First IDI - F250 dually 4x4

jtt220

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First post - bear with me.

While shopping for a suitable truck to haul my camper, I came across an interesting 1986 F250 Diesel and I couldn't pass up the deal. I know very little about the IDI engine, but the tech articles here gave me the knowledge to conduct an inspection and at least identify my first round of issues.

The truck seems a bit unique. It wears F350 badges, has an ATS turbo kit, is a manual 4 speed with 4x4, and has been converted to run dual rear wheels. It also has some sort of decal on the fender below the F350 badge, and on the rear flares that I can't quite make out. It's a name and then says "signature series" - pic attached. Perhaps a dealer package? Any input would be appreciated!

When I showed up to inspect the truck I found a warm engine. I had asked the seller to ensure the truck was COLD, but apparently he was trying to avoid that situation. I asked when the last time he had run it was and he told me two days, but that he had plugged in the block heater for the past 24 hours. Strike one and two.

I noticed a couple issues immediately. First, the driver side rear injector is bubbling diesel from the top. Second, the passenger side valve cover is leaking a bit. And third, the rear brakes are locking up WAY to fast, not allowing for full power of the front brakes. Despite these issues, I made an offer, came to an acceptable price, and drove her home. I made 15.8 MPG during the trip at an average of 60MPH.

The next morning, as I somewhat expected, she didn't want to start. Temperature outside - about 35-40 degrees. After a several 5-10 second burst from the starter (after following the correct procedure for starting an IDI) we finally achieved liftoff. I have some work to do, but I'm happy overall. Here is my initial list:

-Test glow plugs / glow plug system and replace or repair as necessary
-Inspect brakes, figure out bias issue and repair as necessary
-Replace all fluids

I'd like to have it timed and replace the valve cover gasket soon as well. But as far as I can tell, the completion of these few things should get me on the road somewhat reliably. Any thoughts, comments, input? Thanks!
 

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G.W BUFFALO

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pretty cool truck, it's been converted to a dually and has 1987-up rear fender's on it.. Probly hs adapter's in the back and definatly in the front.. Could be an F-250 or an F-350 depending on the year.. My geuss it it's a pre-85 F-350 that was converted to dual wheel by a redneck in his backyard... LOL
 

Wide Open

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I've never heard of a John Riggins signature series truck but that doesn't mean anything. Looks like a nice truck.
 

jtt220

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Great information, thanks! I'm pretty sure it's an F250, as per a check of the VIN. The F350 badges did throw me for a loop though. It's a 1986 with a D44 front axle.

Can anyone ID the turbo setup from the crappy single engine bay picture? It's obviously an ATS unit, and the turbo itself is a Garrett, but that's all I know of it so far. It'd be nice to know what the specs are!
 
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FORDF250HDXLT

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congrats.this is the way to go right here.you get a 4wd dually that sits lower than the f350 4wd.easier to load up and better fuel economy.
any plans for swapping in the E40D or Zf5 to get yourself the OD?
 
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towcat

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Great information, thanks! I'm pretty sure it's an F250, as per a check of the VIN. The F350 badges did throw me for a loop though. It's a 1986 with a D40 front axle.

Can anyone ID the turbo setup from the crappy single engine bay picture? It's obviously an ATS unit, and the turbo itself is a Garrett, but that's all I know of it so far. It'd be nice to know what the specs are!
It's an ATS 093 wastegated turbo.
imho it's the one to own due to the fact most of the wear parts are user serviciable.
btw....welcome to the site;Sweet
 

jtt220

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...any plans for swapping in the E40D or Zf5 to get yourself the OD?

It should have a T18 if I recall correctly. E40D is an auto, correct?
A ZF5 would be great though! That extra gear would be nice on the highway.

Thanks for the turbo info, I'll look that model up!
 

The Warden

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It should have a T18 if I recall correctly. E40D is an auto, correct?
A ZF5 would be great though! That extra gear would be nice on the highway.
Should be a T-19. Swapping to a ZF5 is pretty straightforward; if you've ever done a clutch job, it's only a few more steps. You'll want a 4x4 ZF from a diesel, a clutch kit (I'm a fan of the LuK single-mass flywheel clutch setup for the ZF, but there's some debate on that; be worth doing a search), a transmission-tunnel floor pan insert from a truck with a ZF, and the appropriate frame crossmember.

You're correct; the E4OD (aka E4DOA) is an automatic.

BTW, the front axle should either be a Dana 44 or a Dana 50 (in earlier trucks, regular cabs generally got D44's while extended-cab trucks got D50's, as well as all '80-mid-'85 F-350's)...if you can get a pic of the hub, that should tell for certain.

Hope that helps some...good luck, and welcome aboard ;Sweet
 

icanfixall

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Welocme to the forum. John Riggen was a terrific player long ago... You just gave him the ball and he made a hole if none were anywhere to be found. So now you know the historical facts of the truck. Sounds like its kinda a collecter rig with those names badged on the fenders. Also please ask questions here. We don't make comments like... Thats a stipid question to ask. We all were once new to these engines too and remember where we came from. As posted. Replace the return line kit and your hard starts may just be fixed. The kits are cheap for what they do. Typ4 sells a great kit with the finest viton o-rings. Other ebay kits are questionable at best.
 

riotwarrior

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Welcome to the site, nice to hear you read the FAQ's and then went prepared to see the truck with a basic knowledge.

Looks like a nice rig, so,

1 unless it's been changed out it is a T19 4sp

2 To do the ZF swap you will need the trans, trans tunnel cover, clutch kit of choice, trans Cross member, front drive shaft from donor truck and rear if it's a reg cab long box, as the ZF is longer than the T19 thus longer front DS and shorter rear DS so plan on collecting parts/pieces as needed.

Check fire wall for flex when depressing clutch along with the clutch pushrod bushing for wear.

It is a chicken wing TTB front end and that is easy enough to be converted to a solid axle D60 if you like. Lots of info here on that!
 

The Warden

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2 To do the ZF swap you will need the trans, trans tunnel cover, clutch kit of choice, trans Cross member, front drive shaft from donor truck and rear if it's a reg cab long box, as the ZF is longer than the T19 thus longer front DS and shorter rear DS so plan on collecting parts/pieces as needed.
FWIW on a 4x4 application, the T-19 and the ZF are exactly the same length. I compared the two and they measured exactly the same. I re-used the driveshafts that were on my truck with the T-19 with no modifications whatsoever, and all's been well ;Sweet

With that said, if it were a 2WD application, yes, the ZF is longer than the T-19...
 

jtt220

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Great info, I appreciate it all.

I'll contact typ4 about the return line kit, thanks for the tip. Am I correct in thinking that the return line kit will not remedy the current leak my truck is experiencing? The "bubbling" is apparently coming from the fitting where the injector line joins with the injector. I can snap a picture or get a part number off a fiche tomorrow if need be.

I think a ZF swap will have to wait for a later date, but it seems like a great idea for achieving lower RPM at freeway speeds. Does anyone have experiencing with swapping their ratios for the same effect? That seems like it'd be more cost effective, but maybe I'm wrong in that assumption...

Thanks again for all the input. Seems like a great board with some knowledgeable inmates lurking around!
 

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