How did you get into an IDI?

[My1500DollarTruck]

My IDI started with GM 6.2 and a generator project running off of SVO /WVO. I won an auction and ended up with 18 of them @ $65 each. All had come out of HUMMV's when they did the 6.5 IDI upgrades. As for Ford, a friend of mine was helping another friend sale his 92 F250HD. When he dropped the price to $1500, I figured the engine and trans E4OD( Only had 40K on it , was a dealer install) could be sold for that if the truck wasn't worth getting into. Well I've rebuilt just about all the systems on it now, and they are so easy to fix. Since the main purpose for this truck is a company truck for delivery. I liked that it was built in the 55MPH era . I really don't want a employee running 80MPH with 10K+ behind them. So now I'm looking for other 7.3 IDI's and still play with 6.2's. I just like no turbo/no computer/ multi fuel options.

 

[FordGuy100]

My grandfather bought the red one in my avatar brand new. I worked on his farm for a few years and earned it. Every time I see or talk to him he always asks me the same question "have you changed the fuel filter recently?"

 

[Ethan Smith]

I bought my old broke down atmospheric converter having no idea the kind of addiction it had started. Hours of bloody knuckles and curses turned into days, turned into months. I needed to externalize what I had become. So I crafted my truck into myself. Rugged, dependable, cheap, and bad at communication. This truck had become how I see myself in the world. Fast forward a year. The ball joints are wore and it’s eats more oil that an Italian at a pizza eating contest. This truck is now a reflection of my marriage, rough, noisy, and occasional plumes of smoke that could be indicative of a problem. Yet it lasts. I’ll do all I can to keep it running, up until the government tries to shut me down for clouding out a sidewalk the governors walking on in diesel fog. Then I’ll take to the hills to become a rebel, always fighting for what is right and just in the world. A mans truck, and his dog. Two of the most important things in life.

 

[Broken_Season]

It all started with my grandfather. He was one of the first employees at Atari. I think #7. Once Atari blew up and was a huge company, Atari offered cars for all their employees, Everyone in the company wanted a bmw or sports car. My grandfather wanted something useful, so he requested for a top of the line GMC for 1982. It was a GMC High Sierra 2500 4wd 4speed granny low with a fantastic 6.2L Diesel. After Atari crashed he bought the truck off the company and had it till this last year. It was the truck I learned to drive on and the truck I wanted my whole life, unfortunately last year it took a **** and he sold it for cheap unfortunately.

A few years ago I bought my first diesel. It was a 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit pickup with a swapped 1.9L AAZ Turbo diesel. Was a fantastic truck and wish I still had it but electrical problems was the death of that truck and I sold it. (it was a miata killer on curvy roads). Before that I had met Tim (The Warden) with Sea Scouts. And he introduced me to Calvin (Towcat) At that time I bought a 1992 Dodge D350 12v. and just a few months ago I sold the cummins for a fantastic price and bout a 1988 Ford F350 7.3 IDIT. I love the Ford the most of all my trucks though I really want to put a cummins in this thing.

 

[raydav]

I am in CA. In 2005 my 84 E350 460 engine was at a shop for three days. He could find nothing to fix but could not get it to pass SMOG check. No charge. I bought an 89 E350 for it's IDI engine. Diesel less than 1997, no OBD II, no SMOG check. Mileage went from 10 to 15.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

All had come out of HUMMV's when they did the 6.5 IDI upgrades.

I'm not arguing this, but when did they do the "upgrade"? When I was a civilan contractor in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, they were still running both 6.2s and 6.5s. Some of the 6.5s were N/A, some were turbo. Some HUMVV's were old enough to have come with a 6.2, but did have a 6.5 swapped in.

 

[My1500DollarTruck]

I'm not arguing this, but when did they do the "upgrade"? When I was a civilan contractor in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, they were still running both 6.2s and 6.5s. Some of the 6.5s were N/A, some were turbo. Some HUMVV's were old enough to have come with a 6.2, but did have a 6.5 swapped in.

The exact years I cant say. My unit was one of the first in Europe to get the HUMMV's in the late 80's. My understanding was the ARMY ( other branches may have same complaints) were the 6.2 didn't have what they were looking for in performance. This started the 6.2 N/A to 6.5 NA to 6.5 Turbo progression. From looking at the ones I purchased, actually in their sealed military shipping containers, looked to be very low use . Still have a bunch on the property, have to either start playing with them again or sale a few off ...

