2012 IDI Weekend - A Celebration Of Old Diesel Technology For 6.9L And 7.3L Ford Owners

The Internet has been a boon to like-minded people. People with similar interests can share in real time, whether they live in Poquoson, Virginia, or Punjab, India. Sometimes, there’s enough interest in a particular Internet group to spark a face-to-face event… and so it has been for the vibrant group in the 6.9L and 7.3L IDI section of the OilBurners.net forum. OilBurners covers a wide range of diesel interests but the Ford/IH IDI section is second to none for friendliness, helpfulness and fanatical devotion to the Ford/IH 6.9 and 7.3L diesels.
   
For 11 years now, this group has held a get-together in some part of the country. Mel Agne, the owner of an ’83 F-250HD diesel he bought new, has been the driving force in this group of IDI Gearheads and has attended most, if not all, of the rallies. The love of these rigs must be in the genes, as you will see, because the whole family drives IDI-powered trucks.

This year’s event was put on by Ron Butts, a Michigander who grew up with an IDI diesel and would probably like to be able to say he was conceived in one. His father still owns the inspiration, an ’86 F-250, and Ron now has a collection of them. Some 80 people and 32 trucks attended the week-long event at the Indian Creek Camp and Conference Center near Tecumseh, Michigan. People came from as far away as Canada and California to attend the annual get-together.

Events included a convoy to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, a tour of the Rouge River Ford truck plant, a Dyno Day and Timing Clinic at Pure Tuning in Toledo, Ohio, and a Show & Shine and swap meet that included firefighting demonstrations from the Ridgeway (Michigan) Township Volunteer Fire Department.

Other activities included a Fourth of July fireworks display, a raffle to benefit the Ridgeway VFD in which a 4-inch IDI performance exhaust, Smittybilt ground anchor, and many other donated products were raffled. A total of $865 was raised for the VFD. Other side trips include a convoy to Cabelas in nearby Dundee and several trips out to eat. Over the course of the event, several impromptu tech demonstrations occurred and valuable information exchanged relating to the care and feeding of the Ford IDI truck.

If you’re a fan of the ’83-94 IDI Ford diesels, visit the OilBurner.net site for information on future events.

Sources:
Indian Creek Camp and Conference Center
www.indiancreekcamping.com
517-423-5659

OilBurners IDI Group
www.oilburners.net

Pure Tuning
www.pure-tuning.com
419-474-7992

The Bullnose end of the Show & Shine display. The trucks in the IDI era are divided into three categories: ’83-’86 Bullnose, ’87-’91 Bricknose and ’92-’94 OBS (old body style), which also serves the Power Stroke truck through ’96. The Bullnose body style started in ’80 but the diesel wasn’t introduced until 1983. The IDI engine lasted partway into the ’94 model year when it was replaced by the Power Stroke.

The Bricknose/OBS side of the Show & Shine lineup.

The surprise winner of the Dyno Day horsepower competition was John Geese, whose ’91 Crewcab 7.3L IDI punched out a whopping 217 hp at around 3,600 rpm and a 372 ft-lb of peak torque. His truck was a surprise because it didn’t really have a lot done to it compared to the other trucks in the lineup. “Goose,” as he’s known on the board, has a wastegated ATS turbo with a 3-inch exhaust, the better BB injectors but a “mystery” DB-2 pump. This pump was built by a well-known pump builder for his own truck and Goose bought it used. He really doesn’t know many of its stats, so that could be the game changer.

Very close to Sutton was Corey Zakeosian, whose ’94 “Truxarossa” dually conversion made 206 hp and 444 ft-lbs. Corey’s ’94 was originally a turbo IDI but at some point in its life, the Ford system was removed and a Banks wastegated Sidewinder system was installed. Corey has also installed a Moose pump and BB injectors. The truck also has a custom dual exhaust system.

Ron Butt’s ’90 F-350 Crew Cab ran with the big dogs in the group and made 205 hp and 392 ft-lb of torque. It mounts an ATS non-wastegated turbo, Moose pump, BB injectors and a custom 4-inch exhaust system.

The Ridgeway Township Fire Department showed up with several trucks, did some demos and provided judging services for the Show & Shine. They left $865 richer after the raffle. Ron Butts, the organizer of this year’s events, thanks Chief Jim Frayer and some of the firefighters.

Ron Butts and Darrin Tosh award the grand raffle prize of a 4-Inch Dynomax performance exhaust to Kelvin Owyang. Kelvin also won the Farthest Driven Award, having come all the way from Santa Clara, California, to attend the event.

If your last name is Agne, IDIs are in the blood. The IDI “patriarch” is Mel on the left, who bought the first one in the family in 1983 and called it “The Moose.” Suzi Agne (we’re sure you can pick her out) has a ’93 Crew Cab Dually called “Lady Moose.” Matthias Agne’s black ’94 F-150 Stepside is a conversion with a NA 6.9L and is called “Nite Moose.” Graham Agne’s ’86 F-250 SuperCab is called “Iron Moose” because it’s being done up in an Iron Man theme.

