4 door ford 7.3IDI or 2 door dodge 12v cummins?

[bfdiesel]

So I have been looking for a new addition with four wheels. My untimate goal is the Ford F350 4 door and putting a 12V in it. So for the mean time I am looking at getting half the project and driving it until I can get a new house with a shop/garage.

I keep leaning towards the Ford first as it can be found fairly cheap, can handle my whole family without the crawling into the back to buckle the baby(assuming a super cab dodge post 93), and from what I have talked about with some guys who have worked on these navistar IDI's they are good reliable workhorses just maybe a bit slow loaded, but can keep up empty.

I do love the old 12v's though and that is where I am stuck I would like to have a durable and power to spare vehicle as I already have a na 6.2 IDI and get to feel the thrill of getting to speed half way home(if I even get to speed:smiley_drive. The only part of the dodge I really want is the engine.

Both the current trucks I am looking at right now, but not limited to, are 4x4 5 speeds(only thing I will look at:wings. The Ford is a 1993 f350 crew cab and the dodge is a 1994 2500 single cab. The ford does not run but comes with a complete "running" extra power train motor through tcase. The dodge is a work truck good running condition. Asking price difference is 2500.00.

Just looking for thoughts as I want to explore both options before picking a path.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Rot Box]

I fell in love with my 1st gen Cummins. It was the last truck I thought I'd ever need--until we had our first baby. We had a quad cab 01 Cummins at that time as well and the carseat thing was still a pain. Look through the link in my sig it sounds like you are in a similar boat as I was. New trucks have 4 doors but 98% of electronically injected diesels have zero appeal to me or my budget. That said when you want simple/cheap mechanical injection, decent power, 5 gears, 4wd and 4 doors is there another option besides an IDI? Nope.

I will say this much a non-turbo IDI leaves a lot to be desired under decent load--not so much compared to a 6.2 though LOL. A healthy turbo IDI does not get the credit they deserve they pull very hard. Not common rail diesel or modified Cummins hard but they are by no means slow. I will likely get roasted by this but the IDI is second to the 12v Cummins in my book. They are stupid simple to work on, Because Ford outsold GM and Dodge during many of those years you can find several of them in any given scrap yard (try that with a Cummins, PSD or D-max) at any given time, they start very well in the winter, replacing the entire injection system costs as much as one injector in some trucks... I could go on for days. The biggest issue I see with IDI's is neglect in the injection and glow plug system. Those two things will make or break a relationship with an IDI.

Several of my friends and family members have Cummins swapped crew cabs. Yes I like them a lot but a healthy IDI will grow on you big time so much so that you might reconsider a future swap in my case anyway. Head over to http://www.oilburners.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?34-6-9L-IH-amp-7-3L-IDI-Diesels even if you have a few questions about them the crowd over there is more than happy to help they're a great bunch :bike_rider:


Edit: To answer your question don't do what I did. If you need 4 doors you NEED 4 doors. Letting my 1st gen go was a heartbreaker to say the least

 

[delithic]

Personally I would get the four doors as soon as possible. Swaping in the IDI will give you a chance to clean everything up under the hood prior to getting the 12V cummins. Also in the mean time you can have time to get everything else where you want it. In my case that includes only one EZ tag on the windsheild ($15 per vehicle).

Also, you will have performance gains going to the 12V from the IDI in the ford whereas going from the same engine in a 2 door to a 4 door vehicle will probably show a reduction in speed. Just a thought.

 

[ExpoMike]

Though I love the Cummins in my Dodge, I did own a 1 ton Ford van with a 6.9 IDI that had a ATS turbo system (non IC). It freakin' got up and moved. Never had any issues with it but did have to watch the pyro when pulling long grades, just to keep the temps in check. It was a fun van. As much as I am anti-Ford, I would say to find the 4 door you're looking for with an IDI and work with that. Sure the Cummins would be nice but not enough that I would want to do that swap... and this is coming from a guy who has built two hot rods from scratch. A well sorted IDI would be fine unless you plan to tow heavy.

Good luck.

 

[goin camping]

Sounds like you need a four door.

You and the Mrs. will not be happy fighting a two door, car seats, kids. Because of that you may find you are not going and doing as much as you'd like.

IMHO get the Ford and when your shop is set up sell the power trains to offset the cummings purchase price.

