Parts pickups, 7.3 engines, what would you do before transplant

[Brad S.]

Like many of the OBer's I've been looking for parts pickups that have stuff a person could use on the main pickup.
After seeing a truck with 130,000 miles I wanted to ask the question what would you fix or replace on the engine before you swap it.
Granted the "blue sky" factor is in play, but are there some things to replace??
For instance, oil cooler because its a PITA to replace once the engine is in??? Or what other stuff could a person do???

 

[icanfixall]

The oil cooler is the biggest thing I would do before installing an unknown engine in my rig. Then I would make sure the front and rear main seals are fine. Then I would look at the oil pan gasket. If you actually see someone has installed one remove it now and just use a good quality RTV. Thats all the factory used. See what the valve cover gaskets look like. If they are seaping any amount of oil they will get worse. The passenger side is the tuffest cover to r&r when the engine is in the truck. For the blue sky ideas I would install a set of ARP head studs if a turbo is in the future along with updateing the head gaskets.

 

[OnDaRoad]

Before you swap engines

Like many of the OBer's I've been looking for parts pickups that have stuff a person could use on the main pickup.
After seeing a truck with 130,000 miles I wanted to ask the question what would you fix or replace on the engine before you swap it.
Granted the "blue sky" factor is in play, but are there some things to replace??
For instance, oil cooler because its a PITA to replace once the engine is in??? Or what other stuff could a person do???

Look and listen to the exhaust pipe at start up - check color of smoke and listen for
a miss or a knock - let it warm up - see if the noise changes.

Let it warm up - feel the upper radiator hose to see if there is excess pressure
possibly caused by cavitation.

Then - change the oil .... check for metal at the magnetic drain plug & drain the oil
from the filter to see what it looks like.

Then - a compression test for each cylinder.

Then - oil pressure check with a gauge hooked up to the engine.

Then - make sure you don't have weak valve springs, broken seats, burned valves.

Of course look for water in the oil - oil in the water......



Jim

 

[Brad S.]

Gary & Jim
Thanks for the info. I even thought as long as the pan is off bearings could be examined/replaced. But then you have the "where do you stop" pretty soon the engine is overhauled.
But then it raises another question, is it better to overhaul an engine that doesn't have as many miles??? Thinking the block would be in better condition.?.?
Cost is the trump card I think.

 

[Devon Harley]

Those are all things to come up later down the road as in maintance with m

 

[Devon Harley]

Those are all things to come up later down the road as in maintance with miles that are on the motor I would do them because u can do it for not much cost and labor major factor in why I would any motor is a gamble you can have a catistrofic failure at any time I've seen a brand new 20,000 race engine blow up at first start or tenth same with most motors in my opion you can never say it will work and be perfect things don't always go as planed and if it does go good you will have a nice motor that will serve you along time with out the major worries everything else is a cake walk imop

 

[Devon Harley]

I also bought a 93 turas from a old lady who lost her lincense had 39,000 miles the heads started leaking around 44,000 glad it was easy to do bt gaskets gt old and when low miles are in account it's good bt not to much settIng can be worse there not heating and cooling with oil gettin around them maybe I'm wrong bt that was my expierence and what I had learned