Hi All

Thanks for adding me to the forum. I purchased this '85 Dually from California and plan a complete rebuild.



The truck previously had a Cummins engine swap but no drivetrain came with purchase. It originally was powered by 460/auto combo.

I'm gathering information and parts now. This project will be a lengthy one. But well worth saving a unique, piece of Bullnose history.

I look forward to sharing this journey with this group.

Thanks,
Chris

Here's a couple more pics.







I've located a pair of correct Dually fenders and taillights. Still need a tailgate though.

Welcome! That is a unique and cool truck, and I’m glad you are saving it 🙂. What drive train do you intend to put in? Where are you located?

Welcome!

4eyes wrote

I've located a pair of correct Dually fenders and taillights.

That would be the first thing I'd be doing too!

Great looking truck. I love it. I don't really have a use for such an animal, but I'd still love to have one, and as a rule I love duallies anyway.

Thanks, I'm leaning toward an IH DT466 with Eaton 6 speed swap. The simplicity, if there is such a thing, of a mechanical injection  set up should allow for easier maintenance.

Thank you, very glad I found this forum. I stumbled upon it because of Gary's gauge needle paint demo.

I'm also a Ford Fox Body enthusiast. What better way to transport cars long distances than a period correct hauler?

I picked these fenders up. The blue one's much thicker than the red/white one. I'm guessing it's either aftermarket or damage repaired.

Welcome! Glad you found us!  

And that is a cool project.  It will be a beast.

4eyes wrote

Thanks, I'm leaning toward an IH DT466 with Eaton 6 speed swap. The simplicity, if there is such a thing, of a mechanical injection  set up should allow for easier maintenance.

Wow!... wow... a DT466 is an impressive undertaking. The DT360 was one option that I looked at for my crew cab, but the 466 was/is ~way outside of my fabrication skill level to make it work. The New Holland 6.6 and 7.8 were also appealing, but would require deleting the cross member as well. I am really interested to see what you do... and I share your opinion on mechanical injection.

I considered the 360, but figured if I'm taking on this big of a project, might as well swing for the fences.

F834, your power plant sounds quite stout itself. What kind of MPG you get?

Luckily, others have pioneered the DT466 swap. Hopefully their knowledge to will minimize mistakes.

I'll be asking for guidance from you guys as well regarding suspension, electrical and body.

By the way, I'm based just south of Cincinnati in the Northern KY area.

Thanks again,
Chris

Hi Chris...

My build does not get any mpg at the moment because it is still a pile of parts. Ha ha. However, the performance goodies came from a guy who has built a few different set ups and based on his results I should see at least 20 mpg on the highway running empty. I should also see around 400/800 at the rear wheels. I admire the heavy diesel engine swaps. They are great engines, and having one in a pickup truck is neat stuff. Unfortunately in my geographic area (northern Arizona) such donor engines are scarce and overpriced, and I lack the necessary fabrication know-how. I’m sure I could teach myself but this project is already in runaway mode and it just made the best sense to build up an IDI. They have a lot of unique advantages going for them, and R&D Performance has really changed the game as far as bolt on power potential. I admit I went overboard, probably to my own detriment but I bought the parts that I bought and if R&D’s videos are any indication my crew cab will be a bit of a wild ride when not loaded or towing. What are you aiming for as far as power?

4eyes wrote

Thanks for adding me to the forum. I purchased this '85 Dually from California and plan a complete rebuild.

What happened to the windshield trim and the cowl panel? Are they both missing or were they included with the truck?

Cowl was in cab but trim is dinged up. I'll need to locate a clean set.

Welcome!! Glad your bringing it back to life.

Hmmm... I'll check R&D out. Sounds like a good source.

My goal is 600 hp, which equates to ridiculous torque numbers, 1400+ lb/ft. The real quandary is chassis and rear end endurance. The Bullnose frame will snap under that load.

I look forward to seeing your progress as well!

Chris

R&D is a great source and a great guy to work with. He pretty much just does stuff for 6.9/7.3 IDI but he is branching out a little and might be able to help if you run into a specific need. He works with some top notch pump shops and can make special things happen with turbos/housings etc., he’s gotten pretty close to 500 out of a 7.3, but the rotary pumps are not too street friendly at that level. My 150cc is about the max without running into sketchy pedal side effects. He is currently working on a custom gear housing and an in-line 8 cylinder injection pump which will be fantastic. His highest horsepower has been in his bricknose bronco, and the frame held up, as did his semi-float 10.25 Sterling retrofitted to 5 lugs. On his bricknose F250 he did add traction bars and another cross member and some frame boxing when he converted to a single Bronco fuel tank. Our frames are pretty stout but reinforcement sure won’t hurt. Traction bars are probably a good idea, and if your axle is an original ‘85 10.25 Sterling then I’d upgrade to the later long style yoke on the pinion.

http://www.idiperformance.com



In this clip the TTB Dana44 looks like it’s crying for mercy though... this is the horsepower toy...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=quxHJrORMi4

His tow rig is a 7.3 sleeved down for 6.9 pistons with bushed out turbo rods. He has a full series of Loooooong videos showing every gory step of the engine building, but this is the video showing it tested out to haul the Bronco to hunting for horsepower competition event. This truck was supposed to receive a 7.8 New Holland, but he just had too many projects and a business to run so plans changed:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I0ZIFIYo7Kg

His Bronco's a hoot! It's great he's unlocking the IDI's potential.

Drivability is the key to this venture. The DT360 or 4BT Cummins could do the job but the 466 should make the desired numbers with less exotic mods and stress on internals. So many guys want huge HP numbers but realize the rig isn't streetable afterwards.

Being DRW will help plant the power to the ground. Traction bars are a good idea. I also plan to cross brace the chassis. Since I'll need a body lift to fit the DT466 under a Bullnose hood, there will be extra space to do some other strategic re-enforcing.

It'll be a fun project. My only hope is it won't take too long to complete!

Chris

You nailed it Chris... I originally ordered the 180 pump but ended up “downgrading” to the 150cc after talking it over with him. Sketchy pedal is not something you want when backing a trailer etc., In all honesty, I will only be able to “use” about the first 250 hp for actual towing. Above that will simply generate too much heat. I could stretch this a bit by decompression, but the 21.5 CR is what gives the IDI such a nice low torque peak and the ability to hold a gear. I’m not really wanting to mess with that. When I picked my parts I didn’t fully understand the compromises involved, and I would probably pick differently now. My particular truck is for towing our camper and exploring back country, but I’m building a race engine 🙄😇. It will still tow and crawl, I’m sure, but it isn’t well balanced for its primary purpose.

How much will you have to lift the body? Will you be cutting out the stock cross member? As far as not taking too long... I wish you better luck with that than I have had. I’ve seen some guys do amazing things in short periods of time but I am years deep into mine and a long way to go yet 😔

At least 3 inches of lift but probably 4. You mentioned heat. That's another advantage of more lift, reduced cabin heat and noise. (More room for sound deadening material... )

I'm not sure if original cross member will get used. Most likely we'll build a steel tube replacement. A custom unit allows for better fitment of the extra long DT466 unit. I'd like to run a mechanical fan vs electric. But that means shifting the block rearward, farther into cabin.

I'm with you on usable power. Though 600 is the target, once we get the truck built, it'll tell us what's the optimum hp output. Most likely we'll dial it back to 450-500hp which still equates to axle snapping torque numbers.