6.4 rebuild questions

alwaysdiesel · May 28, 2018

Just in the process of rebuilding a used 6.4 engine I bought with little to no history. I've worked on 6.4s a little before: oil cooler, hpfp, turbos, rad hoses etc and I've done quite a bit of research so far but looking for opinion/experience.

This is a mostly stock build just for reliability and making improvements where its needed

Engine looks pretty good. Metal in oil filter but no signs of where its coming from yet. Rocker arms are failing where they contact the bridge, LPOP has enough wear to replace and looks like cyl #2 might have just started to get coolant into it. Front cover looks good. Just pulled a couple rod bearings tonight and they're good. Also finding half circle rings of steel in oil pan and around lifter bores, 3 of them so far, they are too big to go anywhere on the lifter, will try to get a picture.

Anyways my plan for parts so far is :
-Engine overhaul kit (bottom end bearings, reseal kit, rings)
-updated HPFP gasket
-lifters (stock or aftermarket)?
-Rocker arm assemblies
-Oil cooler (OEM)?
-Aftermarket up pipes (already d*leted)
-Turbos rebuild/reman?
-LPOP w/ housing
-glowplugs
-thermostats
-coolant filter

Other things are HPFP, injectors, heads.. Do I try and get the pump and injectors tested or is it better to replace if I'm looking for high mileage. Are there decent aftermarket heads available? OEM head gaskets or is something like Vic Reinz sufficient? Anyone had luck with rebuilding the factory turbos

Thanks!

sootie · May 28, 2018

no go on vic reinz head gaskets. Use OEM only. Obviously do head studs. Side Action Diesel advertised some heads in the vendor section but i havent heard feedback on them. personally i would send yours out to get magnafluxed and decked. When you replace the rocker arms, get the pedestal assemblies complete, and make sure you change all eight. Verify pedestal height with a caliper to ensure they are all the same heights before install. Only use OEM oil cooler as well. check the cam closely for wear. Personally i have always used OEM lifters but side action and airfish sell an aftermarket style that i havent heard any complaints on. Send the injectors out to get flowed, my bet is they will all fail. Get the Maxxforce 7 pistons, dont wate your time with stockers. they crack. I know some will say to just delip the stockers but then you get worse cold starts due to poorer fuel atomisation at cold idle. Stock turbos are rebuildable. I have a 85k mile used atmo turbo for sale in the classifieds if you are interested.

DEEZUZ · May 28, 2018

We're ok with VR black diamond gaskets. I believe they are actually the ones who make the OE gasket, only difference is the patented Ford blue color of the sealant.

I've got about 30 trucks out there now with VR gaskets and no issues.

co04cobra · May 28, 2018

I'll go w sootie and say stick w Oem. It's worth the piece of mind,IMO, for maybe $200 bucks difference.

alwaysdiesel · May 28, 2018

sootie said:
no go on vic reinz head gaskets. Use OEM only. Obviously do head studs. Side Action Diesel advertised some heads in the vendor section but i havent heard feedback on them. personally i would send yours out to get magnafluxed and decked. When you replace the rocker arms, get the pedestal assemblies complete, and make sure you change all eight. Verify pedestal height with a caliper to ensure they are all the same heights before install. Only use OEM oil cooler as well. check the cam closely for wear. Personally i have always used OEM lifters but side action and airfish sell an aftermarket style that i havent heard any complaints on. Send the injectors out to get flowed, my bet is they will all fail. Get the Maxxforce 7 pistons, dont wate your time with stockers. they crack. I know some will say to just delip the stockers but then you get worse cold starts due to poorer fuel atomisation at cold idle. Stock turbos are rebuildable. I have a 85k mile used atmo turbo for sale in the classifieds if you are interested.

I've been looking at this kit
http://dynamicdiesel60.com/6-4l-power-stroke-diesel-engine-overhaul-rebuild-kit/
Which is why I was hoping to use those H.G. but if it's not worth it, I'll go OEM
This will be a stock performance engine aside from an Edge on level 1/2 and will be driven super moderately. Are studs really necessary? Same goes for pistons, I was under the impression they crack mostly due to increased timing/fuel. I'm not opposed to going to the Maxxforce pistons if I need to.

Fuel shop said they won't even touch these pumps or injectors anymore, too much labor that if they make a mistake during testing they lose their ass on it. They do the Alliant exchange program, $1800 for HPFP, lines and harness w/ exchange and $300 per injector w/ exchange. Still looking at all my options

Thanks everyone so far

co04cobra · May 28, 2018

Yes studs, and Pistons, are a MUST unless you want to do it again.

The prices on the Alliant stuff seem higher then Oem.

Honestly dynamic diesel doesn't have the best rep on here, BUT I wouldn't touch that rebuild kit with a 10ft pole irregardless.

DEEZUZ · May 28, 2018

How many gasket manufacturers do you guys think there are?

It states their VR gaskets, I assume they are the black diamond, which is just their own gasket. I'm 99% sure they make the OE gaskets, just with the Ford blue.

The gaskets to stay away from are the fel pro with the weird pushrod holes and any other non MLS gasket.

AP always has their pumps higher than OE, no idea why, there is definitely no shortage of them, before they launched that part availability I remember seeing pallets of pallets of pallets of them.

And op, your metal source is probably the cam. Pull it out.

alwaysdiesel · May 29, 2018

co04cobra said:
Honestly dynamic diesel doesn't have the best rep on here, BUT I wouldn't touch that rebuild kit with a 10ft pole irregardless.

Whys that? I'm betting most of the kits are from the same companies unless its OEM

Also cam and crank should be out tomorrow

sootie · May 29, 2018

Get rid of the edge tuner and get something decent in there. Or will cause more harm than good. Maxxforce Pistons are no more money than stock, plus stock pistons fail on bone stock trucks.

6.4 Stroker · May 29, 2018

CTC DEEZUL said:
How many gasket manufacturers do you guys think there are?

It states their VR gaskets, I assume they are the black diamond, which is just their own gasket. I'm 99% sure they make the OE gaskets, just with the Ford blue.

The gaskets to stay away from are the fel pro with the weird pushrod holes and any other non MLS gasket.

AP always has their pumps higher than OE, no idea why, there is definitely no shortage of them, before they launched that part availability I remember seeing pallets of pallets of pallets of them.

And op, your metal source is probably the cam. Pull it out.

They may be the same manufacture, but VR ARE different. Hold one side by side. Aside from different color. They have different, steam-holes, layers are different thickness, and one feels stiffer. Plus I've popped a few VR.

Shafer171 · May 29, 2018

alwaysdiesel said:
I've been looking at this kit
http://dynamicdiesel60.com/6-4l-power-stroke-diesel-engine-overhaul-rebuild-kit/
Which is why I was hoping to use those H.G. but if it's not worth it, I'll go OEM
This will be a stock performance engine aside from an Edge on level 1/2 and will be driven super moderately. Are studs really necessary? Same goes for pistons, I was under the impression they crack mostly due to increased timing/fuel. I'm not opposed to going to the Maxxforce pistons if I need to.

Fuel shop said they won't even touch these pumps or injectors anymore, too much labor that if they make a mistake during testing they lose their ass on it. They do the Alliant exchange program, $1800 for HPFP, lines and harness w/ exchange and $300 per injector w/ exchange. Still looking at all my options

Thanks everyone so far

For what it’s worth I wouldn’t buy anything from dynamic diesel.if you need to know why research my threads Paul is a crook.

Shafer171 · May 29, 2018

alwaysdiesel said:
Whys that? I'm betting most of the kits are from the same companies unless its OEM

Also cam and crank should be out tomorrow

Dynamic diesel sells junk, I’d stay away. If you are set on using his **** you can have the junk that moron put in my engine. No one will touch it, cover shipping and cores and you can have his garbage. At least this way you won’t be out the $ when you realize you got screwed.

alwaysdiesel · May 30, 2018

Shafer171 said:
Dynamic diesel sells junk, I’d stay away. If you are set on using his **** you can have the junk that moron put in my engine. No one will touch it, cover shipping and cores and you can have his garbage. At least this way you won’t be out the $ when you realize you got screwed.

Yikes, I just read both your threads on him. I will be staying away. It's amazing hacks like that stay in business.
Anyone seen reasonably priced overhaul kits elsewhere? It's cheaper than buying everything separate and I would end up with lots of doubles buying separate.

Hate to say it but these engines are junk, I honestly thought about putting one in my OBS ford before I put the cummins in it, dodged a bullet clearly
There's almost nothing worth saving without sacrificing reliability and this engine actually looks in decent shape :wtf:

Black AOD · May 30, 2018

FWIW, Alliant K16's are much better than OE Ford K16 HPFP.

Alliant now does full internal rebuild / service on their K16's and new PCV and reman VCV. They don't seem to leak like a lot of Later Ford Remans did either

Jonnydime · May 30, 2018

CTC DEEZUL said:
How many gasket manufacturers do you guys think there are?

It states their VR gaskets, I assume they are the black diamond, which is just their own gasket. I'm 99% sure they make the OE gaskets, just with the Ford blue.

The gaskets to stay away from are the fel pro with the weird pushrod holes and any other non MLS gasket.

AP always has their pumps higher than OE, no idea why, there is definitely no shortage of them, before they launched that part availability I remember seeing pallets of pallets of pallets of them.

And op, your metal source is probably the cam. Pull it out.

The gaskets I got from sunrise a few years ago were the gold and black ones.

DEEZUZ · May 30, 2018

I only have VR on the shelf so I can't compare to OE. But I'd think thickness is the same and I share once I counted even layers. If I had oe to compare to I would.

Lipka101 · May 30, 2018

Jonnydime said:
The gaskets I got from sunrise a few years ago were the gold and black ones.

6.0s are blue. 6.4s are black/grey.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Jonnydime · May 30, 2018

That makes more sense.

sideactiondiesel · May 31, 2018

Give us a try we have all this stuff in stock and we do NOT drop ship Unless its better for the customer. If there is something you cant find give us a call and we can get ya up and going!
Also been doing this for 12yrs+ now so we have seen quite a few things during this time. We love to be part for everyone's build when we can. Hell we make so many diff things only 1/4 of what we do and sell is on the website

just not enough time in the day.

http://www.sideactiondiesel.com/Engine-Internals-_c_64.html

alwaysdiesel · Jun 3, 2018

Thanks for the reply, I will have a look at the website

I finally got around to stripping the block. Found the pistons are Mahle, thinking that Ford wouldn't be using them for OEM pistons??? If they are aftermarket, should I reuse or go maxxforce? Also found the rod bearings are starting to chip away on the edge of 4-5 different rods. Other than that things are looking okay. Cam doesn't look bad. Time to do some measuring then order parts. If anyone can recommend a good overhaul kit or put one together for me (side action

) that would be great