BROWN FARM TRUCK BUILD

[KGIA103]

OILBURNERS!

Great site: a thanks is due to all the people who made this place special.


Just wanting to have a post to share the progress made on shining up a 1986 F250 regular cab 6.9 IDI, 4 speed, 4x4.

- Picked up on craigslist outside Seattle

- good shape for its age. 140,000 original miles and hardly any rust at all.

-Came with bed rails, plastic bed liner, tool box and full size lumber rack.

-$3500


I hope this will end up proving to be a great purchase. I need a work truck for around the farms I work. Hauling hay, animals, equipment, firewood…that sort of thing. Like most IDI fans, I appreciate their mechanical nature and am looking for a simple rig that is easy to clean and maintain.


The truck is mostly stock with a few good upgrades by previous owner:

1. manual glow plug button inside the cab

2. bypass factory water separator and install racor 220 with 2 micron (soon going to 10 micron as the factory 6 micron filter is still in use)

3. road draft tube

4. 2 foot LED light bar on front bumper with toggle switch


What I have done so far:

1. New tires

2. Vacuum pump, I have brakes now!

3. Air, fuel, oil filters and oil change

4. Grease u-joints and tie rod ends

5. Temp sensor for dash gauge…its not great but better than nothing

6. Valve cover gaskets


What I plan on doing soon:

1. return line kit

2. fluid changes: coolant, diff

3. e fuel pump

4. headlight relay mod (if not already done)

5. re-seal windshield

6. trailer brake controller


What should happen eventually:

1. manual tank selector

2. solid front axle (locker!)

3. better bumpers with winch

4. rust control


Im a farmer by choice, and do not have a lot of skill or know how when it comes to turning wrenches. I had a great up-bringing, but mechanical abilities are not known to run in my family. On top of that, I recently relocated to the most rural and poor county in Washington State…time to find some friends with tools and a diesel obsession. Thanks for tuning in, FEEL FREE TO POST COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS. I enjoy reading build threads, and hope this can help someone one day. THANKS OILBURNERS!

PICTURES TO FOLLOW

 

[KGIA103]

Just to mention: I come from the GREAT STATE OF TEXAS, where I drove oilfield hot shot for many miles in a 4x4 Ram 2500 24v cummins, and had built up a jeep xj with a lift kit, mud tires and a front locker.
I notice a lot of Texans here and didn't want y'all to think I was completely inexperienced in diesels or 4x4s.

 

[Thewespaul]

Just to mention: I come from the GREAT STATE OF TEXAS, where I drove oilfield hot shot for many miles in a 4x4 Ram 2500 24v cummins, and had built up a jeep xj with a lift kit, mud tires and a front locker.
I notice a lot of Texans here and didn't want y'all to think I was completely inexperienced in diesels or 4x4s.

Howdy from Texas, hope you’re staying warm up there!
It’s 20* here at the shop and we got four inches of frozen rain last night, all the roads are closed as you would expect

And welcome to the forum

 

[KGIA103]

It's only 35 here today with some icy rain falling and only a few inches of snow on the ground. Much warmer than the same time last year.
Sounds like unusual weather for Texas, I lived just north of Houston for years and never saw anything much more than a flurry or occasional hard freeze.

 

[Thewespaul]

Yeah this isn’t usual for our area, and the road dept is not prepared for this kind of weather. We get a day or two of cold weather here then it’s back into the 80s for the rest of “winter”

 

[KGIA103]

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[KGIA103]

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Cross brace was bent by previous owner...looks like it got yanked out of some mighty hole.

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Hardly any rust, only a few small spots in the body panels. However, in true PNW style, there is moss growing in the dash...

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Looks like this racor unit has melted a little at one point in its life. Hopefully on its previous platform.

 

[Tristan]

Welcome from the other side of the state.
Add a new cowl to hood seal to your list of fun. It will keep that water off you air cleaner cover and out of your motor.

 

[chicken bones]

Nice Truck ,looks solid. going too be doing rust control under mine also, undercoating of some kind,not sure whats the best product for this is ?

 

[KGIA103]

Welcome from the other side of the state.
Add a new cowl to hood seal to your list of fun. It will keep that water off you air cleaner cover and out of your motor.

Thanks Tristan, certainly need new seals in many places. I had just been power washing before this picture, so that's where the water came from this time...

 

[KGIA103]

This Quaker state minit lube sticker is still under the hood from 1993...can anyone help me decipher what info it has? Looks like a few holes were punched out..

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I see punches at 1993, the two boxes directly above that and one other punch in the top right corner.
I was 5 in 1993 so I'm gonna need some help on this.

 

[KGIA103]

In other news, I have just about used up a can or red rust control. Lots of paint on the air filter housing lid to keep water out of the intake... Getting a new cowl seal too.

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Most of the rust... Take that road salters.

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Enough time between snow storms to get a layer on the rust roof.

 

[Rossroams]

The road draft tube is relatively simple, yet get ready for a haze of crankcase gas under the truck. I'd just get a new CDR. Great looking truck though!!! A D60 and SD springs should soften up the ride; I don't mind my TTB, but it can be a mess to align.

 

[KGIA103]

The road draft tube is relatively simple, yet get ready for a haze of crankcase gas under the truck. I'd just get a new CDR. Great looking truck though!!! A D60 and SD springs should soften up the ride; I don't mind my TTB, but it can be a mess to align.

I need to investigate, from what I saw the cdr is still on the engine but nothing is connected to it. Not sure if there is a rdt at this point, I do not usually experience any haze of exhaust after the first few minutes of start up.
Thanks. I'm gonna end up driving with the ttb for a while, nothing wrong with it now. I'll keep my eye out for good deals on a suitable solid axle and buy one for when the ttb poops out. My front springs are very tired and I probably don't have much room until I hit the bump stop, so better springs are a needed before much off roading.

 

[Rossroams]

The high compression ratio usually leaves a ton of crankcase gas buildup, yet the exhaust can be clear. The CDR is bolted on the rear of the intake and the a CDR vent will push the leftover gases into the intake. The F250 TTBs come with negative arched springs from the factory, they are thick and ride like crap. The TTB should last fine until you get a D60 though, they're relatively stout. Welcome to the IDI addiction!