Crankshaft, Engine, Heads, Injector Pump, Oil Cooler, Thermostat, Water Pump

6.9 & 7.3 IDI Torque Specs and Bolt Dimensions, with Images

There are lots of information on the internet and in service manuals about the IDI torque specs.  When I rebuilt my engine in 2018, I thought of a more graphical way of representing the torque, bolt sizes, and bolt threads.  This is good information if you lost a bolt, mixed up some, were looking for a replacement, or wanted to know some of the details about a part of the engine without scouring an esoteric service manual or grainy picture on the web.

 

Table of Contents: (click to jump to the section below)
1.)  Standard Torque Chart
2.)  Thread Preparation
3.)  6.9 & 7.3 IDI Front (Cover) Plate and Water Pump Bolt Torque, Size, and Thread Identification
4.)  7.3 IDI Head Bolt and Stud Torque Sequencing
5.)  7.3 IDI Bottom of Engine Related Torque Specs
6.) 7.3 IDI (and some 6.9) Top-of-Cylinder-Head Torques and Sequences
7.) 6.9 & 7.3 IDI Intake & IP Gearhouse Torque Specs and Sequencing.
8.)  Various Driver Side Engine Torque Specs: (Oil Cooler, etc)
9.)  Various Passenger Side Engine Torque Specs:
10.)  Miscellaneous Torques:
11.)  Oil Pump Bolt Information:
12.)  Oil Cooler Assembly Bolt Information:  (Truck)
13.)  Oil Cooler Assembly Bolt Information:  (Van)
14.)  Oddly-Named Torques:

Standard Torque Explanation:
First off, if you don’t already know, there is a baseline torque convention called the “Standard Torque.”  For a typical metal thread, there is a corresponding torque limitation.  This applies for general steel bolts and nuts, but many other metals and grades of steel require a higher or lower torque spec.  Never assume the torque is “standard.”  Always verify before torquing down.  To determine the thread size, use this kind of tool.  The Standard Torque Chart is:

Thread Size Corresponding Standard Torque
1/4″-20 7 ft-lbs
5/16″-18 14 ft-lbs
3/8″-16 24 ft-lbs
7/16″-14 38 ft-lbs
1/2″-13 60 ft-lbs
9/16″ 80 ft-lbs
5/8″ 115 ft-lbs
3/4″ 200 ft-lbs
7/8″ 320 ft-lbs
1″ 480 ft-lbs


Thread Preparation:

Second, ALWAYS CHASE your threads prior to any engine reassembly.  Do not use a short cut like a tap-and-die set.  It could damage the block.  Also, for major fasteners like crank main bolts and head studs, use ARP fastener lube to ensure precise torque measurement.

 

6.9 & 7.3 IDI Front (Cover) Plate and Water Pump Bolt Torque, Size, and Thread Identification:
All front (and rear) plate torques are standard torque for 5/16″-18, which corresponds to 14 ft-lbs.


 

7.3 IDI Head Bolt and Stud Torque Sequencing.  

The 6.9 head bolt and stud has a 7/16″ bolt diameter with 14 threads per inch.  The 7.3 bolt/stud has 1/2″-13 threads.

(Note, I have torqued my 7.3 ARP studs down to 150 and 140 ft-lbs, from the advice of R&D IDI Performance.  Read the links for more information.)

 

 

7.3 IDI Bottom of Engine Related Torque Specs:

The following image explains all the oil-pan, oil-pump, crankshaft main, and rod cap bolt dimensions and torques.


 

7.3 IDI (and some 6.9) Top-of-Cylinder-Head Torques and Sequences:

For the most part, the image below works for 7.3 and 6.9, but some engines have a slightly different rocker arm (aka Valve Lever) retainer setup, but I think the torques for them are the same regardless.



6.9 & 7.3 IDI Intake & IP Gearhouse Torque Specs and Sequencing.

 

 

 

 

Various Passenger Side Torque Specs:



Various Driver Side Torque Specs:


 

Miscellaneous torques:  (Taken from the Official Ford “1988-1993 Engine Service Manual, Supplement 7.3 Liter Diesel Engine” and the Official Ford “1988 Truck Shop Manual, Vol. A, Bronco, Econoline, F150-350, Superduty.”)

Type Max Torque Bolt/Nut Size Qty
Crankshaft Harmonic Balancer Retaining Bolt 90 ft-lbs 5/8″-11 1
Camshaft Screw 15 ft-lbs
Torque Converter Nuts (C6) 3/8″-16 4
Air Cleaner Stud Adapter (loctite) 45 ft-lbs  1
Flywheel Mounting bolt (loctite) 47 ft-lbs  3/8″-16 1-3/4″  9
Oil Pan Drain Plug 28 ft-lbs  1
T-stat Housing Bolts 20 ft-lbs  2
IP Gearhousing bolts (apply RTV) 14 ft-lbs  3/8″-16, (2) 4″ & (2) 1-3/4″  4
IP Gear-to-IP-Shaft bolts (12-pt head) 25 ft-lbs  (3) 12-pt 5/16″-24, 3/4″  3
IP Pipe Nut 22 ft-lbs  9/16″ hex 3/8″-16  3
VRV-to-IP Mounting Screws 75-90 in-lbs (8-10.5 N-m)  2

 


Oil Pump bolt information:  

