Superduty 7.3

[smokin69]

I was wondering what people thought about a SD PSD swap into my 86 F350 regular cab 4x4. I was talking to my grandpa tonight about fixing up my truck with him when I come home from school in a month and got onto the subject of the engine, because I really don't feel like rebuilding it to stock specs and I won't have the money for all the custom stuff it would need to put out the power I want. My cousin bought a wrecked Super Duty for the transmission to put in his truck and we where thinking about maybe swapping it in. I know I would need all the wiring harnesses and such, which wouldn't be to bad if I had the whole truck. I know I'd need a new computer because I would put it in with a ZF6 and the truck had a 4R100 in it. I'm getting pretty good at wiring and following diagrams so it wouldn't be to hard to get it all wired up, as I'd probably run new wires to most everything that's not from the SD as the truck has had some hack wiring done by the PO. Another thing that came up was a DT360 or a DT466 from a school bus or medium duty truck, which can be scooped up pretty cheap if you keep your eyes open.

 

[Agnem]

This has been discussed a lot, but only a select few have done it. To be frank, if you don't have the money for IDI mods, you probably don't have the money for a Powerstroke. I just spent a Moose Pump and Moose Misters on my 02' and that was just to get it back to the way it was. I would not attempt any engine conversion unless you have 2 or 3 K of available funds to dedicate to the task. Otherwise, you'lll end up taking forever, and won't have the truck for a long time. Heck, this dang 8 lug conversion on the Bronco has run into cost overuns big time, and I find myself regretting having started the whole thing. A project is no longer fun when you reach that point, I assure you.

 

[SparkandFire]

X2 Mel,

Every little connector,bracket,etc. on the PSD truck is a dealer item, and it's all expensive!

A company I worked for spent the money to repair a '00 PSD service truck after an engine compartment fire (power steering hose blew on the side of a mountain) and looking back, they would have been better off replacing the whole truck for the cost of all those dealer-only parts.

 

[punkmechanic]

I am concidering the same swap into an 87. I work at a dealer and have access to all the equipment i would need. Its still in the cocideration stage due to the work involved. The entire dash needs rewired, everything under the hood needs rewired, the gauge cluster from the donor truck has to be in as it has a module in it, etc. Unless you are experienced and willing to de vote time and money, dont risk it. Even with a 95 donor truck for free, it still will likly be cheaper for me (even eith all my connections and suppliers) to build an idi.

The 00 into an 86 will even harder as the cluster isnt even close and the 00 has more sophisticated wiring and electronics.

Punk

 

[Chevyboy_0]

Dont mean to rain on the parade but I agree with everyone else that is posted. If you cant afford the IDI build the PSD won do much good either, Although I would love to see that swap If it was me i would go with the DT360 or DT466 myself

 

[Diesel_brad]

It is going to be a very involved swap. I am doing this swap to my 86 prob next fall. But i have a complete running 95 powerstroke 5 speed. As for using the ZF6 you will either need a BFH or a body lift. And for who ever said a 00 engine is more complex than a 94-97 is WRONG. the only difference is the I/C and electric fuel system.

When i do my swap, i will take plenty of pics and lots of notes because a lot of people want to do this swap but do not have the know how, but can follow directions

 

[BIG DAVE]

i like the idea of the older body with the newer guts, but i've got to say i would do a DT466 but thats only cuz i've always wanted to do that swap

 

[punkmechanic]

Thr ic, injector wirung, pcm wiring, and need for an electric lift pump makes the 1999-2003 a more complicated swap than the 95-97 non intercooled, base electrical obdii, mechanical lift pump. Either motor will literally bolt in. A zf5 is the easist trans to go with.
Punk

 

[smokin69]

What I'm saying is I want to be up into the 500 hp range and to get there with an IDI is gonna require full custom rotating assembly and probably P pump it and with all the machine work involved and stuff it would be cheaper to put in a PSD and mod it with a turbo, HPOP, and some hybrids and get it tuned. Time isn't a factor at all because as it is right now the truck sits in the barn and doesn't move, I drive the F150 everyday and if I need to tow anything I use the Dually, It would just be a toy truck project for my and my grandpa. We have quite a bit of fab experience, I help him restore older JD tractors and helped with his 54 F100, we put a mass air 5.8 in it with a C6 and swapped in a Mustang II front end and newer 8.8 with disks out of an Exploder. Im say that, since having the whole truck I would pretty much use the whole wiring harness out of the Superduty and modify it only where necessary. Right now it's just an idea, but if I have to pull the engine, an IDI isn't most likely making it back in.

