Brian VT
Full Access Member
Same here. This truck, my 1985 Mercedes, and my tinfoil hat. ;-)This 87 rig is my attempt to have a retirement rig I can depend on and fix myself, no computers, no satellite tracking, just an old man and his camper.
6.9 IDI questions
- Thread starter Dustyman
- Start date
IDIBRONCO
IDIBRONCO
Sometimes. I ran a cheap, inline clicker style electric pump before the mechanical pump for years. I only used it for bleeding a new fuel filter and for emergencies. It did save my bacon once. I didn't have to leave town after my mechanical pump started acting up. It probably wouldn't have been very good for highway driving. Can you use a higher volume/pressure electric pump? It's probably not a good idea. There's always a possibility of too much pressure from the e pump to rupture the diaphragm inside of the mechanical pump. That would cause diesel to be pumped into your crankcase.
Brian VT
Full Access Member
Same here. Mighty Vac. It worked well the one time I needed it after replacing the clogged fuel filter. I took the needle out of the Schrader valve at the filter head and shoved the vac hose over it and squeezed until I got fuel. I put the needle back in and started the engine.
I change the fuel filter once a year now if it needs it or not.
Dustyman
Registered User
Got it running today and it is not starving at WOT anymore. Put 10 miles on it and it was fine.
Next project: Low beams are very dim, one high beam works fine and the other nothing. I'm thinking dimmer switch for the dim ones and bulb for the high beam. Thoughts? Just for reference I am a car guy, but do woodwork for a living, hence "Dustyman". Always appreciate input because I am not always right. My ex taught me that.
Next project: Low beams are very dim, one high beam works fine and the other nothing. I'm thinking dimmer switch for the dim ones and bulb for the high beam. Thoughts? Just for reference I am a car guy, but do woodwork for a living, hence "Dustyman". Always appreciate input because I am not always right. My ex taught me that.
Dustyman
Registered User
This ambulance has a vacuum pump in the back for medical stuff, was going to take it out but per your suggestion I may leave it in to pull fuel next filter change? Cool! Worth a shot.
IDIBRONCO
IDIBRONCO
You may be having socket problems. Sometimes the sockets that attach to the back of the headlights will get bad. Sometimes they won't get a ground even though the ground wire is grounded properly. The solution is to replace the sockets. Your one headlight not working on high beam also could be a bad headlight. I would look at the dimmer switch after these two other things.
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Look at rhe tech 101 for the headlight switch, basically doing a relay to feed power directly to the lamps rather than the switch
Dustyman
Registered User
I see CarParts.com has a pair of headlight/turnsignals for $109 with bulbs. I think I will try them as mine are severely yellowed. Next I have to figure out how much the siren draw was, there is a panel on the top of the dash with lighted switches and the siren is long gone. I have a pair of Hella 55w 9000's I will be putting on and the wire is already run. Will have to find the fuse panel for the aux panel. Have no clue what a siren draws.
Look at the size of the wire and the fuse feeding the siren. 55wx2=110w. 110w divided by 12 equals 9.16 amps. Looks like your lights are going to draw around 10 amps, so you need a 15 or 20 amp circuit with at least 14 gauge wire.
Dustyman
Registered User
Thank You.
Fredrickson
Full Access Member
To answer the second part of your post.. the Service Manual.
When you have a spare moment.. until you buy/borrow/locate a paper copy,
If you google the phrase "6.9 IDI diesel service manual filetypedf" (without the quotes..)
The `filetypedf` part will tell google to show you results that are pdf files of service manuals.
(the system is putting smiley faces in place of a colon letter P so it should be filetype: pdf with no space after the colon.. hope that makes sense)
When you have a spare moment.. until you buy/borrow/locate a paper copy,
If you google the phrase "6.9 IDI diesel service manual filetype
df" (without the quotes..)The `filetype
df` part will tell google to show you results that are pdf files of service manuals.(the system is putting smiley faces in place of a colon letter P so it should be filetype: pdf with no space after the colon.. hope that makes sense)
That should be a sticky
Jim993
Registered User
When I bought my used F250 6.9 4x4 in early 1998, 143,000 miles, it did have a water separator on the driver side firewall that had been bypassed. I removed it and tossed it into the garbage. Banks turbo added at 205,000 miles, New engine at 223,000 miles.
I change the fuel filter every 15,000 miles, never a fuel delivery issue or lack of power. 273,000 miles today, same turbo installed in 2006. The truck has, and has always had a mechanical fuel lift pump on the lower passenger front of the engine. The one on the rebuilt engine has 50,000 miles on it. No electric fuel pump.
Lots of forum comments over the years about trouble/ air intrusion related to the firewall water separator. My truck has not had one for over 28 years, 130,000 miles.
I change the fuel filter every 15,000 miles, never a fuel delivery issue or lack of power. 273,000 miles today, same turbo installed in 2006. The truck has, and has always had a mechanical fuel lift pump on the lower passenger front of the engine. The one on the rebuilt engine has 50,000 miles on it. No electric fuel pump.
Lots of forum comments over the years about trouble/ air intrusion related to the firewall water separator. My truck has not had one for over 28 years, 130,000 miles.
Dustyman
Registered User
I see you are in Arizona, that makes a difference. I live at the tip of the mitt in Michigan, and as far as condensation this may be about as bad as it gets. Surrounded by water so lots of moisture and with a temp range that goes above and below freezing constantly I am more inclined to keep it. I will keep an eye on it and if I do not see water in the trap consider it. I like simplicity and it is in a PITA spot. May look for a double water sererator/filter setup that I can mount in place of the second filter. I will often be in very remote areas with this rig up in Canada so dependability is my foremost concern. Thank you for the input, will consider it.
Dustyman
Registered User
Ok, did a 100 mile trip, filled before and after, figured out to 12.7mpg. I wanted a rough estimate. I was running 55mph. Two things, I would like to see about 15mpg, and the truck is running a lot more rpm than I like or is necessary. This thing will never haul heavy loads, it will be my camper. Despite the big box it only weighs 7500 pounds. I have some experience with GV, we used them in Pro2 trucks backwards so we could use a lower numerically rear gear for dependability. With 1000 hp and jumping we never broke one. I looked at changing the tranny to an OD one but kind of like the no computer part of the C6. I have a 6 speed in my driver and I really like it but it is computerized. Just collecting information at this point.
Again, thank you guys for all the input, you are all a valuable resource.
Again, thank you guys for all the input, you are all a valuable resource.
