6.9 or powerstroke

[MUDKICKR]

new to the forum but i have a good question. I have an 92 F-350 ex cab long bed on 37" tires and it has a 460 mildy mod. Thinking about going diesel for mileage and was wondering which one is better a 6.9/7.3 or the powerstroke?
either way i do it it will have the turbo so which way would you guys go? conversions are no prob to me. thanks for your answers

 

[tonkadoctor]

Both great engines. The IDI will be cheaper and easier to drop in but the PSD can give you a lot more power if you want the headache of installing the wiring.

Either way you'll have to change the transmission as the bellhousing is different from the gasser.

 

[MUDKICKR]

which would give the best fuel mileage i will also be needing an overdrive unit from like gearvenders since i have 4.56"s and i do want to stay with a auto just dont know which would be best and of course i want the "power" when i need it

 

[tonkadoctor]

I get about the same fuel economy with the 2000 PSD with 4.10 gears as I did the '90 IDI when it had 4.10 gears still in it.

Both around 17 mpg hwy. I have gotten 22 out of the '90 with the 3.08 gears but bear in mind that both trucks are 2wd and I drive like granny.

IMHO with a 4x4, 37" tires, lift etc..... you probably won't come close to those figures but it'll probably be much better than the hopped up 460 is getting.

Oh, and welcome to the best diesel site on the net

 

[wgargan]

Thinking about going diesel for mileage

For the mileage as in MPG or mileage as in longevity?

 

[spencnaz]

Why not both?

 

[MUDKICKR]

mileage as of fuel mileage and right now i have a 268h comp cam, long tube headers, 750 holley double pumper, edel. performer rpm intake, and i get around 10 with the 37"s and the 4.56 but thats with the four barrel disconected and being easy on it, rather find a way to get at least 18 mpg

 

[adrianspeeder]

*duckin' fer cover*

PSD!

Ok ok, both are great powerplants, but the IDI will be yer less complicated swap. Gotta be really good with electrical to do a PSD.

Adrianspeeder

 

[69oiler]

if you want to make sick power then the PSD or a Cummins is the way to go. but for ease of swap and respectable power/grunt a 6.9 turbo would make a great wheeling rig. 6.9 has great off-idle torque and would be more field servicable if anything went wrong.

i'm not running big rubber on my truck like you are but even my NA 6.9 is a torque beast. i have ridden in turbo IDI's that make s#!t-eating grin power, couple that with a C6 and you have a bullet-proof powertrain.

as far a fuel milage, those tires will hold you MPG numbers down, but my 6.9 has alway gotten 14-17 mpg on 265 tires without OD. my PSD has been getting 12. though a lot of guys are having better luck than I am in the mpg department.

so if you're taking a vote i vote 6.9

 

[Russ]

Depends on what you want to do with it. If your using it off road to go mudding' then go with an IDI. But if you using it for a tow vehicle, I go PSD with 4.10 with the 37's Like Rob (69Oiler) said, IDI's have the bottom end grunt and add a turbo to that it would be a decent off road(Very front heavy) ride. PSD's rely on the turbo to make more power, but you have to deal with turbo lag. PSD cost a boat load more to repair or hop up. But the potential for more power is there. MPG really is determined by engine rpm. My IDI with 4.10's got about 14-15mpg daily driving, 10 mpg towing. My PSD get about 17 daily with 3.55's I haven't towed with it yet after all of the mods, so I can't give you tow numbers there.

 

[subway]

i think you would be taking a big jump with the powerstroke, they are great motor but you would want a whole doner truck to pull from. more power potential but you will pay for it.

a good IDI is much cheaper and much easier to wire up and would have about the same power as a stock powerstroke.

me, i am doing an IDI swap

 

[Diesel JD]

I'd say your mileage mighyt depend a lot on what transmission youu have behind. With the 4.56s you might get in the low 11-13 MPG range with the IDI. Generally we have a C6 3-speed or T19 4 speed manual behind the IDI where the PSD has the E4OD or ZF5(or 6) behind it. The T19 with a DNE or GV overdrive and you'd probably do well with either teh 6.9/7.3 or PSD, but you might be angry if you use a C6 or T19 without the aux. O/D behind either diesel as Rob says diesel mileage is dependent on RPM. IDK where the PSD makes its best power, but its 1600-2200 where the IDI is most efficient.

 

[SKimballC]

Generally we have a C6 3-speed or T19 4 speed manual behind the IDI where the PSD has the E4OD or ZF5(or 6) behind it. The T19 with a DNE or GV overdrive and you'd probably do well with either teh 6.9/7.3 or PSD, but you might be angry if you use a C6 or T19 without the aux.

Uh, there's a whole mess of us with Zf5's or E4OD's behind our IDI's. Granted, they're 7.3's not 6.9's but same difference if you ain't got a donor yet.
I could not and would not ever drive a non-OD equipped truck ever again, but that's just me. I mean, look at my truck, it has TWO

 

[FordGuy100]

Or instead of a 6.9/T-19 or C6 combo, you could get a 7.3 IDI with a ZF-5 speed, or E4OD (both have overdrives. And E4OD's arent the best tranny's out there in stock form). You could also be lucky to get a 6.9 with a ZF-5 speed which was only offered I believe in 1987.

Or you could also get a 6.9 with a T-19 or C6, and then change out your gears in your axles to 4.10's. This probably wouldnt help out in the mud, but with the low end torque these things have, it might not effect your mudding capabilities much.

If you want some serious power then I would say a powerstorke or cummins, but its gonna cost you big time to do one of these swaps, let alone all of the power mods you added on to it . But if your looking for a cheap swap, with some good low end torque, I would say go with an IDI.

Whatever you do good luck .