 

[IDIBRONCO]

the 6.2 didn't have what they were looking for in performance.

Now that's an understatement!

 

[RDieselKid84]

Bronco where were you at in Iraq. Rodney

 

[IDIBRONCO]

FOB Danger in the city of Tikrit. I got to see the palaces of Saddaam and his friends.

 

[chris142]

I wanted a 3/4 ton or 1 ton ford pickup. I needed a 4x4,bigger cab and a stickshift. I was originally looking for a 1996 or newer truck but those were out of my price range. I then began looking at 85 and up trucks. I was actually looking for one with the 300-6. All I found was beat up ones with the 460.

Trucks with no oil on the dipstick,rusty coolant etc. Saw my truck on craigslist at a local used car lot. It had masking tape on everything with the milages for oil changes,air filter etc so I knew that someone had been keeping up on its maintenance.

 

[idi_econoline]

Put a zillion miles on my boss's 1986-1990 E-350 IDI cutaway box trucks early in this millennium. Too much fun, but later enjoyed his 2003 PSD panel vans. So, when a '92 E350 7.3 IDI panel came up for sale locally, had to have it.

Nine years, three engine pulls, two head rebuilds, pricey E4OD rebuild and a chunk of money later, I have the best of both worlds: IDI in the late body. STILL learning new stuff all the time, and she purrs along.

Was my fave-ever vehicle, until I got a converted Greyhound-size bus. Can't daily the bus, so I have to "settle" for waking the neighbors at 5:30 AM with sweet IDI music. Sadly, no one sees the huge smile on my face at that moment.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Can't daily the bus, so I have to "settle" for waking the neighbors at 5:30 AM with sweet IDI music.

An IDI is still WAY quieter than the Harley with straight pipes down the street!

 

[bbjordan]

In 2000, I bought a 1992 Chevy Silverado with a turbo'd 6.5 diesel engine. This was going to be the truck that would tow our 29ft. trailer across Canada. After having it a few months we realized the extended cab did not have enough room for the kids, and I was disappointed with the power it had, so we sold it.
Fast forward to 2007, I was interested in trying out biodiesel, but I didn't have a diesel vehicle. My son-in-law knew this and was selling used vehicles in Strathmore. They had just received a 1991 F-350 Dually Crew Cab with 500,000 Km on the odo, and a big steel deck with tool boxes. The frame had been stretched 10" to accommodate the deck. It had a 7.3 IDI with an aftermarket turbo on it. It had been used by the Hutterites for a crew that cleaned pig barns. It smelled like it! The dealership just wanted to get it off the lot, so for $700 including tax it was mine.

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It overheated on the drive home. My son was driving it to my house in Calgary. Poor kid, every vehicle of mine that he has driven has broken down on him. After refilling it with coolant and getting a boost because of dead batteries, it made it home.
I knew nothing about diesels at the time, but I learned fast thanks to the great people at Oilburners. That truck was what really started my diesel addiction (see sig. file below). I still have that truck. My daughter borrowed it to haul a trailer full of stuff to renovate her house in Nelson B.C. when it overheated again. This time it blew the neck right off of the radiator! She wound up renting a U-haul truck to haul the trailer. I had to recover the truck which was over 200 Kms away. After installing a new radiator, I realized that it had also blown a head gasket. So, I loosened the radiator cap and gently drove it home! That is when I really started developing respect for these engines. After tearing the engine down I figured out what probably happened. The truck had most likely been overheated before. Probably because of a rad leak. The engine had been rebuilt. All 8 cylinders had been resleeved!
But the radiator had not been replaced. Instead, someone put some rad sealant in it, which sealed/plugged up the rad, and also plugged up the oil cooler! The overheating had also cracked one of the heads. :-( I bought an old 1985 6.9 for $500. that had supposedly been rebuilt (NOT), and put it in, while I rebuild the 7.3. The bottom end was good, and after replacing the heads, a set of piston rings, cleaning and resealing the oil cooler, the 7.3 went back in.
I removed the seats and shampooed the carpets, had the ozone machine in it, but could never get the smell out. It still smells after this many years!

 

[jetfly12]

Wanted to buy a Obs 7.3 powerstroke and had no idea what a 7.3 idi was... after learning from the seller that it wasn't a powerstroke I bought it anyways.