7.3 IDI

[jass1660]

11 minutes ago, Dirt_Floor_Poor said:

My 1993 had the factory turbo. 

Mid year production 

[farmallcubkid]

1 hour ago, Dirt_Floor_Poor said:

My 1993 had the factory turbo. 

I had a neighbor that had a 1994 crew cab with a factory turbo. He parted it out, I should see if he still has the turbo setup.

[Powered by IH]

Any update on the truck? You liking it?

[vtfireman85]

On 11/9/2025 at 1:10 PM, farmallcubkid said:

I had a neighbor that had a 1994 crew cab with a factory turbo. He parted it out, I should see if he still has the turbo setup.

Just waddle around as is, those were great trucks. 

[farmallcubkid]

Yes, very much! Other than it smokes a little. I think an injector is not getting a good spray pattern and causing it to smoke. I have been fixing oil leaks on it and the such. Eventually I will need to drop the trans and rebuild because the synchros are going out. I did the twin I beam joints and I am happy that I did because they were SHOT! I also put front brakes in it and I am trying to track down a mysterious rattle in the front end. It only happens when you hit a bump and quits if you are hitting the brakes while hitting a bump. It is really annoying on washboarding and the such. It hink it is the little pins that the caliper slide on are worn out on the one side and allows the caliper to rattle. I noticed the driver side was a little loose while doing the brakes. Hopefully I can work all the problems out of it. Thanks for asking about it!

[vtfireman85]

49 minutes ago, farmallcubkid said:

Yes, very much! Other than it smokes a little. I think an injector is not getting a good spray pattern and causing it to smoke. I have been fixing oil leaks on it and the such. Eventually I will need to drop the trans and rebuild because the synchros are going out. I did the twin I beam joints and I am happy that I did because they were SHOT! I also put front brakes in it and I am trying to track down a mysterious rattle in the front end. It only happens when you hit a bump and quits if you are hitting the brakes while hitting a bump. It is really annoying on washboarding and the such. It hink it is the little pins that the caliper slide on are worn out on the one side and allows the caliper to rattle. I noticed the driver side was a little loose while doing the brakes. Hopefully I can work all the problems out of it. Thanks for asking about it!

We had a Quigley 4x4 conversion in a van with that setup for brakes, about every 3 months it needed the rubber sandwich slides replaced or the calipers would clatter, with the rim design, if I could get someone to help me I could change the slides without removing the wheels. 

[Dirt_Floor_Poor]

I have had some knuckles get excessive wear and create too much clearance for the brake caliper. I have had a machine shop build them up and re-machine them. 

[Powered by IH]

Whatever happened to this truck? Do you still drive it?

[farmallcubkid]

@Powered by IH I do still have the truck, in pieces. After the little accident in January I set out to find parts for the new pickup project. I picked up a roller 1994 4wd frame for it with an old cab that is coming off, and I (hopefully) have a pickup with a donor motor bought. Upon taking the original motor apart, I released that it was going to cost way more than I wanted to spend. It was a miracle that that motor still ran at the end. The back 2 cylinder walls were so scratched that you could put a finger nail in the grooves! The fillings from that and the main bearings circulated through the mains and grooved the crank up. The plan now is to take the motor out of one, put it in another chassis, and put a different cab on it! The nice part about doing it like this is that I know I will have enough parts between the 3. Because of this I can build my pickup with very little extra parts other than broken lines, bolts, etc. Hopefully the project will be under way soon and I will keep you guys updated!

 ditch were I slid into

 

7.3s new stance

 

Donor pickup on flatbed

7.3 being prepped to remove cab and motor

[Binderoid]

If the clutch is dragging for any reason it will be difficult to shift... but I think you would have figured out after all this time if the clutch / system  were defective. 

If you do decide to open the trans, you must remove the three 10mm cup plugs in the case to disengage the interlock or the halves will not separate without breaking the interlock.

The detent springs are under these plugs so dont let them come flying out. 

