Prototype 6.9L- Blast From the Past

[PwrSmoke]

Been researching the origins and history of the 6.9L and ran across something you might like to see. It's an image of an early IH IDI V8 diesel on a dyno and it appeared in a March, 1982 an industry news story in Four Wheeler magazine that talked about the upcoming diesel war between Ford and Chevy. It said IH would invest $35 million in tooling and equipment for the Indy plant to produce the new diesel engine. Given the lead time magazines have (minimum 3 months) we can predict this pic was taken in 1981 and sent out in a press release. The pic was tiny and I blew it up as big as I could make it and still be decent. I can see some difference, including an oil filler cap and vent tube in the passenger side valve cover and dual belts driving the alternator.

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[lbzbuick]

Thats pretty neat

 

[Can30Diesel]

Thats a nice pic!

 

[icanfixall]

Nice find. Also notice the passenger side manifold is dumping out the front.... Thats actually the drivers side manifold installed on the passenger side of the engine and its a van manifold I believe. Once I saw one of these engines in a wrecked big line truck used in the electrical industry. It had a differant exhaust manifold on the drivers side too. It dumped out the front also. The truck went over a roadside cliff.. Rolled and burned. Driver was killed... Still a nice pic of what was to come for Ford. Even way back then I wanted a Ford diesel....

 

[smolkin]

I just wanna know where I can get a bad-**** IH hardhat like that guy has.



Seriously, great pic and research, I was 4yrs old then, I can't imagine how neat it must've been waiting for the new state-of-the-art IDI to come out!

 

[Dieselcrawler]

Looks to be a med duty truck engine due to the manifolds and big pulleys. Nice find.





Btw I was -5 years old then.

 

[subway]

Thanks for sharing Jim.

I think I was about 238 by then, after the first couple hundred years you loose track

 

[idi_econoline]

Sheesh... I was skipping college classes and messing with a friend's 8v71.

Only did so-so on both!

 

[FordGuy100]

I wasnt even a thought. Just thought I should make you guys feel old

 

[91idi]

That was 9 years before I was born. That is a great picture and thank you for sharing! I love learning about this great engine.

 

[kc0stp]

Awesome pic, wish it was better quality but beggers cant be choosers.

Btw I was -5 years old then.

I wasnt even a thought. Just thought I should make you guys feel old

That was 9 years before I was born. That is a great picture and thank you for sharing! I love learning about this great engine.

Think I might have you all beat, that was 11 years before I was born...and I still have people that make me feel old.

 

[6.9poweredscout]

sweeeet!

 

[91F350idi]

 

[Silver Burner]

I was 2 or so. Great pic!

 

[Keeway]

sweet find!!