SkylabTech86IDI
Full Access Member
Intro:
Hello! I think that I’m allergic to money because I appear to have developed a thing for non-running IDI’s. You could say that I have a type. Anyways, I’m tying my disjointed 1986 F250 posts together here using this thread.
This thread will document my journey towards building an alternative fueled, boosted hauling and tow rig. Looking to build this truck to routinely pull loaded car trailers up mountain passes, occasional heavy equipment rental, and hauling trash, rocks, gravel, More IDI engines, etc.
It is my goal that in this thread you’ll find conversations on topics such as:
1. Turboing a Non turbo IDI
2. C6 auto to T19 manual conversion
3. Boosted 6.9 vs boosted 7.3 pros/cons
4. Engine building
5. Waste motor oil, WMO, alternative fuels
6. Towing, suspension
7. Timing
8. Arduino, adding electronics
9. Radio wiring, stereo system
10. Upgraded charging
11. Upgraded starter
12. General IDI upgrades
13. Technical info.
14. AC Repair
I’ll treat this thread like a journaling scrapbook and maintain a dialogue. I’m very excited to share my my journey with you all while I’m working towards transforming this project truck into a daily drivable working rig that’s reliable and comfortable.
Body: For this purpose build, utilitarianism and functionality are the primary drivers (besides me) for this purpose build. Ride quality and interior comfort trail closely behind as secondary drivers, because my wife will be traveling with me, too.
This is a special build because my wife surprised me by gifting me the money to buy this truck from my brother after I had been talking about it for weeks. I was itching for another project.
When I went to pick it up, I had my brother pull me home one night in August, 2022.
When I brought the truck home, my wife christened it as “the farm truck” when she started referring to it as such, and it works and has stuck. The primer gray and wood bed will be permanent on this truck.
I’ve got exciting plans for the motor color, engine bay paint, and anodize a few components to have a stand out motor in the final stages of this build.
History: The truck came to Virginia from Pennsylvania a couple of years ago and sat for awhile. After my brother bought this from his brother in law, he got it road worthy enough to daily drive it to start his lawn care business.
Everyday, the F250 labored & towed lawn care equipment to customer yards, and the truck gained a little attention and a small fan base as it is uncommon to see working Bullnoses around this area. The real fun came from the fans fans were the children who would get excited by it and prompt you
My brother is lax on maintenance, and oil starvation eventually killed the 6.9 that was in it. So, Like anyone would, We waited until winter to work on swapping a running 7.3 & C6 in from an 89 E350 that was headed to the crusher.
A couple of burnouts and metal grinder later, the ‘89 was split down the middle to expose the buried 7.3 and C6.
What was left behind looked like the work of a psychopath.
The extended cab rolled off the Assembly Line in late 85. The original paint color is a guess, as the truck has stayed a flat primer gray for at least a couple of years now. It has a zeitbart rust protection package that seems to have held up, so there’s no rust on the truck, except for on the passenger side fender.
The truck needed a bed, so my brother fashioned himself a wood bed out of garbage reclaimed wood. Now that the truck had a wood flat bed and a tow ball, it had a utilitarian purpose that was exercised daily for the lawn care company.
The leafs are spent because my brother left a literal ton of slate in the bed while it sat for 2 years, before I purchased it.
Between August ‘22 & August ‘23, I fought oil coolers, pulled heads, unlocked Xbox Achievements for total # of seconds spent cranking, got fuel from both tanks, pulled a donor motor and transmission, got the glowplugs working on a toggle switch, fought the block heater, and replaced body panels.
Present: so now it’s a an 89 7.3 coupled to a C6. I’ll turn this farm truck from a 7.3 n/a & C6 auto to a turbo’d 6.9 with a manual conversion.
The overall goal is to build a “bulletproof” boosted car hauler with a manual conversion. Since we’re wish-listing, I think Electronics are fun, so I’d like to integrate some of the Arduino tech to have real time telemetry monitoring, like fuel pressure, egt, boost, coolant temp, etc. on a digital display to compliment the analog gauges.
I’m excited for the work, research, and many lessons that are ahead of me on this build, so I hope that you Readers out there enjoy the updates to this story.
Thanks for reading!
