RUHT RHO, SHAGGY. 94 7.3 dissassemble.

got my engine tore down today.
seems like i have made some major mistakes with this engine.
i should have stopped driving it at the first signs of an issue.
but i only put less than 100 miles on it, and it never got hot on me ( IDIoit going by idiot gauge)

pulled flywheel, and found a busted crank bolt.
no dammage to the clutch amazingly, bolt head MIA.
was able to get it out with a pair of vice grips.



pull the valve covers, and found some major sludge on the driverside bank.
found the cracked head!


went to pull injectors, and damnit. these mister mark II's are shot.
6/8 all carbon built up.
3/8 of the tips stuck in the head.
WHAT CAUSED THIS?
i cleaned the bores before install,
new copper washers.
no extra copper washers.
SCREWED.
MOST LIKELY NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.


NEXT UP, pulled the passenger side head, and a few of the bolts looked super funky.
3 of them super flaky, 1 really rusted, it almost busted pulling it out.


driverside head, every cylinder inbetween the valves ...cracked.



pass head seems ok


this is a 030 over engine. the cylinder walls all looked clean, however most of the pistons have hairline cracks.
going to take a day or 2 to ponder either cracking one of my other engines open, or just purchase a reman shortblock.

Ewwwww. Crusty. Looks a lot like the one I have tore down.

besides the crusty oil, and the hairline cracks in the slugs, it dont look too bad.
needs a complete ****** if i decide to keep it. and run it in another truck

Howabout getting another set of pistons and getting them ceramic coated??? Knowing your right foot and performance IP, might be worth looking into . You have a good set of heads waiting to go on, and looks like you will need a couple more parts to make a bullet proof idi.
Or, you could always tear into the JD truck and use that engine......

What do you thinks up with the injectors? Seems really weird. You put them in pretty recently didn't you?

Thanks for the good pictures. Neat to see what people find when they pull an engine down.

Hows the crank look?

junk said:

What do you thinks up with the injectors? Seems really weird. You put them in pretty recently didn't you?

Thanks for the good pictures. Neat to see what people find when they pull an engine down.

Hows the crank look?

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i believe the cracks in the slugs, and the carbon on the injectors are due to over fueling.
the bull moose and misters were incomplete without the upgraded turbo.
i had it innercooled, but i think the temps were too high, and the max temp it ever got on EGT's were 1250 before i backed out of the throttle.
and it didnt see 1250 for any length of time.
this is a learning curve for me, as i am still a rookie on these engines.
i hope to gain some valuable info from this and have my next engine last.

kinda crazy that the driver side cylinder head was cracked inbetween every valve.
yet the passenger side didnt have 1 visable crack.

i have not pulled the pan yet, ive been doing alot of work this week, and now im resting until the morning.
i will do that tomorrow.

ive been talking with a few friends, and with the discussion of the larger wrist pin on the turbo engines, we all agree that less alloy makes these slugs weaker,
as Ian said, unprooven, but makes sense to me!
if i decide to use another short block i have, i will most likely use this bottom end in my hotrod build, and see how long it lasts.
lots of things to think about, and the pocket book is really thin..
going to cook an awesome dinner tonight and shmoose the woman into buying me a reman

Goo in heads is likely worn guides causing soot/oil build up....my theory.

Could be had seats in injector bores and coppers didnt seal well....dunno..guessing...ask Mel.

Cracked heads...anchors fer yer boats.

Cracks in pistons seen that before.....probably ok if minor. Suggest swap out for some5hing better if gonna work engine hard.

Build yer own monster...

riotwarrior said:

Goo in heads is likely worn guides causing soot/oil build up....my theory.

Could be had seats in injector bores and coppers didnt seal well....dunno..guessing...ask Mel.

Cracked heads...anchors fer yer boats.

Cracks in pistons seen that before.....probably ok if minor. Suggest swap out for some5hing better if gonna work engine hard.

Build yer own monster...

Click to expand...

this short block will not be going back in.
the cracks in the slugs are IMO, minor... however i wont be trusting it for the long haul.
time will tell on which way i go.
yea i will be talking to Mel this week.
these injectors are 6 months old, and i feel assed out.
oah well, no reason to get pissed, its just back to the drawing board.

Thanks for taking the time to take pictures of all your projects. I know it slows progress to stop and clean hands and take a picture. We all learn by seeing this.

From the top. Sludge will form quick from coolant oil mix, cracks in piston, bad but use it in the hotrod, not the daily driver. IMO 1250 is TOO HOT, for these engines, they are already on the edge for heat, take it or leave it.

The piston head is about the same thickness/mass above the wrist pin on all, the weaker theory doesnt fly in my book. Now wrist pin and down, possibly.

Injectors, that really sucks. Maybe they will clean up???.

And the dope that punched the precup did it in the wrong place, it gets done OUTSIDE the fire ring. You want the cup pushed hard to the inside so gasses dont get around it.

IDIoit said:

going to cook an awesome dinner tonight and shmoose the woman into buying me a reman

Click to expand...

don't forget the candles and wine! lot's of candles and keep her glass full.

http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?49166-New-jewel-has-arrived-Promar-7-3

i was curious about those punch marks, they seemed like they were incorrect.
my new heads are not punched at all.

injectors, do they need to be retorqued down after initial fire up?
i followed all of the guidlines.


i need to know what i did wrong so this wont happen again!
possible that the cracks in the heads caused this, but the passenger side tells me different.
i think i need to ask more questions of "WHY" before i attempt my next build.

Thanks for the clarification Russ. Now that we have brought up the subject, why does it seem like the 7.3 pistons are more prone to surface cracks? I have seen many 7.3's with these hairline cracks and have not heard of it happening so much in the 6.9 engines. Thoughts guys?

lots of things to think about, and the pocket book is really thin..
going to cook an awesome dinner tonight and shmoose the woman into buying me a reman [/QUOTE]

Bri,,, " note to self... Wash behind yer ears and put on fresh drawers!


Good luck