New project '87 6.9 f250

[quickster]

A friend of mine gave me his father's '87 f250 w/6.9, c6. He was the original owner, and at the time was making some money, so he bought a few trucks. Dad since passed, and the truck has been sitting untouched for 6 years. The hood latch was actually rusted so it hasn't been opened that whole time.
Going to do the return lines, and anything else that looks rotted. Need to bypass the water separator on the firewall. How bad do you think the fuel is? maybe add some 911, or just pull the bed and drain the tanks? Anything to go over, or check before I try and turn it over?
I checked the sticker on the door, and from what I found is that it has 3,55 (?) gears. I attached a few pics. My wife thinks I'm out of my mind for bringing home something like this, like I'm a glutton for punishment.

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[chillman88]

Nice! Looks in pretty decent shape for the area!

Personally as far as fuel goes I'd fill a new filter with some power service fuel system cleaner, drop in a couple good batteries, and just trying starting it.

Sounds like you've got a good handle on what to check before you start it. Making sure fluids are full and replacing anything dry rotted. I've brought home worse!

 

[Selahdoor]

Your wife's right. Yer crazy in the noggin!

You should bring that on by my house and drop it off, with the title, so you won't be bothered with it.

 

[chillman88]

Your wife's right. Yer crazy in the noggin!

You should bring that on by my house and drop it off, with the title, so you won't be bothered with it.

Shush, he's closer to me and I have my own trailer

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Need to bypass the water separator on the firewall.

I'm pretty sure that you don't have one. 1987 was the only year that a 6.9 looked like a 7.3. You should have the aluminum separator bowl on the bottom of your fuel filter (assuming that it's still set up like stock).

 

[quickster]

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The truck has been through a little trouble. The odo reads 95k. Now I know that's what's on the truck. Back in "93 my friends dad was having issues with the truck, smoking I think he said. He was told the motor needed to be replaced at around 50k because the block was bad. He didn't know any better, so the block was replaced, everything swapped over, and that was that. Once he got it back the smoke started again. My friend then figured his dad got hosed for the work. That's when he said that's it with the truck. He drove it for a while, then it sat ever since.
I think some of the injectors were dripping, and causing the smoke. I cleaned up the ip today and it looks brand new, along with the vrv. It could of had the water separator filter, who knows. I don't know if the trucks came equipped with the WS on the firewall and the funky fuel filter.
I need to do some steering column work too. It's sloppy as hell, and someone rigged a button for the starter. On the dash below the column. Wired straight to the relay. Think I'm going to use it for the glowplugs instead.

 

[dgr]

You're halfway setup for group 31 batteries. Will they fit your body style? They're inexpensive at the local truck big rig repair places. Do you have lug ends on the passenger side too?

Your VRV hoses go in that metal tab off the front pass side of the air cleaner.

Check the rag joint near the steering box before assuming it's the column. Permanent fix is a borgenson shaft or you can modify an off the shelf rag joint to work.

Get the number off the filter but that looks like a 6.9 filter head with the separate water separator. Why do you need to bypass it? Lots of 6.9s running around with a bolt or a petcock in the bottom of the drain hose.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Get the number off the filter but that looks like a 6.9 filter head with the separate water separator. Why do you need to bypass it? Lots of 6.9s running around with a bolt or a petcock in the bottom of the drain hose.

I think you're right on this being a 6.9 filter head. I may have read it wrong, but I read post #6 as it had a complete different engine swapped in at around 50k miles and everything was left on the engine that was swapped in. The 6.9 style fuel filter leads me to believe that I read it right.

 

[Leroy]

Looks like a gem.

I would plug in the block heater, while it's warming up a few hours, throw a hot battery in it, disconnect the glow plug contact relay, check the oil, loosten the injector lines to purge any air, roll it a few feet out the garage, crank with the throttle to you see puddles from the injectors, tighten em back down, shoot a squirt of ether in the breather, fire it up and time the pump.

the smoke is probably off timing, or leaky injectors, or a failing pump.

Easy to get it to started and drive around the neighborhood, don't need to drain that old diesel, but some cleaner and atf in the filter would start it off right.

Time the pump before you condem that smokie motor.

Good for you, looks like it'll be a nice truck.

 

[quickster]

Thanks Leroy. I'm halfway with the return lines. Was going to eliminate the return hardline from the pump and plumb it like my 7.3 where the pump returns through the first drivers side injector. I need to either get a cap for the existing brass fitting or go to the plumbing supply and pick up a brass three way where the return lines meet at the glow plug controller. Probably going to replace the rubber return back to where it meets hardline. It's hard like rock. This weekend I'll pull the batteries out of my '91 and give her a go.

 

[Cubey]

I'm pretty sure that you don't have one. 1987 was the only year that a 6.9 looked like a 7.3. You should have the aluminum separator bowl on the bottom of your fuel filter (assuming that it's still set up like stock).

Nope, my 87 F250 6.9 has the firewall water separator. Only the glow plug system is different, not the fuel filter.

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[IDIBRONCO]

Ok I was wrong. It's been since at least 2001 that I last saw a 1987.

 

[fjkontur]

You're halfway setup for group 31 batteries. Will they fit your body style? They're inexpensive at the local truck big rig repair places. Do you have lug ends on the passenger side too?

Your VRV hoses go in that metal tab off the front pass side of the air cleaner.

Check the rag joint near the steering box before assuming it's the column. Permanent fix is a borgenson shaft or you can modify an off the shelf rag joint to work.

Get the number off the filter but that looks like a 6.9 filter head with the separate water separator. Why do you need to bypass it? Lots of 6.9s running around with a bolt or a petcock in the bottom of the drain hose.

 

[SlippyRider]

Please, for the love of all that's holy, DON'T USE ETHER.
There's no advantage to doing so and tons of risk.
The fuel system can be primed with the starter.

 

[quickster]

Ok, some pics and questions. Pulled the fuse panel cover to see what was going on. There are 2 jumper wires coming out of #14 and #15 irc correctly. The one goes to the button under the steering column. The second button wire goes thru the firewall to the starter relay. So the button is definitely the way to start the truck. The second jumper goes to the switch on the brake pedal. There are 2 switches on the brake--the tail light, and this is the one I'm not sure of, the cruise control cutoff? I'm not sure of this one so maybe someone can help me out.
One more thing. I'm leaking fluid from the trans selector shaft. Is there a seal on the outside or do I have to drop the pan to replace it? thanks

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