Just another 7.3 under the knife.

[MeTo]

I'm posting a pic of the number one piston. If you look closely, you can see carbon buildup only in the area under the compression ring end gap; which was 39 thousandths. If you take a close look at the surface of the compression and scraper rings. They have tiny pits and what I will call random and extremely shallow areas that are eroded. This is new to me. Has anyone experienced this? What would cause this?

Click on pic to open and then click again twice to zoom in real close.

 

[Magnum PD]

The top compression ring gap should be anything from .013 to .045. Within spec but a lot of gap.

 

[uncool]

Top - .014"-.024 Second - .062"-.072" Oil Ring - .012"-.024"

Those are the ring gaps you should shoot for. This is from International's website.

 

[MeTo]

^^ +1

The top ring at .039" is way out of tolerance.

 

[Inline6359]

I’d rebuild the engine with machine work. You’ve got a clean old obs for dirt cheap that should last a lot longer. With a rebuilt engine that’s probably an $8000 truck where I’m at.

You clearly haven’t sold a rust free obs f350 up here.

 

[dsberman94]

You clearly haven’t sold a rust free obs f350 up here.

I’m probably low. Not really in the market so I don’t really pay attention. Just trying to get him to understand what a find he’s got a little better. I’m also guessing that it’s a regular cab long bed xl truck being that he said it’s a work truck. So other than the rust free part it’s not all that rare of a truck.

 

[MeTo]

A little update, the block and heads will be done the end of June or the 1st week of July. I have not received the measurements or damage (cost) report yet.. The guy is very busy and in demand. The majority of his revenue comes from doing warranty work for the local dealers, show car engines (the Iola Old Car show starts July 12th) and airplane engines.

The heads look great. I'm just going to have them cooked and checked.

I dropped the timing cover off last week to have the LPOP mating surface, surface ground. There is minor "scoring" between both sets of ports that are about a thousandth or two deep? Having the LPOP wear against an expensive timing cover is a piss pour design IMO. They should have incorporated a replaceable thrust plate.

Would anyone have a recommendation for paint? My current plan is to clear coat the stripped aluminum parts and paint the rest diesel dirty bast**d black of course. I thought I would just use high temp black in a rattle can, but I can't find a high temp primmer in a rattle can. Would anyone have experience with the Por 15 engine kit? Por 15 is working great on the frame and what not for 3 years.

Here is a list of what I have so far:
Clutch & throw out bearing 824.00 (SB 425 HD)
Belt tensioner 61.52
Coolant hoses 48.00
Loctite 620 (cups) 16.00
Thermostat housing plate 40.00
Ford RTV 17.00
HPOP hoses 58.51
Oillite Pilot Bushing 8.00 (DIY)
Weld in dipstick tube adapter 0.00 (DIY scrap stock)
Melling M208 oil pump 105.00
Hayden fan clutch 83.00
HPX fittings 5.00
Extended fuel elbow replacement 3.50
Injector o-rings 61.50
4 gallons Cat ELC 56.00
Sandblast parts 20.00

Needed:
Gasket set
Injector cups & tool (RiffRaff)
Exhaust manifold bolts
Clutch fork & ball stud
Turbo flange, three 12 point bolts
Engine paint
HPX hose

And lastly, I do know exactly what I have. I researched for a few months to determine exactly what I NEED for how I intended to use it. It just pulls our boondock camper from Wisconsin to the SW desert and National Forests twice per year. I have no need for a pretty or Viagra truck. What I looked for is in this order; reliability, easy to work on, as rust free as possible, manual transmission, std cab, lots of cheap parts available, durable AND a plain Jane with cruise and air. I then searched until I found it, the price was a coincidence. I'm the type who would rather scratch than wax. I'm proud of the desert "pin stripping".

 

[Plzstrokeme]

I used an etching primer when I painted my block. My dad also used it on his cars engine blocks. Seems to work great.

Mine turned out really nice. I used a satin black and cast aluminum engine paint.

I also had the manifolds ceramic coated. That was probably one of the best cosmetic things I did. After install you can see the manifolds through the wheel wells. They look great.

When you weld in your dip stick adaptor will you please show some pics. Im interested in how to do that. When I did mine I did everything I could to make sure it wouldn't leak and it still had a small seep.

 

[Garbage_Mechanic]

Yep, I ceramic coated the manifolds and turbo housing as well as Line X on the valve covers.
But my reasons might be a little different....Line X to quiet down injector solenoid noise and ceramic because of flash fires I have experienced in the past with fluids hitting hot turbo or manifold.

 

[MeTo]

Here is a pic of the Oilite pilot shaft bushing and dipstick tube adapter. The adapter is not pretty, it's just scrape stock I had laying around. But, it works.

If your welds are leaking, you either have a cold weld or porosity? I tested mine with diesel fuel, all is well. I did weld it inside and out.

 

[Garbage_Mechanic]

Seems like you and I think a lot alike.

I like the simplicity of the dipstick adapter. Swamps has a machined weld in one they put on my engine.

Mine is going to be expedition ready and is driven by my wife by herself a lot too.

Lot of parallels.

 

[psduser1]

Here is a pic of the Oilite pilot shaft bushing and dipstick tube adapter. The adapter is not pretty, it's just scrape stock I had laying around. But, it works.

If your welds are leaking, you either have a cold weld or porosity? I tested mine with diesel fuel, all is well. I did weld it inside and out.

:thumbup:

 

[MeTo]

How does one replace the clutch fork (clutch release lever) ball stud? I found one for $33 including shipping.

