6.9 idi in a 1972 Maverick

[Bradley316]

I know its absolutley insane but i already bought the engine so don't try and talk me out of it. i Plan to make this 1972 four door maverick an international 6.9l diesel engine powered car. I have a zf5 speed that im going to make work with it, the length looks like it wont be a problem at all. the height of the trans is a diferent story but theres nothign wrong with getting a little creative. That being said ive taken measurements and the engine will most deffinitly fit in the engine bay once i find a way to delete those pesky shock/coil towers that plague alot of those 60s/70s ford cars (mustang, falcon, comet, maverick etc). But there is the rub, I have it under suspiscion that the traditional method of grafting in a mustang two front suspension isnt going to be strong enough for the give or take thousand lbs of engine and transmission. The current idea is to graft in an 80s ranger twin ibeam set up, somethign that can handle a lot more weight and give room for the massive springs im going to have to run. It should go without saying im going to be cutting and welding thicker frame metal all around sub frame connectors all kinds of bracing and structure to take the weight of this big monstrosity. Any thoughts on The ranger front end or of anything else you think could work out better? the plan is to make this thing streetable and daily driven so no gasser solid axle nonsense.

UPDATE 10/23/2016: As many people may have guessed by now this project is on the back burner, like alot of these involved projects. However, i am still incredibly passionate about this project and cant wait to start on it. I have decided to go with the ranger front suspension as as template, and anything that even appears like it might come close to not being strong enough will be strengthened, reinforced, and if neccesary cut out and replaced with thicker steel.I like the way the i-beam set up attaches to the body. Everything that holds weight is going to be strengthened. Beefy engine mounts, thick steel frame, thick trans cross-member, cut the existing frame portions of the uni-body and weld in thick square tube steel. the main priority is getting the body strong enough to hold this heavy chunk of iron, everything else comes second. I hate to update this post without having any physical progress made, but in many ways the planning stage is a huge part of a project this big, so decisions made there are in fact forms of progress.

 

[IDIoit]

whats up Bradley,

making those rails withstand the weight and the torque of the IDI is your biggest concern.
if you use the twin I beam, theres alot of work thats going to need to be done.
that is avoidable.

if i were you, i would delete all of the stock suspension, plate the thin frame rails, and install a GM truck front cross member.
this is the same basic principle as a mustang II front end. but alot cheaper, and alot more readily available.
ive done this on a few projects and it works well.
use the 1/2 ton stuff with 1 ton coils.

sub frame connectors will be a must.

a 12 point cage is recommended.

you kids got alot of imagination, you remind me of myself at your age.
stick to it and make it as save as you can.

if you need me to come over and give you a few pointers, just send me a text.
youve seen my yard and know what im capable of.

when you get that thing running, bring it over and let me time the engine.
i have the pulse meter.


oah, FYI, Mustang II kits have worked for someone
check this link out.
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/194...ompound-turbo-1200hp-diesel-power-425778.html

 

[laserjock]

What's wrong with a gasser daily driver?

Anyway, pictures, pictures, pictures!

Our motto here is pictures or it didn't happen... so...

Pictures, pictures, pictures!!!

I've never done anything similar to this but what Brian is suggesting sounds like a really good idea. I don't know what year chebby truck you are talking about for sure but starting in the 67-72 era (not sure what year it started but in that body style) and up through the 73-87 era you, big block 2wd options were available with coil springs up front. So there should be lots of options for donors there especially on the west coast.

Good luck and did I mention PICTURES!

 

[Bradley316]

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[Bradley316]

technically it hasnt happened yet but theres a picture of the engine and trans. once i actually start getting ready to tear my baby apart ill post some more pictures. but im not trying to convince anyone. dont believe me thats fine, im putting an idi into a maverick, i clearly have nothing to prove. as for why besides the obvious retort of why not?, i just have to say i love diesel for its reliability, power-fuel consumption ratio and general fuel economy. Ill be honest though i really just love the sound of those internationals and think it will be really cool hearing that come from a maverick.

