Finally IT'S ALIVE!!

[zigg]

Finally today it runs

This has been the culmination of 2 years work. I built the engine from a later 6.9 block that was known to burn oil. Bored it out .030, new heads, bearings, pistons etc, and Studs to hold the heads down. A year later I found my 4x4 crewcab with E4OD and dead 7.3, so in it goes.

Got my electric fuel pump hooked up, the preluber seeing pressure, cracked all the lines, got the wife to spin it over till fuel leaks, then popped the glow plugs in, connected them, and hit the Key. It spun about maybe 5 turns and then started right up and purred right off the bat!! Wooohoooo!!

Sweet sound!! Straight off the manifolds. Only ran it for about 5 minutes and then shut it down. Other than a coolant drip from somewhere in the front passenger side(I'm assuming it's thermostat cover or heater hose or something, it seems to be good.

Now comes the new engine anxiety....(sigh)

If anyone's interested, I did manage to put the injection pump onto the engine without messing up the timing, and without having to separate the gear from the pump. I just marked it, and then placed it down ensuring alignment of the marks, and it was perfect.

I marked a line horizontally through the 16th teeth. Then a vertical line from the "y" mark on the gear up through the center of the gear and corresponding marks on the housing with the front plate removed.
..Marked up..
The engine has to be at TDC on #1 Compression stroke, and then drop the pump into place ensuring not to lose the alignement of the marks. If you're out by one tooth it is fairly obvious to see it..Out one tooth..
Drop the pump carefully into place(I used tall studs threaded in, and then slid it down over these. Once in place, I spun the engine and then brought it to TDC once more to check final alignment, ..looks like this..

I'm going to add this as a writeup to my other article.

So, now just got to work it up, check for oil in water/water in oil etc, break it in, and then enjoy!!!

Time to change my sig!!

Zigg

 

[geonc]

Allways a pleasure to hear of projects where no 2 pieces of metal were touching comming together and hearing the results of many hrs of effort comming to life

Now after the first tankful to eliminate the "just built jitters"....hook it up to 10k trailer and break her in

I'm sure you will enjoy for a looong time Zigg and for your continued efforts in keeping the Brotherhood alive along with others in

DER BASEMENT

 

[Agnem]

Great news Zigg. I hope at some point you will share more with us in pictures and commentary on this great project!

 

[wwwabbit]

Good, now that you have done yours, you can come over and do mine
I can only dream of being able to do that to my motor right now....

 

[zigg]

Great news Zigg. I hope at some point you will share more with us in pictures and commentary on this great project!

Well, the '86 I drive now is a 4spd with the splitter, and I live in the city. I hate shifting. Really don't know whey I bought the thing in the first place, as I swore I'd never have another standard truck. Most weekends we go up to the lake(about 300mi round trip) and in the winter I usually do the same trip to the ski hill about 20 to 30 times, so the shifting is getting really old.
Also, originally when my kids were small being an Extcab, it was fine, but now my kids are 6ft. tall, and I need the crew. It has over 300,000 and has been rebuilt more than twice, it's going through a quart of oil every 200mi or so now, and I knew the engine would eventually crap out, so I started building this 6.9 thinking I'd put it in there.

Then I found this crew with a dead 7.3(dropped a valve and ate a piston) so decided to put the 6.9 in there instead. Decent crewcabs around these parts are rare and generally sell for upwards of $12,000-15,000, and I got this one for $4,000.
When the 7.3 that was in there took a crap, looks like it dropped a valve. This then jammed the piston which disintegrated, and punched a huge hole in the side of the cylinder allowing coolant into the oil. Looks like they just kept adding coolant till it locked up, but in the meantime, everything is filled with oily sludge. So, it appears that the oil/coolant mix actually filled up so much that it got sucked into the turbo via the CDR on the valve cover and then pumped into the intake. So, the Turbo has oil in the intake side. I can't determine if there is a problem with the seals in it, or if this just came from the overfilling. I didn't really want the wastegated turbo anyway, I've got my heart set on a Hypermax, so I think I'm going to just run it N/A for a while first to make sure it all works, and then start planning to get the Hypermax.
When I first got the truck, I drained about 3 gallons of coolant out of the oilpan before getting just oil, then started it to load it on the flatbed. I pulled it home, started it up enough again to get it off the flatbed, and then it hydrocked, and that's where it stayed for the past year till I finally pulled the engine out.

