1984 F-250 6.9 IDI Repairs Help

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1984 F-250 6.9 IDI Repairs Help

Coco
Hey guys, ive taken a step back on the modification plans for Autumn, the 84 F-250, with a 6.9 IDI, to focus more on her repairs, since lifes been lifing me, and mods might have to wait till next year.

Ive got a list of parts from a mechanic who looked at all her issues, but ive got some questions about what parts to order, where to get them from, and where to find resources on how to do it myself. (Im not a terribly experienced mechanic, but the reason I bought this truck was to learn. And it's a bullnose lol)  

I know packages and accessories can affect which part goes into the truck, so I'll clear up what her packages are and what she needs now.

She is an XLT, 2wd, 4spd Granny.
She needs a:
Radiator
Block heater
Power steering pump
Glow plug relay rewired, either to a new switch added onto the dash, or rewired for the factory starting method. Ive used ether on her when I needed to start her, which Jeremey (the mechanic who looked at her) says is destroying if not already destroyed the compression. Ive heard some guys say they use it on all their vehicles with no issues when rebuilding them, others make it seem like the end of the world, and i really dont know enough about diesels and ether to form a full opinion yet.
And water pump

I know I had the size of the radiator before, when getting new hoses for it but I cant remember what size it is. The water pump I think ive found, and the block heater ive found one that looks like what i need, but I'm not sure cuz ive never gotten it pulled out myself.

She does also have some braking issues, in which the brakes do not...well, brake. Front brakes seem fine, when rolling <5 ish, however going standard city speeds (25-35 mph) theres almost nothing. I replaced both the booster and master cylinder and bled the front brakes, and Jeremey said the rear brake pump and pulley were bad, or something along those lines, and the e brake doesnt catch or hold itself.

If anyone can find images of the exact parts I need, or links to where to get them, that would be incredible! I usually go through the O'Reilly's in my home town, but im currently out of state for a little bit and will be ordering parts online so when i go home the parts are ready for me to get her rolling (and stopping properly) again.
Autumn: 1984 F-250 XLT
Single Cab Long bed, 2wd
4spd manual, 6.9L/420 Diesel
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Re: 1984 F-250 6.9 IDI Repairs Help

JimJam300
Firstly, you should pick up this Hayne's manual. In addition to being a good all-around resource it also has a very extensive section on brake servicing which has helped my own fledgling knowledge on the subject.

Have you adjusted the nut on your parking brake equalizer? Over time parking brake cables stretch and need to be re-adjusted. If you are at the end of your adjustment you will have to get new cables, not a huge deal as they are fairly cheap and easy to install.
1982 Bronco restomod in progress: Built 4.9L, T19 4spd, 9" 3.00 rear w/ Eaton TrueTrac, 31" tires, fuel injection soon
https://www.youtube.com/@jimjamauto
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Re: 1984 F-250 6.9 IDI Repairs Help

Gary Lewis
Administrator
In reply to this post by Coco
I believe all of the brake sections from Ford's factory service manual are in the various tabs at Documentation/Driveline/Brakes.  (If something is missing I can add it, but I counted 101 pages so I think it is all there.)

As for parts, I use Rock Auto's catalog to find part numbers, but I don't usually buy from Rock as my experience has been they are a pain to deal with if you have a return.  However, you can see what parts they say are correct for your truck, which you can also do on our Brakes page for Motorcraft parts.  But since I don't always buy Motorcraft I like to have the other brand's part numbers as well.

So then I take those part numbers and start shopping.  Several times I've purchased from Amazon and have gotten the same parts for less.  But not always.

