1993 7.3 IDI Factory Turbo

[307BlueBeast]

Hello Oilburners. I found a 1993 Idi Turbo f250 zf5 with 32,000 miles on it for $900.00. It's been parked for about 10 years because they rolled it and then drove away from the accident. It was parked for 3 years on their ranch then an owner of a scrapyard bought it and drove it to his yard. He let it sit for 7 more years. What would you guys say I should do to revive it. Should I do a full rebuild on it, some gaskets, soak the cylinders with marvels mystery oil? I know I want to do some turbo work. Maybe a wicked wheel or and upgraded housing. I don't necessarily want a bigger turbo since I'm not after boost. I'm not going for power really. A nice balance between efficiency and power would be nice. Well efficiency for an idi at least. Its gonna be swapped into my current truck which has a dieing 460 in it with a zf5. So I'd be swapping the engine and transmission from the rolled truck into my current truck. They are both 4wd so if I have to I have the transfer case. My current truck is also a 1993 but its a CCLB and the parts truck is a RCLB. So any input will be appreciated. I work at a tire shop so I have access to lifts and other tools that can help. Thank you guys.

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[frankenwrench]

Fuel efficiency, idi swap. With proper gearing u can squeez alot more mpg. Power, well 460 is good and all but not hard to get same power from idi and still retaining mpg. 460 is nice but consumes fuel how it consumes fuel. Idi with a good mech tune will do all u want it to as well as be cheaper fuel wise to drive. Remember, alot of ur diesel mpg is determined on how u mash the skinny pedal.

 

[307BlueBeast]

Fuel efficiency, idi swap. With proper gearing u can squeez alot more mpg. Idi with a good mech tune will do all u want it to as well as be cheaper fuel wise to drive. Remember, alot of ur diesel mpg is determined on how u mash the skinny pedal.

I'm hoping to put 3.73 or 3.55 gearing. I'm aiming for a gear limited slip in both.

As for the skinny pedal. I like to get in it every now and again but lots of times I just want to cruise and enjoy it as a truck and not a redneck rocket like most of the farmers and ranchers do around here.

 

[dgr]

Do they use the same radiator support?

Going to need to swap over to the diesel fuel senders and tank valve. Be a good time to replace or modify the shower heads. Instrument swap for the tach and wts light?

Not tracking on the transfer case. Are you saying the output on the zf5 is different between the two?

Pull the heads and have a peek. Replace the valve stem seals if all looks good.

 

[SlippyRider]

If it's really only got 32k miles, I wouldn't mess with opening it up at all, unless you want to install head studs or something.

Main seals, water pump, valve cover seals
Fuel return lines while the engine is out, cause they're cheap and easy.

New fuel lift pump? Oil cooler seals?
Anything that falls into the cheap insurance category and is substantially easier to do when the engine is out.

 

[frankenwrench]

Do they use the same radiator support?

No. Much more skinny than the idi. It will have to be swapped. Already found this out the hard way.

Instrument swap for the tach and wts light?

Just swap the whole dash, much easier with wires and all still in there as well as cluster, but swap the VIN plates.

Not tracking on the transfer case. Are you saying the output on the zf5 is different between the two?

No difference on output shafts, but the starter mounts on the adapter plate for the idi. Also the 460 zf top two bolts are different spacing than the idi. U can drill new holes to adapt this, but if the other transmission with correct bolt holes is already there, why bother?

I'm hoping to put 3.73 or 3.55 gearing. I'm aiming for a gear limited slip in both.

I personally don't like the 4.10 for highway cruising, but great for pulling. 3.55 are ok and easy to obtain for these, but I didn't care for them while towing. I also like to do 75 while hauling close to 18k without shifting all the time. I have 3.73 and absolutely love them. Although no one that I could find here within 100 miles to include fort Worth gear and axle as well as summit racing could find that ring and pinion for the short pinion. I just found a 03 super duty in a junkyard and it was almost a direct fit. Just needed to work the brake lines a bit and adjust the shock mounts by loosening the mount bolts up and clocking them. Added bonus, disk brakes in the rear that work WAY better than the drum brakes ever did and didn't have to give up my parking brake.

