Black dawg
Registered User
To me, an idi to 7.3 powerstroke would only make sense if you already have a donor vehicle. A 7.3 idi can be easily made to make good enough power levels, similar to stock or slightly modded 7.3 powerstroke. Dependability is actually more similar that alot of guys want to admit, with the edge over time actually going to the 7.3 powerstroke.
In the end, abused and neglected junk is just that. Idi is an awesome setup, but they fuel system is somewhat problematic compared to just about any other diesel. I have seen 300k plus idi trucks that had nothing done to them, and they run pretty poorly and had been that way the last 100k due to pump advance worn out of calibration or stuck. With the 7.3 powerstroke, as long as they aren't run out of fuel on a regular basis (dual tank guys), and get and oil change atleast every 10k they typically go well into 400k without much of anything fuel/oil system related.
The electrical side for sure is a hang up for guys that don't understand that type of thing, but even that stuff is less problematic than the idi fuel system, and not by a small amount either.
In the end, abused and neglected junk is just that. Idi is an awesome setup, but they fuel system is somewhat problematic compared to just about any other diesel. I have seen 300k plus idi trucks that had nothing done to them, and they run pretty poorly and had been that way the last 100k due to pump advance worn out of calibration or stuck. With the 7.3 powerstroke, as long as they aren't run out of fuel on a regular basis (dual tank guys), and get and oil change atleast every 10k they typically go well into 400k without much of anything fuel/oil system related.
The electrical side for sure is a hang up for guys that don't understand that type of thing, but even that stuff is less problematic than the idi fuel system, and not by a small amount either.