The 420ci International IDI engine found in 1983-87 Ford trucks was Ford’s first shot at a light-duty diesel engine for their F-series trucks and E-series vans. While they were beat to the market by General Motors, the GM engines were tuned for efficiency while the IDI motors were tuned for power. With torque figures ranging from 315-338 ft/lbs over the course of production, the 6.9 had big-block power and sound with an oil burner’s durability. And that’s in the early 1980s…with the trend of building up diesel engines it’s only a matter of waiting to see fans of the old-school diesel start tweaking on them. I first experienced one when a guy I worked with in the Army took me for a ride in his built-up 1985 F250, and the sucker-punch in the chest every time he ripped a gear, coupled with the exhaust that sounded more big-block than diesel, sold me on them. This video shows another 1985, this one on 39.5″ tires with no lift kit and a manual transmission laying down fresh rubber. The song from the stacks is what stands out though: it’s not a inline-six noise like a Cummins or a ton of turbo noise like most late-model diesels, but pure displacement at work.
Neat!
Before someone complains that it didn’t light the tires at the touch of the throttle, consider that is a whole lot of relatively sticky tire to break free!
I went to college with a guy who had a 6.9 with the school bus pump and injectors and a gale banks turbo kit. Ot dumped the exhaust right in front of the passenger door. That thing was stupid. It would destroy most anything it got next to. And also an idi is not a powerstroke it is indirect injection which is why they start like shit.