Self oil burning

1mouse3

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My truck burns oil massively, at roughly 120 miles into a journy I have to add about a gallon of oil to get back to the add mark any more bad noise occur. I only took it that far once that it got noisy but shut it off imediatly to add oil, so know not to go far past the oil gauge dancing. I think bearings are cooked now since my oil gauge hang out a lot a the bottom of normal now with no load hot and around the A most time with a load, the more the gauge dances the worse it gets and the regulator in the cooler is not sticking. I have the brick oil sensor with the gauge moded to be more than simple idiot, I suspect issue since sitting at idle to long hot the gauge will go below normal and I get lifter noise. I am not finding another 6.9 to sort out right now, so going to slap new bearing in this and call it a day along with gapless 2nd ring. As for bearings I am seeing ENGINETECH for $84 and SEALED POWER for $288, any reason not to go for the cheaper of the two? Ive gone 8k mile since december and to ask for another 20k mile will kick the ball into next year, a 7.3 would be another can of worms and another set of studs. Someone brought up a video of a diy way of resurficing head sufface and I did not save a link, need contingency plans for a past issue I swpt under the rung. The fire ring was blow out on the back two cylenders that burned both head and block, I swap the heads between banks to lessen the likelihood of blowing another. Another thing that will be needed is a new timming cover plate since the one I have is eaten away baddy.


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Booyah45828

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I've seen/used a piece of 2x4 inch steel tube, wrapped with a 9x11 sheet of sand paper as a quick diy resurface job. But you have to religiously wash the cylinders after, or the grit will wipe out your rings/cylinders in no time. It's not something I'd really attempt to do on an assembled short block. Probably could use this method on cylinder heads though without issues.

Looking at your picture. IMO you're wasting your time. The rust on the bores and a lack of visible cross hatch tells me any hail mary you throw at this will be moot. I understand the need to pinch pennies, and I understand only having one vehicle, But any money thrown at this will be short lived at best. Best thing to do is bite the bullet and do a rebuild. There has to be a 6.9 somewhere in Illinois clos to you.
 

1mouse3

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The rust on the bores and a lack of visible cross hatch tells me any hail mary you throw at this will be moot.


That is a old photo from when I did head gasket and studs, just referece to what the deck lood like. That rust looking dust is what came out the cooling jacket, did not expect all that to come out when I blow off the head surface. I cleaned that out the cylinders and there was good cross hatch, there standard size pistons and they looked tight in the holes so going with that ring size. I can give my self two weeks between runs to my house, so that is the time frame I have to pull the engine and do a quick rebuild of the bottom end. The f100s fe has ate a few stock distrburtor gear pins feeding her ketchup for extended runs, so dont want to go on a roadkill adventure with her.


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Booyah45828

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Carry on then.

When I did it, I started with 60 grit, then 320, then 1000 w/ wd40 as a lube. This was with an alloy headed hemi and a mls gasket. Cast iron and a composite gasket, you can likely stop after 320. Surface finish is important but flatness is importanter. If you stuff rags in it, and then clean it as well as you can, you might get away with it.
 

Scotty4

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My buddy uses a thick piece of plexi with a sheet of sand paper on it with WD40 as lube. Just spread hands out to get good pressure all over.
 

1mouse3

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Think a wrench has been throw in the works, a rebuilt 7.3 short block came up for sale at $500. There will be no funds for studs going this route, so would have to go with MAHLE GS33348 botls. The issue would be no heads so would it be hard to drill out my 6.9 heads to 1/2, if is not bad for a drill press what would be a ideal size bit to use?
 

IDIBRONCO

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Personally, I would much rather pay someone else to do the drilling than attempt it myself. I just don't feel that confident in my skills even using a drill press. I would think that a mill using an end mill would be a better way to go than a drill press and drill bits. Drill presses can have some wobble in their heads while that mill would have to be pretty true in order to make precision parts with it.
 

Booyah45828

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I assume your heads are rebuilt units? If not, I'd look into a rebuilt set of 7.3 heads before I'd drill your used set. Heads/valves/guides seem to wear quickly on the idi platform. So make sure they're good before reinstalling them.

Regarding drilling the heads, unless you have a heavy duty drill press, I wouldn't attempt to do this. Furthermore, drilling that many holes will require multiple bit sharpenings, and I highly recommend you use a good bit, and not some cheap TiN coated harware store specials. A bit and a drill press is what you would use. A drill bit when sharpened correctly is self centering, an end mill is not, so you'd have to locate each hole to use an end mill. 34 holes x 2 heads is a lot of locating. Every machine shop should have a good drill press with no wobble.

FWIW, If money is tight, and you're local district has a career technical education pathway that includes precision machining classes, I'd ask them if they would to do it. I took machinist classes my final 2 years of high school, and this type of job would be something we would do for donuts/cookies. I did a lot of random projects in those 2 years for people. Food for thought.

And, I'm not sure what the new bolts cost, but I'd think you could sell your 6.9 studs and then buy 7.3 studs cheaper then buying new bolts. Maybe a vendor would be willing to trade+cash on your end. Or you could return the studs where you purchased them.
 

1mouse3

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And, I'm not sure what the new bolts cost, but I'd think you could sell your 6.9 studs and then buy 7.3 studs cheaper then buying new bolts. Maybe a vendor would be willing to trade+cash on your end. Or you could return the studs where you purchased them.

I will inquire about trade but have got half the bolts need, another box would be $68.

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Well the dead is done and this cart gets another go at holding a heavy idi, if floppy but will do.

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Well it may be rebuilt but the pistons are upside down, I would think the stamping would aid in correct assembly. Going to need to find a piston ring compressor that is not junk, the blue adjustable one that takes a 1/4 I hate.

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Also got parts galore along with the need gaskets, so short just heads.

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IDIBRONCO

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I would think the stamping would aid in correct assembly.
That was the intention. Apparently some people don't read. I'm about to start working on a friend's four wheeler that also has the piston installed backward. It's clearly marked "IN" for intake side, but it's facing toward the exhaust. It's been run like that for who knows how many years so he decided to leave it that way. Again, some people just don't read.
 

Booyah45828

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Was this rebuilt and then ran? Why do the pistons have carbon on them if it's rebuilt? Good catch on the pistons being flipped. Check that the chamfer on the rods is pointing the correct way, with the pistons flipped, who knows what they got going on. A complete disassembly and reassembly might be best.

What did you decide to do with the heads?
 

1mouse3

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Was this rebuilt and then ran? Why do the pistons have carbon on them if it's rebuilt? Good catch on the pistons being flipped. Check that the chamfer on the rods is pointing the correct way, with the pistons flipped, who knows what they got going on. A complete disassembly and reassembly might be best.

This is just new rings with a hone and cam/crank/rod bearing replaced, I am also told the cylinders where sonic checked. Those are oem origanl pistons going by the part number, the carbon is barlly any and looks to be partaly brushed off. If memory serves me right the 6.9 was tore down with something done then ran on that cart, it had a small layer of carbon that had to be scraped off to find part numbers on the piston. So I would say this engine has yet to be ran based on what I have seen a sort run do. What is the orientation for the chamfer on the rods to be pointing?


What did you decide to do with the heads?

Not sure yet but need to refill my pocket book, then will run back to a junk yard I saw a 7.3. That was about 3 weeks ago so not sure if it is still there, then will go from there on what is found. Thinking should not touch the 6.9 and let it go back to sitting, it runs and would make a usable back up engine.
 

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