For anything heavier than a pickup, these trans are worthless if you do any  Ioaded off-roading. First and reverse are way too high. 

While you have the trans out, toss the equally worthless dual-mass flywheel. There are certain guys who can resurface them, but there is nothing they can do about a weak / failing torque limiter.

[farmallcubkid]

Update! I got a donor pickup, got it running, and pulled the motor. It runs fine and made power so it should work. I got a single mass clutch kit on the way for it. I wish I could post pictures. I will post some when they get them working again. I plan on pulling the cab off of the donor 4wd soon and see if the frame needs anything before I put the cab on. 

[supermechanic]

While everything is apart, look closely at the bottom of the radiator support.

 Ford did no favor when they attached the batteries to the support.

 Replacement diesel radiator supports are occasionally available, usually costing about twice as much as the support for a gasser.

[Shell1066]

11 hours ago, supermechanic said:

While everything is apart, look closely at the bottom of the radiator support.

 Ford did no favor when they attached the batteries to the support.

 Replacement diesel radiator supports are occasionally available, usually costing about twice as much as the support for a gasser.

When my truck was wrecked 6 years ago I could not find one anywhere for a diesel. Every body shop said to cut the bottom of both of them and weld the diesel bottom to the gas top. All the gas mounting holes lined up.

[supermechanic]

5 minutes ago, Shell1066 said:

When my truck was wrecked 6 years ago I could not find one anywhere for a diesel. Every body shop said to cut the bottom of both of them and weld the diesel bottom to the gas top. All the gas mounting holes lined up.

That's a good way also, as the bottom hoop just needs to be grafted into the gasser support. Have done this. Currently have 3 Ford IDIs in my fleet.

[farmallcubkid]

Update, got a clutch, put the motor and tried to get started with fuel tank. Wouldn't start, tried to bleed the fuel filter, no fuel flow. Pulled the fuel pump and the plunger arm broke off and fell into the oil pan? Never seen that before. Weird because I had it running in the donor pickup. Oil pan gasket and fuel pump coming for it. Just going to unbolt trans and motor mounts and pop it back out to clean oil pan and retrieve pieces of fuel pump. At least I found it before I put  the cab on. The pump was made of pot metal and the tabs holding the arm in just broke clean off. It did sit for about 15 years before I got it running though so must have just gotten brittle over time. I wish I could post pictures. Once they fix it I will have to post the pictures for the projects.

[farmallcubkid]

Update! I got the cab on, put a box on it, got it buttoned up and took it for a spin today and it worked great! Now it's just chasing rattles down in the front end. Looked and realized that front end is due for a FULL rebuild, bearing and seals are all shot. It is a little lower geared than the 2 wd was though. Other than that, it ran and stopped fine. Hope to post pictures eventually after they get the problems figured out. I might make a YouTube short or video on it if you guys want me to and share the link.

[supermechanic]

Best update you can do with the IDI is the electric fuel pump .

 A nice Holley motor-type pump at each tank. 8 or 10 psi is enough. Don't use the 'rattle' pumps.

 No more cranking till the battery is almost dead to get fuel into the injector pump.

 Even with new return caps and lines on the injectors, air will eventually cause a drain-back problem at the inj. pump.

Been running 3 IDIs here since about 1995, maybe others have done better with the return lines, but this works for me.

 I've run the electric into the mechanical, and I've blocked off the mech pump and gone all electric.  Both seem to work.

 Wire in a switch on the oil pressure to cut the pump for safety.

 Manual bypass to prime before cranking (or same button if you are running manual glows).

 You will be amazed how easily the engine starts.

[farmallcubkid]

19 minutes ago, supermechanic said:

Best update you can do with the IDI is the electric fuel pump .

 A nice Holley motor-type pump at each tank. 8 or 10 psi is enough. Don't use the 'rattle' pumps.

 No more cranking till the battery is almost dead to get fuel into the injector pump.

 Even with new return caps and lines on the injectors, air will eventually cause a drain-back problem at the inj. pump.