Hello! I think that I’m allergic to money because I appear to have developed a thing for non-running IDI’s. You could say that I have a type. Anyways, I’m tying my disjointed 1986 F250 posts together here using this thread.
You must be registered for see images attach
This thread will document my journey towards building an alternative fueled, boosted hauling and tow rig. Looking to build this truck to routinely pull loaded car trailers up mountain passes, occasional heavy equipment rental, and hauling trash, rocks, gravel, More IDI engines, etc.
It is my goal that in this thread you’ll find conversations on topics such as:
1. Turboing a Non turbo IDI
2. C6 auto to T19 manual conversion
3. Boosted 6.9 vs boosted 7.3 pros/cons
4. Engine building
5. Waste motor oil, WMO, alternative fuels
6. Towing, suspension
7. Timing
8. Arduino, adding electronics
9. Radio wiring, stereo system
10. Upgraded charging
11. Upgraded starter
12. General IDI upgrades
13. Technical info.
14. AC Repair
I’ll treat this thread like a journaling scrapbook and maintain a dialogue. I’m very excited to share my my journey with you all while I’m working towards transforming this project truck into a daily drivable working rig that’s reliable and comfortable.
Body: For this purpose build, utilitarianism and functionality are the primary drivers (besides me) for this purpose build. Ride quality and interior comfort trail closely behind as secondary drivers, because my wife will be traveling with me, too.
This is a special build because my wife surprised me by gifting me the money to buy this truck from my brother after I had been talking about it for weeks. I was itching for another project.
When I went to pick it up, I had my brother pull me home one night in August, 2022.
When I brought the truck home, my wife christened it as “the farm truck” when she started referring to it as such, and it works and has stuck. The primer gray and wood bed will be permanent on this truck.
I’ve got exciting plans for the motor color, engine bay paint, and anodize a few components to have a stand out motor in the final stages of this build.
History: The truck came to Virginia from Pennsylvania a couple of years ago and sat for awhile. After my brother bought this from his brother in law, he got it road worthy enough to daily drive it to start his lawn care business.
Everyday, the F250 labored & towed lawn care equipment to customer yards, and the truck gained a little attention and a small fan base as it is uncommon to see working Bullnoses around this area. The real fun came from the fans fans were the children who would get excited by it and prompt you
My brother is lax on maintenance, and oil starvation eventually killed the 6.9 that was in it. So, Like anyone would, We waited until winter to work on swapping a running 7.3 & C6 in from an 89 E350 that was headed to the crusher.
A couple of burnouts and metal grinder later, the ‘89 was split down the middle to expose the buried 7.3 and C6.
You must be registered for see images attach
What was left behind looked like the work of a psychopath.
The extended cab rolled off the Assembly Line in late 85. The original paint color is a guess, as the truck has stayed a flat primer gray for at least a couple of years now. It has a zeitbart rust protection package that seems to have held up, so there’s no rust on the truck, except for on the passenger side fender.
The truck needed a bed, so my brother fashioned himself a wood bed out of garbage reclaimed wood. Now that the truck had a wood flat bed and a tow ball, it had a utilitarian purpose that was exercised daily for the lawn care company.
You must be registered for see images attach
The leafs are spent because my brother left a literal ton of slate in the bed while it sat for 2 years, before I purchased it.
Between August ‘22 & August ‘23, I fought oil coolers, pulled heads, unlocked Xbox Achievements for total # of seconds spent cranking, got fuel from both tanks, pulled a donor motor and transmission, got the glowplugs working on a toggle switch, fought the block heater, and replaced body panels.
Present: so now it’s a an 89 7.3 coupled to a C6. I’ll turn this farm truck from a 7.3 n/a & C6 auto to a turbo’d 6.9 with a manual conversion.
The overall goal is to build a “bulletproof” boosted car hauler with a manual conversion. Since we’re wish-listing, I think Electronics are fun, so I’d like to integrate some of the Arduino tech to have real time telemetry monitoring, like fuel pressure, egt, boost, coolant temp, etc. on a digital display to compliment the analog gauges.
I’m excited for the work, research, and many lessons that are ahead of me on this build, so I hope that you Readers out there enjoy the updates to this story.
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
Thanks for reading!
Last edited:
