Expert Forensics needed - rebuild 7.3 idi "ticking" direction needed

[BigDiesel]

That doesn't look too bad for a rebuild. My 7.3 usually has a bit of fine shavings on the magnetic drain plug too when I change the oil, and it has 194,000 miles on it.

 

[plywood]

Dude, you really need to trim those nails, and how did you get all that done without getting grease under them.

I assume that is your wife holding the plug, hope you can muster up a laugh right now.

 

[supachaged]

the metal on the drain plug looks like left over material from when the engine was overhauled/rebuilt. could quite possibly be that the block was not properly cleaned after it was rebuilt. i have seen it before especially when the bolt holes are retapped, metal shavings go everywhere and find their way into small passages.

 

[BigRigTech]

That much metal wouldn't faze me after a rebuild - if - I didn't have a noise that I was trying to locate....Take the filter media and put it in a vise to squeeze the oil out of it - then you can really see what's in it.

 

[Goofyexponent]

That much metal wouldn't faze me after a rebuild - if - I didn't have a noise that I was trying to locate....Take the filter media and put it in a vise to squeeze the oil out of it - then you can really see what's in it.

Agreed again. With holes being chased with a tap as mentioned before, new parts wearing into their tolerances and just what little bit of shavings would be left in the block would be what you see on the plug.

I would still check to see if the particles in the filter are magnetic or not (I know you are all saying "of course they are magnetic beucase they are stuck to the drain plug dumb a**) but that is JUST the magneic stuff there. There bay be brass or copper in the filter (and other non ferrous metals) that could show a problem elsewhere.

If nothing of any significance shows up there, I would monitor my mechanical AFTERMARKET gauges (I wouldn't trust the factory ones at all) and see what it is doing. Check oil consumption levels, coolant consumption levels (hopefully it has NO consumption as it is a fresh rebuild).

Other than that, there is NO way to tell for sure unless yo drop the pan and check all the rod and main bearings, cam bearings, etc. It all depends on how far you want to go into the enigne to diagnose a problem. This is where one of those snakelight cameras come in REAL handy!!!

 

[Jake S.]

It does sorta look like the shavings from a tapped hole. Is this the first oil change after the rebuild? I got into the habit of changing the oil after a couple hundred miles after a rebuild to flush the remains of gaskets and shavings. But with out hearing the tick(knock) it is hard to say.

 

[ferrellmedia]

I did run taps thru the majority of the bolt holes as I was buttoning the engine up, (valve covers, all intake bolt holes, all oil pan holes, etc..) using lock-tight (blue).


Now that you mention this, that is exactly what these shavings look like.

I'm going to harbor frieght to get a large lift magnet and will run thru the oil in the tupperware today and I don't have a bench vise so I need to devise a way to squeeze the oil out of the filter, but will do that today.

 

[ferrellmedia]

OK, I ran a new 90lbs magnet thru the old oil and only minor trace particles adheared to the magnet.

I also ran my hand thru the bottom of the oil and there are no other particles in the oil.

I then took the old oil filter, since I didn't have a vise, I ripped the filter media out, (which came out easy), laid it flat and ran the magnet across the trace stuff in the creases and again, nothing of note.

I closely inspected the remaining "stuff" in the filter and no brass or bearing "type" material, only paint from where the guy had oversprayed the valve springs....

I'm starting to wonder if this noise isn't just a piston slap or something....

History is the first 1900 miles the rebuild didn't make this noise, HOWEVER, it did have what I thought was a valve "tick" from the start and this is that same tick that after the 3k RPM for 1 hour run south to Miami has turned into a knock, so it's always had this noise, just now that "tick" is now a slap, i wouldn't categorize it as a knock...

The engine just keeps getting more power as it breaks in even with this sound increasing. At first I thought I noticed a power decrease but that was my head playing tricks because I had convinced myself this was valve related.

The first diesel mechanic I took this to last week said, "it sounds normal to me, these things rattle"....

I have an appointment at the stealership on Monday to have someone listen to it as well.

I visually inspected the flexplate I could see in the sun yesterday and was unable to see anything wrong, but didn't take the converter bolts out.

thanks for the assistance to here, any other suggestions? anyone just know what the hell this is?

 

[ferrellmedia]

This is the first oil change after the rebuild

 

[ferrellmedia]

Sorry to keep posting;

Oil consumption during first 2k miles was 3 qts, 1qt over the first 1k miles and 2qts after my run to miami.

No, zero coolant consumption, SCA's kept on target.

NO, ZERO oil leaks.

Truck does not smoke unless I shower down on it, (which I did do frequently during the first 1500 miles and I also pushed it really hard in my run to miami on the highway.

 

[BigRigTech]

I wonder if you have a bad injector or your timing is too advanced?....This will make them rattle....I put a rebuilt 8.3 Cummins in a Ford L8000 about 2yrs ago, fresh from Cummins it was.....I got it running and roadtested - worked good but lazy....Our senior engine tech - Jimmy said "let's smartin' it up a little".....So we advance the P-pump a little - the next day the driver came back and said it pulls hard now but it rattles like a ******* on the hills......We had to take a little timing out if it.

 

[ferrellmedia]

Took the truck to the stealership this morning and the guy working there that had the most experience with the IDI's stated that the noise was normal.

So now I'm stuck, does this "tick" that turned into a louder "knock" cause me to get rid of this truck???

Thanks again everyone for taking the time to read this enormously long post, if I find anything else out or it dies on me, I will update.

 

[ferrellmedia]

Now third mechanic tells me this sound is "normal" nothing to worry about, selling the truck anyway...

 

[towtruckdave]

Still no video? I guess maybe its easier to just burn whoever you sell it to?

 

[ferrellmedia]

towtruckdave - I usually don't take offense to the things people write on here because eveyone feels they can say anything they like because it's anonymous.

*** kinda statement is that?

Video, I was never going to take video!

Someone earlier asked to take audio, I tried that and you couldn't really make out this specific noise over everything else.

I've taken the truck to two different dealers and both say the exact same thing, sounds normal, no issues post over, go harass someone else!