 

[bowedup2003]

Heck go for it! As long as you have a donor truck and a good clear wiring schematic you should be fine.

If you read Diesel Power magazine I have seen numerous 24v and commonrail Cummins swapped into all sorts of trucks, and I'm sure their wiring is just as complicated.

Just remember, if it was easy then everybody would be doing it, and where's the fun in that??? Heck 2 months ago I cut my 1984 completely in half a spliced a new rear frame and swapped a new front end in! All my friends thought I was nuts and that the truck would never drive right or track straight again, but I've already got 2200 miles on it since then and couldn't be happier with it!

Bowedup

 

[punkmechanic]

a capable daily driven 500 hp 7.3 power joke is doable for enough money. The big down fall to all these crazy horsepower wars in the media and magazines is that you have a big loud fast truck that shows your **** is bigger and all that, but mine still gets me there. Its your time and money but I would think that you could build a really reliable idi for what your gonna spend to get the powerstroke in. If you want something different and interesting then do the powerstroke swap.

If you just wanna blow money and look cool then follow all the other sheep and stuff a 12v in it.

Im not trying to be mean. Its a novel idea and given your track record, well within your capabilities. I see a lot of capable decent trucks ruined every week by people pulling gobs and gobs of power out of these engines for nothing. I really hate to see a beautiful cc f350 4x4 harley edition come in with huge tires, lift, stacks, chip, etc. 50k truck with 50k of stuff and its junk cause its way over hopped up. Never gets used for work, just drags some rich lard ass around all day looking cool and showing off with clouds of smoke (no scratches in the bed or reciever hitch kinda truck). makes me kinda sick, but hey its there money and whatever. still doesnt impress me.

punk

 

[janos1]

I really hate to see a beautiful cc f350 4x4 harley edition come in with huge tires, lift, stacks, chip, etc. Never gets used for work, just drags some rich lard ass around all day looking cool and showing off with clouds of smoke (no scratches in the bed or reciever hitch kinda truck). makes me kinda sick, but hey its there money and whatever. still doesnt impress me.

Preach it brother.
I think if you have the means, time, knowhow and a place to do it... Have at it. Like they said before. If it were easy everyone would be doing it. At least it would get a workout rather than just wearing out the tires going to car shows, so you could pat yourself on the back bragging how much you spent on your truck. Instead.... This is what I can do. Awesome!

 

[smokin69]

Well I want to build it for pulling and to be a fun truck to go offroad in and be a truck to play with on the weekends yet still get me back and forth to work and tow anything I need.

 

[Diesel_brad]

Good lick truck pulling. Around here the engine has to have come in the truck stock. NO 12 Valves, powerstroke converions or anything of the sort

 

[punkmechanic]

They have a modified class here that you would (probably) be able to run in.

Dont get me wrong, the 7.3 is a great engine. It was built to work and to replace our engines. Its a solid strong motor and will take upgrades well. It is expensive and then some.

Every diesel engine made has advantages and disadvantages. I like the idea of a powerstroke in an older truck, mostly just to do it.

The advantage of the idi is Dead nutz reliability, cheap, and ease of repair. The 7.3 choke is fairly easy to maintain and repair but the parts are expensive (a rebuild kit for either engine is the same price from ford, however 250 will buy all 8 idi injectors or almost one choke injector.

I plan to do the swap with the one I have, but Im gonna have an idi ready to go in if I get over it, and another idi truck in the driveway for when the stroke acts up.

punk