Fuel injectors for 1987 for 6.9 IDI

WrenchWhore

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What's up guys! I'm new here to the Oilburners. Not totally new to IDI's as i've had a 1984 4x4 with Banks turbo years ago. Absolutely loved that truck. I recently acquired a 1987 F-250 4x4 with 6.9 IDI and T19. My question is where are you guys buying your injectors from? This truck has unknown miles on it and i'm almost positive these injectors are needing replacement/cleaning. It's got a pretty good shake when idling but smooths out when driving. Power seems down especially off idle. Has some grayish smoke when under load. Pump has not been turned up as far as I know. Injection pump seems ok since when I go WOT for a few seconds then push the clutch in it idles along and doesn't stumble or die. I've already replaced the return lines and did a hard line delete from the filter head to the IP which cut my smoking WAY down. New set of Motorcraft ZD9 glow plugs, air filter, fuel filter. Let me know what you guys think!
 

FrozenMerc

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Have you had the timing checked? Your symptoms could be related to incorrect timing as well.

That said, injectors, like many things have been hard to find lately due to the supply chain issues. I recently finished turning my 6.9 into a 7.3, and replaced the injectors as well while I was at it. I sent the old units to Classic Diesel Designs back in March as cores, but Wes has not returned a new set to me yet. A lot of the local auto part stores are also out of stock on injectors. I did end up purchasing a set of hard lines and injectors from Accurate Diesel in Michigan. So far, the motor runs great and I have no complaints. If Wes gets me the other set, I will just put them on the shelf as a backup.

https://www.accuratediesel.com/6-9l-/-7-3l-idi.html
 
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Brian VT

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Anyone here will tell you to ONLY get injectors from one of these folks.
Same goes for the injector pump.
Get them elsewhere if you want to learn a lesson the hard way.

Conestoga diesel
Russrepair.com
Idiperformance.com
Classicdieseldesigns.com

Also see the Tech articles for LOTS more info.
 

IDIBRONCO

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Before you go hog wild and spend a bunch of money, try running some cleaner such as Hot Shot's Diesel Extreme through your fuel system. Another thing to try would be "the ATF trick". Remove the fuel filter, fil it with clean ATF reinstall it and run your engine for a short time. Then shut it off and let it sir overnight. A lot of times one of these two methods will help. A short time with the ATF trick is 30-90 seconds. People say that the sound of your engine will change slightly when it's time to shut the engine off.
 

WrenchWhore

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FrozenMerc - I have not checked the timing or the compression yet. I should check both of those things before jumping to injectors. Problem is those timing tools are hard to come by and I have no idea how many miles are on this truck so everything is suspect. I wouldn't be surprised if the injectors and pump are worn and cased the timing to change. Tomorrow i'm headed on a 300 trip so I was planning on dumping some Diesel kleen in the tank and doing like IDIBRONCO said and let the engine get hot, pull the fuel filter, and dump some atf/dieselkleen/seafoam concoction in the fuel filter and letting it sit and then hit the road. Might even do it a few times on this trip to really be sure. Thank you guys for the replys now i've got some "info ammo" to start attacking this issue.
 

IDIBRONCO

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You should only have to add something one time. Any more won't hurt, but it probably won't help much either. Of course, the Diesel Kleen, Sea Foam, or something similar can be added to the fuel tank and it works while you drive. Not to mention that I hate seeing someone just run out and buy a set of injectors without doing any diagnosing first.
 

Big Bart

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FrozenMerc - I have not checked the timing or the compression yet. I should check both of those things before jumping to injectors. Problem is those timing tools are hard to come by and I have no idea how many miles are on this truck so everything is suspect. I wouldn't be surprised if the injectors and pump are worn and cased the timing to change. Tomorrow i'm headed on a 300 trip so I was planning on dumping some Diesel kleen in the tank and doing like IDIBRONCO said and let the engine get hot, pull the fuel filter, and dump some atf/dieselkleen/seafoam concoction in the fuel filter and letting it sit and then hit the road. Might even do it a few times on this trip to really be sure. Thank you guys for the replys now i've got some "info ammo" to start attacking this issue.
Timing tools are still very easy to come by. Here is a tech article discussing where to source and how to set your timing. These trucks are timing sensitive so having a timing a meter is important if you want your truck to run it’s best.

Check eBay for the DTI units, seems like hundreds have hit the market via military surplus. Sellers asking $150-250 instead of $425 from DTI. Private message Brian VT he found a seller asking $150 recently. I suggest also buying the timing light option from DTI for another $100.

Read this tech article.

 
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