7.3 N/A lifter replacement

[texcl]

Seems I might have a worn lifter or 2. my truck huffs out the intake for about a second or two on start up. I've found NOS ford lifters for $24 per 4 part #E3TZ-6500-A, which I believe are the correct ones, the valley pan kit is $50. So how big of a deal is this? Once I have the I/P valve covers and intake off is it pretty much loosen the rockers pull the push rods and the lifters are free to come out?

 

[Koch13351]

And the lifter retainer plate

 

[icanfixall]

Long before you tear into this try some auto trans fluid in the engine oil. you may loosen up a stuck lifter. Or try the Auto RX engine flush. Might tell us how many miles or on the engine too. Be sure the lifters you purchase are the actual roller needle bearing lifter and NOT... The bushing bearing roller lifter. There is a difference. BTW our lifters are used in many powerstroke engines as is the hummer and the GM 6.2 & 6.5 engines.

 

[texcl]

We're some of the Ford brand lifters bushed?

 

[OLDBULL8]

Yes, there are bushed rollers and needle bearing rollers.

Reread icanfixall post again above.

 

[texcl]

How can you tell the difference?

 

[icanfixall]

You can clearly see the difference when you look at the lifter. The needle bearing can be seen and the bushing can also be seen. Plus the bushing bearing has a larger shaft the bushing rides on. But you would have to have seen both lifters to be able to distinguish them apart. Not once you have seen the diff you will remember it. I will look on ebay and attempt to post pics showing what I just posted about.

 

[icanfixall]

Could not find pics about the differences in needle or bushing bearing lifters but. I did find this plus plenty cheaper than you the original poster was about to buy.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SBI-VN-114-...ash=item3f5feb7564:g:j6sAAOSwI3RW-uiB&vxp=mtr

 

[texcl]

I'll try some chemical treatments first, i'm looking at the cost/labor breakdown in a worst case scenario too. My 14 year old son wants to fix the truck up now if I take it out of service on the farm, for his future vehicle. He's not me and has never done too much mechanically. As far as diesels go, the most I've done is pulled and replaced a head on my old vw Dasher and retimed it, i also resealed a bosch injector pump on the same car. I've put new glow plugs and injectors in just about every diesel I've owned but that's about the extent of cracking a diesel engine I've done. This 7.3 seems a bit more complicated than a VW 1.5l diesel, lol. my worries are mainly timing, I understand you have to rotate the engine after you install the lifters in order to take the tension off the rockers. How do you do this without messing up the timing on the ip? The electronic manual I got only has a section for a turbo'ed 7.3 idi, will the instructions be the same for the na idi just minus the turbo removal/install?

here's the lifters I'm thinking about buying if all else fails....

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w255/russellcl/Mobile Uploads/20160401_082825.jpg

 

[texcl]

The guy says they are indeed needle bearings. Seems pretty good at $6 ea. Shipped. Should I replace all of them or just the malfunctioning ones?

 

[icanfixall]

Replace all of them. Sure nuff if you do not they will come back and get you later on. You will already be deep in the engine so its a good idea doing all while you are in there.

 

[texcl]

An update.... I bought 2 cans of JB engine tune up at my napa dealer's suggestion (friend of mine, who owns the store and has worked on these old trucks since they were new). He told me if it was a sticky lifter due to varnish, it would free it. I've driven it about 100 miles with this stuff in the crank case and the noise is gone. I even let it sit overnight in the open in 18 degree temps and no more lifter noise. He said it was probably the cheap wal-mart oil I had used last year and if I continued to use the rotella synthetic I probably wont have the issue again. Hope he's right!