Diesel Swap


IHC in the early to mid-fifties.

Rusty Driver
Rusty Driver

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Location: Below the pinky finger of the Mitten

Post Thu Aug 15, 2019 7:54 pm

Re: Diesel Swap

Let me know when you decide what engine you want- I know where we can get a Dodge Ram pickup with the diesel engine. This guy up in BC leaves it out in his driveway while he posts on the internet all the time! I got in and almost had it started the other day, but he foiled my getaway strutting out of his garage. Probably another breakfast trip to McDonalds. I bet it will be back out there soon, we can scoop it up no problem! :t0201:

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

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Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Fri Aug 16, 2019 12:52 am

Re: Diesel Swap

The truck is back home.
Smile for the CCTV. No problem.
The insurance company did not think your post was very funny, They involved the police. It was thought someone was trying to be funny and the matter was dropped.
Last edited by nikkinutshop on Sun Aug 18, 2019 2:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

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Location: New Salisbury, IN USA

Post Fri Aug 16, 2019 5:51 am

Re: Diesel Swap

Referencing nikki's comments about the IH V8 diesels...When I worked at the Ford dealership, we had a customer with an early '94 [pre-Powerstroke] 7.3 diesel in his F-250. He told me he really didn't care for the level of power until he added a Gale Banks turbo kit...then he loved it! I don't know if nikki has experience with the DI versions, but the IDI minus the turbo WAS underwhelming. My uncle had an '84 F-250 with the 6.9 and the C6 automatic, and to get the truck to where it would pull his 32-foot camper well, he added the DNE2 underdrive unit on the back of his transmission. Again, naturally aspirated.
My posts contain my own opinions...your mileage may vary, void where prohibited, objects in the mirror may be closer than they appear, and alcohol may intensify any side effects.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

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Post Fri Aug 16, 2019 9:15 am

Re: Diesel Swap

US Gear under/over drive and DNE are out of business ten or more years ago. I bought Gear Vendors overdrive. I found the GV to be reliable after over 200,000 miles.
My R120 had 3:73 gearing. This limited the top speed to just over 100kmh.
I did use the gear splitting with the Gear Vendors. This worked nicely, but, the 6.9 was still under powered. The Ford C6 and Gear Vendors combination made a possible 6 speeds.
I was given an after market turbo kit for the 6.9 Diesel I installed in my R120. I decided against a turbo installation because of the 22.6/1 compression of the 6.9 Diesel engine. 17/1 is about the highest CR for a turbo system. All of the information on the idi turbo combination suggested a much shortened engine life. The person who bought the turbo kit from me installed it on his 7.3 idi and experienced catastrophic engine failure in a few thousand kilometers. He was pulling at WOT for several miles when the engine failed. The added heat melted pistons to the cylinder walls. There was broken connecting rods.
I will always think the idi 6,9 and 7.3 are the best sounding Diesel engines. There were four mechanics on night shift with these engines in pickups. The foreman called it the International Quartet when we started the engines on a cold winter morning.
The 6.9 Diesel, R 120 was always an attention draw at a show and shine and in traffic.
One jackass at a truck show was berating me for spoiling my "R". I told him the "R" Diesel was a one off factory experimental my Dad bought through the local dealer. I told him I added the automatic and power windows. He apologized and suggested IH was very progressive.
Because I used an all Ford wiring harness, Ford warranted the glow plugs and the glow plugs timer for two years. I bought the harness, in 1989, for less than the cost of an aftermarket fits-all harness kit, today.
Attachments
R120 6.9.jpg
tighter than frogs a$$ in fly season.
6.9 worn out and in an R120.jpg
worn out and going away.
BANKS IHC 2.jpg
restored.
BANKS 3.jpg
From a Banks idi turbo kit
Last edited by nikkinutshop on Sun Aug 18, 2019 2:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

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Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:45 pm

Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Sun Aug 18, 2019 2:19 pm

Re: Diesel Swap

I was thinking about the installing of the 6.9 in my R120. I bought the engine without having a detailed plan for fitting it into the "R" engine space. I spent a few days looking at the engine as it sat on the frame rails approximately where I thought it should be. I thought the first consideration should be the radiator location because the radiator location has limited adjustment.
With original IHC "R" radiator set in place I started the process. I moved the engine up to the radiator and set the engine angles. Next, I moved the cab forward until the firewall came in contact with the engine. I used a 48 inch wood trammel bar with a felt-tip marker secured to one end. I carefully moved the trammel over the engine while leaving a line on the firewall.
The mark for the cut-out was very large. This was a do or die moment. With some fear of possibly destroying a perfect cab, I cut out the firewall and moved the cab over the engine. The cut-out was 39 inches wide and the engine was into the cab to the OEM set-back for the SD220.
The next step was building a "dog-house" around the back of the V8 Diesel engine, to isolate it from the passenger space. The dog-house started out as a simple radius on the top and two sides and top with the corners left open, temporarily. I used an old school practice of hammering the round corners out on a sandbag. I turned a special radius hammer head to better form the curve.
A day of hammering and fitting made a really good fit/finish. The next step was tack-welding the corners to the dog-house. The completed dog-house was tack welded to the firewall. IT FIT. The dog-house was into the cab about 6 inches.
A modified GM Silverado throttle pedal mounted on the dog-house connected to the engine with an OEM Ford cable. It all looked OEM.
Attachments
R120 6.9.jpg
R120 dash SW.jpg
poor lighting.
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive
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Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

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Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 10:40 am

Location: Wichita, Kansas

Post Sun Aug 18, 2019 10:03 pm

Re: Diesel Swap

nikki,
I had wondered about the details of fitting the 6.9 engine. I suppose it noticeably narrowed the driver-side foot well?

Dean
Lifelong Kansan
Grew up with red paint
Moved off the farm 33 years ago.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

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Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:45 am

Re: Diesel Swap

The footwell was narrowed but there was space for my feet. The accelerator pedal was very close to the original location.
Another much needed change was relocating the shock absorber locations. I moved the shock/ frame mounts to directly under the engine mounts. I also mounted the air spring upper brackets to directly under the engine mounts. The original IHC shock mounts were offset and I am convinced this contributed to frame cracking by "jacking" the frame when the front suspension moved over the road bumps.. The 6.9 Diesel was nearly double the weight of the SD.
I have a friend who uses the Cummins 24 valve in his Old IHC builds. I was surprised at how well this Cummins fits in an "L" without cutting the body. I have a Cummins 24 valve sitting in a cradle, in the shop. This engine is not as big looking in the shop as it appears in a Dodge. This will change when the Cummins meets an IHC.
Attachments
cummins 24 valve.jpg
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive
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