Matthias Agne’s diesel-converted F-150 was built for fuel economy. The lightweight Flareside truck mounts 3.08 gears and had an overdrive trans in front of an ’84 naturally aspirated 6.9L that has 300,000 miles on it. It regularly achieves mid 20s fuel economy and Matthias reports it once achieved a whopping 34.5 mpg.

Corey Zakeosian took his ’86 F-250 in an unusual direction by turning it into a multi-purpose off-roader. The 6.9L diesel is mostly stock and still pounds the original NP-235 four-speed behind it, but from there, the truck pretty much falls off the map. The wheelbase has been shortened to 115 inches and a full cage installed. The alterations to the bodywork are obvious and the truck mounts 14x41-17 Iroks. The Dana 60 high pinion front and Sterling rear axle have been welded up, and Corey built a custom 4-link suspension.

When J.P. appeared at the rally with this, heads spun like a movie star had showed up. Not many people have seen the Centurion conversions. Sometimes known as the “four-door Bronco” they were converted F-150 or F-350 crewcabs built by Centurion Vehicles, Inc. in Wisconsin. For the F-350 version, a SRW crewcab was married to a Bronco tail section. This entailed shortening the wheelbase to 140 inches and modifying the chassis. Mostly Ford parts were used for the conversion and it was Ford-approved. Various trim levels were available and you ordered the truck through a Ford dealer. They could be ordered with any powertrain available in the base chassis. They were built from ’89 through the end of the Bronco’s run in ’96. An unknown number were built, but number in the several thousands.

A swap meet was part of the event and among the new and used gear available were Mel Agne’s Moose, Baby Moose pumps and Moose Mister injectors. Years of R&D and collaboration with a well-respected pump shop led to the creation of the Moose pump, which is designed for well-built engines with turbos and intercoolers. It can supply 90ccs of fuel vs. the stock 50-60. The Baby Moose is for NA engines or mild turbo engines where only a little more fuel is needed and is more an optimized… very precisely optimized pump. The Misters are modified injectors with an increased flow rate but, unlike some of the “performance” injectors out there, retain a perfect conical pattern.

You can’t get away from the Cummins phenomenon even at an IDI rally… but that the owner was taken into the woods for an attitude adjustment just shows how all-inclusive the group is. Andy Blauser’s ’92 crewcab dually has been converted to a ’96 12-valve P-pump engine with an NV4500 behind it.

Ever see a “Truxarossa”? They made a minitruck conversion in the ‘90s and were patterned after the Ferrari Testarossa. You either like ’em or you don’t, but to our eyes, the Testarossa effect is not a bad fit on Corey Zakeosian’s ’94 SuperCab dually.

 

Crewcab dually IDIs were much in vogue at the rally, as they are generally, but “back in the day,” they were a lot less common. The survivors today are highly prized. Ron Butt’s ’90 F350 crewcab is the family hauler… fifth-wheel, kids, pets (large and small) as well as IDI parts and whole trucks as necessary.

Bone stock and loving it. Frank and Marsha Butts bought this ’86 F250 SuperCab new in ’86. He used it for a time in his veterinary business and as a family truck and hauler. It’s still in the family and still doing more or less the same thing. It’s only showing 75,000 original miles. It’s a top-of-the-line XLT Lariat 4x2 with the C6, and 3.55:1 gears.

By Jim Allen
Photography by Jim Allen & Darrin Tosh

Source: Diesel World Magazine

Ridin’ On Air - Firestone’s Latest Suspension For Serious Towing

Anyone who does serious towing with their diesel knows the value of an auxiliary airbag system for leveling the truck under load. Diesel enthusiasts with lifted trucks also know the value of airbags for towing. With added vehicle height, and more than likely a tall set of lift blocks at the rear, lifted trucks tend to sag more when loaded with a trailer, so airbags are pretty much a must to level the truck.

The trick becomes the additional bracketry required to put the bags in the correct position to do the job. The drawbacks for both lifted and stock-height tow rigs can be a semi-choppy ride when empty, especially with the added rebound from the airbags.

So what’s the fix? Firestone Industrial Products has developed a completely new rear suspension setup for lifted 2011-12 GM trucks that’s a hybrid air-over-leaf suspension system featuring Firestone Airide™ air springs, Firestone Ride-Rite™ air accessories and SANLUIS Rassini® suspension technologies.

The new Lifted R4Tech system is designed to completely replace the factory leaf spring suspension on lifted GM trucks. The Lifted R4Tech system is comprised of Firestone air springs and SANLUIS Rassini’s leaf spring suspension, positioned in a unique architecture to create a fully functional system that adjusts for varying load capacities, according to Firestone.

The Lifted R4Tech system is available for trucks with 6-inch lift kits since the Lifted R4Tech system is a rear-only setup, which is perfect for diesel enthusiasts with lifted rigs looking for more towing capacity and improved ride quality.