As for a radiator, I put an all aluminum Champion in Big Blue.  It has a lifetime warranty and I had to use it once as the first one sprang a leak.  But they found me a replacement, although they weren't easy to find at that point.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: 1984 F-250 6.9 IDI Repairs Help

mat in tn
certainly, get a manual and read up as much as possible. then when you get into the repair refer back now and again as hands on will give a lot more meaning to the written word. as far as a first one to learn on its a bit of a handful. It's simple as diesels go but that's not as simple as say a two barrel 302. many of the parts you need may be had through lmc although not always the cheapest. researching part numbers through rock auto or parts geek is something I'm doing daily. sometimes it can lead me to amazon and even Oreilly's which is far more convenient.
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Re: 1984 F-250 6.9 IDI Repairs Help

Coco
In reply to this post by JimJam300
I think I have a Haynes and Chiltons for the truck. I dont exactly remember. I know I have one for my old Ranger that my parents used before they killed it, and I had a Haynes for my first F-250. (1990, 460, auto). I dont exactly remember if Autumn has one or not, ive been in tennessee since Oct. and shes been in washington state her whole life lol.

Cross checking part numbers does sound like a good idea. If I can get photos and have a visual of the part then that works a lot better for me, especially because none of the people at my O'Reilly's are very experienced with diesels, theyre all gasser mechanics. But i will check Rock Auto and some other online shops to see whats available, general costs of each part, and make sure its the right part for the truck. I have run into a lot of issues getting the wrong belts, hoses, and other random parts for my truck cuz we thought it was one size part when it was actually the bigger one or sum.

As for the brakes, I have not checked the equalizer. I avoid brake work at all costs because its scary lol, but I'll give Jeremey a call on Monday and ask him if he got a look at it at all or not
Autumn: 1984 F-250 XLT
Single Cab Long bed, 2wd
4spd manual, 6.9L/420 Diesel
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Re: 1984 F-250 6.9 IDI Repairs Help

Ford F834
Administrator
In reply to this post by Coco
You can use ether to start your truck as long as the glow plug system is disabled. Using ether with all or some of the glow plugs working is not a good idea. If the glow plugs ignite the ether prematurely before the heat of compression would normally ignite it, severe engine damage will result. It does not inherently cause loss of compression.

That said, your truck will start much, much easier with working glow plugs and will save wear and tear on your starter and batteries. If you don’t mind a manual momentary switch, that is an easy and cheap solution. If you want the factory system to work, I highly suggest you replace the controller with an aftermarket solid state one. The original 6.9 controllers had a tendency to fail in the “on” position and burn out all 8 glow plugs. Autolite brand in particular would swell at the tip when they burned out and wouldn’t come out of the hole. The tips would break off and fall into the engine. You would then have to pull the cylinder head to get it out, or say a prayer and run it and let the piston pulverize the tip and hope it spit the pieces out of the exhaust valve before too much cylinder damage occurred. Note: changing the heads with the engine in the truck is harder than just pulling the engine. I don’t recommend running the factory controller and I don’t recommend off brand glow plugs. Use Motorcraft/Beru and make sure they are the right kind for your controller (spade connector 12v for old 6.9, bullet connector 6v for late (1987) 6.9 and 7.3 IDI).

On your block heater, you might want to check your block serial number. Early blocks were known to crack around the block heater. This was resolved by 1984, but I would double check just in case. They come in different wattages, and using a lower watt heater is less stressful on the block but also takes longer to warm up.

SHORT BED 4-DOOR DIESEL: 1986 F350 4x4 under construction-- 7.3 IDIT ZF5+GVOD

STRAIGHT SIX 4X4: 1981 F150 2wd to 4x4-- 300 I6 close ratio diesel T19, hydroboost brakes, Saginaw steering

BIG F: 1995 F-Superduty under construction— converting to 6.9L IDI diesel ZF5+DNE2
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Re: 1984 F-250 6.9 IDI Repairs Help

Ford F834
Administrator
In the above chart, the 1984 emissions engine is the block serial number break for the block heater issue 59209 and above. It is stamped next to the injection pump housing on the driver side of the block.

Here is a link to the solid state GP controller:
https://www.accuratediesel.com/shop/60.html
SHORT BED 4-DOOR DIESEL: 1986 F350 4x4 under construction-- 7.3 IDIT ZF5+GVOD

STRAIGHT SIX 4X4: 1981 F150 2wd to 4x4-- 300 I6 close ratio diesel T19, hydroboost brakes, Saginaw steering

BIG F: 1995 F-Superduty under construction— converting to 6.9L IDI diesel ZF5+DNE2