Questions about 1988 F350 4WD Crew Cab Long bed IDI 7.3 Diesel with ZF 5 Speed

[vintageracer]

I have been looking AGAIN at a number of different trucks for a build this winter. Today went to look at a 1988 F350 4WD Crew Cab Flat Bed Single Rear Wheel IDI 7.3 Diesel with ZF 5 Speed. 4WD, 7.3 IDI, 5 Speed, Steering, Brakes, Tilt, Cruise, Limited Slip, Manual Hubs, Manual Transfer case, Gauges, Radio and a few other basics.

The truck has been a farm truck and most anyone would say it's rough. Having said that the 7.3 IDI diesel runs good with a little bit of blow by. The ZF 5 speed transmission shifts good. The 4WD works good. Solid front axle. The truck cab is RUSTFREE and the frame is RUSTFREE. The ZF transmission is dry along with dry front and rear differentials and engine. All 4 doors are good. Manual windows, manual locks and rubber floor mat. I like the flat bed on the back, it comes with side stakes, has a goose ball and receiver hitch with storage boxes. The truck was original white (jambs in interior paint still white) with a CRAPPY TAN spray bomb paint job. 6 wheels/tires, good exhaust, dry underneath, all glass good, not particularly beat up just needs stripped and repainted. Suspension is complete and looks OK however I am sure it will also need attention. Interior is kinda rough however the basics such as the dash, door panels and headliner are OK. Seats would get replaced along with the damaged steering column.

Mechanically the truck will need a new alternator, front and rear complete brakes, replacement steering column (theft attempt), starter relay, 2 new batteries, heater core, new belts, hoses, coolant, oil change, alignment and basic service just for starters.

MY plan would be to do complete service and suspension redo in stock or slight lift with new springs, bed removal for complete repaint of cab and re-install repainted bed, new LED lighting and a lot of trips to Pull A Part to get some replacement parts that are better than currently on the truck.

I currently have a 95 F350 2WD Powerstrock dually I purchased new and have owned a couple of 7.3 IDI 2WD AUTOMATIC trucks in the past and am familiar of the lazy performance they have. I am wondering how much the 5 speed transmission helps along with being 4WD.

Can anyone give me a good review on the performance and driving of a late 1980's 7.3 IDI Diesel, 5 Speed, 4WD Long Bed F350 and share your experiences as to whether this truck is even worth a consideration for a light off road and work vehicle when the "restoration" is complete?

Here are a few pictures of the truck in question.

 

[Rot Box]

I like them.. Certainly one of the most affordable diesel pickups as far as cost of ownership and maintenance goes. The biggest major issue with the 7.3's is cylinder wall cavitation/erosion. Over time they can/will develop pin holes in the cylinder wall if the proper coolant hasn't been used and maintained and that leads to catastrophic failure. Some say if the previous owner can't tell you what coolant they used to turn and walk away.. I don't know if I'd go that far personally but I would flush the old coolant and replace with the proper stuff asap.

Using anything but Motorcraft/Beru glow plugs is also a big no-no on this particular engine. Auto-lite, Champion and a handful of other plugs will swell and get stuck in the cylinder head which usually means the head(s) has to come off. Not saying those brands are bad... just bad in this engine.

How does the clutch sound? Does it rattle (like shaking a glass jar full of coins) especially when you shut the engine off? You should check for slop in the dual mass flywheel (if it hasn't been converted yet). Higher milage flywheels can grenade and take the transmission with it.

If the starter relay needs replaced you'll need the whole new starter as they are built in. Do yourself a favor and get a DB electric or Powermaster type. If I knew then what I know now that would be one of the first upgrades I would have done---much much better than the oem type imho.

You'll want to replace the fuel filter head o-ring, replace fuel line 'olives' (compression type rubber seals), have a close look at the lift pump and replace the return line o-rings on the injectors right away. Easy/cheap to do and well-well worth the effort. After several years these will leak and cause hard starts.. hard starts are likely the biggest complaint on these trucks and they can be easily avoided with a little maintenance.

Is the truck worth it? I have no idea.. I think it takes a certain type of person to appreciate these old trucks. For my needs and budget my 91 works very well. Sure they are needy at times (mostly the stuff Ford designed lol) but if you can do your own work and maintenance and don't like car payments I think they're hard to beat. They are nowhere near as powerful as a modern diesel---not even remotely close nor will they ever be. The brakes suck even when everything is functioning properly. I wrote an instruction manual for starting mine just in case there's an emergency and my wife needs to drive it... (she hates driving it )

There are a few of us IDI guys here. Good luck, keep us posted and head over to http://www.oilburners.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?34-6-9L-IH-amp-7-3L-IDI-Diesels for all the info you could ever want/need.

Andrew

 

[Darwin]

I had one, unless you are on a tight budget I prefer the Cummins for multiple reasons. The IDI couldn't get out of it's own way, a real dog, slow, not having a turbo is brutal. I had a 5 speed with 4:10 gears, adding 35 inch tires only made it worse.