Type Max Torque Thread Size Qty
Pump mounting bolts (to block) 14 ft-lbs 5/16″-18 x 1-1/2″ 3
Pump pickup tube bolts 14 ft-lbs Upper:  5/16″-18 x 2″
Lower: 5/16″-18 x 1 1/2″
2

 

 

 

 


Oddly-Named Torques:

  • Front Engine Mounting bolt:  70 ft-lbs, 1/2″-13 3/4″ long and 1-1/4″ long
  • “Water Outlet Elbow Mounting Bolt” (aka t-stat housing bolts):  20 ft-lbs
  • “Valve Lever” (aka rocker arms) retaining bolts:  20 ft-lbs

 

 

NPT Torques:

  • Heater Hose Outlet Bib (in Cylinder Head Port):  1/2″ NPT, 12-18 ft-lbs
  • Valley Pan Drain Plug (never-seize):  40 ft-lbs
  • Coolant Block Plugs (apply RTV):  1/2″ NPT, 25-35 ft-lbs
  • Coolant Temp Sensor Switch:  Unknown
  • Coolant Temp Sensor:  Unknown
  • Cylinder head plugs:  Unknown
  • Oil cooler oil outlet plug:  Unknown
  • Oil turbo outlet on the block:  Unknown

 

 

No warranty. You are responsible for your vehicle. For novelty use only. Not responsible for anything or anyone. Not responsible for damage to your vehicle, you, or anyone or anything.

Copyright 2000-2018 Nick Pisca 0001D LLC

genscripter

14 Comments

scottybt

Buyer Beware Had problem with this end table right out of the box. First open the box and no cam bolts. 2 packs of screws but no cam bolts. No problem go to there web site, order replacement bolts and a week later the wrong bolts show up. No problem I could have ordered the wrong (Don”t think so) but I could have. This time I call them up and tell them the situation. They know exactly what I need and i should have it in a day or 2. Well a week later and my cam bolts show up. YEAH I can finally put together

Reply
genscripter

I hear ya.

I’m still documenting my IDI’s, and I’ll put the cam bolt dimensions and threads on this page when I update it.

Reply
Troy Roberson

This is good stuff! I have a problem that has left me in question despite searching for weeks over various forums. I have a ’93 F250, 7.3 IDI Turbo, 4×4, manual 5-speed. As far as I can tell it is all original or OEM parts except the previous owner took out the muffle and replaced with straight pipe exiting just in front of the rear wheels.

My problem is that I’ve found small plastic pieces in the oil during a regular oil change. These pieces are maximum 1/8″ across and are an orange/brown color. In addition, there is a tapping (more than just the normal valve sound) near the passenger side cylinder closest to firewall. The timing of the tap is related to engine RPM. Higher RPM = faster tap. Tapping seems unaffected by load or tempurature. I’ve pulled my 26′ camper all last season with no problems and with the tapping. I’m using a little more than a quart of oil every 2,000 miles. Thinking there is a burnt valve, I pulled the valve cover off and expected to find some nasty caked on burnt oil. But it is clean, really clean. I can feel the push rods will spin under the rocker arm and none are loose enough to wiggle. I can’t get to the valves to feel them without pulling the spring off and I’m a bit hesitant to pull them off – I’m nearing the extent of my comfort level with this tear down. Any helpful thoughts are certainly appreciated.

Any ideas on where the plastic came from?
Any ideas on the tapping noise?

Regards,
Troy
SGT/USMC

Reply
genscripter

Depends. If the plastic is squishy like silicone, then it might just be some excess pan gasket maker that broke off in the crankcase oil. If the plastic is hard, then it might be bad valve guides.

As for the tapping, I’m not sure. I’d have to see a video.

Reply
steve ehrhart

probly your valve seals or some of these engines had some cream colored plastic inserts/bushings on the rockerassemblies. could be tapping noise????

Reply
genscripter

Possible. It’s been so long since I had the heads and valve covers off, I don’t recall.

Reply
ROHB

Thank you for posting this info!

Reply
Tommy Moore

Hi my name is Tommy my phone number is 305-903-1007 love to talk to somebody about my engine 6.9 1985 F3 50 thank you

Reply
Devon Baker

I torqued my coolant radiator hose down to 60ft pounds because I looked at the standard chart so guess what I snapped my bolt in my block thanks maybe you should put 20ft pounds on the diagram instead of standard torque so people don’t screw up like I did I scrolled a few paragraphs down and then saw it’s 20 ft pounds NOT STANDARD TORQUE GOOD JOB THANKS!!

Reply
genscripter

Bummer man. I had something on the head torque specs for “Heater Hose Bib 12-18 ftlbs.” That’s the trouble with standard torques, you never know for sure unless you read the whole Ford Service Manual, and even in that thing it gets contradictory info. Any time I see a bolt or pipe with anything other than steel (brass, alum, etc), I just under-torque it because you never know if it’ll handle “standard” torque.

Reply
JLOUIS B

Bonjour, j ai un E 350 FORD DE 97, je ne trouves pas d information concernant le couple de serrage du convertisseur,
le convertisseur de couple est un 6 goujons.

Reply
Pablo

Hi I’m Pablo from Spain I have a 87 Ford f250 with a 6.9 .My question is?7.3 IDI Bottom of Engine Related Torque Specs,is the same for 6.9 IDI ???..
Thanks so much
Thanks

Reply
genscripter

Mostly. Not all though. I have some auxiliary details about the 6.9 torque specs, for example like the head studs/ head bolts are different.

Reply

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