1986 E350 Diesel 6.9 yay or nay?

[bigskypc50]

Greetings everyone looking at a van/bus it’s a 1986 Ford E350 with the 6.9 diesel. The body is made by Goshen. They are asking 2000$ mileage says 33k so I assume it’s 133. Was a veterans rig before church life. Runs down the at 65 nice and smooth

What’s you guys think? Pros cons worth the price etc

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

thew 6.9 was a work horse in its day and shares some parta with the international mv404 and the mv446 engines but if i remember right they only came with a 4 speed manual or a 3 speed automatic tranny.
the 3 speed would be a deal breaker or lower the price knowing you want to change it.

[Booyah45828]

IDI engines are pretty gutless but can be reliable. They make van specific turbo kits for them to help the power issue out. It's tough to find mechanics to work on them when you need one though. That year would have a c6 3 speed. Not a bad trans, just no overdrive or lockup converter. So don't expect high speeds or great mileage.

2 grand seems reasonable. It's hard to find a running vehicle for less then that any more.

Whether it's worth it or not depends on your intended usage.

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

a c6 tranny rebuilt for track gear is 1000.

[BarnYardCamp]

I'd do a little research on C6 torque converters. I found through a quick google search a new "low-stall" torque converter for the C6 for less than $200.
I don't know if it could handle the torque from the diesel.

[magnakansas]

But should go and go. If and when the time comes there are three changes that will make more poop. Turbo kit for the 6.9/7.3 An intercooler if you add a turbo kit that does not have one…. 7.3idi if there is ever a reason to remove the engine, worn out or broken.

William

[UFO pilot]

I vote yay. The 6.9 IDI is known for reliability, not thrilling speeds. If you are wanting to get where you are going and get back with a minimum of fuss you have found your "no fuss bus".

Thank you, I will be here all week!

[bigskypc50]

Thanks guys for the feedback. I pull the trigger on it. I am not looking for a go fast rig. I have my Honda vtx1800 v twin or my cars if I am in a hurry. This is just a short distance day tripper rig. My big bus is too big for that at 42ft.


Edit I ran the numbers in the Ratio Calculator, redline for the engine is 3300 and with the rear end of 3:54 and tires of 31.7" I will do 75MPH at 2800RPM or 2500RPM at 67MPH. Plenty fast for me.

[Booyah45828]

Mathematically you'll get there, but with 175 hp and the aerodynamics of a brick, I wouldn't bank too heavily on it. Mine can just barely eek that out if the road is flat and I've got a mile or so to do it. Mine is full sized though, so maybe I'm being a Debbie downer.

Watch your coolant temps. Being this old the cooling system could be questionable, especially the fan clutch. Ford's gauges weren't the best in that time period either, might not hurt anything to install a cheap tri gauge cluster somewhere to get accurate readings.

The vans also always seemed more prone to overheating in my experience for whatever reason.

[bigskypc50]

Ya like you said a add on gauge set would be smart

I own a 42ft full sized bus with a 210hp DT466. That thing redefines the word slow. This van has plenty of performance for me. Good news is on the drive home at 65. The temp hit the half way point fan kicked on and dropped the temp. So far so good I can see why the vans run hotter with the freeking engine under the dashboard