 

[laserjock]

Picture no worky.

http://www.oilburners.net/forums/sh...on-how-to-post-pictures-uploaded-to-the-forum

 

[IDIoit]

I've never done anything similar to this but what Brian is suggesting sounds like a really good idea. I don't know what year chebby truck you are talking about for sure but starting in the 67-72 era (not sure what year it started but in that body style) and up through the 73-87 era you, big block 2wd options were available with coil springs up front. So there should be lots of options for donors there especially on the west coast.

early 80's cheap and the entire front end unbolts.

 

[BrandonMag]

Kudos for the original thinking!

I am curious to see the finished engine bay.

 

[sjwelds]

might want to cover your air intake so you don't drop maverick parts down the throat of the idi.

 

[maverick350]

I stripped the entire engine compartment of a maverick to paint it, and removed the interior. After that I could pick up the front of the car and trundle it around on the rear tires like an oversized wheelbarrow. Just an indication of how light they are.

Fun little car! but I would try to rely on the unibody as little as possible for strength, or perhaps plate the daylights out of it. They really are built light. Best of luck.

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

why put a medium duty diesel engine in your car? because you can,that's why!

you know these engines are already pretty big for a pickup don't ya? they were originally built for medium duty commercial trucks lol.
what's up with people wanting a 1200lb engine in their light duties? do you guys just really not care about agility.......er just some sort of handling at all?

as for why besides the obvious retort of why not?

because the odds of ending up with something half safe,is probably wishful thinking.but best of luck.just don't kill yourself lol.

hmmm.have you considered setting your maverick on the pickup fame? will they even let you on the road with something like that in Cali?

 

[IDIoit]

sitting the car on a frame isnt a half bad idea.
that would be the cheapest and easiest
i would wait to paint the engine compartment until you mock everything up, odds are you will be doing alot of cutting.

 

[The Warden]

What's wrong with a gasser daily driver?

You should be banned for saying that spark plugs are the root of all evil...seriously, I'm not sure I'd want a conversion like this for a daily driver, but I love my TDI daily driver...and, I've always thought that a 4BT in a Ford Expedition would make for a fun family vehicle for the record, I've been completely spark free since 1999, and that's with making multiple 400+ mile trips a year.

technically it hasnt happened yet but theres a picture of the engine and trans. once i actually start getting ready to tear my baby apart ill post some more pictures. but im not trying to convince anyone. dont believe me thats fine, im putting an idi into a maverick, i clearly have nothing to prove. as for why besides the obvious retort of why not?, i just have to say i love diesel for its reliability, power-fuel consumption ratio and general fuel economy. Ill be honest though i really just love the sound of those internationals and think it will be really cool hearing that come from a maverick.

I would like to point out...when people ask for pictures, it's because they want to see how you've done things, what your solutions to various problems were, and how it worked. With something like this, it is often easier to visualize something than it is to understand based on a text-only write-up. So, pictures really help...I don't think anyone was trying to say that they don't believe you. So, no need to get defensive besides, if pictures are posted, people with more experience with these engines can see what's going on and point out any potential issues that may have been missed for whatever reason.

Besides, I learned quite a while ago after seeing what some people have done, both on here and on other sites...never say "never"! Yes, you have your work cut out for you...this is going to be a huge project and require a LOT of modification to get the engine in and get the unibody and the suspension to handle the weight. However, with enough fabrication, nothing is outright impossible! Just take your time and get everything right the first time, so you don't have to go back in a second time to deal with anything.

I love threads like this...keep updating, and PLEASE post pictures!

 

[laserjock]

By gasser I meant gasser style. I like the old straight axle gasser style hotrods. Power it however you see fit. [emoji6]

 

[The Warden]

By gasser I meant gasser style. I like the old straight axle gasser style hotrods. Power it however you see fit. [emoji6]

Fair enough I just hate g@$ engines