what would you do??

[IDIoit]

if youve followed any of my previous posts,
you know that my 87 F350 is down because of cracked heads, and or popped head gaskets.

this engine is a 1994 factory turbo engine with unknown miles on it.

in stock right now, i have a....

"running" engine that i pulled from the junkyard. its currently just sitting in my 94 SC not hooked up no trans.


i also have a 90 F250 with a 108k mile engine that runs outstanding minus the small air intrusion i have.
complete running truck that i plan to strip for another project.

for the repair, i have everything to do a head swap ready to go,
heads, studs, gaskets, rockers, cam, and a buncha fixins.

so which engine would you do the heads on and clean up?
either way ill be pulling the engine out of my 87

 

[Can30Diesel]

Whats things look like to put a turbo on the outstanding running motor with the little air intrusion?

Otherwise, if the junk yard engine is also a factory turbo engine and it has good heads, I would put them on your known running engine with the head issue and enjoy. X2 if it has less mileage than the existing engine with the head issue.

 

[The Warden]

Any idea how many miles are on the junkyard engine?

I tend to think that lower miles = less of a chance of having badly pitted water jackets that could turn into cavitation, unless there's documentation on either engine of how religiously SCA's were used, which I'm pretty sure there aren't. Or, if you're going through the whole engine, sleeving all 8 cylinders would make that a non-issue, but I don't know if that'll be in the budget.

Other than that, since you're planning to go through whichever engine you choose, I'm thinking it's 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.

Based on the information available, I tend to lean towards the 108K engine in the '90 truck.

Are you going to do anything to the bottom end? Getting a deck plate and honing the cylinders with the studs torqued in place would be good if it were practical, but I'm guessing that finding a deck plate won't be easy or cheap...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cLjdr2GSwU

 

[bbjordan]

Pull the engine out of the '87 and tear it down and see how bad it is. If it is bad and in need of money & time, then deal with the air intrusion and put the turbo set up on (or not) the '90 and run it.

It's always good to have a "running" engine as a spare just in case...

m2cw

 

[Wvdirtroad]

This is a little off topic, but reading about engine swaps makes me curious.. Has anyone ever tried to swap an early powerstroke 7.3 into these trucks?

 

[IDIoit]

well, another thing i forgot to mention, is that the engine in my 87 is actually the stock engine for the 94 F250.
and the only turbo engine i have.
i bought the engine, and was later given the truck.

no way to tell if the SCA's have been kept in either engine, honestly.
the 108k engine looks to be the best maintained.
i would prefer to leave this truck a runner but i felt like i needed to give you guys all of the info.

the junkyard engine, rotates. the injectors are crudded up, and most likely needs to be torn down to the short block.
no IP or lines on it. and the IP gear cover has been taken off.

no money for a complete rebuild at this time. just a upper end rebuild, and ran for a while.
i plan on buying a promar for this truck in the next few years, but not right now, too many irons in the fire.

so in my eyes, i have 2 engines that need to be torn down and inspected before i go any further.

im leaning more twards the one with the head gasket failure.
ive left engines with popped head gaskets before and they mostly go to crap if not taken apart.

i dont know, im still on the fence.

This is a little off topic, but reading about engine swaps makes me curious.. Has anyone ever tried to swap an early powerstroke 7.3 into these trucks?

i have a customers 89 F350 with a PSD.
its not a fun swap over.
if i want another PS, ill just buy one, and leave the PS swaps for older vehicles like my 63

 

[junk]

I'd probably just check out the turbo engine in the 87. Do what it needs and run it. If you open it up and it's a complete basket case then go to the next engine. Personally I'd hate to tear down the 108K engine. A good runner is nice to have if the fit hits the shan.

 

[icanfixall]

Get the heas repaired and run whats in the rig now. Or at least pull a set of heads off any spare engine. Do a valve job and install them on the running engine with the popped gasket. These na heads can handle the turbo with no issues. I realize we all want the "turbo exhaust valves" because they are inconel but they are not a required valve. I personally ran my na engine many hundred thousand miles with a Banks turbo building 13 lbs and hauling heavy. Never had a head gasket issue or valve issue. Cavitated on cylinder but never changed other head gasket either. Shop doing the sleeving just would not replace the other head gasket no matter what I paid them to do. I'm positive they felt I would be back in no time asking for another head gasket be done. They short changed themselves out of more work cause it never let go.. Sometimes your the bug and sometimes your the windshield.

 

[Clb]

I would build the 94turbo
And or install the low mile runner
Then build ... Wait I need a program, brb

#1 install the 108 miler while
#2 ya tweak / build up the turbo monster ( I know ya have in the works)
#3 build the unknown for the project later.
#4

 

[typ4]

}quote:m leaning more twards the one with the head gasket failure.
ive left engines with popped head gaskets before and they mostly go to crap if not taken apart.:

Do this or it will be junk shortly.

 

[snicklas]

This is a little off topic, but reading about engine swaps makes me curious.. Has anyone ever tried to swap an early powerstroke 7.3 into these trucks?

Actually yes,

IDIoit is in the process of completing a 7.3PSD into a Bricknose (A 90 I believe)..... it is NOT and easy task and has involved much more than just swapping the engine and wiring up the PCM, the entire dash and other items have HAD to be swapped out......

I'll let him expand on that....

 

[Black dawg]

no money for a complete rebuild at this time. just a upper end rebuild, and ran for a while.
i plan on buying a promar for this truck in the next few years, but not right now,

I have gotten more patient, and LAZY the older I have gotten. I can always use another truck, so I would let it sit till I could afford to do it right/they way I really wanted to.

Edit...just remembered that you built this truck to haul the kids, if you have already spent the money on the heads and parts to put it together, I would fix the one in the truck.

 

[snicklas]

I would buy a 6.0 Excursion and enjoy.....

 

[IDIoit]

I would buy a 6.0 Excursion and enjoy.....

you asked for this....

 

[IDIoit]

This is a little off topic, but reading about engine swaps makes me curious.. Has anyone ever tried to swap an early powerstroke 7.3 into these trucks?

http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?72454-89-F350-DRW-with-a-PSD