looking to by a new motor

[farmerboy824u]

looking to buy a new motor

I recently lost the motor in my grandfathers 1985 f-250. Just looking for some advice on what company's manufacture/ remanufacture a good reputible motor that I can just drop into my truck. I'm not really looking to rebuild at the moment... maybe later... with some upgrades and mods.

 

[icanfixall]

Welcome to the forum. I suggest calling Promar or Barnett. They both make a good replacement engine. Its your decision as to how close to drop in you want. Generally both of these shops will build from short blocks to dropin running engines. All you do is install front end acessarys and connect the fuel and engine wire harness. Please ask what the better 6.9 serial numbers were for the 6.9 engine. Early numbers had issues with blocks cracking around the block heater. They also had press in oil cooling jets. Later engines had the much better bolt in cooling jets. You really could purchase the 7.3 engine and install that in place of the 6.9. Every 6.9 and 7.3 block and heads were drilled the same to accept all the bolt on brackets and manifolds. Also many internal parts are also the same part. Things like rods, cams, cranks, gears are all the same demencially the same part. Cranks are balanced differently because of the piston weights from the 6.9 to the 7.3. Even the exhaust and intake manifolds are the same for the trucks in every size idi engine. So do not allow shop shop tell you that manifold is ONLY for the turbo 7.3 engine. There was a slight difference in the van and truck drivers side exhaust manifold. Only a van fits the vans and only a truck fits the trucks. The oil cooler headers are different from the van to the trucks too. But the actual cooling bundle is the same no matter what it goes in.

 

[79jasper]

Well Mel at Conestoga diesel can build you one.

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[Hydro-idi]

If I could do it all over again, I would have had my original engine rebuilt by a local machine shop that's familiar with these engines. I would have saved lots of $ by going this route.
I called up promar about a month ago, because at the time I was considering buying one of their engines due to the constant problems I was having with my reman. So, I called up promar and asked if they had any rebuilt 6.9 engines in stock. His response was that they did not even though the computer says they did. Then he continues to say that nobody wants the 6.9 engine anymore and that they were junk (even though the 6.9 & 7.3 are virtually the same engine). He says cavitation is really common with the rear cylinders & sometimes they just sleeve the rear ones and not the other 6, and that the 7.3 Idi was a better engine to have. Okay never heard that one lol. I asked him how long he's been with promar and he said something like 15 years. Very nice guy to talk to but his jargon wasn't adding up in my books. His explanations were too wishy washy and I immediately scrapped that idea.
Many have had great luck doing business with promar and I'm not saying they are a bad rebuilder. I just wasn't too impressed with their methods used to rebuild these engines.