2000 sd 7.3 build up tips

Arisley

Moderator
Joined
May 18, 2011
Messages
9,380
Reaction score
26
Location
Arlington, Texas
Take your old engine out, scatter it on the bench, put a $1600 rebuild kit in it with MAHLE pistons, have a GOOOOODDDD machine shop machine it and check everything, forged rods are tougher than you think. Deck the block, put some new cam bearings, bore it, freeze plugs, and a good hot tanking will be your best bet, to be honest you have the ARPs already, and all the other goodies, have the heads checked out too, put some injector cups in and clean up and lap the valves in.. THIS way you KNOW what you have... Then BALANCE IT for abuse and then add the fluiddampner...

If you still need a Fluiddampner after balancing a motor, you wasted your time balancing it. If it is balanced, you do not need a Fluiddampner, it would be a waste of money.
 

Arisley

Moderator
Joined
May 18, 2011
Messages
9,380
Reaction score
26
Location
Arlington, Texas
Vibrations from being out of balance. Good product for a stock motor, not needed for a correctly built motor.

However, it is a slow and painstaking process to properly balance a rotating assembly.
 

Swaan

New member
Joined
Mar 19, 2012
Messages
734
Reaction score
0
Vibrations from being out of balance. Good product for a stock motor, not needed for a correctly built motor.

However, it is a slow and painstaking process to properly balance a rotating assembly.

Pffffff!!!!
Ya okay. Lol
The balancers job is absorb the spikes that come down the crankshaft after a cylinder fires. The crankshaft continually flexes back and forth after every firing stroke. The stock damper is designed for stock hp.
Double the hp and you have way more harmonics coming down the crankshaft.

Its always a good idea to invest in a fluid damper.
I've got one on a 6.0 and a 7.3.
I noticed a smoother running engine because of it.

But hey, it's just there to "balance"an engine right ??? Lmao!!
 

ja_cain

Active member
Joined
Aug 10, 2013
Messages
4,597
Reaction score
2
Pffffff!!!!
Ya okay. Lol
The balancers job is absorb the spikes that come down the crankshaft after a cylinder fires. The crankshaft continually flexes back and forth after every firing stroke. The stock damper is designed for stock hp.
Double the hp and you have way more harmonics coming down the crankshaft.

Its always a good idea to invest in a fluid damper.
I've got one on a 6.0 and a 7.3.
I noticed a smoother running engine because of it.

But hey, it's just there to "balance"an engine right ??? Lmao!!

Kind of like a dual mass vs. single mass flywheel.
 

lincolnlocker

Well-known member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
27,891
Reaction score
151
Location
Central Michigan
You'll have to use the manifolds off the OBS engine for the install. I'm perty sure the passenger side SD manifold is diffrent.
Also I second the fluid damper��.
Check , make sure the SD engine has fordged rods. It's a toss up. Prob does.

shouldn't have to worry about the rods.. those issuese started in 01.
Take your old engine out, scatter it on the bench, put a $1600 rebuild kit in it with MAHLE pistons, have a GOOOOODDDD machine shop machine it and check everything, forged rods are tougher than you think. Deck the block, put some new cam bearings, bore it, freeze plugs, and a good hot tanking will be your best bet, to be honest you have the ARPs already, and all the other goodies, have the heads checked out too, put some injector cups in and clean up and lap the valves in.. THIS way you KNOW what you have... Then BALANCE IT for abuse and then add the fluiddampner...
ummm... if you are gonna deck the block you should add valve reliefs in tye pistons.. clearance is way to close on a 7.3 to begin with... imo, it should have been done from the factory... i have seen stock motors bend pushrods just tootling down the road...
Vibrations from being out of balance. Good product for a stock motor, not needed for a correctly built motor.

However, it is a slow and painstaking process to properly balance a rotating assembly.
i agree with you on a mild build.. but a higher rpm/hp build it will definitely help.. especially with some of the hiccups a 7.3 can encounter!

Pffffff!!!!
Ya okay. Lol
The balancers job is absorb the spikes that come down the crankshaft after a cylinder fires. The crankshaft continually flexes back and forth after every firing stroke. The stock damper is designed for stock hp.
Double the hp and you have way more harmonics coming down the crankshaft.

Its always a good idea to invest in a fluid damper.
I've got one on a 6.0 and a 7.3.
I noticed a smoother running engine because of it.

But hey, it's just there to "balance"an engine right ??? Lmao!!

i agree here too... goes along with my response to andys post.

live life full throttle
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2014
Messages
252
Reaction score
0
Location
Shelbyville TN
Um a good harmonic goes a long ways, saves the mains from self destructing at 4500 rpm and lots of boost.. I forgot Prostock engines in the NHRA run standard shelf BBC or BBF balancers because their balanced right??
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2014
Messages
252
Reaction score
0
Location
Shelbyville TN
If you're gonna cut valve reliefs in the pistons you might as well have them coated, but he's kinda on a budget here, has two engines to work with, um didn't Ross run 400/400s in his pull truck and never bend a push rod after what 50 hooks, when pistons hit valves with after market pushrods and springs I'd be looking at alot more than just cutting reliefs in pistons... I've seen hard boost situations actually bend pushrods, kinda why Cat and Detroit both went away from the push rod design in their class 8 engines..
 

