7.3 Cylinder Heads the same?

[colorado_joe]

Hello Oilbuners! I've done my searching and cannot find a driect answer, so any help is appreciated.

So let's say a "friend" yesterday put the original cleaned-up heads back on his 7.3. New Victor Reinz gaskets and ARP head studs. Torqued the studs 170 times (17 per side, 5 iterations for the 3 levels in the service manual, plus the 125 ft-lbs for ARP, and the last double check).

Then "my friend" may have noticed the head that was originally on the passenger side is now on the driver side and vise versa. This is based on the plug missing from the passenger head for the heater core hose.

Does "my friend" need to swap them back and get new gaskets, or are the heads interchangeable? Is the cylinder head the same for both sides?

The heads have the same part number cast in them. They are the same part number according to the service manual blown-up view. The gaskets are the same. The intake has two mounting bolts 180 degrees apart as though the heads are the same.

Thanks for the help.

...my "friend" is not looking to re-do yesterday...

 

[91idi]

They are the same to my knowledge. I've reversed 6.9 heads alot

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

They're ambidextrous heads. Just swap the coolant sensors and plugs around and cary on.

 

[colorado_joe]

They're ambidextrous heads. Just swap the coolant sensors and plugs around and cary on.

Thanks guys!
Let's just say I had enough fun once lifting a head up and over the studs and don't care to do it again.

 

[laserjock]

Dont you mean "your friend" didn't want to do it again.

 

[gatorman21218]

"He bats from both sides of the plate. He's amphibious." - Yogi Bera

 

[icanfixall]

Swing and a miss cause he was swinging for the fence... Really there is no differance between the heads. Now what your needing to do is swap over the rockers and pushrods so they still match up on the heads. Remember that the pushrods have an up and a down direction of the ball ends. If you didn't keep track of that and they are in a box or bag... I tell you to buy a new set from ebay. They are listed there of $25.00 per set. Anyplace else its close to $100.00 per set of 16.. Might want to replace the rockers too if you can find a set on the cheap. So you tell us "your friend" torqued the heads studs 170 times.. I ask why because they are done at 4 but some like to click the torque wrench two or three times per circut per nut... I know I click them three times per circut...

 

[colorado_joe]

Swing and a miss cause he was swinging for the fence... Really there is no differance between the heads. Now what your needing to do is swap over the rockers and pushrods so they still match up on the heads. Remember that the pushrods have an up and a down direction of the ball ends. If you didn't keep track of that and they are in a box or bag... I tell you to buy a new set from ebay. They are listed there of $25.00 per set. Anyplace else its close to $100.00 per set of 16.. Might want to replace the rockers too if you can find a set on the cheap. So you tell us "your friend" torqued the heads studs 170 times.. I ask why because they are done at 4 but some like to click the torque wrench two or three times per circut per nut... I know I click them three times per circut...

Thanks for the advice. As far as the pushrods and rockers go, I should be fine. When I dis-assemble I always put them away labeled and in a certain direction so they'll be the exact same when I re-assemble.

The 5 times torque for the studs was for the 3 times the Ford Service Manual has (I think around 65 ft-lbs, 85 ft-lbs, and then 100 ft-lbs) Then the 4th time for the ARP torque of 125 ft-lbs. then the 5th time to one last time keep the torque wrench at 125 and go back through the sequence to validate and make sure I didn't miss anything.

 

[Moosebob]

Speaking of heads, does anyone have a good set they don't need? Between both heads I have 8 cracks in mine and not really the budget for the price Diesel Cast Welding wants.

 

[F-SERI-ouS]

The 5 times torque for the studs was for the 3 times the Ford Service Manual has (I think around 65 ft-lbs, 85 ft-lbs, and then 100 ft-lbs) Then the 4th time for the ARP torque of 125 ft-lbs. then the 5th time to one last time keep the torque wrench at 125 and go back through the sequence to validate and make sure I didn't miss anything.

I just replaced a set of head studs on a '94 n/a truck. now i could be wrong, and off topic but i ran the torque sequence as 65x2 then 90x2 then 110x2lbs. is that right?

 

[icanfixall]

Try Alabama Cylinder Heads for a set. I have several sets but I'm on the west coast so close to the ocean I can see it from my house. Shipping would be expensive even if I gave away the heads to anyone. There are several other good sellers of the 7.3 heads. No matter what. Never buy a head that has a knurled valve guide in it. Thats a terrible guide repair that wont last very long at all. What the shop is trying to do is run a roller up the guide attempting to swell the cast iron into the valve area. Then they ream it back to size. Problem is cst iron does not act like rolled steel. Cast iron crushes and chips away when machined. Its also very slow machining speed because cut fast and the tool bit wears off. You will never see long chips when machining cast iron like you do with low grade steel.

 

[Moosebob]

I tried searching for them but couldn't find a website and heard from someone they were out of business. South Houston Engine has them but I don't know their quality, I've not heard anything good about their engines or transmissions.

 

[icanfixall]

Try Barnett Profromance Engines. They off a stroker kit for the 7.3 idi engines and three differant stages of porting of our heads. From what I know about there stage three porting... Mine goes farther than theirs. Kinda makes me wonder. I sure would like to see and talk with them about what we do differant. I have a bare new set of heads waiting for some work...

 

[Moosebob]

Try Barnett Profromance Engines. They off a stroker kit for the 7.3 idi engines and three differant stages of porting of our heads. From what I know about there stage three porting... Mine goes farther than theirs. Kinda makes me wonder. I sure would like to see and talk with them about what we do differant. I have a bare new set of heads waiting for some work...

That one may be a winner, they're local enough that I can go pick them up. Stroked, ported, turboed, and add a better cam.......change your head gaskets at every fill up!