The engine is from an '87. It's a 6.9, bored .030over (makes it a 7.0). I put turbo pistons in it, because I plan to turbo once I get it up and running. I put ARP studs also, and had the whole thing balanced. I put in a pre-luber pump which makes about 25psi before the engine even turns over, and I'm waiting for a pyro to come so I can safely set up the pump on it.
The crew is a '93 1/2, and came with the factory turbo(ATS wastegated) It does need the drivers side front fender replaced (looks like someone opened the door too far and the seams met and buckled it) but otherwise, the body is in great shape and has no rust at all. The big unknown for me is the tranny. Mileage on the truck is 180,000km(110,000mi) which isn't high at all, but he says it is the second trans in there, so that makes me a bit skeptical. Since the engine only ran enough to get the thing up on a flatbed, I really haven't driven it,but it does go forward and reverse, so I'm a little worried about the trans, but I decided to go for it since the crewcabs are so hard to find. So, now I've got the 6.9 on the E4OD with 4.10 gears. I'm hoping it'll pull better than my 3.55 does, and still have the OD for the hwy.


..This..

is the only picture I have of the truck. This is when I first bought it and it was sitting in the woods all covered in mold and crap, but you can see the potential anyway.

So, hopefully, I won't have any probs with the new engine, and I can bring the thing home in a week or so, and start getting it all cleaned up and ready for the upcoming ski season!!

My wife (bless her soul) just shakes her head at me. We're also building another house right now, so I need another truck project like a hole in the head, but she actually likes the '93, and she never really liked the '86 and she says she might even be interested in driving the new one, so that's something...

So, there ya go!

Zigg

 

[icanfixall]

Well now.. Thats a feeling I know very well. I really thought the sound of my motor starting up was something I should have recorded. Too late now. It sounds like you did things right. The 2 years is a long time. I waited about 15 months till I heard mine run. My 1 ton C30 chevy was killing me getting just less than 5 miles per gallon of gas. Its now parked waiting for an emergancy to be used. Its a very clean camper special 1979 without a smog system on it. Back in 79 they didn't need to be smoged but California changed that. Now every 2 years it gets done. Enjoy what you have done. You really have a fine motor that will run longer than a chebby......P.S the crewcabs are the cats a**......

 

[towcat]

P.S the crewcabs are the cats a**......

true...until you have to find parking in these Kali honda friendly parking lots and spaces.
I just vote with my wallet. If the business can't be moose-sized truck parking friendly, they don't need my $$$ that badly. TX on the whole, has decent sized parking spaces. Austin and Houston excluded.

 

[Agnem]

If the business can't be moose-sized truck parking friendly....

Hi. I'm Mel Agne, and I approved this message.

 

[typ4]

I second that towcat, if I cant get in there lot with the camper on and buggy trailer behind they dont get any grocery money from me!! Some people get really whiney when you take up three spaces to shop, small speck car vs. crewcab 4x4, whos gonna win that one?
russ



nice approval Mel!!!

 

[oldmisterbill]

Cool Zigg -I have read your posts for years and I have to say I have learned a lot from you.I sure would be honered to meet you in person if it ever becomes possible.Sure glad you have once again succeded.
mr Bill

 

[zigg]

Mr Bill

Well, I'd definately say the feeling is mutual.

Wasn't so long ago that I got my first diesel, and I sure learned a lot along the way, from the likes of Mel,Fred, Huff etc., just glad I've been able to do my little bit to help anyone else along the way.

The rains have finally come here(usually rains for about the next 6 months or so it seems) so I probably won't get much more done on it for a while, but I'll post anything else exciting that comes along.

Otherwise, I hope everything else is as well as can be expected with you!!

Zigg

 

[Darrin Tosh]

Congrats Zigg, Very Cool! Thanks for the update!

 

[apextrans]

Some people get really whiney when you take up three spaces to shop,

I just use up 4 spots & I do it on purpose. Center the truck as best I can ....then put it whereever it goes.

Figure this out......(at least near me) the freakin' Home Depot has those little a$$ parking spots!!!!! What do most contractors drive?!?!?