Current IDI Projects (need advice/come looksee for fun)

I've been lurking on this forum awhile but haven't posted anything yet. I've got a couple projects going that I'd like to share/could use some input on.

Here's my 1986 F250 XLT Lariat 2WD. It's been sitting since last summer when the 6.9 blew up.



Here's the 4x4 donor I got for it. Exact same truck in same year, seized engine. leveling kit



Here's the 4x4 donor which is now down to the frame


My intent has been to drop a 7.3 onto this frame and then dump my nice cab and bed on it, so I've been looking around for a 7.3 in something that I can hear run, and this is what I found which is nearby

The "Bullhauler"
91 E350 7.3 duallie ambulance chassis van truck with a bad E40D




My intent was to **** this for its engine....but I went and saw it today and I don't think I can stomach tearing it apart. I do have a spare 2WD diesel c6 for it (or will as soon as my cab and bed are swapped over onto the 4x4). So do I move forward as intended and **** the bull hauler for parts? or do I swap the Bull Hauler onto the 4x4 frame. Is the ambulance chassis the same as a normal pickup chassis? Will it swap? or do I find a 7.3 Elsewhere, finish my truck project as intended, and then put my spare c6 in the bullhauler leaving me with my F250 4WD and the bullhauler 2wd....

I'm torn!

The van IDI is set up slightly different than the truck version, just FYI. No major differences, but there are a few things.

You need to buy more parts truck!

Nice stuff! The bull hauler is too cool to not keep going...

saburai said:

Nice stuff! The bull hauler is too cool to not keep going...

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I agree! Find another motor and keep the bull hauler on the road!


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Is it feasible to do a 5 speed swap on the bullhauler? do vans/ambulances have a manual option? or is the engine too far back? I was planning on throwing my c6 in it - reading about how to actually make that work - I should have most everything I need on the 2wd frame/tranny but I think the driveline has to be cut down and a couple other things modified...

http://www.nickpisca.com/diesel/turbo/differences-between-the-idi-van-and-idi-truck-engines/

Keep the bullhauler. That's pretty rare. But if you do part it out, carefully extract all the parts form that beast and sell as much as you can on ebay. Van parts (especially the IDI vans) sell quite well, and I've had my best sales in Europe. Italy, Iceland, and some nordic countries have a proclivity to the older Fords. Since they don't have a lot of used car yards there, they shop ebay a lot. I've made money on the weird oddball things (like Air Condition hoses and plastic vents) than the things I thought would sell easy like a rustless sliding door. Weird.

I've never personally seen a manual IDI van, but I've perused the econoline forums, and there are definitely gassers with the manual tranny. The pedals are VERY close together, and lots of guys complain that the four pedals (e-brake, clutch, brake, and accellerator) are tough to drive with wide shoes or boots. Perhaps a guy could take the clutch pedal assembly from a gasser E150 and convert it over to control an IDI manual tranny. It'd be interesting to document on the forum.

Ok so clearly i have to keep the bullhauler alive so I'm looking at tranny options for that. I have an e40d I might buy that would be a direct swap or I can put my spare c6 in it.
Would I be able to swap the cab bed and rear duallie axle over onto a 4x4 IDI ambulance and then have a 4x4 duallie 1 ton bullhauler van truck? and is there space under the hood of the van IDI cab to turbo it?

Marcus Metz said:

Would I be able to swap the cab bed and rear duallie axle over onto a 4x4 IDI ambulance and then have a 4x4 duallie 1 ton bullhauler van truck?

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My understanding is (and I may be wrong) that there were no FACTORY 4x4 vans. Much like there were no FACTORY 4x4 Dually's with a PICKUP BOX on them.

I'm not saying you won't find a 4x4 E350 chassis, but I'm saying they're going to be doubly rare, and your chances of finding a good one are likely slim. That being said, you may be able to find a 4x4 van and put those parts under the bullhauler. I would imagine there are differences between the van and truck frames that would make the 4x4 parts hard to swap over. I think the axle is further forward on a van?

Marcus Metz said:

and is there space under the hood of the van IDI cab to turbo it?

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It's tight, but they do make turbo kits for vans.

chillman88 said:

My understanding is (and I may be wrong) that there were no FACTORY 4x4 vans. Much like there were no FACTORY 4x4 Dually's with a PICKUP BOX on them.

I'm not saying you won't find a 4x4 E350 chassis, but I'm saying they're going to be doubly rare, and your chances of finding a good one are likely slim. That being said, you may be able to find a 4x4 van and put those parts under the bullhauler. I would imagine there are differences between the van and truck frames that would make the 4x4 parts hard to swap over. I think the axle is further forward on a van?

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I see a lot of 7.3 powerstroke E350 4x4 ambulances decommissioned by emergency services but don't know that I've seen an IDI in that configuration.

Here's the sticker from the inside of the door jamb of the bullhauler

Marcus Metz said:

and is there space under the hood of the van IDI cab to turbo it?

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http://www.nickpisca.com/diesel/tur...all-for-the-7-3-idi-in-a-1988-ford-clubwagon/

Marcus Metz said:

Would I be able to swap the cab bed and rear duallie axle over onto a 4x4 IDI ambulance and then have a 4x4 duallie 1 ton bullhauler van truck?

Click to expand...

http://www.glinx.com/~sbest/4vanfaq.htm

I hate to backtrack but howd the engines on both of those puppies sieze? You get em that way?

Marcus Metz said:

I see a lot of 7.3 powerstroke E350 4x4 ambulances decommissioned by emergency services but don't know that I've seen an IDI in that configuration.

Click to expand...

what you want to do is NOT oem.......BUT the parts are available and rare. Most importantly, you have to be patient and have cash ready to go when the parts or vehicles do pop up. years ago I did do a clutch on a IDI Quigley 4x4 converted van, so I do know they do exist. the guy who owns it, did missionary work in Mexico in the summertime and worked the van hard down there.
you won't find what you're looking for in just one package, but in various chassis. you'll just have to put it together to make it yours. Impossible? no. Doable? yes. Rare, one of a kind when done? Most certainly yes.
good luck!