First diesel rebuild

[Badassford23]

Hey guys and gals just pick up a 7.3. I trade the guy a use e4od tran to a 351 for it he had the heads off of it. He said the rings are bad it runs but use about a gallon of it in like a week. So should I put new rings on it or should I rebuild the whole thing any info will be helpful thanks

 

[hesutton]

The best way to find out which direction you need to go is to pull it apart and see what you have. If the pistons, rings, bearings, valves, or valve guides are *****............ rebuild.

Get a Haynes manual, a heavy engine stand (rated for more than 1000 lbs.), and have a go at it.


Let us know what you find and picutures are always helpful.

Heath

 

[Badassford23]

Yea that what I was thinking to and I'll try to get some picture of it got to figure out how to post them

 

[Badassford23]

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Badassford23]

http://i1310.photobucket.com/albums/s651/burton_james/Idi build/image_zps230773da.jpg

 

[Badassford23]

http://i1310.photobucket.com/albums/s651/burton_james/Idi build/image_zpsf10bedbf.jpg

Where what I got from him and hope I'm posted the picture right

 

[hesutton]

Put that big IDI on an engine stand before too long. The weight on the pan can dent the bottom and put it too close to the oil pump pick up. Be sure to put a lot of grease on the stands pivot. It make rotating that IDI on the stand much easier.

Get a valve spring compressor and inspect the valves, seats, and valve guides for wear. Try and keep all the valve train parts in their original location (from the lifters all the way to the valves). Same with the rods. They are all stamped on the big end (crank journal cap). Make a charts of which rod went into which cylinder. The main caps are numbered as well as having and arrow to remind you where they go and what direction they go. 5 in the back and 1 in the front of the block.

Get a box of sandwich bags and keep fasteners in them with labels. That way it is much easier and faster to find the correct fastener for the stuff you are working on down the road.

The heads are off......... were they taken off in reverse torque sequence a quarter turn at a time? If they were taken off with an impact randomly, it could (again could) warp the heads.

Ask any questions you have. Tons of guys here have been in you shoes before and are more than happy to help.


Heath

 

[Badassford23]

Ok thanks for the info the heads where off when I got it I plan on put it on a stand today or tomorrow and the heads are going to the machine shop in a couple of weeks so is the block. I'm plan new rings, bearing in the bottom all new gaskets freeze plugs. Should I have the motor Balance

 

[hesutton]

Few things to consider:

Does this machine shop know how to work on these IDI's? They are different than most gassers they see. Machine work can make or break your rebuild. The heads in particular are easy to ruin if they don't know the specs, check them, and machine them carefully. The precups are inconel steel and difficult to machine without the proper equipment. And, if they take too much off the heads or don't set the proper valve depth, they will put the valves too close to the pistons. Can they replace the valve guides if that is needed? Some of the head specs posted by Gary in the past are below. I don't have the valve stem to valve guide clearence spec in front of me right now, but I'll look for them. If I remember correctly, the max is .005 play side to side.

-The depth of the intake valve is to be recessed 0.042 to 0.054
-The depth of the exhaust valve is to be recessed 0.051 to 0.061
-The precup can be from +0.0025 to -0.0025 or you have a 0.005 thousands tollarence to get into.
-The deck thickness of the head is from 4.795 to 4.805 thick measured from the head to block mating surface up to the machined valve cover rail.

Another issue is the freeze plugs. They are not your standard plug either. It takes a special tool to install them correctly and the plugs have to be sourced form Ford or IH. Aftermarket plugs and installation without the required tool has lead to plugs coming out of the block randomly....... huge loss of coolant in a short amount of time = blow IDI. If they don't have the special tool and can't get the correct plugs.......... just leave the factory plugs in the block. I have done this before and would do it again.......... if the shop doesn't have the correct tool and a source for the correct plugs.


Heath

 

[Badassford23]

Ok It are locate car quest in town I know 94iditurbo7.3 (eric steller) had his heads done there.i might pm Ron butt and see if be know any good machine shop around here. Can I reuse the old piston with new rings on them or should I get new piston

 

[icanfixall]

I see the block has a couple of extra blocked coolant passages. Wonder what thats all about. I also see you or someone else didn't keep the rockers and pushrods marked. So those are junk now. The rockers needs to be used on the original pushrod or valve if the valves are reused. They all wear into each other. Another note about pushrods is they have a hard and soft ball end. The hard end meets with the rocker and is copper in color. If thats not clearly seen don't reuse them. To reuse the pistons and install new rings you need to clean out the rings lands. There is a tool designed for that too. As for the block freeze plugs.. They are stainless steel and don't rust out. It best to leave them alone during the block cleaning. It causes the shop more work but replacing them is tuff. A special tool is REQUIRED for proper installation. They are not the simple cup type plugs. They are concaved and set into a machined groove. then the tool hits the center of them and spreads out to cut into the block. Sealant is needed around the plug and the block. Then a 35 lbs air test to check for leakers but be careful. At that pressure your twice the coolant pressure and a badly installed plug will come out like a shotgun blast. Also special block off plates are needed on all the coolant passages. I only know of one set of those and they were custom make too. Very expensive if you ever find them.

 

[Badassford23]

The guy I got it from had it tore down already. What do you mine by a couple more block off coolant passages is this a good thing or bad thing. I'm going to get it on the stand and get it tore down and see what I'll really need. So do I need to get new rockers and push rod now and on the piston I found some on eBay for 650 with ring in them would that be better to do that way or reuse the old one. a special block off plate for what is that to test the freeze plugs

 

[hesutton]

Yup, to test the freeze plugs. Ron will know someone he trusts for machine work.

Forgot your question about balance work. Yes, it is worth the $$$ to have the entire roatating assembly balanced. You'll need the pistons, ring, wrist pins you will use, the rods, the crank, the harmonic damper, and the flywheel.

Heath

 

[icanfixall]

Everything that rotates around the crank must be balanced. As for just installing a set of pistons no.. Don't do that without honing or boring the cylinders. But first you need to know if the bore is standard or 20 over sized. We usually tell members to sleeve the blocks and not bore them. But a shop needs to know how to sleeve first and most tell you they do but they don't. Remember if they turn you away telling you they can't do something they are turning away money. Yes, the rockers and pushrods are to be replaced. If the cam is fine maybe the lifters are too but they will need to be looked at too. Now is a great time to install a typ4 cam.

 

[Badassford23]

I emailed Ron he gave me a website and I might pick a 6.9 up that he was ill keep you guy update when I get more it the motor thanks for all the help