93 7.3 idi ambulance question (4x4?)

gringorick

gringorick

Adventurer
I am in CA, San Diego area. I have one lined up and it will hopefully be mine by tomorrow if it checks out mechanically! I am planning a major adventure and an ambu-camper seems like just about the coolest vehicle to build for the adventure. The one i am looking at is also an idi, 1993 7.3L mini-mod. I understand that they are not quite as peppy as the turbos, but they are super reliable, and where i am going, that is what I care about most! I plan on building it as light as possible to compansate, and allow me to air down to get into soft sand, long distance washboard roads, and not sink in general sloppy terrain, etc.

I also understand that you can do the chip mod and get an instant additional 80hp out of them with the flip of a switch... can anyone confirm this?

Rick
 
rockbender

rockbender

Adventurer
I can confirm that there is no chip/ECU/computer anywhere on an IDI motor! These engines can run off of one wire - the shut off solenoid to the injection pump. Everything else is purely mechanical.
 
cjken

cjken

Explorer
Yes my idi runs great but there is no chip. There does not seem like much can be done to improve power.
Has enough power in my 2wd ambo. I guess with proper gearing it would be ok 4x4 with bigger tires.
Rick
Send pics when you get yours.
Would love to see another mini-mod
Ambo van in Tony's thread looks quite a bit wider than mine.
 
P

polksfinest

Observer
if you want more power out of an IDI you can turn up the pump but it does not give you the power increase that you would get if you had a turbo IDI. On the NA IDI when you turn up the power you gain a little bit but you get more black smoke since you do not have the air to burn the extra fuel about a 1/8 of a turn is all you want. If you want more than that then adding a turbo is your only option (or a 4bt swap )
 
gringorick

gringorick

Adventurer
cjken - I am actually going to see it tomorrow morning. If i get it I will post some pics.

The engine in it is a rebuilt motor from Dealers Diesel (now called Reviva I think). They call it a "High Altitude" motor and they told me that it is tuned so that it runs better above 5000ft without a bunch of black smoke. I wonder if that means less power at sea level?

polksfinest - thanks for the info. Sounds much easier to just stick with the stock idi and live happy in the slow lane.
 
kcernest

kcernest

Observer
I have a 93 E350 high top ambulance (forget what they're called, looks like a van with a high top) with the 7.3 IDI non turbo.
Has an E40D, Quigley 4x4 with a limited slip Dana 60 in the back with 3.55 gears. 65k miles. 285/75/16's (about 33")

I'm really happy with the way it drives. I'm planning on mostly highway miles with mild offroading so the gears work fine for me. Anything shorter would be brutal on MPG, I get about 15 MPG combined right now. I'd imagine it could tow, you're just not going anywhere very quickly.

I'd crawl under there and write down what's on the ID tag on the rear diff so you can identify exactly what you have back there.
 
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kcernest

kcernest

Observer
First thing to do to those 7.3 IDI's is slap on a coolant filter. The weak link is cavitation eating through the thin cylinder walls.

If you are taking out the rear ac/heat unit, there should be hard coolant lines running along your frame rails towards the rear. Perfect place to stick that thing on with some quarter turn valves for easy filter replacement.
 
cjken

cjken

Explorer
Mine is still 2 wheel drive and it rides smooth.
My 4x4 quigley van rode kind of harsh at first, but bigger tires with a slightly lower air pressure really helped out.
Or maybe I just got used to it!!
 
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