Whats a 1986 F250 4x4 6.9 worth?

[BleednBlue68]

I have the opportunity to buy this truck cheap. Supposedly has bad headgaskets. Its been sitting for a few yrs. Rust above the rear wheel wells as normal. I havnt looked at the truck yet. Has a 4speed. This guy is the original owner. I dont know if its just a blown head gasket or could be cracked head or block? You think its worth buyin and fixing. I'd use this truck as a wood truck probably. Dont know how much it would cost to do headgaskets or whatever is wrong with it. He just wants scrap value for it. If I dont buy it, thats where its gonna go. I just want your imput on it before I do anything. I've always wanted an IDI

 

[Simp5782]

its up to you and your abilities on fixing it and how much you want to spend. I bought 3 85/86 F250s for $1500 each running and i beat the crap out of them and havent had many issues. It is just whatever your comfortable with.

 

[MUDKICKR]

scrap is all its worth, if it does have a "blown headgasket" and its been sitting with coolant in the cylinders theres a good chance that engine is junk. the cylinder walls dont like anything with water in it and will rust up. plan on putting an engine in it.
with that being said, you could rebuild the engine in it, but finding a good used engine might be cheaper, depending on what auto knowledge/ability you have.
or the engine could be fine with a bad injector, never know without checking, but i wouldnt give him any more then scrap value out of it.

 

[Rot Box]

Everything I have ever bought or ever seen bought that had blown a head gasket and sat awhile always had a large amount of rust in the cylinder

Hard to say on price without seeing it. good luck though

 

[BleednBlue68]

Well he said it aint locked up and he would always check the oil before driving and saw the coolant in the oil so thats when he parked. he said he drained the oil though. I am very mechanically inclined. Im a mechanic at a cycle dealership and I work on all my cars and trucks. But lets say just the headgaskets are blown, as long as the cylinders are great, how much for doin the gaskets? Also what else would you do to the engine since the heads are off? Injector o'rings? I'd rather do this stuff now since its torn down. Hate doin stuff later when it should've been done sooner.

 

[stumiister]

Well he said it aint locked up and he would always check the oil before driving and saw the coolant in the oil so thats when he parked. he said he drained the oil though. I am very mechanically inclined. Im a mechanic at a cycle dealership and I work on all my cars and trucks. But lets say just the headgaskets are blown, as long as the cylinders are great, how much for doin the gaskets? Also what else would you do to the engine since the heads are off? Injector o'rings? I'd rather do this stuff now since its torn down. Hate doin stuff later when it should've been done sooner.

If you have to remove the heads then I would pull the engine to do the job, there is little room on the right side to get the head on and off but it can be done but its much eaiser to do it with the engine out of the truck, I would have the heads checked for cracks, the injectors on the IDIs dont have o-rings but there is a copper washer at the nozzle end that should be changed along with the return caps and -orings that should be changed, you will need the intake gasket both head gaskets I would also put in ARP studs for the heads.

 

[BleednBlue68]

Yea agreed. I like doin things right the first time. If you pull the engine might as well check the bottom end too. Yea headstuds would be a must. Are there complete rebuild kits for these motors? If the truck is in really good shape i might pop on it and save it for another project. I hate seein vehicles goin to the scrapper if they are in actual good shape.

 

[stumiister]

When I rebuilt my 6.9 I got rebuilt heads, new rod and main bearings, set of piston rings, had the block honed out and now I have about 1000 miles on the rebuild

 

[wanabebig]

if there was coolant in the oil, you might look at the oil cooler too? there could be a problem with it going bad and mixing the two. not saying it isn't a headgasket. but i'd look at the oil cooler too. where is Eudora at? i'm about 60 miles south west of wichita.

 

[BleednBlue68]

Thanks for all the comments. I will def check out the oil cooler. Be nice if thats what it is. Nice and simple. Eudora is about 25miles west of KC off of highway 10 (K10).