Been running 3 IDIs here since about 1995, maybe others have done better with the return lines, but this works for me.

 I've run the electric into the mechanical, and I've blocked off the mech pump and gone all electric.  Both seem to work.

 Wire in a switch on the oil pressure to cut the pump for safety.

 Manual bypass to prime before cranking (or same button if you are running manual glows).

 You will be amazed how easily the engine starts.

I was thinking about doing that but wiring it to the gp switch so it primes the system while the gps are running. Then after they quit and you start it, the mechanical pump takes over. Would it be better to run it full time or just to prime it when cold?

[supermechanic]

"Would it be better to run it full time or just to prime it when cold? "

 Try it both ways; a pull on a steep grade should tell if the mechanical pulls enough through the electric that is first in line.

[brahamfireman]

10 hours ago, farmallcubkid said:

I was thinking about doing that but wiring it to the gp switch so it primes the system while the gps are running. Then after they quit and you start it, the mechanical pump takes over. Would it be better to run it full time or just to prime it when cold?

You're going to run an electric and a mechanical pump in parallel? Your mechanical pump will not suck through an electric pump.

Personally I'd just fix the return lines.  Dad's turbo 93 will start hard after sitting 3 months but if we use it once a month it's fine. Prior to me fixing the return lines it would leak back after a week and start hard. 

[supermechanic]

"Your mechanical pump will not suck through an electric pump. "

 Won't suck through a rattle pump.

Old style carter and holley low -pressure pumps with an impeller will flow.

"Personally I'd just fix the return lines"

 Return line problems will come back; I found the longest fix lasted six years. YMMV

[brahamfireman]

1 hour ago, supermechanic said:

"Your mechanical pump will not suck through an electric pump. "

 Won't suck through a rattle pump.

Old style carter and holley low -pressure pumps with an impeller will flow.

"Personally I'd just fix the return lines"

 Return line problems will come back; I found the longest fix lasted six years. YMMV

Well I'm 10 years into it the fix so.....if it can't hold a prime for a month you screwed something up.

It can get fixed right for 6 years or you can push 8 different switches in a specific order, and guarantee no one else can drive it forever.  I'll take the fixed right and can be driven by anyone option.

[supermechanic]

You're happy, I'm happy. All is good.

 It has been an adventure keeping these three trucks going.

We got them second-hand from the telephone company; all still have the original 11' utility body and Hi-Ranger bucket lift.

 The two with the automatic trans have the hydraulic PTO belt-driven on the front of the engine; I like to tell the intelligent soul who engineered this what I really think of him.

[Diesel Doctor]

On 11/8/2025 at 8:10 AM, farmallcubkid said:

Yes, I got the stuff to change the oil and both tanks work! I filled them both up in town yesterday and brought it home. I did find one problem though, it doesn't charge. I put the battery charger on it over night so it should start. It was being an absolute pain to start and on some further inspection I found that the glow plug solenoid is shot because it gets power into the right terminals but it won't send any to the glow plugs. We also got a little surprise last night too.

I just watched an episode of "Watch Wes Work" and he replaced a glow plug solenoid on his.

He said those control the ground and not the power, so you are stuck with that type of solenoid.

Those are a tough engine.

Show it a little love and it will treat you right.

[Binderoid]

The universal failure  point around  the solenoids on those and the later Power Strokes  is the output stud , whether it be from corrosion or looseness (or corrosion FROM the looseness), making  high resistance heat and the eventual  destruction  of the connection and solenoid  housing.

We have to use Never-Seez on everything  in Ohio,  and that seemed to keep the connection  clean and tight.

 I experimented mounting them on rubber blocks cut from  a  tire, after I observed the solenoid on my '95 PowerStroke vibrating to the point of being blurry...I thought,  "Well, that can't  be  good for it".  Solved the problem on the PowerStroke but it not definitive  if it helped  the PC  7.3.  I just  never  had any more trouble  with  them if I was lucky enough to get it apart after it was cooked.