Swaan

New member
Joined
Mar 19, 2012
Messages
734
Reaction score
0
All I'm saying is that's it's not a balance issue at all. Although it does serve that purpose too. It's more to do with harmonics spiking down the crankshaft. It also plays a big part in keeping the valve train happy. Those same harmonics travel up the gear train into the cam and valve train. Believe it or not.

There's a reason all class 8 truck engine manufactures use viscous dampers on there crankshafts.
The style that comes factory on the 7.3 is old Skool tech. Two metal rings separated by rubber. Works fine for stock apps ,but viscous is way more effective for higher hp demands.

But you know what, if it's balanced really good you don't need anything. :poke:
 
Last edited:

lincolnlocker

Well-known member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
27,891
Reaction score
151
Location
Central Michigan
Um a good harmonic goes a long ways, saves the mains from self destructing at 4500 rpm and lots of boost.. I forgot Prostock engines in the NHRA run standard shelf BBC or BBF balancers because their balanced right??
comparing a nhra pro stock motor to a 7.3 is like comparing a competitor in the special Olympics to a competitor in the olympics... not even close...

If you're gonna cut valve reliefs in the pistons you might as well have them coated, but he's kinda on a budget here, has two engines to work with, um didn't Ross run 400/400s in his pull truck and never bend a push rod after what 50 hooks, when pistons hit valves with after market pushrods and springs I'd be looking at alot more than just cutting reliefs in pistons... I've seen hard boost situations actually bend pushrods, kinda why Cat and Detroit both went away from the push rod design in their class 8 engines..
yes i believe he did bend a pushrod or two, he did break a couple rockers. which is no different the bending pushrods.. and the lone stroke's tuning had some extensive time put in from swamps to keep the torque out of it to save the bottom end... he only ran around 4k rpm down the track.. what do you think happens during those hard boost situations to make the pushrod bend?




i know all about bent pushrods.. bent 8 or 9 in my dually in many different situations! and broke 2 rockers...


live life full throttle
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2014
Messages
252
Reaction score
0
Location
Shelbyville TN
And I'm talking good push rods, if you're breaking good push rods like smith bros you've got a serious deflection issue, did you ever yank the head to see if there was any piston to valve contact, I've seen the fulcrum ball bearing area wear severely from poor maintenance on 7.3s especially in cold weather areas where owners fire them with the oil cold and hammer down. I've ran stock junk on mine with 250/200s for 20,000 miles now and no problems with a junk D66 and right at 40lbs of boost and not a single issue, I built it two years ago, myself, had it balanced by EVI in Swarts Creek Mi, and assembled it in Tn, hardly ever even use glow plugs to start it. If your busting push rods you need to find the root cause, not rule out too much power, or valve to piston contact, if you're having contact you need to check seat pressure, again.. I'd be leary of lifters too not pumping up properly or when under load with boost holding them down (pressure against the valve to keep it from opening) that may have caused the rockers to snap. Swamps actually sells modified lifters that prevent this condition that causes pushrod deflection and rocker failure..
 

lincolnlocker

Well-known member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
27,891
Reaction score
151
Location
Central Michigan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D0Sw3OAhtMThis is a stock bottom end sponsored by FFD, push rods, valve springs, studs and you'd be shocked to know what injectors he's running, he finished 3rd behind 2 900hp dmaxes.. I've seen him beat both trucks many times this year.... Including the Tymar 12 valve.. turn 4400rpm all day down the track... Nothing broke yet..
its all in the tuning! nothing surprises me anymore... your getting off track... we are not talking a pulling truck here.. its a dd...

live life full throttle
 

Arisley

Moderator
Joined
May 18, 2011
Messages
9,380
Reaction score
26
Location
Arlington, Texas
Pffffff!!!!
Ya okay. Lol
The balancers job is absorb the spikes that come down the crankshaft after a cylinder fires. The crankshaft continually flexes back and forth after every firing stroke. The stock damper is designed for stock hp.
Double the hp and you have way more harmonics coming down the crankshaft.

Its always a good idea to invest in a fluid damper.
I've got one on a 6.0 and a 7.3.
I noticed a smoother running engine because of it.

But hey, it's just there to "balance"an engine right ??? Lmao!!

You are correct. No clue what I was thinking about.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2014
Messages
252
Reaction score
0
Location
Shelbyville TN
Sorry for the Derail, I was always under the impression rebuild what you have the way you want it, that way you KNOW what you have, no pun intended. Its good to see some really good running 7.3s still out there, and yes I do understand it really is all in the tuning, I've got tunes from both Gearhead and Bill at PHP, Bills pull much harder in throughout the entire rpm band, (smoke levels suck though) and Matt's are clean, little smoke, girl friend driveability power...
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Members online

Top