Alt. Upgrades for 6.9/7.3?

[Autumn_84]

hey everyone, long time lurker here, sifting through posts almost as old as i am on these old IDI’s.
i’m in the final home stretch of my SAS 4x4 conversion on my 84 f250, then i’m getting started on the 7.3 IDI block sitting right behind said truck.
What are some lesser known/smaller upgrades or modifications some of you long time IDI owners have that you’d recommend everyone have?

I’m familiar with the big upgrades for these engines: turbo, pump/injectors, (pyro to be safe), cam/lifters and springs, bigger exhaust, head studs, or Cummins swap, but i’m a Ford kid at heart, and this f250’s keeping her IH powerhouse.
Also, is a serpentine belt conversion worth it?
Or upgrading to an electric lift pump and blocking off the mechanical one on the block?

Any ideas, mods, or anything are greatly appreciated!! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!

 

[Cubey]

I prefer v-belts myself. In a pinch, you can keep driving if you lose a belt until you get to a safe place to stop, and your water pump will keep running. I lost the alternator belt on the RV in sig and didn't realize for i dunno how many miles on the highway, until i pressed the brakes more than twice and it had no more vac assist. I was able to limp to a truck stop another 8 miles down the highway and wait until the next morning to put on the spare belt. It's more labor intensive though.

Mechanical pumps are normally fine but are a pain to install. Electric is handy for fuel filter priming, and easier access on van chassis than mechanical.

 

[franklin2]

I like v-belts for the redundancy on the water pump also. But if you are planning to put a larger 3G 130 amp alternator on it, you should go to the serpentine belt, it drives the larger alternator a lot better than the one single v-belt does.

 

[KansasIDI]

hey everyone, long time lurker here, sifting through posts almost as old as i am on these old IDI’s.
i’m in the final home stretch of my SAS 4x4 conversion on my 84 f250, then i’m getting started on the 7.3 IDI block sitting right behind said truck.

Sounds great.

What are some lesser known/smaller upgrades or modifications some of you long time IDI owners have that you’d recommend everyone have?

I’m familiar with the big upgrades for these engines: turbo, pump/injectors, (pyro to be safe), cam/lifters and springs, bigger exhaust, head studs, or Cummins swap, but i’m a Ford kid at heart, and this f250’s keeping her IH powerhouse.

I can certainly appreciate upgrading an IDI, they are fantastic engines.

Also, is a serpentine belt conversion worth it?

That depends. If you’ve got one laying around, like I did, then absolutely. If you’d have to purchase it, then it probably depends on price. The brackets and pulleys are what would get expensive.

As far as the dependability of the belt drive, V belts do have an advantage that you really only lose one system at a time and always have a belt making contact with the water pump. But I find the V belts system to be unpleasant to work on, in comparison to the serpentine systems for these engines. And if you carry an AC delete pulley, spare tensioner, idler pulley and belt, you should be just fine.

I think there were over 40 bolts for brackets on the V belts setups, and the serpentine systems use exactly 20. It also mounts everything up a bit higher, seems a bit easier to work on.

Or upgrading to an electric lift pump and blocking off the mechanical one on the block?

With maxed fueling, an electric pump is probably a good idea. I run a Walbro FRB-13. It’s almost enough, but my truck is heavy and geared low, so it commands quite a lot of fuel.

I am swapping to a 99-03 PSD lift pump, and a return style regulator this weekend.

Any ideas, mods, or anything are greatly appreciated!! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!

There is a thread on rebuilding the FSV, but I like this option a bit better

https://www.amazon.com/GROCO-6-Port-Bronze-Fuel-Valve/dp/B00YMZ3YZM

Here’s a company who I think makes excellent performance upgrades
www.gohypermax.com

Although in this day and age… R&D IDI likely takes the cake for the best performance upgrades.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

What are some lesser known/smaller upgrades or modifications some of you long time IDI owners have that you’d recommend everyone have?

I recommend a vacuum gauge installed into your vacuum system. That will let you keep an eye on the health of your vacuum pump and will greatly lessen the chances of a "OH CRAP!" moment of stepping on the brake pedal and finding that you have no vacuum assist. The next on my list is a pyrometer. You didn't mention whether or not your going to put a turbo on, but it's even more important without a turbo than it is with one. A turbo will give your engine additional air to help burn the fuel more completely so that lowers your EGTs. Since your 7.3 is at the bare block stage right now, I also recommend doing the 6.9 cooling mod to it. I made a thread titled just that if you want more info. Sorry that there's no pictures. I actually feel bad that I didn't think of it while I was doing the mod. I do plan to go back through and add some in the future, but I have to get into another engine in order to do that.

but i’m a Ford kid at heart, and this f250’s keeping her IH powerhouse.

Me too. I'm Idibronco and I approve of this message!

Also, is a serpentine belt conversion worth it?
Or upgrading to an electric lift pump and blocking off the mechanical one on the block?

V belts Vs. serpentine? They each gave their pros and cons. Like Kansasidi said, it might not be worth it at this point if you don't already own the parts. New mechanical lift pumps don't seem to have very good quality these days. Electric ones are hit and miss as well. I say that both belts and lift pumps should be your choice.

