7.3 IDI Turbo Hard Start and White Smoke

Awesome to hear. Was it 180 degrees off? That's a very interesting color that you painted your gear cover. It's not for me, but it's definitely unique!

Oh man does this truck move!! I took it for a short drive and with the zf5 it's a beauty!! Feels like an old muscle truck.

I was hitting 12psi with the R&D 90cc pump and stage 1 injectors... huge shoutout to Justin for them!!

I need to be careful, it's not head studded yet I need to do valve covers and re-torque the head bolts down again, something I hear from the old hats that's fruitful to keep the head in place with boost, and prevent needing quite so many head gaskets.


EDIT: Yes, completely 180* out. I'll take a video of it starting now.

Thanks, the color is definitely unique haha, I'm really happy with how this thousand dollar IDI turned out in the end.

It's certainly rough, the turbo intake manifold has a stripped bolt AND gutted K&N filter inside of it, and a cheapo specter oreilly special dingus end hanging where the rest of the intake should be.

I'm assuming you know that running it without line clamps is asking for a cracked line.

sjwelds said:

I'm assuming you know that running it without line clamps is asking for a cracked line.

Click to expand...

Just going to say that I think anything that will tie them together and help support them would work better than nothing because they always break at the wost possible my wife has a Jetta and I didn't put both clamps on the oil feed line on the turbo well she was on a back road headed to Helena Montana for a work trip and she had to have a cop call me to come get her because it cracked and blew oil all over the place I guess the moral of that story is put the clamps back on

I'm working on those today, putting some proper motorcraft gold coolant in, tightening the tarb manifold (do you guys know what size bolts the upper intake bolts onto the filter housing with? I'm missing them all, and one is stripped out?), and changing the valve cover gaskets/torquing the head bolts down.

Any tips for bending these lines back into place? I priced all new ones and at $500, fuuuuuck that. Should I remove the lines to bend them?

This morning, also, it seems like I've got a fuel leak somewhere? The truck wouldn't start immediately, with new beru plugs, manual relay, fresh pump and injectors this should just be waiting for the command to roar to life.

To wit, there's no diesel on the return lines or etc., anywhere else I should look?

Affixed the clamps, it looks like #5 injector is resting on the fuel return hard line - is this unacceptable?

Further, found the leak, it was underneath the turbo intake manifold - should be fixed now.

Took it for a test drive, we were going to go on the freeway but noticed both rear wheels are wobbling!! (!)

Soooo, we may just transfer our 1 ton duallies axle onto our 3/4.

Well, at least it starts! It still has some air intrusion; I'll just replace the low pressure lines and double check the o-rings again (used silicone paste to install them).

Doing to swap the 1 ton rear end and bed soon, waiting on the weather.

And it runs GOOD after it starts. That's the best part.

It's running alright, when driving I noticed a hesitation at about 1/4 acceleration - just past what's needed to drive down the road, like a cylinder isn't firing? I need to fill the fuel filter with seafoam and clean the cylinders out well, 'cause I don't think anything else can cause a rough idle like that sans injector and pump, which are both recent.

Anyway, I'll update when the new rear end and bed is on, along with a couple other things.

Thanks everyone for all your help!

Update! The old 1 ton rear end is hanging on for dear life, I've had to cut most of the bolts out as the bushing has seized to the bolt!!

It's fighting us hard, but with a plasma cutter and a big enough hammer (log splitter in this case) anything is possible!

The hesitation was air intrustion; #7 on the back near the turbo was spilling diesel from the cap. Need a new tee, had all but 1 to tighten that up.

I'm noticing lots of oil in the turbo, on top of the intake, is it time for an insert?

After deliberation, the trucks name's Frank, or Frankenstein.

Frank is being a cranky old man about getting knee surgery.

robw said:

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In above picture, I'm replacing all 6 seized bushings with Moog sb308 - I have 3 large bolts that fit the bushings tightly between the trucks, and 4 that do not.

It seems apparent to me that there were 2 different bolt sizes in sb308 bushing holes... please advise? Should I get 3 more tight bolts?

Also, I rented a ball joint puller (giant C clamp) to press the bearings in and out, I also have a 20 ton shop press.

Anyone have luck using a ball joint puller to replace these?

I had to cut mine out with 3/8" drill & sawzall. Drill around sleeve to loosen and knock out rubber, used sawzall to cut mounting sleeve.
I used ball joint clamp to install mine. Greased exterior of new bushing & interior of spring mount. Went in fairly easy. You will figure best way to press in bushing. I used a short piece of pipe with flat bar welded on one end on the receiving side.
Use the tighter fitting bolts and plenty of anti-seize on bolts & inside sleeve. If it bounces on the loose fitting bolt, it will wear out the sleeve quicker.

Riphip, thanks for the response.

SB308s are not the correct bushing for any of the rear suspension.

I don't have the numbers on me, but I went with a new Dorman shackle/bushing combo, which left pressing bushings only into the leafsprings.

I unshackled them and used my 20 ton press, it worked a treat. The rear end is completely tied down now, brakes bled.

A couple of issues:

The turbo leaks oil, and appears to badly. Tips, suggestions? It also seems to leak exhaust when the throttle is snapped, from behind the turbo.

There is also what appears to be oil coming directly out of the exhaust. Subtle white smoke on idle, although there is definitely air intrusion so I'm not as concerned about that yet.

The #7 injector return line WILL NOT SEAL... new o-rings, new tee, assembled with silicon paste... twice... still leaks! ***? Fuel isn't coming up from the injector, but from the Tee.

Thanks all for your time and wisdom!