no payments.

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

Dont expect a big price tag either. I can deal with running a little slower to have easy repairs and no payments.

Well written gunz

If you want to haul a$$, bring your wallet, and in our case: your voltmeter!

I love the power from the new stuff, but when I drag raced, nothing was more satisfying than putting a $25K racecar on the trailer behind a $50K truck with a truck and bracket car that didn't cost $8K together, being hauled with a borrowed trailer. If that guy beat me, I drove my IDI home and if it broke I fixed it in my driveway, not at the stealership

 

[eatont9999]

My 91 F250 2WD with an E4OD got about 16MPG from TX to MA and back earlier this month. I was towing a 6x12 U-haul trailer both ways. The return trip, the trailer was loaded to the gills with heavy furniture and lots of old tools. It did downshift in the mountains but I expected that. I drove 60-65MPH most of the time.

The best part of the trip was nothing broke. Not a single thing went wrong.

My injection system was over hauled this summer, though.

 

[DragRag]

Dont expect a big price tag either. I can deal with running a little slower to have easy reapirs and no payments.

That's exactly why I have about 20 of them in my fleet. It all boils down to the economics of it, and they get the job done. I certainly don't want my guys driving a hot rod either. I just traded out my last powerstroke, I now only run idi.

 

[Boston]

I'd sworn off Ford, but when I realized that dead Ford in my buddies field had the international 7.3 in it. A shot O whiskey later it was mine. I think I've put maybe $2500 into fixing up the mechanical on it. Not sure it gets any cheaper than that. I'll have a nice running IDI using free fuel ( motor oil ) and be in for less than 5k by the time its all over.

 

[Arborigine]

I think I will bump the timing up a hair and replace the speaker wire I used on the pump and head home tomorrow. Will be trailer-less this time

 

[seawalkersee]

Milage seems to be what others report for about the same. Mine empty was getting 18 prior to the rebuild and pump. Was about 14 when I stopped driving it after the rebuild and pump. No timing, and probably not broken in yet.

SWS