Oh, just read the year of your truck, I believe the obs (92-97) had the long pinion Wich makes the 3.73 easier to find. Someone will chime in and correct me if I am wrong.

 

[307BlueBeast]

No. Much more skinny than the idi. It will have to be swapped. Already found this out the hard way.

Thanks for the information. I haven't been able put these trucks side by side to measure and compare.

Just swap the whole dash, much easier with wires and all still in there as well as cluster, but swap the VIN plates.

I would swap the vin plates if I was getting a crew cab. So I am probably still gonna mount it so I have the numbers and more information for the engine and transmission.

No difference on output shafts, but the starter mounts on the adapter plate for the idi. Also the 460 zf top two bolts are different spacing than the idi. U can drill new holes to adapt this, but if the other transmission with correct bolt holes is already there, why bother?

I was gonna pull the transmission and engine together.

I personally don't like the 4.10 for highway cruising, but great for pulling. 3.55 are ok and easy to obtain for these, but I didn't care for them while towing. I also like to do 75 while hauling close to 18k without shifting all the time. I have 3.73 and absolutely love them. Although no one that I could find here within 100 miles to include fort Worth gear and axle as well as summit racing could find that ring and pinion for the short pinion. I just found a 03 super duty in a junkyard and it was almost a direct fit. Just needed to work the brake lines a bit and adjust the shock mounts by loosening the mount bolts up and clocking them. Added bonus, disk brakes in the rear that work WAY better than the drum brakes ever did and didn't have to give up my parking brake.

I've thought about doing that. I definitely want limited slip in my rear end. In the winter on icy roads the wind here in Wyoming throws me all over the road and I have to put my pipeline welder on my flat bed to give some weight back there and I still have to put it into 4wd to get over the hump on my driveway. So I thought 3.73 would work good since I'm running 35s. I'd definitely love to have disk brakes on the rear. Having the reassurance of better braking would help. But then again I dont tow maybe more then a small car trailer with either my 1970 beetle or a medium size 4wd.

Oh, just read the year of your truck, I believe the obs (92-97) had the long pinion Wich makes the 3.73 easier to find. Someone will chime in and correct me if I am wrong.

Hopefully that rings true. Thank you for the information.

 

[Clb]

Just swap the whole dash, much easier with wires and all still in there as well as cluster, but swap the VIN plates.




Edit
This advise needs to be researched before you follow it...
End edit

 

[307BlueBeast]

If it's really only got 32k miles, I wouldn't mess with opening it up at all, unless you want to install head studs or something.

Main seals, water pump, valve cover seals
Fuel return lines while the engine is out, cause they're cheap and easy.

New fuel lift pump? Oil cooler seals?
Anything that falls into the cheap insurance category and is substantially easier to do when the engine is out.

I was gonna try to get it running and see if it has blow by and then go from there. I was gonna be replacing things that are usually a pain to get to in the vehicle.

 

[frankenwrench]

Just swap the whole dash, much easier with wires and all still in there as well as cluster, but swap the VIN plates.




Edit
This advise needs to be researched before you follow it...
End edit

Already done this, as stated above, already found this all out on my own swap.

 

[Clb]

Yea
You missed my point!

Let's swap vin#....

 

[frankenwrench]

Yea
You missed my point!

Let's swap vin#....

Well yeah. U keep the VIN to the truck with the truck it came with. But if u swap the dash that the VIN is riveted to u need to put it on the dash going back into that vehicle.

 

[Clb]

Just to be clear here on this issue.
I aint saying whether its legal or not, but as I recall the fasteners are proprietary so a dot officer can verify that they were not tampered with.
As altering the vin is a no no... Anyhow there is a legal route to do this and it would be a good idea to check into it.
Cuz here in the prk car theft is big, yea some of you guy's get cheap dmv fees, But out here its run by the Mafia!
I posted this for those guy's searching as need to know info.
Carry on.

 

[sdthoren]

The VIN number is riveted to the cab sheetmetal and does not come out with the dash.

Seems the instrument clusters are different between gas and diesel, can't remember if there is anything else. But very easy to swap the whole dash, unhooking the HVAC cable was a little tricky. You will want to unhook the antenna wire before-hand.