I don't have the new one in hand yet. The ball stud doesn't appear to be threaded into the bell housing boss (web pics). It appears to be pressed in. I tried heating the boss and prying it out with a crow bar, no good. I don't want to pry harder and break the bell housing. I tried heating the boss and twisting the ball stud, again no good. The ball stud is tempered, so a vice-gripe or pipe wrench jaws doesn't bite very well.

Any advice?

Once again something which should be simple snowballs into a pain-in-the azz.

 

[MeTo]

I need to purchase the gasket/o-ring set this week, minus pistons, rings, bearings and injector o-rings. Injector builder (inspected/checked out fine) provided injector o-rings. Machinist will provide pistons, rings, bearings, valve seals and freeze plugs or no warranty.

So what is my best option? Clay has a Motorcraft set (minus pistons/rings) for ~$625. I found this option (MAHLE Clevite Complete Engine Gasket Kit, Ford (1994-03) 7.3L Power Stroke) for $234. Is anyone familiar with these? Are there any other "set" options?

I'm getting a much clearer understanding as to why the rebuild prices are what they are. There is a LOT of bs involved in rebuilding a 7.3. Since this is my first diesel rebuild, I'm enjoying the learning experience. If there is a next time? I will buy it. We are missing a lot of boondocking time.

 

[MeTo]

I'm trying to decide on a replacement HPOP. Corey wont sell me a stage 2. As for the Adrenaline; I talked to Bob and I'm not paying $675 for a mystery HPOP. So it's Corey's stage 1 or a T500? How do they compare; details? I know Corey's character and customer service is top notch.

Anyone have any info on the MB diesel 20?

Are both 20 degree swash plate pumps?
Are both cross drilled?
Do both have rear bearings?
Do both have new internal parts?
Anything else I should be aware of?

 

[Jomax]

I loved my T-500. Truck was sold to my buddy and the pump has over 100k miles and still works 100%


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ithumpwheniwalk]

I'm trying to decide on a replacement HPOP. Corey wont sell me a stage 2. As for the Adrenaline; I talked to Bob and I'm not paying $675 for a mystery HPOP. So it's Corey's stage 1 or a T500? How do they compare; details? I know Corey's character and customer service is top notch.

Anyone have any info on the MB diesel 20?

Are both 20 degree swash plate pumps?
Are both cross drilled?
Do both have rear bearings?
Do both have new internal parts?
Anything else I should be aware of?

You can't go wrong with an Adrenaline. I have over 120k on mine since purchase, towing a 10k 5th wheel for the most part. It hasn't missed a beat. I posted my Adrenaline story on here more than a few years ago, but it might not appear, so here's my experience...

Talked to Bob over the phone after hearing the hype for a higher volume hpop to go with some new injectors. Purchased it and had it shipped to my house. Late one evening, after a few wobbly pops I installed my hpop and immediately stripped the aluminum threads on the pump.
I emailed Bob the next day and admitted to what had happened, he had me ship the pump back to him and he replaced it with a brand new unit. You can't ask for more than that. I'd recommend him to you any day.

 

[psduser1]

I'm trying to decide on a replacement HPOP. Corey wont sell me a stage 2. As for the Adrenaline; I talked to Bob and I'm not paying $675 for a mystery HPOP. So it's Corey's stage 1 or a T500? How do they compare; details? I know Corey's character and customer service is top notch.

Anyone have any info on the MB diesel 20?

Are both 20 degree swash plate pumps?
Are both cross drilled?
Do both have rear bearings?
Do both have new internal parts?
Anything else I should be aware of?

I'd vote adrenalin, also. Not going to support a 200% nozzle to full power, of course, but it is a solid option to replace a stocker,+.
Personally, for reliability, I'd not recommend a 20* pump, just because. No personal experience, but oems tend to see on the side of caution, and there are plenty of 300k+ engines out there to back that up.

 

[hucorey]

I told him I would not sell him a STG2 because it's a waste of money for his current smaller injectors. It's simply not needed.

Out of 100's of pumps sold, I've never had a failure yet. Had a few that needed a new rear oring, but that's it, and all come with steel thread inserts.

Bob at Dieselsite builds a good pump, I can't deny that.

MB, he isnt even a real shop, nor even has a shop for that matter. Just a guy selling reboxed pumps out of his living room.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[MeTo]

I told him I would not sell him a STG2 because it's a waste of money for his current smaller injectors. It's simply not needed.

Out of 100's of pumps sold, I've never had a failure yet. Had a few that needed a new rear oring, but that's it, and all come with steel thread inserts.

Bob at Dieselsite builds a good pump, I can't deny that.

MB, he isnt even a real shop, nor even has a shop for that matter. Just a guy selling reboxed pumps out of his living room.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

This is all true, but Corey did not state I mentioned I planned on experimenting with fatter injectors and nozzles in the future. I have a high regard for Corey's customer care and products. But, I'm not going to purchase a tight stock (17) pump now and maybe need to purchase more oil latter.

I have been committed to a 20 degree and cross drilled pump since January. I purchased three tunes from Dusty last December, but he could never get the idle to stop rolling. For some reason, my truck is the only one to do that? Hopefully the rebuild will magically fix that? I missed his live tuning session in Arizona because we both didn’t know we were only about 100 miles away from each other. He is going to let me know when and where he will be tuning, that’s going to happen. During these conversations, we discussed my future experimentation with fatter injectors and nozzles. A 20 degree pump was the take away. Brand was not brought up.

To pull my light boondocker; the only aspect of my truck that is based on need is the fact that it's a truck.

I contacted Clay yesterday and asked about cross drilling. He contacted Terminator in regards to having it done on my pump. I ordered a T500 from Clay.