Hey folks -- anyone familiar with the IDI Ford 6.9 diesels? A guy nearby has an 86 F250 with what he assumes is a blown head gasket(s) as it overheats immediately, but there is no smoke. He had new injectors and some other work done about 3 years ago and that's when it started overheating (so bad once that it blew the block heater out). Sounds a little scary, but it sounds like he's ready to almost give it away. I know nada about these things, but I would like to find a diesel work truck to fiddle with. Any advice? Sorry to be so vague on the symptoms; I have only talked on the phone with the guy, not seen the truck.

Chris

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1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

thedieselstop.com is the ford diesel truck forum.. good place i used to search there before here

Thanks for the tip!

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1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

While thedieselstop.com is a good place for Ford IDI info, another one is oilburners.net.
Sure sounds like something is pressurizing the cooling system. Maybe the injector work was coincidental.
The 6.9 has small head bolts, only 7/16" diameter. The later 7.3 IDI used 1/2" bolts. Some guys have gone to studs to hold the heads on thier 6.9s, especially if they have turbo charged them.
Overall, the 6.9 is a good engine, the cylinder walls are thicker than the 7.3 IDI so cavitation is less of a concern. Always ask a seller if they have kept the SCA to the proper level. A blank look often lets you know he is unaware of the need to keep up with them.
The Heads are HEAVY; a cherry picker makes the job much easier. Another item that probably needs attention is the oil cooler.
Oh, one more thing, the engines were made by International. That gives you another source for parts; sometimes the Ford dealers are not diesel people. Be aware though, that many of the pieces that bolt to the engine may not be International, but Ford parts.
If you visit oilburners.net, look at the IDI primer posted by Mel Agnem; he covers most of the major points.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

Dieselstop is pretty good, this site is better.

Hopefully he hasn't had the pistons cavitate. You have to add the anti-cavitation fluid to the fords or small bubbles deteriorate the walls of the cylinders. If so you get pressure in cooling system and little compression in the cylinder - engine shot.

That's probably worst case scenario

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-livin' in the terminally flippant zone

Thanks for the tips, guys. I will probably wait a week or two and see if the truck is still around. If it is, I can probably just about name my price. In that time, maybe I'll learn something on one of these sites!

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1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

aren't those prone to cavitation and cylinder wall perforation if coolant isn't checked religiously for certain additive package levels?

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Bone,
no the 6.9 only rarely experience cavitation; it was more common in the 7.3 version, and even more of a problem with the early powerstrocks.
With the exception of the small head bolts, they are bulletproof. I rebuilt mine at something around 300,000 miles just because. There was still cross hatch visible in the lower half of the cylinders.

Cavitation is when the cylinder WALLS are eroded; not the pistons.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

arent they called powerjokes? or powersmokes.. never hear powerstrocks

I have a neighbor with an older Ford with the 6.9. It was bought new. I will have to say, it's probably been the most reliable truck in the neighborhood. He takes immaculate care of it, but it's a really good truck. And I'm not a Ford man by any stretch of the term.

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DS
2010 CL550 - Heaven help me but it's beautiful
87 300D a labor of love
11 GLK 350 So far, so good
08 E350 4matic, Love it.
99 E320 too rusted, sold
87 260E Donated to Newgate School
www.Newgateschool.org - check it out.
12 Ford Escape, sold, forgotten
87 300D, sold, what a mistake
06 Passat 2.0T, PITA, sold

Las Vegas NV

Some people called them powerjokes. I just mistyped.
They are no jokes. Really strong and powerful engines and they respond well to some computer tuning. When the chip people first turned their attention to the Powerstroke, there were some characters on thedieselstop.com ( actually, its predecessor forddiesel.com, until FoMoCo's lawyers made them change the name) who actually went Corvette hunting in their juiced up diesels. Thats got to be a rush to beat out a 'Vette with a truck, let alone a diesel.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

Here is another place.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
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