1992 F450 rebuild 7.3L idi

[IDIBRONCO]

I thought it was a special order thing that the dealers had some 3rd party put on.

I forgot to add that a lot of the engine internals are different between the N/A engines and the Factory Turbo engines so they couldn't have been an add on.

 

[franklin2]

Thanks for the info. But you definitely don't have to worry about going .010" or .020 over. The person I was replying to was trying to act like any kind of boring on the cylinder wall was dangerous.

If that was me, I still wonder about that. There was all this cavitation problem that the 7.3 engines had that supposedly the 6.9 engines never had, because the factory bored the block out to achieve the larger cubes.

 

[Black dawg]

The person I was replying to was trying to act like any kind of boring on the cylinder wall was dangerous.

Honestly, this has been the common belief for as long as I have known these engines. Do you know something that we dont? honest question.

I have only personally seen 1 cavitated 7.3, so not sure how common it really is, but have also seen it in a 6.9. Both could be seen easily, and the 6.9 was really bad in many cylinders.

 

[franklin2]

Honestly, this has been the common belief for as long as I have known these engines. Do you know something that we dont? honest question.

I have only personally seen 1 cavitated 7.3, so not sure how common it really is, but have also seen it in a 6.9. Both could be seen easily, and the 6.9 was really bad in many cylinders.

I have never seen it. Just going by what was said on this board for years, and the hundreds of threads on "what coolant to run in my idi", "what are SCA's ","You had better use test strips", etc. True I haven't seen many threads on it lately.

 

[Nero]

Maybe all the ones that had the issue are gone, and the rest of us are so hyper aware of it that ours won't do it?

 

[Black dawg]

Maybe all the ones that had the issue are gone, and the rest of us are so hyper aware of it that ours won't do it?

Just sucks, as it is no small thing to deal with if it happens. Makes it hard for me to spend money rebuilding one (sleeves cure the problem, but have seen so many issues from incorrectly Done? sleeves that, ...no thank you).

 

[92obsidi]

Honestly, this has been the common belief for as long as I have known these engines. Do you know something that we dont? honest question.

I have only personally seen 1 cavitated 7.3, so not sure how common it really is, but have also seen it in a 6.9. Both could be seen easily, and the 6.9 was really bad in many cylinders.

No, but you kind of answered you own question in your last paragraph.
For every person I've had talk about how the 7.3's cavitate, I've had 10 tell me how they've never had an issue.
So idk, we'll see i guess.

 

[92obsidi]

I have never seen it. Just going by what was said on this board for years, and the hundreds of threads on "what coolant to run in my idi", "what are SCA's ","You had better use test strips", etc. True I haven't seen many threads on it lately.

Exactly. I'm sure that definitely happens but I think it's been blown a little out of proportion.

 

[KansasIDI]

Maybe all the ones that had the issue are gone, and the rest of us are so hyper aware of it that ours won't do it?

Possibly. I have not personally seen a cavitated IDI, but heard accounts of such a thing and have seen quite a few pictures.

I personally run an SCA charged coolant filter on my 91, that way I don’t have to worry about it. Check SCA with test strips twice a year, and fit the properly charged filter accordingly, if it needs one. I do change it at least annually though.

 

[Black dawg]

No, but you kind of answered you own question in your last paragraph.
For every person I've had talk about how the 7.3's cavitate, I've had 10 tell me how they've never had an issue.
So idk, we'll see i guess.

No. My question was if you knew something we didnt. Every once in awhile guys show up on here with heavy experience with these engines from back in the day. Always looking to hear what they have to say. Never really know who we are talking to on here, thats why I ask.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I tend to lean toward the theory of the blocks that were prone to cavitation are gone. I have no info either way, but it doesn't seem to happen very often these days, but is made out to be lurking in every engine just waiting to strike. A lot like the lift pump diaphragm letting fuel into the crankcase. Both could happen, but neither one seems to be very common.
Another way to look at it is that these block with a standard bore are VERY rare these days. Anyone who is afraid to bore their block is in for a LONG wait to find a standard one and is in for A LOT of disappointment.