N/A vs IDIT flywheel

[Macrobb]

The "turbo" parts ONLY apply to an engine that originally had a factory Turbo on it. The ones with the serial numbers that start "7.3TU2U". Partswise, everything else is considered N/A.

And, these days, it's critical that you check that serial, and look for rebuilder stickers.
You can easily find a "N/A" truck with a 7.3TU turbo motor(and turbo... or not) swapped into it, or a "turbo" truck with a non-turbo block(and possibly the turbo still).
That's not counting the countless "turboed" N/A engines out there in N/A applications.

I've also heard that some rebuilders would just throw out the 7.3TU connecting rods & pistons when rebuilding them and just use N/A parts.

You never know what's in yours at this point. Motors are easy to swap and you probably have a 50/50 chance it has been at this point.

 

[centennial60]

This engine that I swapped in I was told was a Ford reman. Idk that I believe that but it does appear to be a reman engine. It has a brass tag riveted over the pad where the serial number is. So as far as internals go my guess is as good as any ones. I did do some experimenting the other day tho, I removed the two pressure plate bolts opposite of the counterweight on the flywheel and installed some longer bolts with a stack of washers. To my surprise it made the vibration worse. So I added the extra weight to the counterweight side and it did help. It's still not perfect but is definitely better. I'd like to try moving the weight around some more to see if I can make further improvements but I ran out of time for now. I know this is kind of a crude way of going about it but since I do not know what I exactly have for internals I do not know that either the n/a or the idit flywheels would balance this engine out perfectly.

The thing that needs to be done is to pull the engine tear it down and have the whole assembly balanced....but that's not happening.

 

[IDIoit]

figured id drop this

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[Thewespaul]

figured id drop this

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Pic didn’t work bud

 

[IDIoit]

Pic didn’t work bud

well hell, idk... works for me....
take 2

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[IDIBRONCO]

I've also heard that some rebuilders would just throw out the 7.3TU connecting rods & pistons when rebuilding them and just use N/A parts.

That's what we did at the shop I used to work at. The reason that I was given was "we can't get new, oversized pistons for those rods" which was probably BS, but I didn't bother to ask any farther. The real reason was probably that the pistons cost more for those rods. I, myself, have literally thrown away dozens of sets of those rods. I'm not sure that the reasoning behind the bigger wrist pins and anodized piston crowns was sound anyway. There's a lot of trucks on here with N/A rods and non-anodized pistons running more boost and power than the factory Turbo trucks ever put out from the factory.

 

[Macrobb]

I think the heavier parts was an 'excuse' in a way - Ford had been telling everyone that you couldn't turbo an IDI, it wasn't designed for it etc(it says this on the first page of my '92 diesel manual). They had probably been denying warranty claims based on that too.
For them to just... slap a turbo on the same motor and call it "approved" would probably have caused them a big reputation issue. Simpler to just make it stronger in a few spots, a dozen more parts and charge more for it.
Don't get me wrong; when going for 350+ wheel HP, yeah, that extra strength is nice. For most of us who aren't running a 4-plunger pump or P-pump... Not really needed at all.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I think the heavier parts was an 'excuse' in a way - Ford had been telling everyone that you couldn't turbo an IDI, it wasn't designed for it etc(it says this on the first page of my '92 diesel manual). They had probably been denying warranty claims based on that too.
For them to just... slap a turbo on the same motor and call it "approved" would probably have caused them a big reputation issue. Simpler to just make it stronger in a few spots, a dozen more parts and charge more for it.
Don't get me wrong; when going for 350+ wheel HP, yeah, that extra strength is nice. For most of us who aren't running a 4-plunger pump or P-pump... Not really needed at all.

I totally agree with this statement.

 

[plywood]

I will say my 93 Factory turbo truck I owned drove like a big rig in the way it torqued off the line. I always attributed it to the fact that it just had a stronger block and internals basically. Could have been anything but I have owned and driven a lot of these truck and to this day know where that engine is and want to get it and put it in my truck .

 

[Macrobb]

I will say my 93 Factory turbo truck I owned drove like a big rig in the way it torqued off the line. I always attributed it to the fact that it just had a stronger block and internals basically. Could have been anything but I have owned and driven a lot of these truck and to this day know whre that engine is and want to get it and put it in my truck .

Fueling and timing, IP calibration etc.
nothing to do with the internals - The compression ratio hasn't changed, and that *would* make a difference.
Read the "coffee table book" from ford on the IDIT. It's available if you google as a pdf. The internal differences are... pretty minor. I don't think they changed the crank even - just pistons, rods, exhaust valve material, head gasket design, etc.

 

[plywood]

Rods are what I think give the different feel. That one had slightly decked heads though and G codes popped right at 2100 so it was just fun to listen to it purrrr.