doctordiesel
Registered User
Tips on removal and repair of hopefully just the oil cooler anybody done one recently ?
1987 7.3 oil cooler
- Thread starter doctordiesel
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MontanaJack
Full Access Member
http://www.oilburners.net/forums/sh...-pan-where-to-start-Asking-for-a-friend/page3
Post #31 was a video of a powerstroke but is supposed to be similar.
What is the issue you're having?
Post #31 was a video of a powerstroke but is supposed to be similar.
What is the issue you're having?
look at your last post.
a short video is posted there
FYI, your 7.3 is not a 1987.
a short video is posted there
FYI, your 7.3 is not a 1987.
Just did mine. It's not a nice job. Very messy. What you need to make sure and do is take the coolant drain out of the side of the block. This lessens the mess some, since when you pull cooler off, coolant AND oil goes all over the place.
Also what makes it easier for some of the bolts in the front is to put a slit in the inner fender, and fold it back some so you can get a ratchet and socket with some very long extensions in there to loosen two of the bolts on the front.
And you do have to take the motor mount bolt out on the driver's side and lift the engine. Just a little bit will do it. And then you can wiggle and twist it out over the crossmember.
Make sure you spend lots of time sitting, laying or whatever in all that oil and coolant, carefully scraping the gasket surfaces on the block to make sure they are clean.
doctordiesel
Registered User
I have searched the vin number and the build code came back as 1987 . what makes you think I have the year wrong ?
http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?14615-Know-your-IDI-History
1988 was the first year of the 7.3.
if it is indeed 87, maybe in the November/December build date, would still be considered an 88?
doctordiesel
Registered User
Thanks for the information I did think you might have to undo the motor mount . But I will not be cutting holes in my nice truck .
87 could have both...... as IDIoit said, early had the 6.9 and late had the 7.3
Just like an 03 Super Duty.
There early 03's got what was left of the 7.3 PSD's and the mid 03's (Technically per Ford documentation 2003.25... so an 03 1/4) got the 6.0 PSD.
Just like an 03 Super Duty.
There early 03's got what was left of the 7.3 PSD's and the mid 03's (Technically per Ford documentation 2003.25... so an 03 1/4) got the 6.0 PSD.
icanfixall
Official GMM hand model
No matter what year the engine is or what displacement. It still is the same job and parts. What to be sure what size engine it is just clean off the top of the block near the drivers side front just left of the injection pump gear housing. The serial number will have either 6.9 or 7.3 in that number. As for ease of doing this... not really but just dive in with the help offered here. Be especially careful when installing the cooler heads. Cutting an o ring ruins the job and your doing it twice.
Car's Truck's Van's are all built a half year ahead, starting in July, right after the shutdown changeover. A little known fact is an engine Mfg. builds anywhere's from 20,000 to a 100,000 engines and warehouse's them for Warranty purposes depending on volumn sold that year. Then those engines are used up, depending on how many are used for warranty. This happens when a major engine change is made, that leads to the half year engine change, like Snicklas said. That's known as an all time run.
About installing the o-rings; I did some research before doing mine, and there was a little debate on whether you need a press or not. Some of it may have been what o-ring kit you got. I got the ones from the parts store(I think they were Victor Reinz) and they were tight, so I did have to use a press. What I found out is you need to be very careful and when pressing, keep everything straight. The metal part of the cooler is a close fit to the end pieces. I was pressing mine together and it stopped. I put a little more pressure on it and it "popped". That's when I realized I must have been hung up metal to metal in there. The next end piece I was very careful to keep everything straight and it slipped right together with the press.
icanfixall
Official GMM hand model
A press is nice to have and only do one end at a time. I don't have a press so... I used a wood clamp called a bessy pipe clamp. It rides on the work bench and a piece of 2x6 is placed in the ends to cushion the aluminum housing or the tube bundle. Just make sure the housing is lined up correctly to the bundle end. Try a dry fit without any o rings just to feel how close the fit it. then install the o rings and lube them generously. It goes together very easy. Keep the bundle anigned with the ends. See the bundle tabs. They kind of fit in the ends. If you plan on building a leak tester just make sure you keep the clamp on the oil coler ends or one end will blow off. Some testers are made to bolt everything together so the ends wont blow off. Thats factory and works well. You can just make the plates to cover the header ends that bolts to the block too. Thats when you need a clamp holding the ends on the bundle when pressure testing. About 15 to 20 lbs air pressure is fine.
doctordiesel
Registered User
Right got it off next question . I have a genuine repair kit from the nice people at Tropical Ford but it contains 4 of the small O rings when I took the old cooler apart it only had 2. Do I fit all 4 when I put it back together ? Also the original rings appear to be in very good condition . So I'm not very convinced this is going to sort my problem . Could the end caps have gone porous ? and what's anybody's best guess at were to look next . We are talking a considerable amount of water getting in to the engine oil . I have my doubts that it got frosted anywhere as it had Pestone antifreeze to the correct mix and it dont get that cold in the UK very often I thing the coldest day this winter was -7
There should be only 1 large and 1 small at each end. Installing all 4 small O'rings may lead to a leaking problem which I don't think you had to begine with from the oil cooler. The oil pressure is higher than the coolant pressure. It could be you have cavitation in one or more cylinders, pin holes in the cylinder wall.
Have you had trouble starting, like the engine is hydrolocked on start up? Hydrolocking is when the engine almost stalls on one or more cylinders on start up.
It could be the front cover behind the water pump has a rusted hole in it.
Blown head gasket.
You could put air pressure in each cylinder thru the glowplug holes, with the radiator cap off, any bubbling in the rad, that would be the cylinder.
Have you had trouble starting, like the engine is hydrolocked on start up? Hydrolocking is when the engine almost stalls on one or more cylinders on start up.
It could be the front cover behind the water pump has a rusted hole in it.
Blown head gasket.
You could put air pressure in each cylinder thru the glowplug holes, with the radiator cap off, any bubbling in the rad, that would be the cylinder.
icanfixall
Official GMM hand model
So you are telling us this ford kit has a total of 6 o rings? Two large and 4 small? If so you have the wrong kit. That kit is no longer made and your very lucky to have "found" the last kit on the planet. Those 6 ring kits were used in a different style cooler many years ago. Not sure is the newer kits will work on that cooler. A cooler that has 4 rings. Two large and two small is what we use now. I'm really thinking you were sold the wrong kit but please post an explanation of 6 or 4 ring kits you have. As for this stopping the coolant leak.. Not sure. No way the end caps or headers as they are called can develop porosity and leak.