“In our industry, we come across many enthusiasts who tow with their lifted truck. In these cases, ride quality and functionality are sometimes compromised,” said Paul Fessel, Division Manager, Light Duty Business, Firestone Industrial Products Company. “The Lifted R4Tech systems are designed to improve the ride quality of an unloaded, lifted truck while delivering level towing when loaded. The suspension is the best of both worlds: excellent ride coupled with great towing capability.”

According to Firestone, the system was developed to allow the suspension to move under all load conditions and deliver an improved ride by utilizing the variable spring rate of the air spring to stiffen the spring rate when the truck is loaded, or soften it when it’s unloaded.  It also increases axle control during acceleration and braking for improved torque management and reduced wheel hop.

The Lifted R4Tech system is a true bolt-on installation and comes complete with the Rassini foundation suspension—including leaf springs, lower trailing link, J-spring and mounting brackets—the Airide air spring and an air compressor control system that maintains the proper air level in the spring for the exact load you’re carrying.  The company says professional installation is recommended for the Lifted R4Tech systems, but the system installs in the original suspension holes, so theoretically an average driveway mechanic could accomplish the install before the turn of the century.

Firestone debuted the system at the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas and Diesel World Magazine is the first publication to get the inside scoop and installation photos. We hit the highlights of the install here to give you an idea of what all is involved for a typical install.

If you do serious towing with your lifted rig, and are sick of the ride quality compromises and a sagging rear end under heavy load, then the Lifted R4 Tech system is worth a serious look-see.

SOURCE:
Firestone Industrial Products Company
www.ride-rite.com
800-888-0650



(Lead) Lifted trucks don’t have to compromise load or towing capabilities any more thanks to the new Lifted R4 Suspension system from Firestone.

1) While this diagram looks complicated, the system is pretty basic once you remove the factory leaf spring setup as it mounts in the factory mounting holes. Plumbing and electrical are the hardest part of the install.

2) With the truck safely off the ground, and the axle on jack stands, you start the install by removing the rear leaf spring suspension.

3) Remove the factory bump stop from the cup on the frame rail and toss it.

4(a-b) Insert the upper bag mounting bracket into the bump stop cup. There are internal tabs in the cup and bracket that need to be rotated to sit securely on top of the tab.

5) Attach the upper air spring bracket to the frame rail with the enclosed hardware.

6) The bottom spacer bracket goes on next.

7) Next, attach one of the air springs to the lower mounting bracket.

8) Set the spring assembly onto the axle spring pad.

9) Install the front inner frame bracket onto the frame rail so that it’s flush with the inside of the front eye bracket and contacts the frame rail surrounding the cross-member tube.

10) Using the original front eye bolt as an alignment tool, insert the outer frame bracket inside the main eye frame bracket.

11) Attach the original spring shackle to the new leaf spring assembly.

12) The new leaf spring assembly fits into the new R4 bracketry.

13(a-b) Locate the J-spring link and attach the lower height sensor bracket. We included a shot of the spring out of the truck to show you where it goes.

14) Next, install the J-spring link into the axle spacer and lower J-spring reinforcement bracket.

15) Install the link into the front eye bracket with the proper hardware as per the instructions. A drift or punch can be used to line up the spring and bracket holes.

16) Locate the new U-bolts and nuts along with the factory lower retainer.

17) On the front U-bolt, rotate the lower J-spring reinforcement bracket around so that it slides over the U-bolt and below the lower retainer plate.

18) The e-brake cable-mounting bracket can now be reinstalled in the factory location.

19) Additionally, the axle brake line can now be reinstalled onto the axle jounce bumper pad through the lower bracket.

20) The Haldex height control valve is assembled per the instructions and mounted into the two small holes on the rearward edge of the front eye frame bracket.

21) The kit includes a heat shield to protect the air spring from the exhaust heat.

22) The factory e-brake cable can now be reattached to the new bracketry.

23) The next step of the install is to plumb up the air system, starting with the air tank. Mounting straps and clamps attach the tank to the frame.

24-25) The air compressor is assembled next with the enclosed T and pressure switch. It’s then bolted to the mounting plate.

26) Install the compressor assembly onto an open section of frame rail, which will also double as the ground connection.

27) The compressor system comes with an air filter for the inlet port of the compressor. Firestone says the engine compartment is the best place to mount it. Follow the instructions to plumb it in correctly.

28) Wiring is next. The kit comes with a complete harness, relay and fuse system so all you have to do is hook up the wires to the battery.

29) A key component in the system is the dump switch, which allows the vehicle to be lowered for loading.

30) With all the lines in place, they can be secured with the enclosed zip-ties.

31) One of the final steps of the install is adding the linkage arms and adjusting the system per the instructions, which also gives you a detailed troubleshooting and system operation guide.

By Kevin Wilson
Photography: Courtesy of Firestone

Source: Diesel World Magazine