 

[HillbillyfromAL]

Get the Ford they are spacious and the 7.3L is a great engine.

 

[bftank]

guess you got your answer, you should post a link to the one you are looking at wes.

 

[bfdiesel]

http://westslope.craigslist.org/cto/3377096043.html
http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/3248379426.html

 

[Uncle_jesse]

i have a 93f350 crew cab long box 4x4 that was originally a 7.3 turbo idi and i just did a 12v swap defiantly made the truck but i do have to say the old idi held it own never gave me any troubles and was always up for the challenge ... as long as you werent in to much of a hurry it did just fine but the 12v swap was worth every penny

 

[redthies]

Wow, that is a bit of a conundrum. What would a P-pumped 12v with NV4500 cost for your swap? Buy both, and sell the Dodge with the Ford running gear swapped in :sombrero:

 

[bfdiesel]

For the price of that dodge I could find a motor and get the kit to put it in. I don't really have a place to do that swap though, I would feel bad doing that to my brother where I end up working on stuff.

 

[redthies]

For the price of that dodge I could find a motor and get the kit to put it in.

If you mean on top of the Ford purchase price ($3000 for Ford, $2500 for 12v and adapter), I think you have your answer. I know the time/space to do the swap is hard to find. You won't need to dd the Ford right away? How much more work is it to pull the dead idi, and swap in the other? Not much more doing the 12v swap I bet!

 

[Todd780]

They are both great trucks. If I was was in your shoes I'd go with the Ford. Tough call. The 12V Cummins is a great diesel but, the 7.3L is as well. Add in that the Ford offers a full crew cab with four doors, that would be the truck I would go with if it needs to fulfill family duties as well...

 

[bfdiesel]

If you mean on top of the Ford purchase price ($3000 for Ford, $2500 for 12v and adapter), I think you have your answer. I know the time/space to do the swap is hard to find. You won't need to dd the Ford right away? How much more work is it to pull the dead idi, and swap in the other? Not much more doing the 12v swap I bet!

It would be more like buying both 3000 for the ford 2-3k for a engine and about 800 to 1500 for parts to swap (adapter plate for the trans motor mounts if I don't make my own. The biggest problem is I don't want it sitting at my brothers house too long. We can get the current idi motor changed in a couple of days.

 

[Rot Box]

I guess I missed the part where the IDI was not running. Do you know what is wrong with the existing engine? Can it be fixed? What is the story on the donor IDI engine? The ZF5 and 1356 are stout but I would personally swing the entire Cummins, NV4500 and t-case in place and make that work if you choose to do the swap. You'd be looking at relocating the t-case cross member, building driveshafts, and working with the hydraulic lines for the clutch along with a few other 'adjustments' but imo it would be well worth it plus it eliminates expensive adapters and such. I would not buy motor mounts either--not sure about p-pump engines but VE pump Cummins motor mounts require very little fabrication to work in the Fords. You're going to need to do something with the intercooler as well. I don't think the 2nd gen Cummins cooler will fit around the Fords massive radiator. A 99 and newer PSD i/c will but it will take some time plumbing in... Overall I think you could knock it out in a couple of days. The hardest part is swinging those massive engines around :Wow1: removing the radiator support is WELL worth the time!

As for going with the IDI I would absolutely replace the head gaskets and rebuild the oil cooler before installing the new engine. Both of these things are a pain when the engine is in place and both are well worth doing for peace of mind. Another thing I'd do is double check that ALL of the glow plugs come out of the heads that way you have a much easier chance of fixing it when the motor is out. GP's should ONLY be Motorcraft/Beru ZD9's on the IDI's. Installing any of the big 3 (ATS, Banks, Hypermax) turbo kits are a royal pain with the engine in place as well. If you're considering a turbocharger installing the up-pipes and such with the engine out will save you major headache. Not trying to say the IDI's are a pain to work on--they're not that bad compared to most, but like any other vehicle some things are so much easier to fix when you have the engine on a stand vs. in the engine bay.

Again I didn't realize the IDI was bad. The IDI should have some preventative things done to it before going in place and the Cummins swap will definitely cost more. If money was not an issue I would go the Cummins route. I do think you'd like the IDI though--as long as it is tuned in properly and healthy