 

[Cubey]

I like v-belts for the redundancy on the water pump also. But if you are planning to put a larger 3G 130 amp alternator on it, you should go to the serpentine belt, it drives the larger alternator a lot better than the one single v-belt does.

My van has a 3G with V belts and seems to do ok. I use a fleetrunner green belt.

 

[klook]

I prefer v-belts myself. In a pinch, you can keep driving if you lose a belt until you get to a safe place to stop, and your water pump will keep running. I lost the alternator belt on the RV in sig and didn't realize for i dunno how many miles on the highway, until i pressed the brakes more than twice and it had no more vac assist. I was able to limp to a truck stop another 8 miles down the highway and wait until the next morning to put on the spare belt. It's more labor intensive though.

Mechanical pumps are normally fine but are a pain to install. Electric is handy for fuel filter priming, and easier access on van chassis than mechanical.

I just crawled under to check my grounds yesterday and looked up at the lift pump access.....or lack of it. OMG. I will be installing the electric lift pump if and when the original lift pump goes out. Its 33 years old this year but only 44000 miles on it....lol. If I had a lift to work on maybe not, but I don't.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

My van has a 3G with V belts and seems to do ok. I use a fleetrunner green belt.

Same with my truck.

 

[Autumn_84]

thank you guys for your advice and your opinions, it’s extremely helpful.
I am planning on a turbo, from Classic Diesel Designs or Hypermaxx. a pyrometer is already in order for my truck as well, but to me it’s sort of a given that any idi or diesel should have some pyro
I would like to upgrade the alternator to the 3G, the truck has a few lights on it and i will be updating the sound system in the future, so serpentine belt will prolly happen then.
Guess i’ll put the fancy bed box to use and store some spare parts just in case my trusty Gates fail me lol

IDIBronco; the vacuum gauge is a great idea! Would you still recommend it for a hydro boost brake system? I’m going to order BattleBorne Brakes’ kit.
I’ll be sure to check out the thread, thanks for the tip!

KansasIDI, what’s the advantage to the fuel regulator valve you linked? does it replace the fuel shutoff valve or am i thinking of the wrong FSV?

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Would you still recommend it for a hydro boost brake system?

In that case, it's not needed. You can still run one, but you don't have a lot of need for the vacuum at that point. A lot of people will do away with the belt driven vacuum pump and use one for a '99+ Superduty truck. That's a small, electric pump that's used for the HVAC vacuum. They won't make enough vacuum to run vacuum assisted brakes.

what’s the advantage to the fuel regulator valve you linked? does it replace the fuel shutoff valve or am i thinking of the wrong FSV?

Without looking, I can say that the one he linked replaces the stock, often troublesome, selector valve that lets you switch between the front and rear tanks. The FSS (fuel shut off solenoid) is what stops the engine.

 

[Autumn_84]

Ahh, that clarifies a lot, thank you!
Is there any real monetary gain to the PSD vac pump or should i just leave the one i have in there?

 

[KansasIDI]

In that case, it's not needed. You can still run one, but you don't have a lot of need for the vacuum at that point. A lot of people will do away with the belt driven vacuum pump and use one for a '99+ Superduty truck. That's a small, electric pump that's used for the HVAC vacuum. They won't make enough vacuum to run vacuum assisted brakes.

That’s what I do.

Without looking, I can say that the one he linked replaces the stock, often troublesome, selector valve that lets you switch between the front and rear tanks. The FSS (fuel shut off solenoid) is what stops the engine.

Yup. Mechanical 6 way valve. No electronics involved. Just turn the valve to draw fuel from the desired tank. Has an off position as well.

Leave the stock FSV on the frame rail, without the fuel lines hooked up, and use the factory switch on the dash to switch which tank the gauge is reading.

I highly recommend this, with it you can pretty much always rule out the FSV as the source of a fueling issue.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I believe that they're cheaper. On the other hand, you already own the one on your truck now. If you happen to have a working cruise control, the Superduty vacuum pump may not make enough vacuum to run that either. I'm not going to say which way you should go on this part. That's for you to decide.

 

[Autumn_84]

Bulletproof FSV is something i never thought i’d see, but i’m extremely grateful for that information.
is there a thread on converting to that style or is it as simple as running lines to, from, in/out and then up to selector?
My truck has factory cruise control—if it works or not i couldn’t tell you, i don’t like cruise control. I thought a little bit about deleting it, i’m going to bypass the first fuel/water separator that’s right underneath it since the hoses and clamps are all original.
I’ve heard a lot of newer diesels running FASS and CAT filter systems, spending big money on extra components; is that something worth looking into? i understand the quality of fuel burning in the engine affects the performance of the engine, but most IDI guys i know just run 7.3 style canisters, and these things will burn whatever you put in em. mostly i’m curious if anyone’s got experience with either filter.

 

[KansasIDI]

is it as simple as running lines to, from, in/out and then up to selector?

Yes